There’s a particular electricity you feel when a band isn’t just releasing music — they’re building a world. A sound. A vision.
Breathe In are doing exactly that.
Hailing from the tri-state crucible of New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia, Breathe In have stepped into the metalcore arena with a sound sharpened on two continents. Their fusion of American heaviness and Japanese precision has already caught the underground’s attention — but their latest single, “Misfortune’s Hand,” marks the moment the band’s identity fully ignites.
For this one, I sat down with guitarist Brian Kang and bassist Rob Gnarly — two players with wildly different musical journeys, but a shared fire that’s pushing Breathe In into something bigger, sharper, and unmistakably their own.
THE NEW CHAPTER — “THIS ONE IS ABOUT MOMENTUM”
“For me, ‘Misfortune’s Hand’ represents the continuation and confidence of our new/current lineup… This one is about carrying the baton forward,”
Brian tells me early in our chat.
That line alone sets the tone for where Breathe In are right now. They’ve weathered lineup changes, rebuilt, and stepped onto this new single with absolute intent.
Instrumentally, “Misfortune’s Hand” is the heaviest, cleanest cut they’ve dropped to date — a blade-edge fusion of cinematic tension, precision riffing, and emotional bite. Brian breaks it down perfectly in the interview:
“We wanted something instrumentally and lyrically intense to showcase our accelerating momentum.”
And momentum is exactly what this track bleeds.
🔗 Stream “Misfortune’s Hand”
https://linktr.ee/breatheinband
THE SONIC DNA — WHERE POWER AND PRECISION COLLIDE
Breathe In’s identity is more than just metalcore.
More than just visual kei.
More than just modern heaviness.
It’s a hybrid forged deliberately — a discipline-heavy, theatrical, emotionally driven sound that Brian and Rob call Power Metalcore, a term the band has embraced because it finally captures what they’re crafting.
From the American side, you hear the weight — the low-end punch, the emotional catharsis, the raw underground grit.
From the Japanese side, you hear the detail — the layering, the dramatic phrasing, the clean-cut precision that defines bands like The GazettE, Dir En Grey, and Hyde.
This isn’t cosplay.
This isn’t borrowed aesthetic.
This is lived experience — both Brian and guitarist Topeng spent years in the NYC visual kei scene before Breathe In. Vocalist Shola Aurora brings the same heritage. And drummer/creative director Paul Illge Jr. has turned their visual approach into something genuinely cinematic.
The visuals and sound are inseparable — and “Misfortune’s Hand” shows exactly why.
THE VIDEO — BROOKLYN, BLACK CLOTH, AND CINEMATIC INTENT
The official video was shot across multiple Brooklyn locations and helmed entirely by Paul, who serves as both drummer and the creative backbone of all visual output.
While Paul doesn’t appear in this interview, Rob and Brian talk about how crucial the visual identity is to this band’s evolution — every project is crafted in-house by a team with real film experience.
The result?
A video that feels like a film — not a backdrop.
THE ORIGIN STORY — DIY ROOTS, NJ BASEMENTS & REAL COMMUNITY
Rob lives and breathes DIY culture, and when he talks about it, you can’t help but feel the sweat-soaked nostalgia of early 2000s basement shows.
When I asked him about lineage, he didn’t hesitate:
“I come from the New Jersey basement scene, like late MySpace era. That’s what shaped me. That’s what gave me community.”
You feel that grounding in the way Rob approaches Breathe In. He’s polished, professional, and fully invested in the band’s cinematic direction — but he never lost the belief that community is where music starts.
That duality — old-school DIY heart, new-school production standards — is exactly what sets Breathe In apart.
THE DISCOVERY — HOW A FORTNITE CONTROLLER LED TO A BAND
This might be my favourite part of the entire interview.
Brian’s musical journey didn’t start in the typical way — it started with a game controller.
“I literally started with Guitar Hero… then eventually grew into it. I was self-taught, been playing roughly 10–11 years.”
There’s something beautifully honest about that.
From a plastic controller to one of the most visually and technically precise rising guitarists in the tri-state metal scene — that’s a story only this generation could tell, and Brian owns it without apology.
THE DISCOGRAPHY — FOUR SINGLES, FOUR EVOLUTIONS
Breathe In’s catalog is small but meticulously built. Nothing rushed. Nothing half-finished. Everything deliberate.
White Flag (2023) – their introduction
Machine (2024) – a thematic expansion with AI elements
Fallujah (2025) – Rob’s favourite to play live
Misfortune’s Hand (2025) – the beginning of a new era
The band isn’t releasing filler — they’re building chapters.
THE HEART OF IT — WHAT BREATHE IN WANT TO SAY
This band is hungry, but they’re not reckless.
They’re cinematic, but they’re not hollow.
They’re technical, but they’re not cold.
Across their Music
the same themes kept rising:
Confrontation.
Autonomy.
Introspection.
Momentum.
Community.
Brian and Rob care deeply about the human core of heavy music — and “Misfortune’s Hand” is a direct reflection of that.
This is the sound of a band in motion — a unit evolving together, sharpening each other, and stepping confidently into the next stage of their identity.
OUTRO — THE BATON IS OFFICIALLY IN THEIR HANDS
After talking with Brian and Rob, one thing is clear:
Breathe In are not just a rising metalcore band.
They’re not following trends.
They’re not imitating scenes.
They are building something of their own — a world, an aesthetic, a discipline, and a message.
“Misfortune’s Hand” isn’t just the new single.
It’s a declaration.
And something tells me this is only the beginning.
The Lineup: Five Artists, One Vision
Shola Aurora — Vocals
Emotionally surgical delivery. Visual kei authenticity. A performer who sings with their whole being.
Brian Kang — Guitar
Self-taught, precise, disciplined. The architect of Breathe In’s melodic backbone.
Topeng — Guitar
Texture, atmosphere, colour. A player who understands how to make songs breathe.
Rob Gnarly — Bass
Foundation, weight, philosophy. He grounds the whole identity and gives it teeth.
Paul Illge Jr. — Drums / Creative Director
Not just the drummer—the cinematographer, visual engineer, and world-builder behind the band’s identity.
This is a rare lineup where each member serves a distinct, essential artistic purpose.
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