DREGG are here to drag metalcore into a new era, kicking and screaming. The latest tune from the burgeoning band, "I'm Done," laces booming rock with fast-paced, hip-hop verses for an energetic blast.

It's a refreshing number that should have hardcore and metal fans banging their heads. After all, pummeling rhythms, thick riffs and frenetic vocals are DREGG's hallmarks. But the outfit imbues those sounds with a forward-thinking focus that could make them thought leaders of the underground.

That's the group's essence, according to frontman Christopher Mackertich. He joins guitarists Jordan McQuitty and Sam Yates, bassist Aiden Zovic and drummer Horhay Delalopez in the Australian act newly signed to Epitaph Records.

"People want open conversation about all kinds of ideas," Mackertich says of the band's overall mission. "Even if the songs sound angry, we like to spread a pretty optimistic message. We are all about confidence and being yourself, no matter how bizarre your ideas may seem. Be free to be weird."

Therefore, it makes sense that in the music video for "I'm Done," one DREGG member dons a spooky mask. Another wears red face makeup like a nu-metal Darth Maul. With the rest of the group, they cavort among streets, a parking garage and a laundromat in a free-wheeling display. (Watch it below.)

They're just being themselves, unashamedly. For DREGG, that means sounding something akin to "Hatebreed covering the Wu-Tang Clan inside an art installation," as a recent bio of the group put it. Meanwhile, the band encourages others to take part in the unique atmosphere they've created.

"We don't want regular people to walk into our show and feel like they're outnumbered," adds McQuitty. "Or like they've come to the wrong place. We want everyone to feel part of what we are doing, because to this day, we know what it's like to feel alone in a crowd."

As for "I'm Done," the group wanted to make something that "outlined our current frustrations while simultaneously mocking ourselves and anyone who takes everything great they have for granted," DREGG explained collectively. It "explores the idea of breaking down one's ego."

The song was mixed by Will Putney (Every Time I Die, Knocked Loose, Gideon). It follows equally ferocious singles from the band, such as "Return of the Dregg," and the act's previous EPs, The Dregg and No Comment. For more info on DREGG, check out the band's website and Facebook page.

DREGG, "I'm Done"

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