Kingside Records was founded in 2019 out of Fleming Island, Florida, with a focus on hardcore and metal — metalcore, doom, sludge, the full spectrum of heavy. Over the next few years, the label built a roster of over 40 bands from more than 8 countries, releasing acts from the UK, Canada, Australia, and across the US. By 2023, it had gone quiet. In 2026, it came back.
The label is led by Gabe “Biggz” Saldivar and Jorge Rosado, the latter being the frontman of Merauder, the New York hardcore band whose 1995 record Master Killer remains one of the more referenced albums in the crossover between hardcore and metal. Rosado’s involvement isn’t a ceremonial credit. It puts someone with genuine scene history at the center of what Kingside is building, and it clearly signals what kind of bands the label is interested in working with.
One of the first acts to sign following the relaunch is BRAINLOCK, a Florida hardcore band formed by Nathan and Mike Bidwell. The connection came through local hardcore circles, and it landed them early on a label with an established international distribution footprint and a stated commitment to what they describe as uncompromising global heavy acts.
For a band putting out their first material, that infrastructure matters. Kingside isn’t a new operation finding its footing; it has a track record, a defined roster history, and people running it who have been part of this world for a long time. BRAINLOCK’s debut single, “Welcome To The Gutter,” is among the first releases under the relaunched banner, self-recorded and out now!
Kingside Records: kingsiderecords.com BRAINLOCK @brainlock_flhc “Welcome To The Gutter” lyric video:
https://youtu.be/7uyT_LOSkv4?si=SrVaxhj5AZrb4mE7