In an old building in downtown Los Angeles, down the kind of endless hallway you would read about in a Steven King novel, and into a tiny 15-by15-foot room with garbage bags for curtains and a pirate flag on the wall, is the place where a group of talented musicians called Cry Havoc practice for every show they play.

“Practice is imperative. It’s the most important thing you can do,” lead singer Jowee Liscano says. “I don’t think that people realize that playing a show is 5% of what we do. We spend so much of our free time on making sure we put on good shows.”

The sound is deafening. The music and lyrics of the band’s single, “The Hunted,” pound through the air and threaten to break down the door. Each musician shows energy fit for the stage.

Liscano bellows into the microphone, his bare torso twisting and pumping to the beat. Bassist Chris Brandes plucks deftly at his guitar strings as his body thrashes back and forth. Drummer Mike Cambra grits his teeth and beats on the drum heads furiously, sweat trickling down his forehead. Guitarist Matt Montoya’s fingers race up and down the neck of his guitar, as his head bobbs to the rhythm. Screamer Phil Adams summons all of his strength to push his vocal chords to the next level, the veins in his neck pulsating.