The Expendables have proven anything but in their nearly 25-year career since starting out as a spirited party band in high school covering surf-rock nuggets such as Dick Dale’s “Miserloo” and “Wipe Out” for birthdays and family gatherings. A quarter-century later, elementary school buddies Raul Bianchi, Adam Peterson and Geoff Weers, along with bassist Ryan DeMars, who joined in 2000, have forged a unique original sound born in the laid-back beach life of their Santa Cruz, CA. hometown.

The Expendables’ infectious hybrid of ska, surf-rock, punk, reggae and metal can be heard in their latest streaming track, “Surfman Cometh,” a spaghetti-western meets “Pipeline” twang that could easily form the soundtrack to the latest Quentin Tarantino film. The song is the first release from the group’s new and improved Band Room, their longtime rehearsal space in a 1,100 square foot warehouse and former wine cellar on Coral Street, where Adam Patterson took charge of the mix to great effect.

“Geoff brought that riff to the table, and the band jammed on it,’ explains Raul about the song’s genesis. “We recorded it live at our studio, then laid down overdubs in our individual homes. Adam and I even went down to Pleasure Point here in town with laptops and microphones to record the crashing waves at the beginning and end.”

It’s all part of The Expendables’ plan to become more self-sufficient in these challenging times, as they begin to rely on themselves after a steady regimen of touring through the years numbering 125-150 shows a year, including such international outposts as Germany and Guam.

“We have such a weird, specific sound, it makes sense to produce ourselves,” says Weers, the band’s front man and co-writer. “We were a lot more aggressive when we were younger, much more punk and metal.  These days, we lean more towards that island vibe.”