Baltimore-based hardcore punk group Jivebomb released their debut full-length record Ethereal via Flatspot Records. Clocking in at just 15 minutes, the group’s inaugural LP is a heavy-hitting, unrelenting body of work that cements the group as one of the genre’s most brutal and poetic up-and-coming acts. Continue reading
Alabama is a state with a very well-known identity and stereotype, often ascribed as being synonymous with the uneducated, right-wing conservative types. It is aspirational that the hardcore troup, No Cure, want to change that for the better. All bands have gotta start somewhere, and with a list of features, your arm’s length, No Cure certainly are reaching high with their brand new EP I Hope I Die Here (SharpTone Records).
One of the defining characteristics of the hardcore scene is its emphasis on community and companionship, especially between the artists and the fans.
Australian up-and-comers AWOL have debuted with Flatspot Records for their sophomore record Tear ‘Em To Bits and this is, by and large, a hardcore album for the people.Continue reading
Late-2000s east coast hardcore troops, GhostxShip, have returned after a decade-long hiatus, with the announcement of their new single, “Ties That Bind.” The fresh track officially drops on Wednesday, May 01st, and promises to be among “some of their most aggressive and energetic music to date.” Head into the article below for more information.
Continue reading
Out of Milwaukee is the hardcore group Big Laugh with the debut LP, Consume Me (Revelation Records). The band had previously released the EP Maniac Revision that came out back in 2020. On Consume Me, the songs come out fast and furious with little room for any flash or filler. Most songs included barely make it over the two-minute mark. Continue reading
A sea change seems to be afoot in the heavy music game. Young bands like Code Orange, Knocked Loose and now Nequient’s approach to the genre is to craft albums that pull from as wide a net of influences as possible and spinning that yarn into functional songs. On Wolves at the Door (Nefarious Industries) Nequient uses d-beat-laden Crust Punk as a framework, and stacks on Thrash, Grindcore, Hardcore, Sludge and Black Metal to create a collage of brutality. Continue reading
What keeps Converge in the race these days? I don’t mean that as a slight or implying that they’ve lost a step, quite the opposite. More than 20 years into the game and each studio album have been tasked with following up the obelisk that came before it. We’re finally getting The Dusk in Us (Epitaph) five years after their last release. Am I disappointed? Hell no. Not everyone is in the business of following up All We Love We Leave Behind, or Axe to Fall before that.Continue reading
Not your average bear, founded on a love of guitar-less metal noise and groove, Ghastly Sound have announced themselves with this self-titled taster EP (Magnetic Eye). Formed by old friends, bass and drum duo TJ Maynard and Ryan Lewis, while the EP, four songs in thirteen minutes, is the sound of a band finding a starting point for their musical endeavours, it shows plenty of promise.Continue reading
The start of the new year is supposed to be a time for quiet contemplation and reflection No one seems to have told Code Orange this, though. Forever (Roadrunner) is a veritable wake-up call, a crushing and triumphant blast of ferocity that isn’t the simple throwing down of a gauntlet, it’s an entire suit of armour.Continue reading
For those who have followed my reviews through the years, I am pretty lenient on hardcore releases considering I am pretty picky with the genre. I have been able to review some great hardcore albums which in turn added some respect points from me. Having said that, I am perplexed when it comes to The Suffering Spirit (Good Fight) from New Jersey’s Old Wounds. I found myself absolutely in love with some of the tracks and then others had me holding my face in my hands, impatiently waiting for the next track. A positive pointer for me is I enjoy the harsh vocals for the most part. The clean vocals, however, seemed a little bland and just came off as simply a needful break from the harsh vocals. Instrumentally, Old Wounds is a tightly captained ship that sounds like what you would expect from a modern hardcore band. Oh and breakdowns. It might just be impossible to have a hardcore band write music without a breakdown nowadays.
The album opener, ‘Rest in Piss’, had a great feel for the opening track in an attempt to set the mood across all eleven tracks. Each time through The Suffering Spirit, this song would get me excited to hear the rest, but I only enjoyed a few other tracks. ‘The Secret Song at the Center of the World’ was one of the tracks that grabbed my attention once again with its slow tempo and sluggish personality. The same sort of characteristics seen in this track are seen later on in the album on ‘Moral Hex. These two tracks alone will get your head banging. I feel as if Old Wounds went for a more mature sound on these two tracks and really hit the nail on the head, unlike most of the remainder of the album. The final track, ‘Desecrate’, was one of the more interesting tracks on the album. Not only is this the longest track at over four minutes, but it sounded like a Mudvayne song with hardcore elements over it.
As a whole, I was not feeling Old Wound’s latest album. In no way did I think this was an awful album either, just not that exciting. In a larger spectrum, when it comes to modern hardcore, this latest release from the Jersey foursome is certainly one of the better ones I have listened to.
6.5/10
TIM LEDIN