Tag: hardcore
-
Kriegs Legion – The Anti-State War Machine EP
It’s impossible to listen to Kriegs Legion‘s new EP and not flash on the crew of bands which came before them who didn’t exactly typify hardcore or punk rock in any manner but did explode forth with a sound and vision all their own under those banners. Bands of this tradition included names like D.O.A., Cosmic…
-
Bum City Saints – Bum City Saints LP
While some critics may claim that an album or artist being “derivative” is a negative trait, that’s not always true – in the right context. Sometimes, the right sequence of sonic elements can align and instantly throw listeners back into the mindset thought to be long forgotten. It can be exhilarating and comforting all at the…
-
VENOMOUS CONCEPT – KICK ME SILLY – VC III
Venomous Concept is a supergroup built upon the backs of some of grindcore’s forefathers, but aside from several blasting passages, as with the accelerated latter-half of “Neck Tie”, the band is much more in tune with eighties punk rock and hardcore, not unlike the band which their own namesake pays homage to with a play…
-
Harrington Saints – Pride & Tradition (reissue)
Now that the band has reached out a bit and found some fresh and receptive ears (the Fish & Chips EP which came out last year helped toward that end) it’s no surprise that Harrington Saints‘ next step was to reissue their Pride & Tradition album to help reel in the new recruits who are…
-
Hopeless Youth – Devil, Walk with Me
Vancouver has seemingly got the Canadian market cornered when it comes to sludgy hardcore, so I was somewhat surprised to see that this band hails from Montreal. And while the name Hopeless Youth recalls so many of the “youth-oriented” 80s hardcore outfits (Youth of Today, Youth Brigade, etc), their sound is much more aligned with…
-
Warsnake – self-titled
Back in the day, I used to be AF Analog’s biggest fan. The short-lived local sludge band was never a household name outside their own households, but in ’07/’08, they were the closest thing to Crowbar around this neck of the woods. Now a couple of those guys are in this new outfit, Warsnake, which…
-
Black Shape of Nexus – Carrier
This German sludge sextet returns with Carrier, their first full-length since 2012’s oppressive 80-minute effort Negative Black. This one’s considerably less lengthy, but equally punishing, with six tracks clocking in just shy of 50 minutes. “I Can’t Play It” opens the album on an ominous note with tortured screams and squealing feedback. This one’s a…
-
Black Cobra – Imperium Simulacra
Another sludge band coming out of the woodwork after a considerable recording hiatus; Imperium Simulacra marks Black Cobra’s first release since 2011’s Invernal. That said, this heavy duo has never really stopped touring—they’re due back on these shores in April with Bongzilla, CBSA-permitting. Imperium Simulacra comes barrelling outta the gate as expected, with “Challenger Deep”…
-
Cancer Bats – Searching For Zero LP
Leave it to Cancer Bats to challenge metal convention by scaling back the production values which are normally strapped to metal albums (“bombastic” is an understatement) and just let the raw aggression and technical talent which is present in every damned microtone of each song be the things which make the album’s stylistic ambition undeniable…
-
Seven Sisters of Sleep – Ezekiel’s Hags
I have not heard from this L.A. sludge crew since their self-titled debut in 2011. Seven Sisters of Sleep have put out another album—and a whole shitload of splits—since then, but now that they’ve signed to Relapse, their status is about to get a big boost. While you might accuse such a band of dropping…