Sure, there were a lot of releases in 2023. And yes, it’s impossible to keep up with. And honest, who even knew mathcore was still a thing? Our own Dear Hollow knew and he wants you to know, too.
![Dear Hollow’s Mathcore Madness [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mathcore_Madness_Square.png.webp)
Hardcore Punk
Baratro – The Sweet Smell of Unrest Review
“Baratro is a side project of Dave Curran of Unsane. If that shouldn’t clue you in on the level of sonic abuse that awaits you on The Sweet Smell of Unrest, then get outta my face. Noise rock is already a caustic breed of music, a nasty chocolate coating, but when you fuse it with the megaton weight of sludge, the heavy peanut butter, you’ve got yourself a sonic peanut butter cup of bludgeoning pain.” Two great pains that hurt even more together.
Svalbard – The Weight of the Mask Review
“Hardcore is all about the message, and Bristol’s Svalbard lays its message with all the fury its members can muster. Largely considered controversial, awkward to some and powerful to others, the four-piece forgoes poetry for passion in some of the rawest and most in-your-face lyrical attacks.” Hard on the outside, soft on the inside.
Outergods – A Kingdom Built Upon the Wreckage of Heaven Review
“Outergods is a quintet from Nottingham, founded by guitarist and jack-of-all-trades Nathe Sinfield and vocalist Sam Strachan, two singles in 2021 heralding the release of debut A Kingdom Built Upon the Wreckage of Heaven. It offers a vicious blend of black metal, death metal, and grindcore, with the rot of dissonance and ambiance aching in its bones.” Outer in the cold.
All Out War – Celestial Rot Review
“One thing I discover in the promo sump every now and then is the longevity of random bands I’ve never heard of. While many one-man black metal projects working out of their respective mom’s basements rear corpse-painted faces, I certainly did not expect a metalcore band to fall into this category. It is a bit of a coincidence to me that Newburgh, New York veterans All Out War comes on the heels of my last 2022 TYMHM, Geneva’s Nostromo, because all the hallmarks are there.” Eternal war (core).
The Bearer – Chained to a Tree Review
“The Bearer reflects the turmoil in its hometown of Austin, Texas, lyrics protesting the affluent takeover of their city. The trio losing its practice spaces to Tesla showrooms and offices fuels its humanistic message, a reminder to value the people before they are trampled in the onslaught of capitalistic progress. Dabbling in mathcore, beatdown, and technical elements, Chained to a Tree is aflame with hardcore punk counterculture pulsing through its veins.” Bear markets.
Burning Tongue – Prisoner’s Cinema Review
“Burning Tongue is a quartet from New York, citing bands like Trap Them, His Hero is Gone, Bathory, and Celtic Frost as influences. Debut full-length Prisoner’s Cinema is their first release in eight years, since EP Blackest. At heart a hardcore punk band, these New Yorkers spew nihilistic sermons with fervor and intensity, dragging in influences of grind and death metal for a foray whose comparison feels a tad like a more hardcore-influenced Nails or Great American Ghost minus the deathcore.” Criminal entertainment.
Svalbard – When I Die, Will I Get Better? Review
“It’s hard to have hope sometimes. We live our lives constantly getting up and going, always moving onto the next thing—moths chasing flames that grow more elusive as the dawn approaches. We’re tortured by silence in a screaming year, laced with events of turmoil and perpetual change—a silver silence that holds a mirror up to our faces and our truths. And we don’t always like what we see. It’s hard to have hope when we’re distracted, romanced by the illusion of productivity, blinded by privilege, and shielding our weary eyes from discomfort. This is what makes Svalbard so important; they force us to look.” Dying to heal.
Venomous Concept – Politics Versus the Erection Review
“Venomous Concept return with a pissed off chip on their shoulders, albeit with a satirical tongue in cheek mentality, on fourth LP, Politics Versus the Erection. The grizzled supergroup, comprising vocalist Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth, Lock Up), Napalm Death duo Shane Embury (bass) and Danny Herrera (drums), along with guitarist John Cooke (Corrupt Moral Altar), dropped their super charged debut Retroactive Abortion back in ’04 and have been sporadically active since.” Erect the Concept.
ACxDC – Satan Is King Review
““First to betray / First to disobey / First to stand up / Against tyranny,” screams Sergio Amalfitano on the title track of ACxDC’s second full-length Satan Is King. Delivered in one breath and against a grindcore wall of seesawing guitars and hammering drum blasts, these first few verses are a distillation of the Los Angeles-based powerviolence quartet.” I’m gonna get you, Satan get you!
