Hardcore

Systemik Viølence – Negative Mangel Attitude Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on June 30, 2023 in Reviews, Crust Punk, Hardcore, Thrash Metal, 18 comments

“Punk and metal have a complicated relationship, or at least we treat them like they do. As fans, we like to be something—a metalhead, a punk, a dissobro. As music seekers, we like to have genre guides—punk-born tags like crust, mathcore, grindcore, metal-born tags like doom, death, black, kissing cousins like sludge, thrash, deathcore. And the bands we value tend to play to or play with these expectations. Others eschew the norms of where they’re placed or even fight the idea of being the guitar music we’ve all come to love—but not Systemik Viølence. These Portuguese knuckleheads just wanna play screeching chords, overdriven bass, and venomous vocal lashings loud, fast, and loud.” Feel the wiølence.

The Acacia Strain – Failure Will Follow Review

By Dear Hollow on May 17, 2023 in Reviews, Deathcore, Doom Metal, Hardcore, Sludge Metal, 32 comments

“Failure Will Follow is the album The Acacia Strain was meant to make. The second of two albums released on the same day, it is a revelation, an enigma. Like its art counterpart, Step Into the Light is the glimpse into the narrow lens of a natural if not gruesome scene: a robin feeding its chicks gore. It’s primal and strange, but not out of the realm of possibility. Failure Will Follow is the revelation, the feeding of its chicks from the massive decaying body of a deer – a graceful creature laid to waste and taken apart, its majesty a memory.” Strain, repeat.

The Acacia Strain – Step Into the Light Review

By Dear Hollow on May 17, 2023 in Reviews, Deathcore, Doom Metal, Hardcore, Metalcore, Sludge Metal, 25 comments

“The Acacia Strain has had an interesting career. While their breed of hardcore-tinged deathcore rattled skulls throughout the 2000s with albums like Continent and The Dead Walk, 2014’s Coma Witch and closing track “Observer” changed everything. Showcasing capabilities beyond down-tuned “djunz” and edgy lyrics, it set the path forward with purpose and prowess.” Double the Strain.

Industrial Puke – Born into the Twisting Rope Review

By Saunders on May 11, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Hardcore, 14 comments

“Hardcore sometimes gets a bad wrap in metal circles, however, there is no doubting the potential for hardcore and metal to join forces in ways that transcend the often-maligned metalcore tag. Industrial Puke is a newish act straight outta Sweden, but don’t let that fool you, dear listener, this is an experienced outfit featuring members of Burst, Obstruktion and Rentokiller.” Clean up in aisle all.

Enforced – War Remains Review

By Holdeneye on April 27, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Thrash Metal, 87 comments

“It’s certainly not unusual for me to field accusations of improper scoring around these parts, but, while I usually stand by my assessment of a record long after the review has come and gone, I’m willing to admit that I do occasionally get things wrong. Case in point: Enforced’s 2021 album, Kill Grid. I was initially enamored by that record’s furious hardcore-tinged thrash, and, at the time, a 4.0/5.0 score was a no-brainer. But the intervening years and my countless returns to the album have revealed an inescapable truth: I should have scored it higher. Needless to say, follow-up War Remains approaches the battlefield facing a nearly invincible host of expectations.” Of war crimes and MOAR crimes.

Black Oak – Egolution Review

By Maddog on April 25, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 20 comments

“Egolution was a tough nut to crack. I picked up the debut from Sweden’s Black Oak based on the promo’s bold namedrops of Cult of Luna, ISIS, and Palms. When I started listening, I expected standard sludgy post-metal. I was wrong. Fifty-three minutes later, my head spinning with variants of “what the hell did I just listen to,” I panicked. Black Oak’s restless blend of post-rock and hardcore with electronic influences, prog, classical flourishes, and more left me confused.” Let go my Ego.

Wind in His Hair – Future Primitives Review

By Dear Hollow on April 10, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Crust Punk, Hardcore, 11 comments

“When we think crust punk and in particular its blackened interpretations, it wouldn’t be remiss to think of acts like Young and In the Way, Ancst, or Trap Them – acts defined by violence. Berlin’s Wind in His Hair, named after Rodney A. Grant’s Lakota character in the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves, settles in violence’s wake rather than any assault of its own. Debut Future Primitives is undeniably blackened crust punk, focusing on the earth’s destruction and the marginalization of indigenous peoples throughout.” And the wind whispers… wiolence.

The Turin Horse – Unsavory Impurities Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 29, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Noise, Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore, Psychedelic Rock, Sludge, Sludge Metal, 32 comments

“Just look at that cover! I didn’t quite care what it ended up being when I saw that brazenly bright, composite-faced figure with its many mouths open in… anguish? Excitement? Both? Of course, I knew it had to foreshadow noise to some degree—something so frighteningly stitched could only be the result of frequencies scraping the boundary between pique and pleasure.” Horse show.

Turbid North – The Decline Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on January 18, 2023 in Reviews, Groove Metal, Hardcore, Sludge, Sludge Metal, 15 comments

“If you’re looking for thick-stringed pummel somewhere on the heady but heavy spectrum between Anciients and Today Is the Day with a kiss of Machine Head, you might be in the market for Turbid North. I know that sounds like mouthful, but these extreme metal frontiersmen make it a point to switch from Southern rock drones to chug-led beatdowns on a dime.” Trve north?

Scalpture – Feldwärts [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]

By Kenstrosity on December 15, 2022 in Things You Might Have Missed 2022, Death Metal, Hardcore, 42 comments

“Hailing from the Bielefeld region of Germany, the quintet specialize in the historical record of military conflict as their lyrical focus, with this newest opus detailing scenes from World War I. Keeping that in mind, you wouldn’t expect the record to be what you’d call “fun.” Except, Feldwärts is massively, addictingly fun.” WAR ARTS!!