Browsing Tag

Hardcore

Post-hardcore went pop in Cosmic Ninja’s latest earworm Stone Cold

Posted on 28 February 2024

Cosmic Ninja’s latest hit, Stone Cold, from the Filth EP, is a Tour De Force of infectiously ensnaring volition and a striking example of genre fusion done right. This track is a scintillatingly assaultive blend of post-hardcore’s raw energy and the catchy, rhythm-driven essence of pop.

The track is a masterclass in electronically augmented dynamic progression, seamlessly shifting from intense breakdowns to infectious hooks. Collaborating with John Mitchell, known for his work with Enter Shikari and Architects, was a stroke of genius. His expertise has helped shape Stone Cold into an earworm that’s impossible to ignore. The track is meticulously crafted, with each element – from the angst-driven raps to the soaring choruses – contributing to its overall potency.

Cosmic Ninja’s songwriting prowess is evident throughout Stone Cold, which unfolds an embodiment of the band’s disregard for genre constraints and their punk ethos. The lyrics are charged with political and social commentary, making the song not just an auditory experience but a thought-provoking protest.

The Filth EP is now available to stream in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ireland’s Idle Discourse reached the pinnacle of hardcore furore in their mechanical juggernaut, Rotten Egg

Posted on 9 February 2024

Idle Discourse came down hard(core) on the uncompromising nature of society and its proclivity to push the atypical to the sidelines in their ensnaring mechanical juggernaut of a dance track, Rotten Egg,

The thunderous, genre-defying anthem shakes the foundations of hardcore music by combining the raw energy of drum n bass, the electrifying spirit of Prodigy-esque dance, and the unyielding force of TRC-reminiscent hardcore while fusing a cacophonous mechanical edge reminiscent of BMTH and Enter Shikari and blazing past them on the evolutionary timeline of hardcore.

From the first note, it grips you in an adrenalizing chokehold and refuses to let go. Its brutal intensity is its relentless force, yet it’s the cheeky energy and profound message that truly sets this track apart. The narrative is woven seamlessly into the fabric of the song, making it not just a musical experience but a call to awareness and understanding. They used every ounce of their fervid volition to strike a fatal blow in the insidious heart of marginalisation.

‘No diagnosis’ – the chorus line – highlights the plight of those diminished by an apathetic system. It’s a reminder of the unseen struggles many face, from autism spectrum disorder to ADHD and unresolved trauma. Rotten Egg, while light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek, implores listeners to reconsider quick judgments and labels.

The band, comprising Craig ‘Sea High’ Hoey, Lorcan Bowens, Donal Bowens, Rob Gaffney, and Leigh Walsh, demonstrates a profound understanding of the human condition. Their fusion of metallic drum and bass with dystopian synth wave elements and hardcore-tinted sections reveals a band that has evolved in more ways than one.

Rotten Egg will sulphurise the airwaves on February 9th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The paragons of post-hardcore, Heartbent, gave emo nostalgists more than they bargained for with their seminal hit, House of Mirrors

Posted on 23 January 2024

Emo nostalgists will be in for more than they’ve bargained for when they delve into the third EP, House of Mirrors, from the heretics of post-hardcore, Heartbent. After a melodic pop-punk prelude, the title single lives up to the band’s stake to the claim of being one of the most stylistically unique outfits on the post-hardcore scene.

From start to finish, House of Mirrors is a lesson in hook-rife volition. The pop-punk hooks are balanced between the installations of guttural furore, giving the hit an edge of dualistic Jekyll and Hyde vehemence. With hints of Gallows between the sticky-sweet increments of Rise Against-reminiscent energy, Heartbent found never-before-trodden intersections of hardcore and blazed right through them while bringing House of Mirrors to visceral life.

The way Elle Saulsbury’s backing vox temper Alex Folmer’s scathingly magnetic vocal delivery and the instrumentals thrive on the unpredictability within the progressions proves that Heartbent knows exactly how to tap into their uniquely synchronous dynamism that is taking the East Coast by storm.

The House of Mirrors EP hit the airwaves on January 12th. Stream the fervidly hooked 4-track release on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LOOK ALIVE quaked the Calgary metalcore scene with the visceral vehemence in their single, Scum

Posted on 8 November 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePZqf-mHKso

LOOK ALIVE ripped up the roots of hardcore and implanted them within their latest behemoth of a single, Scum, which is set to put them at the vanguard of the Calgary metalcore movement. Savage and intricately intelligent, the powerhouse efficaciously succeeded in its strive for a distinct sound that shatters the confines of hardcore.

From the first blisteringly tumultuous beats and savagely cataclysmic guitar licks, LOOK ALIVE drags you into their adrenalized-with-aggression realm; expect to collide with a universe drenched in wild hues and intricate layers and Jeremy Richardson’s raw, unmatched vocal prowess.

Before the scummy protagonists in your life lead you to a breakdown, embrace the cathartic vehemence in the gnarled breakdowns and put Scum in your sonic arsenal. Crafting every tune, visual, and concept off the back of their own visceral volition, LOOK ALIVE emerges as an outfit few should dare to rival.

The official video for Scum premiered on October 27; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Norway’s most experimental post-hardcore outfit, trueandtrue, is viciously rapturous in  ‘This is the Last Time’

Posted on 23 August 2023

To orchestrate their latest installation of intellectually crafted post-hardcore visceralism, the Norway-residing four-piece, trueandtrue, enlisted vocalist Tobias Osland (HAMMOK / SLØTFACE) to drive up the decibels in their heaviest single to date.

After a rancorous prelude that delivers all the frenetic chaos you would expect from any self-respecting post-hardcore release, This is the Last Time utilises stripped-back melodic increments with spoken with vindicating words verses to make the cataclysmic crescendos all the more viciously rapturous.

By finding the perfect balance between evocative lyrical triggers and experimental explorations that stamp down their ensnaring sonic signature that has more teeth than a whale shark, trueandtrue stayed true to the form of their moniker in their third release. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

This is the Last Time hit the airwaves on August 18th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

HeadWar say R.I.P. to cognitive autonomy in their rancorous installation of grunge-punk ‘Sheep (2023)’

Posted on 18 July 2023

Don’t wage war; wage HeadWar by listening to the Madison WI-residing grunge-punk trio’s latest single, ‘Sheep (2023)’. While saying R.I.P. to cognitive autonomy, the trio pulled out their heaviest instrumental artillery before sludging it up to the nth degree to replicate the chaos currently breeding in socio-political landscapes across the globe.

While I wasn’t all too convinced by the idea that hard times breed good music before, HeadWar is headstrong enough in their vindication to create an irrefutable testament to the adage. With Dalton Aerts ensuring that his vocals are just as savage as his guitars, Sam Tisue paying homage to the drum fills that make Metallica so ferociously cathartic, and Kyle Eith making the rhythm section as tight as possible; for three minutes, Sheep (2023) may convince you to stop banging your head off the wall and bang to the sonic absolution instead.

Add Sheep (2023) to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abyssal Voyage arrived as juggernauts in the hardcore scene with their debut single, Time

Posted on 16 July 2023

The Floridian experimental outfit, Abyssal Voyage, arrived as juggernauts in the hardcore scene with their debut single, Time. The short but by no means sweet hit pays homage to the hardcore pioneers Agnostic Front and Minor Threat; to punctuate the aggressive blast beats, gnarled riffs guttural vocals, there are punchy pop-punk-esque choruses, which goes to show how versatile and committed to authenticity the up-and-coming four-piece is.

With the promise of more catchily hard-hitting singles to come, the future looks promising for the synergistically tight outfit, which comprises Andres Ruiz, Colten “Verb” Snyder, Cory Schubert, Dylan “Dyl-Pick” Rimart, and Todd Shown.

If the recorded material hits as hard as their debut single, fans may end up leaving the venue in a stretcher after experiencing Abyssal Voyage live.

Watch the official music video for Time by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Land of Fear: In The Distance slashes the tires of those who aren’t ready with Hollow

Posted on 14 June 2023

Blending powerfully built metal, punk rock and a weighty sound to bust down even the most complex bank safe, In The Distance helps us free ourselves from all fear with the no-love-lost thunderbolt to smash the haters away into the ocean, Hollow.

In The Distance is a Minneapolis-based indie hardcore rock band that packs a punch which might break fragile hearts into two as they certainly mean business.

Displaying decades of knowledge and experience, the family band In The Distance remind us of the destroyed dreams and general mistrust of the world. They slice their way into our inner cores with an honest story to rock out to no matter the weather presented.

Hollow from Minneapolis-based indie hardcore rock band In The Distance is a massive statement of intent. Guiding us through the rubble and into a better mindset appears to be the mission, which has been pulled off rather well on this underground demo.

Rugged and ready to inspire cold hearts, we grab the shovel and dig deeper to find that escape away from this seemingly jail-like current planet.

Listen up deeper on Spotify.

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Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Minnesota hard rock monoliths, Störmbreaker, kicked up adrenalised dust in their industriously tight single, To the Grave

Posted on 15 May 2023

In a similar adrenalized vein to All That Remains and other icons of the 00s hardcore scene, Störmbreaker kicked up plenty of dust while taking us ‘To the Grave’ with their latest single.

The cacophonous percussion, catchy choral hooks and vocals, which resound as a rallying cry as the track hits the eye of the breakdown storm, amalgamated into an unforgettable introduction to Minnesota’s hardest melodic rock outfit.

The loss of control expressed in the lyrics is inexplicably contrasted against the tight instrumental arrangement, which makes To the Grave the ultimate tour de force for the powerhouse, who has been on the airwaves since 2018, taking their juggernautical sound across the states and opening for Korn, Five Finger Death Punch and Breaking Benjamin. If anyone has what it takes to keep rock relevant, it is Störmbreaker.

To the Grave was officially released on April 28; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chicago punk three-piece, Torch the Hive, delivered relatable hardcore rancour in their latest single, deku

Posted on 11 March 2023

The Chicago-hailing punk three-piece, Torch the Hive, is fresh from the release of their latest feat of relatable hardcore rancour, deku. Never ones to shy away from the facets of society that are like paint-stripper to sanity, Torch the Hive are staunch advocates of mental health awareness in an era which laces the atmosphere with off-kilter dejection.

The lyric, “just make it go away, I don’t want to feel constrained, I swear I’m not insane”, stands as an undeniable testament to the fact that if you’re not disillusioned at this point, you’re the flawed one for your inability to see the obscurity that is sending even the most resilient to the brink.

Sonically, deku leaves nothing to be desired. The jangly indie rock guitars in the intro lose their angular form when the grungy chorus kicks into full momentum, but the punk pioneers saved the best for their colossal breakdowns that hammer home the extent of frustrated friction. Torch the Hive have exactly what it takes to become the Fugazi or At the Drive-In. We can’t wait to hear where they take their sound next.

deku was officially released on February 24th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast