Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta co-produced this debut album along with legendary hardcore giants Zeuss (Throwdown and Shadows Fall) that will finally be unleashed officially in the beginning of 2009. Sounding very similar to the debut of Hatebreed, “Confess” has over-distorted guitars that wail in the darkness of the lyrics and dankness of the screamed vocals. Furious drumming and heavy metal guitars combine for a sound that is more metalcore than late ’90’s hardcore metal. Too Pure to Die is a sultan of hardcore onslaught with a fashionable song structure and lyrics that employ real-time exploits to a ‘t’.
No it’s not the Hanson Brothers as you adoringly know them. Or hopefully woefully scorn. This is the punk version. Canadian brand punk/hardcore rock that exists well outside of even the mainstream underground scene. It’s a shame that it totally blows ass chunks and is not worth even a drunken listen let alone a sober one. Yawn city.
Boston area band Energy is not your average turn-key melodic hardcore band of disaffected youths blabbering on about how hard their suburban lives are. “Invasions of the Mind” is an experience of pure pop-punk bliss lifted with three-part vocal harmonies that are surprisingly spot-on by self-taught crooner Jason Tankerley. Tremendous melodies and hugely impacting harmonies crunch the listener with a sound that is part Saves the Day and part Bane–mainly the best parts combined for a perfect forging of melodic hardcore punk.
Racebannon has always been one of those influential bands that most of the newer kids to the scene haven’t acknowledged or heard of despite the fact that they easily were some of the very pioneers of chaotic post-metal and hardcore. Once again experimenting with the very notion of rock ‘n’ roll with a defiant lack of ‘breakdown’s and clichés, Racebannon returns after a four-year hiatus on their new label Southern Records with a release in “Acid or Blood” that shows up anything Mike Patton or Melt Banana could create. You didn’t think that new singer for Dillinger Escape Plan came up with his style all of his own do you? Well regardless, “Acid or Blood” shows off a band that is unafraid of doing something different on each and every release despite their fanbase. Often compared to the likes of Converge, Racebannon is so much more than that with a firm grip on abrasive, cerebral metal. Distortion-heavy guitars churn and curdle with bouts of noisy anarchy. Drum-wise, I rarely find a band more intriguing and inspiring—it’s not just a bunch of fills and time signature changes but they really use their percussion as an instrument all on its own. This is the most important heavy music release in 2008.
Listen to “Sister Fucker” [MP3]
Good grief this thrashy hardcore outfit known as Destruct-a-Thon is totally killer. “Aloha Jihad” is a quick EP featuring two brand-new tracks, a cover, and a couple of bonus tracks. The title track is a big ‘fuck you’ to the Bush administration performed against the backdrop of fast hardcore punk with a firm nod to power violence. Covering Bravado’s “Heart Attack” shows how fucking badass this group truly is. And how can you go wrong with the 17-second voice mail blister “Jet Metal Voice Text”? The ‘radio edit’ of the title track is just as boisterous as the original. This is thrashtastic!
Yes there is still a punk scene emanating out of England. Yes Rudimentary Peni is one such band. And while some miscreants were declaring the group dead since ‘04’s “Archaic” EP, they weren’t. In fact, “No More Pain” shows just how alive and kicking the group is. With simple-line drawing artwork that is so much more than that at closer glance designed by Nick Blinco (cult punk hero), Rudimentary Peni gouges out eyeballs straight from their sockets only to skull fuck the remains with their unique brand of late ‘70s punk-metal. No one will ever accuse these punk heroes of being anything more than latch-key urban punks who want a little anarchy for brunch to alleviate the hangover blues.
Having been lauded by Alternative Press as one of the “100 Bands You Need to Know in 2008”, Ceremony is one of the most critically applauded fast-paced aggressive acts out there. Loud and abrasive un-melodic hooks engage the listener with fierce punk attitude ladled into a blazing fire pit of hardcore and adrenaline. Formed in 2005, Ceremony worked their tails off in the Bay Area punk scene finally reaching some notoriety with their bastion of a CD EP entitled “Violence Violence” which was dubbed an instant hardcore classic. Named in honor of Ian Curtis, Ceremony is a band you can’t miss out on if you consider yourself a true fan of anything hardcore or punk.
August 2008 sees the 25 year anniversary of Adrenalin O.D.’s debut LP now out for the first time on CD on Chunksaah Records. The pride of Jersey speed-punk originally formed in 1981 and their first vinyl release was recorded on their label aptly called Buy Our Records with a mere 15 minutes of studio time. All of the songs were done in one take with no overdubs and their label eventually grew into one of Jersey’s most respected indie punk labels. This album was dripping wet with sarcasm and the hardcore punk comedy act was always known for their on stage banter and quickly became cited as an influence for better known bands such as Screeching Weasel, NOFX, Bouncing Souls, Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death, and Lifetime. The first disc on this anniversary edition features the remastered version of the 15 track original while the second disc complements the first with thirty-three tracks including their aforementioned debut EP “Let’s Barbeque” as well as their first live session on WFMU’s Pat Duncan show, live tracks from City Gardens, and several b-sides. Toss in a nice 12-page booklet and you’ve got a fine collection of energetic hardcore punk.
It’s interesting to watch as new hardcore bands come onto the scene that are looking to bands like Comeback Kid and American Nightmare as role models. Well unlike so many of the new breed of hardcore kids these days, Ambush! on Hotfoot Records at least have something to say. “American Monster” is fueled by energetic performances and heartfelt lyrics. Despite the album title, it’s not an overtly political anthem-filled hardcore album but rather talks more about relationships, betrayal, and the proto-typical young people’s topics. Not bad but not wholly original either.
Screamo, it’s one of those genres you can either dig, or you just totally admonish. Oddly enough I was a pretty big fan of the sound when it was first being developed in the early ‘90’s; unfortunately it got bloated by sound-a-likes and fashionazis. But even while the genre became blander and blander, there were some bands that rose to the occasion. Forget their tender angst riddled lyrics for a second and they’re cheesy melodic croonings and focus instead on the talented hops and skips between heavy hardcore metal and pop-punk anthems. If you can accomplish that you’ll enjoy at least two or three tracks on this sophomore effort by Alesana. Otherwise it’s mall-core to the max.