out of South Carolina we have Miles Apart, a band that has been active for quite some time, but who hasn’t put out anything until this EP right here came out in April. they play a heavy though melodic flavour of Shai Hulud-esque hardcore, with the occasional screamo flirt. it’s mostly fast-paced hardcore action with heavy and abrasive breakdowns. when the guitars are extra melodic and going mid-tempo over creeping drums, and the shouted/screamed vocals expresses the emotionally distressed lyrics, it even almost sounds a bit like Some Mistakes (particularly on “Misaligned”). you should definitely check this out if you are into any form of hardcore or emo. pay particular notice to the outstanding end track, “Valueless”. a fantastic example of some epic fucking hardcore. get this!
archive for the ‘hardcore’ category
Miles Apart – Valueless
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010I.Witness – Secret Handshakes
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010this is the 2010 summer demo collection of I.Witness. it’s six songs and nigh twenty minutes. like the other I.Witness demo on that’s punk, the quality is surprisingly adequate. with songs ranging from 0:43 to 6:01 in length, I.Witness display both the traditional hardcore style adopted on All Roads Lead Southeast as well as the more brooding screamo style. thus this taster should satisfy fans of both the older material in addition to fans of the All Roads Lead Southeast. on Secret Handshakes, I.Witness bridges the gap between the two sounds, and further develop them into something new entirely. this is their most diverse collection of songs yet, as well as the perhaps best. “Непринятые Звонки”, “Маяки”, and “В Круге Первом” being my personal favourites of this band thus far, with lead riffs akin to Optimus Prime’s, a marvellous energy and emotionality comparable to Rites of Spring and One Last Wish, and sensational song structures à la Slint and Moss Icon. with this release, I.Witness feel like natural successors to the revolution summer bands. the guitars are heavy as shit in massive quantities. get this. now.
I.Witness – All Roads Lead Southeast
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010on previous efforts I.Witness have constantly moved between crust, metalcore, screamo, and traditional hardcore. on this new record, they have adopted a much more straightforward hardcore approach. while still not afraid to introduce octaves and intricate harmonies to their heavy music, the majority of this album is noticeably more traditional hardcore-sounding. with a less muddy production, each instrument’s contribution becomes clearer. furthermore, the technical ability of the members really shines through. the sick riffs, odd breakdowns and wacky time signatures are a great match for the elegant rawness and despair inherent in hardcore punk. this is an immediate, accomplished and crisp record. both in terms of musicianship, as well as in production – both of which perfectly capturing the insane amounts of energy put into these recordings. these immense vocals and blistering rhythms will blow you away. download this.
Evolve – Evolve
Monday, July 5th, 2010if seven minutes of Evolve wasn’t enough for you, then here’s a seven inch! with six songs, it’s eleven and a half minutes long, and includes most of the songs from the demo, and some new ones. it’s all furious (and cool!) hardcore played at a blistering tempo. Evolve are old school and legit. buy here http://www.evolve.bigcartel.com/ – limited to 200 copies, and it’s only €5.
Evolve – Digital Demo 2010
Monday, July 5th, 2010Norwegian hardcore has been absent from this blog for quite some time now. so guess what? Evolve are a Norwegian straight edge hardcore band influenced by the classics of the genre, like Youth of Today and Chain of Strength. this seven-minute demo introduces Evolve as a blast from the past, clearly heavily influenced by both the American (both East and West coast) sXe hardcore of the ’80s. there are occasionally guitar licks or melodic hooks, but Evolve largely favours it heavy and fast. like a punch to the throat, Evolve says hello. hello! if you like hardcore, you’ll want to check this out. if you don’t… then this band won’t convert you.
Caitlyn Bailey – 2009 Luzon Tour EP
Sunday, July 4th, 2010it’s been well over a year since I first posted Caitlyn Bailey. if you don’t remember them – or never got to know them – they are a Filipino train wreck of a screamo band, and they are very determined in their calling, namely destroying everything that comes their way. this EP is chaotic, dissonant and ugly. just like punk rock should be. they don’t fuck around, so I won’t either. download this if you like: rapid fire drumming, heavy thrash riffs, screaming, and a filthy, bloody fucking mess. if you can appreciate a melodic mess, that’s a plus as well.
Just Die! – Garages and Basements
Sunday, June 13th, 2010can’t get enough of Just Die!, eh? understandable, as their first record was a) really awesome and b) really short. this next one is no deviant from that formula. and if there’s a parallel between awesomeness and shortness, that would mean this one is even more awesome! (that’s my goofy way of informing you that this one is shorter.) it’s an almost nine minutes long seven inch record entitled Garages and Basements, and you can buy it from http://deadendrecs.bigcartel.com/product/just-die-garages-and-basements – it’s only $5, so you probably should. if you are wondering what to expect – expect much of the same. Lifetime, Kid Dynamite and Strike Anywhere are bands I can somewhat compare this to. it’s a bit ’90s skate/punk rock, a bit ’00s hardcore, a bit of this, a bit of that – and a lot of awesome. the skate/punk influence results in a slightly more mid-tempo sound, consequently preventing the songs from blazing by too fast for you to actually digest them. with this record, Just Die! further evolves their catchy flavour of anthem hardcore. it even has gang vox!!! I fucking love gang vocals. download this. buy this. get on board.
Just Die! – No Time for Poetry
Sunday, June 13th, 2010Just Die! are a NC hardcore band that’s been going on for quite some time now. this is their first full length, entitled No Time for Poetry. released in 2007, this is a eighteen minute crash course in intensity. with their tracks rarely reaching the 1:30 mark, this band doesn’t fuck around. they get straight to the point, then proceed to hammer it into your skull. still, they do no neglect to melody nor atmosphere. interchanging between fast-as-hell hardcore (at almost grindcore speeds) and anthem punk, this band leaves a mark with all their passionate shouting, energetic drumming and awesome riffs. this band is hyped as fuck all over the Internet, and with good reason. aggressive enough for the hardcore purist and catchy enough for the hardcore newbie, they satisfy everyone on all accounts. but remember to put it on repeat, because this shit flies by fast. it might need a couple of listens to stick. in any event, check this band out! you will not regret it.
The Ergs! – Thrash Compactor
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010I was originally not planning on uploading this to the blog, because all of you faithful that’s punk users already have all of these songs. but, I got the 7″ some time ago and listened to it, and discovered that the “Throttle Boy” recording is actually a new one! so The Ergs! fans, grab this! if you’re not familiar with The Ergs!, you should be ashamed. they are truly one of the most fun punk rock bands of all time. their melodies range from The Queers-like punk rock, to Hüsker Dü-like emo, and to the raging hardcore punk that appears on this record. it’s a one-sided, five song, three minute 7″ record. and it’s amazing. download it! buy it from http://www.dorkrockcorkrod.com/ if you like it. it’s really cheap, and really worth it.