HARDCORE NEWS 15.5 "Demo Zone II"

More demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos more demos demos more demos more demos more demos more demos... from the year 2021

BURNING LORD - Demo #1 (Tribe Dream)

Unsurprisingly, once again a huge amount of newer bands are being drawn by 90's metalcore and the beaten ol' path TERROR/Hatebreed formula, kids holding guns in the usual gang photo cover, the whole shenanigan repeating itself, like it was widely discussed in Zack Nelson's podcast: in the end of the day, it's a fun and easy to be attracted to style. So when bands like BURNING LORD come along and keep it raw and simple, in the true old school hardcore essence, not unlike that LAYBACK band featured here last time, they usually stand out from the pack. Demo #2 scheduled for 2022 with already a certain anticipation building.

S.M.I.L.E. - Just S.M.I.L.E. (Delayed Gratification)

These dudes, reppin' Rubber City hardcore (Ohio), also tried something slightly different in their sound and boom, I got hooked! Got me thinking of 2010's Detroit hardcore and the whole Ghoul Gang collective. Tapes can be ordered here.

BIG SHOT - Demo (Tambores De Guerra)

Hudson Valley group bringing the right amount of metal in their hardcore, rooted in the 80's, almost Crossover Thrash like Dead Heat. It would be a shame if they stopped here, more please!

SMASH N' GRAB - Buffalo Hardcore (Edgewood)

Edgewood Records managed to build a name around them with not many but steady solid releases over the years and their newest signing by these newcomers from Buffalo keeps it going strong, demo tape out now.

STEDFAST - Willing To Give (Core Club)

Crunchy guitars check, mean Mike Judge-ish vocals check, gang/sing-a-longs check, you moshing check, hooded edgeman drawing check, Tampa Youth Crew into 2022 and beyond check. 

DOWNLOAD [all demos]

HARDCORE NEWS 15 "Demo Zone"

Who remembers the great DEMO ZONE section hosted at Straight & Alert Records' website? In only a few minutes you were exposed to a bunch of cool new stuff coming from all corners of the globe. To save some time and sort of paying homage to Alex's label, here's a mini Demo Zone 2021:

LAYBACK - Demo (England)

I got a strong feel of NYHC: Where The Wild Things Are meets Leeds HC with this one, also couldn't help to compare them to fellow countryman in MASTERMIND. This project has the full old school hardcore package, including the raw production demo, very promising.

SUSPECT - Demo (Germany) 

 

Man... there's a new label/zine in Germany and they mean business! I'm talking about Collective Memory Records and their sick debut release with the also german dudes in SUSPECT followed by Tides Denied and Exhibition newest dope records, all killer no filler.

COSMIC JOKE - Demo (USA) 

 

This demo rocks hard, fast/short hardcore with slightly melodic parts not unlike Gorilla Biscuits and Kid Dynamite under a more modern take, it's COSMIC JOKE from Los Angeles.

OUTFACED - Demo (Germany)

From the same label that brought us Powerage comes OUTFACED, more quality raw pissed german hardcore. This one got me thinking of ALLxILL, fast with mean breakdowns.

SOUL HARVEST - "S/T" Demo (UK) 

 

Closing up this Demo Zone revival a tasty 3-song Crossover offering by SOUL HARVEST from Newcastle upon Tyne because Crossover bands are never too much... never enough!! All hail riffs galore!

DOWNLOAD [all demos]

PEST CONTROL - Infestation / Rat Race

Location: Leeds, UK

Release: Self-released, 2021

More PEST, more THRASH!! New single out in April.

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POWERAGE - Demo MMXXI

Location: Düsseldorf, Deutschland

Release: STTW Records, 2021

POWERAGE's 2019 full-length Introjektion was a real blast I reckon, feels like storming through a minefield during an air raid, trying to grab your limbs and shit as they fall apart. Just recently they presented this new DEMO with a glimpse of what's to come, an ugly af future that is!

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NEKROMANTHEON - Visions Of Trismegistos

Location: Kolbotn, Norge

Release: Hells Headbangers, 2021

Behold the beast of 2021, bringing inspiration from ancient Egypt and Greek mythology to their old school Death/Thrash harder-than-ever sound, NEKROMANTHEON is on top of their game after 9 years since the last album came out.

This thing is so damn evil that it can blow a priest's head off just by listening to the opening riff, a true shredding machine working 32 minutes at high voltage. It's even more maddening to think they're just 3 dudes raising all this hell, so how they came up with this monstrous album "all the sudden" you may wonder?

They first appeared on my radar after they were featured in the sick SPEED N' SPIKES split series by Relapse Records around 2008 alongside other select Thrash acts such as Abigail, Rammer and Toxic Holocaust. Besides the killer music, all 5 split 7-inches forms a nice zombie-themed cartoon painel.

After that they recorded 2 stellar full-lengths and won the Norwegian equivalent to Grammy in 2012, the Spellemann Awards! Taking in consideration this background plus the fact they started in 2005, it all falls into place when you listen to Visons Of Trismegistos. In 2019 Duplicate Records came forward and re-released their awesome first EP We're Rotting with a bunch of extra tracks from splits and compilations, which is the version you'll be getting here.

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[We're Rotting LP + Speed N' Spikes Series]

NO LONGER AT EASE - Demo

Location: Charlotte, USA

Release: Self-Released, 2021

Artwork: Haleigh Cunningham

More demos coming your way! This one was suggested by Devin from Rejection Pact, I'm talking about North Carolina's NO LONGER AT EASE and their 4-song debut work.

As the first track progress my expectations about the band's main influence (due to name choice) were confirmed, you get strong vibes of late BEYOND and BATTERY.

Their background consist of 2 bands: the youthcrew band Substance and the fast and pissed Fading Signal. They took a bit of that rage out and added some melodic riffs, a formula that had a secure home in labels like Rivalry Records, thus bringing a lot memories back.

Such a strong start always raise the bar for whatever comes next, let the folks at React! hear it to see it skyrocket!

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WRECKAGE - Both Demos

Location: Connecticut, USA

Release: Scheme Hardcore, 2021

Representing Connecticut Hardcore into the new decade comes WRECKAGE and their second demo playing fast and to-the-point hardcore with strong Youth Crew influences! The good stuff are starting to pop up in 2021.

Tape out on Scheme Hardcore, first demo got a limited run by Dead At Birth Fanzine.

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FANTASY WORLD - Rules Of The Game Demo

Location: Detroit, USA

Release: Self-released, 2021

Wasuuuuup?! For fans of Moshers Delight/Lockin' Out sound, meet FANTASY WORLD.

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More nasty music soon, don't die!!!!

WISH TO DREAM - Demo 2021

Location: Seattle, USA

Release: DIY, 2021

Age of Quarantine, day # 432 - Just got this little nice surprice in my inbox, the 4-song demo from Seattle's newest HC act WISH TO DREAM. Named after the coolest song in Uniform Choice's second album Staring Into The sun.

The reference is sick, sort of underrated album by Uniform Choice, which translates musically as having fair amounts of melodic hardcore into the Youth Crew formula. Either way this is a solid kick off by WISH TO DREAM and got me wondering what the future holds for them, a very promising project! Fav track "Strength In Anger".

Also representing the US-Northwest Hardcore and, from what I believe, has members of Wish To Dream in it, comes REAL and their debut album "2019", very well produced straight forward hardcore, mastering signed by Killingsworth.

 

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Shoegazin' On a Sunday Afternoon (Sampler)

Age Of Quarantine, day # 424 - As I turn 40 this month, one day before Fiddlehead releases their newest effort to be more precise, I came up with a song collection of very recent stuff from the Post-hardcore/Shoegaze world scene.

Post-hardcore was always something I had a hard time enjoying and wondered if I got older that would change, like I witnessed my whole life: near 30's scene dudes going "soft" (aka loafer shoes, lattes and Bauhaus). Absolutely nothing wrong with that and even though it feels like a natural path to follow I couldn't see myself fitting that cliché... but, as you age, you learn to appreciate other forms of music.

The fact is this transition isn't new to anyone, blaming on Hüsker Dü or not, how many cool Post-whatever projects were born after Hardcore Punk bands? Besides all those 90's Revelation Records and Dischord bands it were groups like GYPSY and Westpoint that really got the ball rolling for me and planted the seed of "            " (fill the gap with either 80's Emo, Indie Rock, Grunge, Shoegaze, Power Pop, Post-punk,...) in my brain.

The following is a suggested soundtrack for those longing for a summer trip or for those blue moments because I feel post music is about both:

A-side  "fresh releases"

01. WORLD VIEW - What's There To Do (from What A Trip EP, 2019)

02. GLITTERER - Bodies (from Life Is Not A Lesson, 2021)

03. GUMM - Swallowed Whole (from Piece It Together, 2020)

04. PINWHEEL - Stone Heart (Single, 2020)

05. MAGIC GHRELIN - Magic Ensues (from Drye Eyes, 2020)

06. UTMOST - Big Dose (Single, 2021)

07. STAGES IN FAITH - Keep My Name Clean (Single, 2020)

08. FIDDLEHEAD - The Years (from Between The Richness, 2021)

09. SOUVENIRS - Ribbon (from Love For The Lack Of It, 2020) 

10. GLARE - Passing Dream (Single, 2021)

11. RAW PLASTIC - Car Parks and Recreation (from Waiting Till Summer EP, 2021)

12. DRUG CHURCH - Tawny (from Tawny EP, 2021)

13. SWEET SOUL - Some Nerve (from So Far No Further, 2021)

14. MOTHER - Dillydallying (from Dillydallying EP, 2021)

B-side  "mini tribute"

15. ONE STEP CLOSER - Broken (Turning Point)

16. WESTPOINT - Undead (Memorial Day)

17. SUNTITLE - As Your Ghost Takes Flight (Saves The Day)

18. ANXIOUS - Bled White (Elliott Smith)

19. MOONKISSER - Kid Candy (Seaweed)

20. SUNSTROKE - Under Your Influence (Dag Nasty)

21. GENERATION - By a Thread (Inside Out)

22. NARROW HEAD - Holy Snappers (Beastie Boys)

 

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Two (relatively) new labels that are rockin' the underground scene lately are New Morality Zine and Sunday Drive Records, pay them a visit to fill your urge for more quality melodic music.

Floorpunch's mosh guy art used in the cover was originally made for UTMOST, order their merch here.