Ranking the hardcore hype bands

Drug Church

Hardcore has been getting a lot of attention recently in the mainstream press. Big alternative publications like BrooklynVegan and Revolver have been paying more attention in recent years, but real mainstream outlets have started to take notice after the explosion of Turnstile's Glow On and the popularity of fests like Sound and Fury. Hardcore press coverage in 2022 has gone from maybe a mention in Pitchfork if you're cool enough, to major spotlights in places like The New York Times and the Grammy's website.

This recent attention has coincided with a bit of a boom period for hardcore at large. Our scene is thriving, and I would estimate across all sub-genres there are at least 100 bands worth talking about in some capacity. It's funny though, because when you read coverage from these outside publications, there is a small group of 10-15 bands who get brought up again and again -- usually using the same talking points. These bands are a bit more presentable in terms of either their musical sensibilities or their aesthetics. Either that or they have an interesting backstory or theme that makes them easy to write about. Or a really good publicist.

These are the hardcore hype bands. I say that with no malice. Some of them completely fall outside what I enjoy. Some of them are my favourite bands going. All of them are interesting and worth talking about. I decided when Grammy.com dropped their list of "10 Bands Expanding the Boundaries of Hardcore" (exclusively featuring bands who end up on a lot of these lists) to check out each band's most recent release and rank them based on my personal taste.

Scowl

Here are the rankings:

10. Soul Blind

I don't think this is a hardcore band. To me it sounds like the Deftones. They're doing that heavy riffing mixed with pedal rock shoegaze adjacent type vibe. I guess there are hardcore kids in this band and they play hardcore shows, but -- not even trying to be elitist -- this is a completely different, already established genre of music. I think the record is really well produced and clearly a lot of effort went into it. It hits a lull for me about halfway through where it becomes very monotonous. I might be more on board for an entire record of this if I liked the style of music, but I don't. I'm still glad I heard it and would watch them if they came through on a tour package with band I liked.

9. Scowl

I already went over why I'm not crazy for this on my No Echo review, so I'll spare the re-hash. This band is interesting for a number of different reasons, so I can see why people are into it. I'm not on board yet, but I have high hopes for their upcoming record.

8. Zulu

The songs on their EPs rip a little harder than I remember upon revisiting. I just wish there was more music here. I'm not a big fan of sound clips, and that seems to be a pretty important part of how they develop the themes for the project. I'm not hating, it's just something that doesn't sonically appeal to me as much as adding a couple extra minutes of music would, so I don't revisit Zulu very often. Hopefully their upcoming record will flesh out the songwriting and give us an abundance of riffs.

7. Speed

I was browsing r/hardcore after one of the cringey threads on there went viral and I saw some idiot comment "I don't really like bands like Speed and Sunami who only write music for dancing". That criticism resonated with me. A lot of Speed's output is just mosh part into mosh part into mosh part. I don't find that objectionable, but it doesn't turn my crank that hard either. I think this is something you need to experience live and the EP is largely a means to facilitate that.

Speed

6. Drug Church

I've been a Patrick Kindlon dick-rider for over a decade, and somehow Drug Church is the only music-related endeavor of his that I don't connect with. I might be sleeping on this to be honest, but there's so much good shit out right now that I never really come back to it. DC just doesn't get my blood pumping and my ass shaking like my favourite hardcore bands do, even though it's undeniably well done.  Kindlon says on his podcast Axe to Grind that Drug Church isn't a hardcore band, but there's enough minor-key palm muted chug on here and his vocals are firmly shouted, making it just as hardcore as 70 per cent of the rest of this list.

5. Regulate

This band has shown a lot of potential since their demo days but not yet materialized into the type of artist who really sticks to my ribs. I've heard their brand new record twice now and I think it could really grow on me, but I'm not quite there. Parts of this record sound like Turnstile Jr with the Bad Brains I Against I groove, but it's also both heavier and cleaner than Glow On. Apparently it pulls from the Equal Vision Records catalog, but I don't know anything about that except Bane and Alexisonfire so I couldn't tell ya. Drug Church is more musically coherent than this, but the Regulate record gets my blood pumping way more. The lyricist Seb has also evolved a fair bit from the demo days and really shines on this one.

4. MSPaint

This is the band you name drop if you want to impress the cool kids and tastemakers of hardcore. I came into this listen expecting to be like "I still don't get it", but I must admit it's undeniably good. The tempos are kind of plodding and lackadaisical, which is why I think this didn't immediately grab me. The textures and tones at work here are super dynamic, though. This reminds me of that Aussie egg punk shit except cool and collected instead of manic and weird. I'm finally gonna give this band the chance they deserve and try to get them in regular rotation.

Militarie Gun

3. Militarie Gun

I'm kind of cheating putting them this high, because the deluxe record they just put out includes their previous two EPs as well as four new songs. I love the previously released material. They sound like they're "going for it" on the new stuff. The guitars are bigger and the vocals are cleaner. They're leaning hard into that 90's non-grunge college rock. I think, after relistening to the the old stuff, that element was always present, but the drumming, production and vocal delivery tethered MG a little closer to hardcore. The new stuff is well written, but it draws on influences I'm not personally familiar with and it may take me a bit longer to get on board. 

2. Buggin'

I really like this band. I think they have a lot of potential and I'll always check for when they drop. Their style is basically a fastball pitch to my tastes -- the bouncy, stompy, but not super tough NYHC worship popularized by Lockin' Out records in the early 2000's. I'm a bit confused as to why the Grammys picked this band specifically, because to me it's basically really good demo-core and there are five to ten bands doing this right now to varying levels of success. This is a great fuckin example of that though so I can't be mad at it.

1. End It

This is my pick for 2022 AOTY so it doesn't get much better to me. This is everything I like about hardcore distilled in eight short minutes. It's heavy and hard but catchy, bouncy and dynamic. It's also fast, which is a core tenet of hardcore that I think people ignore these days. Akil from this band is an excellent front person and has assembled an ass-kicking crew of musicians to get the job done.  

Those are my thoughts on the most hype bands in our scene right now. I have a feeling someone is gonna get butthurt about this but I literally tried to be really nice and fair so take it up with your mom and miss me with that bullshit!

Peace.

End of a Year 2022 - Albums Pt 2

 Here are my top 10 albums of the year for 2022. Part 1 of this list (albums 25-10) can be seen here.

Combust

10. Gridiron - No Good at Goodbyes (Triple B)

Rap metal is usually disparaged, but when it's done well -- with musical chops and tongue firmly in cheek -- it can be extraordinarily fun. Case in point: this Gridiron record, which is chock full of football themed one-liners and absolutely assbeating riffs. Members of Never Ending Game and Simulakra make this record proficient and well-written enough to be interesting even when the jokes wear off.

Listen to "Trench"

9. Combust - Another Life (Cash Only)

Late 80's New York Hardcore heads will find lots to love about this record. It's some of the most faithful genre worship imaginable, channeling bands like Killing Time and Breakdown right down to the guitar tones and drum fills. Combust are students of the game -- New York dudes who love NYHC and know the formula inside out. There's certainly no dearth of New York inspired shit floating around right now, but few do it as convincingly as Combust on Another Life. They've got you covered if you want the real deal.

Listen to "Why I Hate"

8. Tribal Gaze - The Nine Choirs (Maggot Stomp)

Is there such a thing as crossover death metal? I've never heard that term before, but it seems apt to describe this wave of hardcore kids trying their hand at OSDM. It's definitely death metal, but the songs are shorter, lean heavily on stompy midtempo riffs, and even feature the occasional two-step part or stop-mosh chug. I would call it deathcore but that's a different thing. Anyway, Tribal Gaze stands out from that whole crop for me because they embrace a sort of dirgy, sloppy approach that can be found in both bands like Autopsy, and the more metallic side of the Deathwish Records catalog. Tribal Gaze have metal flowing through their veins. They're not just Knocked Loose fans trying to write moshcore songs with trem riff fast parts and Obituary breakdowns. This record is steeped in black denim Texas weirdness. 

Listen to "Jungle Rituals"

Raw Breed

7. Raw Breed - Universal Paranoia (Convulse)

I might have picked this for album of the year if I discovered it before October. I'm pretty open with my thirst for Rival Mob style "Boston meets New York" basement-core, and this record really scratches that itch. It's got the speed and raw nerve of DIY punk, with the palm muted bounce I love in my hardcore. This record also has a dash of that feral, Youth Attack-influenced intensity we expect from the Denver scene. That mainly comes across in the riffing. There's not a ton of delay and reverb in the mix here, which is a nice change of pace compared to a lot of bands that Raw Breed presumably plays with. It's simple, straightforward and catchy. Hardcore for hardcore, if you will.

Listen to "G.D.K"

6. Dream Unending - Tide Turns Eternal (20 Buck Spin)

This record technically came out right at the end of 2021, but I didn't hear it until this year, so I'm counting it. This feels like the more ambitious effort compared to their newer album, despite the (somewhat) shorter track lengths . Every layer of texture and every moment of momentum seems pondered and poured over. It's also the heavier of the two releases, retaining the most crushing qualities of that Peaceville Three material, with heavy ass doom breakdowns and pummeling double-kick. This record is great, and in the right mood, under the right circumstances, it can reach transcendent levels of emotional catharsis. 

Listen to "Tide Turns Eternal"

5. Mindforce - New Lords (Triple B)

Mindforce is like chocolate ice cream. They really haven't ventured from their formula over four proper releases. So what? I'm still gonna shove it down my throat with a spoon whether someone is watching or not. This record tightens up the technical intensity, but at the core, it's the same ol' same ol'. Shredding, circle pits, singalongs, breakdowns. Don't like that? You don't like hardcore. BOOM!

Listen to "Survival is Vengance"

4. No Pressure - No Pressure (Triple B)

I thought Triple B hit a bit of a downswing over the pandemic, but this year they bounced back with a smattering of incredible records. My favourite of the bunch is No Pressure's self-titled LP. My normie girlfriend and I had a very lengthy debate about whether this was hardcore or pop-punk, but one thing we did agree on is that it slaps. Endless melody and nonstop up-tempo energy make this an absolute staple for (short) road trips and summertime fun. This is even more straightforward in songwriting than Saves the Day and Lifetime, who people will inevitably compare it to. That's why I argue it's a hardcore record. You also can't argue the fact that these songs would sound perfect in an early Blink-182 set. I'd actually take them over most of Dude Ranch in a heartbeat,.

Listen to "One Way Trip"

End It

3. Age of Apocalypse - Grim Wisdom (Closed Casket Activities)

I found myself going back to In Love There is No Law by Twitching Tongues over and over again this year. That record is a Life of Agony inspired CCA classic brought to you in large part by hardcore guitar wizard Taylor Young. In that same spirit, I spent a lot of time with Grim Wisdom, a record that feels very much like a spiritual successor to the Twitching Tongues catalog. It's definitely not a one-to-one. Grim Wisdom has a big helping of Hudson Valley thrash. It also doesn't reach the creative heights that the TT record does, but we're talking about comparing it to an all-timer. The fact that it's even in the same conversation speaks volumes.

Listen to "Grim Wisdom"

2. XweaponX - Weapon X Demo (Self Released)

The world needed a vindictive, uncompromising straight edge demo after a pandemic which saw millions of people turn to a lethal combination of substance abuse and Facebook misinformation to deal with unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety and grief. I made a conscious decision late in 2021 to completely stop indulging in the self-destructive behaviour I'd made part of my personality for over a decade at that point. This record validated my choice, and fuelled the anger I felt as parts of my past slipped away because of it. Musically, this sounds like Harm's Way trying to write Tragedy songs and failing in the most amazing way possible.

Listen to "In Spite Of"

1. End It - Unpleasant Living (Flatspot)

Just like the Raw Breed record gets me salivating over the nods to Rival Mob, I go bonkers for a band who can channel Trapped Under Ice at their best. Many try, only the realest succeed. This End It record rips. People forget how many 80's punk records TUI jammed when they were lifting weights in their underpants and writing the demo. This type of hardcore NEEDS to be fast. The riffs on the End It record are legit hard to play because they blow by. Then there's Akil Godsey, the classically trained choir performer who decided screaming clever one-liners in a BCHC tough guy band was more their speed than performing at the philharmonic. This is meathead hardcore played by highly talented individuals, and the results are astonishing.

Listen to "The Comeback"

~~~

Honorable Mention: Lexan - Demo, Poison Ruin - Not Today, Not Tomorrow, Snuffed - Coping Human Waste, JID - The Forever Story, NBA Youngboy - The Last Slimeto, Undeath - It's Time to Rise From the Grave, Candy - Heaven is Here, Anxious - Little Green House, Simulakra - The Infection Spreads, Downfall - Behind the Curtain.

Needed More Time - Regulate - Regulate, Inclination - An Unaltered Perspective, Blackbraid - Blackbraid I.