The first seven songs are a history lesson of sorts and the last six songs are stuff i think rules now…
STRIFE – ‘Will To Die’
– Old masters came back last summer to show kids how it’s done. Victory Records and Roadrunner (!) had a bunch of good hardcore bands in the mid-late 90’s, as hard as it is to believe!
HATEBREED – ‘Last Breath’
Probably the first real hardcore band I got into when I was 13/14. I cant lie – I’ve liked this band ever since. Apart from literally a couple of songs, I like everything they’ve done. I think they prove you can take hardcore to the masses without really changing. I have the utmost respect for them.
CONVERGE – ‘Last Light’
– They have been around so long now, yet still continually mutate, push forward, change and progress. I don’t know another heavy band with as much integrity that manage to bring together so many different people – from metalheads, to journalists, to techheads, to hardcore kids, to ATP beard-strokers.
VISION OF DISORDER – ‘In The Room’
– The harshest guitar tones and screams combined with grungey clean vocals that aren’t cringey. ‘Imprint’ is one of the best albums ever.
EIGHTEEN VISION – ‘Motionless And White’
Yeah they were an incredible metalcore band once! Back at this time they just tossed off millions of sick riffs with ease. No complaints.
SNAPCASE – ‘Typecast Modulator’
So heavy, yet feels posi and uplifting. Sounds perfect to skate to in my book. Another late 90’s gold classic.
DISEMBODIED – ‘Enochian Prayer’
Hardcore bands detuning and dooming out is nothing new. Disembodied were doing it better in the mid 90’s.
XIBALBA – ‘Cold’
The video for this song is ridiculous. Fast, detuned, to the point, moshy hardcore. These guys will get big this year I reckon….
HATRED SURGE – ‘Brutal Pharmeceutical’
More a power violence band than anything, but just completely rocking. This song is taken from the 2×7″ ‘Brutal Supremacy’ 4-way split. Well worth owning.
HARM’S WAY – ‘Isolation’
Title track from (in my opinion) the best hardcore record of 2011. Entombed guitars and Napalm Death-esque vocals, this just makes me want to kill everything.
FORMER THEIVES – ‘Trust Fund Kids’
I can’t believe this band are supporting La Dispute this month. They sound a bit like Coalesce and Botch, but updated with a renewed vigour and classic rock’n’roll tinge.
WEEKEND NACHOS – ‘Old Friends Don’t Mean Shit’
Just try and deny this on any level.
ALEX FITZPATRICK