Horsewhip

Horsewhip are a four-piece hardcore band from  Saint Petersburg, Florida that started in 2017. Though the band's formation was recent, its members have been heavily active in the Florida extreme music scene for decades now. Horsewhip features alumni from incredible bands including Reversal Of Man, Combatwoundedveteran, Order Of Importance, Early Grace, and more. They fuse their road-worn expertise into dark, heavy and discordant hardcore that also pulls influence from crust punk and elements of prog metal (a la Mastadon). Both their self-titled and 2020 LP Laid to Waste are fantastic starting points, with neither one wasting anytime pulling their punches. They also put out an incredible split with Yashira back in January, with both bands contributing a single track each that collectively conjures up one of the most hellish landscapes crafted this year. Highly recommended, enjoy!

Horsewhip (2018)

1. Aver

2. Funeral Circus

3. Dropping Out

4. Dirtbag

5. Spill

6. The Road

7. Fires

Laid to Waste (2020)

1. Stillborn

2. Feast

3. Inertia Walls

4. Ruin

5. Pray For The Dead

6. Charnel House

7. Closure

8. Remission

9. Holy Lies

10. Lowlands

11. When It Comes

Yashira/Horsewhip (2023)

1. Yashira - Burial Mound

2. Horsewhip - Circadian Rhythm

Buy the 7" here:

Canada/International

USA

Buried (2023)

1. Buried

Consume and Burn (2023)

1. Cutting Through

2. Dissolve

3. Buried

4. Dark Matter

5. Pain

6. Plague Machine

7. Full Of Fury

8. Circadian Rhythm

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Fall Of Efrafa

Fall Of Efrafa were a five-piece post-metal/crust punk band from Brighton, England that were active from 2005 to 2009. In that time, they released a trilogy of albums all based around Richard Adam's 1972 novel Watership Down. Thus, not only are these concept albums, but this is a concept band. They use the novel's concepts and mythos to explore the cyclical rise and relationship of theocracy, dictatorship, and oppression in humanity, to give you a very basic overview of the band's themes. Lyrically, they aren't directly narrative and only use the novel as a point of reference, so it's not necessary to be familiar with, but it does enhance your experience. This is especially true in the case of the Lapine words, which is a language invented by the author and used by the rabbits in the book. There's an incredible animated film from 1978 based on the novel that may or may not be available in full on YouTube, which is worth your time to watch if you haven't read or don't plan or reading the novel.

The primary trilogy consists of three albums: Owsla, Elil, and Inlé were released over a four-year period and compiled in their entirety as The Warren Of Snares. Sonically, this band is very hard to pin down, but I'll give you a quick rundown of each entry. Owsla is the most bombastic and crust-oriented, with heavy use of d-beat and harsh, guttural vocals. Elil is cinematic and tension-building, with extensive instrumental interludes taking influence from post-rock. They conjure up a dismal atmosphere reminiscent of the apocalyptic landscapes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Inlé takes influence from sludge and doom metal whilst still being melodic and forlorn, with the vocals being their most cathartic. Though they all do this, this album in particular blends the heavier moments with skeletal, atmospheric passages. It makes for a fantastic closer to this trilogy, only to reveal in its final seconds that it (spoiler) links back to the start of Owsla, repeating the endless cycle.

This band is incredible and one I've wanted to share for a long time, so I'm super happy they're finally making it on here. I highly recommend checking this band out, they present a plethora of sound that makes this body of work an epic, in the truest sense of the word. Enjoy.

Owsla (2006)

1. Intro

2. Pity The Weak

3. A Soul To Bare

4. Lament

5. Last But Not Least

6. The Fall Of Efrafa

Elil (2007)

1. Beyond The Veil

2. Dominion Theology

3. For El-Ahrairah To Cry

Down To Agony/Fall Of Efrafa (2007)

1. Down To Agony - Donde Arderemos

2. Down To Agony - Giran Las Saetas

3. Fall Of Efrafa - No Longer Human

Tharn (2008)

1. Dominion Theology

The Burial (2009)

1. The Burial

Inlé (2009)

1. Simulacrum

2. Fu Inlé

3. Republic Of Heaven

4. Woundwort

5. The Sky Suspended

6. The Warren Of Snares

The Warren Of Snares (2010)

Disc 1: Owsla

1. Pity The Weak

2. A Soul To Bear

3. Lament

4. Last But Not Least

5. The Fall Of Efrafa

Disc 2: Elil

6. Beyond The Veil

7. Dominion Theology

8. For El-Ahrairah To Cry

Disc 3: Tharn

9. Dominion Theology

Disc 4: Inlé

10. Simulacrum

11. Fu Inlé

12. Republic Of Heaven

13. The Burial

14. Woundwort

15. The Sky Suspended

16. The Warren Of Snares

Owslafa (2021)

1. Pity The Weak (Demo)

2. A Soul To Bear (Demo)

3. Last But Not Least (Demo)

4. The Fall Of Efrafa (Demo)

5. Simulacrum (Live)

6. Dominion Theology (Live)

7. The Burial (Live)

8. Last But Not Least (Live)

9. The Fall Of Efrafa (Live)

10. The Warren of Snares (Live)

Note: First demo and final live performance

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Union Of Uranus

Union of Uranus (sometimes just Uranus) were a five-piece hardcore/grindcore band from Ottawa, Ontario that were around from 1993 to 1998 (not 100% sure on the years though). Along with One Eyed God Prophecy and a handful of others, this band was a major influence on screamo, particularly bands like Orchid, June Paik, and others like that. Just listen, the similarities are undeniable. Though the band had a few years of activity, their discography is fairly limited. They released a demo, Backhand, in 1994, which would later be re-released on a split with His Hero Is Gone. They also released a split with Immoral Squad, and a 2x7" titled Disaster By Design. In 2004, a full discography compilation was released, titled To This Bearer of Truth. Grab this now, this is by far one of the most underrated hardcore bands ever. Enjoy.

Union Of Uranus/Immoral Squad (1994)

1. Union Of Uranus - Believer

2. Immoral Squad - Book

3. Immoral Squad - Endless Road

Disaster By Design (1995)

1. Circumstance

2. Face Value

3. Panacea

4. Pedestal

5. Revolve

His Hero Is Gone/Union Of Uranus (1998)

1. His Hero Is Gone - Friendly Fire

2. His Hero Is Gone - Fool's Gold

3. His Hero Is Gone - Scare Tactic

4. His Hero Is Gone - Sound The Alarm

5. His Hero Is Gone - Becoming Soil

6. His Hero Is Gone - Raise The Curtain

7. Union Of Uranus - Backhand

8. Union Of Uranus - One Eye Strengthens

9. Union Of Uranus - Weight Of Tomorrow

10. Union Of Uranus - Equilibrate

11. Union Of Uranus - Pressure (Negative Approach cover)

To This Bearer Of Truth (2004)

1. Circumstance

2. Face Value

3. Panacea

4. Pedestal

5. Revolve

6. Believer

7. Backhand

8. One Eye Strengthens/Weight Of Tomorrow

9. Equilibrate/Pressure

One Eyed God Prophecy

One Eyed God Prophecy were a hardcore band from Sherbrooke, Quebec (Canada) that were around from 1995-1997. Though their existence was brief, their influence is monumental. Along with fellow Canadian band Union of Uranus (who OEGP claimed to share members with to attract people to their shows on tour), they formed the framework for screamo that bands like Orchid would later take and run with. This combination of hardcore, crust punk, and grindcore results in an incredibly intense, dark, and dissonant sound that's unmistakable for fans of the screamo genre. It's origins are highly disputed of course, and though it was a sound that had been developing for years, the input of One Eyed God Prophecy is undeniably important in the genre's formation. They only ever recorded one album, a seven-track self-titled release that came out in 1996. This thing is fantastic from start to finish, with the lengthy tracks fully exploring the band's complex sound, which is nothing short of groundbreaking. A discography CD was released in 2001 that contained both their sole LP and a few live songs. Both are included below, so enjoy.

One Eyed God Prophecy (1996)

1. Toddler

2. (Interlude)

3. Wilf

4. Karysun

5. End Of The Story

6. Fields Of Separate Realities

7. Individual Gallery

Discography (2001)

1. Toddler

2. (Interlude)

3. Wilf

4. Karysun

5. End Of The Story

6. Fields Of Separate Realities

7. Individual Gallery

8. Wilf (Live at CFLX)

9. End of a Story (Live at CFLX)

10. Toddler (Live at CFLX)

11. Fields of Separate Realities (Live at CFLX)

12. End of the Story (Live at Birdhouse)

13. Toddler (Live at Birdhouse)

14. Karysun (Live at Birdhouse) 

His Hero Is Gone

His Hero Is Gone were a five-piece crust punk/sludge metal band from Memphis, Tennessee that were around from 1995 to 1999. These guys are usually heralded as being one of the best and most influential crust bands ever, and for good reason. They consistently pumped out track after track of dark, aggressive hardcore, which featured low-end heavy, sludgy guitars, and some manic, guttural vocals. For their short few years together, they managed to record a ton of material. Almost their entire discography is below here, so if there is anything I'm missing (such as comp tracks, etc.), please send them to me! Oh yeah, and a few of these guys were also in Tragedy. Enjoy.

Medicine Of Thieves (1995)

1. Like Hell

2. View From A Holding Cell

3. Ghosts Of Regret

4. Re-Entry Explosion

5. The Oracle

6. Of Thieves

7. Descent

8. Thanking Your Lover In Sincerity

9. Bombs Away

Note: Demo Cassette

Fifteen Counts Of Arson (1997)

1. Professional Mind Fuckers

2. ...And We Burn

3. Unleash

4. Leash

5. Sterile Fortress

6. Good Samaritan

7. Hand That Feeds

8. Raindance

9. Voluntary

10. Anthem Of The Undesirables

11. Scalor

12. Concrete Cage

13. Abandoned

14. Thieves

15. The Result Of 11 Days In The Mental Hospital

16. Epidemic

17. Headcount

18. T-Minus Zero

19. Unvisited

20. Internally

21. Richter

22. Marry and Reproduce

23. The End Result of 11 Months In Prison

24. Skinfeast

Note: Tracks 1-15 are from the original LP, tracks 16-23 are from the EP The Dead Of Night In Eight Movements, and track 24 is from the compilation Complacency

Monument To Thieves (1997)

1. Like Weeds

2. Monument To Thieves

3. Paranoia Secured

4. Carry On

5. Automation

6. Chavites

7. Chain Of Command

8. Headless / Heartless

9. Hinges

10. Sin & Vice

11. The Mess

12. Disease Of Ease

13. Under Watchful Eyes

14. Stacks

15. The Unwanted Child

His Hero Is Gone/Union Of Uranus (1998)

1. His Hero Is Gone - Friendly Fire

2. His Hero Is Gone - Fool's Gold

3. His Hero Is Gone - Scare Tactic

4. His Hero Is Gone - Sound The Alarm

5. His Hero Is Gone - Becoming Soil

6. His Hero Is Gone - Raise The Curtain

7. Union Of Uranus - Backhand

8. Union Of Uranus - One Eye Strengthens

9. Union Of Uranus - Weight Of Tomorrow

10. Union Of Uranus - Equilibrate

11. Union Of Uranus - Pressure (Negative Approach cover)

The Plot Sickens: Enslavement Redefined (2001)

1. Surrender

2. The Garden

3. What Goes Up

4. Remedy Past Remedies

5. Angry Gods

6. In The Red

7. Outside In

8. Who Benefits

9. The Willing Host

10. Enslavements Redefined

11. Birth

12. Scare Tactic

13. Sound The Alarm

14. Fool's Gold

15. Friendly Fire

16. Becoming Soil

17. Raise The Curtain

18. Novelty

19. Disinformation Age

20. Domesticated Breed

21. Ten Dollars A Day

22. Live February 1998

Note: Tracks 1-11 are from the original LP, tracks 12-17 from the Fool's Gold EP, tracks 18-21 were previously unreleased, and track 22 is a live set from 1998

Alpinist

Alpinist are a four-piece hardcore/crust punk band from Munster, Germany that formed in 2007. These guys play an incredibly dark and intense style of hardcore that borders on screamo territory at times. I don't know if they're still active, since they haven't put out any material in five years. However, their two LP's are absolutely killer. If that really is the end of Alpinist, they've left with a flawless discography. Plus, their members are now active in two of the best hardcore bands active today, which are Jungbluth and Svffer. Both of those bands are already up on the blog, so if you haven't heard them, definitely be sure to check them out as well. Enjoy.

Demo (2007)

1. Totgelaufen

2. Freighter

3. Freiheitszaeune

4. Listen!

5. Abgeschaltet

6. Old Habits Vs. Daily Struggle

7. 33-45

8. Eiche Rustikal

9. Despair

10. Restausverkauf

Alpinist/Finisterre (2008)

1. Alpinist - Wortlos

2. Alpinist - Kreise ziehen

3. Alpinist - Weisse Peder

4. Alpinist - Nachtlager

5. Finisterre - Casino aachen

6. Finisterre - Gruner + jahr

7. Finisterre - Asphalt

8. Finisterre - Depression

9. Finisterre - Ums ganze

10. Finisterre - Jijl

Minus.Mensch (2009)

1. Nighttime Poet Daytime Dead

2. Schalterhygiene

3. A is for Army of Slaves

4. Rost

5. 2te Klasse Bahnabteil

6. Amuse Yourself to Death

7. Delta Flood of Ignorance

8. The Charme of Dominating

9. From Groveling to Running in Less than A Second

10. This Song Will Not Save Your Life

11. Outro

Lichtlærm (2010)

1. Deliberate

2. Rogen

3. AIDT

4. Licht

5. Yarncarrier And Break

6. Neverest

7. Project Fatigue

8. The Cursed Word Open-Minded

9. Hak Nam

10. Lærm

Alpinist/Masakari (2011)

1. Alpinist - Abgerichtet

2. Alpinist - Subjection

3. Alpinist - Steps

4. Alpinist - Postmodern Problems

5. Alpinist - Unwanted Encore

6. Alpinist - Quelle Valeur Reste

7. Masakari - XVII. The Obscene Underbelly

8. Masakari - XIX. Void Manufacturing

9. Masakari - XVIII. Sleep

10. Masakari - XXII. Q. Culture? A. Resist

11. Masakari - XXIV. Trapped in the Mold

12. Masakari - XXI. Progress

13. Masakari - XXIII. Hexenhammer

14. Masakari - XX. Modulation

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Dead In The Dirt

Dead In The Dirt are a three-piece hardcore/grindcore band from Atlanta, Georgia that formed in 2008. After one self-released EP and another one on Southern Lord (both fantastic by the way), they released this phenomenal album titled The Blind Hole in 2013 (also with Southern Lord). And then they just kind of disappeared. Their Facebook is still occassionally active, but they haven't toured or released anything since. It would be tough to top anyway. I think its one of the most aggressive albums to come out in this decade. The songs are blistering, with some real guttural, dual vocals and a tinge of black metal influence in the occasional tremolo-picked guitars. Throw in some sludgy tones and d-beat drum patterns and you've got one hell of an extreme album. It's complete chaos, and the music sucks you in just like the cover art into this dark and dead place with no way out. If the flames of hell had a soundtrack, this would be it. Definitely give this band a listen. Enjoy.

Vold (2010)

1. Grief

2. Slave

3. Wage Labor Blues

4. Watching It Die

5. Few And Far Between

Fear (2011)

1. The Screaming Wind

2. Bastards Of The Bleak

3. Disease

4. Two Flames

5. Burden Of Life

6. Can They Suffer...

7. Biting At The Binds

8. Sever The Tie

9. Skin Graft

10. Fear

The Blind Hole (2013)

1. Suffer

2. The Blaring Eye

3. Swelling

4. Strength Through Restraint

5. Idiot Bliss

6. You Bury Me

7. Skull Binding

8. Mask

9. Cop

10. No Chain

11. Will Is The War

12. Beggar

13. One More Day

14. The Pit Of Me

15. Caged

16. Starve

17. Vein

18. Pitch Black Tomb

19. The Last Nail

20. Two Flames

21. Knife In The Feathers

22. Halo Crown

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Southern Lord 

All Pigs Must Die

All Pigs Must Die are a four-piece hardcore/crust punk band from all over Massachusetts that formed in 2009. The band is a "supergroup" of sorts, features members from tons of noteworthy bands, including The Hope Conspiracy, Converge, Bloodhorse, and Acid Tiger. The band is signed to Southern Lord, which puts them in league with a ton of metallic hardcore's best offerings today (Trap Them and Black Breath, to name just two). All Pigs Must Die have mastered the riff, managing to craft some unique songs while still maintaing a very dark, heavy, and sludgy atmosphere. It's a battle cry, a soundtrack to a war-torn apocalypse, and oh is it good. Imagine a guttural explosion of sound with technical precision, and you've got All Pigs Must Die. The band's two full-lengths are nothing short of solid, and certainly worth your time. Their debut EP is probably the best place to start though, it's their best known and for good reason. APMD eschew all assumptions of inferiority in regards to the word "side-project".  They are their own animal. Enjoy.

All Pigs Must Die (2010)

1. Hungry Wolf, Easy Prey

2. Sermon For The End

3. Die Ignorant

4. Noxchi Assault

5. Death In My Wake

God Is War (2011)

1. Death Dealer

2. Pulverization

3. Sacrosanct

4. God Is War

5. The Blessed Void

6. Third World Genocide

7. Extinction Is Ours

8. Sadistic Vindicator

Curse Of Humanity (2012)

1. Curse Of Humanity

Silencer (2013)

1. Silencer

2. Sacred Nothing

3. Taming The Slaves

Nothing Violates This Nature (2013)

1. Chaos Arise

2. Silencer

3. Primitive Fear

4. Bloodlines

5. Of Suffering

6. Holy Plague

7. Aqim Siege

8. Sacred Nothing

9. Faith Eater

10. Articles Of Human Weakness

A Caustic Vision (2017)

1. A Caustic Vision

2. Pray For Death

3. The Day Man Lost

4. The Lesser/Greater Seal

Hostage Animal (2017)

1. Hostage Animal

2. A Caustic Vision

3. Meditation of Violence

4. Slave Morality

5. End Without End

6. Blood Wet Teeth

7. Moral Purge

8. Cruelty Incarnate

9. The Whip

10. Heathen Reign

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