Paranoid / 偏執症者 - S.C.U.M. (2023)

Contrary to what you may guess Paranoid is not a Japanese band but a Swedish one. But while they do share with some Japanese raw punk / hardcore bands the same vibrant feel of urgency and danger the roots of their music is neither Japanese nor Swedish but British, D-beat being their main influence. This 6 tracks EP called S.C.U.M. is their latest release, and a bit noisier/rawer than their latest album Cursed, with less neo-crust style melodies. In any case they keep on being consistently good at what they do.

The BC page.

Systemik Viølence - Negative Mangel Attitude (2023)

Great to have Systemik Viølence back! They deliver their second album, Negative Mangel Attitude, after five years of discographic silence, and they're sharp as ever! Raw and fast D-beat with elements of speed/thrash metal, and they make the best of this cool mix. Think Discharge, Venom, Midnight and Impaled Nazarene. Excellent stuff!

The BC page.

 

 

Sex Dwarf - Non-Stop Erotic Noise Cabaret (2014)

Sex Dwarf if a Swedish very raw and noisy hardcore punk band. Non-Stop Erotic Noise Cabaret is their only album, released in 2014, but they have also 6 shorter releases, including an EP released in 2019. If you like the wild, raw and noisy Swedish and Japanese punk hardcore scenes this one's a must-have.

The BC page.

Ett Dödens Maskineri - Det Svenska Hatet (2020)

Det Svenska Hatet is the first album from this Swedish band called Ett Dödens Maskineri and it's an excellent one in a crust/d-beat punk hardcore vein, with fine melodic / epic parts that could evoke neocrust. If you're into that kind of stuff there's just absolutely no reason you wouldn't enjoy it. With their first album they are already much better than most bands in this scene. Quality stuff.

The BC page.

 

 

 

AZOK - SAPNP (EP 2016)

Don't know much about this one, seems AZOK is a Japanese band (or from the US?) and this EP? SAPNP was released in 2016 (or was it 2019?). You won't find a lot more underground... and maybe you won't find it at all! Whatever it is, it's excellent ! A kind of crust/low-fi black metal and power electronics/noise hybrid, very raw and very satisfying to my ears... An album from them would be great.

Highly recommended.

Yacopsae - Timeo Ergo Sum (2019)

Since their inception in 1990 the German grinders Yacopsae became a pillar of the European grind/crust scene. Not just because they outlived the other bands, but also because they're really good at what they do. Their new album (released in 2019) Timeo Ergo Sum is another proof.
Highly recommended for anyone into the punk side of grind.

BC page.

Beton / Roxor - Split LP (2018)

This is a split (released lats year) from two bands from Slovakia, playing what could be called death'n'roll or dis-entombed. Beton (I reviewed their first album a few years ago HERE) are more on the old school Swedish death metal side whereas Roxor have a stronger Mororhead/Discharge feel but both bands sits where cruties and old school metalheads meets, and both speaks fluently that language. Cool stuff.

The Beton side

The Roxor side

Progress of Inhumanity - Rotating Misery (2019)

Third album from the Greek crust/grinders Progress of Inhumanity, six year after the previous one (HERE is the review I did back then, with also the interview we did by mail). Rotating Misery is a nice piece of tightly and efficiently executed grind/punk, no originality but they do it right.

The BC page.

Systemik Viølence - Anarquia​-​Violência (EP 2018)

Anarquia​-​Violência is the EP released this year by the Portugese Systemik Viølence, a band that is taking the d-beat / crust punk scene by storm since 2016, delivering it at its rawest and doing it the way it should, with all the reckless energy and rage needed, using the potential of the style for maximum effects. This EP is thirteen minutes of pure wild raw punk excellency.

The BC page.

Husmanskost - Ambi-Valence (2018)

Ambi-Valence is the third Husmanskost album  and this time again they improved on the previous one. Their old school grindpunk is even more catchy and straight to the point, stripped of all unecessary stuff like sample intros and with a bigger dose of heavier thrashy mid tempos parts letting you breath between the blast/d-beats. They also added a few more melodic riffs and choruses, a bit like in neocrust or in Nasum, and it works well.  Ambi-Valence is a really enjoyable album that is doing well everything I like in grindpunk. Like their previous one this album is among my favourites grind albums of the year. Highly recommended!

The BC page. 

Cognitive Dissonance video

Parasight - At Leve Som Hvis Der Var Et Håb (2018)

Second album from the danish punks Parasight, called At Leve Som Hvis Der Var Et Håb, this is pure neocrust with all it's clichés but this time again (you can read HERE my review of their first album) it is excellent, their two albums posing them as one of the very best recent bands in that style.

The BC page

B.Abuse - Memories of Better Days are Gone (2018)

Memories of Better Days are Gone, released by rising label Wooaargh is the third album of German trio b.abuse. And it's an excellent one (they went further away from post-hardcore clichés and get more personnal, successfully), some surprising and nicely crafted "progressive crust" (or post-crust) that could remind Neurosis, Amebix or The Ex (spoken words ans sax included). Every songs brings surprises and different elements, while maintaining a cohesive atmosphere throughout the album. Recommended stuff !

The BC page.

Mammoth Grinder - Cosmic Crypt (2018)

If you're in need of your dose of old school metal/punk then Mammoth Grinder's Cosmic Crypt is exactly what you need. The trio with two Iron Reagan and a Power Trip delivers what sounds very very close to a mix of Entombed, Slayer and Discharge. If you like those bands you'll like Cosmic Crypt because Mammoth Grinde ris really good at playing this mix and they crafted a very well done and enjoyable album. They keep it short, straight to the point and pertfectly efficient, with no dull moments.

The BC page.

Phobia - Lifeless God (2017)

26 years after its formation (and the return of Danny Walker on drums, Leon Del Muerte on bass, and Bruce Reeves on guitar), Phobia, from California doesn't show any sign of slowing down and the new album Lifeless God is as fast, heavy, relentless and angry as ever. Still in a grindpunk vein, with some mid tempo hardcore / crust but mostly blast-beats all over the place with a powerfull sound. but maybe there's a slight bit more diversity than on previous releases, with a wee bit of neocrust like melodies or punk soloing, with good results since it stays very brutal anyway and keep the nature of the band. I'd say it's a good Phobia album and a very intense slice of grindpunk.

The BC page.

Resonance Cascade / Järnbörd - Hyperakusi (split album 2017)

Hyperakusi is a good split album released by Wooaaargh, Downfall Records and Everydayhate featuring two Swedish bands, Järnbörd and Resonance Cascade. 

Järnbörd plays some excellent D-Beat / neocrust, nothing really new, but they are especially good at doing it and they avoid being too repetitive with a more subtle than usual songwriting. 

Resonance Cascade are harder and darker with their blackened hardcore / grind. I feel they often sound too generic, but it's also good stuff anyway.

If you're into the most aggressive side of hardcore or the punkier side of grind you'll probably like this split.

The BC page.

Dödläge - Ritual Slaughter (2016)

Dödläge is a band from Portland, their latest album called Slaughter Ritual released last year by Profane Existence is proof they are currently one of the best D-beat band in activity. As could be expected from a band with ex-Black Hole of Calcutta members their D-beat is on the heavier and more metallic side, we could say halfway between Discharge and Extreme Noise Terror. Less rock'n'roll but heavier and a bit more complex than Discharge, less grind / death than ENT but with vocals on a similar level of aggression. If you are into D-beat / metallic crust there's absolutely no reason you would'nt enjoy this album

The BC page.

This Ends Here / Conqueror Worm split (2017)

This is the first 2017 release on Blasting Days, two bands I discover with this split, released by the German label WOOAAARGH. Two bands from Bristol (UK). This Ends Here plays a rather unconventionnal kind of hardcore somewhere between crust, screamo and post-hardcore. Quite good. But my favourite side is Conqueror Worm, a lot rawer and savage, sounding a bit like noisegrind covers of Black Flag songs, and it is excellent. Really good stuff. 

The BC page for the split.

Conqueror Worm BC page.

This Ends Here BC page.

 

Kommando - Distroyer / Iron Goat Triumph (2016)

Kommando is a german band and their latest album Distroyer / Iron Goat Triumph (released mid 2016) is the album each bands mixing d-beat / punk and black metal are trying to do. The idea of mixing the two is indeed obviously a good idea but rarely the result is as convincing as it is on this album. Raw and fucking pissed off, angry and evil, disgusted and nihilistic. Very nice actually (when expressed in a musical form).

The BC page. 

Martyrdöd - List (2016)

Martyrdöd is probably the best d-beat / crustpunk (or neo-crust, with its epic and melodic element) band around, at leats since the release of the Paranoia album (in 2012). After Elddop that left me slightly disappointed (although it's a good album actually, but I had high expectations) that are now back in full force with List (still with Southern Lord records), leaving no doubt about how strong they are. If you stay in the crust boundaries you'll have a really hard time doing a better album and I think it could compares to Paranoia. The songs are furious and vibrant with a mercilless pummeling but also lifted by some memorable riffing (with a folk / viking something in the melodies, even evoking bagpipes at times, something I'm not usually that much into but it really works on this album). Highly recommended!

The BC page.

Gasmask Terrör - Chape de Plomb (2015)

Gasmask Terrör immediately sounds sharper and better than the usual D-beat punk, like it's more focused and more real. Also their more rocking side, pushing their music somewhere between Discharge and Zeke helps breathing some life and diversity in their songs. Their switch from singing in english to singing in french (they are from Bordeaux) is also very convincing I think, it's one element that makes it sounds more "real", more genuine. Their latest album Chape de Plomb, released last year, their third one (with also some Ep's since their start in 2004) is my favourite recent D-beat album, very enjoyable stuff.

Their BC page.