Endless Swarm - Manifested Forms (2023)

Manifested Forms, released last year by To Live a Lie, is another fine piece of powerviolence/fastcore/grind from the Scottish Endless Swarm. It's All killer, no filler, and maybe their best album yet. Recommended!

The BC page.

 

Dropdead - Dropdead (2020)

The legendary Dropdead are back with a new, self titled again, album (28 songs in about the same number of minutes). As expected they deliver old school and super fast hardcore/d-beat/fastcore/PV with anarcho-punk lyrics. And they still are masters at doing that.

Their BC page.

Best of 2019 : the eclectic list

I've already posted a best of grindcore list (HERE) a best of death metal list (HERE), a industrial/electronic best of list (HERE), and now I post a list of every album that I really liked in 2019 that doesn't belong in one of those list, from hardcore to hip-hop to jazz here it is :

 Black Mountain - Destroyer

Christian Scott - Ancestral Recall

Dead Neanderthals - Ghosts

Endorphins Lost - Seclusions

Flying Luttenbachers - Shattered Dimension

Full of Hell - Weeping Choir

John Zorn – The Hierophant

King Midas Sound - Solitude

Lightning Bolt - Sonic Citadel

L’orange - Complicate Your Life With Violence

Mike Patton & Jean-Luc Vannier

Obscuringveil – Fleshvoid to Naught

Refused - War Music

Shit& Shine - Doing Drugs, Selling Drugs

Sole – Destituent 

Teethof the Sea - Wraith

  

Turbohaler - Metal Vessel Music

Endless Swarm - Imprisoned in Skin (2018)

Imprisoned In Skin is the fourth album from the Scottish band Endless Swarm. I'll be as straight to the point as their music is : this is excellent powerviolence/fastcore/grind. If you're into this kind of stuff you will like it, because it's good.

The BC page.

Endorphins Lost - Seclusions (2019)

Last time I wrote about Endorphins Lost was when I reviewed their split with the excellent OSK, now they're back with an album, called Seclusions, and it's really good. They play some fastcore/grind, with a bit of sludge sometimes. It really sounds pissed off and has enough variety to keep your attention (too often in hardcore/grind the songs sounds a bit like blurred each into the others but they avoid that).
Good stuff.

The BC page.

Gets Worse - Snubbed (2019)

Gets Worse are back with a new album called Snubbed and the fastcore/powerviolence of the quartet from the UK did not lose it's excellency at crafting catchy and memorable songs, more than is usual in their style, without losing power and intensity, quite the contrary.
Really cool stuff.

The BC page.

Stimulant - Stimulant (2017)

Stimulant is a new band with two third of Water Torture. They released their first, self titled album with the excellent Nerve Altar label. All that means high expectations but the album proves to be up to it. Keeping elements from Water Torture but proposing a different formula as well. no more bass guitar but a guitar / drums duo, with still noise added. This is less heavy / sludgy but faster with more fastcore like parts. Similar elements, a different mix, but it still is lethal. Very strong suff.

The BC page.

Kali - Duress (2012)

Kali is (was?) a hardcore band from the US, and this (20 minutes) cassette,released in 2012, called Duress compiles what they ever recorded (an EP, a split and new songs). A pity they seem inactive now, they were great. Very good for short burst of fastcore as well as for longer, slower songs in a more screamo vein (altough more noisy and violent than most screamo). The vocals are very good and the ensemble carries a great feel of intensity, of every kind of intensity hardcore can carry. Recommended stuff!

The BC page.

Chiens / lycanthropy (split 2014)

Two really cool grindpunk bands sharing this split. You probably already know Lycanthropy from Czech republic (but on this one they're not female fronted), as usual they deliver some nicely old school crust related grind although it's a pity the poor production does not help the (otherwise good) songs to shine.  Chiens are a more recent band from Nancy (France), they deliver some faster, harder and really intense grind (and without any production problem). globally a really cool grind release (especially the Chiens side since Lycanthropy does not sound at their best on this one).


Lycanthrophy on FB

Chiens website

Caged grave - Gutless (EP 2014)

Caged grave is an excellent new australian powerviolence band and this Ep (a bit more than 5 min of music) called Gutless is their first release after their already excellent demo last year (see my review HERE).
10 furious less than one min song blasting, screaming and raging with all the neccessary ferocity and ending with a good Left for dead cover. PV / fastcore hardly sounds better than this!

their Bandcamp

Rapturous grief - Ficcion corporativa (2014)

Rapturous grief is a guitar / drums duo from Atlanta and they play a dark  and aggressive hardcore that we could call "blackened poweriolence", hardcore staight forward agression with some nasty metallic riffing and blast beats. The new release is a 7'' called Ficcion corporativa (yes it's sung in spanish). 10 songs in less than then minutes. really straight to the point and "catchy" in it's hardcore way. if you're into powerviolence, fastcore, grindpunk and the like I highly recommend you listen to it. And to learn more about the band you can read at this location the interview we did two years ago on the occasion of the release of their self titled 7''.

Their Bandcamp

Perikato - Kovat ajat (EP 2013)

Perikato is an excellent, but quite obscure, hardcore band from Finland. Kovat ajat is an EP (9 songs on vinyl, last 6 minues approximately. it's released by Ektro records). from start to finish it hits hard and fast, providing blasts of a noisy and wild fastcore / crust / powerviolence screamed in their mother tongue.
really intense stuff!
if you like your hardcore, well...hardcore, I mean really hardcore, then go for it!
recommended!

listen to the side A on Ektro soundcloud page.

Cloud rat - Blind river (2014)

if you're not already into Cloud rat I advise you to begin now because it's the best recent hardcore band. this new release called Blind river, is a compilation featuring both new songs (3 of it) and already released songs (the other 8 songs). the new songs will also features on the yet to be released split with Orgullo primitivo. the already songs are from the Monomaniac comp vol.1 (excellent comp by the way. I reviewed it HERE), the No compromise / earth first comp, and the excellent split with Republic of dreams (reviewed HERE).  with the new songs they carry on bringing us the most intense, tight and relentless hardcore / fastcore and the female vocals are as awesome as usual. they really have one of the best hardcore singer, she combines perfectly agressivity and emotion, in a very personnal way. very highly recommended!

the Bandcamp page.

Narayama - Terra suja vista imunda & Pró​-​Exploração (2013)

Brazil is not famous for it's grindcore, but now with Narayama I know they have at least an excellent grind / punk band. they released in 2013 their two first digital releases (plus a single), the first is called Pró​-​Exploração and the latest Terra suja vista imunda. for the two releases it's 23 songs, and around 10 minutes of music. so you get it every songs if really short, and really fast (I mean really fast) except a more noise song at the end of both release, ending it on a slower, very harsh and apocalyptic note. the fast songs are really intense and relentless grind / punk with a raw / noise sound. sung in brazilian portuguese. it passed largely unnoticed last year but i'd say it was among the best releases in that style of grind / punk / fastcore / noise and maybe Narayama was the best new band doing that. I hope they will do as good in 2014 and am waiting for it!

you can stream / download both release for free on Bandcamp (don't fail to do it!).

Beatriz Carnicero / Pudrëtë split (2013)

this cool split features two cool bands from from south america and playing fastcore / grindpunk.

on one side you have Beatriz Carnicero from Uruguay. I reviewed their previous releases and you can read it HERE and THERE (you'll find as well an interview in english and spanish that we did by mail last year).
their songs are really short (under one minute), fast and raging, with two vocalist singing in spanish. I really like how they strip the songs from all unecessary "fat" and goes straight to the point with a feel of urgency. they really do what I love in punk / hardcore / grind.

On the other side of the split you have Pudrëtë from Peru. what they do is in a similar vein but i'd say it's more crust, longer songs, more slower parts (but it's still fast overall) and with a sound that is less sharp but more raw and noisy.

both side of the split are really good and enjoyable if you're into this kind of music and I really recommend it.

you can stream / download it from free on Bandcamp

Coke bust - confined (12') (2013)

Coke bust is one of my favourite hardcore bands, their fastcore / accelerated straight edge is really hitting hard and fast. they recently released a 12'' (nine sort songs) called Confined and it's another perfect exercise in the style. no bullshit, straight to the point and stripped of any uneccessary fat. really tight and focused. if you like this kind of music don't hesitate, just go for it.

cokebust.com

cokebust.bandcamp.com

Chiens - Vultures are our future (2013)

Chiens from Nancy is a good exemple of the growth of the grind scene in France. their new release Vultures are our future (10'') shows that they really master their fastcore / grind and each of the short 13 songs are sharp and very dynamic so the intensity is at a high all record long. I especially like the vocals and drumming that are typically grind. they found a good balance with the production which is clear enough and raw enough. they don't bring something new but their grind is really well crafted and executed so it makes a really enjoyable listen. their LP released in 2010 and their split with The afternoon gentlman are also really worthy of your attention.


enjoy it on their BC page.

Caged grave - demo (2013)

I discovered this cool demo thanks to this review on Operation Grindcore, and it's a good discovery. Caged grave is an australian band and they play some fascore with Entombed like riffing and sound or is it some old school death with a frenetic punk delivery? anyway it's fast and agressive in a really pleasant way, this death / hardcore mix (or "blackened hardcore" as people say) is done by many bands these days but it rarely sound so spontaneous and genuine (I was going to say "fresh" but of course "dirty" would be more exact, but well you see what i mean!). it's just eight songs in something like eight minute but it's really worth listening to it. a promising new band to follow.

their bandcamp.

Detroit-Reality denied (2013)

Detroit was in my "best grind record list" for 2012 (you can have a look at this list HERE and HERE's my review of the record, with an interview)  so I was really pleased to receive a message from their drummer about their new album, Reality denied. and it turns out that Detroit's fastcore / grind is still really exiting and fuelled with all the energy and intensity that is needed in this kind of music. and the "icing on the cake" is that this sonic destruction comes with a welcome diversity and unpredictability in the songwriting that keeps you stuck in Reality denied's whirlwind. with this album Detroit are confirming their well deserved status as a band that really matters in the grinding hardcore scene. the only weakness in the album is the two noisy / improvised tracks at the end, but at least they tried (and well, the first one is ok actually but the second one is two long) and I'd say that since it's at the end of the album it's more useless that annoying (and maybe you'll like it..). 

Very highly recommended!

you can listen / download it for free on their BC page
if you like it supports them one way or another!

Revengeance-Complacent complacency (2012)

Revengeance is a band from Lisba (Portugal) playing a cool punk hardcore / PV. I discovered them with their Johnny Q citizen tape that was very good (see my review HERE). they are now back with an EP called Complacent complacency which is, maybe not better than Johnny Q, but still a really enjoyable listen. good fast and angry songs and a vocal male / femle duo that really brings life to the music.

check their BC page