despite its flaws, torture's previous album "enduring freedom" was a pretty decent and interesting take on slam, and while this one has some vast improvements such as the production sounding more raw and the change in vocal style, it's just so all over the place and not nearly as consistent as the last. also the rap verse on "neutralized" is a war crime in itself. i appreciate this band and their message but this just ain't it

one of the most heavy, hateful and bleak albums i've ever heard

great sludge album with plenty of hefty riffs, fuzz and pure grit as well as a couple of grungey tracks towards the end. although this is my first impression of thou, im amazed that they still have this in them considering how large their discography is

powerviolence and grindcore seem to be the only genres where the gimmick bands are actually good and the silliness isn't there to make up for mediocrity. this is a solid demo and i really didn't expect to enjoy a spongebob-themed powerviolence band this much. even the surf rock closing track goes hard

an absolute riot of a grindcore album full of oppressive drumming, trembling death metal riffs and sheer rage. 28 minutes feels like a long time in the world of grindcore but this album flew by and i honestly didn't want it to end. very glad i stopped sleeping on this band

cretin's debut album offers 30 straight minutes of headbanging anthems frothing with supersonic speed, a vulgar sense of humour and absolutely zero room to breathe. this is a pretty decent old-school take on grindcore that does a great job at channelling the raw, intense sound of repulsion's 1989 classic "horrified"

it hurts to give deafheaven such a low score but this album really didn't do anything for me. it's not necessarily bad and there were a few moments which i thought were decent, but they were clearly still trying to find their sound and it's just very weak and forgettable in comparison of what was to come only two years later

screamo and black metal aren't supposed to go together but portrayal of guilt make it work somehow. it's a bit hipsterish but that's okay. the chaotic and murky nature of this album is very converge-esque with "death is gentle" in particular reminding me a lot of "hell to pay" from jane doe. it's far from perfect but it's still an interesting and unique sound they've got going on here

another banger album from one of the best grind bands of all time. pig destroyer's fifth album is about as raw, gritty and blisteringly heavy as you'd expect. this band really knows how to put the 'core' in 'grindcore' with their two-step grooves and windmill-worthy breakdowns. i also love the vocal features from kat katz of agoraphobic nosebleed, this is probably my sign to finally give them a listen

a massive improvement from their debut. not quite as good as what's yet to come in their discography but still great and heavy as fuck. this band can seriously write a riff and a half

on their debut lp, existence offers a more retro take on hardcore as they combine that classic nyhc sound with an old school thrash feel. the album possesses a dark and abrasive atmosphere but at the same time, it's packed with so much bounce and ridiculously catchy riffs

while it's not a bad debut and i can appreciate its raw heaviness, overall it's quite weak and forgettable. there's the occasional riff i enjoy but i can't see myself revisiting this album any time soon. i also don't really like how kirk's vocals sound on here

i wish this haywire received the same amount of love and attention as the other haywire. plenty of sick riffs throughout this ep, looking forward to seeing these guys play their first uk show in february

a disappointing release by one of the best in the scene right now. i really like the swinging closed hi-hat breakdown in "peace" but that's about it. this ep is just a bit all over the place and there's a huge downgrade in quality with my biggest gripe being the vocals. it's hard to appreciate the riffs when he's just hooting and hollering in my ears like that

beatdown hardcore already existed by this point but it definitely feels like this denied ep refined the genre and shaped it into what it is today. this sound is still going strong and i hear all of my local bands in those slow, palm-muted fight riffs. im actually ashamed of how long it took me to find this band

not much to say here, it's football-themed straight edge hardcore and it fucking rips. despite its aggressive sound, there's a huge emphasis on positivity and community in the lyrics which resonate with me more than the militant side of straight edge hardcore

disembodied took to the '90s metalcore scene with a darker, more deranged take on a genre which, at the time, was heavily dominated by a thrash-influenced sound with tough-guy attitudes. the band's debut record is the definition of raw angst with its sludgy riffs, tortured vocals and intense breakdowns. im honestly surprised people don't talk about this more

ridiculously influential yet criminally underrated. a punishing metalcore ep which taps into sludge and nu metal with raw, emotional vocal performances and crushing breakdowns, creating an uncomfortable and chaotic atmosphere. "bloodshed rain" is an insane song and i felt that isolated "god save us" callout deep in my fucking soul

although this album feels a bit bloated at times, all out war do an amazing job at creating a dangerous sound by fusing hardcore punk with slayer-esque riffs and palm-muted chugs. "soaked in torment" makes me wanna throw on a pair of camo shorts and spin kick teenagers in the face

an essential straight edge hardcore release by a band that lives up to its name because damn right im punching the floor to this shit