Review Roundup - July 2023

Plus a tiny German scene report

My friend Paiden says “no matter what kind of hardcore you like, Germany’s got a band for you”. DBNO Records and Collective Memory Zine are leading a minor demo-core revival in that country, dropping promising local iterations of beatdown, emo and everything in between.

I would love to put my boots on the ground over there and see what the scene is like. Germany is a large country population wise, but geographically, it’s a lot easier to get from one end to the other than Canada or the States. The drive from Hamburg (near the northern border with Denmark) to Munich (in the southern corner near Austria) takes about 7.5 hours — roughly the distance from Toronto to Montreal.

That population density makes travelling to shows and touring fairly easy. There’s plenty of potential to make something special happen, and we might be witnessing the birth of it.

Mortal Form - Demo 2023 (DBNO)

This German band’s debut, released on DBNO Records, is a competent display of what I call “mesh shorts crossover”. That’s when a heavy hardcore band decides to swap the slams or chugs in their breakdowns with half-time thrash riffs. Sometimes there’s tremolo picking involved, sometimes it’s just thinly disguised beatdown. Mortal Form is definitely on the slower end of the spectrum. I usually get lost by a lack of speed, but there’s just enough 90’s New York swagger to keep this in the ballpark of what I find interesting. Fans of Crown of Thornz and Merauder will definitely get the reference points here. The production isn’t too slick either. Too much polish can make a band like this sound boring real fast. Future releases will need more headbang-ability to keep it captivating, but for a demo, I’m sold.

Militarie Gun- Life Under the Gun (Loma Vista)

Listen to the re-recording of “Big Disappointment” if you need a touchpoint for Militarie Gun’s new direction on their debut LP. The song appears in a much bristlier fashion on All Roads Lead to the Gun vol. 2. Cleaner production and more tuneful vocals make for an overall brighter approach. I thought this record was going to be its own “big disappointment” after the first listen — one I could respect in the academic sense but not fully enjoy. I was a huge fan of the band’s earlier, grittier material, so I was hoping for a full length project in that lane. I adjusted my expectations once it became apparent that a return to form wasn’t in the cards for Mr. Ian Shelton and company. I’m really starting to enjoy this record’s abridged approach to pop songwriting as the hooks get stuck in my head repeatedly. I still think the tougher moments on this record, like “Think Less”, have the most appeal, but even the slow, sad songs carry enough charm to get over.

Buggin - Concrete Cowboys (Flatspot)

A friend to all is a friend to none when it comes to writing songs. Buggin’s debut full length for Flatspot Records is an amorphous amalgam of modern hardcore that has trouble picking and sticking to a lane. Lockin’ Out style grooves give way to half-time metallic thudding in a way that probably makes perfect sense if you’re lost in the moment on the dance-floor, but seem hollow on record. That’s ok! Hardcore is meant to be enjoyed live. Keep in mind, though, I’m doing an album review. I found the best way to evaluate these songs was by saying “would I like this without the mosh part?”. The answer was yes more than a few times. I think the cross-genre pollination works really well with the alt rock-esque melodies on “Hard 2 Kill”. Songs like “The Customer is Always Wrong” and “Not Yours” are undeniable, thanks in no small part to the swagger of vocalist Bryanna Bennett. Still, too many tracks on this record feel like little more than an excuse to play a couple mosh riffs in a row.

Destiny Bond - Be My Vengeance (Convulse)

Denver’s Destiny Bond strike a balance between melody and mosh on their debut for Convulse Records. DC hardcore is obviously in the band’s DNA with the trebly, noodly guitars and plaintive vocal delivery, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find out a key member of this band grew up listening to the same turn of the 2010’s melodic post-hardcore I cut my teeth on. There’s a fair bit of drive in the low end. It even gets bouncy at times. I also think you can attribute a lot of that musical ferocity, namely the speed picking and palm muted crunch, to a healthy admiration for Dag Nasty. That said, there’s something more modern — and danceable — at work here. Lyrically, vocalist Chloe Madonna provides, among other topics, a hopeful yet realistic thesis on identity politics and sexual liberation under the backdrop of America’s fraught social and political climate.

Fraud - March of Progress (Delayed Gratification)

It would be easy to put this Boston band in a bucket with their one syllable name, two-tone art and affinity for the pogo beat. You would be doing them a disservice, though. I get the feeling that the members of Fraud would be making this style of music regardless of current trends. The players seem a little more steeped in this world, especially the drummer, who almost never makes the obvious choice when it comes to fills and transitions. There’s also not much focus on dance floor. While some modern-era hardcore punk songs seem like simply an excuse to play a stompy side to side riff, the breaks here feel like a necessary byproduct of the songwriting. There’s less formula and more creativity at play. I also think there’s a powerviolence sensibility in the mix, although the drums rarely blast. The song structures are spikey and convoluted in that unapproachable late 80’s west coast style. Don’t prejudge this and skim over it.

Blackbraid - II (Self Released)

Blackbraid’s crushing yet triumphant take on black metal calls to mind the destructive power of nature. There are moments of delicate beauty on here — melodic passages which often borrow from traditional First Nations songwriting. Sooner or later, though, we’re swept back into the storm. The first Blackbraid record used acoustic and traditional music for the interludes. Those elements are more deftly woven into the songs this time around. The black metal bits are better too. Band leader John Krieger seems more confident in his songwriting. The riffs are harder. The production is fuller and more ripping. Some people seemed unimpressed with the “basic” approach on the first record, but if they say that about this one, they’re lying for scene points. Nothing about this is reinventing the wheel, except “Twighlight Hymn of Ancient Blood”, which ends with a rather non-traditional breakdown. Still, there’s a reason people listen to Dissection in 2023, and it’s not because they were cool dudes. This type of black metal, when done well, is timeless. My only beef? The song lengths.

Restraining Order - Locked in Time (Triple B)

I’ve heard writing a second full-length is hard for any artist, but I’d imagine it’s harder when you’re trying to follow up something so fully realized as Restraining Order’s 2019 debut This World is Too Much. Maybe that’s why it took them four years. The New England band’s latest offering isn’t just a retread. Nor is it an awkward, forced deviation. They went back to the same well for a lot of this record, including a reprise of “Addicted” from the first full length. Early 80’s USHC is the main touchpoint, but they added a bit more personal flavour, whereas the last record was really going for “a thing”. I hear a healthy dose of Oi! on songs like “Fight Back”, and some Hidden World era Fucked Up in the melodies and tones of the slower tracks. Those subtle tweaks make Locked in Time a more textured and unique listen. It’s not as immediately arresting as the debut, but I think this was absolutely the right move. Time will tell which RO record I like more, but I’m excited to sink my teeth further into this one.