Reviews

Culture Desert

Ex Parents Ex Parents LP

Out of Roanoke, Virginia, EX PARENTS are a hardcore band with a diverse sound that draws from a range of influences. This album starts off with the D-beating of “Mania,” whose lyrics are a direct DISCHARGE homage, and after that it expands into a bunch of other directions, all accompanied by vein-popping screamed vocals. Out of the ten tracks here, I dig the classical-sounding chord progression and surprisingly bright finish of “Void” and the unexpected post-punk vibe of the closing “Perpetual Bliss” the best. Simultaneously fibrous and beefy, if this music was a literal dinner, it would be pot roast, which can be pretty tasty when prepared well.

Sultry Promotional cassette

This promo cassette from Virginia’s SULTRY is three tracks of fast hardcore punk with furious speedcore energy, but also acid-dosed vocals as well as chorus-driven guitars like worn-out wobbly cassette tape sounds—reminiscent of bands on the ’80s Italian HC comps BCT Tapes put out. For true weirdos.