Reviews

Painkiller

Beyond the Pale Pain EP

Hard to find another genre other than powerviolence that is actually pretty good but has a rather weird reputation. BEYOND THE PALE is not your typical stop-and-go, few words, blastbeat, cool riffs and then it’s over band, but this six-minute EP has eleven songs with only one above a minute, and they do mess up their sick riffs with meticulously calculated song structures which still remain super violent and catchy. INFEST and CROSSED OUT are summoned, and like those bands, this record also has a solid foot in the hardcore field. If you are a fan of  the sub-genre any bit, then most likely you will dig this record, and if you are not already, then this could be a great gateway. It’s well-constructed and performed. Maybe the only difference is that they come from a fan perspective, which makes the band a bit meta, but that is the fate of all genres that have existed long enough to create such institutions. Also, I will not blame anybody for not being meth-heads or mentally unstable. In that sense, even if we would distance BEYOND THE PALE from powerviolence, this would be a very good hardcore record with unusual twists and turns. I listened to it ten times already and liked it more with each spin.

Big Cheese Don’t Forget to Tell the World LP

Previously released material from a band who I chose not to listen to cause I thought the name was too stupid. A-side is their smoothly recorded 7″ and the B is their demo plus an extra track, all in the vein of RAW DEAL, the ICEMEN, BREAKDOWN and OUTBURST. This is hefty moshing hardcore with screeching lead guitar and is in my opinion the Parmesan of demo-core. There are some memorable choruses like “Pass the Buck” but overall the vocals come through in the quickened verses allowing you to give it 100% in the pit when CHEESE gets thick ’n’ heavy. The inventive riffing and patterns on “Glass in Your Foot” and “Aggravated Mopery” make me feel this is some of the best hardcore I’ve heard in years.

Brain Tourniquet Shot Dead EP

Both “Fate” and “It Takes Three…” nail INFEST’s sludgy, almost prog rock style to a T. The riff on “Shot Dead” and bits of “Paranoia” remind me of NO TOLERANCE, the little breaks in “Not Alive” are very INFEST-like, and the breakdown in “Animal Instinct” has a looseness that isn’t unflattering but seems uncommon for this genre. “No Solution” comes across as if the lyrics don’t fully fit, like the song could’ve used more work and was maybe rushed. I thought I’d be bored with it but the first four tracks on Side A had me coming back for repeated listens. It’s fucking powerviolence, OK?

Heavy Discipline Demo 2019 EP

This demo pressed to vinyl contains five songs in six minutes. It’s straightforward Boston-style hardcore without being as precise as BOSTON STRANGLER or SHIPWRECKED’s The Last Pagans, but it feels like a close relative. The riffs are nods to the FU’s (“Stuck,” “Empty Worship”) and DYS (“You’re Good,” “Moment Won’t Come”), and although the drumming doesn’t have the absolutely spastic cymbal hits of the aforementioned bands, the drumfills still lend a lot to the sound and intensity. The first track has a mosh part that strikes me like STEP FORWARD, and the breakdown on “You’re Good” feels of the same ilk as BOSTON STRANGLER. Makes sense, as both bands pulled from the same deck of influences, but this feels less polished compared to the Primitive and Fire LPs. I’ll bet you could find Primitive for the same price as this 7″ now.

Heavy Discipline Heavy Discipline LP

There was a period in my life when I though the best part of hardcore was when the mid-tempo, two-step-ish bridge parts exploded and, aside from the bursted tension, everything slowed down, opening more space to rampage. HEAVY DISCIPLINE uses such parts frequently, sometimes the extent is even switched to the detriment of the rapid riffs. Along with the cruising tempo comes a bit of hymnic, sort of power pop-ish aggression masked with rude yelling that seals the record since it works too well and draws all attention from anything that is beyond the gimmicks. So fucking what? Instead of my let’s-revise-hardcore failed attempts as reviews, HEAVY DISCIPLINE is probably already proud of this body of work that tastefully matches the most stomping riffs of DYS with the sheer catchy aggression of LAST RIGHTS, while it still could refer on the violent melodies of Oi! and keep the whole thing together. It’s current hardcore that avoids well both the bro-vibes and the stashed-under-your-bed serial killer materials too, focusing only on heavy riffing and stomping. It’s a fire record if you are into the Painkiller catalogue.

Heavy Discipline Your Scapegoat 12″

I am happy to say that the newest release from Pittsburgh’s HEAVY DISCIPLINE is yet another winner. These guys have been putting out raging SSD-style hardcore for quite some time now, and Your Scapegoat comes three years after the release of their self-titled LP (which was one of my favorites that year). While it’s not quite as fast as that one, it still rages incredibly hard and packs a real mean punch. Another glowing recommendation from me.

Jackal Jackal EP

On first listen, I disregarded this as just another AGNOSTIC FRONT/NEGATIVE APPROACH/CRUCIFIX rip-off but it’s got a lot more going on. They definitely have some nods to the aforementioned groups but JACKAL cohesively twists and turns to layer their songs with changes of pace that AF and NA didn’t have the patience to attempt. D. Boon said there should be a band on every block, and I say every city should have a band that sounds like AGNOSTIC FRONT. At this point JACKAL may blow the rest out of the water. Four songs in under five minutes. It’s been ten years since URBAN BLIGHT released More Reality. It’s time to check back into hardcore reality.

Rated X United Front LP

Hardcore that leans heavy on the punk rock. Featuring members of VIOLENT REACTION and the FLEX, so if you’re a fan of those bands, you’ll dig this for sure. Short bursts of pissed-off energy that blend hardcore, punk, and even some Oi! together for one hell of an album. There’s definitely something for everyone here, and even your most jaded friend who hates everything would dig this. If there’s one thing about this record that I would change, I’d have cut the last song as it is much longer than the others and doesn’t really flow well with the rest of the album.