Absolut / Destruct Deafen and Disarm split EP

This is a record I was, of course, looking forward to, as a person of verified good taste. I mean, the room for error with Richmond’s DESTRUCT is non-existent: they are hot as shit and one of the best hardcore bands right now. These three new songs sound absolutely devastating, like a steroid-addicted FRAMTID with a touch of traditional Japanese hardcore and a pinch of SVART PARAD and BOMBANFALL; manic crasher Scandicore for the masses. This band smokes, but they are a very tough act to follow. It’s a bit like being asked to juggle a football just after Lionel Messi. I had no idea that ABSOLUT, from Toronto, was still going, and I was curious to hear what they would come up with. Their three songs are decent slices of raw, Japanese-style metal punk with extravagant soloing and evil vocals (ZOUO or the CLAY are certainly on the band’s playlist), but they do come short after DESTRUCT’s relentless punk mayhem. But then, most bands would. The incredible artwork, courtesy of Sugi, looks fantastic and should be more encouragement to grab a physical copy of this noisy fucker.

• Reviewer Romain Basset
• Label Acute Noise Manufacture
• Issue MRR #521 • October 2026