Paranoid / 偏執症者 - S.C.U.M. (2023)

Contrary to what you may guess Paranoid is not a Japanese band but a Swedish one. But while they do share with some Japanese raw punk / hardcore bands the same vibrant feel of urgency and danger the roots of their music is neither Japanese nor Swedish but British, D-beat being their main influence. This 6 tracks EP called S.C.U.M. is their latest release, and a bit noisier/rawer than their latest album Cursed, with less neo-crust style melodies. In any case they keep on being consistently good at what they do.

The BC page.

Systemik Viølence - Negative Mangel Attitude (2023)

Great to have Systemik Viølence back! They deliver their second album, Negative Mangel Attitude, after five years of discographic silence, and they're sharp as ever! Raw and fast D-beat with elements of speed/thrash metal, and they make the best of this cool mix. Think Discharge, Venom, Midnight and Impaled Nazarene. Excellent stuff!

The BC page.

 

 

Sex Dwarf - Non-Stop Erotic Noise Cabaret (2014)

Sex Dwarf if a Swedish very raw and noisy hardcore punk band. Non-Stop Erotic Noise Cabaret is their only album, released in 2014, but they have also 6 shorter releases, including an EP released in 2019. If you like the wild, raw and noisy Swedish and Japanese punk hardcore scenes this one's a must-have.

The BC page.

Ett Dödens Maskineri - Det Svenska Hatet (2020)

Det Svenska Hatet is the first album from this Swedish band called Ett Dödens Maskineri and it's an excellent one in a crust/d-beat punk hardcore vein, with fine melodic / epic parts that could evoke neocrust. If you're into that kind of stuff there's just absolutely no reason you wouldn't enjoy it. With their first album they are already much better than most bands in this scene. Quality stuff.

The BC page.

 

 

 

Akakabuto - 赤カブト (2016)

Akakabuto is actually a band from Sweden, that I discovered thanks to Terminal Escape. What they play is a super efficient and ferocious mix of råpunk, d-beat and fast hardcore. This tape, called 赤カブト,  recorded in 2015 but probably released in 2016 is their latest, I hope they are still active... Recommended stuff.

 

The BC page 

 

 

Dropdead - Dropdead (2020)

The legendary Dropdead are back with a new, self titled again, album (28 songs in about the same number of minutes). As expected they deliver old school and super fast hardcore/d-beat/fastcore/PV with anarcho-punk lyrics. And they still are masters at doing that.

Their BC page.

Lifewrecker - Isolation (2020)

Lifewrecker is a new band from London (Isolation is their third release already, but the first one was in 2018). They play some d-beat/grind/noise and they do it very well. They rely more on memorable riffs and on mid-tempo groove than on relentless speed, and why not when it works well like on this release. The now usual power electronics / noise parts are quite good as well. Good stuff, I'll be following them.

The BC page.

Beton / Roxor - Split LP (2018)

This is a split (released lats year) from two bands from Slovakia, playing what could be called death'n'roll or dis-entombed. Beton (I reviewed their first album a few years ago HERE) are more on the old school Swedish death metal side whereas Roxor have a stronger Mororhead/Discharge feel but both bands sits where cruties and old school metalheads meets, and both speaks fluently that language. Cool stuff.

The Beton side

The Roxor side

Fukpig - Bastards (2018)

Bastards is another album form Fukpig where they do their usual stuff and that's completely fine since they do it well (and were among the firsts to do it, before it became more common) : a relentless mix of D-beat hardcore punk and black metal. The song "Déteste" with french vocals is the innovation on the album (and it's good). Cool stuff.

The BC page.

Systemik Viølence - Anarquia​-​Violência (EP 2018)

Anarquia​-​Violência is the EP released this year by the Portugese Systemik Viølence, a band that is taking the d-beat / crust punk scene by storm since 2016, delivering it at its rawest and doing it the way it should, with all the reckless energy and rage needed, using the potential of the style for maximum effects. This EP is thirteen minutes of pure wild raw punk excellency.

The BC page.

Parasight - At Leve Som Hvis Der Var Et Håb (2018)

Second album from the danish punks Parasight, called At Leve Som Hvis Der Var Et Håb, this is pure neocrust with all it's clichés but this time again (you can read HERE my review of their first album) it is excellent, their two albums posing them as one of the very best recent bands in that style.

The BC page

Voidhanger - Dark Days of the Soul (2018)

Dark Days of the Soul is the third album from Polish trio Voidhanger. Their music sounds like a cool mix of Entombed, Marduk, Martyrdod  and Impaled Nazarene, trashy black/death with a healthy dose of d-beat. They keep things simple and straight to the point and they're good at it producing catchy and memorable songs that anyone into this kind of radical metalpunk would dig.

The BC page.

Mammoth Grinder - Cosmic Crypt (2018)

If you're in need of your dose of old school metal/punk then Mammoth Grinder's Cosmic Crypt is exactly what you need. The trio with two Iron Reagan and a Power Trip delivers what sounds very very close to a mix of Entombed, Slayer and Discharge. If you like those bands you'll like Cosmic Crypt because Mammoth Grinde ris really good at playing this mix and they crafted a very well done and enjoyable album. They keep it short, straight to the point and pertfectly efficient, with no dull moments.

The BC page.

Resonance Cascade / Järnbörd - Hyperakusi (split album 2017)

Hyperakusi is a good split album released by Wooaaargh, Downfall Records and Everydayhate featuring two Swedish bands, Järnbörd and Resonance Cascade. 

Järnbörd plays some excellent D-Beat / neocrust, nothing really new, but they are especially good at doing it and they avoid being too repetitive with a more subtle than usual songwriting. 

Resonance Cascade are harder and darker with their blackened hardcore / grind. I feel they often sound too generic, but it's also good stuff anyway.

If you're into the most aggressive side of hardcore or the punkier side of grind you'll probably like this split.

The BC page.

Dödläge - Ritual Slaughter (2016)

Dödläge is a band from Portland, their latest album called Slaughter Ritual released last year by Profane Existence is proof they are currently one of the best D-beat band in activity. As could be expected from a band with ex-Black Hole of Calcutta members their D-beat is on the heavier and more metallic side, we could say halfway between Discharge and Extreme Noise Terror. Less rock'n'roll but heavier and a bit more complex than Discharge, less grind / death than ENT but with vocals on a similar level of aggression. If you are into D-beat / metallic crust there's absolutely no reason you would'nt enjoy this album

The BC page.

Kommando - Distroyer / Iron Goat Triumph (2016)

Kommando is a german band and their latest album Distroyer / Iron Goat Triumph (released mid 2016) is the album each bands mixing d-beat / punk and black metal are trying to do. The idea of mixing the two is indeed obviously a good idea but rarely the result is as convincing as it is on this album. Raw and fucking pissed off, angry and evil, disgusted and nihilistic. Very nice actually (when expressed in a musical form).

The BC page. 

Martyrdöd - List (2016)

Martyrdöd is probably the best d-beat / crustpunk (or neo-crust, with its epic and melodic element) band around, at leats since the release of the Paranoia album (in 2012). After Elddop that left me slightly disappointed (although it's a good album actually, but I had high expectations) that are now back in full force with List (still with Southern Lord records), leaving no doubt about how strong they are. If you stay in the crust boundaries you'll have a really hard time doing a better album and I think it could compares to Paranoia. The songs are furious and vibrant with a mercilless pummeling but also lifted by some memorable riffing (with a folk / viking something in the melodies, even evoking bagpipes at times, something I'm not usually that much into but it really works on this album). Highly recommended!

The BC page.

Gasmask Terrör - Chape de Plomb (2015)

Gasmask Terrör immediately sounds sharper and better than the usual D-beat punk, like it's more focused and more real. Also their more rocking side, pushing their music somewhere between Discharge and Zeke helps breathing some life and diversity in their songs. Their switch from singing in english to singing in french (they are from Bordeaux) is also very convincing I think, it's one element that makes it sounds more "real", more genuine. Their latest album Chape de Plomb, released last year, their third one (with also some Ep's since their start in 2004) is my favourite recent D-beat album, very enjoyable stuff.

Their BC page.

Kvlthammer - Oath (2016)

Let's take another slab of old school metal! Kvlthammer is a band from Indianapolis featuring guitarist from Coffinworm and Lair of the Minotaur. Oath is their second album. It is full of manic Motorhead meets Entombed meets early Metallica (I mean Kill em'all) with a bit of d-beat here and there and some doomy heavy metal parts. Basically speed metal reinforced with some heavier influences. If you liked the first album you know what you'll get and won't be disappointed. Maybe this one have a bit more slower / heavier parts but it's quite similar. Very good music for headbanging and drinking!

The Bandcamp page.

Victims - Sirens (2016)

Victims are one of the pillars of swedish crust, nearly twenty years of existence and with Sirens their sixth album. Dicharge is an influence of course but along D-beat you have faster parts and also mid-tempos, and also some more Motorized rock'n'roll elements, like the guitar soloing. There's also an important epic / melodic elements that can link them to "neo-crust" as well. They are rooted in the Discharge / Motorhead tradition but avoids being as repetitive and predictable as many crust / d-beat bands. Sirens is an enjoyable listen, and probably among the best crust  /D-beat albums you will hear this year.


The BC page.