Ceremony
Ruined
Malfunction (2005)
Ceremony is hateful and unrelenting hardcore/punk from California. Why people from California are so angry is beyond me, but since it results in hardcore as stellar as this, I'll let it slide. Ceremony formed from several mid-level (in notoriety) hardcore bands in the Bay Area a couple years back, and have since transformed themselves into one of the most promising … Read more
Ceremony
Scared People
Bridge Nine (2007)
One of the better bands currently existing in hardcore returns with a new EP, their first release since signing to Bridge Nine Records. This time around Ceremony shows they've got more in their songwriting arsenal than just lightning fast demonstrations of hate a la Infest. Showing even more variance in writing than their last release, Scared People shows what promise … Read more
Ceremony
Still Nothing Moves You
Bridge Nine (2008)
I could easily give Ceremony's latest album a token crappy review because quite frankly I find this band a bit too overrated to garner an actual unbiased review from me. I really hate to be "that guy" but I haven't enjoyed anything from this North Bay based hardcore unit since their demo and subsequent 7". Everything afterwards just came at … Read more
Ceremony
Violence Violence
Malfunction (2006)
Hate is a tough thing to grasp for many people. They say they hate, but I'm not sure I believe it because the term "hate" is like love. It's thrown about haphazardly and used in offhand comments and that makes it lose it's true, immensely dark and angry feeling. So when a band aims to go for hatred as the … Read more
Ceremony
Violence Violence
Malfunction (2006)
My buddy Dave said it best: "This shit makes me want to punch a whale." Ridiculous? Perhaps. But Ceremony's first full-length, Violence Violence is completely ridiculous. And I mean that as a compliment in every way. They released their Ruined 7" not too long ago and the hardcore hype train started a-chuggin'. You'd see kids in Ceremony hoodies and tees … Read more
Ceremony
Zoo
Matador (2012)
Few bands have covered as much ground within the confines of the hardcore genre as northern California’s Ceremony. The release of 2008’s Still Nothing Moves You saw a stunning display of brash powerviolence, while retaining traditional hardcore influence, and their third album, Rohnert Park, saw a stark evolution into more experimental and melodic territories without relinquishing the viciousness they’ve come … Read more
Černá
Restoring Life
Domestic Genocide (2013)
It's rapidly becoming clear to me that "post-black metal" just isn't a great name for a genre. In addition to the obvious clunkiness and how little "post-" actually means, a strong argument can be made that the genre doesn't have any legitimate claim to the black metal mantle in the first place. And it's hard to disagree, especially with acts … Read more
Chad VanGaalen
Shrink Dust
Sub Pop (2014)
It’s 11 o’clock on a Saturday night. You’re lying in your bed, craving some late night music. You want something dreamy, but not Panda Bear dreamy; something minimal, but not Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy minimal; something that comfortably sits in the middle of it all. Try out Chad VanGaalen.The Calgary singer/songwriter has been making awesome psych folk since 2001. After a … Read more
Chain Cult
Demo 2018
La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk (2018)
I don’t know much about Chain Cult – and sometimes that’s a good thing coming into a band. Instead of a bio, the review might actually talk about the music instead. Chain Cult calls Athens, Greece home and this release, succinctly titled Demo 2018 has 6 songs and runs about 17 minutes.The first note is that, for being called a … Read more
Chain Of Strength
The One Thing That Still Holds True
Revelation (1996)
“TRUE ‘TILL DEATH!” If you subscribe in any way to the adage that life is about living in the moment, then no matter where the people may be at in their lives or what they do with themselves, perhaps millions of people have sung along to this line through countless plays of this record and the myriad of covers that … Read more
Chain Whip
14 Lashes
Drunken Sailor (2020)
This is the kind of hardcore that makes my throat hurt just listening. It’s also the kind of hardcore where I can’t sit still while listening, even when tethered to headphones at work. It’s high energy, relentless and, somehow, it just never lets up. To keep coining silly phrases, this is sweaty, gasp-for-air hardcore. As each of the songs fade … Read more
Chain Whip
Call of the Knife
Neon Taste (2023)
It’s hard to keep the classic genre styles sounding fresh, which is what makes a band like Chain Whip so vibrant. The Vancouver hardcore band play tough-sounding, angry, loud, and fast punk – the type that makes yoo want to punch things. Heck, they named the band Chain Whip and the record is called Call Of The Knife. It’s aurally … Read more
Chain Whip
Chain Whip
Dirt Cult (2018)
There’s angry music that’s angry in tone, and there’s angry by trope. Chain Whip is just plum angry. When Josh shouts, the first instinct is to take a step back and watch for spit. It’s blunt, brutal and literally in your face. This EP rips through 5 songs in 6 minutes. While it’s all short, fast, and loud, it’s also … Read more
Chained Bliss
Chained Bliss
Drunken Sailor (2022)
There are certain guitar tones that recall another era, and Chained Bliss are rooted in one of them. When I hear the angular riffs and repetitive structures on the band’s self-titled debut full-length, I’m immediately taken back in time to the glory days of Wire or Gang Of Four. But while Chained Bliss shares some similarities with the British post-punk … Read more
Champion
Different Directions | The Last Show
Bridge Nine (2007)
I'm not going to lie; I was never the hugest fan of Champion. Actually, I think Champion's greatest achievement lies nine seconds within "Harrison and Broadway" where the music stops suddenly and Timm McIntosh does that little guitar squeak. I don't know why I think this is so splendid but I love it every time I hear it. Throughout Champion's … Read more
Changing Face
Our Last Chance
Escapist (2006)
Changing Face's debut EP, Our Last Chance demonstrates a side of hardcore that is most commonly looked down upon. The side of hardcore that has been left in the frying pan for far too long, and flipped one too many times by tough guys in camo-gear. However, Changing Face keeps these seven songs nice and short, and put in more … Read more
Character Actor
Character Actor
Dirt Cult (2018)
At SPB, we like to write longer reviews. Reviews that go into depth and give you a reason to read and think about a record instead of just hitting Spotify or Bandcamp. The catch, of course, is that some records are really short. It might take you as long to read this thing as it would to listen to Character … Read more
Charged
Summer 2008
Melotov Cocktail (2009)
Charged is a hardcore band from southern California, playing a pretty straightforward style. The vocals are probably the strongest part of this band, reminding me a little bit of Verse or even Cut the Shit. The music ranges from fast-paced punk beats to slower breakdowns, and brings in a decent amount of melodic and singing parts, akin to Stay Gold. … Read more
