#crustpunk — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #crustpunk, aggregated by home.social.
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DEVIATED INSTINCT (Regne Unit) presenta nou EP: "Scavenger Gospel" #DeviatedInstinct #CrustPunk #DeathMetal #ThrashMetal #Setembre2026 #RegneUnit #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic
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DEVIATED INSTINCT (Regne Unit) presenta nou EP: "Scavenger Gospel" #DeviatedInstinct #CrustPunk #DeathMetal #ThrashMetal #Setembre2026 #RegneUnit #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic
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4/4.
Zum Abschluss (natürlich) noch mehr #StenchCore -iger #CrustPunk. Diesmal von Vertretern der alten, englischen Garde - aber weiterhin mit ausreichend rostigem Stacheldraht, wütendem Blutgespucke und Motörhead im Gekröse ->
Bandcamp-Link zum Album "Scavenger Gospel" von Deviated Instinct -> https://deviatedinstinct.bandcamp.com/album/scavenger-gospel
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4/4.
Zum Abschluss (natürlich) noch mehr #StenchCore -iger #CrustPunk. Diesmal von Vertretern der alten, englischen Garde - aber weiterhin mit ausreichend rostigem Stacheldraht, wütendem Blutgespucke und Motörhead im Gekröse ->
Bandcamp-Link zum Album "Scavenger Gospel" von Deviated Instinct -> https://deviatedinstinct.bandcamp.com/album/scavenger-gospel
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4/4.
Zum Abschluss (natürlich) noch mehr #StenchCore -iger #CrustPunk. Diesmal von Vertretern der alten, englischen Garde - aber weiterhin mit ausreichend rostigem Stacheldraht, wütendem Blutgespucke und Motörhead im Gekröse ->
Bandcamp-Link zum Album "Scavenger Gospel" von Deviated Instinct -> https://deviatedinstinct.bandcamp.com/album/scavenger-gospel
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1/4.
So. #BandcampFriday isses. Da wollen wir mal nicht lange labern. Sondern besser größtenteils garstigen Krach machen, was?
Zuerst stinkwütender, scheppernder #Hardcore -iger #CrustPunk aus Duisburg. Schön roh, schön hässlich, schön zack-za-rack. Wie sich dat gehört ->
Bandcamp-Link zum Album "Betonmonotonie" von Kalasche -> https://kalasche.bandcamp.com/album/betonmonotonie
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1/4.
So. #BandcampFriday isses. Da wollen wir mal nicht lange labern. Sondern besser größtenteils garstigen Krach machen, was?
Zuerst stinkwütender, scheppernder #Hardcore -iger #CrustPunk aus Duisburg. Schön roh, schön hässlich, schön zack-za-rack. Wie sich dat gehört ->
Bandcamp-Link zum Album "Betonmonotonie" von Kalasche -> https://kalasche.bandcamp.com/album/betonmonotonie
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1/4.
So. #BandcampFriday isses. Da wollen wir mal nicht lange labern. Sondern besser größtenteils garstigen Krach machen, was?
Zuerst stinkwütender, scheppernder #Hardcore -iger #CrustPunk aus Duisburg. Schön roh, schön hässlich, schön zack-za-rack. Wie sich dat gehört ->
Bandcamp-Link zum Album "Betonmonotonie" von Kalasche -> https://kalasche.bandcamp.com/album/betonmonotonie
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1/4.
So. #BandcampFriday isses. Da wollen wir mal nicht lange labern. Sondern besser größtenteils garstigen Krach machen, was?
Zuerst stinkwütender, scheppernder #Hardcore -iger #CrustPunk aus Duisburg. Schön roh, schön hässlich, schön zack-za-rack. Wie sich dat gehört ->
Bandcamp-Link zum Album "Betonmonotonie" von Kalasche -> https://kalasche.bandcamp.com/album/betonmonotonie
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Crust punk won’t end capitalism, but it can still stab and cut through the apathy, isolation, and manufactured misery it creates.
Our latest list digs into 11 records from the first half of 2026. Featuring Black Aubergine, Culture Shaping Violence, Death Knell, Hemiptera, Heretgia, Malatesta, Morde, Plague Thirteen, Recvrse, and splits with Terminal Filth, Axefear, War//Plague, and Svaveldioxid.
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Crust punk won’t end capitalism, but it can still stab and cut through the apathy, isolation, and manufactured misery it creates.
Our latest list digs into 11 records from the first half of 2026. Featuring Black Aubergine, Culture Shaping Violence, Death Knell, Hemiptera, Heretgia, Malatesta, Morde, Plague Thirteen, Recvrse, and splits with Terminal Filth, Axefear, War//Plague, and Svaveldioxid.
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Crust punk won’t end capitalism, but it can still stab and cut through the apathy, isolation, and manufactured misery it creates.
Our latest list digs into 11 records from the first half of 2026. Featuring Black Aubergine, Culture Shaping Violence, Death Knell, Hemiptera, Heretgia, Malatesta, Morde, Plague Thirteen, Recvrse, and splits with Terminal Filth, Axefear, War//Plague, and Svaveldioxid.
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Crust punk won’t end capitalism, but it can still stab and cut through the apathy, isolation, and manufactured misery it creates.
Our latest list digs into 11 records from the first half of 2026. Featuring Black Aubergine, Culture Shaping Violence, Death Knell, Hemiptera, Heretgia, Malatesta, Morde, Plague Thirteen, Recvrse, and splits with Terminal Filth, Axefear, War//Plague, and Svaveldioxid.
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Crust punk won’t end capitalism, but it can still stab and cut through the apathy, isolation, and manufactured misery it creates.
Our latest list digs into 11 records from the first half of 2026. Featuring Black Aubergine, Culture Shaping Violence, Death Knell, Hemiptera, Heretgia, Malatesta, Morde, Plague Thirteen, Recvrse, and splits with Terminal Filth, Axefear, War//Plague, and Svaveldioxid.
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PolarityCrisis, Contracharge, Gatekeep, Adrenochrome, Death Fiend
Uptowner, Saturday, October 17 at 07:00 PM CDT
D beat/crust punk and hardcore punk at uptowner October 17th with doors at 7pm 10 bucks
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PolarityCrisis, Contracharge, Gatekeep, Adrenochrome, Death Fiend
Uptowner, Saturday, October 17 at 07:00 PM CDT
D beat/crust punk and hardcore punk at uptowner October 17th with doors at 7pm 10 bucks
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CONTRACT KILLER (Regne Unit) presenta nou EP: "Liquidator" #ContractKiller #ThrashMetal #Crossover #CrustPunk #Setembre2026 #RegneUnit #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic
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CONTRACT KILLER (Regne Unit) presenta nou EP: "Liquidator" #ContractKiller #ThrashMetal #Crossover #CrustPunk #Setembre2026 #RegneUnit #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic
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KATORGA (Austràlia) presenta nou recopilatori: "Demo // Singles" #Katorga #ThrashMetal #CrustPunk #Setembre2026 #Austràlia #NouRecopilatori #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic
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KATORGA (Austràlia) presenta nou recopilatori: "Demo // Singles" #Katorga #ThrashMetal #CrustPunk #Setembre2026 #Austràlia #NouRecopilatori #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic
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Dystopiate – IHN015 // Dystopiate - Filth Film
#Amebix #Electronic #Mayhem #Motorhead #blackmetal #crustpunk #dbeat #discharge #indie #noisepop #noiserock #postrock #psychedelicrock #rawpunk #voivod #Boston
CC BY-NC-SA (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike) #ccmusic
https://iheartnoise.bandcamp.com/album/ihn015-dystopiate-filth-film -
Free download codes:
Wooden Crates - This Flag
"Nothing is more punk than letting the administration know that their crap won't fly."
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New DIY Conspiracy interview with Janick of Varning Productions about the long-running A Varning From Montreal Festival, taking place September 17–19, 2026.
Since 2007, Varning has brought together d-beat, crust, punk, and hardcore bands from Montreal and across the world while strengthening DIY connections, community, and grassroots organizing.
We talked with Janick about the history of the festival and Katacombes (RIP), gentrification and Montreal’s underground infrastructure, keeping a DIY festival financially sustainable and politically motivated. Janick also shares some of the newer local bands worth checking out.
Link: https://diyconspiracy.net/a-varning-from-montreal-festival-2026/
This year’s lineup includes Military Shadow, Mob 47, Πλεκτάνη, Bootlicker, Destruct, Dominación, Salvaje Punk, Warkrusher, Ultimate Disaster, Total Nada, Portal Tomb, and many more.
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Street Tombs – Existence is Corruption Review By ClarkKentSometimes it just feels good to let rip some ferocious riffs, pound the drums at headbanging velocity, and rail about society’s ills at a pitch that a caveman can appreciate. At least that’s how I imagine New Mexico’s Street Tombs approaches their songwriting. In 2023, they gave out a good ol’ thrashing on their debut, Reclusive Decay, which didn’t see coverage here, but did land on Decibel’s top 40 albums of the year. Though Reclusive Decay had barely above 30 minutes of music, it’s taken three years to release Existence is Corruption, yet another 30 minutes of high-octane crusty punk. Maybe they used that time to research the thematic content of their lyrics, whose topics include the “complacency, corruption, and destruction” that plague modern society. Nah, who am I kidding? They just want to bludgeon you over the head with the well-honed vocal, riff, and d-beat attack they’ve spent that time sharpening.
Street Tombs combine the punky influence of early d-beat purveyors, Discharge and Celtic Frost, with the physical, in-your-face riffage of Bolt Thrower. This blend makes for a high-energy attack with endless riffs and plenty of whiplash as your neck attempts to navigate their bruising soundscape. Existence is Corruption is a no-frills dose of death metal, skipping the usual atmospheric opener and going straight for the jugular on the pummeling “Pestilent Storm.” This proves the norm, as song after song blasts with furious drum beats and killer riffs, only really pausing for atmospherics once, when “Systematic Suffering” ends on some guitar feedback and atmospherics, to horrifying effect. The risk for this kind of approach is that the music might bleed together, but Street Tombs keep their riffs creative and mix up the pacing. There are plenty of brief but spectacular solos as well as mood shifts that allow the guitars to dig in at a different, less furious angle. So yes, the caveman will dig what these guys are doing, but so will the more evolved among our species.
While they have the vibe of early Discharge, Street Tombs filter it through more modern production values, giving the instruments more punch. This probably comes across on the drums more strongly than anything else. Ben Brodsky’s performance provides a sturdy foundation for the music, and his sheer power gives a boost thanks to a relentless, pounding energy. Brodsky has the sense to lay back and get creative in order to avoid any fatigue from constant d-beat jackhammering, notably some mid-tempo antics on “Systematic Suffering.” The riff attack from David McMaster and Damian Jacoby also engages the brain at a primal level, yet there’s a progressiveness to how they play, allowing surprising developments to permeate the songs. “Mental Mutilation” displays this ability to engage carnal pleasures while the guitars organically shift, leading to a fabulous, though sadly brief, solo.
As much as Street Tombs does mix things up, a uniformity begins to creep into Existence is Corruption. Yes, there are shifts in tone and pacing within songs, but the persistent d-beat blasts and deathly riffs still dominate the record. It’s hard to complain when they play them this effectively, and in such a brief package, yet it does mean individual tracks begin to blend together. Given the style, the 3-4 minute range is the sweet spot, which means the songs that reach or hit the 5-minute mark start to feel repetitive (“Upset the Grave,” “Deceptor”). Jacoby’s vocal delivery similarly suffers from a one-dimensional nature. Don’t get me wrong. I love his vocals and believe they add a distinctive personality to the music, but the lack of diversity in delivery does contribute to that sense of uniformity. In all, these are some nitpicky ways of saying Existence is Corruption didn’t quite break the score counter, but it came close.
These streets may be mean, they may be ugly, and they may be gritty, but most importantly they are loads of fun. Where some death metal acts seek to be as dense and incomprehensible as possible, or insert levels of high artistry in their work, it’s refreshing that acts like Street Tombs exist to engage your id, though with a high level of creativity, mixing intellectual stimulation with brain-melting riffs. These guys don’t do anything that hasn’t been done before, yet they excel at it and have written a record that’s some of the most fun I’ve had with death metal this year.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
#2026 #35 #AmericanMetal #Aug26 #BoltThrower #CarbonizedRecords #CelticFrost #CrustPunk #DBeat #DeathMetal #Discharge #ExistenceIsCorruption #Review #Reviews #StreetTombs
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Carbonized Records
Websites: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026 -
New Music Review: Cánidos – Dis-cografía (2017-2025) (2026; Exabrupto Records, Fiadh Productions)
Link: https://diyconspiracy.net/canidos-dis-cografia-2017-2025/
Raw d-beat crust from Tijuana, Mexico.
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This new self titled tape by Lilles' CLEANCORE KILLER is rad as fuck. Really scuzzy d-beat-ish crust punk. It's scuzzy and raw and nasty but also polished enough to listen to. What I'm saying is, you might like it.
https://cleancorekiller.bandcamp.com/album/s-t
#punk #France #crust #Lilles #stenchcore #CrustPunk #DBeat #LillesFrance #FrenchPunk #FrenchCrust @Defiance @FeloniousPunk @NMYCMBTNT @kevin
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New Music Review: Totalis – Griefstate (2026; Organize and Arise, Phobia Records, Cimex Records)
Link: https://diyconspiracy.net/totalis-griefstate/
Crust punk supergroup, or maybe just an old-timers’ one-off project, featuring members of Napalm Death, Skitsystem, Anti-Cimex, War//Plague, Detestation, and Dishumanitär.
P.S. The album artwork is not AI. It’s Andy Lefton’s established style he has been developing for many years. In the last few years, though, people on forums like Reddit, often completely unfamiliar with his work, have accused him of making AI art.
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New Music Review: Hongo – Aquellos Tiempos Que Aún No Vivimos (2026; In My Heart Empire, La Agonía de Vivir, Ruido y Pasión Records)
Link: https://diyconspiracy.net/hongo-aquellos-tiempos-que-aun-no-vivimos/
We write about so many records, and with that come plenty of different opinions, tastes, and obsessions. But sometimes a record is so phenomenally good that consensus comes easy.
The new Hongo album is, without much debate, everyone’s favorite record of 2026 so far.
A quote from the review:
"We hold our breath waiting for those exquisite yet powerful outbursts, whether they come at the end of a song or suddenly appear in the middle. After them, the fragile, quiet parts return, only to collapse again into beautiful epic neocrust riffs that reach the listener’s sensibilities and expose the soul’s vulnerability. Hongo’s blend of dark, sludgy heaviness and black metal greatness is still unique, and the vocals are openly emotional and heartfelt, ranging from the deepest growls to fragile shrieks and shouts.
Hongo have obviously progressed a lot and achieved a wonderful, bleak piece of art with this record. Their musical journey, which started back in 2000, continues to explore new paths and territories, always armed with minor chords and the melancholic nature of their particular style. I think this is one of the best records of 2026 so far, if not the best, surpassing a lot of other great releases."
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Hoy solo me da pa poner una, pero no vea qué copla ninio!
CROW NOISE - BLEEDING OUT
https://crownoise.bandcamp.com/track/bleeding-out-track-feat-on-basement-noise-3-7-compilation
#juevespunk #punk #crustpunk -
New Music Review: Arüspex – The Death Instinct (2026; Fellowship of Enemies, Fiadh Productions)
Link: https://diyconspiracy.net/aruspex-the-death-instinct/
Blackened crust with an occult aura.
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Filip from the xDekonstrukcija Yugoviolencex archive project continues documenting the ex-Yugo hardcore punk scene with a new list featuring ten more bands from the region that have not previously been covered by DIY Conspiracy.
Link: https://diyconspiracy.net/10-ex-yugo-hardcore-punk-records/
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Son temazos desde la Catalunya más rebelde, que seguro no te van a dejar indiferente. Si lo tuyo es el #punk rebelde, inconformista y protestón "Los Despojo" son tu #banda.
#bandcamp #DIYmusic #DIY #Street-Punk #punkrock #hardcorepunk #hardcore #Hardcore-Punk #Oi! #Crust-Punk #Crustie #Anarco-Punk
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:rei54k7nmu57w3k4oz4q75kl/post/3mrewfznr3k2d -
Torpor, Bastard Idol, Pearl, Cascades MOVED TO EXHIBIT A
Exhibit A, Wednesday, August 12 at 07:00 PM EDT
CRIMINAL TRAP VOL.4
"SECRET BEACH OR BUST"
AUGUST 12 @ EXHIBIT A (4981 AV DUNN)
TORPOR - vintage hardcorehttps://torporsanglante.bandcamp.com/album/wasted-innocence
BASTARD IDOL - weekend punkhttps://brokenskull.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2025
PEARL (Baltimore) - rock of lovehttps://pearl-music.bandcamp.com/album/love-grief
CASCADES - tyrannical crust
https://likeweeds.org/cascades/
$10-15 PWYC / NOTAFLOFALL AGES - BYOB
7PM / 19Hflyer by Alex Apostolidis
https://montreal.askapunk.net/event/torpor-bastard-idol-pearl-cascades
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New Music Review: HOPE? – Hell on Planet Earth (2026; Desolate Records, Agipunk)
Link: https://diyconspiracy.net/hope-hell-on-planet-earth/
Debut LP from one of the finest anarcho/crust bands from the US empire.
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So! Samstag, Wochenende, Urlaub. Ordentlich abgekotet, erfrischend geduscht, Frühstück verschlungen. Gleich Mundgully entfernen - doch zuvor amtliches #DBeat #CrustPunk Gerödel. Guten Morgen! 👊🏼💥🎶 ->
Bandcamp-Link zum Abum "Run With The Hunted" von Wolfbrigade -> https://wolfbrigadesl.bandcamp.com/album/run-with-the-hunted
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Gout – Marijuana for Non-Medical Purposes
#Metal #crustpunk #doommetal #sludgemetal #SaltLakeCity
CC BY-NC-SA (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike) #ccmusic
https://goutslc.bandcamp.com/album/marijuana-for-non-medical-purposes -
Tú tan de crush y yo tan de crust!
Hilerri - Tortura Sistematika
https://hilerrirawpunk.bandcamp.com/track/tortura-sistematika-2
#JuevesPunk #Punk #crustpunk -
Wüt - Neun Weitere Gründe Für Brandstiftung. Die Welt abgefuckt, wird sie hier gehörig zerhackt. bierschinken.net/review/5539-w… #crustpunk #hardcorepunk -
La banda cordobesa Desgarro, está preparando una K7 que hará saltar por los aires las pletinas del planeta #dBeat & #Crust
collectorseriesdiy.blogspot.com/2026/06/la-b...
#metalpunk #punk #crustcore #crustpunk #d-beat #metalsky #crossover #press #music #underground #diymusic #diy #counterculture -
New Music Review: Extinction of Mankind – Slaves to No One (2026; Xtinction Records, 783 Label)
Link: https://diyconspiracy.net/extinction-of-mankind-slaves-to-no-one/
The latest album from Extinction of Mankind faces up to an increasingly dystopian reality to a soundtrack of brutal relentless anarcho-crust. It takes aim at warmongers, governments, religion and the media and reminds us we all have a role to play in resistance.
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#AnsïA once trallazos que van desde el #CrustPunk al #Hardcore collectorseriesdiy.bandcamp.com/album/cs-041... #metalsky #punksky #punk-rock #punk #hcpunk #crustie #dBeat #HC-punk #prensa #música #press #music #culture #counterculture #contracultura #underground #vanguardia #rock #hardcore-punk #HxC
[CS-041] / "Deshielo", by ANSÏ... -
Letztens in Münster: Dogs Out und Wüt beim Bergfest, Gift und The Prim in der Baracke - bierschinken.net/dae/2026-06-2… #hardcore #posthardcore #powerviolence #crustpunk #hardcorepunk
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One more purchase for Bandcamp Friday, last minute - this ridiculously good new LP 'Until Every Flag is Burned' by Brighton And Hove's HEMPITERA. Crust punk and cello. Unreal. What a record. Contender.
https://hemiptera.bandcamp.com/album/until-every-flag-is-burned
#punk #CrustPunk #2026Albums #2026Records #UKPunk #BrightonAndHove #Hempitera @Defiance @FeloniousPunk @NMYCMBTNT @wendigo @rtw
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Some ripping new anarcho crust punk outta London, this is Röt and 'The Harvest':
https://rotukcrust.bandcamp.com/album/the-harvest#punk #PunkRock #CrustPunk #AnarchoPunk #London #LondonPunk #UKPunk @c0m4 @flockofnazguls @Defiance @kevin @FeloniousPunk @Tim_Eagon
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IKNOW – For an IDEA
#Punk #anarchopunk #crustnroll #crustpunk #dbeat #femalefronted #punkhardcore #Belarus
CC BY-NC-SA (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike) #ccmusic
https://iknow.bandcamp.com/album/for-an-idea -
IN SHAME (Estats Units) presenta nou àlbum: "Looming" #InShame #CrustPunk #Sludge #DoomMetal #Agost2025 #EstatsUnits #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic
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By Dear Hollow
In the preface of Herman Hesse’s Faust-inspired novel Steppenwolf, an unnamed narrator (simply called the Nephew) details a series of encounters with main character Harry Haller. Haller is described as extremely intellectual and arrogant, but ultimately alienated by and disillusioned with the bourgeois-dominated society of twentieth-century Germany. Hesse’s narrative culminates in a scene in which the narrator and Haller, now friends, attend a lecture from a philosopher, one of Europe’s brightest minds. Haller gives a fleeting glance at the narrator: his expression is described as cutting through the pomp and pretense of human society, a look that is described as melancholic, dismissing the words and their speaker. “It said: ‘See what monkeys we are! Look, such is man!’ and at once all renown, all intelligence, all the attainments of the spirit, all progress towards the sublime, the great and the enduring in man fell away and became a monkey’s trick!”
Apes is a six-piece from Montreal, having released one LP and a series of demos and EPs since its inception in 2012. 2017 debut full-length Lightless introduced the band’s now-signature sound, a blend that continues in its sophomore effort Penitence seven years later: a blend of black metal and grindcore. While easy comparisons would be the sinister cutthroat attack of older Anaal Nathrakh or the unhinged intensity of Siberian Hell Sounds, Apes resides in a blackened interpretation of Nails, Trap Them, or Mammoth Grinder. Crusty riffs and blazing blastbeats are the backbone of Penitence, atop which elements of atmospheric black metal, doom, and noise are introduced. An unbearably suffocating and filthy listen that hits hard, fast, and menacingly, Apes seamlessly offers riffs and grimness in equal measure through an animalistic intensity, its lyrics and atmosphere a constant hopeless reminder of humankind’s futility.
For all of twenty-five minutes, Apes does not waste a single second, thanks to its impressive contributors. Vocalist Alexandre Goulet offers a hardcore-inspired bark that collapses into a primitive howl, further emphasizing the themes present on Penitence, guiding a swarming triple-guitar beatdown that descends into blackened suffocation and climactic solos throughout that settles into a doom-inspired groove periodically, while blastbeats, powerful kicks, and tom-heavy buildups hit at just the right moments. Painted across the album at large is a tapestry of noise, adding a density and rockiness that feels like the suffocation of confession and shame – covered in the darkness of misanthropy. It lacks the clarity of Nails or Trap Them, but its suffocating aims are far better served in this palette.
“Coffin” is a good opener with its filthy crust, amplified by guest Madi Watkins from Year of the Knife, but the track almost serves as a misdirect in its upfront gooey slam-inspired breakdown and thunderous grooves: meatheadedness before the storm, if you will. While the riffs and chugs are present throughout Penitence, they serve as elements among many to Apes’ dynamics. The best examples of this are “Bottom Feeder,” “Shadow Walker,” and “Echoes,” through which moments of clarity offer relentless beatdown, but otherwise focus on down-tuned riffage and tremolo while atmosphere pervades. The title track is likewise a stellar offering because it features an unshakeable riff before slowing the tempo incrementally to a nearly death/doom Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire-esque crawl by its conclusion, achieving a nearly unbearable density in closer “Pillars” alongside a scathing melodic motif. “The Great Fire” and “Closure” are more forgettable pieces in comparison, but undeniably crucial to the soundscape that Penitence builds: less a scenic vista and more a path to get to the outlook.
Closer “Pillars” looks out upon the scorched earth of man’s futility with a punishing and animalistic grind-inspired, crusty, blackened, and riffy take on grind. Apes wears its theme firmly on its sleeve, as portrayed in the Werner Herzog sample at the end of “Closure” best summarized in this: “there is no harmony in the universe.” Penitence is a heavy album, balancing bouncy riffs, chugging guitars, and an evocative atmospheric prowess alongside its blackened tendencies – a slowly unfolding album with plenty of secrets to unveil in spite of its extremely brief runtime. While comparisons to Anaal Nathrakh, Nails, and Outergods are fair, they are ultimately incomplete, favoring riff or atmosphere. In this way, Apes soars in an album that’s unafraid to whisk you away to a place dark and unsettling only to kick you to the curb while laughing maniacally at mankind’s achievements. See what monkeys we are, truly.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Secret Swarm Records
Websites: apesqc.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/apesqc
Releases Worldwide: June 14th, 2024#2024 #40 #AnaalNathrakh #Apes #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #BlackenedHardcore #CanadianMetal #ClingingToTheTreesOfAForestFire #CrustPunk #DeathDoomMetal #Grindcore #Jun24 #MammothGrinder #Nails #Noise #Outergods #Penitence #Review #Reviews #SecretSwarmRecords #SiberianHellSounds #Slam #TrapThem #YearOfTheKnife
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By Dear Hollow
In the preface of Herman Hesse’s Faust-inspired novel Steppenwolf, an unnamed narrator (simply called the Nephew) details a series of encounters with main character Harry Haller. Haller is described as extremely intellectual and arrogant, but ultimately alienated by and disillusioned with the bourgeois-dominated society of twentieth-century Germany. Hesse’s narrative culminates in a scene in which the narrator and Haller, now friends, attend a lecture from a philosopher, one of Europe’s brightest minds. Haller gives a fleeting glance at the narrator: his expression is described as cutting through the pomp and pretense of human society, a look that is described as melancholic, dismissing the words and their speaker. “It said: ‘See what monkeys we are! Look, such is man!’ and at once all renown, all intelligence, all the attainments of the spirit, all progress towards the sublime, the great and the enduring in man fell away and became a monkey’s trick!”
Apes is a six-piece from Montreal, having released one LP and a series of demos and EPs since its inception in 2012. 2017 debut full-length Lightless introduced the band’s now-signature sound, a blend that continues in its sophomore effort Penitence seven years later: a blend of black metal and grindcore. While easy comparisons would be the sinister cutthroat attack of older Anaal Nathrakh or the unhinged intensity of Siberian Hell Sounds, Apes resides in a blackened interpretation of Nails, Trap Them, or Mammoth Grinder. Crusty riffs and blazing blastbeats are the backbone of Penitence, atop which elements of atmospheric black metal, doom, and noise are introduced. An unbearably suffocating and filthy listen that hits hard, fast, and menacingly, Apes seamlessly offers riffs and grimness in equal measure through an animalistic intensity, its lyrics and atmosphere a constant hopeless reminder of humankind’s futility.
For all of twenty-five minutes, Apes does not waste a single second, thanks to its impressive contributors. Vocalist Alexandre Goulet offers a hardcore-inspired bark that collapses into a primitive howl, further emphasizing the themes present on Penitence, guiding a swarming triple-guitar beatdown that descends into blackened suffocation and climactic solos throughout that settles into a doom-inspired groove periodically, while blastbeats, powerful kicks, and tom-heavy buildups hit at just the right moments. Painted across the album at large is a tapestry of noise, adding a density and rockiness that feels like the suffocation of confession and shame – covered in the darkness of misanthropy. It lacks the clarity of Nails or Trap Them, but its suffocating aims are far better served in this palette.
“Coffin” is a good opener with its filthy crust, amplified by guest Madi Watkins from Year of the Knife, but the track almost serves as a misdirect in its upfront gooey slam-inspired breakdown and thunderous grooves: meatheadedness before the storm, if you will. While the riffs and chugs are present throughout Penitence, they serve as elements among many to Apes’ dynamics. The best examples of this are “Bottom Feeder,” “Shadow Walker,” and “Echoes,” through which moments of clarity offer relentless beatdown, but otherwise focus on down-tuned riffage and tremolo while atmosphere pervades. The title track is likewise a stellar offering because it features an unshakeable riff before slowing the tempo incrementally to a nearly death/doom Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire-esque crawl by its conclusion, achieving a nearly unbearable density in closer “Pillars” alongside a scathing melodic motif. “The Great Fire” and “Closure” are more forgettable pieces in comparison, but undeniably crucial to the soundscape that Penitence builds: less a scenic vista and more a path to get to the outlook.
Closer “Pillars” looks out upon the scorched earth of man’s futility with a punishing and animalistic grind-inspired, crusty, blackened, and riffy take on grind. Apes wears its theme firmly on its sleeve, as portrayed in the Werner Herzog sample at the end of “Closure” best summarized in this: “there is no harmony in the universe.” Penitence is a heavy album, balancing bouncy riffs, chugging guitars, and an evocative atmospheric prowess alongside its blackened tendencies – a slowly unfolding album with plenty of secrets to unveil in spite of its extremely brief runtime. While comparisons to Anaal Nathrakh, Nails, and Outergods are fair, they are ultimately incomplete, favoring riff or atmosphere. In this way, Apes soars in an album that’s unafraid to whisk you away to a place dark and unsettling only to kick you to the curb while laughing maniacally at mankind’s achievements. See what monkeys we are, truly.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Secret Swarm Records
Websites: apesqc.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/apesqc
Releases Worldwide: June 14th, 2024#2024 #40 #AnaalNathrakh #Apes #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #BlackenedHardcore #CanadianMetal #ClingingToTheTreesOfAForestFire #CrustPunk #DeathDoomMetal #Grindcore #Jun24 #MammothGrinder #Nails #Noise #Outergods #Penitence #Review #Reviews #SecretSwarmRecords #SiberianHellSounds #Slam #TrapThem #YearOfTheKnife
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By Dear Hollow
If you don’t know ACxDC, then what are you doing with your life? Like listening to actually good metal? Too bad for your sorry ass. The LA natives are back in black for their own highway to hell, and it’s too good to be true. For the woefully uninformed and uncultured, don’t even think alternate or direct current and Brian Johnson, you swine. It’s Antichrist Demoncore, and the peanut butter cup moniker of divine apathy is so sweet and gummy. ACxDC’s EP The Second Coming was introduced when I first got to college, and if I’d had my way, debut full-length Antichrist Demoncore would have been blaring when I graduated. Well, maybe not, because they’re really fuckin’ obnoxious.
Now, I know I’m supposed to be the knower of all things and genres, but ACxDC was my first powerviolence experience, and only later did I delve into the grind-adjacent beatdowns of Weekend Nachos, Nails, or Mammoth Grinder.1 Only when the inimitable Dolphin Whisperer crooned sweetly, explaining that powerviolence is actually grindcore’s degenerate and inbred little cousin did I understand that powerviolence is actually fundamentally better. Just as its two full-lengths, bevy of splits and EPs since 2003 suggest, ACxDC is about as meatheaded and tempo-abusing as they come, with hints of thrash, groove, and crust, with a forked tongue implanted heavily in cheek. It’s fun. It’s obnoxious.
Oh look, you’re still here. ACxDC tears you a new one across twenty-four minutes and seventeen tracks of insanity hastily garbed in Satanic gym clothes for the second coming of the hot new PE teacher.2 The riffs get hot and heavy fast, with tracks like “Boxed In,” “Greatest of All Time,” “Definition of Insanity,” and “Thot Police” dragging their crusty balls across unassuming listeners’ ears, while the relentless blastbeats and grindy sanders of “Wanna See a Dead Body?,” “Flying Pigs,” and “Vested Interest” are sure to warrant some facial reconstructions. Vocals are all over the place, shrieks and growls taking the piss, as tracks like “Fairweather,” “Clout Chaser,” and “Goatcore” take a bite straight outta that death metal buttcheek. The abilities of the guitars to shift from crusty hardcore a la Amebix to the thick slogs of Entombed A.D., and the manic attack of the drums and its formidable tone? Boy howdy.
Now, the chugs are a different story. And by a different story, I mean we go from Eclipse to Breaking Dawn, okay? I guess the chugs and stank make powerviolence not grindcore but I ain’t a gatekeeper – hell, I don’t even know anyone who keeps gates (what is that, for pets?). If you’re like, “oh Dear Hollow talks about the shit he doesn’t like in this section,” think again, bitch. The chugs of ACxDC are trying to be your friend, with tracks like “Karoshi,” “At Midnight” and “Cloud Chaser” clawing their way into your pants once and for all. Cuts like “Fairweather,” “Thot Police,” and “Expired” are necessary listening if you like music, but otherwise the rest of G.O.A.T. is the most obnoxious din ever, guaranteed to get your parents calling the pastor while clutching pearls and a copy of the ESV New Testament. Because that’s how ACxDC do.
I have a method (for once) for grading ACxDC. I take how many stank faces have I made through the course of this album, then take that number and divide it by, like, twelve or maybe eight. Whatever. Then I add a solid sixty-nine, then take the integral of that shit.3 My point is that I made a lotta stank faces with G.O.A.T. and I perturbed a lot of student work by blasting this in class. It’s ACxDC for the true G.O.A.T., IYKYK.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: acxdc.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ACxDC
Releases Worldwide: April 26th, 2024#2024 #30 #ACxDC #AmericanMetal #Apr24 #CrustPunk #DeathMetal #GOAT_ #Grindcore #MammothGrinder #Nails #Powerviolence #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #WeekendNachos
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By Dear Hollow
If you don’t know ACxDC, then what are you doing with your life? Like listening to actually good metal? Too bad for your sorry ass. The LA natives are back in black for their own highway to hell, and it’s too good to be true. For the woefully uninformed and uncultured, don’t even think alternate or direct current and Brian Johnson, you swine. It’s Antichrist Demoncore, and the peanut butter cup moniker of divine apathy is so sweet and gummy. ACxDC’s EP The Second Coming was introduced when I first got to college, and if I’d had my way, debut full-length Antichrist Demoncore would have been blaring when I graduated. Well, maybe not, because they’re really fuckin’ obnoxious.
Now, I know I’m supposed to be the knower of all things and genres, but ACxDC was my first powerviolence experience, and only later did I delve into the grind-adjacent beatdowns of Weekend Nachos, Nails, or Mammoth Grinder.1 Only when the inimitable Dolphin Whisperer crooned sweetly, explaining that powerviolence is actually grindcore’s degenerate and inbred little cousin did I understand that powerviolence is actually fundamentally better. Just as its two full-lengths, bevy of splits and EPs since 2003 suggest, ACxDC is about as meatheaded and tempo-abusing as they come, with hints of thrash, groove, and crust, with a forked tongue implanted heavily in cheek. It’s fun. It’s obnoxious.
Oh look, you’re still here. ACxDC tears you a new one across twenty-four minutes and seventeen tracks of insanity hastily garbed in Satanic gym clothes for the second coming of the hot new PE teacher.2 The riffs get hot and heavy fast, with tracks like “Boxed In,” “Greatest of All Time,” “Definition of Insanity,” and “Thot Police” dragging their crusty balls across unassuming listeners’ ears, while the relentless blastbeats and grindy sanders of “Wanna See a Dead Body?,” “Flying Pigs,” and “Vested Interest” are sure to warrant some facial reconstructions. Vocals are all over the place, shrieks and growls taking the piss, as tracks like “Fairweather,” “Clout Chaser,” and “Goatcore” take a bite straight outta that death metal buttcheek. The abilities of the guitars to shift from crusty hardcore a la Amebix to the thick slogs of Entombed A.D., and the manic attack of the drums and its formidable tone? Boy howdy.
Now, the chugs are a different story. And by a different story, I mean we go from Eclipse to Breaking Dawn, okay? I guess the chugs and stank make powerviolence not grindcore but I ain’t a gatekeeper – hell, I don’t even know anyone who keeps gates (what is that, for pets?). If you’re like, “oh Dear Hollow talks about the shit he doesn’t like in this section,” think again, bitch. The chugs of ACxDC are trying to be your friend, with tracks like “Karoshi,” “At Midnight” and “Cloud Chaser” clawing their way into your pants once and for all. Cuts like “Fairweather,” “Thot Police,” and “Expired” are necessary listening if you like music, but otherwise the rest of G.O.A.T. is the most obnoxious din ever, guaranteed to get your parents calling the pastor while clutching pearls and a copy of the ESV New Testament. Because that’s how ACxDC do.
I have a method (for once) for grading ACxDC. I take how many stank faces have I made through the course of this album, then take that number and divide it by, like, twelve or maybe eight. Whatever. Then I add a solid sixty-nine, then take the integral of that shit.3 My point is that I made a lotta stank faces with G.O.A.T. and I perturbed a lot of student work by blasting this in class. It’s ACxDC for the true G.O.A.T., IYKYK.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: acxdc.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ACxDC
Releases Worldwide: April 26th, 2024#2024 #30 #ACxDC #AmericanMetal #Apr24 #CrustPunk #DeathMetal #GOAT_ #Grindcore #MammothGrinder #Nails #Powerviolence #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #WeekendNachos