(Andy Synn is a punk rocker… yes he is… for today, at least)
There’s been some interesting discourse – and for once I do actually mean “interesting” and not “irritating” – about the difference, if there is one, between the terms “Hardcore” and “Hardcore Punk”, and what the use of either (or both) of these terms says about the person using them.
You see, even as someone who prefers their Hardcore on the more “Metallic” side (including a lot of the current wave of Death Metal/Hardcore crossover) it feels like the “Punk” side of the scene is getting a little boxed-out (with one or two large exceptions, of course) in favour of breakdowns, beatdowns, and chunky-chuggery.
Purely by coincidence, however, I recently stumbled across a trio of albums that definitely err more towards the punkier end of the spectrum, and it’s these I want to talk about today.
CHICO – CHICO
The self-titled debut album from Chicago’s Chico wears its Punk Rock influences loudly and proudly, with the propulsive bass-lines, snappy drums, and rough-hewn guitar work of opener “CLCC” practically leaping out of the speakers with an energy and intensity that’s downright infectious.
The even punchier “Too Late” reminds me of no less than classic Life of Agony circa River Runs Red/Ugly, due to the track’s slightly heavier and more metallic (though still, in places, moodily melodic) edge, while the almost sneering strut and swagger of “Big Joke” feels – to my ears at least – like it owes at least as much to the likes of Therapy and Helmet as it does Bad Religion and Husker Du.
That’s not to say that the band are derivative by any means – the anthemic strains of “Blur” and the almost sludgy stomp of “Can’t Be” (not to mention the ragged, riff-driven strains of “Chico Style”) demonstrate both the versatility and vibrancy of the band’s sound without sounding exactly like any of their punky predecessors – it’s more that the group’s sound isn’t ashamed to be part of specific Alt/Punk legacy that you don’t hear quite as much of these days as you used to.
Sure, the more Grunge-Pop leanings of “I’m So Tired” and “Doubt It” might be a step too far for some of our regular readers – though I’m pretty partial to the Ignite-meets-Smashing Pumpkins style of the former – but if you are looking for something a little outside of your usual comfort zone that favours hooks over heaviness, melody over misery, then you might want to check this one out ASAP.
DEAD TIRED – HORNETS OF FALL
If Chico represent the more “Punk” side of “Hardcore Punk”, then Canada’s Dead Tired definitely err more towards the “Hardcore” side of things… as biting, no bullshit opener “Edge of Entropy” swiftly demonstrates.
A little heavier and a little more aggressive than the band’s previous album, Satan Will Follow You Home (which certainly wasn’t lacking in either of those things), Hornets of Fall isn’t afraid to go for the throat when it needs to, especially during the likes of the spiky, stinging title-track, the reckless, full-tilt fury of “Bad Thoughts”, and anxiety-inducing second-half highlight “Temper Boy” (which also shows off some shockingly efffective, Tim Burton-esque synths).
At the same time, however, it’s also willing to dig a little deeper into the darker, doomier side of the band’s sound this time around, with the brooding, bass-driven second half of early stand-out “Grey Business” and the ominous slow-burn of “Promontory” being prime examples of how the group’s willingness to take their foot off the gas pedal every now and then allows them a chance to flex some of their moodier, gloomier muscles to great effect.
That being said, a couple of the longer songs (“Restrict Life”, “Standing Against the Pitch”) do feel like they start to drag ever so slightly – though the latter isn’t helped by the fact that it comes directly on the heels of the very similar (and superior) “Promontory” – so perhaps a touch of judicial editing might have improved the record’s flow (though the slow-burn churn of “Dust Storm” happens to be just the right length at a taut three-and-a-half minutes), but there’s really very little to complain about here if you’re after a dose of “Hardcore Punk” that sits more on the darkly-tinged, harder-edged end of the spectrum.
R.O.S.A. – NO PEACE FOR YOU
Speaking of things that are darkly-tinged… the new one from belligerent Berlin quarter R.O.S.A. feels more like it falls under the nebulous, ill-defined umbrella of “Dark Hardcore” with the way it blends elements of Punk, Metal, Sludge, etc, into one caustic concoction that sits somewhere between Integrity and Mantar with its menacing intensity and massive grooves.
The likes of “Ugly Boys” and “Geometry of Control” (whose oppressive, doomy second half is one of the album’s early highlights) also seem to owe a debt to the likes of The Great Deceiver (with their weird, nerve-jangling melodies) and His Hero Is Gone, while the ragged, cut-throat attack of “Sentimental Anything” and the chaotic caterwauling of “Black Noise” channel the venom and viscera of Napalm Death at their darkest and punkiest.
And while there’s no denying the band’s ability to focus their visceral intensity into some seriously aggressive sounds – “Winded” will definitely leave you gasping for breath after knocking all the air out of your lungs with its almost grind-level intensity, while the crushingly heavy scond half of “Between Tiles” will likely result in at least a few wrecked necks – it’s often the more sinister and unorthodox undercurrents (the suffocating Sludge-core of “Hold/Release”, the punishing, Post-Punk influenced pounding of “Fragile Power”, the groaning doom ‘n gloom of “Cold Moon”) which leave the strongest, harshest impression.
Sure, the rabid, reverb-drenched vocals might be something of an acquired taste – I happen to like them a lot, in a sort of Cursed-meets-Killing Joke kind of way – but if you’re a fan of any of the names I’ve dropped here then you’ll want to check out No Peace for You when it’s released tomorrow, as there’s at least a chance you might end up discovering your new favourite band!