I would like to start with a couple of honorable mentions that were very good, but did not crack my top ten. Weed Hounds - Weed Hounds is first up with their fuzzed out Delores O'Rioran of The Cranberries singing for Dinosaur Jr. brand of pop rock. This album is everything I love about 90's alternative rock, only 20 years later. They also offer all of their releases for free download(!) on their website which is wonderful of them.
Second, Hounds of Hate - Hate Springs Eternal shows why they are one of the best straightedge hardcore bands in the game, a great, although in my opinion not as good follow up to last years self titled LP. Sing-alongs and stage dives abound as you clamor onto the shoulders of random strangers and your best friends alike at a chance to scream, voice cracking, into the singer's microphone. Check out Hate Springs Eternal on bandcamp.
Now we get into the meat of the list.
10. Holy Tongues - Weak People
Baltimore's Holy Tongues is made up of 3/4 of the hardcore band Ruiner, and if you have heard that bands final full length, Hell Is Empty, this would totally make sense as the logical progression of that sound. 8 post hardcore dirges (5 new, 3 re-recorded from their 2012 demo) with deeply introspective lyrics wrought with feelings of anxiety, hopelessness and self doubt. Although I do honestly prefer the demo mixes of Pale Light, Follow and Smoker (originally titled Sink The Fucker), this is a great debut and hopefully more good things will come from this trio.
9. Spine - Time Has Gone
Spine are a hardcore band with members from Chicago and Kansas City who also play(ed) in Weekend Nachos and Sorry Excuse among other bands. Having previously released a demo, 7" and a split with The Repos, this is the debut LP from possibly the most pissed band since the members previous body of work. The singer is the size of a treefolk from Lord of the Rings, lumbering around on stage frothing with rage. John Hoffman from Weekend Nachos shows off his other talents on the drums and has released all of the band's material on his own Bad Teeth Recordings. Listeners of Infest, Youth of Today and No Tolerance will be stoked on this.
Stream "Time Has Gone" on YouTube
Spine are a hardcore band with members from Chicago and Kansas City who also play(ed) in Weekend Nachos and Sorry Excuse among other bands. Having previously released a demo, 7" and a split with The Repos, this is the debut LP from possibly the most pissed band since the members previous body of work. The singer is the size of a treefolk from Lord of the Rings, lumbering around on stage frothing with rage. John Hoffman from Weekend Nachos shows off his other talents on the drums and has released all of the band's material on his own Bad Teeth Recordings. Listeners of Infest, Youth of Today and No Tolerance will be stoked on this.
Stream "Time Has Gone" on YouTube
8. Music Blues - Things Haven't Gone Well
Music Blues is a strange project in many ways. Almost none of this album is readily available to sample online. The album cover is a dirty ass sink with a pile of cigarette butts piled on one corner. The band's name sounds generic at first, however once you delve into this slab of depressive, forlorn riffs, you will understand just how relevant the name is. This is the first solo release from Stephen Tanner of the legandary Harvey Milk. Written from the couch of bandmate Creston Spiers at an all time low point in his life after the death of a close friend and losing his job and relationship, Things Haven't Gone Well is a brooding apex of despair and grief. Completely instrumental drone, which comes across like Earth, The Melvins slowed to a crawl or unsurprisingly like Harvey Milk sans Spiers' vocals and even touches on Black Flag on "Trying And Giving Up". Music Blues is a wonderful soundtrack for when you're life is dragging through the dirt.
Music Blues is a strange project in many ways. Almost none of this album is readily available to sample online. The album cover is a dirty ass sink with a pile of cigarette butts piled on one corner. The band's name sounds generic at first, however once you delve into this slab of depressive, forlorn riffs, you will understand just how relevant the name is. This is the first solo release from Stephen Tanner of the legandary Harvey Milk. Written from the couch of bandmate Creston Spiers at an all time low point in his life after the death of a close friend and losing his job and relationship, Things Haven't Gone Well is a brooding apex of despair and grief. Completely instrumental drone, which comes across like Earth, The Melvins slowed to a crawl or unsurprisingly like Harvey Milk sans Spiers' vocals and even touches on Black Flag on "Trying And Giving Up". Music Blues is a wonderful soundtrack for when you're life is dragging through the dirt.
7. Foreseen - Helsinki Savagery
Straight out of 1987's NYHC scen....er I mean Helsinki, Sweden in 2014 is Foreseen, the new torchbearer's of the 80's crossover thrash sound. Complete with all the galloping circle pit riffs and divebomb whammy bar solos you could ever need, Helsinki Savagery is a fresh take on an old sound that will have you breaking out the flip billed hats and high top Reeboks from minute zero. If you spend most of your day bidding for Vio-lence and Uncle Slam cassettes on ebay, this is the record for you.
Stream "Helsinki Savagery" on bandcamp
Straight out of 1987's NYHC scen....er I mean Helsinki, Sweden in 2014 is Foreseen, the new torchbearer's of the 80's crossover thrash sound. Complete with all the galloping circle pit riffs and divebomb whammy bar solos you could ever need, Helsinki Savagery is a fresh take on an old sound that will have you breaking out the flip billed hats and high top Reeboks from minute zero. If you spend most of your day bidding for Vio-lence and Uncle Slam cassettes on ebay, this is the record for you.
Stream "Helsinki Savagery" on bandcamp
6. Young And In The Way - When Life Comes To Death
Terrifying, Unsettling, Nihilistic. These are terms that can be used to decribe the music of North Carolina's Young And In The Way. With two full lengths and half a dozen splits and EPs under their belts, evil incarnate has returned with When Life Comes To Death. Black metal inspired crusty hardcore that grips your throat and presses against your jugular until you expire.
Stream "When Life Comes To Death" on bandcamp
Terrifying, Unsettling, Nihilistic. These are terms that can be used to decribe the music of North Carolina's Young And In The Way. With two full lengths and half a dozen splits and EPs under their belts, evil incarnate has returned with When Life Comes To Death. Black metal inspired crusty hardcore that grips your throat and presses against your jugular until you expire.
Stream "When Life Comes To Death" on bandcamp
5. Pharaoh - Negative Everything
One gets a forlorn sense of torment the second that this record begins to play. After two tortured 7" records, the New Jersey doom outfit has finally managed a full length record and what a record it is. 8 tracks of absolutely crushing metallic hardcore influenced doom that tackles the ills of modern society. Prepare to break down or to just be broken by the shear weight of the material.
One gets a forlorn sense of torment the second that this record begins to play. After two tortured 7" records, the New Jersey doom outfit has finally managed a full length record and what a record it is. 8 tracks of absolutely crushing metallic hardcore influenced doom that tackles the ills of modern society. Prepare to break down or to just be broken by the shear weight of the material.
4. Full of Hell - Full of Hell & Merzbow
Full of Hell have come a long way in just a few years, releasing 2 LPs, 3 splits, a 7" and three tapes of ear splitting noise. Merzbow might have just a little bit of a leg up on these young bucks, with no fewer than 400 releases under his belt. Together they combine for one of the heaviest, noisiest and flat out jarring releases in recent memory. Full of Hell's grinding aggression is complimented well by Merzbow's devastating wall of sound, leaving the listener disemboweled with their headphones melted to the skull.
Stream "Full of Hell & Merzbow" on bandcamp
Full of Hell have come a long way in just a few years, releasing 2 LPs, 3 splits, a 7" and three tapes of ear splitting noise. Merzbow might have just a little bit of a leg up on these young bucks, with no fewer than 400 releases under his belt. Together they combine for one of the heaviest, noisiest and flat out jarring releases in recent memory. Full of Hell's grinding aggression is complimented well by Merzbow's devastating wall of sound, leaving the listener disemboweled with their headphones melted to the skull.
Stream "Full of Hell & Merzbow" on bandcamp
3. Alaskan - Despair, Erosion, Loss
Few bands these days can touch on both music this heavy and subjects of equal weight. Alaskan's second record does both as it brings to light the tragedy of several victims of senseless crimes including multiple rapes and murders. Alaskan sends out this 33 minute recognition of the brutality that man is capable of inflicting on his fellow man. For fans of Isis and Cult of Luna.
Stream "Despair, Erosion, Loss" on bandcamp
Few bands these days can touch on both music this heavy and subjects of equal weight. Alaskan's second record does both as it brings to light the tragedy of several victims of senseless crimes including multiple rapes and murders. Alaskan sends out this 33 minute recognition of the brutality that man is capable of inflicting on his fellow man. For fans of Isis and Cult of Luna.
Stream "Despair, Erosion, Loss" on bandcamp
2. Cold World - How The Gods Chill
Still ill after all these years, Cold World returns with the long awaited follow up to Dedicated To Babies Who Came Feet First. River Runs Red meets Liquid Swords in a blender with more guest vocals than both records combined. Cold World continue to break down the walls of genre classification and spit out one of my favorite records in many years. Almost 30 years after Walk This Way and innovations to the rap and rock relationship are still being made. It's a cold world, so keep your long johns on.
Stream "How The Gods Chill" on bandcamp
Still ill after all these years, Cold World returns with the long awaited follow up to Dedicated To Babies Who Came Feet First. River Runs Red meets Liquid Swords in a blender with more guest vocals than both records combined. Cold World continue to break down the walls of genre classification and spit out one of my favorite records in many years. Almost 30 years after Walk This Way and innovations to the rap and rock relationship are still being made. It's a cold world, so keep your long johns on.
Stream "How The Gods Chill" on bandcamp
1. Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden
After a stellar demo and 5 star full length, expectations were high for Pallbearer's sophomore LP. These expectations have been met and exceeded by the might of Foundations of Burden. 5 mammoth tracks and a rare short number from Arkansas' finest doom masters. Once again in the tradition of Warning, Pallbearer succeed in making you feel feelings as you solemnly nod your head to the ever present epic dirge. Being so down never felt so right.
Stream "Foundations of Burden" on bandcamp
After a stellar demo and 5 star full length, expectations were high for Pallbearer's sophomore LP. These expectations have been met and exceeded by the might of Foundations of Burden. 5 mammoth tracks and a rare short number from Arkansas' finest doom masters. Once again in the tradition of Warning, Pallbearer succeed in making you feel feelings as you solemnly nod your head to the ever present epic dirge. Being so down never felt so right.
Stream "Foundations of Burden" on bandcamp
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