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Hi Sorry State readers! Hope everyone is doing well! I’m getting over some kind of unanticipated weird stomach bug, but I think the worst is behind me! I didn’t think about it until now, but I’m so glad this shit happened to me now and not during Sorry State Fest! I can’t believe it’s just days away! Ok, this staff pick is gonna be long, so let’s just get going.
I knew I would write about the Screaming Death four-way split since I heard it for the first time. Usman handed me my copy and I played it right away at near full volume with the door opened to the outside as he was bringing in boxes. So I’m pretty sure everyone within a half-mile radius could hear it. I kind of thought the speakers were gonna blow, but it was the perfect jolt I needed to carry me through the rest of the day. The moral of the story is play it loud!
Sixteen brand new tracks by four killer hardcore bands including Destruct, Scarecrow, Dissekerad, and Rat Cage. It’s been in the making for a couple of years, and well fucking worth the wait. Every band understood the assignment, which I can only imagine was “make sure this thing will melt faces.” It’s pure, raw, blistering hardcore.
Two bands per side, with Destruct leading the way. And they come out swinging. More like punching. With brass knuckles. Huge sound, with riffs that rip through your eardrums like a chainsaw, and some of the sickest fastest drums I’ve ever heard. Pretty incredible. Exhibit A: the insane fills on the song Omnicide. If you’ve got a craving for no bullshit d-beat hardcore, Destruct is all of that.
I was especially stoked to hear new music from our local legends, Scarecrow. And they delivered. The new tracks are next level. Holy shit. One of the standouts for me is Compensation. That main riff is just so good. You know a riff is good if you find yourself singing it. You know what I mean? Like when you ask a friend if they’ve ever heard a song, you may sing some lyrics or mimic the beat. But if you sing a guitar riff, then it’s a damn good riff. Also love the super crunchy distorted bass outro in the track, The Agreement. It’s all in the details for me, and I really appreciate that about Scarecrow.
The vocals are as sick as ever. Particularly on the song Space Race, which is my new favorite Scarecrow song. It’s the perfect track to close out the first side of this record. I live for a good drum breakdown, and the one in the latter half of that song takes the cake. It’s followed by the meanest, cleanest, razor sharp guitar and meaty bass. It’s just explosive. Stoked to hear it live now that I’m more familiar with it. Speaking of….
I just realized if you’re going to Sorry State Fest, you will see both Destruct and Scarecrow perform!
Now where was I? Oh yeah. I love that this is an international effort with four bands from three countries. So how could you do an international hardcore split without some Swedish hardcore? You couldn’t. Well, you could, but it’s no secret how much the executives over at Bunker Punks HQ love Scandi hardcore, so it makes total sense.
Enter Dissekerad. I will admit that of the four bands, I know the least about this one. And it’s not on purpose. There’s just a LOT of hardcore surrounding me at Sorry State, in front of me, behind me, to the right and left of me, over the speakers, and in human form. But that’s also why I love albums like this that introduce me to things that I’ve never heard.
One important detail I learned is that one of the members (Poffen) is from Totalitar, and I do know Totalitar. Other Dissekerad members have been around forever too, playing in bands like Avskum, Institution, and Makabert Fynd. So yeah, they know what they’re doing. Poffen brings his familiar mean and raspy vocal style to this raw and classic d-beat hardcore. In all honesty, I don’t think I’m cool enough yet to listen to Dissekerad, but they rip.
Rat Cage, hailing from England, is the last band on the record, and I’ve listened to and enjoyed many of their releases. The band is a one-man machine that I just can’t imagine any hardcore fan not liking. Rat Cage is the total package. Right out of the gate, the song Kill the Autocrats just grabs you by the throat with some of the meanest and most satisfying vocals I’ve heard in this genre. The word I’m looking for is savage. Rat Cage has a unique way of delivering very no-nonsense, no frills hardcore in a way that’s still catchy. And sometimes a little thrashy.
The song Blitz Raid Bombers is a great way to close things out. The killer riff and pummeling drums in the intro lead into a powerful, anthemic song. Actually, a lot of Rat Cage songs sound like anthems, which are a lot of fun to listen to. The first and last track are my favorites in their bunch.
I gotta wrap things up, wow. I can’t imagine all the work that went into this project, but when you get it in your hands and hear the music, you will see it came together pretty damn perfectly. And trust that this thing looks even better in person. The artwork, the sick inserts, the quality of all the tangible stuff, the cool details, and not to mention the grade A production of the music. It is so impressive! Hats off.
Thanks so much for reading! Hope to see a lot of you this weekend at the Fest! Until next time.
-Angela