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Axon: S/T 7” (Not for the Weak Records) Not for the Weak Records brings us the 4-song debut release from Axon, a new band featuring personnel from NFTW groups like Reckoning Force, Lethal Means, Thought Control, and Homemade Speed with Alex from Mutant Strain and Meat House on drums. While Axon has a lot in common with the bruising hardcore of their NFTW label mates, there’s a palpable Japanese hardcore influence to Axon’s riffing that gives it a unique flavor among the label’s roster. That influence is apparent on the two b-side tracks, “Separate” and “Manmade Hell,” both of whose main riffs are built around epic, Death Side-esque scales, but Axon’s delivery is way faster and more jagged than what I associate with the Burning Spirits style. Rather than settling into Motorhead-esque grooves, Axon’s rhythmic foundation is more like Mutant Strain’s, with hyper-speed tempos and rarely a bar going by without some kind of punch, fill, or other rhythmic accent. The way everything comes at you all at once reminds me of Nightmare’s Give Notice of Nightmare album, which has a similar all-in intensity. Despite the speed and rhythmic intricacy, Axon still makes room for brief but blistering guitar leads, while the raspy and demonic vocals drag menacingly across the beat. As with Give Notice of Nightmare, it may take a listen or two to hear your way through the utter relentlessness, but once you unlock Axon’s charms, there’s a world of hooks and cool details to appreciate.