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Hardcore has a long history of existing in hostile and outright repressive places. From military dictatorships to the autocratic Orbán regime in Hungary, where for the last decade NORMS have been churning out furious and challenging hardcore. Mixing the uncomfortable noodling jazz-punk of Saccharine Trust and late Black Flag with squealing guitar and cowbell ala Negazione, all at with speed and stop start aggression of No Comment. Odd rhythms give way to bursts of rage in this tightly wound and thrilling release. Fans of Cold Sweat and Nasa Space Universe should especially take note. You’re in for a wild fourteen and a half minutes.
Our take: It looks like 100% Hazaarulas is the 3rd LP from this wild hardcore band from Budapest, Hungary, but their first for a US label, 11PM Records. While it sounds like Norms take a lot of inspiration from early 80s Italian groups like Negazione, Wretched, and CCM, their take on raw and fast hardcore has full-on avant-garde touches. The off-time riff in “Magyarmagyarmagyar,” for instance, wouldn’t be out of place on a John Zorn or Boredoms record, but it also sounds more like Die Kreuzen than those bands ever did. I also hear some resemblance to projects like Cicada, Closet Christ, and Cryin’ Hand, particularly the Neos-esque drumming and the artfully lo-fi recording. As with some of my favorite Italian records, it can take a couple of listens to hear past the brick-wall intensity, but the music is so dense with original ideas and truly face-melting musicianship that 100% Hazaarulas totally rewards that extra time investment.