Sin Tax: Abnegation 7"

9 tracks of straight up hardcore punk void of any positivity or hope, just pure rejection of the world around us. Influenced by early core bands like Deep Wound, Siege, and C.C.M, Sin Tax impatiently charges through the ep wanting to get to nowhere quicker, all while keeping it lowbrow and hostile.

Our take: Debut EP from this dark and punishing hardcore band from Melbourne, Australia. I’ve seen Sin Tax compared to several outsider-y 80s hardcore bands, but the comparison that keeps coming to my mind is Septic Death. The guitar player is mega-speedcore fast, playing in a death metal-ish style on the fast parts, but the drumming is pure hardcore, with simple and punishing beats and a rhythmic restlessness. While Sin Tax’s music can feel manic when there are a lot of fast parts in a row (and there often are), the band settles into heavy grooves on the mid-paced parts, notably “Faces of Death,” whose intro touches on some supremely Flag’d out Eye for an Eye-isms. Abnegation has an introverted, artsy feel that takes a minute to warm up to, but the band’s ambition pays off in tunes packed with compelling musicality.

• Format Type: 7"