Selections from the Archive - Volume 01



Selections from the Archive - Volume 01


These posts will highlight a small selection of records from my honestly meager collection. These will be records I think are cool and worth checking out, they might be more unknown niche band, they might be more popular, some of these might get a full review at a later date, some might not. Today I want to look at some very good albums rooted in the hardcore genre.

Code Orange - Forever

This album is top-notch and not exactly an underdog, I've seen it on a number of "best heavy metal of 2017" lists. Code Orange play excellent aggressive hardcore that's also pretty metallic. This album has some interesting noise elements that actually quite liked, such as passages of droning static between some songs and some sharp abrupt ends to a few songs. This band is also noteworthy for not having a lead singer, instead; three members of the band all sing various parts with hardcore shouts, deathier screams, and even some clean singing. Code Orange is an excellent band and Forever is a very good album, looking forward to what's next from these talented kids-no-longer.

Skin Totem - Weltschmerz

This one is a little more unknown. A Scandinavian hardcore outfit taking things into a bit more of a crusty, grindy direction. There are a few more, mellow, moments on the record and some really intense parts. I haven't had this one long, but I've been enjoying it and thought it deserved a shout out since I had not heard of this band until I saw this in the record store and did some research on them.

Weltschmerz is a word to describe feelings of melancholy or world weariness.



Harm's Way - Blinded

Harm's Way is a straight-edge hardcore band from the US. I am not straight-edge, but I do like the music these guys make. This EP has a bit more of a sludgy, noisy thing going on that I thought made this record a stand out from what I had previously heard from this band. When I saw it in the record store I just had to grab it, it's not a new EP and it's never been repressed so I was surprised to see it. Also I think the cover art is pretty awesome.

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