EP 274: The Top 50 Hardcore / Punk Releases of 2025
The cream of the crop.
It’s that time of year where a bunch of websites will post their Best Hardcore / Punk Records of 2025 by Bands Who Have Publicists and Managers. Maybe they’ll toss a NY punk band in for cred, and why not? They kinda know the guitarist, he’s cool, and the way he used orange zest in that mezcal primavera he made was kinda life altering. Let’s be real, most of those lists are made to curry favor for ongoing access or for engagement farming. They’re one step away from AI slop and the folks curating them would be better suited debating Coachella lineups.
This list was put together by me and my bud, Kevin Hare. We both play in bands that put out releases this year but didn’t include them on the list. I wanted to note this for a couple reasons. First, we really love our bands and the music we are creating. Both deserve your time and attention, so check out SUBVERSIVE INTENT and FALSE SALVATION. Second, I hate the idea that even a single moran out there might consider us music critics. However, if that’s the case just know we put our money where our mouth is and you can criticize our bands all you want to.
Check this week’s episode out here, here, or here and check the playlist here or here.
Onto the best 50 hardcore / punk releases of 2025…
50. G.A.Z.E S/T LP D-takt & Råpunk
G.A.Z.E. hail from Helsinki, Finland but you’d swear they were from Tokyo and this album was on HG Fact. If you thought Earth Ball Sports Tournament was a masterpiece but thought it could’ve been even crazier, this is the record you’ve been waiting for. Sometimes it gets super melodic and epic, slipping into almost Dragonforce territory but it’s grounded by an excellent rhythm section that never lets the songs get away from them.
49. TS Warspite Trauma Stage 7” Northern Unrest
A beefy sounding EP. Killer songwriting. Mean voice. Aggressive hardcore with a tinge of R’N’R riffery and lots of dance parts.
48. Dynamite Settle The Score 7” Northern Unrest
London’s Dynamite return with their 2nd 7” Settle The Score, establishing themselves as one of the best roots hardcore bands on the globe. Five songs in under eight minutes and all are good. It’s an improvement from the last record because they dropped the over-reliance on guest spots, showing that they can stand on their own two feet. They’re at their best when they’re at their wildest, like tucking in the scissor beat at the end of “Hardcore Pride” to break up the mosh, or with the speed picking on “Can’t Be Denied.” They’re already one of the best bands of the genre but I’d put money down that they haven’t peaked yet.
47. Tormented Imp S/T 7” Donor
This may have landed higher if we had more time to spend with it. Tormented Imp put out a promising demo last year but for this 7”, they streamlined their songwriting by cutting off the fat. They continue cranking out their brand of Poison Idea inspired hardcore punk - aggressive and tight with some seriously hot licks peppered throughout. The bio name-checks Death Side, but the the fast parts sound more like circa 2010 Sweden. Think Infernöh or Heratys. Four killer songs that all rage.
46. Destruct / Svaveldioxid Split 7” Prescription / Children of the Grave
Destruct is one of the premier hardcore bands going and has the best drumming in the entire game (maybe tied with dude from Dark Thoughts/Delco MFers). They deliver here with three more songs to add to their flawlessly brutal catalog. Svaveldioxid are no slouch either. Their side rages with raw, noisy hardcore. The first song is a standout with a touch of subtle black metal picking and vibes.
45. Total Con Who Needs the Peace Corps? 7” Static Shock
Super fast 1st wave USHC sounding EP from this band outta the UK. They call out White Cross as an influence in their write up and that’s fitting. If you like bands like Rosemary’s Babies or Hated Principals, you’ll love this. A modern comparison might be Speed Plans. There’s some really good writing here, like how they work between open and closed hi-hat on “Never Understand.” My favorite song is probably “Repugnant Slime” with the super fast singing at the end. That’s also a good band name, so someone use that instead of reusing one from an old hardcore band. I checked Discogs and it’s in the clear!
44. Cheap Heat Blank Void 7” Brain Slash
This was a slow burn for me. I bought it cuz I love the band name and album art, all the songs are sub-two minutes, and Poison Idea got name checked somewhere as a comparison. At times the vocals slip into almost screamo type territory and they’re a little low in the mix which can make them unintelligible. I think that’s initially what was holding me back from loving this thing but upon multiple turntable spins this thing finally connected. The run of “Dead End” / “Eyes of Fire” / “This & That” is one of the better three-song rock blocks of the year.
Yo frontman…you sound tight so don’t be a shy boi when it comes to the mix. Crank it up!
43. Naysayer Rage Dreams 12” EP Edgewood
In the mid 2000s, there were a bunch bands from all over who were obviously influenced by and sounded like early Terror. I dunno what that means to you, but to me this is the best case scenario other than bands emulating ‘80s hardcore. One of the better bands doing that was Cast Aside from Richmond, VA who put out an excellent 7” in 2003 and followed it up with a full length the following year.
Five years later, a band called Naysayer put out their first 7”. They were also from Richmond, played a similar style as Cast Aside, maybe a bit moshier, and I guess I always kinda considered them the spiritual successor to their hometown elders. Throughout the 2010s they put out a slew of solid releases and were one of the most consistent hardcore bands.
Their last record came out in 2016, so Rage Dreams kinda came outta nowhere but they didn’t miss a beat. It’s another pummeling release with top notch production and memorable parts - most def one of the nicer surprises of the year.
42. Direct Order ‘82 Demo Cassette Self Released
If this band had Chris Corry or DFJ in the lineup, it would be universally hailed as the best demo of the year and all those hailing would be righteous. Instead it’s Tim from Ensign’s new band and let’s be real…Ensign hasn’t been cool since they signed with Nitro Records towards the end of the ‘90s.
But the tunes, goddamn, the tunes. This is one of the best takes on first wave USHC that I can remember. They tuck in Necros and Suicidal Tendencies covers and to the newjack ear, I doubt they’re even discernible from the rest of the tracks. If “Swine Patrol” or “Fucked Life” was on a Mystic Comp in 1984, it might be the premier track. And all the tracks are that good.
41. House Arrest Food On Your Table 7” Extinction Blast
House Arrest out of Bandung, Indonesia put out a killer demo last year and followed it up this year with this excellent EP on one of the the best hardcore labels going, Extinction Burst. This 8-song slab punishes the whole way through with great fast rippers and some of the best mid-tempo bangers of the year. The singer’s voice is totally shredded, the recording is raw, and the mix is nice. Hell yeah.
40. Raw Brigade 100% LP Flatspot
In 2025, Raw Brigade pulled off a near impossible feat for a roots hardcore band: put out an excellent 2nd LP. And if we’re being completists, they pulled off two versions of this LP — one in English y otra en Español.
The thing that comes across the most with this band is that they just like playing hardcore. It’s infectious. They’re not trying to expand the boundaries. It doesn’t feel like there’s a calculated career path for the band other than just plug in and let it rip. Most importantly though, the tunes are good.
39. Necron 9 People Die LP Unlawful Assembly
This album made waves when it came out in March with some folks proclaiming it may be AOTY the very same day. I get it. It’s a fast, raw hardcore punk record and with songs like “Gut the Pig” and “I Kill Fucker,” it’s not going to get accused of being pro-core by even the most cynical of the troo punx.
38. The Sissy Boys Lets Party LP Rebirth
Hardcore played by young dudes not afraid to skewer the olds. It’s a war on uncs and I personally support our newjack overlords.
37. Loud Night / Taifun Split 7” No Norms / Phobia
If you’re a Burning Spirits head, I’d recommend three records from 2025: the Bombardment LP, the G.A.Z.E. LP and this split 7”, with this one being the best of the three. Loud Night carry the record with two spectacular songs. They’re mean, they’re rocking, and they aren’t scared to dip into a little melody. The vocals are gnarly and make the super melodic flourishes forgiving. Top notch stuff that sounds like they could’ve been on Selfish Records.
Taifun are no slouch either. Really, they’re quite similar to Loud Night, maybe just a bit noisier, and the singer’s delivery is more throat than gut. Killer 7”.
36. The Social All For One, One For All LP Mendeku Diskak
There’s egg punk and chain punk. There’s crust punk and street punk. There’s metal punk and ska punk. There’s dangly earring punk and boot punk. Well, these dudes sleep in their boots and shower in their boots. This band is the 24-hour superstore of boot. All boot, all the time. When all you deal in is boot, you’re obviously an expert on boot. And so we hereby decree this is the greatest straight up boot record of the year.
35. Dead On Your Feet D.O.Y.F. Cassette Fortress
D.O.Y.F. is a perfect example of the modern, high level demo. The recording is good enough to be an LP and songwriting that is on that level as well. This is one where whenever I had new shit on shuffle and a Dead On Your Feet song would come on, I’d alway take my phone out of my pocket to see who it was. They can write a fast part, a mosh part and they embrace brevity, with only one song topping two minutes. Stellar.
34. Suicide Eyes Demo 2025 Cassette Rebirth
Over-the-plate, fast E-standard hardcore. Short bursts of energy that never overstay their welcome. It’s nice to see a band worry less about riffs and more about creating a canvas for the singer to get down on. This rules.
33. Frothing Mad Demo Cassette From Within
In 2023 when the latest demo-core revolution began, we ate everything up. It was new and refreshing that not everyone was aspiring to be a metalcore/alt-HC/pro-core sensation. The more the merrier. Then came 2024 which was a helluva year for demos and most likely the quality peak of this revival.
By the end of 2025, there’s no way around it — when you see another demo with similar J-card art, a mid recording, and folks rehashing the same NYHC bands post-’87 Demo, it’s a little less awesome. Is this a real band? Are they going to gig? Are they going to stick around at all or is this a goofy project? If I can’t tell if they care about their band, why should I? For me to get fired up now, it’s gotta be dope for real.
That’s all a long wind up to say Fröthing Mad put out one of the best demos of the year. Are they mostly pulling from the same stuff that everyone else has been? Yes. Does every batter who steps up to the plate try to hit the ball? Yeah, dude, but some are better than others and Fröthing Mad are a band that wrote a handful of tunes better than most.
32. End It Wrong Side Of Heaven LP Flatspot
There’s no doubt End It is one of the best bands in hardcore. The 2020 demo and their 2022 EP were flawless. This was one of the most anticipated LPs of the year and it delivered, with more songwriting that keeps you on your toes and Akil’s trademark vocal style and S-tier lyrics.
Personally, I could’ve done without the singy Maximum Penalty cover and I really hope this doesn’t become an ongoing trope in hardcore. We’ve seen Drain, Big Boy, and End It all do singy, non-core songs on their records in the last couple years. If you want to show off your singing chops, I’d rather you work it into originals that kick ass. But folks seem to eat this up, so I’m probably the asshole here.
31. Plasma Mua Et Voi Omistaa LP Sorry State
A raging slab of hardcore punk wax. Creative song writing where everything is played tight and it’s all peppered by fabulous vocals. We all know that lyrics in general sound dope when shouted in Finnish…or maybe you didn’t know that, my bad for being presumptuous. Peep this record as Exhibit A. Fantastic 12” that rages all the way through and has no bunk tracks.
30. Combust Belly Of The Beast LP Triple-B
This LP is a love letter to post-Brightside NYHC. Since I am also a true believer in this style, you best believe this LP is making the top 50.
29. Electric Chair / Physique Split LP Iron Lung
Electric Chair’s whole catalog is solid but this batch of tracks might be their best material. Instead of a full on ‘80s thrash assault, two of the five songs on here are stellar mid-tempo bangers. It kicks off with “Weed Out The Rat,” a MTB where the bass and vox both shine. “Caught On Tape” and “Can’t Stop Drinking” follow, bringing the fury you’d expect. Their side ends with “Snake Eyes” which delivers about as much mindfuckery as a pretty straight forward hardcore song can. The bass is walking in a hypnotic way while everything rages around it.
While Electric Chair deviate a bit in what you expect from them on their side, Physique throw another fastball right over the plate. It’s five more furious songs to add to their catalog of D-Clone/Disclose-esque madness. You know what to expect from them and they always deliver.
28. Ceramik You Let This Happen LP Room 11
Ceramik from the 805 put out a good 12” last year but I think this one is significantly better. They’ve come into their own mixing a blend of noisy, chunky Hoax-core with some powerviolence elements/vibes. It’s a savage album that rages the whole way through, never letting its foot off the gas. Pure anger, rage, and vitriol.
27. Hierarkin Bomberna Faller LP Cimex
Really well done, well produced D-beat with some hot licks. I love the riff on the first song so much. There are big moments throughout this thing that pull me out from rockin’ to just go, “sick!”
26. Contempt You Still Suffer 7” Rebirth / Advanced Perspective
Over-the-plate, raw straight edge hardcore. Rival Mob meets the Straight Ahead tracks off End The Warzone.
25. Who Pays... Hard Times 7” 11PM Records
Early ‘80s style roots hardcore that’s well executed and you can tell is played by fans of the genre. It doesn’t fall into any tropes. Killer guitar tone. Good lyrics, good art, okay cover song.
24. No Idols S/T 7” Iron Lung
No Idols put out the best demo of 2024 and returned in late 2025 with this excellent debut slab-o-wax. It’s all driven by the S-tier drumming and a singer with strong pipes who seems to never waiver thoughout the record. They’re one of the best bands playing roots hardcore and if you loved the demo, this is mostly a continuation of that. The first four songs rage and the final track is a near-five minute opus which miraculously kinda works. Hopefully no other bands get inspired by that, though.
23. The Massacred Nightmare Agitators LP Active-8
The Massacred returned with an LP after putting out of of the best hardcore punk 7”s of 2024. It’s a beefy listen at 25 minutes that mostly flies by. They play a style that draws heavily from UK82, sans the sing-songy elements, mashed up with 1st wave Finnish HC. What made this band so special on the last EP was the congruence between the rawness of the tunes and the catchiness of the vocal hooks. There’s nothing on this LP that touches the three song run of “Schizophrenic Inanity,” “Brain Warfare,” and “Death March” but this thing kicks ass in a more menacing way that has its own flavor.
Like almost all bands making the EP to LP jump, they fuck with different tempos more on the full length. This gives us some highs, like the spectacular album closer “Extermination.” The first time I heard it, it sounded so familiar I thought it might’ve been a cover. It has the vibe of the 1st track off of the 1985 Kuolleet Kukat 7” but The Massacred come even harder, closing the album off with what will be a surefire contender for mid-tempo banger of the year.
“Nightmare Agitators” is another good plodding track, but “Post-Mortem II” hitting two tracks later at the same tempo, and then half of “Power On Top of Power” continuing that trend creates kind of a drag in the middle of the record. It reminds me of the first Chaos UK LP with “The End Is Nigh” and “Victimised” back to back.
Overall, killer LP from one of the best hardcore bands going.
22. Puffer Street Hassle LP RoachLeg
Mid-tempo, modern boot music mixed seamlessly with sleazy R’N’R elements make this LP a standout record of the year. If someone filmed Turbonegro and Rixe getting into a back alley brawl, “Blood On The Streets” might be the song they overdub on the video.
21. The Final Agony Depraved From Darkness 7” Triple B
‘90s Integrity is unfuckwithable. Since the Melnicks left, they have had their moments but never captured the glory of that original run. Of all the Integ clones, this band gets the closest and it helps that they cheated and got A2 to play on it, and subsequently join the band.
I always think of Integrity as an LP band, but really In Contrast of Sin is an all-time 7” and only gets overshadowed by its competition in the same catalog. The Final Agony excel in the EP format, banging out four tracks with no weak link. “Body of Light” is a tick faster than the classic Integrity material and it works, setting up the big, slow headbob section that Melnick crushes with his soloing. “Baptized by Flames” starts with a clean channel intro before busting into the classic Integrity slow-fast tempo. A2’s soloing on the slow part of this epic. “Deceiver” brings the intensity down with a slow track, and the final song is an instrumental. All four songs are killer and the EP is a perfect length.
20. Madman Demo Cassette Rebirth
This Madman demo is the shit. It’s loud, mean, creative, furious and demonstrates that out the gate, Madman are one of the best bands in hardcore. What’s next? I can’t wait to find out, and isn’t that the purpose of a demo?
19. Citric Dummies Split With Turnstile LP Feel It
This had to make top 20 just for the drummer’s right hand alone. Good God, man. He sets the bar high and challenges the rest of the band to keep up. This record is like being a teen and riding the Gravitron, but not the one at the county fair — we’re talking about riding the bootleg one at the sketchy carnival that pops up over by the dying mall in the winter. It’s loose, it’s wild, it makes your stomach feel a little uneasy. Maybe that last pull of Goldschläger was a mistake but that’s all part of it. This is one of the best rides of the year.
18. Primitive Impulse Piss It Away LP Feel It
This record rips all the way though and I think “Dogs Will Hunt” is the best hardcore song of the year. It reminds me of Driller Killer, another band who can never be accused of not kicking ass. Unrelenting HARDCORE.
17. G*U*N*N* S/T LP Going Underground
Blend D.I., The Clitboys, and the Circle Jerks, record them with Pro Tools, get them addicted to the amount of samples on 40 Oz. To Freedom and you’d end up with something that sounds like this LP. The sequencing makes the record. It feels really well thought out and makes for an easy listen. I jammed it a handful of times without getting bored. The samples get kinda old by the 3rd listen, but the way they are integrated into the songs is commendable. It’s a long record for modern times - 14 songs in 27 minutes. Five of those minutes can be attributed to a reggae tune that’s mercifully attached to the end of the final track. They’re really not beating the 40 Oz. accusations here. I’m sure brudda Bradley would love this record if he was still with us though and Johnny Wood probably blares this in his drop top.
16. Identity Shock Traces 7” Designated Moshers Unit
8 songs in 7 1/2 minutes. No guest spots. Singer sounds mean. Record goes hard. As for the recording, it sounds wild - maybe it was mastered with everything pushed to 11? I dunno. It sounds wack in my truck, okay in headphones, and good on my turntable. A perplexing mystery that will fascinate us for years to come like the lost city of Atlantis.
15. Beton Arme Renaissance LP La Vida Es En Mus
This FrOi!-adjacent LP was one of Kev’s favorites as soon as it came out and it never fell out of favor. It’s a super-catchy woah-fest with zero clunkers. The woah might actually be underutilized these days. After all, it transcends language, nationality, and ethnicity - great uniter so to speak. If you’re a bro for “Bro Hymn” or “Good Head” is your favorite Turbonegro song, you won’t want to miss this LP.
14. With Hate From Boston With Hate 7” Tribe Dream
With Hate is really making an attempt to write memorable vocal hooks and I’m here for it. The singer has a lot of personality, mostly snarling throughout the tracks but sometimes he lets up and almost slips into some Choke-esque tunefulness. The record ends with a Dropkick Murphys cover, but not the one about going to see the Stiff Little Fingers play. Killer 7”.
13. Wits End Demo I & II Cassette Rebirth
When I think about current bands playing Raw Deal/Killing Time influenced NYHC, Freeze Out, Echo Chamber, and Combust are at the top of my list but now here’s Wits End banging at the door. The demos land somewhere in between sounding like they were recorded at The Loft and Normandy - heavy on the reverb. The singer has a nice grunt voice and the band tucks enough YOLO in here to keep it interesting, like when they use the scissor beat on “Split The Difference.” To drop a second demo of equal caliber in the same year is impressive.
12. Ultimate Disaster For Progress… LP Grave Mistake
It might be one of the most generic records ever, but it’s also one of the most well executed d-beat records I can think of. The production is great; the record sounds massive. There’s no fluff and they’re not afraid to write hooks. It’s super predictable, you know exactly what’s coming every time, but that’s exactly what you want. That’s exactly what you need. They hit all the buzzwords: slaughter, oblivion, etc. and do the obligatory “Free Speech For The Dumb” type song.
Even though they are blatantly walking in someone else’s footprints, I don’t think folks understand how hard it is to execute something so precisely. Ultimate Disaster has to be commended for making the record they no doubt set out to do and it deserves to be ranked so high in this list.
11. Tarrega 91 Ckaos Total LP La Vida Es Un Mus
Ripping straight forward hardcore. Literally no frills. I’d have to re-listen to see if they even wrote a bridge. The recording is great and only one song breaks 90 seconds. Hell yeah. To write good shit this stripped down is so hard and Tàrrega 91 sound savage without using any sort of bullshit studio fluff to dirty them up. Shoutout Catalonia.
10. Split System 7” series Legless
Split System put out three 7”s in 2025, each better than the last. In February, they released On The Edge / On The Loose, a two-song rocker with horses on the cover that Bob Seger fans everyone could get stoked on. Both were good tunes, but would’ve been better served on an LP being a bridge between the hits. Don’t get me wrong, Split System’s meat and potatoes songs are killer, but what makes their best tracks spectacular is when they dump those melody soaked guitar licks into them.
They released a split 7” in May with the French band Les Lullies before embarking on their Spring European tour. The song on their side (“Chemicals”) hits out the gate with one of the best riffs of the year. When it kicks in with a perfect uptempo-midtempo beat, I think I audibly let out a sigh of relief that Split System can still crank out their classics. It’s not that I doubted them, but one day every band writes their last great song, ya know?
When I saw them last year, they played a song called “No Cops In Heaven” that was fucking amazing. I figured it was a cover or something and since I have the attention span of a goldfish, I pretty much just moved on without ever thinking about it again. So October rolls around and Split System dropped their 3rd 7” of the year, a two song banger with “No Cops In Heaven” on the A-side and and “Pull the Trigger” on the B-side. The A-side is as good as I remember, a song that slides in with their best. The B-side takes a while to get going but, dude, that final salvo when they bring in that low-note lead under “I’d really like to pull the trigger.” Fuckin-A.
When this band is at their best, they’re my favorite on the planet.
9. Alienator Meat Locker LP Black Water
This is Alienator’s 12” debut after two spectacular 7”s. Musically this is more in line with the 2nd 7” on the crossover side of things, but the intensity and the raw recording make it have more in common with bands like Tower 7 and Driller Killer than the 2nd Agnostic Front or Cro-Mags LPs. No songs crack three minutes, the art rules, and overall Alienator delivered a 12” that met the high expectations that they set with their previous releases. Stellar 12” and all year end lists that omit it are sus.
8. Bulls Shitt S/T LP Rebirth
Bulls Shitt returned with an LP following up their excellent 2022 7”. It’s part 1982 USHC, part 1983 No Future, and part Boston circa 2010 but with more YOLO than any of those produced. It’s pretty frenetic listen, bouncing between tempos and vibes. Sometimes they’re thrashing out with a gnarly scissor beat and sometimes it’s sleazy mid-tempo rock ‘n’ roll. They transition seamlessly between all the styles and tempos which creates a listening experience where I’m always on my toes but not necessarily able to settle into anything.
If I was still drinking and this band was local to me, they’d probably be my favorite band. Every single song they’ve put out so far (including the exclusive song on the 185 Miles South of Somewhere comp) has been great. It makes me wonder if we’re witnessing the early stages of an Out Cold type catalog.
7. Inmates Role of God LP Iron Lung
Cleveland’s bastard sons return with their first record since 2018’s Creatures of the Night 7”. This is probably their best release yet, edging out the early 2000s underground classic, Assholes Anonymous Present…
The recording is big and relatively clean. That doesn’t mean it’s safe. It means they’re not hiding being lousy recordings or studio effects to make the record sound gnarlier than the band is. It’s like they Windexed the glass at the zoo so you have a clearer look at feeding time. The kooky things about previous releases are gone. No more bizarro British accent in parts. No more live clips or skits. Just 12 songs in 22 1/2 minutes that go hard the whole way through.
The title track leads off the album and it’s pure G.I.S.M. worship right out the gate. That’s no surprise. Inmates have always leaned heavy on Japanese punk to pull from. There’s a ton of Gai and The Swankys in this, along with Gauze, Lip Cream, and Outo. Sometimes the vocals slip into Aburadako madness and sometimes even further into the almost Zouo-esque demon vocals. The lyrics on “Doin’ Time” are straight up insane and awesome. All the Japanese YOLO is balanced out nicely by a healthy dose of Poison Idea circa 1984-1987. The cleaner recording allows Aaron Melnick, of Integrity’s glory days, a chance to shine, especially on “I Never Questioned.” And yeah, “Fuck Your Fucking Skull” was the song of the summer (again, for those who embraced the 2024 promo).
6. Nisemono S/T LP Toxic State
Two of the dudes from L.O.T.I.O.N. began paying reparations with this excellent LP after subjecting us to 10+ years of terrible techno-punk records. Is it enough to atone for “Cybernetic Super Lover?” Not sure yet, but I’ve played this record as much as anything else from this year so it’s a start at least.
5. Grand Scheme S/T 7” 11PM Records
7 songs in 9 minutes. Solid recording. No guest spots. Singer sounds mean AND can kickflip. Perfect production for the style. It’s a step up from their 2023 EP that was also good. What else can you say? It’s the best straight up old school USHC style 7” of the year.
4. C4 Payback’s a Bitch LP Triple B
Kev had been hyping the C4 LP months before it came out, but I wanted to go in blind and get hit with the whole thing along with everyone else. When it came out, the internet and group chats were ablaze. The first thing that seemed to grab everyone’s attention was the cover art. It’s half Bolt Thrower, and half Fresh Reeboks Kicking Your Ass NSFW madness. Most importantly, the music backs the art.
Payback’s A Bitch is about 20 minutes of full on crossover fury with the YOLO dial cranked to 11. C4 has always been a rowdy band but on this record they really took the time to perfect their sound and write memorable songs. The album sounds great, both production and performance-wise. It’s built off DFJ’s militant drumming and rounded out with crunchy guitars and an over-the-top vocal performance that aims vitriol at anyone in the way. The blend of styles is nice cuz it draws as much from powerviolence as it does from ‘80s thrash metal or punk.
“Stay Away From Me” is an early highlight. It’s like two Slapshot songs smashed together for a perfect little sub-60 second number. “Cry About It” is the best song on the album with its full on scissor beat assault into a big double kick mosh. The “shut the fuck up” gangs sound huge and they really sum up the whole vibe of the record. That vibe can really hit the sweet spot depending on how many fucks you do or don’t have. If you have none, this might be your AOTY. For others, it might go a little too far at times and get almost campy in parts.
Crossover has been a huge piece of hardcore since Agnostic Front followed up the greatest hardcore record of all time with an album that came speed-picking out the gate. In the last 15 years, we’ve really seen that lineage shine starting with bands like Take Offense and Power Trip in the early 2010s. Unfortunately, Power Trip’s success later that decade brought us a glut of sound-chasers who were generally uninteresting and would’ve been better served listening exclusively to Age of Quarrel and signing Best Wishes to Roadside Records™.
There have been bands who have spun crossover in interesting ways though. Mindforce deconstructed Leeway’s catalog into short bursts, palatable to the modern short attention span. Drain set a vibe so defining that people seem to overlook that they’re playing straight up crossover. Like Drain, C4 really carve out their own version of crossover here as well - it’s still about having fun, but only if fun to you is watching dudes getting their heads lopped off by a guillotine.
3. STERÖID Chainmail Commandos LP Crypt of the Wizard
I haven’t had an album in my collection with this sort of gravitational force attached to it since the first Split System LP. This record has been on constant rotation since I got it in the mail. It’s like when I jammed it the first time, it infected me or some shit and the only antidote is to jam it again…and often.
STERÖID have been described as New Wave of British Heavy Metal mashed with egg punk. I’m no expert in either genre so I can’t vouch for that, but the riffage is transfixing and the vocals are wild in their own right. When I first heard the singing, I was picturing a punky Cyndi Lauper type in my head but it turned out to be the opposite - a dungeon synth lord. Whatever, I love it nonetheless.
The Chainmail Commandos cult is growing by the day. Have you done your part? Who have you recruited?
2. Ayucaba Operación Masacre LP Metadona
Operación Masacre is Ayucaba’s debut LP and their first recording to feature Cromi on vocals, who also sings for Inyeccion. In Ayucaba her vocals are more fierce, landing somewhere between Tuna from Sweat and the demon vocals of Hiromi from Bitousha. Musically this pulls from elements of Bitousha as well, along with other powerful 1st wave Japanese bands like Ghoul or The Execute. They mix ‘83-’85 Japan with what was going on at the same time in the UK, as many of the 2nd wave punk bands were melding into heavy metal hybrids. This all leads to them sounding not too far off from other mid/late ‘80s hardcore bands who shared the same influences, most notably Poison (Arts), Poison Idea, and maybe Eye of The Thrash Gorilla era Death Side.
What makes this album great beyond the killer songwriting is two things: sequencing and restraint. The songs seamlessly flow in a purposeful way and while everyone in this band can bring the heat, they know how to hold back for the benefit of the songs. Ayucaba refrain from an overindulgence of palm muting or smothering the songs with vocals, two traps that punk bands pulling from metal can fall into. The guitarist can obviously blaze but he hangs back, deliberately choosing his spots to sprinkle melodic flourishes or let loose with memorable, soaring leads. This breathability in the songwriting really allows the tracks to shine.
The fourth track, “País Aniquilador” is probably my favorite, highlighted by the Broken Bones-ass intro and the guitar hooks on the choruses. Also notable, the solo on “Genocidio Por La Paz,” the whispers on “Systema = Siniestro,” and the spaced out leads on the final track, “Ayucaba.” It’s an amazing record that stands out both track-by-track or as a sum of all parts.
1. Scarab Burn After Listening LP Rebirth
For better or worse, Satisfaction is the Death of Desire was the most influential hardcore record of the 1990s. But while some bands latched onto its speed or the savagery of the big moshes, they absolutely failed at the third element that made the record so crucial - the brevity of the songs. Even Hatebreed never captured the holy trinity again.
Satisfaction wouldn’t qualify as a crossover record because crossover was a specific style but in the true essence of what the namesake was supposed to explain, a straddling of the line between metal and hardcore, it was probably the greatest hybrid ever. It took the classic roots hardcore style song structure and blended it with the tones and riffery of early ‘90s death metal. It’s as much Break Down The Walls as it is Effigy of the Forgotten.
Burn After Listening is the rare example of an LP that hits the holy trinity of Satisfaction. It’s speedy, savage and succinct, with no songs breaking two minutes. The record sounds huge, the drumming is excellent and for a band of experienced players, they escape the trap of sounding super rigid. There are big memorable parts but the backbone is really just the intensity. It should be a record that transcends the lame boundaries within hardcore punk. If you like D-Clone or Framtid, you should find something you like here as well.
Last note…Scarab could’ve probably punched their ticket to be on any hardcore or culture vulture label they wanted, done an endless slow album rollout and had a merch spread that made Pig Pen jealous. Yet for whatever reason, they resisted all the bullshit and just dropped the record a random ass day on their friend’s label, Rebirth Records - the same label they’ve done every release with going back to the demo.
So shoutout to them for not playing the game. And shoutout for putting out the best hardcore punk record of the 2025.
Are you hyped now and need more? Hardcore never stops. Check out this epic demo that dropped right after we wrapped the list:
Fuckin-A!!
Next week we do our 5th annual awards episode. It’s going behind the dreaded paywall for tha real onez only, so consider becoming a Patreon or a paid member here. Then we finish off the year with the 2025 Super 7, where we will choose our favorite tracks of the year.
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I play in a band called SUBVERSIVE INTENT. Jam the demo wherever you stream music or here.
- ZN
RAPID DYE. MASTERS OF HARDCORE, KINGS OF PUNK.