My Condolences

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My Condolences are a Northern Kentucky two-piece (Jordan on Baritone guitar & vocals with Corey on drums) that play sludgy d-beat hardcore with doomed-out screamo heaviness. Their debut The Pressure Builds dropped August 1, 2020 with eight tracks of crushing desparation and metallic aggression. They tear through nearly 21 minutes of slow, grinding punishment. D-beat rhythms meet sludge metal with a smothering weight and bleak atmosphere. This was released through The Ghost is Clear Records on a 45 rpm 12" lathe cut which  is sold out. Live at Healer in Indianapolis 10/07/22, a cassette release, came out August 3, 2023 on Tomb Tree Tapes (also sold out) with five live tracks captured at Healer in Indianapolis. And if you're local, you can check them out on April 18th at DSGN Collective in Cincinnati playing with Lordship for the Sealer record release. Also, My Condolences features members of Flesh Mother, Scenario, Clouded, Burn Victim, Suffocate Faster & Suicide Pact. I'm really looking forward to hearing more stuff from these dudes.

FFO: Eyehategod, Torch Runner, Loma Prieta, Celeste

Porcupine - Martyrdom

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Porcupine out of Chicago/Pittsburgh play blackened chaotic hardcore with powerviolence ferocity. Martyrdom dropped February 27, 2026 with three re-mixed and re-mastered tracks originally released as a split with Griphook. Fast, chaotic blasts meet dark, metallic riffing and frantic intensity. The band tears through this in just over five minutes of pure aggression. 

FFO:  Jesus Piece, Cult Leader, Portrayal of Guilt

DeathFeeder - Unleashing Ruin

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DeathFeeder from Newcastle, Australia play old school Swedish death metal. Unleashing Ruin dropped February 25, 2026 with four tracks of grinding, buzzsaw-toned brutality. Classic BOSS HM-2 chainsaw worship done right with crushing riffs and relentless aggression. Features members and ex-members of The Amenta, Lord Kaos, and Manticore. 

FFO: Entombed, Gatecreeper, LIK 

D.M.V. - FIVE FINGER DISCOUNT

D.M.V. out of Washington, D.C. play abrasive noise punk with no wave chaos. Five Finger Discount dropped February 28, 2026 with five tracks of raw, distorted aggression. Tons of dissonant guitars, shouted vocals, and unhinged energy. First release from the band and it's deliberately ugly in the best way.

FFO: Couch Slut, USA Nails, Lovely Wife

 

Pain Begins - Tired Of Being Alive

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Another local band for me with a new release, you love to see it. Pain Begins out of Cincinnati, Ohio play heavy metallic hardcore with beatdown brutality. Tired Of Being Alive dropped February 27, 2026 with five tracks of crushing aggression. Slow, punishing breakdowns meet ferocious riffs and furious vocals - this is hardcore at its most nihilistic and punishing. Album art by Tommy Wilson captures the bleakness perfectly. The band's third release continues their descent into darker, heavier territory.

FFO: Sunami, GEL, Simulakra, Jesus Piece 

SKALLAR - 2026 EP

SKALLAR from Baltimore play raw d-beat crust punk. Their 2026 EP dropped February 27, 2026 with five tracks of furious, metallic aggression. Grinding riffs, relentless d-beat drums, and politically charged fury - this is crust punk/metal done right. Cover art by Jamie Rosier sets the bleak tone perfectly. Fast, filthy, and uncompromising from start to finish.

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FFO:  KRUELTY, Röntgen, Discharge 

VRUST - Self Titled

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VRUST out of Hamburg/Lübeck, Germany play blackened crust with a death metal bite. Their self-titled debut dropped February 23, 2026 with five tracks of dark, aggressive heaviness. This is crust punk meeting black and death metal fury - harsh vocals, grinding riffs, and relentless energy. Recorded by Joso at Bombrec_recording and mixed/mastered by Florian Zeh, the production keeps things raw and filthy. The three-piece tear through nearly 20 minutes of bleak, pummeling intensity.

FFO: Hellshock,  Disfear, Celeste

HAMARR - NECROTIC RITUALS

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HAMARR out of Indianapolis, Indiana play crushing death metal-infused hardcore. Necrotic Rituals dropped February 27, 2026 with ten tracks of brutal, death-obsessed heaviness. Midwest hardcore meeting old-school death metal - grimy riffs, guttural vocals, and pure aggression. The production is raw and unpolished, recorded and mixed at Champion O.I., giving everything a visceral edge. Guest spots from Alex Cloutier, Seth Bricker, and Kurtis Hall add even more brutality to the mix.

FFO:  Gatecreeper, Xibalba, Incendiary, Vamachara

DISPOSAL - OFFICER DOWN

Even if this song sucked (which it most definitely does not), I would have posted this for the cover alone. In other news, everything is fucked. Good luck out there.

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Writhe - Self Titled

I've actually written about this release here before back in Two Thousand Fucking Sixteen! But christ this is fucking good, and it just got put on streaming sites again, so I'm writing about it again. Writhe from Hobart, Australia play fast, aggressive grindcore with powerviolence bludgeoning. It's pretty incredible, especially since it's 1-man project. With raw production, brutal riffs, glorious HM2 usage and relentless speed, this is grind stripped down to its nastiest form.

FFO:  Wormrot, Rotten Sound, Nails