Trelkovsky - Le stesse cose ritornano

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify

Trelkovsky is a relatively new band from the foggy lands of northern Italy. They started playing together a couple of years ago as a duo but recently became a trio. Their style can be described as a heavily black/post-black metal influenced screamo, inspired by the likes of Deafheaven, Bosse-de-nage, Orchid, La quiete, etc. This album Le stesse cose ritornano (which translates to "The same things come back") from last September channels existential dread and life under capitalism with lyrics about identity loss, paranoia, and pain. This is chaotic, heavy, atmospheric, and unrelenting. Please do check it out.

FFO:  Jeromes Dream, Ampere, Loma Prieta, Oathbreaker, Birds in Row

 

Boycott The Baptist - Father Egg

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

Boycott The Baptist from the UK deliver four tracks of grindcore/crust punk on Father Egg, released February 13th, 2026. The band has been touring relentlessly since 2013, supporting acts like Wormrot, Discharge, and Trash Talk along the way. This EP leans into their Pig Destroyer and Eyehategod love while keeping the Black Flag punk energy front and center. Tracks range from the three-minute rippers to the sprawling six-minute closer "Jane Doe In Idaho." UK grindcore that's been road-tested to hell and back.

FFO:  Wolfbrigade, Infest, Weekend Nachos

SHERM - Demo

Instagram - Bandcamp

SHERM from Warren, Michigan unleash three tracks of grindcore on their demo, released February 13th, 2026. We got some interesting song titles here: "GRINDCORE COWBOY," "KENNY CHESNEY SONG," and "PIPE BOMB IN MY ETHIKAS." The whole thing clocks in under three minutes of crust/grindcore chaos. Michigan basement grind at its finest. Short, nasty, and ready to wreck your day.

FFO: Wormrot,  Magrudergrind, Scalp, Insect Warfare

.DotCursor - Eternal

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify

.DotCursor from Oakland bring the chainsaw hardcore on Eternal, released February 13, 2026. Five tracks of metallic hardcore that pull inspiration from Nails, Converge, and Entombed's buzzsaw worship. The album rips through themes of hopelessness and despair with relentless aggression - no frills, no breakdowns for the sake of it, just pure Oakland heaviness. Think bleak vocals, crushing riffs, and the kind of intensity that makes you want to flip a table. 

FFO:  Ingrown, Harm's Way, Employed To Serve, Nails

Life Pilot - Self Titled - Instrumental

Instagram - Facebook  - Bandcamp - Spotify

Life Pilot from Adelaide, Australia released the instrumental version of their self-titled album last month. Twelve tracks of chaotic metalcore without vocals - just heavy riffs and relentless aggression. The band has been around since 2012, building a reputation for writing heavy, angry songs and this instrumental release strips everything down to the core: the dissonant guitars, crushing rhythms, and noise metal textures that define their sound.

FFO: Coalesce, Norma Jean, Converge

Mold Bunny - (H)are you afraid of the dark?

Mold Bunny blast through 15 tracks of deathgrind/powerviolence chaos on (H)are you afraid of the dark?. The entire album clocks in under 20 minutes with rabbit and horror movie-themed track titles like "Hopmare on Elm Street" and "The Texas Rabbit Massacre." Mixing slamming death metal with grindcore intensity and powerviolence unpredictability, the band delivers brutal, relentless aggression with a tongue-in-cheek horror aesthetic.

MIND / KNOT - Mortale

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

MIND/KNOT out of Rome deliver chaotic hardcore fury on Mortale. Six tracks explore mortality through distortion and sonic darkness, blending mathcore complexity with noisecore aggression. The EP rips through frantic rhythms and violent shifts, closing with the suffocating "Few Shadows Left Alone In This Void." Pure Converge/Dillinger Escape Plan worship filtered through Rome's hardcore underground.

FFO:  Botch, The Chariot, Plebeian Grandstand

NUR - Shock Mentality

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

NŪR out of Haifa, Israel deliver their 1st full-length Shock Mentality via Sludgelord Records. After years playing sprawling post-metal, the band shifted hard into aggressive sludge/hardcore with blackened edges—angrier, faster, and denser than anything they've done before. Eight tracks rip through media desensitization, political decay, and societal collapse, closing with "The Line Age," the track that originally sparked this heavier direction.

FFO: Portrayal of Guilt, Gaza, KEN Mode

Plunge - Tour Demo

 

Instagram - Bandcamp

Plunge out of Albuquerque, NM deliver five tracks of pure grindviolence chaos on Tour Demo. Released February 6, 2026, the demo alternates between sub-minute bursts of powerviolence and longer, grinding assaults that stretch past the three-minute mark. Tracks like "Unclaimed" and "Petroleum Party" explode with frustrated rage about societal collapse and manufactured narratives, while the extended cuts "Fluid" and "Violent Change" let the sludgy, noisy aggression breathe and mutate. The New Mexico hardcore scene keeps churning out brutal acts, and Plunge is raw, uncompromising, and ready to wreck eardrums.

FFO:  Big Gulp, Sex Prisoner, Full Of Hell, Wasp Mother

Desgarro - Impasibles

Desgarro out of Córdoba, Spain bring Andalusian rage to the Spanish crust scene with Impasibles. The album locks into that classic D-beat attack with apocalyptic hardcore energy, channeling the same raw disgust that fueled early Discharge and Amebix. Southern Spain doesn't get as much crust attention as A Coruña's storied scene, but Desgarro prove there's plenty of venom brewing down south—metallic riffs stripped down to their ugliest, vocals torn to shreds, and rhythms pounding like riot gear on pavement. Pure stenchcore fury.

FFO:  Wolfbrigade, Doom, Discharge, Tragedy

VerminKing - Inhumane Disruption

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

VerminKing out of Bielsko-Biała play Swedish death metal with that classic buzzsaw guitar tone. Formed in 2023 from musicians in the local metal-punk scene, they recorded their full-length LP in early 2025. The album pulls straight from the Stockholm playbook—raw, grinding, and built for heads banging and mosh pits exploding rather than technical showboating. Pure worship of the Entombed/Dismember sound, complete with D-beat hardcore energy underneath all that distortion.

FFO: Entombed,  Entrails, Horrid

SWAERMMM - Γ

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

SWÆRMMM out of Stockholm play experimental mathcore with grindcore and death metal thrown in. Their EP Γ (Gamma) just dropped February 6, 2026 as part 2 of a planned trilogy, ¥ (Yen) came first in 2020. Gamma is five tracks of complex, chaotic rhythms that shift constantly, blending hardcore intensity with jazz-influenced experimental detours. Saxophone and charango show up to make things weirder. Short, brutal, and unpredictable.

FFO: Pupil Slicer, Daughters, SeeYouSpaceCowboy

Sealer - Self Titled

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify

Sealer is a new band from Cincinnati, OH that play hardcore-adjacent noise punk with an experimental edge. Their self-titled debut dropped January 30, 2026 via The Ghost Is Clear Records, and has six songs pairing the queasy unease of noise rock with blasting hardcore. The members met as teenagers playing in different bands, then spent 20 years in projects like White Walls, RIVE, Fourth Wife, and Hissing Tiles before finally working together on this.

FFO:  Chat Pile, KEN Mode, Couch Slut

And if you're around Cincy, their record release show is April 18th 

Unyth - Fatal Exception Error

Unyth out of Charlotte play grindnoise and powerviolence with a harsh noise edge that doesn't mess around. Their new 4-track album Fatal Exception Error came out early on Bandcamp and clocks in at just under 4 minutes total—three tracks under 32 seconds and one 3-minute closer called "Faceless Hivemind." It's the same brutal noisegrind they've been doing since Scolding Visions in 2023. Short, aggressive, unpolished in the best way.

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify 

FFO: Full Of Hell, ACxDC, Mellow Harsher

Lord Elephant - Ultra Soul

 

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

Lord Elephant are an instrumental psych/stoner/doom trio out of Florence, Italy, and they've been around 2016. No vocals, no gimmicks, just three guys making heavy, sprawling rock on Heavy Psych Sounds. Ultra Soul is their second album, came out January 30th, and it has seven tracks with over 48 minutes of blues, doom, and sludge all smashed together.

FFO: Earthless, Karma to Burn, Elephant Tree 

Idyll - Voyeur

 

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

Idyll are a four-piece hardcore band out of Lüdenscheid, Germany, and they've been putting out solid stuff since their first demos back in 2020. They share members with the post-hardcore band Akela from the same city. They sit somewhere in the hardcore /s creamo space, though the band themselves seem to shrug at labels. Their Instagram bio just says "probably post-hardcore." Their newest release, Voyeur, dropped in August 2025 as a five-track EP, though it just showed up on Bandcamp.

FFO:  State Faults, Massa Nera, Respire, Raein

suffer//erase - Sullen Trails

Massachusetts hardcore band suffer//erase have been quietly grinding away with a raw, no-frills sound that feels more like a basement show than a studio product. Featuring members of Boxcutter Facelift, BastardCurse, Fixture, and more, their songs are short, ugly, and direct, pulling from hardcore, d-beat, and grind without dressing any of it up. Sullen Trails dropped on January 30, 2026, and showcases a tight collection of short, pounding tracks like “Dreadful Teeth” and “Violent Mind,” serving up six blows of unfiltered hardcore chaos.

FFO: Wound Man, Year of the Knife, End, Full Of Hell 

RECVRSE - SUFFER & REMEMBER

RECVRSE are a two-piece out of Los Angeles playing hardcore/crust/skramz, and they only put out their first demo last October. SUFFER & REMEMBER is their debut LP, eight tracks dropped January 29th, and it moves fast, Politically blunt lyrics over a record that doesn't waste a second. All the money from it goes to SFV Mutual Aid, which tells you everything you need to know about where these guys are coming from.

FFO: Frail Body, Ohyda, Shin Guard

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify 

Emanating Peace - S/T EP

Sometimes, just sometimes, good things DO happen here. Emanating Peace is a Cincinnati/Northern KY based sludge/hardcore band that is relatively new with a lot of members that are literally a stone's throw from me. This simultaneously makes me so happy, because I fucking love it, but I'm also a little pissed at myself because I didn't put together a band like this myself. Still time I guess. This Self Titled EP has got pretty much everything I look for in bands these days: Generally mid-tempo to fast hardcore drumming, not a billion fucking blast beats constantly. As a bass player in most of my previous bands, I really appreciate actually being able to hear the thud of the bass here. Guitars are nasty with what sounds like some Boss HM-2 pedals in the mix, and the vocals are super aggressive without being a screaming mess of noise. All of this combines to make a near-perfect, groove-laden, heavy as fuck, angry 6-song, 6-minute release. I only wish there were more tracks, but hopefully more are on the way. I still cant believe these dudes are in my backyard, can't wait to see them live, which I'll be doing soon in March. Check this out for sure.

FFO: Cursed, Nails, Cult Leader, Sect, The Swarm

YOUTUBE & GRAB THE PHYSICAL CD AT GOLD DUST RECORDS

DEATH CULT - Self Titled

 Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

Death Cult is a hardcore and sludge metal band from Limoges, France. The band formed in 2015 and the members have previous history in the French underground scene, specifically in the band Purgatory. The group recently released their debut full-length record, a self-titled album. This follows their previous work, the Eternal Treblinka EP and the single "The Void." The new release features a heavy, slow-tempo sound with themes focused on social and environmental collapse.

FFO:  Primitive Man, Celeste, Cowards

Skives - The Future Is Ours To Take

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify

Skives is a crust-punk band based in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The group formed from the remnants of several other hardcore and punk bands, including Controller and Take Shelter. The band recently released their latest project, titled The Future Is Ours To Take. The record maintains the band's focus on aggressive sound and social themes, specifically highlighting animal liberation. The cover art for the release was created by the band's bassist, Doug, and incorporates imagery related to the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). Musically, the release continues their established style of fast-paced, political punk.

FFO:  Tragedy, His Hero Is Gone, From Ashes Rise

Sator - The Dying Light

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

From their Bandcamp: Psychedelic sludge heaviness never stops. SATOR are back once again with their new record “The Dying Light”. Born out of the creativity and the heaviness of the first four records and of the experimental vibe of the splits with Evil Cosby and celebrated dutch experimentators Gnaw Their Tongues, this chapter goes even more back to basics after a crucial step such as 2022’s “The Cleansing Ritual”.

The Dying Light is a dark album but a bit different from what Sator has offered us so far. This time hardcore blends with psychedelic melodies and powerful sludge/metal riffs, with frenetic accelerations and abrupt stops, creating an album that embraces and explores new sounds, taking you into a dark new dimension of volume, anger, and desperation. 

The trio has recently welcomed a new drummer, Gelso from experimental post-doom act Ainu and after the release of “The Dying Light” the band, stronger than ever, is ready to play live again throughout Italy and Europe bringing their heaviness on every possible stage.

FFO:  Fange, Celeste, Hexis, Light Bearer

No Shelter. - Remission/Resolve

Facebook - Bandcamp - Spotify

No Shelter. is another band that I missed last year. This record is fucking great. Oozing with Swedish Death Metal vibes complete with the buzzsaw guitar via Boss HM-2 pedals. There's even an Entombed cover. Perfection. Oh and they are German. Chef's kiss.

FFO: Trap Them, Nails, Trash Talk, Entombed  

Gnawing - Death Absurd

I meant to post about this band last year, someone mentioned it in the chat and it just fell through the Cracks. From what I can tell, Gnawing is a solo project out of the Philippines, and I am so impressed. As someone who wishes to someday create some music at home myself, I can't believe the level of quality here. Everything this dude, or chick, or whatever does, is great, but this Death Absurd release is fantastic. Please enjoy.

FFO: Sick/Tired, Woundvac, Water Torture, Trap Them

Synthwave Friday

 

Devil City Cult - Murderous Retribution

Instagram - Facebook  - Bandcamp - Spotify

Madrid’s Devil City Cult has unleashed a raw, uncompromising torrent of sound with their latest release, Murderous Retribution. It's a definitive statement of purpose from a band fully entrenched in the darker, more aggressive corners of European hardcore. A relentless volley of thick, down-tuned riffs, pulverizing breakdowns, and a vocal performance that sounds less like singing and more like a primal roar ripped from the throat.

FFO: Scalp, Malevolence, Gates To Hell, Young And In The Way

Chevalier // Bowie SPLIT

The Chevalier // Bowie split from December plays like two distinct approaches meeting on neutral ground. Chevalier’s side is sharp and to‑the‑point, built on tight structures and a sense of urgency that never drifts. Bowie answer with something heavier and more deliberate, leaning into repetition and weight rather than speed. The contrast gives the split a steady push‑and‑pull without feeling forced. It’s a brief release, but both bands make their case clearly and without excess.

FFO: Geld, Primitive Blast, Frail Body, Jeromes Dream

Cruel Act - Cruel World

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify

Albuquerque’s Cruel Act doesn't care about being catchy or comfortable. Their latest EP, Cruel World, is a jagged slab of metallic hardcore that feels like it was recorded in a basement filled with broken glass. Moving past the more straightforward energy of their earlier demos, this release embraces a dissonant, "anti-melody" approach where the drums sound like a construction site and the vocals are a hoarse, desperate roar. It’s a hateful, high-tension record that positions them as the most hostile band currently coming out of the Southwest.

FFO: Cult Leader, The Acacia Strain, Wound Man, Sanction

Painfield - Piracy

San Francisco’s Painfield has emerged as a powerhouse in the Bay Area underground, delivering a sound that feels like a high-speed collision between heavy groove and modern metallic hardcore. Their latest drop, Piracy, is a relentless, no-frills assault that trades polished production for a gritty, basement-show authenticity. The record is driven by thick, low-tuned riffs and a percussive battery that feels designed to rattle the walls of a dive bar. With a vocal delivery that is both snarling and rhythmic, Piracy captures a specific brand of Northern California urban tension—raw, unpolished, and fiercely independent.

FFO:  Jesus Piece, Shattered Realm, Gouge Away, Punch

LOCUSTS - LAPSUS AB INFERNO

Instagram - Bandcamp

Locusts operate out of England with a brand of hardcore that feels tense, cold, and tightly coiled, like every song is seconds from snapping. Their approach leans on sharp pacing and a bleak undercurrent that never fully lets up. LAPSUS AB INFERNO, their newest release, pushes that atmosphere into something heavier and more deliberate. The record moves with a grim steadiness, each track stacking pressure rather than chasing speed.

FFO:  Svalbard, Guilt Trip, Drain

MONOCRUST - SELF DESTRUCT

Instagram - Bandcamp

MONOCRUST erupt out of Bali with a harsh, metallic strain of hardcore that feels built from rust, concrete, and pure velocity. Their sound leans into d‑beat grit and crust‑punk abrasion. SELF DESTRUCT, their newest release, is the band at their most volatile. The record detonates in short, punishing bursts, all with scorched‑earth intent.

FFO:  Disfear, Martyrdöd, Wolfbrigade, From Ashes Rise

HOBO TOYZ & HOBO ZONE

 

So here's the news I was talking about. A buddy of mine has a line of toys and a quarterly magazine and I'll be contributing a music recommendation page to the magazine called Jerm's Heavy. The 4th edition comes out soon but it will be the first for me. These magazines are full of art, toys, interviews, and short stories from contributors all over the globe. I can say I've seen the 1st 3 editions and there's some amazing stuff in there. Things I think a lot of you around here will appreciate. John is a talented dude and has assembled many other talented folk (not necessarily me, unless having exquisite music taste is a talent (hint: it is)) to be featured in these magazines. These are high quality and seriously amazing. I'm also including several pics of toys he makes and has made. Seriously, he's a talented dude. 

   

Some words form John about the magazine-

    "Features art, toys, drawings, paintings, short stories, music and movie reviews, artist pinups and interviews. It's mainly just a bunch of shit I think is awesome and i wanted a place to be able to see this stuff without staring at a screen. I'm really burnt out on the internet and wanted to bring back some physical media. At the end of the day, the internet isn't real. Your power goes out your art disappears with it. Physical media is a tangible thing that isn't going anywhere."

   

      



                                    

The above is probably my favorite possession (pun intended). It's no secret I love Danzig. That logo sucked me in  about 35 years ago. It's actually bigger than it looks in this pic. Almost a foot across and 7" tall. I have it hanging from the ceiling above my record shelves. This is one of John's creations that my wife had him make for me last Christmas. Couldn't have asked for it to come out any better. I love this fucking thing. 

Visit Hobo Toyz here Instagram and here Big Cartel

Nine Necks - Ritual & Demise

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify

LA’s own Nine Necks have shed their skin, trading the melodic leanings of their past for a jagged, confrontational sound that feels like a live wire. Their newest EP, Ritual & Demise, serves as the definitive introduction to this intensified era, marked by a shift into far more venomous and "violence-forward" territory. It pulses with a chaotic friction reminiscent of early mathcore legends, yet it remains anchored by a modern, heavy-set weight.

FFO: Ken Mode, Botch, Mouthbreather, Pupil Slicer

Plague Thirteen - ERODED

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp

Belgium’s Plague Thirteen emerges from the gloom with a sound that perfectly captures a sense of impending collapse. While their roots are firmly planted in the soil of traditional neocrust, they weave in somber melodies and sprawling arrangements that elevate them beyond simple genre tropes. Their latest offering, Eroded, serves as a bleak exploration of decay and the slow wearing away of the human spirit. The record masterfully balances d-beat velocity with suffocating, sludge-heavy passages, creating a landscape that feels both vast and claustrophobic.

FFO:  Rise And Fall, Amenra, Tragedy, Fall of Efrafa

Smearing - Acts Of Service

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify 

Seattle's own hardcore heavyweights, Smearing, have carved a niche with their relentless energy and uncompromising sound. Known for their furious live shows and politically charged lyrics, they consistently deliver a sonic assault. Their latest release, "Acts Of Service," is no exception, showcasing a more refined yet equally brutal approach to their signature style. This album dives deep into themes of mutual support and community resilience

FFO: WVRM, Regional Justice Center, Cult Leader