Here we go with the next installment of bands that are new(ish) to me. I would assume a lot of you guys already know who JOY is, but I just heard them for the first time late last year after Spotify "suggested" them to me. Instead of giving me something I've heard a million times before, it actually gave me this fucking amazing band. Unfortunately they called it quits in April of 2022, which really sucks. But, they did leave us with 3 killer releases, see below. Anyway, Joy was a 4-piece hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina and began in 2015. Similar to other North Carolina bands like Funeral Chic and Young And In The Way, Joy produced a crushing, catchy, blackened brand of hardcore which is right up my alley. This is basically a perfect band for me sonically, I'm super bummed they aren't together anymore. Three of the four members did start a new band in 2023 called Natural End and they have a free EP up on Bandcamp (also below), but unfortunately it's just not for me. They are more of a typical 80's hardcore punk style, with none of the dark magic of JOY. Oh well.
If anyone has any good recommendations or know of any other bands in the vein of Joy, let me know.
