Gareth Corrigan-Davies knows a thing or two about hardcore. A longtime staple of the Birmingham, UK scene, the guitarist is currently laying down the law in Cruelty, a band in the vein of Chokehold, All Out War, and Integrity. Cruelty recently dropped their debut demo, recorded merely two months after the group formed.
I've noticed many of the site's readers appreciate scene-specific lists, so I asked Gareth if he could recommend some other hardcore-minded bands from in and around Birmingham.
Drawn In
Thrashy hardcore perennials. Just come back with the heavy as fuck Worldwide Genocide EP after some time out. Best Wishes-Cro-Mags with shredding breakdowns. Instrumentally these guys put together the best tracks around in UKHC right now.
Splintered
Splintered's Social Unrest EP absolutely slays. Grinding metallic hardcore for the purists. Think Slayer meets Incendiary. Birmingham needs this sort of band given its heavy metal heritage.
Stranded
Stranded have blown up recently. For such a young band, they’re doing great stuff, and I can’t wait to hear how they push on. I saw an absolutely pummelling set of their's supporting Madball recently. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
Harbinger
Not strictly a Birmingham band, but the guys involved have been in and around the scene for years. I’m not a massive fan of the term "tech-metal," so i’ll describe it as full-force riffing. The chops these guys have are incredible and it’s backed up by destructive vocals and an actual sense of songwriting. They’ve just put out a record on Basick Records which I love. Think Black Dahlia Murder but replacing the pomp with Winds of Creation Decapitated ability.
Darkmouth
Straight to the jugular sludgy hardcore. Would have been perfect on Victory Style 1/2. No messing around here and perfect to kick your friend’s in the head to.
***
Check out Cruelty's new demo on their Bandcamp page, and if you're on Facebook, the dudes are as well.
Tagged: uk hardcore
