With the year coming to a close, I wanted to put together a featured list of some of the best hardcore demos to come out in 2024. As always, I'm sure I'll look back at this piece in a week or so and realize I forgot something, but that's the life of a music geek.
Cheers!
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AG-3
(Norway)
AG-3's maiden release could have landed on my list based on its bass tone alone. It's a gnarly sound that overpowers the rest of the recording yet gives it a mangled charm that works perfectly.
The songs keep up quickened tempos and Leah's vocals are shouted with enough gruff to match Jelle's aformentioned putrid bass attack.
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Blockade
(USA)
This Tampa, Florida band proudly waves the straight edge flag with 5 tracks that bring to mind the pissed-off spirit of Judge and Floorpunch. They even cover the latter via a ripping take on the NJHC legends' violent anthem, "Clear."
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Cannonball
(UK)
"I would 100% say the vibe we are going for is early '00s Lockin' Out," Cannonball vocalist Dannii told me when I profiled the band on No Echo over the summer. It's easy to hear that influence when you listen to their demo in its swing and attitude.
Oh, it's also cool to hear short guitar solos in this lane of hardcore!
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Chemical Threat
(Germany)
They named their band after an 86 Mentality song, so you know the folks in Chemical Threat have good taste before you even press play. This is a full-on skinhead hardcore punk gem that is backed by STTW Records, a German label that consistently drops heaters.
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Desist
(USA)
Sacramento outfit blesses us with classic-sounding power violence that could have come out during the era of Spazz and C.R. The members also play in such bands as Mescaline Maniacs, Bolo, and Malandro, so not sure if Desist is merely a side project, but I do hope there's more stuff coming from them in 2025.
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Dismissed
(USA)
I fell in love with Dismissed's demo soon after it came out, leading to an interview with vocalist Nick on No Echo in October. "I would describe our sound as Agnostic Front opening for Obituary on the '92 tour," he said at the time, and it's gotta be one of the best quotes to appear on the website all year.
Dismissed members live in several states, and have played in bands like Know the Score, Domain, and Live It Down.
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Face the Pain
(USA)
Bringing back that Mindset vibe comes Face the Pain, a band from Philadelphia featuring members of Trapped Under Ice, Magnitude, and Gridron within their ranks.
With so many newer groups leaning into beatdown and metal-influenced styles, it's refreshing to hear faster hardcore still being represented. REACT! Records and Youngblood Records fans take note of Face the Pain!
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Hindsight
(USA)
Speaking of classic-sounding hardcore, Hindsight keeps things driving forward with speedy tempos and tasty breakdown parts. On the NJ/PA-based group's Instagram page, they laid down this apt descriptor for their demo: "FFO early 2000s bands that would have played with Carry On."
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No Exceptions
(Finland)
When I chatted with No Exceptions vocalist Riku on No Echo earlier this year, he hit with this gem: "I would describe our sound as very hostile, fierce, and cavemanish."
It's no surprise the Finnish cites Confront, No Tolerance, and Floorpunch as blueprint bands for their writing style.
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No Idols
(USA)
I had several people text/email/DM a link to this No Idols demo when it came out last spring. It's got a no-nonsense sound that have had people compare them to the likes of Government Warning and Career Suicide, which I can't argue with.
What grabbed me the most about the No Idols demo is the guitar sound, which is bright and punchy, and serves the combo's more singy, punkier moments beautifully.
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One Track Mind
(Canada)
"I would say the most obvious influence would be from the democore-era with Unified Right and Moshers Delight," said One Track Mind bassist P-Lou in a New Hardcore Band Spotlight back in September. The Canadian band's debut offering certainly has that Righteous Jams and Mental flavor in what they're doing.
The One Track Mind demo got a lot of play at No Echo HQ these past few months, so I wanted show them so love on the website again.
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Paradise
(US)
'90s East Coast-style hardcore by way of Austin, Texas, you don't say? Paradise includes musicians who have also been in U.N.I.T, Judiciary, and Breakout, and their penchant for chugging metallic mosh riffs and mid-tempo groove sections is miles ahead of many of the other bands doing that kind of thing today.
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Sudden Demise
(USA)
Like Paradise, Sudden Demise takes me back to my '90s hardcore years, but with arrangements that lock into brisker rhythms. This PAHC crew would have been an ideal fit on the hallowed East Coast Assault compilation back in the day. Sick material, for sure.
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Terminator
(Canada)
"I’d like to think we land somewhere between '80s NYC, '90s Cleveland, and '00s Boston," Terminator guitarist/vocalist Shane Alexander told No Echo contributing writer Zach Butcher back in April. "I like it hard and groove oriented—but we’re not downtuned."
Like Sudden Demise, Hindsight, and Face the Pain above, the Terminator demo was distributed by Rebirth Records, a label owned and operated by Bob Wilson, an important figure in the East Coast Hardcore community who is behind the FYA festival in Florida every year.
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Utility
(USA)
Nothing fancy going on here, just driving hardcore that get down to business well under the 2-minute mark.
Utility was released by the red-hot Fortress Records label and is the brainchild of Matt of Wreckage, a Connecticut hardcore band I'm a big fan of.
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Tagged: ag-3, blockade, cannonball, chemical threat, desist, dismissed, face the pain, hindsight, no exceptions, no idols, one track mind, paradise, sudden demise, terminator, ultility
