New blood: Carried Away

I love it when hardcore bands write me about their music. It is always great to discover new bands, whether they're up my alley or not. Hardcore lives, and that's all that matters. In the case of Carried Away from Bucks County, PA, I have no problem endorsing them. Great modern hardcore that doesn't really have the tough PAHC sound, but instead their sound includes a range of influences making their sound quite varied. Their 'Common Case' demo has the metallic heaviness of 'Unabashed' as well the more melodic and old school sound of 'Memories', and everything in between. Good stuff!

Instigate - Darkside Forces 7"

Instigate was a short-lived metalcore band from the French-speaking part of Belgium, Wallonia... Unfortunately for them, and almost all bands from Wallonia, their region never got as much attention and recognition as the Flemish and Brussels scenes. Which is a shame, Instigate had a great sound that fit in well with the metallic hardcore that was played all over Belgium at the time, with some really strong vocals that went from hardcore screams to almost Kickback-like vocals. If you have any sort of affinity with the Belgian metalcore scenes like the H8000 or Brussels bands, you might be pleasantly surprised by Instigate. Instigate's 'Darkside Forces' 7" is their only release I know of. It was released in 1999 on Hell Child Records, itself a small local label. Do check it out, this is a really solid 7".

Instigate - Darkside Forces 7"