Best of 2017

2017 was an awesome year for hardcore. There have been tons of great releases, so much so that I've had to make some hard choices to come up with a top 10. 'Thankfully' I haven't had a chance yet to listen properly to a bunch of obvious yearlist contenders like the new Converge, Amenra, Integrity or Sect records... So that made this list a little bit easier... But in the end I had to make some hard choices. And I decided to stop mulling over which releases to drop once I narrowed down the list to 15...

I'm sure I missed a ton of awesome releases, so please leave a comment with your top picks! I love checking out new records even if I mostly blog about 90s hardcore.

So, my top 15 records of 2017, in alphabetical order:

Body Count - Bloodlust
The video (and lyrics!) for 'No Lives Matter' already promised a lot, and Ice-T, Ernie C and co delivered. To say this album exceeded my expectations is putting it mildly. BC ... BC ... BC ...


Break Through - The Seventh Circle Of Hell
Crushing Disembodied-inspired metalcore from Tasmania. Yep.


xDevourx - Defiant Until The End
Uncompromising XXXedgeXXX metal from Belgium.


Drawing Last Breath - Final Sacrifice
Florida edge metal. I think that says it all...


Ecostrike - Time Is Now
Vegan straight edge hardcore from Florida that sounds more like Strife or Outspoken than Morning Again.


Get The Shot - Infinite Punishment
Their previous album 'No Peace In Hell' made my top 10 of 2014 list, and this one does it again. If you like up-tempo thrashy metalcore that brings the mosh, this is for you.


Grasp - Under The Grief
Late 90s/early 00s metalcore done by kids from the Crimea peninsula.


Higher Power - Soul Structure
This band from Leeds, UK keep going from strength to strength. Imagine what Leeway might've sounded like had they kept going after 'Adult Crash' and 'Open Mouth Kiss'.


Malevolence - Self Supremacy
Sheffield, UK's hardest. Sick metalcore meets beatdown with plenty of groove, this shit is addictive.


Mindforce - The Future Of...
Excellent followup to their 2016 demo. Crossover hardcore from Poughkeepsie, NY that brings back the early 90s.


Mourning demo
A two-man project from the UK, this kicks serious ass. The small hints of old Kickback certainly don't hurt!


Pulse - The Light Is Calling My Way
After seeing them several times over the years at shows in Belgium, I'm glad this EP shows the major potential this band has. Overcast worshipping done right. 'Bloodstains' might be my fave song of 2017, it's seriously amazing.


xReignx demo
Blistering and militant vegan sXe hardcore from San Diego. Fuck yeah!


Soulground - Life Ends
Awesome heavy riffing hardcore from Berlin, Germany.


Thoughts Of Ionesco - Skar Cymbals
TOI are back and they're still a one-of-a-kind band. Uncomparable and unique, suffice it to say, TOI still sounds like TOI.

Heidnik - Nothing CD

Today's post is a slight departure from the usual posts. One of my Instagram buddies, Lada, contacted me about Heidnik's Nothing CD, which was released on Too Damn Hype in 2002. Unfortunately I don't have it. But when he managed to acquire it, he ripped it for me so I could share it on here, so here it is.

Heidnik were a metallic hardcore band from Philadelphia, PA, and they combined the chaotic metalcore sound of the early 00s with a tougher and heavier edge. Good stuff for sure, a bit like a more chaotic All Else Failed, but fairly underrated. During their 4 year run they managed to do a couple of releases including this CD. Their stuff is pretty hard to come by these days it seems, so I'm happy Lada was kind enough to share it with me, and OnexPath. Merci beaucoup, mon ami!

Members of Heidnik moved on to band such as Dead In The Face and Eaten Alive. Guitarist Max Moya died unexpectedly a couple of months ago, which also signaled the end of Eaten Alive. All proceeds of their new album will go to Max's family, so if you feel like supporting them, please check here. RIP.

Update: Lada also sent me scans of the CD. Awesome!

Heidnik - Nothing CD & scans

Planet Freek - Payback E.P. demo

If you're ever in Brussels, Belgium, make sure to visit Electrocution, a small record store in the center of Brussels owned by Kirby (Deviate, Length Of Time, Arkangel). I was in Brussels this past weekend and as usual dropped in for a quick browse, and walked out with a bunch of old demo tapes. Including this Planet Freek demo from 1995. I had seen their name on a few NYHC flyers from back in the day (including a couple that Rick Ta Life sent me in the mid 90s) but never heard anything by them, and had all but forgotten about them... So obviously finding this demo was a nice surprise!

In any case, Planet Freek were a hardcore band from Long Island, NY who were around for about 4-5 years but I don't have a clue if they recorded anything else besides this 'Payback E.P.' demo. This demo is a solid slice of heavy metallic NYHC with 'Tragic Fool' as my fave from this demo. Not sure about closing track 'Walk Away' which is more on the punk-ish side, but overall I really enjoy this demo. If anybody has more information about Planet Freek, please leave a comment!

Planet Freek - Payback E.P. demo