Headshot - "Grown to Hate" (2012)

Headshot is a brutal hardcore band from Kortijk in Belgium. This is within what's called the H800 part of Belgium, one of the most legendary and of course hardest hardcore scenes Europe ever had. When the H8000 stamp is thrown, you know you should expect some metallic, beatdown based, groove-ladden hardcore that doesn't fuck around!

And such is the case with Headshot: these guys bring on the H8000 mosh with their urban-styled grooves of harsh reality, nihilistic mentality. This is what we all need: a dose of no no BS, down to reality hardcore music!  Check out these Belgium street kids for some new, underground hardcore that won't disappoint you!

http://www.stereokiller.com/headshoth8000 

Hard Resistance - "Lawless and Disorder" Review (full length, Strength Records)

Getting into European hardcore in the mid/late 90s, it was impossible to miss Hard Resistance. Alongside bands like Right Direction, Backfire!, Brighside, early Discipline and a few others, Hard Resistance pioneered (or perhaps brought in Europe!) the original hardcore sound that stood out from the Oi and hip hop oriented hardcore trends of those times. Well, it is 2012 now and these guys are making a big comeback. They're here to cause some serious havoc and crush your fake attitude with a new record of totally in your face political hardcore. The newly form but already notorious Strength Records (Roger Miret/Onno Cro-Mag) is behind this record, so you know it's gotta be good!

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This whole record is one big surprise; I was pretty fucking astonished to find out how damn FAST Lawless and Disorder is all the way through. I definitely did not expect to be battered with such rapid-fire hardcore blasts, heavy vocals and 100% oldschool attitude. It's like, these guys are back and they're really pissed. Forget about slick metal riffs, don't wait for the 'hardcore anthem' which will sound good at a party. This is just real hardcore for the hard times we're living in. It might be a bit antisocial due to its intended lack of commercial value (no solos / catchy melodic choruses etc), but hey, that's the whole point! Just loud, mean and in yer face!

So, like stated above this record is all go/no slow badass hardcore music, but I also want to add that I feel a definite crust/punk touch. I mean if you played this to a bunch of punks they would surely like it and find common elements with Exploited or other UK82 type stuff. This record would also go down nice for fans of crust hardcore, since it brings this ongoing machine gun attack that makes your ears bleed. But most of all, this record will suit hardcore kids' apetite for fast, pissed off and unprocessed hardcore music. The vocals put the definite hardcore stamp, with a thick and raspy tone that will punish you during the 21:50 min that Lawless & Disorder lasts.

The common theme throught these 12 hardcore songs is a total resentment towards today's political system. Yes, by listening to this record we will feel Hard Resitance's burning political message and we will remember that this world aint no paradise. It's always good to witness bands taking the time and effort to attack this stupid, slave-breeding society we live in. Angst and hate against the system has alays been a part of hardcore/punk, and it must continue till the end! Therefore, Hard Resitance go all out and spit their guts about all the shit that has gone wrong through the capitalist values that have been forced upon everyone in the modern world.

I will recap by saying that this is a true hardcore record that shows how some peope never mellow out. This is the kind of music that makes you want to pick up something heavy and go break some stuff. Hard Reistance back their political message with such ferocious music that you won't doubt these guys for playing the part o anything silly like that. If this band's old school and legendary legacy doesn't convince you, then listening to this new album definitely will. This one's for the real oldschool diehards!

www.hardresistance.be

In Clear Sight - "Fuck Fairytales, this is Reality"

Band: in Clear Sight

Country: Belgium 

Band Website: soundcloud

Label Website: Clenched Fist Records

Metalcore/Deathcore are genres generally viewed upon with much contempt, however, there will ALWAYS be the bands that make the exception to the rule. Personally, as a fan of all things brutal in metal and hardcore, can't find myself to resist bands such as In Clear Sight and their heavy as fuck metallic hardcore.

Withoutout deviating too much from the norms, ICS manage to avoid the ultra-boring cliches of the metalcore genre and go on to create some dark, powerful and devastating music. All you need is here: the pounding drums landing on your head like a ten-ton hammer, the mean NY-flavored riffs, and of course the state of the art brutal beatdowns. The vocalist spits the lyrics in a pretty guttural manner, but there are many other types of vocals (perhaps coming from other band members?) which keep a good balance between the guttural, the street, the death metal and a more hip hop style. In fact, there is quite a bit of dark hip hop imagery going on, not unlike Wu Tan and Jedi Mind Tricks. The production ties everything together in such a way that In Clear Sight is the aural equivalent of a rabid, fighting pitbul barking right in your poor face. Some more metal-oriented elements come to finish things off and put the last nail in the coffin... And if you didn't catch the above reference, this album is perfect for fans of Born From Pain, Walls of Jericho, old Hatebreed etc.

Not all music needs to generate introspection and beautiful feelings - not all music needs to display profoundly high technical abilities; music like In Clear Sight is specifically manufactured in order to do one thing: keep you angry as fuck. If you have a hard day in front of you or something pissed you off real bad, put this band on and you'll remember what I mean. This shit is also perfect for long and exhausting runs, pumping iron, relentless moshing with no reason, and general venting of frustration and hate. If you don't get it, the best thing about this band is that it is fucking frantic, and that is exactly the point most current bands miss these days.

If Clenched Fist Records puts out music like this, I'll make sure to check it again & again!