[engl] Hurtling along at the speed of global rage, and merging the best of crossover metal and hardcore from ‘80s Japan, Sweden and UK, Tempter brings a new voice to a legendary sound. It should come as no surprise that the group is comprised of hardcore veterans whose collective pedigree includes bands such as Candy, Division of Mind, Nosebleed, Ekulu and more. Standouts “Sacricide” and “Pestilence,” built on pulverizing riffs and apocalyptic solos, bookend the S/T EP while “Uniformed Madness” and “Night Terror” barrel toward impending doom with the speed of a buzzsaw. Mixed by Fucked Up’s Jonah Falco, the production distills crushing noise and acidic atmospheres and provides a fitting backdrop for vocalist Valentina Lopez’s showstopping and varied performance. “La Lluvia,” with its use of samples and layers of synths, dances around spoken word sections that read out a poem of the same name by Roberto Bolaño, one of Chile’s greatest writers: “ahora puedes llorar y dejar que tu imagen se diluya En los parabrisas de los coches estacionados a lo largo Del paseo marítimo. Pero no puedes perderte.” “Right now you can cry and let your image dissolve on the windshields of cars parked along the boardwalk. But you can’t lose yourself.” Bolaño’s work fits perfectly with the biting satirical punk mood that Lopez exudes with every breath. He often questioned the privilege of making art while the junta would torture people in basements. Hardcore, punk and metal often presents itself as a political act more than music, whether in its DIY ethic or protest lyrics. However, perhaps we find it too easy to fall into its angry embrace and eat each other alive whilst the world outside continues to fall. This music makes hell on earth a little bit more bearable, but ultimately, Bolaño and Lopez call on counterculture music to have meaning and political action.

[engl] Tozcos started in 2013 in Orange County, California and this is their second LP. "Infernal" was based around perception. Perception of ourselves and the world around us. The idea that hell is not so much a place of demons and burning flames but more so a reflection of our shame and insecurities. How a lot of our torment is connected to the perception we have of ourselves. Justified or not. A lot of these feelings come from our background of families being Mexican immigrants in the US. Musically, our influences are simple for the most part. We really love punk from the area that we are from, like Adolescents and TSOL, and we carry that stuff in our blood no matter what band we are in. This is mixed in with our love of Spanish-speaking punk, and other international hardcore punk such as Eskorbuto, GBH, Toreros After Olé, Svart Framtid and Qloaqa Letal. We tend to funnel everything we do through our own creative ideas to end up with something that to us, has personality and can stand out but still feel familiar in the world of punk and hardcore. Somos Tozcos. Esto es Infernal.

[engl] Scorched Earth marks the long awaited debut LP from the UK’s ultimate misfit squad, Vile Spirit. After well loved demo and promo tapes, Scorched Earth marks a major step up in terms of musical landscape and craft as members have sharpened their teeth touring Europe and being active members of the UK hardcore punk scene. Somehow they have managed to sew together influences such as United Mutation, Integrity and Black Metal into a noisy mass of hard as hell tunes with fuzzed out guitars burning your ear drums whilst being punched to death by relentlessly rolling drums excelling at unpredictable rhythmical directions. Meanwhile mid-tempo songs like Going Home march along, snarling in the darkness, creating an atmospheric backdrop for those who prefer to awaken at night. Vocalist Ben summons a cynical view of the world, conjuring tales of the survival of mankind and a contempt for the world. Bursting onto the UK hardcore punk scene three years ago the members have never ceased to play in and create numerous bands such as Saliva, and Chubby and the Gang. They originally formed part of the new generation of Brighton punks re-energising the scene there alongside bands like State Funeral, Never and label mates Imposter, whilst members finished high school or started University. Joining the band on second guitar is Rory O’Neill, singer of Imposter, and responsible for the artwork on Scorched Earth.

[engl] My People...Hold On EP is Zulu’s follow up to 2019’s phenomenal Our Day Will Come and sees Anaiah Lei’s musical prowess and lyrical urgency only grow onwards and upwards. Anaiah wrote and performed most of the tracks, as seen in the debut release. This time however, different voices are given platforms such as on Blackcurrant, where we hear the racist and sexist everyday experience of black women in the form of a striking poem read over a piano accompaniment and magical chimes written and performed by Aleisia Miller. Zulu continue to turn the powerviolence genre upside down, Now They Are Through With Me, sees classic blastbeasts matched with dissonant chord beatdown sections, a hardcore drumming solo and finished with a sample of Eddie Kendricks’ My People Hold On. To say each song is a musical and emotional ride is an understatement and you will find yourself listening repeatedly and noticing different elements each time. Lyrically, songs centre around calling out the hypocrisy of people who are only interested in performative justice and don’t actually do anything to help change things for black people, such as in Do Tha Right Thing (And Stop Frontin’) What's it gonna take What's it gonna be For you to see We're human beings It's up to you And you alone Make that change The frustration is palpable, and as some turn back around after posting a few black squares, Zulu is holding hardcore punk accountable to remind us this struggle is still here and up to all of us, and in times of hopelessness, they call for us to keep up the fight.

[engl] My People...Hold On EP is Zulu’s follow up to 2019’s phenomenal Our Day Will Come and sees Anaiah Lei’s musical prowess and lyrical urgency only grow onwards and upwards. Anaiah wrote and performed most of the tracks, as seen in the debut release. This time however, different voices are given platforms such as on Blackcurrant, where we hear the racist and sexist everyday experience of black women in the form of a striking poem read over a piano accompaniment and magical chimes written and performed by Aleisia Miller. Zulu continue to turn the powerviolence genre upside down, Now They Are Through With Me, sees classic blastbeasts matched with dissonant chord beatdown sections, a hardcore drumming solo and finished with a sample of Eddie Kendricks’ My People Hold On. To say each song is a musical and emotional ride is an understatement and you will find yourself listening repeatedly and noticing different elements each time. Lyrically, songs centre around calling out the hypocrisy of people who are only interested in performative justice and don’t actually do anything to help change things for black people, such as in Do Tha Right Thing (And Stop Frontin’) What's it gonna take What's it gonna be For you to see We're human beings It's up to you And you alone Make that change The frustration is palpable, and as some turn back around after posting a few black squares, Zulu is holding hardcore punk accountable to remind us this struggle is still here and up to all of us, and in times of hopelessness, they call for us to keep up the fight.