Drain

Drain are a four-piece hardcore/crossover band from Santa Cruz, California that began in 2015. Following two EP's, they put out their debut full-length in 2020, which was easily one of the greatest hardcore albums to come out that year. I don't know why I never got around to sharing it then, but here we are two years later, and California Cursed still fucking rips. No band has ever been able to make crossover thrash sound this fun and in the sun, and I cannot recommend checking this out and turning it way up enough. This band has got a great future ahead, and with them now signed to Epitaph, hopefully we'll be getting a follow-up sometime in the new year. They've also got an insane energy live (based on videos), so if you get the chance to see them, go. Enjoy.

Over Thinking (2016)

1. Eighty-Sixed

2. Trapped In My Head

3. Sewn Shut

4. Today Is Mine

5. Couldn't Care Less

6. Tension

Time Enough At Last (2017)

1. The Dean Slam

2. Red Room Blues

3. Don't Believe The Hype

4. The Other Side Of Paradise

California Cursed (2020)

1. Feel The Pressure

2. Hyper Vigilance

3. Sick One

4. Army Of One

5. Character Fraud

6. Hollister Daydream

7. White Coat Syndrome

8. The Process Of Weeding Out

9. Bad Faith

10. California Cursed

Watch You Burn (2021)

1. Watch You Burn

Living Proof (2023)

1. Run Your Luck

2. FTS (KYS)

3. Devil's Itch

4. Evil Finds Light

5. Imposter

6. Intermission (feat. Shakewell)

7. Weight of the World

8. Watch You Burn

9. Good Good Things

10. Living Proof

...Is Your Friend (2025)

1. Stealing Happiness From Tomorrow

2. Living in a Memory

3. Scared of Everything and Nothing

4. Nothing but Love

5. Can’t Be Bothered

6. Loudest in the Room

7. Nights Like These

8. Who’s Having Fun?

9. Darkest Days

10. Until Next Time...

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Mindforce

Mindforce are a four-piece hardcore band from Poughkeepsie, New York that have been around since 2016. Following up their absolutely fantastic debut full-length Excalibur in 2018, Mindforce are back baby, with their sophomore release New Lords. It was put out by Triple B Records, as has most of their records. Once again this label proves why they are one of the finest tastemakers in hardcore, as Mindforce are easily one of the best crossover bands currently kicking, and their newest album is a dropkick testament to that. Heavy, chugging guitars, squealing lead breaks and a ton of gang chants are all omnipresent here, and though it may not be reinventing the wheel, it sure as shit is fine tuning it. Enjoy.

2016 Demo (2016)

1. Moments That Define

2. Chroniker

3. Untitled

4. The Fulcrum

5. Gauntlet

The Future Of... (2017)

1. The Future Of...

2. They Just Want War

3. Storm About To Burst

4. Golden Age

5. Run And Tell Them

Mindforce/Dead Heat (2018)

1. Mindforce - Firestarter

2. Mindforce - Another Lost Piece

3. Mindforce - Civilization's Lie

4. Dead Heat - Pay The Toll

5. Dead Heat - True Blue

6. Dead Heat - World So Cold

Excalibur (2018)

1. Destroyer

2. Senseless Act

3. Nightmare

4. Fangs Of Time

5. Excalibur

6. Put You Down

7. Won't Be Denied

8. Smother My Foes

9. Bestseller

10. Fades Away

Live On Axe To Grind (2019)

1. Slay An Intruder (Live On Axe To Grind)

2. My Rage (Live On Axe To Grind)

3. Smother My Foes (Live On Axe To Grind)

4. Fangs Of Time (Live On Axe To Grind)

5. Destroyer (Live On Axe To Grind)

6. Senseless Act (Live On Axe To Grind)

7. Excalibur (Live On Axe To Grind)

Swingin' Swords, Choppin' Lords (2020)

1. Swingin' Swords, Choppin' Lords

2. Fratello

3. Hope Dies In The City

4. Hellscape

Reign Of Terror (2020)

1. Reign Of Terror

New Lords (2022)

1. New Lords

2. Survival Is Vengeance

3. Worlds Fail

4. All Facts

5. Thirteen & Mean

6. Oucasts Of The Empire

7. When Instant Karma Lasts

8. Goliath & The Runt

9. Street Slayer

10. Rotten

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This Is Hell

This Is Hell are a five-piece hardcore band from Long Island, New York that began in 2004. Since then, they've released five full-length albums, on top of a slew of other releases and some extensive touring. They've made a name for themselves with their distinct blend of crossover thrash and melodic hardcore elements, with chugging guitars that snap between thick and heavy to open and fully-realized. Topped by vocalist Travis Reilly's distinct delivery, the band has managed to make some of hardcore's most passionate music in the past two decades or so. If you're new to this band, there is a fair amount of material to sink your teeth into, though I think their debut full-length Sundowning is probably their best material and most effective entry point. Black Mass is also fantastic, but their first-album is their most reverred for good reason. To make a comparison to similar bands of this era, it's like Modern Life Is War's Witness or Verse's Aggression. I mean that in the sense that all these bands were incredibly consistent with fantastic material, but one album usually sticks out as the benchmark for the rest of their career, or even for hardcore in its era. And without a doubt, Sundowning deserves to be heralded as a benchmark of its era. Enjoy.

Demo (2004)

1. Wreck Your Life

2. Heaven Sent, Hellbound

3. Double Grave

4. Dearest Midge

This Is Hell (2005)

1. Dead Salutes

2. Heaven Sent, Hellbound

3. Diamond Lanterns

4. Moving Targets

5. Ad Infinitum

6. When Death Closes Your Eyes

Sundowning (2006)

1. Retrospect

2. Prelude (Again)

3. Here Comes The Rains

4. Permanence

5. 4.8.05

6. The Polygraph Cheaters

7. Deliver Me

8. The Absentee Ballot

9. Broken Teeth

10. 8.27.05

11. Procession Commence

12. Nobody Leaves Without Singing The Blues

13. Epilogue

This Is Hell/Cancer Bats (2007)

1. This Is Hell - Another Facade

2. This Is Hell - Shillelagh (Cancer Bats cover)

3. Cancer Bats - Let It Pour

4. Cancer Bats - Diamond Lanterns (This Is Hell cover)

Cripplers (2007)

1. Infected

2. Do Something

3. Fight For Your Right

4. Another Facade

5. Double Grave

6. I Hope You Die Soon

Misfortunes (2008)

1. Reckless

2. Infected

3. Disciples

4. In Shambles

5. Realization; Remorse

6. Without Closure

7. Remnants

8. Resuscitate

9. Fearless Vampires

10. You Are The Antithesis

11. End Of An Era

12. Memoirs

13. Last Days Campaign

This Is Hell/Nightmare Of You (2008)

1. This Is Hell - Built Upon Grief

2. This Is Hell - Cement Shoes

3. Nightmare Of You - You Don't Have To Tell Me I Was Terrible Man 

4. Nighmare Of You - Dopesick Couples

Warbirds (2009)

1. The Search

2. Warbirds

3. Worship Syndrome

4. Crazy But Not Insane (Warzone cover)

5. Never Tear Us Apart (INXS cover)

Weight Of The World (2010)

1. No One Leaves Unscathed

2. The Night The Line Was Crossed

3. Out Come The Bastards

4. Bloodlines

5. Eagle Of Justice

6. Death Of World Class

7. The Search

8. Forever Discontent

9. Shadows

10. Destroyer

11. Worship Syndrome

12. Fall And Rise

13. Snake Eyes

Rat Race (2010)

1. Rat Race

Black Mass (2011)

1. Acid Rain

2. Black History

3. Salt The Earth

4. Black Mass

5. The Wars: Pt. I

6. Mi Nombre

7. The Last Outlaw

8. Demons

9. The Reckoning

10. The Wars: Pt. II

The Enforcer (2013)

1. The Enforcer

2. Walking Abominations

3. Flag Of The Serpent

4. Whiplash

Bastards Still Remain (2016)

1. Bastards Still Remain

2. Excuses Pile Up

3. Space Mountain

4. You Think I Don't Know

5. In The Name Of...

6. Anarchy On Atlantic

7. Among Us All

8. Never Will It Stop

9. Absolute Power Corrupts

10. This Is Hell

11. Retaliate

12. No Martyr

Compilation/Cover Songs

Show You No Mercy (Cro-Mags cover) [2008]

Troy's Bucket (Kid Dynamite cover) [2009]

Rise (Pantera cover) [2009]

Dawn Patrol (Megadeth cover) [2011]

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Power Trip

Power Trip are a five-piece hardcore/thrash metal crossover band from Dallas, Texas that have been killing it since 2008. These guys fucking rip, playing intense, crushing, pummeling, chugging, aggressive music. If you want your ears to bleed, face to melt, and head to explode, you're looking in the right place. They cite their influences being Motörhead, Sepultra, Cro-Mags, Nuclear Assault, Bad Brains, Discharge, Exodus, Anti-Cimex, Venom, Vio-lence, Possessed, and Devastation (TX), which should give you a good indication of how badass these guys are. Enjoy.

Demo 2008 (2008)

1. Questions

2. This World

3. Acid Trip

4. Untitled

5. Vultures

Armageddon Blues (2009)

1. Armageddon Blues

2. Lake Of Fire

3. The Evil Beast

4. Acid

5. Questions

6.Vultures

America's Hardcore (2010)

12. Hammer Of Doubt

Power Trip (2011)

1. Divine Apprehension

2. Suffer No Fool

3. Brainwave (Prong)

Manifest Decimation (2013)

1. Manifest Decimation

2. Heretics Fork 

3. Conditioned To Death

4. Murderers Row

5. Crossbreaker

6. Drown

7. Power Trip

8. Hammer Of Doubt 

Integrity/Power Trip (2016)

1. Integrity - We Are The End

2. Integrity - Beneath Black Flames We Ride

3. Integrity - Her Eyes Filled With Stars

4. Power Trip - Divine Apprehension

5. Power Trip -  Suffer No Fool

Nightmare Logic (2017)

1. Soul Sacrifice

2. Executioner's Tax (Swing of The Axe)

3. Firing Squad

4. Nightmare Logic

5. Waiting Around To Die

6. Ruination

7. If Not Us Then Who

8. Crucifixation

Opening Fire: 2008-2014 (2018)

1. Divine Apprehension

2. Suffer No Fool

3. Brainwave (Prong cover)

4. This World (2014)

5. Hammer of Doubt (2010)

6. Armageddon Blues

7. Lake Of Fire

8. The Evil Beat

9. Acid

10. Questions

11. Vultures

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