Droughts

Droughts are a four-piece post-hardcore/emo band from Chicago, Illinois that formed in 2010. Up until this point, all I was really familiar with in regards to this band was their splits, which were with some incredible bands (one with William Bonney, and another with Prawn, Frameworks, and Kittyhawk). Fast-forward to 2017, and they just released a new full-length which I figured I'd check out, and I have to say, it's absolutely fantastic. The odd rhythms, bass-heavy riffs, angular guitars, and screamed/shouted vocals all harken back to a ton of the great post-hardcore bands that came out of the underground punk scene in the 90's. Specifically, their Bandcamp references Shotmaker, an incredible band and perfect point of comparison. It also mentions These Arms Are Snakes, which is another definite clear influence. Victor! Fix The Sun and The Reptilian also come to mind, while we're in the midst of rallying off band names here. Overall, Stay Behind is a highly recommended listen, especially for someone looking for good, modern post-hardcore that still stays true to the genre's roots. Enjoy.

Unmoved (2010)

1. Stillborn

2. No Blood Loss

3. Paper Cut Outs

Droughts/William Bonney (2012)

1. Droughts - Class Of '09

2. Droughts - Body Of Glass

3. William Bonney - The Rapture

4. William Bonney - Red River

5. William Bonney - Robbie Hansen

Kittyhawk/Prawn/Droughts/Frameworks (2014)

1. Kittyhawk - Daily Dodger

2. Kittyhawk - Food Fight

3. Prawn - Nerves

4. Prawn - Laki

5. Droughts - Deaf Grin

6. Droughts - Financed Furniture

7. Frameworks - Presomnal

8. Frameworks - Preamble

All Together (2016)

1. Closer

2. I Wish I Had Your Optimism

3. Stay Behind

4. Deaf Grin

5. Financed Future

6. Class Of '09

7. Body Full Of Glass

8. Stillborn

9. No Blood Loss

10. Paper Cut Outs

Stay Behind (2017)

1. Welcome Back

2. God City

3. Pure Carbon

4. I Wish I Had Your Optimism

5. Marionette

6. Remove Yourself

7. Cutouts

8. Lose Light

9. Mainstay

10. Stay Behind

11. Never Done

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Skeletal Lightning

Boys Life

Boys Life were a four-piece emo/indie band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1993 and broke up in 1997. They briefly reunited in 2015 for a tour behind the reissue of their second full-length (and classic album), Departures and Landfalls. Without a doubt, this band is one of the many beloved bands to come out of 90's indie/emo, and fans of bands like Christie Front Drive, Braid, The Promise Ring, Indian Summer, and Shotmaker will immediately see the appeal here. Boys Life were often melodic, but with some technical, off-kilter tendencies that showed some post-hardcore influence in the mix. They put out two full-lengths, both of which are fantastic. They also released a few 7" singles and splits, most of which I unfortunately don't have. If anyone has anything missing from here, please send 'em my way! Enjoy.

Lister / Without Doubt (1993)

1. Lister

2. Without Doubt

Boys Life/Giants Chair (1995)

1. Boys Life - Worn Thin

2. Giants Chair - Ever Present

Boys Life (1995)

1. Golf Hill Drive

2. Tucked In

3. A Quarter's Worth

4. Without Doubt

5. Lister

6. Breaker Breaker

7. Cloudy and 47

8. Temporary

9. Clay Hill

Christie Front Drive/Boys Life (1995)

1. Christie Front Drive - Instant Romance

2. Christie Front Drive - Bowl

3. Christie Front Drive - Valentine

4. Boys Life - Sight Unseen

5. Boys Life - Homecoming

6. Boys Life - Two Wheeled Train

Departures And Landfalls (1996)

1. Fire Engine Red

2. All Of The Negatives

3. Twenty Four Of Twenty Five

4. Radio Towers

5. Sleeping Off Summer

6. Calendar Year

7. Friends For That

8. Painted Smiles

(Don't Forget To) Breathe (1997)

15. Sight Unseen (Live)

Scapeshift

Scapeshift are a four-piece pop punk/emo band from the great city of Windsor, Ontario. They just released their debut EP, Reasons I Need To Disappear. Fans of early Title Fight, Real Friends, and Pentimento will definitely take interest in this. They blend the high-energy and catchiness of pop punk with the intricate guitar noodling and introspection of emo to create one hell of a solid EP. This is definitely recommended. "Heavily Played" and "You Should Have Left Me At The River" are essentials. Enjoy.

Reasons I Need To Disappear (2017)

1. Near Mint

2. Lead Heart

3. Heavily Played

4. Teardrops And Art Museums

5. Eulogy (Good, Fuck 'em)

6. You Should've Left Me At The River

7. Teardrops and Art Museums (Acoustic Versions)

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Dead Tired

Dead Tired are a five-piece hardcore punk band from Hamilton, Ontario that formed in 2015. They were formed by Alexisonfire vocalist George Petit during the brief time AOF were on hiatus, though Dead Tired continue to be active today. They play straight-up classic hardcore punk, in all its angry and energetic glory. George's vocals are fucking A+ plus, as expected of course. Their self-titled debut is a fantastic album for anyone looking for some straight-up, gritty modern hardcore. Enjoy.

Dead Tired (2015)

1. Court Of Public Opinion

2. All Hands

3. Nativity

4. Dead Tired

5. Hill Of The Poisonous Tree

6. Slow Day

7. Nightmare

8. Punks At The Gym

9. Cold And Construction

10. Awakened

11. Undecided

12. Expansion

Vol. One (2016)

1. The Prowler

2. Can't Shut It Off

3. Music Enthusiast Blues

Vol. Two (2017)

1. Here Comes The Fall

2. Complicated Pleasures

3. Hedonic Adaptation

Full Vol. (2019)

1. Can't Shut It Off

2. The Prowler

3. Exhausting People

4. Hedonic Adaptation

5. Music Enthusiast Blues

6. She's In My Eyes

7. Night Of 100,000 Lies

8. Get On Me

9. White Caps

10. Complicated Pleasures

11. Here Comes The Fall

Satan Will Follow You Home (2022)

1. Predatory Loans

2. Show Me A Sign

3. SWFYH

4. Breakfast Of Participants

5. Vast Lethality

6. Tyrants Palace

7. Creeping Dread

8. New World Pigs

9. Aging Out

10. Domestic

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Blind Girls

Blind Girls are a four-piece screamo band from Gold Coast, Australia that have been around since 2013. They play a fantastic style of screamo that blends the sounds of bands such as Beau Navire and La Quiete. It's aggressive and chaotic, yet still contains some hints of melody and technical prowess. This is highly recommended, and are one of the best modern screamo bands you'll hear. Enjoy.

Solace (2013)

1. Warmth of Love

2. Lament

3. Noose

Efflorescence (2014)

1. Never Now

2. Tomorrow's Design

3. Thorn Trail

4. Efflorescence

5. Cycles of a Last Memory

6. Black

7. Shy Moon's Grey Night

He Who Swallowed the Bloom (2015)

1. Foot in The Way

2. Anathema

3. Spoils of Rip

4. Stratus

5. Rudimentary Fold

6. Years in Grey 

Blind Girls/sans visage (2016)

1. Blind Girls - Sentient

2. Blind Girls - Silhouette Friends

3. Blind Girls - Grey Permanence

4. sans visage - Kyogen

5. sans visage - Sight

Residue (2018)

1. Breaths

2. 3am

3. Loss Forms a Sequence

4. Exertion

5. Visitant

6. The Ghost In My Eye

7. Dormant

8. Cherish

9. Discarded Pictures

10. Nightshade

11. Burial

The Weight Of Everything (2022)

1. Wish

2. Dissociating

3. The Shape of Harm

4. Memorial

5. Marionette

6. Bright Sadness

7. What Happens In Your Sleep

8. Robots Can't Tick Boxes

9. In Circles

10. You Will Learn To Feel Again

11. My Pain Is Not Your Convenience

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Union Of Uranus

Union of Uranus (sometimes just Uranus) were a five-piece hardcore/grindcore band from Ottawa, Ontario that were around from 1993 to 1998 (not 100% sure on the years though). Along with One Eyed God Prophecy and a handful of others, this band was a major influence on screamo, particularly bands like Orchid, June Paik, and others like that. Just listen, the similarities are undeniable. Though the band had a few years of activity, their discography is fairly limited. They released a demo, Backhand, in 1994, which would later be re-released on a split with His Hero Is Gone. They also released a split with Immoral Squad, and a 2x7" titled Disaster By Design. In 2004, a full discography compilation was released, titled To This Bearer of Truth. Grab this now, this is by far one of the most underrated hardcore bands ever. Enjoy.

Union Of Uranus/Immoral Squad (1994)

1. Union Of Uranus - Believer

2. Immoral Squad - Book

3. Immoral Squad - Endless Road

Disaster By Design (1995)

1. Circumstance

2. Face Value

3. Panacea

4. Pedestal

5. Revolve

His Hero Is Gone/Union Of Uranus (1998)

1. His Hero Is Gone - Friendly Fire

2. His Hero Is Gone - Fool's Gold

3. His Hero Is Gone - Scare Tactic

4. His Hero Is Gone - Sound The Alarm

5. His Hero Is Gone - Becoming Soil

6. His Hero Is Gone - Raise The Curtain

7. Union Of Uranus - Backhand

8. Union Of Uranus - One Eye Strengthens

9. Union Of Uranus - Weight Of Tomorrow

10. Union Of Uranus - Equilibrate

11. Union Of Uranus - Pressure (Negative Approach cover)

To This Bearer Of Truth (2004)

1. Circumstance

2. Face Value

3. Panacea

4. Pedestal

5. Revolve

6. Believer

7. Backhand

8. One Eye Strengthens/Weight Of Tomorrow

9. Equilibrate/Pressure

One Eyed God Prophecy

One Eyed God Prophecy were a hardcore band from Sherbrooke, Quebec (Canada) that were around from 1995-1997. Though their existence was brief, their influence is monumental. Along with fellow Canadian band Union of Uranus (who OEGP claimed to share members with to attract people to their shows on tour), they formed the framework for screamo that bands like Orchid would later take and run with. This combination of hardcore, crust punk, and grindcore results in an incredibly intense, dark, and dissonant sound that's unmistakable for fans of the screamo genre. It's origins are highly disputed of course, and though it was a sound that had been developing for years, the input of One Eyed God Prophecy is undeniably important in the genre's formation. They only ever recorded one album, a seven-track self-titled release that came out in 1996. This thing is fantastic from start to finish, with the lengthy tracks fully exploring the band's complex sound, which is nothing short of groundbreaking. A discography CD was released in 2001 that contained both their sole LP and a few live songs. Both are included below, so enjoy.

One Eyed God Prophecy (1996)

1. Toddler

2. (Interlude)

3. Wilf

4. Karysun

5. End Of The Story

6. Fields Of Separate Realities

7. Individual Gallery

Discography (2001)

1. Toddler

2. (Interlude)

3. Wilf

4. Karysun

5. End Of The Story

6. Fields Of Separate Realities

7. Individual Gallery

8. Wilf (Live at CFLX)

9. End of a Story (Live at CFLX)

10. Toddler (Live at CFLX)

11. Fields of Separate Realities (Live at CFLX)

12. End of the Story (Live at Birdhouse)

13. Toddler (Live at Birdhouse)

14. Karysun (Live at Birdhouse) 

Giants Chair

Giants Chair were a three-piece post-hardcore band from Kansas City, Missouri that formed in 1993 and broke up in 1997. They were a part of the burgeoning underground hardcore scene in the mid 90's that would be crucial in developing post-hardcore and emo into what we all know and love today. Though perhaps not as well-known as a band like Drive Like Jehu, or associated with a legendary label such as Gravity, Giants Chair are nonetheless an incredible act who put out two perfect albums. This band plays with such a tight complexity, with songs walking the line between melodic and aggressive. Their musicianship is impressive, and their songwriting ability only furthers the notion that they're one of the best post-hardcore bands of the 90's. I only have their two full-length albums, though they did release a few splits and such. If anyone has them, I'd really appreciate them being sent my way. Thanks "ogg future"!  Enjoy.

Hot Boy (1993)

1. Common Cold

2. Weed Roses

Boys Life/Giants Chair (1995)

1. Boys Life - Worn Thin

2. Giants Chair - Ever Present

Red And Clear (1995)

1. New Orleans

2. Mother Brother Sister Lover

3. Gutshot and the Jogger

4. Mainline

5. Semi

6. Blue 88's

7. Kick The Can

8. Weed Roses

9. Fingerhood

10. Full on Flat White 

Purity And Control 7" (1996)

1. Purity And Control

2. The Callus

Purity And Control (1996)

1. Nondescriptionist Ethic

2. Robbing Peter, Paying Paul

3. Single File Accident

4. Purity and Control

5. 1000 of Anything

6. Work as Fuel

7. The Speech

8. Blind in One Eye

9. The Ballad of Jody Hamilton

10. Muelbach Pigeon

Foxmoulder

Foxmoulder are a four-piece screamo band from Toronto, Ontario that have been around since 2012. They're probably one of my personal favourite screamo bands around now; this is some good shit right here. They're noisy and chaotic in the vein of classics like Orchid, but would also appeal to fans of other fantastic modern bands, such as Capacities or Coma Regalia. If you've got a hankering for a skramz fix, here it is. Enjoy.

Hindsight (2012)

1. Intuition/Rhetoric

2. Neutral

3. Awkward

4. Absurd

5. Breath of the City

Foxmoulder/Sartre (2012)

1. Foxmoulder - Rapture

2. Foxmoulder  - Ascend

3. Sartre - Circadian

4. Sartre - More Weight

Lethe (2013)

1. Tesslyn

2. Hum

3. Havelock

4. Endless/Blameless

Swollen Lungs (2013)

15. Far Away Friends

Note: Full comp here

Foxmoulder/Coma Regalia (2014)

1. Foxmoulder - Pine

2. Coma Regalia - Suffering / Anger / Peace

Foxmoulder/Eaglehaslanded (2015)

1. Foxmoulder - Tempered Ill

2. Foxmoulder - Needless/Anxious

3. Foxmoulder - Antrim

4. Foxmoulder - Shame

5. Foxmoulder - Increments

6. Eaglehaslanded - Intro (Nightmares In Suburba Pt. III)

7. Eaglehaslanded - Заклятые Враги

8. Eaglehaslanded - Mora samo da se umre

9. Eaglehaslanded - Got a Flower

10. Eaglehaslanded - Tworatz

11. Eaglehaslanded - Grobljanska

12. Eaglehaslanded - 1000 Palms

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Free

Free are a five-piece hardcore band from Massachusetts that formed in late 2015.  Not to be confused with the classic rock band that did "All Right Now". Admittedly I'm a little late in posting this, but whatever, it's good shit that should not be missed. As you probably know by now, four out of five members of Have Heart got together years after their final show to start a new project, which turned into Free. They recorded a demo that was released in November of 2015, and it carries on what made Have Heart one of the greatest hardcore bands of the past decade. The messages are strong, positive, and intense, which are all pretty much hallmarks of the Have Heart sound and soul. As far as I know, their demo is their only recorded material to date. However, they've played quite a few shows and such, and there's a lot of footage available that's definitely worth checking out, especially for Have Heart diehards. Enjoy.

Demo 2015 (2015)

1. Dedication

2. Vow

3. MA Flex

4. We Live Free

Ex Tenebris (2017)

1. Sisyphus

2. Out Of Darkness

3. Equity Head

4. May I Be I

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