Righteous Jams

Righteous Jams were a straight edge hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts active from approximately 2003 to 2007. They ripped riff-heavy quick-hits in the vein of Black Flag and Cro-Mags, with positive lyricism and an infectious energy. I don't know how or why it's taken me so long to get this band on here; I haven't heard Rage Of Discipline in years and going back to it now and it holds up impeccably as a solid 13 minutes of lively rhythmic bliss. There's also apparently a four-song demo they released in 2004, so if anyone has that please let me know! Enjoy.

Righteous Jams In 2003 (2003)

1. Righteous Jams

2. Invasion / Scream And Shot

4. Where It's Due

5. Bust It

6. Righteous Dub

Rage Of Discipline (2004)

1. Rage Of Discipline

2. Iron Mind

3. Green Eyes

4. Bust It

5. No Glory

6. Small Fish

7. Invasion

8. Scream And Shout

9. Where It's Due

10. Righteous Jams

Business As Usual (2006)

1. Thought Vacation

2. More Is More

3. Instinct And Music

4. 23

5. Nothing Happens

6. Business As Usual

7. Lizards

8. You Have Issues

9. Adams St.

10. The Price Of Redemption

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Rampage

Rampage were a five-piece hardcore band from Rhode Island, New York that were around between 2004 and 2007 (approximately). They released one EP and one LP in that time of Cro-Mags and Floorpunch-inspired hardcore with a thrash metal edge (especially in the reverb-laden production of Limit Of Destruction, which sounds absolutely ferocious). Members of Rampage also played in Think I Care, Mind Eraser, Cruel Hand, The Rival Mob, and Rained In, which should give you all the indication needed that this is worth your time. Enjoy.

Heads In A Vice! (2004)

1. Cave Bear

2. Make It Right

3. Heads In A Vice!

4. Lean And Mean

5. Buzzkill

6. Get Fuckin' Serious

Limit Of Destruction (2007)

1. Best Enemy

2. Ox Must Plow

3. Goin Ape

4. Unprepared

5. Physical Therapy

6. Geekin Out

7. L.O.D.

8. Homeless

9. Smart Too Slow

10. Lesser Men Would Crumble

11. Bitch Pleaza

Rain

Rain were a three-piece (later four-piece) punk/emo band from Washington, DC that formed in 1986 and dissolved in 1987. They shared members with The Untouchables, Youth Brigade, Gray Matter, Soulside/Lunchmeat - in other words, they were a DC band at the tail end of "Revolution Summer", a time marked by a major shift in the DC hardcore scene towards socially conscious activism and sonically experimental music. It's now best known as the birthplace of "emo" though it is a term vocally rejected by some of its participants) with bands like Rites Of Spring and Embrace infusing personal, poetic lyricism into a more dynamic and melodic version of hardcore's raw, energetic bite. If you're at all familiar with the bands coming out of this era, there's no doubt you're going to love Rain's punchy basslines, angular octave-shredded guitars, and desperate vocal delivery. Between two studio sessions (one as a three-piece, one as a four-piece), Rain's recorded material was all eventually released as La Vache Qui Rit in 1990 as a co-release between Dischord and Peterbilt Records. Enjoy.

La Vache Qui Rit (1990)

1. That Time Of Year

2. End Of My Mind

3. Snakeout

4. Worlds At War

5.Around The Axis

6. Rivers

Dischord

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Naiad

 Naiad were a five-piece metalcore band from Kyoto, Japan that were around from 2001 to 2006. The band's output was minimal, with just a demo and their 2003 EP Hardcore Emotion being their most definitive release, which is a severely underrated genre-bending masterpiece, with elements of ambient post-rock, intense, searing vocals and off-kilter metallic riffs a la Shai Hulud or 7 Angels 7 Plagues, and melodic, melancholic emo in the vein of Grade or Christie Front Drive, all packed into an incredible 22-minute runtime. This is an incredible release that I wish I had found sooner, so implore you to give it a listen as well for its sheer uniqueness and visceral impact. Members of this band are also now active in .islea. if you want to check them out too. Enjoy.

Demo (2001)

1. Lost & Noticed

2. ☆☆☆☆☆

Hardcore Emotion (2003)

1. Sensuous Tree

2. Believing Dreams

3. Waves Of Influence Strike Within What Truly Moves You

4. Song Of Nature

5. Hopeless Progress

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Feels Like Heaven

Feels Like Heaven are a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Stockholm, Sweden that was formed in 2022 by three members of Speedway. Their debut album Within Dreams came out on January 1st, 2026, and it is one hell of a way to kick off a year. The album features these bright, crisp guitars that intertwine between shimmering arpeggios, octave-based riffs, and full major 7th chords, giving them a melodic edge atop pounding drums reminiscent of Title Fight or Basement, hints of More Than Life, while other moments harken back to the angular, confessional intimacy of Embrace or Rites of Spring, with vocals that ride the line between gruff and airy. It's a brisk listen, between 10 songs not one of them hit the full three-minute mark, so it's well worth your time to give this a listen (the run during the first half is especially impeccable). Enjoy.

Extended Play (2022)

1. Runaway Dogs

2. Bright Angel Trail

3. When I Touch The Ground

4. Do You Feel It?

The Rest Of Me / Speed Trials (2022)

1. The Rest Of Me

2. Speed Trials

Within Dreams (2026)

1. World Clock

2. Volvo (On The Road)

3. Box Man

5. Sandra Bullock

6. All That I've Got

7. Heavenly Feeling

8. Around The Bend

9. Video Loss

10. Take The Rain

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Beefeater

Beefeater were a four-piece post-hardcore band from Washington, DC that were active between 1984 and 1986. As such, they were a vital part of the "Revolution Summer" movement that saw DC punk bands move into more innovative and melodic territory, with an emphasis on pointedly political and introspective lyricism. As such, it (unintentionally) became the birthplace of "emo" with bands like Rites Of Spring and Embrace. I don't think Beefeater are quite in the same sonic category as them, but this boundary-pushing ideology is certainly shared, as they injected a variety of genre influences from funk, dub, and jazz into the raw attack of a hardcore band heavily inspired by Bad Brains and Minutemen. Their riffs are windingly discordant, their rhythms frenetically off-kilter, and Squip's vocal delivery is as manically dynamic as they come. They released one EP and two albums, with the two LP's both put out by Dischord and later compiled onto one release (along with bonus compilation songs). I say this a lot but it is astounding that I missed putting here until now; they're one of the most under-appreciated and radical bands to come out of the 80's DC scene, and returning to them now after so many years has been joyous to say the least. Enjoy.

Plays For Lovers (1985)

1. Trash Funk

2. Reagonomix

3. Song For Lucky

4. 4 3 2 1

5. Mr. Silverbird

6. Manic D.

7. Mourning

8. Satyagraha

9. A Dog Day

10. Red Carpet

11. Assholes Among Us

12. Beefeater

13. Fred's Song (Slam Dancing)

14. I Miss You

15. Out Of The Woods

Need A Job (1986)

1. In America

2. Need A Job

3. Laurel Grove

4. Apartheid

5. Gov't Worker

6. Better'n Me

House Burning Down (1987)

1. Introlude

2. Just Things

3. Bedlam Rainforest

4. Interlude

5. Move Me Strong

6. Interlude

7. One Soul Down

8. Ain't Got No Time (Kenny's Piece)

9. Interlude

10. Sinking Me

11. Dover Beach (Tomas' Piece)

12. Insurrection Chant

13. 40 Sonnets On Plants (Dug's Piece)

14. With You Always

15. Fredittude (Fred's Piece)

16. Live The Life

Plays For Lovers & House Burning Down (1992)

1. Trash Funk

2. Reagonomix

3. Song For Lucky

4. 4 3 2 1

5. Mr. Silverbird

6. Manic D.

7. Mourning

8. Satyagraha

9. A Dog Day

10. Red Carpet

11. Assholes Among Us

12. Beefeater

13. Fred's Song (Slam Dancing)

14. I Miss You

15. Out Of The Woods

16. Wars In Space

17. Just Things

18. Bedlam Rainforest

19. Move Me Strong

20. One Soul Down

21. Ain't Got No Time

22. Sinking Me

23. Dover Beach

24. Insurrection Chant

25. 40 Sonnets On Plants

26. With You Always

27. Freditude

28. Live The Life

29. Blind Leads Blind

Note: Compilation including both LPs and compilation tracks "Wars In Space" and "Blind Leads Blind"

Dischord Records

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Honor Role

Honor Role were a four-piece hardcore/post-punk band from Richmond, Virginia that formed in 1982 and disbanded in 1989. During that time they essentially went through an entire reinvention, beginning as a by-the-numbers fast-paced and scrappy hardcore band, before evidently discovering Joy Division and Bauhaus in 1985, which marked their course-correction to a transfixingly winding and melodic sound that proved influential to emo in a similar way that Moss Icon did, with drivingly dark bass lines, tight-knit drum patterns, and ringing, reverberated guitars wrapped around, with an expressive vocal delivery that's reminiscent of T.S.O.L.'s Jack Grisham. Thought never given quite the credit they deserved, they put out a steady stream of solid albums that pushed the envelope of punk rock's possibilities in the late 80's, with all that recorded material eventually ending up on the 1997 compilation Album. 

Album contains everything from 1985 on, which includes 1985's Judgement Day single, 1986's Purgatory single, the 1986 LP The Pretty Song, 1988's Craig Olive single, and the 1989 LP Rictus (both albums are included on their own as well here). Their early stuff is decent, but it's nothing ground-breaking, so I suggest starting with Album and then try It Bled Like A Stuck Pig or 1982 (which contains the same songs as the Your Skull Is My Bowl split with better quality) if you're interested in hearing their actual origins. Enjoy.

Your Skull Is My Bowl (1983)

1. Graven Image - Child Abuse

2. Graven Image - Fascist State

3. Graven Image - Uncomfortable Environment

4. Graven Image - My World

5. Graven Image - Double Life

6. Graven Image - Trigger Happy

7. Honor Role - Living In The 60's

8. Honor Role - Bowling For Bibles

9. Honor Role - War

10. Honor Role - Southern Lifestyle

11. Honor Role - I'm A Nerd

12. Honor Role - Uptown

13. Honor Role - Infanticide

14. Honor Role - Profit Prophets

15. Honor Role - Cap And Gown

It Bled Like A Stuck Pig (1984)

1. An Hour Behind

2. New Hope

3. Bowling For Bibles

4. Chocolate Milk

5. I'm A Nerd

6. Vance Picked Up Dot Over A Bush By The Tail

7. Early Grave

8. B.D.K.O.

9. Dot Is In Your Car & Boy Does She Smell Bad

The Pretty Song (1986)

1. Throwing Rocks

2. Early Grave

3. My Place

4. Go Places

5. Shuffle

6. Six
7. Anonymous Cave

8. Purgatory

9. Clockwork

10. Observation

11. Present Conditions

12. Care Taker

Rictus (1989)

1. Listening To Sally

2. Absolve

3. Following Footprints

4. Swing It / Interlude

5. Skippy

6. Salty Tears

7. So Anyway

8. Thankless Job

9. Familiar And Plain

10. Break The Ice

Album (1997)

1. Listening To Sally

2. Absolve

3. Following Footprints

4. Skippy

5. Salty Tears

6. So Anyway

7. Thankless Job

8. Familiar And Plain

9. Break The Ice

10. Twist

11. Lives Of The Saints #135 (Naked Wife)

12. Throwing Rocks

13. Early Grave

14. My Place

15. Go Places

16. Shuffle

17. Six

18. Anonymous Cave

19. Purgatory

20. Clockwork

21. Observation

22. Present Conditions

23. Care Taker

24. Jank

25. Judgement Day

26. Anonymous Cave

1982 (2006)

1. Livin' In The 60's

2. Bowling For Bibles

3. War

4. Southern Lifestyle

5. I'm A Nerd

6. Uptown

7. Infanticide

8. Profit Prophets

9. Cap And Gown

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Burned Out Bright

Burned Out Bright were a three-piece hardcore/emo band from Houston, Texas that were active approximately from 2000 to 2003. They harnessed a handful of styles in their short tenure together, mixing the skippy, noodly elements of emo with the rise-and-fall and syncopated dynamics of post-hardcore, all conveyed through the passionate, raw delivery of screamo with interspersed sung/screamed vocals. Their output was minimal but certainly impactful, with a split, a posthumous EP, their final live set, and a demo. Members of this band went on to form Fire Team Charlie (highly recommended) and The Walls You've Built. Enjoy.

Demo (2003)

1. The Coin Lied

2. In Memory

3. Rise Over Run

4. We Awake Disheartened

Die, Emperor! Die!/Burned Out Bright (2003)

1. Die, Emperor! Die! - Six Feet Beneath My Heart

2. Burned Out Bright - Gold Metal For Charlie

10+25+03 The End. (2003)

1. Rise Over Run

2. Gold Medal For Charlie

3. Untitled

4. The Coin Lied

5. In Memory

6. This Isn't The Tenka-Ichi-Budokai (I Hate Myself cover)

7. We Awake Disheartened

Burned Out Bright (2004)

1. Crossing The Fine Line

2. Unit: 01

3. Finally At Ease

4. Sunrise, And The Day To Come

5. House Of Dust

Dead Swans

Dead Swans were a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Brighton, England that were active from 2006 to 2013, with a few reunion shows played in 2016. Since then they're hasn't been any activity that I'm aware of, though vocalist Nick Worthington is currently active with Still In Love, who just released their first LP this year (which also just got featured here). When I was working on that, I realized the major oversight on my part that Dead Swans had yet to make it on here. In all honesty, they're a band I never listened to a ton but certainly enjoyed, as they were one of the premier "melodic hardcore" bands that bridged the 2000's and 2010's (no pun intended, as they were also a Bridge Nine band). They crafted a dark and raw pummelling brand of hardcore that you could say is in a similar vein as American Nightmare, Carry On, and More Than Life, but they're a distinct entity to hold their own, and Nick's scorching vocal delivery and poetic lyricism certainly hold their weight. They're also great with the gang vocals, and who doesn't love a good gang vocal? Anyway, if you're new to this band they're well worth your time, Sleepwalkers is the obvious starting point as its their only LP. Enjoy.

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Demo (2007)

1. Tin Heart

2. Preferring The Worst

Southern Blue (2007)

1. Into Dust

2. Lines Of Separation

3. Dead Until Dark

4. 20/07/07

5. The Hanging Sun

Architects/Dead Swans (2008)

1. Architects - We're All Alone

2. Architects - Broken Clocks

3. Dead Swans - In The Half Light

4. Dead Swans - Swallow

It's Starting (2009)

1. Thinking Of You

2. Ivy Archway

3. Fix Me (Black Flag cover)

4. When You Sleep (My Bloody Valentine cover)

Sleepwalkers (2009)

1. Thinking Of You

2. Ascension

3. Ivy Archway

4. Swallow

5. So Far You've Only Made Things Worse

6. 20.07.07

7. Winter Overture

8. Hide And Seek

9. ...And It Seemed So Bright

10. Montpellier To Home

11. Today, Tonight, Tomorrow

12. Tent City

Anxiety And Everything Else (2012)

1. I've Been Trying To Leave

2. Summer Of Hate

3. Dead Until Dark

4. Keep Them Shut

5. Since Day One

6. You Can Only Blame Yourself

7. Southern Blue

Before And Through (2016)

1. Tin Heart (Demo)

2. Preferring The Worst (Demo)

3. Ascension (Demo)

4. Sleepwalkers (Demo)

5. Montpelier To Home (Demo)

6. Preferring The Worst (Live)

7. In The Half Light (Live)

8. 20.07.07 (Live)

9. The Hanging Sun (Live)

10. Southern Blue (Live)

Note: Compilation including demos and live tracks

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Still In Love

Still In Love are a five-piece melodic hardcore band from London, England that formed in 2024, comprising former members of Dead Swans, Brutality Will Prevail, and Bring Me The Horizon. Following a pair of EP's last year (which were compiled on a single release this year), their debut LP Recovery Language came out in September of this year via Church Road Records. The album features thick, distorted riffs and vigorous drums that throttle out the occasional blast beat, echoing the blends of heavy music with a melodic edge a la something like Blacklisted. Nick from Dead Swans is also behind their searing, cathartic vocals, so if you're a fan of them this is certainly something work your time to check out. Enjoy.

Withdrawal Symptoms Pt. 1 (2024)

1. Self Portrait

2. The Peace Of Exhaustion

3. Homecoming (relapse)

Withdrawal Symptoms Pt. 2 (2024)

1. It Will Never Be Enough

2. Small Organ

3. Sober

Recovery Language (2025)

1. Tell The Truth

2. Nervous Impulse

3. Preserve & Cherish

4. Feathered Nest

5. Inherit

6. The State Of Things To Come

7. You Have To Let It Go

8. Pillar Of Strength

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