Fucked Up Create Anthems in Minutes on ‘Another Day’
Canadian hardcore legends Fucked Up channel 1970s riffage and wear a hard-won optimism well on Another Day. It’s among their best albums.
hardcore
GEL’s Restlessness Is Thrilling on ‘Persona’
Hardcore punk band GEL’s ability to weave new influences into their sound while remaining instantly identifiable sets them apart. They’re a breath of fresh air.
Bad Brains Reissue the Timeless ‘I Against I’
Canonical DC hardcore act Bad Brains remain as vital as ever. Almost 40 years after I Against I’s initial release, it’s remarkable how timeless it sounds.
Detroit’s Big Life Channel Punk’s Revolution Summer
For those who like their hardcore punk with hooks and intelligent, witty lyrics, Big Life deliver big time on two EPs. They are music lovers first and foremost.
Hardcore’s Gouge Away Grow on ‘Deep Sage’
Gouge Away’s Deep Sage delivers heavy hooks that recall 1990s alternative greats without losing that hardcore fury that put them on the map.
Pissed Jeans Laugh at the Absurdity of Life on ‘Half Divorced’
On their first album in seven years, Allentown, PA’s Pissed Jeans return with a short, savage, scathing and often hilarious takedown of the modern world.
Rid of Me’s ‘Access to the Lonely’ Is More Than Hardcore
Rid of Me’s Access to the Lonely is one of the essential hardcore records of the past few months, but it cannot be contained by one genre.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2023
The 10 Best Punk and Hardcore Albums of 2023
The best punk and hardcore artists fold and knead in other musical styles, diversifying and extending the possibilities of what these genres can sound like.
Code Orange’s ‘The Above’ Is 2023’s Most Ambitious Hardcore Album
On The Above, Code Orange merge hardcore, metal, and every rock and electronic genre they can think of to make 2023’s most ambitious heavy album.
Songs of Innocence & Experience: Rise Against’s ‘Revolutions Per Minute’ at 20
Rise Against’s masterpiece Revolutions Per Minute is a vital work about the loss of innocence in a fraught time and a call to arms to fight in a new one.
Black Flag’s ‘Damaged’ and the Hardcore Hope of “Rise Above”
Black Flag’s Damaged is a valuable document of the past as well as a prophetic testimony to the values of present and future hardcore punk music.
Fucked Up Are Just Fine on ‘One Day’
Fucked Up’s One Day possesses a brightness and sense of happiness that’s addictive and optimistic, even if the lyrics at times insinuate the opposite.