Despite different iterations of the band & line up changes throughout the years Northern Ireland's Crushing Death Metal force Indominus still continue to deliver quality material ,they've become a constant within the Northern Ireland metal scene and are known for their ferocious live performances.it has been a good while since the released new music,that's due to change soon with the imminent release of their crushing new single Burn.
Going straight for the jugglar this absolutely crushing offering leaves no cross unturned and despite it been a short track it ticks all the right boxes even the introduction of some elements of Hardcore which inject a nice level of virtriol combiined with that trademark heaviness.
Prepare yourself for this monstrous track dropping this Friday 16th May as it will crush like a wrecking ball and is a great way to introduce their new drummer, hopeully we'll be yet again treated to more of the same going forward.
One band causing waves in the Northern Ireland Hardcore & Metal scene is the excellent If It Bleeds combining groove laden crushing riffs with an extremely visceral vocal attack, a seamless blend of old school and modern fusion of Hardcore and metal make these a force to be reckoned with which can be heard on their phenomenal debut EP We Can Kill It.
Going staright for the jugular with the ferocious opening track If It Bleeds relentless short and to the point best describe this crushing track, Vs 1 hits like a ten tonne sledgehammer and wastes no time in delivering crushing drums and razor sharp riffing,the vocals are full of vitriol and an unrelenting aggression.
Things slow down a sliught bit with the crushingly heavy and anthemic Revenge ,we're treated to some sick Death Metal type gutturals which adds an unnervingly crushing slab of heaviness,there's also a killer groove running throughout, that crushing groove is also prevelent on the sublime Detachment which keeps the overall output flowing nicely,the dual guitars give this a bludgeoning assualt on the senses that at times is like a wall of sound designed to make eardrums bleed and shattering that proverbial glass ceiling, closing things out is the fantastic title track We Can Kill It , upon numerous listen to this track(and EP) i always get the feeling that if you set foot into the pit prepare for absolute fucking mayhem,this one has plenty of groove with that trademark crushing heaviness, this is possibly yhte best way to conclude this absolutely crushing opus and leave no cross unturned. Needless to say for a debut release this ticks all the right boxes,production is stellar,music hits so fucking hard with a crushing heaviness, an unstoppable relentlessness that will leave you begging for more, a lethal injection of adrenalin fueled vitriol,a band hell bent on delivering possibly the most devastating metallic hardcore with a real take no prisoners attitude,this is a no nonsense tour de force of a release that will most likely will be making my end of year shortlist.
Galway Based Hardcore/Metal Fusion outfit Psychotic Outsider have been crafting their sound and delivery since 2018 despite a few line up changes they have always shown a willingness to experiment with different genres,combining a raw unfiltered punk attitude all layered on top of an extremely dark and menacing sound roooted in Metal,this slow process shows some of their best material on the excellent new EP aptly titled 6 ,lets explore what's in store from this very interesting offering.
Straight away they delve into a very visceral,raw and filthy passages with opening track Crazy Little Things instantly you can feel an aggressive punk style delivery with the vocals combining a rawness and excellent structure with the music whichadds a real nasty atmopshere,this one shows no let up from start to finish, continuing with another relentless passage on Till We Decay this really packs a punch and delivers yet more quality riffing and the vocal delivery is a slight bit rawer ,also this has a more punky fell to the way it's structured showing the aforementioned willingness to explore a different approach.
The experimentation comes to fruition on the dark and foreboding title track 6 the vocals become a bit deranged and we're also treated to a really sludgy appraoch that has a really murky atmopshere with that punky rawness, this is a side of the band i've not heard before so doing something new is something i always like to see bands attempting and i will add it's really refreshing to hear, everything we've heard so far gets combined on the brilliant Drift ,the murky atmoosphere added to the sludginess is mixed seamlessly and with a razor sharp precision.
The excellent closing track Amen(Featuring Greg "Zielak" Zielinski) is a really killer instrumental track that really explores numerous different soundscapes,the lead guitar throughout this iss brilliantly executed combine those lush sound basslines and slow riffing and you have a really epicly stuructured track that has really memorable passages throughout,it's a more then fitting way to close out this really excellent and interesting opus.
Not only those this EP show a new an improved element to Psychotic Outsider,they've developed part of the sound that was already prevelent from day one and further explored a more experimental appraoch bringing on a new era were they've really found their true sound,although i have mentioned about the rawness and aggression rooted in societal decline there is an empathetic element to some of the lyrical content that touches on mental health and life struggles making this an passage that covers alot of relatable topic and long may it continue.
Crossover Punk/Metal veterans Immaculate Deception are possibly one of the oldest bands within the Irish Punk(& Metal) scene,founded by the legend that is Declan Caffrey way back in 1982/83 under the moniker of Dreamcreeper,he set upon creating some of the filthiest and heaviest form of Punk known in existence,influenced by bands such as Discharge, Motorhead and Slayer with social and political themes part of the subject matter lyrically all delivered with a F**k You attitude, for years "Caff" has written some fantastic tracks but for various reasons never saw the light of day until midway through 2023 with the release of the bands absolutely facemelting debut album The Beat Of The Craw.
Launching straight into the rip roaring title track Beat Of The Craw plenty of rawness, an overload of speed and subtle rock n roll hints ala Motorhead,there's also a rebellious element to the track, War On The Streets opens with a beautifully crafted lead that has a lot of feeling and emotion in it before you're hit upside the head with a relentless barage of razor sharp riffing, you can hear the Slayer influence throughout this song with alot of the riffing while the drumming sounds similar to the likes of Discharge, those wailing Guitars on the intro to A Lesson In War are ridiculously vicious and set the tone for an absolute cacophony of filthy heavinesss,the rawness of the vocals add a really gritty and angry element to proceedings like some anti-hero preaching for the disadvantaged and downtrodden and a middle finger to authority,as soon as those sirens hit on Spoils Of War you known there's going to be loads of elements of unrest and civil disobedience, the drumming goes into relentless D-Beat territory and the constant switching between mid paced heavy riffs and the trademark relentless speed is nothing more then perfection, Driven To Hell while extremely raw has a lot of Melody and Harmonics with the riffing and vocals while still maintaining that aggressiveness and anger throughout.
the subtle element of groove at the start of No Masters,No Slaves adds another perspective to the overall delivery of the album,as you can guess lyrically the rack is about those in authority are condemned for thinking they're above or better then everyone else and society will teack them a lesson in humility, therefore the rules will be broken, the drum intro on Exiled to Armageddon raises the bar to another level with regard to the absolute relentlessness throughout this releases,at times it almost feels energy draining to take in the sheer speed of this release and i mean that in the best possible way, once again there's subtle homages to Slayer with the haunting intro to Profession Of Promiscuity once the trademark speed kicks in you'll be thinking you're listening to similar style riffs and guitar tone to Reign In Blood then things get even more explosive with yet more relentless barage of filthy riffing ,this is possibly one of the nastiest guitar tones i've heard in a long time especially when the lead kicks in, Chemical Warfare is the shortest track on the album and has plenty of Punk elements throughout while still having that filthy guitar tone,this has all the elements for getting a moshpit going, closing track 213(The Gateway To Hell) goes into serial killer territory as some may know this is referncing Jeffrey Dahmer,the song has a really haunting atmosphere with it's slowish riffing and gritty vocals, which gives the overall proceedings something different then previous tracks, amore then suffucient way to close out a phenomenal album.
Not only was the long wait to hear all these tracks worth it,this body of work is a commendation of years of graft,struggle and to get something truly worthwhile out to the masses, if you're into the likes of Discharge,Slayer or Motorhead this album is a must listen,every track is full of quality and upon numerous listen to this offering you'll find it hard to forget these tracks,they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but the old dog will teach you a trick or two on how to write truly quality Crossover D-Beat/Thrash Metal songs .Immaculate Deception have unleashed an absolutle unforgettable masterpiece with The Beat Of The Craw.
Dublin Hardcore/Metal Stalwarts Hero In Error have been tearing it up since 2007 with consistently quality releases and a plethora of live shows supporting luminaries such as Mastodon,Parkway Drive and more,despite a few line up changes and two hiatus's from 2013 to 2016 & 2020 to 2024,the addition of Kaan Tasan(Heart Of A Coward) on vocals gave the band a renewed vigor and another level of quality ,all of this culminates with the release of their absolutely monumental new Self Titled EP, let's dissect the finer details within this release.
Instantly you know you're about to delve into something special when that first chord hits on Enemy Within the vocal delivery is both gut wrenching and full of angst combined with some thought provoking lyrics of self doubt and the struggle to communicate your true feelings, Moths To a Flame delivers some really fantastic groove laden hooks with relentless drums ,the switching between clean and abrasive vocals adds a really melancholic atmosphere to the overall theme of personal struggle.
Closing track Left In Your Absence goes into even more emotionally tinged territory with the delivery of both extremely aggressive and emotiinally charged vocals,it feels like there's a gradual build within each song to the point where the emotions become too difficult to cope with and they eventually explode into an uncontrollable anger.
Hero In Error may have been absent from the scene for a prolonged period of time but upon listen to this phenomenal EP it feels like they've never been gone ,they've even come back with a renewed purpose and intent all designed to deliver absolutely crushing and thought provoking passages,
2023 was full of memorable releases within the Irish Rock and Metal scene including a few new bands making their mark on a thriving community,i will be including a few who unleashed some quality releases in 2023 and a few bands who i think are worth paying attention to in 2024, i'll include links to all their music in this spotlight
URAGH
The Absolutely mind blowing Progressive Metal Quartet Uragh are an absolute Force of Nature and made a huge ripple within the Irish scene,about a year ago they were releatively unknown that all changed pretty quickly with truly explosive performances in Metal 2 The Masses which saw them eventually make it to The Grand Final and delivered an absolutely devastating performance,they were unlucky not to win the competition but this experience really pushed them to the fore within the scene,not long after the band carried on regardless of not winning the competition with the release of their debut single Decimate which garnered a lot of attention ,near the end of November they unleashed the absolutely monumental single Monarch which was a really huge step forward for this truly talented band,in writing this piece coincidentally i was checking my emails and low and behold there's another absolutely devastating new single entitled The Widening Gyre which is due to be released on 9th February with an accompanying video out on 23rd February,there's was also the announcement that their highly anticipated Debut Album Maelstrom will be released on 19th April, The Storm is Slowly Brewing and i think no one is prepared for the devastation this band are about to unleash.
Not confined to one specific genre the absolutely brilliant Teras have an aura like no other band ,their live performances are not like your regular gig it's more like an experience were you feel you're in some sort of trance and you feel this addictive urge were you keep wanting more,it's kind of tricky to explain unless you're lucky enough to see them, about a year ago they made an unbelievabke impact within the Northern Ireland Metal community as their first few gigs were in Metal 2 The Masses NI competition culminating in them reaching The Grand Final,this is by no reach of the imagination a phenomenal achievement, after this they continously keep performing at as much shows as possible garnering much deserved attention from more people,before i finally got to see them live i knew there was something special about them and on my second time seeing them they done their first ever Headline show with two established bands in Acid Age & Cursed Sun supporting them in the 7Twenty Bar in Derry, they played an hour+ set at this and were absolutely phenomenal,they ended the year with another headline show in Belfast were they premiered a new song Kill Your Idol this is something that will help to expand their setlist for further live shows,recently it was announced that they'll be playing at Siege Of Limerick for the first time at the end of March,they're also taking part in Metal 2 The Masses NI on March 22nd in Voodoo Belfast, there's also the possibility that they'll be releasing an album in the not so distance future,keep a real close watch on these and if you haven't go see them live.
About a Year ago to the day i went to a gig in Fibbers basement for the first Rage Metal Night of 2023,was paying attention to all the bands that night but one in particular stood out that night a newky formed Modern Metallic Hardcore outfit by the name of LaVein, i knew very little about these with the exception that their Drummer Lachlan also plays with Fornoth, it would become apparent really quickly to a number of people that these weren't messing around and had seriously unmatched potential, i now refer to them as "The Glass Ceiling Smasher" with good reason at that,in the midst of all the furore this band achieved a mind blowing story by not only getting to the Grand Final of Metal 2 The Masses Ireland they also won it, not many bands cna say they formed and about half a year later were told they're going to be playing at Bloodstock Festival,also just before the Grand Final they did release their absolutely devastating Debut EP Fine Failure ,they also got to support one of their favourite bands Kublai Khan TX and played numerous other shows including their first ever time at Siege Of Limerick last October,they're currently working on EP #2 and at the start of March they go on a Five day tour over in the Untied Kingdom
THE BOAT SANK
This final band in my first round up are an absolutely bombastic Instrumental sludgy groovy heftmonger machine, The Boat Sank are also another act that achieved alot in such a short space of time,the sludge trio would eventually come together out of a love for Groove laden heavy Riffage in the vein of Crowbar,Down etc,was pure coincidence that the members became aware of each other sharing the same practice space in seperate bands,they eventually would start jamming together(Secretly so i'm lead to believe) ,anyway they developed a reputation for stellar live shows extremely quickly during sets in Metal 2 The Masses NI which would culminate in them getting to The Grand Final,although they are mainly an instrumental band there is version of their tracks with vocals,also should mention the use of samples in their live sets adds to the overall aura/sound of the band,anyone who i've tlked to that's seen them says their drummer is an absolute beast behind the kit and he also has a hilarious sense of humour which you'll come across on some of their social media posts and you tube content, as of now i've yet to see this band live ,this NEEDS to be corrected this year,beofre i close this out i have heard murmurings of a brand new single and they're also going at it again in Metal 2 The Masses NI for Heat 6 on 22nd March,interesting times ahead for this absolutely brilliant Trio.
Frayed Ends offer an absolutely relentless short sharp shock with their obliterating debut EP Belfast HC, the band combine elements of Crust,D-Beat,NYHC with an unrelenting aggression and punch to the gut,we're treated a fercious 4 tracks in 11 minutes of raw,angry unrelenting fury with a few guest appearance along the way.
As soon as that first notes of Carve Your Name hit you can hear all the nuances of NYHC like Leeway,Sick Of It All,Cro-Mags and even elements of early Biohazard,the dual vocals throughout this track(along with the whole EP) add a really visceral and nasty feeling to proceddings, Came Into This World dissects and obliterates with crushing precision and the urge to make you smash the place up, No Shift In The Paradigm (Ft Brian J Harrington of Congenital Abnormalities,Ex-Jenova Vocalist) on Guest Vox gives an absolutely Obliterating persistence to the track ,that breakdown near the end is nothing short of devastatingly crushing, Worthless (Ft Jude McIlwaine of Acid Age) is an absolutely ripping track ,the trademark wretched screams of McIlwaine give the track something unique and different to what was on the EP already while still maintaining the unrelenting fury.
Overall Belfast HC is an absolutely quality offering from the band especially considering it's a debut,it is obvious that the members have a wealth of prior experience to draw on from the past even so this makes this EP all the more better for it,dare i say it this may well make my short list for EP of the year,yes it is a bold statement to make but it's going to be hard to match the overall ferocity,aggression and rawness on offer here.
Unbeknownst to the masses there's a plethora of quality Hardcore bands circulating up in the North of Ireland and they're producing some top notch material,just recently a new band of this ilk arose like a pheonix from the ashes in the shape of the Old School NYHC inspired trio PxBx with their excellent debut EP Commissary Or Die.
Opening track PxBx(Prison Bitch) is an abrasive and sludgy offering with a very dark and foreboding atmosphere, we're treated to some relentless and raw in your face attitude with the short sharp shock of the title track Commissary Or Die time to explore the topic of mental health and the demons involved with it that we deal with on a daily basis with the extremely aggressive Cycle Of Destruction things get that bit more vitriolic with the stigma and tragicness of substance abuse with gut punching aggresiveness of Meth=Deth, closing track Life(Death Penalty On Standby) slows the pace down a bit and has an element of groove combined with the filthy rawness that's very prevelent throughout this EP,
despite the shortness of this release it achieves what it set out to do and that's have all the nuances and elements synonymous with Old School NY Hardcore with subtle homages to Black Flag,Leeway and Agnostic Front combined with a really dark and foreboding atmosphere that's all their own,for a debut this is a really ambitious attempt to deliver something that's not only an ode to Old School NY Hardcore but also touches on relevant and modern stigmas associated with life's struggle, keep a close watch on this band i can see plenty of memorable releases in their future.
Galway Based Hardcore Punk/Metal fusion Quartet Psychotic Outsider offer a Filthy,Abrasive Lo-Fi Social/Polictical anthems with their latest EP End Of The Line, the band have been cutting their trade since 2018, thus far the band have released an EP and one full length album.
Following on from 2020's Psyching Out Mentality the band have a new Vocalist in Luke Holbrook,which seems to have improved their overall sound,giving them a more abrasive and aggressive edge, straight from the onset title track End of The Line opens up with a rhytmic and extremely aggressive pace with a real middle finger vocal style, Infernal Battle continues the same pace and style ,there's also a underlying filthy groove prevelent throughout the song, the pace is slowed down a little with the excellent Locked Up the aggression and heaviness still remain,at times the track has a filthy sludge element which adds a somewhat despaired atmosphere to proceedings.
The addition of two demo tracks which were on their previous release Psyching Out Mentality was a great idea giving the listener a chance to hear the improvement their new vocalist has added to their sound, Ragnarok is a great mid paced track full of vitriol and the trademark aggression associated with the band. Hunter picks up the pace again and is a fitting way to close out the EP.
Psychotic Outsider create a very simplistic yet extremely effective style full of vitriol, filthiness and and an angry attitude which make for an interesting listen,there's no frills attached to the band just in your face aggression and anarcho punk tendencies, this is a great listen for anyone that likes a DIY ethos full of passion,vitriol and attitude.
