Unaltered Perspective #4

New music from Sinister Feeling, Bloodstains, So Close, No Relief, Slug, Ultras, and Mindless.

This edition has some great new releases as well as an update on Peoria IL hardcore scene. Based off a show I went to recently. Lots of great stuff is getting announced for this year and I have not had the chance to listen to some of it yet. Looks like it is going to be a good year for music. Lets get into it.

New Releases

Sinister Feeling - Sinister Feeling (LP)

This Baltimore band absolutely rules. I just recently found out about them and listened to the demo and promo last month. Those blew me away. This is the style of hardcore/Powerviolence that I am looking for, and they do it better than I have heard in a long time. This new LP is probably the best songs they have put out yet. This is like head through the wall music. I hear this and I want to mosh the whole record. The music is so full of rage and so brutally fast and heavy. One of the initial stand out songs on this record is “Sold Out”. This song was also on the promo but I feel like I have to talk on this song because it has a gang vocal part. That always gets me pumped. I want be dogpiling up to sing that shit. These lyrics are also great. They are straight forward but easy to connect with and meaningful to anyone. In a good way. I found this band when I saw the flyer in the local shows section further down the flyer. If you live in the Central Illinois, you got to get out to this show and I will see you there. I cant wait to see this band. You can get the new record on Delayed Gratification Records.

Bloodstains - Bloodstains (LP)

Orange County Punk band Bloodstains is back. They put out a single last year called “Anti-Social” that I really enjoyed. That song is making a return on this record. However that is not all, This whole LP rips. The great song marker is getting worn out from highlighting track after track. Some of the initial hits for me are “Public Hanging”, “Combat Shock”, and “Suburban Suicide”. But like I said all the songs rule. This really is an album to check out all the way through. This band to me sounds like they could be pulling some influence from Adolescents and Agent Orange. Bloodstains have a lot of melody in comparison to some of those bands songs. They melody works so well for the style of punk they play. “Suburban Suicide” is the perfect example of this. Instant classic song. I think this record was self released and is currently sold out of the first press. You should still keep an eye on this band and maybe they will do a repress at some point. The lyrics all around are great on this LP. Very well rounded record and a strong asset to the record collection of anyone who got their hands on the first press.

So Close - Painkiller Mentality(7 inch)

This Italian powerviolence band is very new to me but I was aware of them before this listen. I have heard their self titled album. I really liked the self titled. So naturally I was stoked to listen to their new material when I saw it had just been released. They did not disappoint. This is perfect powerviolence style for my tastes. They do just the right amount of blasts with the straight hardcore parts. The mash up between these 2 sounds are perfect. “Toxic Echo” is one of my stand out songs I feel gives you a good idea of what the band is capable of. I think it is the only song they have a 2 step part in so maybe not representative of the typical sound. But it does show that they can go play a lot of different styles well, and they choose to do straight powerviolence. That fucking rules. This record is out via Here and Now! Records and Drinkin Beer in Bandana and Jungle Noise Records in Europe. In Japan you can get it at Esagoya Records.

No Relief - Destroy Your World(EP)

Finally New music from No Relief. I love this band. Their first EP Ritual Oppressor is so timeless and I go back to it often. This New EP does not disappoint either. This band is from Brighton, UK. The whole record bangs all the way through. Every word is audible so you will be singing along. No Relief play the hard style but they keep it mostly fast. I hear parts of this band that remind me of Backtrack but it still is a much more modernized version of that sound. When they do go slower it is usually a bounce part for some extra grove. This is one of those bands that you can feel a stage presence from listening to the recordings. They have a lot of personality and style. The title track “Destroy Your World” is probably the best song. The song has big bouncy sing along parts. Then verses that are straight up hardcore fast parts. The mixture of the 2 as well as adding a 2 step part towards the back half of the song is what makes it so good. They hit all the tempos of great hard style hardcore. This EP rocks and you can get it at Rest Assured Records. The Vinyl has the First EP(Ritual Oppressor) as the B side. The CD has an extra song(Mourning Season) on it. Basically if you get both you will have the discography so handle business and support this band.

Slug - Ohio(LP)

Slug from Cleveland is back with their debut LP. I really liked this band ever since the demo came out. They do a perfect stompy hardcore style. They put out a promo in 2023 for this LP and for some reason the songs did not connect at the time. Those 2 songs reappear here on this LP and they are my 2 favorites on the record. These are the songs “Bad Actors” and “Nobody’s Fool”. They end of “Nobody’s Fool” gives a good indicator for what I mean when I say stompy hardcore style. This band feels like they should be on a show with Scowl and Spy. They fit right into the space in-between those 2 bands. Relatively simple hardcore but with a lot of emphasis and style. You can get this 12 inch from Delayed Gratification Records. Get your mosh on.

Ultras - Ultras II(EP)

New 7 inch out from California Band Ultras. They play a hectic aggressive style of hardcore that has so much furry. This is some shit that you put on and you cant relax. It makes you want to constantly mosh and just create a dust cloud from the circle pitting. I can hear when the guitar player changes chords. I don’t know why that stands out to me but I can hear the screech of them rolling their fingers up or down the string. I think that is pretty cool. If you like Spy or Youth Attack records then you will like this band. They have that sound and energy. “Best Believe” has some very good 2 step mosh parts as well as having the typical fast mosh style that they are known for. You can get a 7 inch from Convulse Records. Ya’ll best be ready to circle pit or at least run side to side.

Mindless - Let’em Know(7 inch)

This 7inch is great. The band is a UK hardcore band with a slight Oi sound at times. They mostly do a fast style of hardcore(which you know I love). When they do change tempos and slow things down they usually go into a caveman side to side stop beat. Like in the middle of the song “Cold Hell”. They keep it simple on this 7 inch in a good way. The lyrics are easy to hear. The main vocals sound kind of like the vocals on some of the faster Conflict songs. The artwork for this record is also really sick so make sure you go pick one up at Then and Now: Essex Hardcore.

News

One of my favorite bands “One Step Closer” have a new single out. That is going to be off their sophomore LP. The song is called “Leap Years” and the LP is called “All You Embrace”. This is coming out on Run For Cover records and the Pre-Order is up now.

Hate Force is a Death Metal band with some hardcore and grindcore parts sprinkled in. They have a new LP called “Systems of Terror” coming out on Closed Casket Activities on March 29th. The first single “Hateful Creator” is up now on streaming.

Metallic Hardcore band Kharma from Chicago has a new single out called “Clip Your Wings.” This is promoting a new LP called “A World Of Our Own” coming out later this year on Flatspot Records.

Local Shows

First off I went to a local show for the first time in a while last weekend. I went to Slice Hub in Peoria IL for the show. I have had so much going on in my life that I have not had as much time to be at shows or have much money to travel to them. I am making a big effort to be more involved this year in my local scene and try to travel to some shows that are not as close. Peoria is the closest city to me with any music scene so I went. I haven’t been to a Peoria Show in a while. I didn’t even know anyone in the city liked hardcore. I have seen some grind and metal bands come through but hardcore has been at least 6 years or so since I saw a hardcore band play in Peoria. This show was a bit of a mixed bag though. The first few bands were kind of strange but that is to be expected from my previous Peoria experiences. One guy sang over deathcore music coming out of his laptop and stuff like that. Then a local grind band from Peoria/Chicago went on. This band Shrivel Up I am very familiar with and I like them a lot. They have a Split with Holy Water that is sick. Then songs that are supposed to be on an upcoming split 7 inch with Headless Death are also really great. I have seen Shrivel Up a few times but not since those releases have been out. I think they have just continued to get better with time. Their set was so much fun. They always have a great fun vibe but mixed with blasting your face off and shredding. Shrivel Up was on a weekend run with Chicago Hardcore band Greed Worm. This bands set was fun to watch and the room seemed to be very into it. They have a new single out called “Chaos Theory” that is pretty cool and seem like they are going to be doing more in the future so I will continue to keep my eye on this band. The final band was Bruxism a metallic hardcore band from Normal, Illinois. Nobody left, the show stayed packed in the small room and people were into it the whole way through. The venue is like a small little pizza by the slice joint. The pizza place was open for business while the show is going on but the pit is right where you order a slice so I thought that vibe is pretty cool. The people I saw and ran into during this show seem to be very stoked on live music. I have never seen most of them before so maybe they are mostly new to the scene and I have just not been around lately. But it is cool to see a lot of kids wanting to go off for local bands. Even if they don’t know how to dance. I am excited to get back into going to shows regularly especially because there are actual hardcore bands in Peoria now. The Peoria shows I am used to in the past usually is only collage rock type shit which I hate but some of my friends used to like going to. Over all I liked the vibes of this show and met some new friends and saw some older friends. I need to get out to shows more and as long as I can afford the money and time to do so I am going to keep trying to go to as many as possible. The following flyers are some of the shows I am going to try to get out to soon I am super stoked on this Sinister Feeling/Kidnapped tour show. Hopefully with any luck I will have some to share about that show in a future edition.

Underground music is the greatest thing ever.

Listen to One Step Closer.

I have been having a lot going on lately and there is a lot that I wanted to add this week but will most likely end up in next edition because I didn’t have enough time to familiarize myself with the music. I also have some interviews lined up so hopefully one of those will work out to get on here in a future edition so stay tuned for all that. Go see a show this week and comment your show stories I would love to hear about them.

More reviews and new sections of the future zine editions will be coming soon. I want to improve this zine as I go so if you have tips or anything get in the comments. You can also message me directly at my email in the about tab. If you enjoy this zine tell a friend. Keep it real and I’ll catch you next edition.