Failures - S/T

 listen to Cheer Up by Failures

I'm not going to state the obvious, but just so you didn't know: Mark McCoy of Das Oath and Charles Bronson is the vocalist in this band. Failures (band Blog) could very wel be the summum of what anyone could expect from a Youth Attack band. ADHD guitars, lightningspeed drums that would have Shiva have to catch her breath and vocals that sound like Mark's long out of breath from the first second. but, when and where you least expect it, the rythm builds up this amazing groove, and everything sounds like the soundtrack to a surf documentary at 999 Bpm or every single member of the Dead Kennedys having a bad trip on amphetamines. if that wouldn't appeal to you, you need to check the experation date to your music taste.

Last fm tags as hardcore, hardcore punk, thrashcore, chaotic hardcore, mark mccoy

buy the 7" repress on Painkiller Records, by clicking the image above!

Le Pré Ou Je Suis Mort

 listen to Une Fois De Plus by Le Pré Ou Je Suis Mort

French/Swiss band Le Pré Ou Je Suis Mort(Myspace) ,that had the same name as a french dub of a The X-Files episode, is probably the most 'active' band within the french screamo sound. they excell in building ambient elements to an equally smooth climax, only with a lot more oomph superimposed on the already harmonic yet layered sound. a mix of post-rock and french screamo that portrays the very best of what both have to offer.

they joined La Dispute on that band's first European tour btw!

click the image above to buy the cd from Denovali Records!

Das Plague - Self Titled

 listen to La segunda regla by Das Plague

so we've established that screamo with crust makes for a really raw emotional mix. spanish band Das Plague (Myspace) throws the same punches, but from a whole other angle. they include the post rock ambience in the mix to add to the passion buried underneath the crusty turmoil. a combination of both could easily clash, unless carried out with this kind of subtle incorporation of basic and rough elements. this band had members from the bands Blünt and Ekkaia, which could give you an idea of what influences to expect.
Last fm tags as: screamo, neocrust, hardcore, spanish, emo violence

This Gift Is A Curse - This Gift Is A Curse

 listen to The Big Sleep by This Gift Is A Curse

BWWWOOOO))))AAAAAHHHHHH
Last fm tags as sludge, post-metal, swedish, artcore,experimental

click the image above to order this record from their record label

Millions Of Them - Failures

 listen to Rome by Millions Of Them as a preview

There are plenty of reasons for people from Belgium to be proud of our national bands. on any level or in any 'scene'.Reply, Minus 45 Degrees and Am I Dead Yet? were three of the first bands that made me notice this, when they sprouted almost a decade ago. Millions Of Them (Facebook page) shares members with all of these defunct bands and parade around showing a vulgar display of power in every venue they even so much as plug in their instruments. I was so DONE with math hardcore, before, but these guys excel in it more skillfully than I could have ever hoped to find in any band, back when my interest in the genre peaked. this is brilliantly layered and erratic yet (be it complex) calculated structures.
Last fm tags as chaotic hardcore, hardcore, chaotic, mathcore, 00s

outside the box on sunday III

 listen to Just Like That by Tangled Hair

Brittish band Tangled Hair (bandcamp) plays the most mellow Math-like music that ever appealed to me so much. as if they play a compromise between Foals' lengthy sweet ballads and their older energetic and fleeting songs with apparent pop-punk influences that remind me of the noodly guitars and odd time signatures of indie-ish emo bands. throw in a cheesy brittish accent, and you have an idea of Tangled Hair's musical foundation. to those who aren't frightened by such a description, you should have already checked it out by now.

Last fm tags as: math pop, math rock, indie, uk, bsm

click the image above to support them and donate something for a music download

Celeste - Pessimiste(s) (remastered 2010)

 listen to Diluons nos souvenirs d'enfance by Celeste

Celeste (Facebook page) is an eclectic band that rose from the ashes of french Screamo masters Mihai Edrisch. they play a coherent mix of diverse influences, from screamo to post-metal to downtempo black metal and a broad-minded range of hardcore music. they have released 4 albums which always had the most incredible artwork, and recently remastered and then repressed the first of those releases. when you place their records alongside eachother, their individual sounds are also very coherent. maybe not enough variation for some, but I'd prefer a straight forward decent band over a band that juggles between beneath average and above average songs any day.
on another note, I would like to mention that this band is probably the coolest band I've ever seen live. they have this gimmick, in which they make the room pitch black, use a stroboscope, an overabundance of smoke from a fog machine and a faint miner light attached to their foreheads. when you add that up you get the eeriest and most alien visual display.  it's the raddest thing ever, especially in combination with this pitch black music.
Last fm tags as screamo, sludge, post-hardcore, black metal, french

click the image above to order records or merch directly from the band!

for this certain release, check the site of denovali records

Reason To Care - Dear Liv Ivy

 listen to Dreary Fall by Reason To Care

Once again: melodic hardcore out of Germany. Reason To Care (Myspace) must have seriously gotten picked on as kids, or something, because the emotions oozing out this record are raw as heck. the overall product is a pitch-black mass of soundscapes, through variating between crushing guitars and  heartbreaking minor-chord melodies with tormented vocals or playing those elements in sync. you can feel the pressure build simultaneous with the tempo of the songs as you get swept back and forth, alongside it.

Last fm tags as melodic hardcore, hardcore, hardcore punk, old school hardcore, german

click the image above to buy merch directly from the band!

Former Thieves - The Great And Alleged Great

 listen to Control and Illusion by Former Thieves, as a preview to this record

does anyone remember The Minor Times? they had more than revived my hope for the metalcore genre. because of that band, they were soaring high.

Former Thieves seem to be influenced by that very band, as they display similar sounding metallic grooves with a hint of structural chaos, topical lyrics and heartfelt elements in songs. they have a new album coming out, of which what I heard is another step forward for them. the guitars have a souther rock -like feel to their sound but play hardcore structures and the voice is so full of angst which makes for a really sweet mix of metal and post-hardcore with a progressive hardcore attitude.

Last fm tags as hardcore, heavy, punk, blues, american hardcore

support this band by buying their merch via the link in the image above

Oathbreaker - self titled

 listen to Mirror by Oatbreaker with additional vocals by Black Haven

Some exciting news for this band (wether you like them or not (especially if you're from Belgium like they are. let alone the same city)). hardcore band Oathbreaker (Facebook page) made lift-off like a rocket, signing to Thirty Days of Night Records just around the time of their very first show and blew away anyone paying attention with this EP, that they  released on that label. the pummeling metal incorporated with the rawest of punk supported by a ton of groove makes for some sweet  addition to the metallic hardcore punk acts, like quite a few masterfully play on the Deathwish label.
Last fm tags as hardcore, metalcore, chaotic hardcore, female vocalists, h8000

click here to order this album from their former label, or look out on Deathwish Records for pre-orders of their debut FULL album with, among others, the song in the video above.