Wednesday 23 May 2018

Combust - Demo 7"


Labels: Straight & Alert Records
Formats: Vinyl/Digital
Release Date: 04 Jan 2018

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Combust
3. Another Fool
4. Drowning
5. My Fire
6. Dissed And Dismissed (Breakdown cover) - Digital Bonus Track

When I first started collecting vinyl and getting into DIY music, hardcore was my chosen genre. At first I was getting into UK bands like Hang The Bastard and xCurraheex. Both at different ends of hardcore spectrum at the time, but they both still mean a lot to me today. French label Straight & Alert has been consistently putting out great hardcore for as long as I can remember and this is one of their early 2018 releases. Combust is from NYC and takes influence from bands like Killing Time and Cro-Mags. I think this is their debut release (correct me if I'm wrong!).

Combust reminds me of why I loved (and still love) hardcore so much. Their Intro grabs you by the throat with some incredible riffs and rhythms. Combust is the first hardcore song proper. It’s solid with loads of groove and New York attitude. I think it’s that attitude that make NYHC one of the toughest strains of hardcore period. Another Fool is breakneck, with plenty of thrash and hard-style influence. it’s a quick-fire beast as well. Everything about Combust is awesome, from the drums and bass work, to the guitar and vox. 

Drowning illustrates their commitment to keeping hardcore alive with no let-up whatsoever. The lead-work points towards the forefathers of crossover and adds some extra flair. My Fire is properly mosh-worthy and the speed at which it’s delivered reasserts how seriously Combust takes their craft. The digital version of the 7” includes a bonus song, in the form of a cover of Dissed And Dismissed by NYHC veterans Breakdown. They put their own stamp on the song with plenty of urgency and bite. Combust are another band that proves that hardcore is more than relevant. Forget your “popular” bands (you know who I mean), Combust is where it’s at.

You can stream Combust's "Demo" and purchase it digitally below:-




Physical 7" copies can be ordered from Straight & Alert Records here - https://www.straightandalert.com/

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