A Wilhelm Scream |Cheap Heat |Creator-Destructor Records

Release Date February 27^th, 2026
Format CD/Vinyl/Cassette/Digital
Genre Melodic Hardcore, Hardcore Punk
Country United States

A Wilhelm Scream crawled out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, over twenty-five years ago, throwing down a vicious collision of punk, metal, and hardcore. Over the decades, they survived breakups and endless touring, operating entirely on their own terms as underdogs of the scene. Now, three years after "Lose Your Delusion", the quintet drops their sixth studio full-length, "Cheap Heat", through Creator-Destructor Records. Bringing new second guitarist Ben Murray into the fold alongside Nuno Pereira, Trevor Reilly, Nicholas Angelini, and Brian Robinson, the boys are back spreading their specific brand of fast, aggressive noise.

"Cheap Heat" acts as a heel turn in a wrestling ring. The guys abandoned the poetic musings of past releases and dove straight into the gutter. The ten songs here deal with sociopathy, evil, and the twisted perspective of a sore winner. It throws out hyper-fast riffs, shredding guitars, and an aggressive vocal delivery that snarls and spits right in your face. The production, handled at Anchor End Studio, keeps the instruments striking with maximum impact. The speed rarely drops, delivering pure adrenaline fueled by a sinister, cynical worldview.

The album flies by at breakneck speed. "Somebody's Gonna Die" and "The Scumbag Grift" launch the assault with reckless abandon. The musicianship is incredibly technical. Fast-paced bass lines sync up flawlessly with relentless drumming, giving the twin guitars space to rip solos and trade furious rhythms. Sometimes the sheer velocity blurs the lines between songs. You get a massive dose of aggression, and occasionally a chorus or riff gets swallowed up in the chaotic frenzy. Even so, the hostility driving tracks like "Fell Off" and "Poison II" keeps the momentum rolling forward.

The chaotic energy is the defining trait of A Wilhelm Scream. They thrive in the fast lane, ignoring what the rest of the scene is doing. The guitar work from Reilly and Murray constantly battles for dominance against the frantic rhythm section. It creates a massive wall of sound. Sometimes it can be slightly overwhelming on the first listen, as the relentless pacing merges the songs into one giant sonic assault.

A Wilhelm Scream delivers what their loyal followers want with "Cheap Heat". It brings serious speed, hostile lyrics, and furious musicianship to the table. Some extra variation in the tempos might have elevated the whole package, making the individual tracks strike with more force. Regardless, the boys from New Beige unleashed a fast, angry, and highly technical hardcore banger. They operate with total disregard for trends, smashing through ten tracks of pure aggression.

Score: 7.5

https://www.awilhelmscream.com

https://www.instagram.com/awilhelmscreamofficial

https://www.facebook.com/awilhelmscream

https://x.com/AWILHELMSCREAM

https://awilhelmscream.bandcamp.com

https://www.youtube.com/@awilhelmscream

https://creator-destructor.com

https://creator-destructor.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/creatordestructorrecords

https://x.com/CD_Records

https://www.instagram.com/creator_destructor_records

https://www.youtube.com/@CDRbayarea

Vitamin X |Ride The Apocalypse |Svart Records

Release Date 13.03.2026
Format CD/LP/Digital
Genre Hardcore Punk, Crossover Thrash Metal
Country Netherlands

Vitamin X has been ripping through the underground for over two decades, coming up alongside crossover mutants like Municipal Waste and Wolfbrigade. These guys have toured the globe, playing thousands of gigs at festivals from Hellfest to Obscene Extreme. They have dropped music on legendary labels like Southern Lord, Havoc, and Tankcrimes, getting production help from Steve Albini and J. Mascis along the way. Their music video for "About To Crack" pulled in millions of views, spreading their fast, socio-political hardcore attack to the masses.

Their new album, "Ride The Apocalypse", drops seventeen tracks of frantic aggression. With mastering by Joel Grind and apocalyptic cover art by Andrei Bouzikov, the whole package screams old-school thrash. The music goes straight for the throat, bringing twenty-eight minutes of high-speed hostility. Guitars speed along relentlessly, backed by drums that batter away at maximum velocity.

Tracks like "Chop Chop Chop" and "Unleash The Wolves" tear forward without stopping. The riffs fly out of the speakers at breakneck speeds. The vocals are shouted and furious, matching the intense tempo of the snare drums. This is pure, distorted noise. The band stays entirely in their lane, delivering loud, high-energy mayhem all the way through the tracklist.

For twenty-eight minutes, "Ride The Apocalypse" blasts out intense punk metal. The production is loud, rough, and punchy, giving the guitars plenty of bite. Fans of raging, fast music will get a heavy dose of what they want from Vitamin X. It is a raging, fast thrash attack that gets the job done and leaves you with ringing ears.

Score: 7.0

https://www.svartrecords.com

https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords

https://www.instagram.com/svartrecords

https://www.facebook.com/vitaminxhc

https://www.instagram.com/vitaminx_official

https://vitaminx.bandcamp.com

Brahmashiras |Trinitite |Caligari Records

Release Date February 20^th, 2026
Format CD
Genre Death/Black Metal, Hardcore Punk
Country Russia

The heavy metal underground has always had a soft spot for the weirdos, and Brahmashiras definitely fits the bill. These guys crawled out of Vladimir, Russia, back in 2023 with a self-titled EP that confused and crushed people in equal measure. They took the grime of hardcore punk and shoved it into a meat grinder with death metal, coming out with something that felt like an old-school grindcore attack but with the ego of a heavy metal power trio. They gained a cult following fast because they didn't sound like everyone else trying to copy the Florida scene.

Now they’ve returned with “Trinitite”, and it’s clear they haven't spent the last two years playing nice. This full-length debut is a massive step up in terms of pure hostility. While the EP was a bit more stripped back, this new album is a restless, vibrating mess of aggression that clocks in at twenty-six minutes. It’s got a much stronger blackened edge this time around, sounding like a band that’s genuinely pissed off at the world. The production is thick and loud, capturing the raw, spiteful vocal bark and the chaotic riffing without making it sound like a muddy basement tape.

The execution on songs like “Deadly Arrow” and “The Sudlica Of Khton” shows a band that has tightened their grip on their instruments. It’s abrasive as hell and built specifically for the people who want their music to hurt a little bit. The transition from the more punk-influenced roots into this vengeful, blackened death metal hybrid is seamless. The drums pound away with a savage energy that keeps the seven-song run moving at a breakneck pace, never slowing down long enough for you to catch your breath.

There is a real sense of enlightenment through violence here, matching that strange invitation they give about the "womb of desire." Brahmashiras has maximized their potential by leaning into the red and keeping the attack constant. It’s a calculated escalation of everything they did before, delivering a crushing blow to anyone who thought their first EP was a one-time deal. If you want something that sounds like a hungry beast tearing through the cage, this is the one to blast until your ears bleed.

Score: 7.5

www.brahmashiras.bandcamp.com

www.caligarirecords.com

www.facebook.com/caligarirecords

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/trinitite

www.instagram.com/brahmashirasblack/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kaf1mqWLpY

Fucked Up |Year Of The Goat |Tankcrimes Records

Release Date: December 12^th, 2025

Format: LP/Digital

Genre: Hardcore Punk, Experimental Rock

Country: Canada

Fucked Up formed in Toronto in the early 2000s and slowly became one of the most unusual names to grow out of hardcore punk. Over the years, the band expanded its sound, themes, and scale, most notably through the long running Zodiac album cycle, a project that has followed them for nearly two decades and turned their catalog into one continuous narrative experiment.

Nearly twenty years after the Zodiac series began, Fucked Up open its final chapter with “Year Of The Goat”, the first part of the larger Grass Can Move Stones project. This release sets the foundation for a story that will unfold across three albums, drawing from mythology, philosophy, and the band’s own history. The narrative centers on Monkey and Good Goat, two figures whose journey mirrors personal growth, doubt, and belief, while also reflecting the long and complicated path of the band itself.

“Year Of The Goat” operates as a single, extended work built around storytelling rather than traditional song structures. The lyrics function as a dense text, packed with images of landscapes, creatures, and trials, forming an almost literary experience. References to classic sources like Journey to the West sit alongside self written myth, giving the album a timeless quality without drifting into abstraction. The words demand attention and patience, rewarding listeners who engage with the story rather than looking for quick hooks.

Vocally, the album relies heavily on character driven performances. Damian Abraham and Tuka Mohammed guide the narrative as Monkey and Good Goat, with guest appearances adding extra layers to the cast. These voices help shape the emotional direction of the album, shifting between reflection, tension, and moments of quiet resolve. The large number of contributors never distracts from the main arc of the story, instead reinforcing the sense of a shared world.

As the opening chapter of Grass Can Move Stones, “Year Of The Goat” functions as groundwork rather than climax. It introduces themes, characters, and ideas that are clearly designed to grow across the next installments. On its own, the album is ambitious, demanding, and carefully constructed, though its full impact will likely be clearer once the complete trilogy is available. Taken at face value, it stands as a serious and thoughtful addition to the Zodiac cycle, one that values narrative depth over immediacy.

Score: 7.0

https://fuckedup.cc

https://www.instagram.com/fuckedup

https://www.facebook.com/FUglassboys

https://tankcrimes.merchtable.com

https://www.facebook.com/tankcrimes

https://www.instagram.com/tankcrimes

Bila |Beżżalart |Go Down Records/Kewn Records

Release Date: December 5^th, 2025
Format: LP
Genre: Hardcore Punk, Noise Rock, Post Punk
Country: Malta

Bila is a Maltese hardcore punk, noise rock trio active since 2014, known for short, aggressive songs delivered in Maltese and English. After a run of EPs, tours across Europe, the UK, and the US, and steady underground attention, the band arrives at its first full length with a clear idea of who they are and where they stand.

“Beżżalart” presents Bila in their rawest and most exposed form. The album channels urban pressure, political frustration, and dark humor into compact explosions of sound. The writing stays tight and confrontational, driven by shouted lines that stick quickly, especially when the band switches between languages. Maltese folklore and local realities shape the album’s identity, giving it a strong regional voice without needing explanation or decoration.

The production keeps everything harsh and physical. The sound favors abrasion over polish, with riffs and rhythms stacked in a way that presses forward constantly. The songs focus on impact and momentum, leaning on sharp changes and chant ready phrases. The album’s anger is often sharpened by sarcasm, which adds character and keeps the tension from flattening into one emotional note.

Across its runtime, “Beżżalart” stays consistent in tone and intent. The social themes are clear and repeated through different angles, especially around overdevelopment, political emptiness, and everyday suffocation. This approach makes the album easy to grasp and quick to absorb, even when the pace is relentless. At the same time, that consistency limits surprise, and some sections blur together after multiple listens.

“Beżżalart” works best as a snapshot of Bila at a specific moment, loud, frustrated, and rooted in their environment. It delivers energy and attitude in a straightforward way, leaving a solid impression without reaching beyond its own boundaries. As a debut album, it establishes presence and identity more than depth or range.

Score: 7.0

https://bilapower.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bilamalta/

https://www.instagram.com/bilapower/

https://www.youtube.com/@bilapower1530

https://www.godownrecords.com/bila

Thumbsucker/Atomçk |Split |Road To Masochist

Release Date: November 14^th, 2025

Format: CD/10” Vinyl

Genre: Hardcore Punk, Grindcore

Country: United Kingdom

Thumbsucker and Atomçk come from the UK underground, operating far from trends and comfort zones. Thumbsucker work within raw hardcore punk, short, hostile, and confrontational. Atomçk represent grindcore at its most abrasive, active for many years and shaped by a long stretch of silence before returning with renewed hostility. This split brings together two bands with a shared appetite for confrontation and refusal to soften their message.

The split arrives as a blunt response to social rot, moral collapse, and everyday hypocrisy. The writing focuses on anger that is pointed outward, not abstract or decorative. Thumbsucker open the release with a sequence of short, violent statements built around social disgust, personal rage, and public apathy. The pacing stays aggressive and compressed, keeping pressure high without drifting into excess. The material sounds urgent and uncomfortable, rooted in hardcore tradition without drifting into nostalgia or polish.

Atomçk take over with a harsher and more chaotic presence. Their material leans into hostility and confrontation, built around relentless speed and abrasive vocal delivery. Lyrical themes attack urban decay, political emptiness, and cultural stagnation. The songs hit fast and disappear just as quickly, leaving little space for reflection. Atomçk sound angrier and more feral than before, channeling years of frustration into short explosions of noise and intent.

As a full release, this split works as a unified outburst rather than two disconnected halves. Thumbsucker and Atomçk share a similar worldview, and the transition between the two sides feels natural in spirit, even as the approaches differ. The release does not chase variety or accessibility, it exists to confront and provoke. For listeners drawn to extreme underground music rooted in anger and refusal, this split delivers a clear and uncompromising statement.

Score: 6.5

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553346392588

https://www.facebook.com/atomckgrind

https://roadtomasochist.co.uk/

Breathe//Die | Gestalt | Tidal Force Records

Release Date: 1 October 2025

Format: Digital, LP

Genre: Hc Punk, Grindcore, Death Metal

Country: Germany

Formed in Germany, Breathe//Die started as a trio and evolved into a duo, building a reputation through relentless live shows and a commitment to raw, aggressive sound. Their approach mixes hardcore punk, grindcore, and death metal into a compact, chaotic force, supported by DIY production and unique distortion setups. With a strong presence in the underground scene, the band has carved out a space for fans who follow high-energy, no-compromise extreme music.

“Gestalt” is a concentrated burst of aggression and noise, pushing the edge of hardcore punk, grindcore, and death metal without any frills. Breathe//Die delivers short, explosive tracks that hit hard and leave a lasting impact, each one built around heavy distortion, relentless rhythms, and guttural vocals. The album’s production gives it a raw, unpolished edge that matches the energy of their live shows, giving the impression that you’re right in the middle of the chaos.

There’s no wasted space on “Gestalt”; every riff, every drum hit, every vocal scream is aimed to maximize intensity. Songs like “Louder Than Your Peace” and “Tears You Were Told Are For The Weak” push speed and heaviness to their limits, while tracks such as “A Silhouette To Suffice” and “Gestalt” bring a slightly more measured pace that still has the same punch. The duo format works in their favor, keeping the sound focused and aggressive without unnecessary layering. The album moves swiftly, leaving listeners engaged from start to finish, and its compact runtime ensures it never drags.

For those into fast, crushing, and uncompromising music, “Gestalt” delivers consistently. It’s an album built to satisfy fans of Magrudergrind, Nails, Nasum, Trap Them, and Pig Destroyer, offering high-speed aggression and a distinctly underground feel. The self-recorded and produced nature of the album adds authenticity, making it clear that Breathe//Die operates on their own terms, without outside interference.

Score: 7.0

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/breathe_die/

https://www.facebook.com/breathedie.band

https://breathedie.bandcamp.com/

https://breathedie.de