JANUARY SHOUT-OUTS: ROUGH JUSTICE, SPLITKNUCKLE, BILMURI

I’m not sure if I’ll make this a monthly installment, but I wanted to do a post on a trio of noteworthy January releases I wanted to give a shout-out to, two from the UK that were actually released on the same day and one from the heart of America, the, to quote Bilmuri’s Tweet from January 19th, "OHIO EMO ANTHEM…BETTER THAN ANYTHING EVER WRITTEN BY HUMANS EXCEPT FOR THE 1995 DISNEY CLASSIC HEAVYWEIGHTS." Very advanced reference that was well-received in these quarters.

Rough Justice-Faith In Vain

Sheffield, UK outfit Rough Justice serve up their brand of chunky, metallic hardcore here with an album that’s 100% made for the pit. I always take it as a good sign when a band belts out their own name on a track ("Overruled"). MLVLTD is on a roll lately between this album and Guilt Trip’s phenomenal Severance from a few months ago. Amongst the otherwise pummeling offering, the instrumental track "Rusting" adds atmosphere (I was reminded of a couple tracks off This Is Hell’s Sundowning used to similar effect) and the surprising inclusion of clean vocals on the title track as part of the memorable chorus created as close to a genuine "single" as you’re going to get in hardcore, similar to Guilt Trip’s "Sanctified" or Bodyweb’s "Synthetic." The opening of "When It Comes" almost felt like it could’ve been on an early Pelican release. These guys can bang with the best of them, but it’s those other touches that add that extra something and round the release out.

Splitknuckle-Breathing Through the Wound

If you like a healthy helping of old school death metal in your hardcore—and it seems like these days very many people and bands do—then Essex, UK band Splitknuckle is for you! Adjectives like "nasty" and "filthy" come to mind. The album is generally unrelenting but not without some variety, such as the Leeway part in "Essex Kingz," the slowed-down more subdued "Gethsemane" and its clean vocals that strikes a much more melancholy note (although a track that still has plenty of opportunity to head bang over the last minute or so), and the "Gethsemane"-esque opening of "Stay Keeping Count." The band saves the best for last, though, with the final track "The Sickness" representing Splitknuckle’s punishing distilled essence, although a similar argument could be made for the title track.

Bilmuri-"Better Hell (Thicc boi)"

He’s done it again! Johnny Franck (Bilmuri) continues to level up with another country-core banger. Insanely catchy chorus? Check. Some djenting? Check. Relatable, evocative lyrics? Check. Short, sweet, high re-playability, 10/10 video. If not the second-best thing ever written by humans, it’s still damn good.