"The first time I heard Terror frontman Scott Vogel utter the words: "more stage dives” I knew this community was the one for me. The energy, the relatability, the idea that you don’t necessarily need to be proficient at playing music to make an impact."
Often described as a more aggressive, faster, more intense subculture of punk, the 'hardcore' genre first emerged across the United States in the early 1980s (New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington and San Francisco). Akin to its genre forefather of punk, hardcore embodies a do-it-yourself ethos, attracting a young generation beginning to lose interest in the increasingly commercialised punk scene, looking for something raw and rougher around the edges. Fast-forward a few decades, and hardcore music has proved its sticking power, not only enduring within grassroots scenes but also piquing the interest of a more mainstream audience, popularised by the genre-bending approach of bands such as Turnstile and Knocked Loose.
"In the early 80s at Rough Trade, we used to buy box loads of American hardcore from RT Inc, who were based in San Francisco. Unpacking the boxes was always so exciting: Husker Du, Black Flag, Minor Threat, new Dischord releases, new issue of Thrasher mag, new Skate Rock! Cassettes. This led us to starting Slam City Skates to sell skateboards and Thrasher merch. Like all styles, hardcore progressed, and one branch transformed into emo, led primarily by (ex Minor Threat) Fugazi. One of their first UK shows was in December 88 at the George Robey and was amazing, but my favourite was in Brighton at the Zap Club about a year later. Southern records organised a bus trip from London to the show - the support band was Silverfish, whose album Wiija (our shop label) was about to release - and the whole day was a total blast!"
Nigel House, Director at Rough Trade
To celebrate our long history of enjoying hardcore, Rough Trade East's Luke Wainwright and Rough Trade NYC's Wesley Lyons unite across the pond to thrash out some of the scene's most significant and exciting artists and albums, from the early 1980s to present day.
"Hardcore music is blowing up in the UK, and I couldn’t be happier. To me, it seems like a good pushback to modern life. Clinically produced pop music sounds corporate and lifeless - as if it were designed to be as accessible as possible. And gigs nowadays can seem tame. People don’t really move. Hardcore gigs demand your attention. You can’t be filming the gig, or you’d risk taking a shoe to the face!"
Luke, Rough Trade East
Bad Brains - Bad Brains (1981)
As Black artists in a predominantly white subculture, Bad Brains have inspired generations in demonstrating that the hardcore movement not only champions inclusivity and diversity, but in fact, these things are also at the scene's roots. Although in later decades the hardcore scene has had to fight against the spread of neo-nazi extremism within the community, there has still been a core audience who remember that hardcore belongs to everyone, channelling the positivity and anti-fascist stance that early bands such as Bad Brains and Gorilla Biscuits promoted. The intensity of their self-titled debut and stage energy influenced hardcore bands such as Minor Threat, and beyond hardcore, acts like Deftones cite them as influencing their heavy yet melodic style. Incorporating reggae into their music (Jah Calling and Leaving Babylon), along with elements of dub, Bad Brains' self-titled laid a blueprint for crossing punk and reggae energy, a blend of hardcore aggression and genre-crossing experimentation which we see bands like Turnstile exhibiting today. Their third studio album I Against Again released in 1986 is equally worth a listen.
Georgia, Rough Trade Office
Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (1982)
Not only the pioneers of hardcore but also of heavy music in general. The iconic d-beat drum pattern is actually named after Discharge, who essentially made it a hallmark of the genre. Their speed and ferocity married the crossover of metal and punk, paving the way for extreme genres like thrash metal, crust punk, and grindcore.
HNSNSN has a distinctly 80s sound, featuring screeching, chorus-effect guitars and a dry, damp drum tone. The album flies along, with most tracks lasting 1-2 minutes. Tracks start immediately, serve their purpose, and then move on to the next. My favourite track is probably Protest and Survive. It’s got a very thrashy sound - could be a Slayer track! It feels like a change of pace, going slightly easier to follow. This makes Meanwhile (another favourite) hit that bit harder; it just sounds so aggressive and immediate. Lastly, the closer, The End, is hard! It’s at max intensity throughout, and that main guitar line is chef’s kiss.
Luke, Rough Trade East
Agnostic Front - Victim In Pain (1984)
Victim In Pain can be argued to be THE quintessential NYHC record of the 80s next to other titans such as Cro-Mags' Age of Quarrel or Warzone's Don’t Forget the Struggle, Don’t Forget the Streets. Records that people keep coming back to year after year when discovering hardcore. Between messages of unity among the downtrodden to fight against injustice and eventually leaning into more crossover metal, Agnostic Front really embodies living the hardcore lifestyle to the fullest. It’s also under a 15-minute record!
Wesley, Rough Trade New York
Gorilla Biscuits - Start Today (1989)
Gorilla Biscuits are another classic 80s NYHC band that gravitates a bit more toward sing-alongs and positivity while still maintaining a hard stance on issues such as anti-racism and promoting a vegan straight-edge lifestyle. The more emotional tone of their music and lyrics was a bit different than most of what was going on in the 80s in NY, and the lasting effect of their short existence is proven in all the shirts you still see people wearing, along with many successful reunions they’ve had. The horns at the beginning of New Direction?! Iconic.
Wesley, Rough Trade New York
Fugazi - Repeater (1990)
Nowhere near the sonic extremes of Discharge, but arguably more punk in their attitudes, never working with corporates, keeping gig tickets to a low $5, and encouraging bootleg merch. They didn’t encourage the ‘crowd-killing’ and rough mosh pits, even giving them back their $5 refund for their ticket from a stack of envelopes kept in their van. This, however, absolutely doesn’t mean their shows were calm; go look at old gigs, they’re nuts. There’s a famous photo of Guy Picciotto singing while hanging upside down from a basketball hoop
I love the sound of this album. It sounds real and raw, with a nice, natural, big and roomy but immediate drum sound. The album doesn’t sound overproduced at all, but it’s crystal clear - like you’re listening to them play in the studio with you sitting there. Joe Lally’s playing style and the sound of his bass is like a third guitar, adding a third melody rather than just giving weight to the sound.
The pacing of Repeater is on point. They know what vibe to give the listener and when. The opener, Turnover has this pensive, cinematic atmosphere. With a long intro and a chorus featuring these rising guitars that really add to the tension of the track. It then all releases with a groovy bridge, and then just explodes into the last section. Then, after this atmospheric opening track, with a snare roll, it transitions smoothly to the super danceable and much lighter in tone. Every track takes the feel of the album in a different direction, with each song doing the same in its own runtime. I’d love to analyse each track, but you can just listen to it yourself!
Luke, Rough Trade East
American Nightmare - Background Music (2001)
Moving more into the 2000s, American Nightmare was like lightning in a bottle in the hardcore scene. From Boston, known for its more violent shows, AN captured a snapshot of personal battles with your demons rather than more general societal issues other bands tended to speak on. Wesley Eisold’s lyrics read like poetry and made you feel connected to the music and message on a more personal level than you thought possible. Screaming along with other people who feel the words in their bones is a communal experience unlike any other.
After a couple of very well received 7”s, they released the highly anticipated full-length Background Music in 2001 and influenced an entire generation of hardcore bands to follow. Despite their initial existence being short-lived and breaking up in 2004, they reunited in 2011 to a massively successful set of shows. A cult following unlike any other band in hardcore before. If you’re able to catch any of their shows, which are rare at this point, don’t miss out.
Wesley, Rough Trade New York
Year One (25th Anniversary)
Available again for the first time in decades, the Boston hardcore band’s 25th anniversary release of Year One pays tribute to their formative years. Available on Rough Trade Exclusive bloodshot vinyl.
"The first time I heard Terror frontman Scott Vogel utter the words 'more stage dives' I knew this community was the one for me."
Terror - Lowest Of The Low (2003)
Not many other bands can represent the current and past hardcore ethos in the way that Terror does. A boiled-down formula with no bullshit injected directly into your veins. Over 20 years into their career and STILL putting out absolute bangers. This first album is the perfect introduction of the positive aggression that can be hardcore music. Is it possible not to wanna mosh after hearing Push It Away into Life and Death?
The first time I heard Terror frontman Scott Vogel utter the words "more stage dives" I knew this community was the one for me. The energy, the relatability, the idea that you don’t necessarily need to be proficient at playing music to make an impact. As Norman Brannon of Anti-Matter/Thursday/Texas Is The Reason would say, “We believe hardcore is more than music” - something that echoes in the cross-genre approach to all things you can deem hardcore based on ethics as much as music.
Wesley, Rough Trade New York
Nails - Unsilent Death (2010)
When I wanted to write about Nails, it was debated between the Rough Trade team whether they might be more metal than punk, which is understandable, but as Todd Jones has said, "we are a hardcore band through and through". It’s easily the heaviest album on my list; it’s pure aggression. Hardcore is a pretty big spectrum and it sound can vary a lot. But if you listen to Discharge, whom I mentioned earlier, you can see how that sound evolved into Nails.
The original 10-track album has a runtime of just 14 minutes, but it absolutely doesn’t feel light. As Todd Jones himself said, their music takes a no "bullshit" approach to songwriting. Songs start immediately, wasting no time to blast through perfectly crafted walls of violence, blending crushing blast beats and noise, before transitioning into the grooviest and catchiest passage you’ve ever heard. It’s instant gratification over and over again, play it loud, and it’s like a drug. On streaming services, there are an extra 5 tracks, taking the record's runtime to an epic 22 minutes! And honestly, these tracks are also excellent. My favourite from these extras might be Confront Them, which features some crazy, higher-register vocals from Jones, and the second half of the track evolves into a creative and again catchy groove.
It’s also worth noting Kurt Ballou’s contribution to Nails. Gaining well-deserved fame as the guitarist for Converge (Jane Doe is one of the best albums ever made), he is also hugely successful as a producer for hardcore and metal. Ballou’s production is excellent. It’s crushing and raw, while still sounding pristine. I don’t think many other bands achieve this clinical intensity in their sound.
Luke, Rough Trade East
Incendiary - Change The Way You Think About Pain (2023)
As Rough Trade dips its toes into current hardcore, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include the juggernauts from Long Island NY, Incendiary. From opening local shows for larger bands in the scene like Stray From The Path, Indecision, and Backtrack to headlining hardcore festivals across the country this band has had a nice slow burn journey to where they are now.
Change The Way You Think About Pain is their most recent and for it being their 4th album, still packs the punch you come to expect. Between crushing riffs that are so heavy it’s almost funny (but NOT funny) and lyrics that make you want to overthrow the oligarchies of the world. We had them play Rough Trade Above in NYC when the album came out, and it was the perfect amount of controlled chaos you’d expect from people moshing and stage diving off the check-out counter.
Wesley, Rough Trade New York
Pest Control: Year of the Pest (2024)
More on the thrash end of the spectrum, here we have Leed’s Pest Control, with Year of the Pest. I’ve been cheeky including this as it’s actually an EP, but you know what, Unsilent Death by Nails, mentioned earlier, is technically an LP and it’s only 17 minutes, so whatever!
Pest Control is described as a thrash metal/hardcore punk crossover band. Across YotP we get super-fast tempos, chugging, palm-muted riffs and mental shredding guitar solos. But, we also get treated to tempo changes and big breakdowns. The performances from all the band members are great. Massey-Hay’s vocals are sick; she sounds angry as hell, and her scream is brutal, without sacrificing any clarity to her lyrics. The guitar and bass work from the boys is hard as hell, with some really heavy riffs, creative rhythms and some crazy thrash shredding. I don’t even know what that noise is at 1:50 on the first track, it’s nuts. And Ben Jones on drums is a beast, drumming so good so fast, and then facilitating all these tempo changes and breakdowns. The band is a tight unit, and they really know how to put together a great tracklist. In such a short runtime, Pest Control cover a lot of ground, and does so with a lot of fun.
Luke, Rough Trade East
Turnstile - NEVER ENOUGH (2025)
Turnstile has had a significant impact on hardcore and music overall. The band has brought hardcore into the mainstream by transforming an abrasive sound into something uplifting, accessible, and quite beautiful - words you'd not normally associate with hardcore! It still features d-beat drum patterns and power chords, but these hardcore elements are now wrapped in a very polished, well-produced pop record. Turnstile have really got a lot of mainstream attention lately, and I think it shows that people still like guitar music with a bit of grit, they just need to be shown it!
Some tracks on the album are unapologetically pop, such as the feel-good I CARE or the more hesitant SEEIN’ STARS, which actually sounds a bit like a track from The Police (how often can you say that about a hardcore album?!) I really like these tracks; they break up the album nicely and keep you engaged with the project as a whole. I love hardcore, but sometimes it can be a bit too much of an assault on your brain, if it’s just aggression the entire runtime! There are also some nice synthy interludes throughout, giving it a more cinematic feel. It reminds me of the pacing in Tyler, the Creator’s more recent work, where you get his big rap bangers alongside fun pop songs - making the album more of an experience and a journey. I value albums that just create a vibe, but a compelling story makes it more engaging and leaves a bigger mark.
Luke, Rough Trade East
Further Listening....
Scowl - Are We All Angels?
Pig Pen - Mental Madness
End It - Wrong Side of Heaven
Integrity - Those Who Fear Tomorrow
Modern Life Is War - Witness
The Hope Conspiracy - Death Knows Your Name
Gulch - Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress
Splitknuckle - Ignorance Bleeds
Converge - Jane Doe
Speed - All My Angels