Lie - CREEPIN DEMO

Every time Houston is mentioned, it is within earshot. Not one time have I heard anything negative or not worth mentioning. From my early days in hardcore starting in 2006 hearing about Pride Kills and Will to LIve, to a couple of years later becoming aware of Die Young, to the young and fresh Strange Joy and Juice Box. Nothing short of influential southern talent. With the help of the social media, the amount of new music reaching new ears is consistently rising to new heights. Now, any new band can attract a large amount of attention through music and visuals of their live performances. Enter Lie TXHC.

Summer 2023 feels like an non stop movie reel with sporadic new band releases, action packed hardcore shows and weekend long festivals testing the endurance level of modern young adults. Initially, I discovered Lie TXHC through their Instagram page. It wasn’t until I seen a short video clip on Twitter of the band performing inside of a Zumiez location, is when the band caught my full attention. A hardcore show taking place inside of a skate shop was enough for me to tune in, anything else afterwards was considered a bonus. When I stumbled upon Lie’s set, I became intrigued. They began their set by playing Tejano music ( I do not know the artist, give me time to gain more knowledge) and immediately I exclaimed “Tejano hardcore!”. The rest of the set was riotous, catered by the hard hitting mid tempo hardcore, initiating the flailing arm mosh.

A week or so later, the Houston band released the demo song, CREEPIN. its features the Tejano sample with an radio edit for a vintage flair. Afterwards, the song kicks into high gear, reiterating the aggressive, mid tempo hardcore I heard previously. The vocal style curved my attention a bit. I gathered a hip- hop undertone, dipped in Latin culture with the obvious hardcore overtone. This track compels me to classify this as Tejano hardcore, why not? It’s fun making up new genre names. Tap the image below to give it a listen.

Tap image to listen to the song, CREEPIN

Misanthrope- Demo 2023

It’s been a good year so far for Fort Worth hardcore. 817 HC has been on a roll, spewing new artist left and right. The consistency is admirable, it seems motivate more bands to pop up in the area. Misanthrope being one of them. Lead by Sketchy, frontman for the band deepincision, I made the assumption Misanthrope is going to contain chaotic elements with the characteristics of the H8000 movement. Sure enough, upon listening to the release, I was somewhat correct and pleasantly surprised.

The Misanthrope Demo 2023 is available now on Bandcamp. The 4 track demo is a 9 minute sit, jam packed of unadulterated disorder. It showcases a structured blend of death metal and metalcore I wouldn’t think of putting together. The definitive parts of the ep play a part in making the project whole, similar to an organized mess. It is a literal sonic boom as soon as you press play. From there on, occupied by Sketchy’s signature panic filled, shrieking vocals, its a wild ride fit for the pit. Tap the image above or click HERE to give the demo a listen.

Spit My Rage- Demo 2023

As you can tell be now, its been nothing short of demo releases sprouting all summer. It’s fun to listen to the latest bands on the come up. It has come to the point where it is easier to get booked for a show then to release music. There are many bands who performed their whole set with no music available. As long as the music is good and it gets the crowd moving, the stage becomes a family member. Ultimately, it makes its easier and more rewarding to start a band. Different style influenced by their predecessors. Nonetheless, its celebrated in the same way.

Spit My Rage is one of the newest additions to FWHC. Straight edge warriors from Texas got together to create a raw, in your face demo, heavily influenced by older, classic NYHC. Its a treat to hear younger bands continuing to carry the historical sound of the past. Down to the t, Spit My Rage comes ready to deliver their angst and pride of the subculture. The “no tolerance, take no shit” approach is quintessential and is the reason why I began to love hardcore in my early days. Aside from the attitude and authentic approach, the demo feels like a non- stop, proper, two step extravaganza with stage dives and side to sides. Tap the image to give the demo a listen.