Review roundup - May 2026

Coming up as a nujack poser, I would often hear people refer to Philly’s “great hardcore scene” and feel perplexed. It always seemed like the city had an outsized cultural impact with regards to sports, TV, movies, etc., but not hardcore. To me, Blacklisted, Shattered Realm and Ink & Dagger were cool bands, but not necessarily the ingredients for a “great scene”. I assumed people singing Philly’s praises were glazing stick’n’poke loving, fixed gear bicycle enthusiast hardcore and kept on listening to Nails or whatever the fuck I enjoyed at the time.

There are countless reasons why that take is dumb as hell, but perhaps the most glaring is that Philadelphia serves as a live hardcore hub for many surrounding areas like Delaware, eastern PA and southern New Jersey. Although Blacklisted is the only historical marquis band I can think of from the city proper, The First Unitarian Church is a storied, iconic venue and This is Hardcore was a premier North American festival for at least 15 years (Covid makes the math hard). Some of the most iconic live footage from my time in hardcore has been shot in Philly, to the point where The Church floor is imprinted in my mind despite never stepping foot in the venue.

In 2026, Philadelphia is arguably THE spot. The city is home to Rebirth Records, who I’ve spent enough time glazing on here, along with the Rebirth Showcase which is quickly becoming a must-attend event on the hc calendar. It has high profile national acts in Scarab and Gridiron, along with many smaller pocket scenes on the bleeding edge of what’s cool right now. Every time I listen to From Within Podcast, it seems like the Philadelphia-residing hosts attend two or three good shows each weekend. They’re eating like crazy in Philly right now, and I’m not just talking about cheese steaks. Tap in.

Swordpath - SWORDPATH (Takdown)

I’m not one for gossip, but if the song titles on this Philly band’s debut are any indicator, they’re mad at someone. This features at least one ex-member of Balmora. Read into that what you will. I came across it because my buddy told me about the internet drama and I actually like it. Let this be a lesson to the trolls — any press is good press. When I saw the art for this I thought “there’s no way” and kept scrolling. The Krate hate brought me back. I guess this sounds like xDisciplex A.D., a band I never listen to because they have the worst name in music history. I sampled their album with similar art and definitely hear the comparison. The third song is also based around a riff that sounds a lot like Brother’s Keeper. I guess this is an honest stab at like, pre-girl jeans Trustkill music and Christian bands with x’s in their name? The aforementioned BK-esque song is probably the highlight for me. The rest is fast, moshy metallic hardcore that doesn’t reach the heights of Scarab but is good enough to enjoy on its own merit.

Demonstrate - Prove Me Wrong (Designated Mosher’s Unit)

DMU has slowed down a bit since their 2023-24 hall of fame run, but rest assured you’ll get a high quality release when they drop. This 7” from Philly’s Demonstrate is certainly no exception. Their demo, which DMU put out in 2024, drew heavily from second wave classics like Can’t Close My Eyes and You’re Only Young Once. While not a major departure, this EP appears to pull more from mid-late 2000s Boston hardcore that also nods at the earliest Rev material. The songs are shorter, the production is cleaned up, and the Beantown tendencies of bands like Waste Management seem amplified. I think so, at least. Being run through an actual computer and not recorded in a tin can or concrete box makes this a more nuanced listen. The details shine through in a way that wasn’t previously possible. Their two demos are required listening, but this EP proves the moments of brilliance peaking between feedback and tape hiss were no accident. If there was any doubt, they prove us wrong here.

The Big Hurt - U.N.I.T.Y. Demo (Total Supply)

I didn’t like this when it first came out. I was feeling dismissive of Breakdown ‘87 Demo worship, plus the baseball stuff on here seemed too schlocky. Then I saw it referred to as standout in a preview of the upcoming Mundane Moshers zine and decided to circle back. The Phillies worship still feels a little campy, but those riffs are certainly not. It’s actually more ‘92 Breakdown than ‘87, which is my preferred era. There’s a lot of Mike Dijan-ism in the guitars, along with that classic 90s hip hop groove, basically allowing the vocalist to rap over the songs without it sounding like nu metal. “Long hair, short hair, straight edge or not” has been playing on a loop in my brain while I write this. Lyric of the year candidate for sure. As someone who could probably write a college thesis on the importance of unity in the hardcore scene, I’m glad to see dudes still preaching it, especially in a granular, city-specific sense. This is a good demo. It’s not cracking my favourites of the year, but I’m glad I spun back on it.

God’s Last Wish - On Times of Promising End (NBK)

This EP was written by Hamilton hardcore luminary Josh Agnoletto and Canada’s three hardest moshers so I already knew it was gonna be insane. To nobody’s surprise it delivers. The band openly cites a type of metalcore I don’t understand, but we’ve crossed the Rubicon in terms of ffos at this point, to where judging books by their covers is an exercise in futility. This is so well executed; it didn’t immediately click for me but I was on board by the end of listen one. More specifically, the repeating lead on the last track fully sold me. That riff is fucking crazy. This EP seems to push the members’ technical and creative limits, right from the sweep picks coming out of the intro. That effort is captured in the raw energy and strain. Moments on here replicate the chaos of certain classic death metal and hardcore records that feel held together by a thread. Knowing these guys and their trajectory, this is a fully evolved peak performance. I feel like everyone steps outside their comfort zone at some point and it pays off.

The Brink - Demo (Self-released)

Here’s another Ontario band with a members’ of list that instills confidence in anyone paying attention. These guys have made this type of music together for easily 15 years at this point. The Brink is a slightly modern (non-derogatory) variation of it. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re also going for that Side By Side/CCME feel but with a little more bounce a la “proper” democore. To be honest, though, they probably got in a practice space, jammed for a weekend, and came out with this either recorded or at the very least fully written. Whether or not that’s true, the difference between the absolute peaks of these demos and run of the mill bullshit is that the good stuff feels spontaneous and performed more from muscle memory than by consciously stitching together a bunch of stolen riffs. The Brink has a very heart-on-sleeve, almost “love letter” approach, but it doesn’t seem overthought. Nor do I get the impression it’s trying to be cool. It just is. Hardcore for hardcore. What the fuck else?

Quick to Judge - Product of Our Environment (Triple-B)

My friends in Klobber played with these guys on tour last summer in Burlington, VT and they were by far my favourite band I saw that week. From my understanding these are Boston youngsters who show up and go crazy at every show. Bringing that up in a review has a certain connotation, but this is by far their strongest recorded output and lays to waste any need for equivocation on the topic of their talent. It sounds like kids who got into hardcore through Death Threat trying to sound like Stop and Think. Maybe vice versa? Either way this has many hallmarks of modern “democore” but often nestles into a nice mid-tempo pocket that will leave you at the edge of the pit with your shit rocked if you’re not paying attention. Only in Boston could a band this good fly under the radar for so long, and it’s encouraging to see them get their flowers. I’m also very psyched to see Triple-B still dabbles in the kind of hardcore that made them a household name — undeniable local talent that needs a bigger platform.

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