Here are 10 new hardcore bands launching the genre into the future

Hardcore will never die. It continues to mutate and take on new characteristics, but it’s never going away. And this list of 10 new hardcore bands you need to hear now is undeniable evidence of that. There’s a shortlist of things these bands have in common. Off the top of our head, it would be speed, velocity and straight-up rage. The rest of them are a bit more varied.

The one thing a great hardcore band delivers without fail is catharsis. How they get you to that point is of their own design. Beats and decibels in the triple digits? Surely. Unvarnished and unfiltered lyrics about the world and your place in it? Nothing but. The future of hardcore is all about optimizing it for the times. The music of early forefathers like Black Flag and Circle Jerks still has the potential to fire people up. But life is never guaranteed to get easier. And is it gets harder to survive, the music needs to convey that.

Read more: 20 positive hardcore bands to lift up your spirits

Some of these new hardcore bands have a political bend to them. They all have dazzling musicianship that furthers their intensity. Their aim is to provoke and to deliver that release we’re all seeking. As their vocalists shear their individual throat linings, the reality starts to set in. Your typical arena-rock band are getting paid to make you “feel good.” A hardcore band have to be psychically invested to give everyone release. When they tell you they’re “doing it for themselves,” you should believe them. You never know if they’re the psychiatrists or the ones on the couch. As it should be.

Try on these 10 new hardcore bands on for size. They’re as far away from dark pop and heavily EQ’d headbangers as you can get. But the manic thrills never cease.