Crash JT

Over the past year or so, I’ve taken an unprecedented hiatus from punk. Sure, I’ve had my occasional months-long breaks, but this one has dragged on longer than I’d like to admit. Thankfully, ZYCLONE, is the band that’s finally breaking my silence. Visions of Impending Death marks ZYCLONE’s debut self-release. Clocking in at under 7 minutes, the demo is a surge of aggression, holding a sense of urgency essential for any hardcore band worth their salt. This is fast-as-hell D-beat hardcore, firml...

I have been sitting on this review for a while but have been, for whatever reason, repeatedly putting off finishing it (I'd like to say it's because I've been too busy, but that is a shit excuse retrospectively). Alas, today I called in sick to work, which felt like the perfect time to focus on this review instead of more pressing important things I should actually be doing. I have now finally gotten my lazy ass to click the upload and save button to this website, finally leading me four months ...

Clocking in at just 10 minutes, UMBRO's 2024 demo solidifies Japan's reputation as a powerhouse in the punk scene. UMBRO delivers chaotic, disparaging noise, but not in the way typically associated with Japanese punk outfits. Instead, they create a soundscape that's both abrasive and dissonant, setting themselves apart in the noisy punk genre through their use of a chorus pedal and inconsistency in tempo. While the chorus pedal in hardcore punk isn't for everyone, UMBRO's gritty vocals distingui...