Flatspot Records

With a mission in mind, SPEED are setting out to put Australian hardcore on the map. The band's new EP, "GANG CALLED SPEED", will be out June 24th Last Ride Records (AUS) and Flatspot Records (USA). Recorded with Elliott Gallart at Chameleon Studios, the six songs on the EP are centered around recognizing who you are in this world, taking ownership of that identity and not letting anyone tell you otherwise. Lead single “NOT THAT NICE” captures the band’s no hold barred approach, highlighted by a blunt vocal delivery and intricate guitar work. The video for the song, filmed and edited by Jack Rudder, serves as a continuation of last year’s massive single “WE SEE U” representing the vibrant world of the Sydney hardcore scene. Each record also contains an etched b-side, featuring a band photo by Jonathan Tumbel.

Second pressing:

Red vinyl (/500)
White vinyl (/500)

Track listing:

1. NOT THAT NICE
2. ANOTHER TOY
3. MOVE
4. BIG BITE
5. EVERY MAN FOR THEMSELF
6. KNOW YOUR FOE

To catch everyone up: Australian hardcore band SPEED is putting their foot down on the world. For hardcore kids from Sydney, which is where SPEED’s from and what they represent, this is a first. Everyone in the band has been going to shows for years—”real moshers,” always up front, dancing. (The full lineup: Aaron Siow and brother Jem on bass and vocals, respectively, Josh Clayton and Dennis Vichidvongsa on guitars, Kane Vardon on drums.) During a lull period in their home scene—“there were no new bands going on”—the guys stepped up and tapped in. SPEED decided to start out hard and traditional—a high-level aesthetic decision that, every five years, an all-time hardcore band does. A reset. For their first year, the group referred to itself on flyers and in interviews, as two words—SPEED HARDCORE—to make things extra simple. This is what they’re about: Hardcore, played hard, played fast, “for us, by us”— explicit, immediate, definitive—hinting at all the crucial bands that have come before them.

Their new debut full length, ONLY ONE MODE, exemplifies their growth and distillation. It’s a concept album in one sense: a manual that explains, directly, SPEED’s beliefs, the five guys’ personalities, what they bring to the table, what’s special about their scene. Topics are sharp: “Real Life Love,” about the loyalty and realness they’ve learnt from hardcore, shows how SPEED connected through showing up; a depth of expression and emotion set against very punishing music. “The First Test” is full of dynamics—held notes, a tasteful flute break—and speaks on finding oneself as a marginalized individual—in Siow’s case, as an Asian-born Australian: striking out alone and growing in a beautiful and ugly world. “Kill Cap” displays real vulnerability—heartache, regret, spiritual themes, an homage to the friends and family lost to suicide. Lyrics on ONLY ONE MODE embrace perspectives, pore over big ideas and small detailed moments. About the tunes on the record: Harder than the single —more breakdowns, and longer ones; it’s heavy ‘90s metallic hardcore, in conversation with Hatebreed, Merauder, Biohazard. There are more groove parts; vocals are tough and emotive, there are none of the longer melodic parts that hardcore bands occasionally give in to when they rise to a popular level; all artistic decisions that are new for hardcore bands from Australia.

ONLY ONE MODE, like their previous records, is being released on Last Ride and Flatspot Records, their homes from the start. The album was produced by Elliott Gallart, Siow’s oldest high school friend; Jack Rudder, a longtime partner and collaborator, has directed all of SPEED’s music videos. The cover photo was taken by James Hartley, the prolific Australian hardcore photographer from the 2000s, when SPEED first started, as young hardcore kids, going to shows.

Track Listing:

1. REAL LIFE LOVE
2. DON’T NEED
3. NO LOVE BUT FOR OUR OWN
4. ONLY FOES…
5. THE FIRST TEST
6. KILL CAP
7. SEND THEM 2 SYDNEY
8. SHUT IT DOWN
9. I MEAN IT
10. CAUGHT IN A CRAZE

The fourth volume of The Extermination showcase a wide range of hardcore stylings, from metallic to punk-leaning. Contributions come from End It, Buggin, Jivebomb, Section H8, The Chisel, and Spy, just to name a few. Started in 2012, The Extermination series has previously featured early tracks from notable artists such as Turnstile, Terror, Power Trip, Cruel Hand, and King Nine across its first three volumes.

Speaking more on the compilation’s message and history, Che and Ricky expand:

“This compilation was started to provide a snapshot of the current state of hardcore. Every song is exclusive to the series, and we love to see bands take pride in giving us some of their best songs for this compilation. With Volume 4, we present the next wave of hardcore from our perspective. For this volume, every single band gave 110% raw power and pure energy. This is a true representation of hardcore in its purest form.”

Comes with 28 page full color zine and digital download code.

Track listing:

1. Speed - One Blood We Bleed
2. The Chisel - Punisher
3. Buggin - Attitude
4. Section H8 - Unhinged
5. Raw Brigade - Keep On Running (Crux Cover)
6. Jivebomb - American Rule
7. End It - Familia Finito
8. Spy - Mob
9. Law Of Power - Nothing To Show
10. Mutually Assured Destruction - The Axeman's Letter
11. Choice To Make - Tryin'

Melbourne, Australia based five piece AWOL are creating hardcore for hardcore’s sake - staking their claim in the genre with their debut album Tear ‘Em To Bits, due out April 26th on Last Ride Records and Flatspot Records. Following 2021’s AWOL EP, the nine songs on Tear ‘Em To Bits build on the band’s monstrous sound, filled with gruff vocals, groove-driven riffs, and meaty breakdowns.

AWOL hit the recording studio in Melbourne over the course of 2023, where the band captured their love of classic hardcore in its purest form on the upcoming Tear ‘Em To Bits. Drawing from bands like Madball and Biohazard, AWOL pack an intense aggression across the record. The lyrics are punishing, covering everything from deception and failed relationships to addressing drug addiction and police brutality.

With Tear ‘Em To Bits, proves that AWOL has earned a seat at the table as one of the most compelling new bands in the genre they love. As the band simply states: “The only goal was to make a good hardcore record that we were proud of and that our friends could get behind.”

Track listing:

1. Lejos De Dios
2. AWOL
3. Who You Were
4. Oblivion
5. Tear 'Em To Bits
6. Kingdom
7. Fall From Grace
8. So Many Nights
9. Lost Again

Last Ride Records Australian exclusive colour of the Day By Day 12"EP from Flatspot Records. First established in 2014, Day By Day pride themselves on being a no frills, do-it-yourself hardcore band. They made a name for themselves self-releasing the Never Ending Lies EP (2015), From Now On EP (2017) and Nowhere To Run (2018), which led to touring throughout America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Now the south Florida-based band joins independent hardcore label Flatspot Records for the release of Dust and Ashes.

The six song EP was recorded with Andy Nelson at Bricktop Studios in Chicago, IL, and then mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. Day By Day wanted to avoid a modern and polished sound, and instead recorded live in the studio in order to capture the raw and heartfelt sound on the EP. The tracks are massive, concise, and hard-hitting, centered around the uncertainties in life and friendships. Opener “Respect 101” sets things up with a dark and devastating tone that blazes right into “Until Then…It’s War”. Day By Day's triple vocal attack is a highlight on the song and across the record, lending a rigid, in-your-face hardcore sound while showing you a scowling, deeper style. The EP is also packed with unique tempo changes and groove-driven guitars, as exemplified on “Still Bleeds” and closer “Fakes and Liars II.” The latter track finds the band coming full circle as a follow-up to “Fakes and Liars” off their first EP, addressing bands that are disingenuous.

Track Listing:

1. Respect 101
2. Until Then...It’s War
3. The Poison
4. Peace Or Annihilation?
5. Still Bleeds
6. Fakes & Liars II