Welcome to our annual end of year wrap up, as we celebrate and dissect 2024, the year that was in terms of music releases. 

Our vox pop interviews with a bunch of other people on what impressed them in 2024, unearthed some clear cut choices and a lot of similarities on what was everyone's fave releases. Thanks again to everyone who participated and helped organise.

Below is what a list of what impressed in 2024. You may or may not agree with the selections, but by all means do yourself a favour and click play on anything you've never heard before. Variety is the spice of life and you might just find your new favourite band while you're at it...

All photos are shot by the incredibly talented Nicole Goodwin. Follow her on instagram here and if you're in a band, add her to your guest list, it's the least you can do. The main shot above is of Mindrace who again released some awesome new music this year.

High Vis were probably the most represented band on everyone's lists for both shows and releases. Easily the crowd favourite for 2024.

 

Top 25 Australian Releases of 2024

Decided to combine the Australian EPs and LPs into just one list this year, mainly because there were only a handful of LPs released, while a truckload of EPs came out.

 

SECRET WORLD – Guilt Is Good (Last Ride / Sunday Drive)

Our second fave Australian demo of 2023, becomes our fave release of 2024. If you loved Drug Church's "Prude" this year, then this would be the perfect companion.

EXTORTION – “Threats” (Iron Lung)

FEVER SHACK – Not Fuckin’ About (Self Released)

ANTENNA – Selftitled (Urge Records)

SPEED – Only One Mode (Last Ride)

REND – “Cold Steel / Life Denied”

THE CHAIN “Celestial/Insanity” (Last Ride)

COMPOUND – Promo 24 (Castle Freak)

NO PEACE – “At What Cost” (LLR)

AWOL – Tear Em To Bits (Last Ride)

J.O.Y / WINNERZ CIRCLE Split 7” (LLR)

MINDRACE – Promo 24 (LLR)

CHIMERS – “Through Today” (Poison City)

CROSSCHECK – “On The Offensive” (Loudmouth)

TERMINAL SLEEP – “Spineless / Shadows” (Self Released)

BOUDICCA – “The Witch Of Kings Cross” (Self Released)

DROPSAW – “Revive” (Last Ride)

COLOURBLIND – “Selftitled” (Clarity Records)

THRESHOLD – “Descent To Misery” (Self Released)

HORSEPOWER – “A Tear Or Two” (LLR)

DRUDGE – “Creatures” (Team Glasses)

STRESSED – “Carnivore” (LLR)

PHANTOMS “The Devils Are All Here” (Last Ride)

RATBAIT – “Promo 2024”

ENTRAPMENT – “Southport: The Smart Move” (Team Glasses)

Forewarned have their debut LP coming in 2025 that will no doubt be on some lists this time next year.

 

Top 10 Australian Demos 2024

 

BEST BELIEVE (Self Released)

New project for Born Free singer Nathan Garland that's super catchy and hook laden (with a Bad Brains cover thrown in to boot) that really wouldn't have sounded out of place on the Melbourne High Vis lineup.

NO HOPE (Set The Fire)

THE OX – Demo I and II (Last Ride)

DIZDAIN – “Demonstration 2024” (Burning Hammer)

ARMOUR (Self Released)

TOTAL WRECK (Self Released)

TIME ENDZ (LLR / Kingpin)

IMPACT WARNING (Innercity Uprising)

GLORY DAYS (Loudmouth)

DOMINANT HAND (New Ethic)

 

Militarie Gun finally made it to Australia in 2024 with a run of East Coast headline shows.

 

Top 3 Tours

Last year in our 2023 wrap up we mentioned how it would be great to see a tour from High Vis and Militarie Gun in 2024 and viola it somehow happened. Not saying promoters are looking to Rest Assured for ideas of bands to tour, but if putting ideas out into the cosmos makes things happen, then it would be amazing to see tours from Combust, Praise, Pest Control, Sunstroke or Squint in 2024.

High Vis @ Oxford Arts Factory
Like many others, I never really thought High Vis would ever tour Australia, but thanks to a super stacked SPEED tour that included Pain Of Truth and Fuse, fans were treated to a run of very enjoyable High Vis headline shows. Their songs sounded even better live than on record and everyone left with a smile on their face and a bad cockney accent impersonation.

Militarie Gun @ Lansdowne
Another long-awaited visit announced originally only in large venues supporting Hockey Dad, Militarie Gun thankfully played their own run of headline shows in smaller venues. Real fun vibe to the show that ended with playing “Do It Faster” 3 times in a row with members swapping instruments and people out of the crowd joining the band.

Dinosaur Jr @ Enmore Theatre
Celebrating the 30-year anniversary of “Where You Been” by playing the album in full, from start to finish, then another hour of the hits. Despite loving this band for close to 40 years, stupidly I’d never seen them live. They didn’t disappoint.

 

 

Willing to bet that no one had flute breakdowns on their 2024 bingo cards. SPEED showed they aren't afraid to experiment with different sounds.

 

Top 10 International EPs

 

PEST CONTROL - "Year Of The Pest" (Quality Control / Triple B)

Easily the best crossover thrash release of 2024. Hopefully this is not the last release from Quality Control that have a real ear for unearthing some major talent.

FACE THE PAIN – “Demo 2024” (Rebirth Records)

PRAISE – “Coming Up For Air” (Revelation)

WRECKAGE – “Self In All” (Scheme)

TIME x HEIST – “With Every Passing Moment” (Indecision Records / Set The Fire)

MILITARIE GUN – “Life Under The Sun” (Loma Vista)

COLLATERAL – “We Still Know” (Scheme)

QUICKSAND / HOT WATER MUSIC “Split” (Equal Vision)

CONSERVATIVE MILITARY IMAGE – “No Squares In Our Circle” (Triple B)

DESCENDENTS / CIRCLE JERKS Split 7” (Trust Records)

 

High Vis' "Guided Tour"  was rightly so a very loved release for 2024, but it was just pipped at the post by Drug Church for us.

 

Top 15 International Albums

DRUG CHURCH – “Prude” (Pure Noise)

Was really neck and neck trying to decide between Drug Church and High Vis as the number one pick. Both albums are incredible and grow on you even more with each new listen. "Prude" has probably had more play time as it came out earlier than "Guided Tour", so six months from now this will probably be a reversed outcome.

HIGH VIS – “Guided Tour” (Dais Records)

SQUINT – “Big Hand” (Sunday Drive)

STAND STILL – “Steps Ascending” (Daze)

BAD BEAT – “LP 2024” (Triple B)

PLANET ON A CHAIN – “Culture Of Death” (Revelation)

BERTHOLD CITY- “Where Did We Go Wrong” (WAR Records)

TAKE OFFENSE – “T.O.tality” (MNRK)

COSMIC JOKE – Selftitled (Triple B)

BENT BLUE – So Much Seething (Indecision)

Honourable Mention: THE CURE – Songs Of A Lost World (Fiction)

 

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR

 

HARD ONS “Most Australian Band Ever”

An honest, hilarious and compelling insight into 1980’s Australia through the eyes of three immigrant children growing up in Punchbowl, southwest Sydney and the endless racism they endured to eventually become a national treasure. This doco covers the band’s early beginnings, starting in 1984 and subsequent Waterfront years up until the “Too Far Gone” album of 1993. Driven largely by a comedic narrative from bassplayer Ray and guitarist Blackie, this doco will make you angry, ashamed, sad and happy all at once while also leaving you thoroughly entertained, educated and informed at the same time.

TOP 5 BOOKS

Orstralia Vol 1 and 2 – Tristian Clark
Thanks to Tristian’s hard work, Australia now has a written history of the punk and hardcore scene. We study history to not repeat the mistakes of the past and Tristian has included not just the positives but also the negatives. Volume 1 covers the period of 1974-1989 and Volume 2 covers 1990-1999. Must reads for all Australian fans of punk and hardcore.

Conversations With Punx: A spiritual dialogue – Bianca Valentino
This book has been a long time coming from Bianca, who has spent close to 20 years interviewing people from all walks of life who are associated with punk. These conversations are compiled into a 450-page monstrosity that is a great read.

From Punk To Monk – Ray Cappo
Super interesting memoir from the frontman of Youth Of Today, Shelter and Better Than A Thousand that chronicles his life in hardcore and journey into Krishna. From being on stage teaching the benefits of straight edge to becoming a renowned Yogi teaching the benefits of yoga. This is a super interesting journey that makes for a riveting read.

The Most Interesting Man In The World – Vinnie Stigma
Founding guitarist for Agnostic Front and Madball delivers a humorous and entertaining read that chronicles his life in New York as one of the godfathers of its hardcore scene. Great look back at the early days of NYHC mixed in with some recipes as well.

 

 

FUSE made the journey from Singapore to play alongside SPEED on their album launch dates.

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2024

More bands, more shows, more girls in bands, more young people in bands too. The SPEED effect has no doubt played a big part in the growing popularity of hardcore and the accessibility of the band playing AA shows is a huge part in the ongoing growth.

The growing amount of newer and smaller scale bands touring Australia for the first time. This year alone we had debut visits from Fleshwater, Koyo, High Vis, Pain Of Truth, Fuse, Spy, Poison Ruin, Narrow Head, Big Boy, Restraining Order, World Peace, Cell Rot, Botch, Militarie Gun, Gatecreeper and Kreulty. This makes for such a refreshing change to the annual visits from Terror, Sick Of It All, Pennywise etc. Thanks to all of the promoters for taking a chance on something new and different.

Great to see a lot of South East Asian bands gaining further worldwide recognition in 2024. While Japan has long been recognised as a hot bed for hardcore talent, it is really awesome to see our neighbours in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia all gaining further recognition with labels in Australia and the USA, UK and Europe releasing their music. You really have to credit some of this exposure to SPEED for their tour videos and reppin bands from South East Asia that has no doubt led to this increase in popularity.

SPY toured Australia for the first time in 2024.

 

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF 2024

No Sydney Mindsnare show.

Bands still using Gildan shirts for merch. I know, I get it, Gildan is the cheapest option which allows for minimum cost /maximum profit, but humans are not shaped the way Gildan makes it's shirts. That's not even taking into account the ethical considerations. Please no more Gildan. Other options exist like AS Colour or Comfort Colours and I'd much rather pay an extra $10 for a shirt I'll wear often, that's high quality and actually fits rather than once.

 

No new music for Hacker this year. Check back next year. Catch them on tour in Jan 25 with Golpe from Italy.

PREDICTION FOR 2024

More tours, more new bands, more new releases. Hopefully a Mindsnare Sydney show.

The Wests Tigers will hand over the wooden spoon to the St George Illawarra Dragons or Parramatta Eels as they return to their rightful position of 9th on the NRL ladder. At this point I'd settle for 16th honesty.

  

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END OF YEAR LISTS

Enough of what we thought of 2024, here's what hyped up everyone else's year.

ENGAGE dropped a new track "MK12" this year, a taster of what to expect in 2025.

 

Name: Jarrod McIntosh
From: Dropsaw

Top 5 LP’s:
High Vis - Guided Tour
Home Invasion- Enemy
Unto Others- Never, Neverland
Wraith- Fueled By Fear
Judas Priest- Invincible Shield

Top 5 ep/7’s:
Demon Spell- Evil Nights
Holy Blade- Holy Blade
Poison Ruïn- Confrere
Secret world- Guilt Is Good
Phantoms- All The Devils Are Here

Top 5 AU Releases:
Fever Shack- Not Fuckin’ About
Threshold- Descent To Misery
Speed- Only One Mode
Extortion- Threats
World Of Joy- Life Is Pain

Top 3 Demos:
Compound- Demo
The OX- Demo 2024
Cutthroat- Demo 2024

Top 3 shows:
Mercyful Fate- Summer Breeze festival São Paulo Brazil
Midnight- Marrickville bowling club, Sydney
Municipal Waste- Liberty Hall, Sydney

Highlight of 2024:
Summer Breeze festival Brazil. $250 a day ticket and includes unlimited food and booze.
Mercyful Fate, Anthrax, Exodus, Biohazard, Death Angel, Carcass, Forbidden & Overkill. Couldn't go wrong.
Sore neck for weeks!

Disappointment of 2024:
The state of the world.

Predictions for 2025:
Speed to headline Wembley Stadium

______________________ 

Name: Kelso
From: J.O.Y / Mass Controll

Top 5 LPs:
High Vis - Guided Tour
Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere
Haywire - Conditioned For Demolition
Adrienne Lenker - Bright Future
Holly Arrowsmith - Blue Dreams

Honourable mentions:
Departure Chandelier - Satan Soldier Of Fortune (for convincing me black metal doesn’t suck)
Nails - Every Bridge Burning
Contention - Artillery From Heaven
And no shame Brat is some of the best pop music ever written
The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World (ridiculous songwriting and production, how are they still releasing such great music?!)
(I wanted more hardcore in my top 5 but those 2 singer-songwriter albums I can’t deny I’ve listened to them so much and love them more than most releases)

Top 5 EP/7"s:
Haywire - For Better Or For Worse
Wreckage - Self In All
No Guard - War Over Me
Anklebiter/Prevention Split
Temple Guard - Morbid Sacrament

Top 5 AU releases:
Speed - Only One Mode (this would be in my top 5 LP’s but this frees up a spot putting it here)
Horsepower - A Tear Or Two
Secret World - Guilt Is Good
Antenna - S/T (demo?)
Angie McMahon - Light Sides

Top 3 demos:
Steamroll
Time Endz
Fatal Realm

Top 3 shows/tours:
One weekend can be this whole answer…
August 23rd-26th
23rd Speed/High Vis/Fuse @ Enmore Theatre (crazy experience, high vis first time seeing too which was special).
24th Canberra House Show w/ J.O.Y, Heat, Mindrace, Bozo, Thantu Thikka, Sin City
(lived up to the hype - shout out mrat for reinvigorating canberra hardcore).
25th High Vis @ Oxford art
(Crowd was a lil weaker than I expected but high vis are faves and I lost my voice yelling along and cried and shit, was beautiful. Also succ, compound and histamine are goats).
26th Fuse/Pain Of Truth/Trenchknife/TRD/Dance @ Lansdowne
(The Real Deal 1st show went off, Fuse are so sick and Dance youngens killed it)

Highlight of 2024:
High Vis coming to Aus.
Every show happening pumping and usually selling out.
Writing, recording and releasing lots of music with my friends.

Disappointment of 2024:
Pop punk being a big focus in hardcore when we all know metal is the superior crossover.
Clisby still being in the Wanderers and even worse starting most games even though he is dog shit.

Predictions for 2025:
One of the youngen bands releasing a fire album and headlining shows and showing that the kids are running shit and on top.
Tassie having another hardcore band or 2 and more tours hitting there.
I release more music than this year.

_____________________ 

Name: Footy
From: Clarity Records, Adelaide

Top 5 LPs:
Colourblind - Colourblind
Kankawa Nagarra - Wirlmarni
High Vis - Guided Tour
Drug Church - Prude
Ride - Interplay

Top 5 EP/7"s
Extortion - Threats 7"
Stressed - Carnivore 7"
Sin Tax - Abnegation 7"
Romansy / Phantasm - Crisis Apparition 2x7"
Antenna - Antenna EP

Top 5 AU releases:
Colourblind - Colourblind
Kankawa Nagarra - Wirlmarni
Extortion - Threats
Blind Girls - An Exit Exists
No Future - Mirror

Top 3 demos:
Success - The Fool's Game CS
Time Ends - Demo CS
Rat Bait - 2024 Promo CS

Top 3 shows/tours:
- Mindsnare, Extortion & More at the Rhino Room
- Colourblind at The Crown And Anchor
- Viagra Boys at The Forum

Highlight of 2024:
- Going to America for the first time and hanging out with Ian at Dischord House for a day.

Disappointment of 2024:
- People

Predictions for 2025:
- The return of the CD

_____________________ 

Name: Andy Kelly
From: Loudmouth Records / Crosscheck

Top 5 LPs:
High Vis - Guided Tour
Gouge Away - Deep Sage
AWOL - Tear ‘em To Bits
Spaced - This Is All We Ever Get
One Step Closer - All You Embrace

Top 5 EP/7"s
Dynamite - Blow The Bloody Doors Off
Crush Your Soul - Self Titled
Princess - Wishes For An Untimely Demise
Wreckage - Self In All
Pest Control - Year Of The Pest

Top 5 AU releases:
(Outside of LMR bands)
No Harm - Demo
Fever Shack - Not Fuckin’ About
Moving Violation - Violation Demonstration 2024
Day Of Demise - Demo
Phantoms - All The Devils Are Here

Top 3 demos:
The Ox - Demo 2024
Bright Sun - Demo 2024
Rend - Cold Steel / Life Denied

Top 3 shows/tours:
Loudmouth birthday weekend w/ Tunnel Vision & Rend
Citizen @ Amps
High Vis/Pain Of Truth @ the big house of magnets

Highlight of 2024:
The amount of fresh faces and young kids at shows, specially the skatepark market series

Disappointment of 2024:
The lack of basic knowledge about the Perth hardcore scene in Aus.

Predictions for 2025:
Loudmouth world domination and your new favourite Indo band will be Fraud. More new bands, more good times and the return of Perth AA

_______________________ 

 

Name: Brooke
From: Jokes on You / The Real Deal / Future Waves Zine

Top 5 LPs:
High Vis – Guided Tour
Speed – Only One Mode
The Hope Conspiracy - Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception
Haywire - Conditioned for Demolition
Tyler the Creator – Chromakopia
Honourable mention: Kendrick Lamar – GNX, Cosmic Joke - S/T, Bad Beat - S/T, Nails – Every Bridge Burning

Top 5 EP/7"s:
Secret World – Guilt is Good
Gel – Persona
World of Joy – Life is Pain
Horsepower – A Tear or Two
Bib - Biblical

Top 5 AU releases:
Secret World – Guilt is Good
The Chain – Celestial/Insanity
No Future - Mirror
Antenna – S/T
Rend – Cold Steel/Life Denied

Top 3 demos:
Time Ends
Hunny
Mass Control
(International – Steamroll)

Top 3 shows/tours:
J.O.Y/Winnerz Circle Da $plit release @ The Tote
Speed & High Vis @ The Enmore (and High Vis at OAF)
The Real Hard Dark Hardcore Fest and Sunday recovery show

Highlight of 2024:
The Real Deal first show. Pain of Truth/Fuse. Packed.
The Real Deal Demo.
Jokes on You split tracks. Best shit we’ve put out.
Another year of incredible chats on Future Waves.

Disappointment of 2024:
No Candace Krieger or Pondy stand up material released to date

Predictions for 2025:
Lockin Out mid 2000’s resurgence in full effect (I hope for this every year tbf)

_______________________ 

Name: Jay Blurter
From: INNERCITY UPRISING / BACKHAND / COMPOUND / TOE TO TOE / THE BLURTERS / MILAT

Top 5 LPs:
OT - RIDGY KILLERS
OT - RIDGY KILLERS
OT - RIDGY KILLERS
OT - RIDGY KILLERS
OT - RIDGY KILLERS

Top 5 EP/7"s
BACKHAND - ANGER SICK
SERIAL PEST - HOT BREATH
SECRET WORLD - GUILT IS GOOD
OSBO - OSBO
TOE TO TOE / THE BLURTERS : split

Top 5 AU releases:
COMPOUND - PROMO ‘24
BACKHAND - ANGER SICK
R.U.B - GOOD BLOKE
OT - RIDGY KILLERS
DRUDGE - CREATURES

Top 3 demos:
SAFETY ZONE - incarcerated by paranoia
DISCOUNT CODE - demonstration
THE OX - demo

Top 3 shows/tours:
BACKHAND QLD tour.
COMPOUND’s 1st headling show.
GRIM REALITY / THE BLURTERS / BULLDOG SPIRIT / at the GASSO!

Highlight of 2024:
Playing bass for TOE TO TOE
Teaching my kids to surf!
TBX - what a band!

Disappointment of 2024:
The senseless killing of innocent humans by genocidal, murderous and money hungry governments.
Cunts who call the cops.

Predictions for 2025:
More arthritis
More grey hairs
More body aches and pains
A year closer to checking out.

_______________________

HEAT certainly warmed things up in 2024

 

Name: Andy
From: Heat

Top 5 LPs:
Contention - "Artillery From Heaven"
Haywire "Conditioned For Demolition"
Despize - "Scotland's Hardcore"
Mystique - "Face Your Fate"
Whispers - "Yom-Ma-Lok"

Top 5 EP/7"s
Crush Your Soul - "Crush Your Soul"
Demonstration of Power - "Five Eyes"
Echo Chamber - "Echo Chamber"
Face Your Fears - "Dishonoured"
Dimension Six - "Not The Same"

Top 5 AU releases:
Horsepower - "A Tear Or Two"
Who's To Blame - "Demo"
Fever Shack - "Not Fuckin' About"
RAT BAIT - "Promo 2024"
Speed - "Only One Mode"
Mindrace - "Promo 2024"

Top 3 demos:
The Next Level - "Demo"
Mass Control - "Demo"
Time Ends - "Time Ends"

Top 3 shows/tours:
1. Horsepower Melbourne record release show at the Bendigo.
2. The Time Ends set at the Melbourne leg of the No Apologies tour at Bergy Bandroom, with a surprise song by Forewarned.
3. Hardcore At The Bird in Frankston at Singing Bird Studios.

Highlight of 2024:
Becoming a dad

Disappointment of 2024:
Sleep deprivation

____________________

 

Name: Jerrod Watzinger
From: Under Siege

Top 5 LPs:
Speed - Only one mode
Twitching Tongues - Twitchfits vol. 2
Nails - Every Bridge Burning
Awol - Tear ‘Em To Bits
Candy - It’s Inside You

Top 5 EP/7"s
Dropsaw - Revive
Candy - Flipping
Threshold - Descent To Misery
Shinto Katana - Left for dead
Splinter - The Hill I’ll Die On

Top 5 AU releases:
Speed - Only One Mode
Dropsaw - Revive
Threshold - Descent To Misery
Shinto Katana - Left For Dead
Splinter - The Hill I’ll Die On

Top 3 demos:
Cutthroat
Born 2 Lose
Street Suffer

Top 3 shows/tours:
Mindsnare at the Gaso 14th Sept with Threshold and Sepsis.
For the kids Vol.4 10th March. Cherish, Skorn, Wetwork, Thantu Thikha, Bozo and Dirt Nap.
FTK 11. Seeing No Apologies play a back yard on a Sunday arvo. 3rd Nov.

Highlight of 2024:
Being able to play a heap of shows with so many amazing Australian bands, new and old.

Disappointment of 2024:
To be honest, nothing really. I feel Australian hardcore is in an amazing place with so many new young bands and so many older bands putting out new music. Plus heaps of shows!

Predictions for 2025:
A well known international touring band playing a uzisXakimbo For The Kids.

______________________

 

Name: Mark Beavan
From: Dreamboat / Homesick

Top 5 LPs:
Boston Manor - Sundiver
Bilmuri - American Motor Sports
Chat Pile - Cool World
Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven
The Story So Far - I Want to Disappear

Rap/Hip Hop:
Kendrick Lamar - GNX
Freddie Gibbs - You Only Die 1nce
Tyler the Creator - Chromakopia

Top 5 EP/7"s
Junior Varsity - My Star
Consecutive Military Image - No Squares in Our Circle.
House of Protection - Galore
Candy - Flipping
Love is Noise - To Live in A Different Way

Top 5 AU releases:
Bad Neighbour - Millions
Benjamin Stewart - Pushing Daylight
Royal Otis - Pratts & Pain
Dregg - The Art of Everything
Antenna - ST EP

Top demos:
Compound
Clever Hour

Top 4 shows/tours:
Blink 182 - Qudos Arena
Boston Manor - King Street
Teenage Wrist - Mary’s Underground
Gatecreeper - The Newy

Highlight of 2024:
Taking Winter to Blink 182 for her first big show and seeing how stoked she was the entire set, full circle moment as they were one of the first bands I saw as a teenager.
Homesick playing a First Nations showcase show at SBSW was really cool experience and cool vibes all night.
Dreamboat releasing our EP finally.

Disappointment of 2024:
Parramatta Eels.
The price of living.
Having to move house twice in one month. Didn’t travel anywhere this year.

Predictions for 2025:
Parramatta Eels Premiers.
OKC to be NBA champs.
New music by both Homesick and Dreamboat.
AFI at Enmore Theatre to be sick but not as sick as 2003 Roundhouse show.

__________________

 

Name: Luke Dolan
From: Latest God

Top 5 LPs:
High Vis “Guided Tour”
Confront “Our Fight ‘87-‘90”
Gunshot “Black Lebanon Vol. 1”
Bed Maker S/T
Coughin’ Vicars “Curses & Prayers”

Top 5 EP/7"s
Antenna S/T EP
Praise “Coming Up For Air” 7”
Dropsaw “Revive” 7”
Backhand “Anger Sick” 7”
Secret World “Guilt Is Good” EP

Top 5 AU releases:
Melvic Centre S/T LP
Within Blood “First Blood” LP
Rubber Necker “Bad Behaviour”
Division “Fragments & Factions” LP
The Stone Fox feat. Deejay Mathmatics “New Contender” 7”

Top 3 demos:
Dominant Hand
Endless War
Drenched In Grey

Top 3 shows/tours:
High Vis, Histamine, Compound & Succ @ Oxford Arts Factory
Boudicca, Latest God, Backhand, Serial Pest, Human Failure @ Hamo Station Hotel
Antenna & Militarie Gun @ King St. Hotel

Highlight of 2024:
High Vis @ Oxford Arts Factory- super sick.

Disappointment of 2024:
Still no Infest or Negative Approach Australian tours

Predictions for 2025:
Latest God LP release.

__________________

 

Name: Toby
From: Entrapment

Top 5 LPs:
Johann Sebastian Bachlava: The Doctor - ACTION BRONSON
Prude - DRUG CHURCH
Tools of oppression/rule by deception - HOPE CONSPIRACY
S/T - CRUSH YOUR SOUL
Every bridge burning - NAILS

Top 5 EP/7"s
Not fucking around – FEVERSHACK
Out for Blood - EIGHT COUNT
Holy Blade - HOLY BLADE
Let's have a party - THE BENNIES
Year of the pest - PEST CONTROL

Top 5 AU releases:
Mahal - GLASS BEAMS
Toxic Concrete - DEATHPROOF
On the offensive - CROSSCHECK
214 in the 4215 - DEATHROW
At what Cost? - NO PEACE

Top 3 demos:
Nothing 2 it - Chandler
Glory days 2024
Hell awaits 2024

Top 3 shows/tours:
ZEKE @ Southport. All time Top 5.
50 Lions @ Southport
NOFX Night 2 at fortitude music hall

Highlight of 2024:
The return of AA shows
NSW state of origin victory
Sumo Mandarins

Disappointment of 2024:
No disappointments, only lessons

Predictions for 2025:
Return of fast punk hardcore
More stagedives
Southport and Frankston continuing to have the best communities and bands in hardcore.

_______________

 

Name: Josh
From: Grave Risk

Top 5 LPs:
Blind Girls - An Exit Exists
The Story So Far - I Want To Disappear
Take Offense - T.O.tality
Mindz Eye - The Vision

Top 5 EP/7"s
Numbernine - New Phenomenon
Agriculture - Living Is Easy
Die Alone - Lessons Learned For The Unloved
Bayway - Bayway Takes Manhattan
Rust - True Decline

Top 5 AU releases:
Two More When One Is Erased - Heat
Gil Cerrone - Consumer
Boudica - The Witch Of Kings Cross (technically released last year but they re-released it this year)
The Orphan - Oh The Humanity
Threat - Life Pushes Back

Top 3 demos:
Dizdain - Demonstration 2024
Ends In Tragedy - Ecstasy Ninety Six
Mortal Form - Promo 2024

Top 3 shows/tours:
Hardcore at The Bird, Frankston
Armlock at The Evelyn, Melbourne
Sick Of It All - Melbourne

Highlight of 2024:
Releasing our EP & 2 members finding out they're becoming dads

Disappointment of 2024:
Not enough international tours! We've had a sick year but we need more to come through

Predictions for 2025:
Less sleep and more grey hairs

____________________ 

 

HORSEPOWER made it onto a few lists with their debut EP "A Tear Or Two".

 

Name: Robert
From: life.lair.regret.records / RAT BAIT
(With my lists I’m going to not list releases we were lucky enough to put out and instead spotlight other releases I thought rocked)

Top 5 LPs:
Speed – Only One Mode (come on)
The Hope Conspiracy – Tools Of Oppression/Rule By Deception (86 year olds put out an album that’s as good as their previous material?)
Trail Of Lies – Only The Strong (Was a grower but I rinsed it)
Kriegshog – Love & Revenge (Unreal album/band/live act)
Bad Beat – LP 2024 (Sounds like Outbreak with Lockin Out art)

Top 5 EP/7"s
Whispers – Yom-Ma-Lok (Seeing them in Bangkok was a religious experience)
Mystique – Face Your Fate (NYHC with Cro Mag and Leeway swag from Singapore)
Temple Guard – Morbid Sacrament (Euro style metalcore)
Praise – Coming Up For Air (Great music for the airpods while grocery shopping)
Destiny – To See Another Day… (Dope 90s style melodic hardcore)

Top 5 AU releases:
Extortion – Threats
Armour – Demo
Persecutor – Global Prison Experiment
Gaoled – Bestial Hardcore LP
No Future – Mirror
(Televised Suicide had an incredible year, check out everything Ben put out)

Top 3 demos:
Straight To Hell (The best 100 Demons style act going)
Face The Pain (A good youth crew band in the year of our lord 2024?)
Who’s To Blame (Checked this out thanks to Justified Arrogance)

Top 3 shows/tours:
Concrete Jungle 2024 in Thailand (Kickback, Merauder, Skourge, Xibalba, Twist Of Cain, Whispers, Destiny, Defy, Wreckonize, Moneybag, Keep It Real, Bleach, Mystique, The Shredder, Peach, Clean Slate, Renegade, Zip, Monument X and Shockpoint)
Speed/High Vis/Pain Of Truth/Fuse (The best tour package Australia has seen)
Hardcore Victim day 2 (Kriegshog, Skizophrenia, Enzyme, Swab, Sepsis, Phantasm, Dejector, RAT BAIT with Prospexx after party)

Highlight of 2024:
Getting engaged was a dream come true, it was also personally huge seeing Nicole and Michael become parents. Seeing friends age gracefully and still being able to do juggle the label and the real world has been dope. Also shout out to the official bootleg of ‘Forever War’ being able to get 10 copies in was wild and helped fill a lot of friend’s collections out.

Disappointment of 2024:
Please, no more death metal/beatdown. At first it was interesting and novel but we’ve hit the limit.

Predictions for 2025:
New music from Latest God and Forewarned will both blow people away, the post Speed world of Australian hardcore will continue to grow and build the best community we’ve seen.

New Turnstile album and world tour with Speed as main support.

_____________________ 

 

Name: Tristan Clark
From: Orstralia books

Top 5 LPs:
New Model Army - Unbroken
Claimed Choice/No Heart split
Chain Cult - Harm Reduction
Skotodini - Εδώ παραμένω
Inferno Personale - La Scelta é Tua

Top 5 EP/7"s
Cran - Rejet
Cantona - Debut EP
Negatives - Whole Lotta Shakin
Gefyr - split with Rat Cage
Ukraina - Demo 1985

Top 5 AU releases:
Cantona - Debut EP
Paroxys - Demo
Split System - II
No Future - Mirror
Vampire - What Seems Forever

Top 3 demos:
Rouge Sang
Paroxys
Klavo

Top 3 shows/tours:
Kriegshog
Cantona
Prospexx

Highlight of 2024: Orstralia books FINALLY being released.

Disappointment of 2024: More sad than disappointing but seeing Nicko drum for the final time with Iron Maiden. Rest up you colossus.

Predictions for 2025: Fanciful thinking but kickboxing at shows is finally seen for the idiocy that it is. Go try that shit in a ring instead.

___________________ 

 

Name: Peter Emms
From: End It All, Concede, Loudmouth Records.
Living in Boorloo on Whadjuk Noongar Land

Top 5 LPs:
Gray State - Under The Wheels of Progress
Contention - Artillery From Heaven
Missing Link - Watch Me Bleed
Whispers - Yom-Ma-Lok
AWOL - Tear Em To Bits

Top 5 EP/7"s
Balmora/Since My Beloved - Six Pacts Etched In Blood Split
Final Resting Place - Prelude To Extinction
Durendal - Monument
Fallen God - Dismembered Thoughts and Memories
Fifteen Rhema - Drawing Upon Lost Time

Top 5 AU Releases:
Threshold - Descent Into Misery
Closed Off! - Endgame
Skorn - A Quick Death
Algor Mortis - Stages of Death
Splinter - The Hill I’ll Die On

Top 3 demos:
Dizdain - Demonstration 2024
Fourwindsaway - Four Winds Away
Day of Demise - Demo

Top 3 shows/tours:
Pain of Truth @ Capitol with the Walters brothers on a fucken tear
Terror @ Capitol
Closed Off! EP Launch Show @ Lynott’s

Highlight of 2024:
Too much happened this year, so just a quick lil recap

Seeing Mrat crowd kill a bunch of emo kids when he came to Perth. Pure folklore
Getting a show almost shut down 3 times in Fremantle cos of the fucken op behind the bar
Shattered playing at the big house supporting Terror

Disappointment of 2024:
Merch price matching (IYKYK)
Hearing “Perth just isn’t very viable for us” more often than not
Crosscheck still stuck in DAL prison also a fucken travesty

Predictions for 2025:
Rattus to finally be granted bail from mosh jail
More young hardcore bands coming from Perth, HQ will be back to its former glory and it’s only a matter of time
Standard “Title Fight Reunion” prediction

___________________

 

Name: Simon Walker
From: Wadawurrung Country (Torquay, VIC), Sour Grapes/Washed Up Records

Top 5 LPs:
Stand Still - Steps Ascending
The Corps - Fractured Protocol
The Chisel - What a fucking nightmare
The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
Drug Church - Prude

Top 5 EP/7"s
Dynamite - Blow The Bloody Doors Off
Secret World - Guilt Is Good
Echo Chamber - Self Titled
Haywire 617 - For Better Or Worse
Statement Of Pride - Rebirth

Top 5 AU releases:
Speed - Only One Mode
Secret World - Guilt Is Good
Extortion - Threats
Street Sweeper - Don’t Wait
Threshold - Descent Into Misery

Top 3 demos:
Face The Pain - Demo
Wiseguy - Demo
Best Believe - Demo

Top 3 shows/tours:
Speed/High Vis/Pain Of Truth/Fuse
Miles Away @ Revolver
Koyo/Dizdain/Secret World @ The Evelyn

Highlight of 2024:
Australian Hardcore thriving and The Cure releasing an absolute banger

Disappointment of 2024:
Bad Astronaut acoustic album
Israel
Humans in general

Predictions for 2025:
Speed to continue their world domination and bringing everyone along for the ride

__________________

 

Name: Moose
From: Rat Bait, Armour, Screaming Targets, Combat Rock, New Coke

Top 5 LPs:
Faze - Big Upsetter
Invertebretes - Sick To Survive
Träume - Wrzask
Silicone Prairie - Vol II (it came out in 2023 but I don't care)
Alvilda - C'est Déjà L'heure

Top 5 EP/7"s:
Snooper / Prison Affair Split
Grazia - In Poor Taste
Who Pays - The Final Meal
Citric Dummies - Trapped in a Parking Garage
Consec - Biohackers

HM: Ejaculators - Wank Generation

Top 5 AU releases:
JOY / Winnerz Circle Split
Exit Mould - EP
Hooper Crescent - Essential Tremors
Cutters - Psychic Injury
Loose Lips EP

HM: Mindrace Promo CS, Osbo 7"

Top 3 demos:
Prison Affair - Demo IV
Who's To Blame
The Sterile Promontory

Top 3 shows/tours:
Faze at Bunt Jam
Prison Affair / Silicone Prairie at The Curtin
Electric Chair at Last Chance

Highlight of 2024:
North Melbourne - AFLW Premiers.

Disappointment of 2024:
Anthony Albanese.

Predictions for 2025:
Promaja will release the best Australian album of the decade.

____________________

 

Name: Joel Attenborough
From: Irrelevant / Padre / Myage Podcast

Top 6 LPs: (in no order)
Drug Church // Prude
Fentanyl // ST
Hope Con //Tools of Oppression/Rule by Deception
Bad Beat // LP 2024
Dave Haus // Versus/Nurses/Hearses
ACxDC // Antichrist Demoncore

(non punk/core LPs)
Action Bronson // Johann Sebastian Bachlava The Doctor
Kendrick Lemar // GNX
Tyler, the Creator // Chromakopia
Juice Wrld - The Party Never Ends 2.0

Top 5 EP/7"s
SinkingFeeling // Now I Lost in the Dark (Stu from Comeback Kid’s solo album)
(I suck at this category…)

Top 5 AU releases:
Secret World - Guilt is Good
Antenna - ST
Extortion - Threats
Finnoguns Wake - Stay Young
No Apologies - Life (BRING ON THE NEW ALBUM!!!!)

Top 3 Books:
Rebel Girl : My Life as a Feminist Punk - Kathleen Hanna
The Most Interesting Man in the World - Vinny Stigma
The Trading Game : A Confession - Gary Stevenson

Top 5 shows/tours:
NOFX @ The Hordern (both shows) - I wasn't ready for how bummed I was going to be when these shows ended… Nofx is my favourite band… I think knowing it was the fact I'll never see them again was probably better than them just pulling the pin one day out of the blue. The shows were some of the best I'd ever seen from them. Mike was ‘sober’ on the first night, and was 100% on point.

Infectious Grooves @ Roundhouse - last minute decision to go, and loved every second of it. The ST set as an encore was the cherry on top.

Blink 182 @ Qudos - I’ve seen them soooo many times since 1998, and this time was easily the BEST show I’ve seen of there’s (so much so, that i snagged a ticket for a second night)

The National @ ICC - the only band on my ‘spotify wrap’ thanks to my son commandeering my algorithm and making 4 of my top 5 artists Rappers (my top 5 artists were Juice World//XXXtentacion//Travis Scott//Kendrick Lemar//The National) - They’re always great, this was no exception.

Pearl Jam @ Homebush - I was sceptical… I don’t like guitar solos or big stadium shows… but they made me a believer that night.

I didn’t get to go to any ‘local’ shows (that I can remember anyhow)… dad life does that to you.

Highlight of 2024:
On a personal level - Watching my son find a real passion for drumming, and ‘jamming’ with him.

Disappointment of 2024:
Lou Koller getting sick.
Nofx breaking up
Dangers still haven't released new music

Predictions for 2025:
Rest Assured Exclusive – I’m doing a new Podcast in 2025 (not a prediction… but you get the idea)

_________________

Hands up if you dug STRESSED's "Carnivore" 7"?

 

Name: Nic
From: Stressed/Time Ends on Kaurna Land

Top 5 LPs:
One Step Closer - All You Embrace
Contention - Artillery from Heaven
Mystique - Face Your Fate
Kharma - A World Of Our Own
Despize - Scotland's Hardcore

Top 5 EP/7"s
No Right - 2024 Promo
Princess - Wishes For An Untimely Demise
Gel - Persona
Punitive Damage - Hate Training
Sweet Pill - Starchild

Top 5 AU releases:
Blind Girls - An Exit Exists
Speed - Only One Mode
Chrome Cage/Bolt Cutter - Split
Gravitate - The Reckoning
Horsepower - A Tear Or Two

Top 3 demos:
Hunny - Hunny Time
Cutthroat - Demo 2024
Wasted Life - Demo'24

Top 3 shows/tours:

Best 3 I've played:
SAHC
Stressed EP Release Show Adelaide
Hardcore at The Bird

Best 3 as an attendedee:
No Pressure (Adelaide)
Koyo (Adelaide)
Summer of Hardcore (Wellington, NZ)

Highlight of 2024:
This question is too big! But I think the best part has been seeing lots of new bands and new faces coming out to shows.

Disappointment of 2024:
It still sucks to be on so many line ups with no other non-males or seeing so many line ups with no non-males.

Predictions for 2025:
Honestly just begging for Incendiary.

_______________________

 

Name: Michael Fitzsimmons
From: Life.Lair.Regret Records

Top 5 LPs:

Brat - Charliexcx
Scotland’s Hardcore - Despize
Artillery From Heaven - Contention
Only One Mode - Speed
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan
HM: Firewalker and Bad Beat

Top 5 EP/7"s
Self in All - Wreckage
We Still Know - Collateral
The Ep - Joker
Face Your Fate - Mystique
Yom-Ma-Lok – Whispers

Top 5 AU releases:
Who’s to Blame? - Demo
Horsepower - A Tear or Two
Ratbait - Promo
Time Ends - Demo
Bestital Hardcore - Gaoled

HM; Blindgirls, Vampire,No Future and Total Defeat lp’s

Top 3 demos:
Straight to Hell
Identity Shock
Face the Pain

HM; Blockade, King’s Command, Force, Seasons End, Matter of Fact. Shoutout Designated Moshers Unit for keeping democore alive

Top 3 shows/tours:
Concrete Jungle fest - Thailand
High Vis - Stay Gold
Peter Hook and the Light - Forum (they did Substance by New Order and Joy Division in full, perfection)

HM; TISM - Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Footy fest in Adelaide (Mindsnare/Extortion/Blind Girls/Joy/Ratbait) and Blink 182 at Rod Laver.

Highlight of 2024:
The birth of my son, Callan. Seeing Kickback was also a fun one to tick off the bingo board.

Disappointment of 2024:
The ongoing Genocide in Palestine

Predictions for 2025:
Speed to play both the NRL and AFL grand final

_______________

 

Name: Nick Larter
From: Napalm

Top 5 LPs:
The Story So Far - I want to disappear
High Vis - Guided Tour
Kublai Khan - Exhibition of prowess
Speed - Only one mode
Post Malone - F-1 Trillion

Top 5 EP/7"s
Phantoms - All the devils are here
Dropsaw - Revive
Adam Newling - Love takes care
I can’t really think of any more EPs so another two LPs
One step closer - all you embrace
Amyl & the sniffers - Cartoon darkness

Top 5 AU releases:
Speed
Dropsaw
No Apologies
Phantoms
Compound

Top 3 demos:
Bitter Peace
Low
Compound

Top 3 shows/tours:
Speed/ High Vis - Enmore
Parkway Drive – Qudos stadium
No Pressure - Lansdowne

Highlight of 2024: hardcore thriving, shows every weekend, new bands popping up everywhere, old bands getting back together and putting new music out, it’s a great time for Sydney/ Aus hardcore.

Disappointment of 2024:
My body’s inability to recover from going to hardcore shows

Predictions for 2025:
New No Apologies is gonna be epic.
50 Lions at Lansdowne will be rad.
Hopefully get some new Napalm songs out and play some shows.
So many bands about to put new music out in the new year Volatile Ways, Homesick etc can’t wait!

___________________

 

Name: Reece
From: Diploid & Tumour

Top 5 LPs:
One More Thing - Lime Garden
Orchards of Futile Heaven - The Body
The Crying Out of Things - The Body
Brat - Charli XCX
Umbilical - Thou

Top 5 EP/7"s
Threats - Extortion
Suicide Souvenir - Something Vile
Life Ain't Fair - King Cobra
Pizza Rolls Royce - Gezebelle Gaburgably
I Like The Way You Kiss Me - Artemas

Top 5 AU releases:
Impossible Light - Uboa
An Exist Exists - Blind Girls
Consumer - Gill Cerrone
Agency - Shove
Threats - Extortion

Top 3 demos:
I dunno man

Top 3 shows/tours:
Full of Hell & Thou - Stay Gold
World Peace - 2024 April Tour
Botch - May 2024 Tour

Highlight of 2024:
Going to Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore and putting out new music with Diploid & Tumour

Disappointment of 2024:
Living Through it

Predictions for 2025:
Hopefully death

_________________

Brett doing his thing in OUTRIGHT as they celebrated ten years of their debut LP "Avalanche" in 2024.

 

Name: Brett Eitzen
From: Outright / Reason and Rage Records

Top 5 LPs:
NØ MAN - Glitter and Shit (Iodine)
Wolf Brigade - Knife Life Death (Metal Blade)
High Vis - Guided Tour (Dais)
Unsanitary Napkin / Jalang split (Bad Habit / Ruin Nation)
Displeasure - Vortex of Shit II (Limbless)

Top 5 EP/7"s
Gel - Persona (Blue Grape)
Wonderful World - Universal Tension (Side2Side)
Burn in Hell / Tumour split (Reason and Rage)
Anklebiter / Prevention split (Sunday Drive / Delayed Gratification)
Gravitate - The Reckoning (Loudmouth)
Stressed - Carnivore (Life Lair Regret)

Top 5 AU releases:
Extortion - Threats (Extortion)
Encierro - Doomsday Still Bleeds Red (Bad Habit)
Gutless - High Impact Violence (Dark Descent)
Diploid - Mantra (Life lair Regret)
Speed - Only One Mode (Last Ride)

Top 3 demos:
Time Ends (Life Lair Regret)
Mass Control (Life lair Regret)
Goethe (Self Released)

Top 3 shows/tours:
Mindsnare / Extortion / Blindgirls J.O.Y / Enzyme / RATBAIT / Devoidance / Tunnel Vision / Stressed (Rhino Room / Lowlife Bar - Adelaide)
Gaza Ceasefire Benefit: Outright / Diploid / Cherish / Stabbitha / RUB / Proboscis (Thornbury Bowls Club - Melbourne)
High Vis / Speed / Pain of Truth / Fuse (Northcote Theatre - Melbourne)

Highlight of 2024:
Traveling through Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Germany including eating all of the vegan food and heading along to the legendary SO36 to see Incendiary, Conservative Military Image and Time Heist.

Disappointment of 2024:
Visiting historical sites in Berlin describing the socio-political condition that led rise to fascism and genocide in Germany not even a century ago as a stark warning and reminder that this happen “never again” only to see the same steps play out in slow motion as history repeats itself in the US and Gaza.

Predictions for 2025:
Although things will get worse, Punk / Hardcore music will keep getting better (and more pissed off)

_____________________

 

Name: Madeleine Mitchell
From: Boudicca and Push Back Podcast

Top 5 LPs:
Brat - Social Grace
Kneecap - Fine Art
The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy
Fontaines DC - Romance
Encierro - Doomsday Still Bleeds Red

Top 5 EP/7"s
Gravitate - The Reckoning
GEL - Persona
Stressed - Carnivore
J.O.Y, Winnerz Circle - DA $PLIT
Threats - Backward Alchemy

Top 5 AU releases:
POLTERGEIST 9000 - I Can See Pam and Her Legendary Hands
Amyl and the Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness
Speed - Only One Mode
Backhand - Anger Sick
Blind Girls - An Exit Exists

Top 3 demos:
Hunny - Hunny Time
Cutthroat - Demo 2024
Goethe - Illithid Demo

Top 3 shows/tours:
There were so many awesome shows this year including that I got to play multiple shows with my two absolute favourites- Masochist and Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys thanks to Josh Murphy but I am going to focus on these three inaugural events that I was a part of.
• Hard Koori at Dicey Riley's Dharawal Country Wollongong featuring None for One, Sketch Method, Backhand, Boudicca.
• The first Loud Women AU at Perseverance Hotel, Naarm Melbourne - Blake Williams, Butterknife, Witch Spit, Daddy Issues, Worm Girlz, Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys, ViperSnatch, Ratsalad, Smallways., R.U.B, Lady Lazarus, Boudicca.
• Push Back All Ages Minifest at Hiss & Crackle Records Awabakal and Worimi Country Wallsend (I'm a bit biased cause I put it on but it was sick) S.C.U.M, Takoba, Cutthroat, Hunny, and Boudicca.

Highlight of 2024:
Loud Women AU!!! It was such an incredible day and I am so privileged to have been involved. Cheers to Caroline of Lady Lazarus for EVERYTHING, everyone needs to keep their eyes on Lady Lazarus. The use of flute. Also, the Volatile Ways / Terminal Sleep collab.

Disappointment of 2024:
ViperSnatch having their set cut short at Loud Women, nepotism and social clout still locking people out, attempts from some people to keep hardcore apolitical when it's an inherently political genre.

Predictions for 2025:
Another massive year for women in heavy music including a sick debut release from Takoba, a sick split between Backhand and R.U.B, more proper LPs including new albums from Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys and Masochist, and more antifascism, meaningful action, zines, D.I.Y and punk back in hardcore (I'm manifesting )

Cheers to everyone who has made 2024 such a massive and exciting year to be part of this community. Love yas!!!

____________________

 

Name: Adam McArthur
From: Team Glasses Records (Meanjin/Brisbane)

Top 5 LPs:
Westside Gunn ‘Still Praying’
Fentanyl ‘S/T’
Royal Headache ‘Live in America’
The Hope Conspiracy ’Tools of Oppression/Rule By Deception’
Rome Streetz ‘Hatton Garden Holdup’

Top 5 EP/7"s
Antenna ‘S/T’
Cell Rot ‘Shadow People/Cosmic Vertigo’
Diploid ‘Mantra’
Just Say Go! ‘Revived Sessions’
Entrapment ‘Southport: The Smart Move’

Top 5 AU releases:
Gaoled ‘Bestial Hardcore’ LP
Blind Girls ‘An Exit Exists’
Gil Cerrone ‘Consumer’
Extortion ‘Threats’
Resin Tomb ‘Cerebral Purgatory’

Top 3 demos:
Discount Code ‘Demonstration’
Mindrace ‘Promo 2024’
Total Wreck ‘Demo 2024’
Ashokas Hell ‘Your Sins Will Find You Out’
The Chain ‘Celestial/Insanity’

Top 3 shows/tours:
World Peace / Cell Rot / Histamine Australian Tour. (Many hands made light work on this tour. Ten wonderful shows; we could have kept going.)
Antenna QLD Weekender. (Brisbane nearly flooded again but didn’t stop 200 people trying to go into a room that fits 120 when Antenna made their debut in the river city.)
A Cold Day in BNE. (Pip and I put our literal hearts and souls into this event every year and it’s always so well worth it. We love our hardcore punk and death metal communities coming together for a fun day; the event will return for its 3rd incarnation in July 2025.)
Botch at The Triffid. Perfect set and flawless performance; can’t believe that show actually happened?

Highlight of 2024:
Watching lots of kids take over booking the thriving AA punk scene in Brisbane. Witnessing Nambour become an unmissable AA punk spot on the Australian touring circuit.

Disappointment of 2024:
Just the usual fragility of consistent AA venues in Brisbane pushing punks out or literally closing their doors. We may have it sorted for 2025.

Predictions for 2025:
A new wave of traditional hardcore bands rising up. More non-male and non-caucasian musicians picking up an instrument or microphone and showing us all how it’s done.
________________

Name: Dylan Fox
From: Wetwork (Meanjin/Brisbane)

Top 5 LPs:
1. Nile - The Underworld Awaits Us All
2. Ulcerate - Cutting The Throat of God
3. Gutless - High Impact Violence
4. Job For A Cowboy - Moon Healer
5. Resin Tomb - Cerebral Purgatory
6. GAOLED - Bestial Hardcore

Top 5 EP/7"s
1. Horsepower - A Tear Or Two
2. End It All - Unyielding Hate
3. Threshold - Descent To Misery
4. Skorn - A Quick Death
5. Algor Mortis - Stages Of Death
6. Stellar Remains – Wasteland
7. Candy - Flipping

Top 5 AU releases:
- Horsepower - A Tear Or Two
- GAOLED - Bestial Hardcore
- Horsepower - A Tear Or Two
- Gutless - High Impact Violence
- Horsepower - A Tear Or Two

Top 3 demos:
- Street Suffer - DEMO 24
- No Harm - Demo
- Dizdain - Demonstration 2024

Top 3 shows/tours:
1. Northcoast Xmas 24....fucking hell that was ripper
2. Horsepower tour, Brisbane all ages show
3. Sunami Brisbane show.....also all ages

Highlight of 2024:
- Probably that Northcoast show. It was crazy good.

Disappointment of 2024:
- Wetwork switching up our lineup every few months, and pushing back getting music out...but we have now settled as a family. Also AHEPA not being available anymore.

Predictions for 2025:
- TwoSeventy release music and blow the fuck up.
- Scram release music and blow the fuck up.
- Brawlist release music and blow the fuck up.
- Brisbane All Ages will enter full swing if we can secure a few different halls as venues.
- Nambour will see more hardcore bands tour there from interstate.
- Two releases from Wetty and maybe a national tour...if we're lucky.
- Civil war between NSW and QLD, QLD wins and takes northern NSW and the border goes down to Ballina.

I'm sure i'm missing a shit load here but here's what I could conjure off the top of my head.

_________________

Name: Meg
From: TIMEPEACE @timepeaceworld (Naarm/Melbourne)

Top 5 LPs
CANDY - It’s Inside You
WHISPERS - Yom-Ma-Lok
MYSTIQUE - Face Your Fate
GAOLED - Bestial Hardcore
BLIND GIRLS - An Exit Exists

Top 5 EPs/7”s
STRESSED - Carnivore
CANDY - Flipping
TIME ENDS EP
IKHRAS - Jahanam Btistana
JESUS PIECE - Greed/Conjure Life (this is technically a single, I think, but I refuse to not include it)

Top 5 AU Releases
BLIND GIRLS - An Exit Exists
BURN IN HELL/TUMOUR split
TERMINAL SLEEP - Spineless/Shadows single
STRESSED - Carnivore
TIME ENDS EP

Top 3 Demos
CANNONBALL
MASS CONTROL
BLOCKADE

Top 3 Shows/Tours
• Explosions in the Sky @ Sydney Opera House
• Blink 182 @ Rod Laver Arena on Valentine’s Day with one of my besties
• Nightmare Fest @ Stay Gold, which included Outright’s Avalanche 10yr anniversary set

Highlight: Outright’s anniversary set at Nightmare Fest for 10 years of their Avalanche LP. A very special record for a number of reasons and I’m thrilled I got to be there to celebrate my friends and their hard work, dedication, talent… I could go on. The whole show had a great vibe from start to finish, too, every band was sick. And so many friends doing guesties with Outright was ear-to-ear smiles.
Lowlight: boys club bullshit, crowd killing and “tough” attitudes. Fucking yawn.

Predictions for 2025:
Hopefully way less of the above.
The real community aspects of hardcore continuing to grow, thrive, and pave the way for more friendship and fun for everyone and for meaningful contributions to the world we exist in.
Some kind of event or incident that blesses us with viral footage of Elon Musk shitting his pants in public.
TIMEPEACE rockin and having a good time, recording a killer EP and playing lots of shows with our friends and friends we haven’t met yet. Can’t wait. X

__________________

Dan on the drums with Total Wreck who dropped one of our fave demos of the year. Pic by @_moonriot

 

Name: Dan Bolton
From: Total Wreck, Work? (Naamba/Nambour)

Top 5 LPs:
Punitive Damage - Hate Training
White Collar - s/t
Tozcos - Infernal
Invertebrates - Sick to Survive
Yambag - Mindfuck Ultra

Top 5 EP/7"s :
Bad Image - II
Hacker -Psy-wi-fi
Thought Control - Sick and Tired of the Talking Heads
Self-Defense - 12 Track E.P.
Success - Second one edition

Top 5 AU releases:
Western Pleasure - Rats Nest Archaeology,
Drudge - Creatures,
Osbo, s/t
Negative Gears - Moraliser,
Sin Tax - Abnegation

Top 3 demos: Spite, Discount Code, Knee

Top 3 shows/tours:
Antivision Xmas Fest, Nambour.
Cane Toad, Skirmisher, Gudgeon, Work? - Yeppoon,
Antenna, Black Deity, Sick People, Work? - Brisbane.

Highlight of 2024: All ages hardcore going from strength to strength in SEQLD, with a really diverse and inclusive scene full of lots of new young people and old-timers, and some new bands playing first shows.

Disappointment of 2024: personally I was hoping for more Australian fast/classic hardcore after Gag, Rat Cage and Electric Chair all touring in 2023.

Predictions for 2025: Sunshine Coast becomes the next punk hotspot with new bands Floggand Human Condition dropping great demos.

_______________________

Name: Liam
From: Good Food//Rotten Food (Meanjin/Brisbane)

Top 5 LPs:
1. Gaoled - Bestial Hardcore LP
2. Goon - God’s Only Option Now
3. Fentanyl - Fentanyl
4. Chat Pile - Cool World
5. Full of Hell - Coagulated Bliss

Top 5 EP/7”s:
1. Antenna - Antenna
2. Osbo - Osbo 7”
3. Cell Rot - Shadow People/Cosmic Vertigo
4. Mammoth Grinder - Undying Spectral Resonance
5. Extortion - Threats

Top 5 AU releases:
1. Antenna - Antenna
2. Gaoled - Bestial Hardcore LP
3. No Future - Mirror
4. Extortion - Threats
5. Gutless - High Impact Violence

Top 3 demos:
1. Total Wreck - Demo
2. Kevlar Upper - Demo
3. Exit-Ploom - Duck and Cover (Demo II)

Top 3 shows/tours:
1. Cell Rot/World Peace/Histamine QLD weekender
2. Gaoled QLD weekender
3. Antenna QLD weekender

Highlight of 2024:
Becoming a live music filmer and constantly being blessed with opportunities to work, hang, document and create fun stuff with so many bands and artists I love.

Disappointment of 2024:
Brisbane AA and 18+ venues struggling to hold any real longevity and Korn not playing “It’s On!” at that festival…

Predictions for 2025:
Lots of filming locally and on the road, an influx of young bands, younger gens discovering more beyond the breakdown, endless tours (some in the works), more legacy band reunions, probably do my own band again. Hardcore and its siblings are alive and thriving so let it all happen!

______________________

Name: Cameron Gillard
From: Apparitions, Via Studios (Meanjin/Brisbane)

Top 5 LPs:
Planes Mistaken For Stars – Do You still love me
The Cure – Songs of a lost world
Show Me the Body – Corpus 2
Touche Amore – Spiral in a Straight line
Drug Church – Prude

Top 5 EP/7"s
Antenna – Antenna
Sun Run – Crossing
Modern Life is War – Tribulation Work songs
Hanoi Traffic – Towards and End
Tumour/Burn In Hell split

Top 5 AU releases:
Gill Cerrone – Consumer
Jazz Tiger – Shooting stars in my blind spot
Armlock – Seashell Angel Lucky Charm
Blind Girls – An Exist Exists
Garage Sale – Stars Fall 2

Top 3 demos:
World Sick- new album demos
Leaker – Powder Finger
Tape/Off – Paris, Texas, Queensland

Top 3 shows/tours:
Botch
Tape/Off
World Peace/ Cell Rot

Highlight of 2024:
Furnace Fest and Best Friends Forever Fest, Seeing 61 bands over 7 days.

Disappointment of 2024:
Wars that shouldn’t exist and tyrannical governments that need to be overthrown. Predictions for 2025: It’s got to be better than 2024 right!

____________________

Name: Tarkan Pasin
From: Dream Inertia (Meanjin/Brisbane)

Top 5 LPs:
Threshold – Descent to Misery
Frail Body – Artificial Bouquet
Contention – Artillery From Heaven
Our future is an Absolute Shadow – LP
Outlander – Acts of Harm

Honourable mentions: Blood Incantations, Touche Amore, Votive, /hospitality/, Alinah, Extortion, Sinema, Torena, Kruelty, PeelingFlesh

Top 5 EP/7"s:
Four Winds Away - Four Winds Away
Bloom Dream - It Didn’t Have To Be This Way
Kiowa – Forever ends today
Máu – Sunder
Balmora / Since My Beloved – Six Pacts Etched In Blood

Splits:
Othiel/Palefade – Split
Knumears, VS SELF, Party Hats, Catalyst… - 4-Way Split
(Shout out VS SELF for heavily inspiring me to take a stab at screamo and their other band Knumears for being incredible)
Honourable mention: Concealer.

Top 5 AU releases:
Gutless – High Impact Violence
Blind Girls – An Exit Exists
Gil Cerrone – Consumer & Gil Cerrone/Letterbombs Split
Algor Mortis – Stages of Death
Resin Tomb – Cerebral Purgatory
Honourable Mentions: Burn in Hell, Tumour, Skorn, Splinter, MYRA TV and GUSH

Top 3 demos:
Goethe – ILLITHID DEMO (I listened to this demo so much).
Street Suffer – DEMO 24
Ashokas Hell – Your sins will find you out

Top 3 shows/tours:
Gutless, Faceless Burial, Altars, Mortiferum, at Stay Gold
Cold Day in Brisbane
Old bar Screamofest show (consisting of Pala, The World at A Glance, Daisy Chain, Keratin, Gil Cerrone), very sick energy.

Additional top sets:
Algor Mortis set for Sanguisugabogg at the Brightside was sosick, and I’m very keen to catch them again soon.
Both Daisy Chain’s sets in Brisbane and Nambour recently at the Bearded Lady and the Black Box Theatre were genuinely dope, Gil Cerrone and newcomers Ashokas Hell at Black Boxalso killed (all of which was documented by @painprograms on their YouTube page – check it out).
Additional shout out to Shitgrinder, Blind Girls, Wetwork, Brawlist for having genuinely sick sets whenever I see them too.

Highlights of 2024:
Playing A Cold Day in Brisbane, shout out Teamglasses (Ads Mac) and Black Blood Audio (Brendan ‘Pip’ Auld).
Going to Melbourne this year to play with Daisy Chain for a mixed screamo / shoegaze bill and the earlier mentioned Old Bar Screamo fest bill, which honestly had such sick energy and community around.
Playing a Boat Cruise put on by WORLDROT ft. Wetwork, Cold Blood, Highland Light and Brawlist. Mixed bills are sick.
Overall building connections with rad people from all over Australia over a love of music.

Disappointment of 2024:
I only got to see Gutless twice…
I’ve heard shoegaze is dead in Australia. Bummer.
Regretfully living in a world where emo post-hardcore is popular, without Title Fight.

Predictions for 2025:
It’s an interesting time for heavy music, there are heaps of hardcore bands and I think it’s providing good momentum for heavy music in general. There is a lot of interest in slam and 90s/2k metalcore riffs, so I predict there will be renaissance fusions of these styles kinda like the early deathcore concept but for different core genres, with unique twists of the time.
In general, I predict there will be more screamo releases next year. More underground touring, more weekenders and more mixed bills.

_________________________

Name: Peter Jackson
From: Homesick (Eora/Sydney)

Top 5 LPs:
Self Hell – While She Sleeps
One Assassination Under God – Marilyn Manson
Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid – Die Antwoord
Running On Air – Bliss N Eso
Significant Other – Limp Bizkit

Top 5 EP/7”s:
Lyrebird Park - Nookie
Year of the Rat – Curses
Nervous – While She Sleeps
All Hallows – AFI
At What Cost – No Peace

Top 5 AU releases:
Junction Court - Nookie
Year of the Rat – Curses
Kill the Dead – 3%
Running On Air – Bliss N Eso
Sheplife - Briggs

Top 3 demos:
At What Cost – No Peace
Anti Social – While She Sleeps
No Apologies - Life

Top 3 shows/tours:
While She Sleeps
Architects
Pennywise

Highlight of 2024:
Recording Legacy of nothing
Currently recording 3 new tracks
The birth of little Otis (conrates again to Bri and Joel! And big love)

Disappointment of 2024:
I think less disappointment and more emotionally… we lost a lot of good people this
year! Some to suicide and others to illness. RIP to all the people that are not with us
coming into this new year. LADSTREET FOREVER!

Predictions for 2025:
World War 3

_________________

 

Name: Cherry
From: Anti-Vision, Human Condition on Gubbi Gubbi Land

Top 5 LPs:
Prude – Drug Church
Conditioned for Demolition- Haywire
Valley’s most hated- Human Garbage
A tear or two- Horsepower
Only One Mode- Speed

Top 5 EP/7"s
Enemies at All Times- Sunbloc
The reckoning- Gravitate
Into the Abyss- Hell Awaits
5 tracks- Strange Joy
Big upsetter- Faze

Top 5 AU releases:
Hunny Time – Hunny
A quick death- Skorn
Play 2 lose- Struck Down
Demonstration- Discount Code
Life is pain- World of Joy

Top 3 demos:
Bright Sun- Demo 2024
Street Suffer- Demo 24
Total Wreck- Demo 2024

Top 3 shows/tours
GAOLED at Nambour
Terror at Sol Bar
Sunami at Ahepa Hall

Highlight of 2024:
Getting to book shows with my favourite bands and people.

Disappointment of 2024:
The fall of the Australian music festival scene and Good Things not being able to
acknowledge their assaulted patrons.

Predictions for 2025:
More stage dives, more youth, more mic grabs. Less ego hopefully.