’68 – Two Parts Viper

When a man in a suit approaches you in a dream and tells you that you will fail if he (the man) isn’t two parts viper, then I guess that’s a sign, right? That’s what Josh Scogin, vocalist and guitarist for improv-noise bastards ’68 thinks – either that, or he needs to seriously cut down on the Twin Peaks marathons.

Holy Gold – Feral Children

The alumni that make up Atlanta’s Holy+Gold burst forth from the metalcore bubble, with members of Norma Jean, The Glass Ocean and professional crowd-surfers, The Chariot in tow. It’s a surprise then, to hear that Holy+Gold carry very little over musically from these projects, save for teasing moments of snarling hardcore fury and some fractured distortion.

Frameworks – Time Spent

I’m familiar with the jarring discontent of Gainesville’s Frameworks, having talked about their track Loom on this very website a couple of years ago. Time hasn’t mellowed these spiky and agitated bunch as Time Spent indicates, bristling with scratching, fiery determination.

Stolen Nations – Smoke Signals

Stolen Nations are going to tick a lot of boxes for people. A two piece, comprised of Jon Terrey (ex-The Chariot) on guitars, vocals and Kris Rochelle (of Listener) on drums, they’re sound is an ever-shifting amalgamation of grunge, punk, stoner and even post rock thrown into the mix.

American Standards – Hungry Hands

What sets Arizona’s American Standards apart from their hardcore contemporaries is their inventiveness and balls to mix things up rather than sticking to a familiar path. At only three tracks long, Hungry Hands is a brief but chaotic slab of blunt, passionate hardcore.

’68 – In Humor and Sadness

There’s a moment on In Humor and Sadness, the début album by ’68; where you can hear an amp finally giving up the ghost and power down. It just snuffs right out near the end of 04. R, cutting out in a pop-of scrawling, mangled feedback, whilst vocalist and guitarist Josh Scogin manages to strangle one last cry from it during its death rattle.

’68 – Midnight 7″

Taking their name from a ’68 Camaro that Scogin’s father once owned, ’68, are a somewhat departure from The Chariot’s math-rock, spasmodic shape-throwing contortions. Don’t think though for one minute that ’68 are at the opposite end of the spectrum – the raw, jagged bruised scrape is ever present, yet in a more stripped down, ramshackle form.