GUD out of Drammen, Norway play heavy sludge with stoner and doom influences. Their demo released March 9, 2026 with five Norwegian-language tracks of slow, crushing riffage. The band describes their sound as "sludge'n roll" - grinding, down-tuned heaviness with groovy stoner vibes. This is over 25 minutes of oppressive, feedback-drenched sludge-doom.
FFO: Noothgrush, Thou, Primitive Man
Cell Press out of Montreal, Québec play experimental noise rock with mathcore chaos and sludge weight. Tabula Rasa dropped March 6, 2026 with four tracks of angular, dissonant heaviness. Featuring members from The Great Sabatini, Architect, Bleak, The Chariot, I Hate Sally, Typeface, Obelisk, Biipiigwan, ete... the band delivers nearly 17 minutes of crushing, technical aggression. Mixed by Scott Evans of Kowloon Walled City with guest vocals from Julien Lévesque and Mark McGee on "Orphan-Crushing Machine."
KNIFE VISION or SLAVEHOUSE (I have no idea if it's one or the other, or both) out of Columbus, Ohio play a raw black metal/punk hybrid fury. Chained to the Abyss dropped March 7, 2026 with five tracks of lo-fi, blackened aggression. This seems to be a solo project by "JN" blending raw black metal with hardcore punk intensity across 15 minutes of unrelenting darkness. Primitive production, hateful vocals, and relentless blasting throughout.
If you didn't know, as far as I'm concerned, Harrowed is one of the few "unofficial" bands of this blog. By that, I mean they have been here from the very beginning and really capture the kind of stuff that I am into. It doesn't hurt that everything they put out is virtually flawless. This "single" Dark Collective just came out with 2 songs and as suspected, I am blown away by how good this band is. They are like the 'Slayer' of blackened hardcore, it's banger after banger with them. Mandatory listen.
CONVICTED out of Gothenburg, Sweden play filthy stenchcore with a metallic d-beat vibe. Soaring Reality of Natures Demise dropped March 13, 2026 with eight tracks of raw, politically charged aggression. The quartet - Eli on vocals, Ivar on guitar, Eskhil on bass, and Walter on drums - rip through 24 minutes of relentless crust punk. Recorded in the freezing cold of an industrial area from January to February 2026. Available on limited CD at shows.
FFO: Deviated Instinct, Asocial, Nausea
Battsbury from Rome, Italy play atmospheric alternative hardcore with post-hardcore dynamics. CONTROHCORE released August 12, 2024 with eight Italian-language tracks of moody, introspective heaviness. The duo - Luca on baritone guitar/vocals and Claudio on drums/vocals - blend melodic tension with crushing weight across 25 minutes. The heavy baritone tones drive brooding, emotionally charged songs. Very very interesting and this sounds amazing for a demo/debut.
FFO: La Quiete, Raein, Øjne, Oathbreaker
Milkmaid out of Calgary, Alberta play crushing sludge & doom. Their self-titled release dropped March 8, 2026 with five tracks of heavy, oppressive brutality. The three-piece - Jade McLellan on bass/vocals, Marissa Ruggles on guitar, and Meghana Iyer on drums - deliver nearly 18 minutes of slow, grinding punishment. Dark atmosphere, tortured vocals, and massive riffs throughout.
FFO: Body Void, Khanate, Burning Witch, Sunrot
THE SLASHER out of Colorado Springs, Colorado play blackened negative hardcore with war metal intensity. SPITE dropped March 13, 2026 with four tracks of venomous aggression and hateful fury. Raw black metal meets crushing hardcore brutality and misanthropic vocals. Pure nihilism and rage channeled through relentless riffs and blasting drums. This is the first release from the band and they're already pushing some extreme boundaries. I love this smothering sound they have.
FFO: Full Of Hell, Vermin Womb, Hexis
STRAGGLER out of Oakland, California play frantic powerviolence with fastcore intensity. Without a Country dropped March 13, 2026 with three tracks of blazing aggression and crushing breakdowns. Combining fast/slow dynamics, guttural vocals, and unhinged fury - the band tears through it in under five minutes of pure chaos. This is the third release from the band and they keep getting heavier and faster.
FFO: ACxDC, Scalp, Infest, Man Is The Bastard
Strzyyga out of Kansas City, Missouri play blackened crust with raw black metal fury. Nocturnal Famishment dropped March 6, 2026 with six tracks of hissing, primeval hatred. D-beat rhythms collide with lo-fi black metal tremolo and grim atmosphere throughout. The trio - Blasphoghol, Ahriman, and Hammerlich - spew over 14 minutes of nocturnal aggression.
FFO: Young and in the Way, Ancst, Vestiges