Best punk and hardcore EP's according to Dennis
When I started thinking about the EP's I listened to in 2021 I could not come up with much. Browsing through my collection I found I enjoyed much more EP's than I remembered. It was like exploring them again! Allow me to share my top 5 (plus one bonus, I cheated, ok?) punk and hardcore EP's from my collection. It is a crying shame though, that the EP I played most does not fit this category (or the metal-related EP's). So I am cheating some more and am telling you that Brasszzinga's Zorb is actually the best EP of 2021.
1
Znous
Znousland 3 (Independent)
A mixture of modern metal, hardcore and some Tunisian folk music to top it of. That is Znous. This band is three EP's in and all three are so incredibly good. This is my most played EP of the year and I highly recommend you giving it some airtime too.
2
Travoltas
Back To The City (White Russian Records)
This EP feels a bit like Travoltas wanted to experiment with a different influence: eighties hard rock. They took the sunny side of that music and incorporated it into their own brand of punk rock with great results. If you need some more sun in your life this might be just for you.
3
Buggin
Brainfreeze (Flatspot Records)
Reading my colleagues review of this EP will take you longer than this EP lasts, but somehow that only increases it's replay value. To quote Campbell: "raw energy and enthusiasm filled with ideas that evolve as they’re being recorded, and just enough disregard for precision to maintain the NYHC spirit". Could not have said it better.
4
Hez
Guerra Interior (Discos Enfermos)
I can't say I know much bands from Panama. I do know one now. And I can't say I regret knowing them. Hez plays some dark and noisy hardcore. I love this stuff. It's fast and furious and it is making good use of the echo effect. How could I not love this to bits?
5
Toska Fall
It Falls Apart
Altough not the most coherent EP (something I do hope the band will work on in the future) I keep returning to It Falls Apart. I would really like the band to get more focus in their writing, as this EP is mainly a promise of better music to come.
6
Taqbir
Taqbir (Independent)
Another band from a scene I did not know about. This Morocan band plays very a very basic and rough kinda punk. The production is equally rough. The energy the band manages to transfer is incredible! This EP is way too short, that's the biggest downside. This gem is later released by La Vida Es Un Mus under the name Victory Belongs To Those Who Fight For A Right Cause. In my bandcamp-collection it is labeled as an independent self-titled release so I'll stick with that for now.
- Dennis
