I love almost all genres of music, but hardcore has always been towards the top for me. I love the intensity, the passion, and typically the message that is conveyed. I grew up listening to bands on such record labels as Revelation, Victory, Indecision, New Age and many more that were groundbreaking. Due to that influence in my younger years, I set a high bar for hardcore music. Back then, the only way you could find your new, favorite hardcore band was to go to a show or the occasional comps these labels would release. Life is awesome now, having sites like ours where you’re able to come across a new artist or band that you like and that you can support. Especially when they are able to meet or exceed that bar you’ve established.
xNullifyx is a straight edge metallic hardcore band hailing from Central Illinois. While their sound doesn’t throw it all the way back into the late 90s of those labels I mentioned, they do have a throwback sound. They are heavily influenced by hardcore bands from the early 2000s like Foundation, First Blood, and Strife but manage to make it feel new with a few guttural growls and advanced song writing. The top-notch production on the release helps as well.
The band’s self-titled debut EP packs a punch. The drums are unrelentless and the guitars are crunchy and thick. The vocals rip right through the mix raw and violently. I absolutely love the guitar harmonies laced throughout the songs. The band generates creative transitions into brutal breakdowns that get you wanting to make that stank face we all make when a killer breakdown drops. These are songs that will get you moving.
The first single off the EP titled “Bottom Feeder” dropped on July 9th and managed to land them a tour with Haywire. However, my favorite two tracks on this are the opening track “Conviction” and “Second Face”. As soon as I hit play and the clean intro on “Conviction” started I knew this was going to rip. The full EP dropped on all streaming platforms on August 6, 2025. However, the physical media has not yet been released. You can preorder the limited pressing cassette through New Morality Zine.
The lyrics touch on topics such as the weight of life, how to turn it into something meaningful, and of course straight edge. Fans of Inclination, Blistered, and Get The Shot need to take notes and give this EP a spin. Heck, go out and catch them at show so you can find out about more hardcore bands in your area and beyond.
