Kromosom

With a sound like chunks of steel being thrown into a meat grinder, Melbourne hardcore band Kromosom have created a beast of unrelenting rage and aggression with debut LP Live Forever. Kromosom, which feature members of Pisschrist and Nuclear Death Terror, play a very noisy style of hardcore that's closely related to hardcore punk bands from the early '80s and late '70s, like MDC or Battalion of Saints. However, Kromosom carve out their place by adding in the odd metallic dirge and more guttural vocals, which are closely tied to more contemporary metallic hardcore. Fans of this more "old school"-type of hardcore will love the production, as it's as close to live as it gets; it feels like Kromosom played each song in succession off-the-floor with a microphone in the middle of the room. This takes Kromosom's energetic and frantic live performance and transfers it onto record, making it feel like they are playing a cramped, sweaty show in your room. However, even though Live Forever is full of aggression, those unfamiliar with crust punk and old school hardcore might find the production grating and even somewhat alienating. Despite this, Live Forever is a fast-paced, intense record full of nostalgia, D-beat and angst that's definitely worth checking out for fans of punk and hardcore.