Guide To Chicago Hardcore in 2023
Even though Chicago is one of the largest metropolises in the country, we still have perpetual small-town syndrome. It becomes especially apparent as someone who spends too much time thinking about hardcore. Any conversation about its origins ultimately becomes relegated to the coasts. The only band that gets some attention is Articles of Faith. It's for a good reason, too; I honestly believe that their material still holds up and that In This Life is an emo-core gem that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. But people never go beyond them. Around this time, we had: Rights of The Accused, Negative Element, and Life Sentence. We had Busted At Oz, which, while it is more of a punk document, did give us the first recordings of Naked Raygun. But most of these artists are unremarkable to modern ears. They seem to respond to a post-Black Flag world rather than setting the agenda for what's coming.
As the sound of hardcore shifted, so too did Chicago hardcore. You would begin to hear the metallic churn with Tony Brummel's band Only The Strong, who released one short EP in 1989. Brummel would start Victory Records, which was decidedly not focused on Chicago. But this period would be especially fertile for the city, eventually centering around Fireside Bowl. It would provide a wide range of hardcore, from the spastic rhythms of MK-ULTRA to the fast churn of Los Crudos. If you want a deeper dive into this era, I recommend watching the documentary No Delusions.
But as the documentary points out, hardcore didn't suddenly die there. Many bands that formed in the 2000s still made an impact that can be felt today. Many Chicago bands still reference The Killer as a huge inspiration. Watching them for the first time last year, I could see their influence in the countless Chicago bands that lean on the more brutal metallic end of things. Their songs inspire fury, and when the right crowd matches their energy, the result is cathartic. I couldn't help but be won over by twenty and forty-year-olds climbing on each other and swinging their fists as hard as possible.
But as with anybody concerned with hardcore, what I'm interested in is happening right now. If you live too long in what has already happened, the present will die in some respect. Since shows returned two years ago, I've been going to more Chicago hardcore shows than ever. After attending the New Morality Zine showcase, I was inspired and only continued to delve deeper. It was notable because they sold out a relatively big room with almost all local support. It showed that something special was happening in the city. But I feel like Chicago hasn't gotten the attention it deserves beyond the familiar names that may be on a more prominent label. Its vision of hardcore is wide-ranging, encompassing all the different styles that proliferate in today's scene. If all you want is hardcore punk that is derived from '82, you can get that. If you want ignorant beatdown, you can also get that easily. Below is a short guide to what Chicago has to offer to hardcore in 2023.
Buggin’
Since Buggin formed in the late 2010s, the premise has been simple: fun above all else. They wanted to serve as the counterpoint to the dominant beatdown scene in Chicago. You can hear this vision begin to crystalize in their 2019 demo, but the recording is far from perfect. All the requisite parts for Buggin are there. You have fast sections interspersed with bouncy mosh parts and occasional gang vocals. The following releases would slowly refine their take on New York hardcore and eventually coalesce on Concrete Cowboys. You have silly stuff ("Snack Run") sitting alongside the cloyingly positive closer ("Youth") and undeniably catchy singalongs ("Poser Bulldozer"). It all makes for what is my favorite band in Chicago's hardcore scene. It can appeal to DIY basement dwellers attending Albion House shows or the gnarliest moshers that frequent Cobra Lounge.
Kharma
Kharma represents the hulking metallic end of Chicago hardcore. For many, this may be the side of the genre that they may be the least interested in, but it is a key component of Chicago hardcore. It is not only the most fun for people to dance to but the most interesting to watch as someone who lays on the outskirts of the pit most of the time. And if you were only to listen to one local band that borders on beatdown, I would recommend Kharma. It does adhere to the tropes of heavy hardcore in some ways, featuring a gun on the cover of their 2018 album. The mosh parts are also familiar, taking influences from acts like Neglect and Bulldoze. They also understand you should always place your hardest part in the last 30 seconds. But what makes Kharma compelling are the high-pitched vocals. It creates an interesting counterbalance because most bands in this style don't sound like Kharma.
Sector
There could be a whole section featuring bands that guitarist Anchit Chhabra plays in. While each is a bit different, they all share one thing in common: they are ignorantly heavy. While that may seem like a generic statement, just listen to fifteen seconds of any song from Sector. You aren't about to hear any circle-pitting part here. It's the kind of music that Jud Jud mocked in the late 90s. But there is some power to hulking riffs that are meant to inspire violence. Sometimes I don't want to think too hard about what I'm listening to. I want lyrics that feel vindictive, working as the soundtrack for when someone has wronged me ("So many people I wish I could forget/What's done is done, wish you were dead").
Instill
Since forming in 2021, Instill has become a staple in Chicago. I've seen them at least ten times because of the alarming number of hardcore shows I've gone to. I can even claim to have seen their Have Heart cover twice. Based on that tidbit, you may expect something closer to Bridge 9 or melodic hardcore. Instill isn't quite there. There are payoffs that some bands of the 2000s did not provide. It instead feels more inspired by hardcore from the previous decades but without ever committing to being another youth crew band. One of my friends compared them to Count Me Out before they released a full-length to give you an idea.
But what I think about most with Instill goes beyond anything with the demo. They truly fit the ethic Rival Mob espoused on "Hardcore for Hardcore." The band exists because the members love hardcore and want the scene to continue to thrive. Yes, I know how corny that may sound, but every member is an active participant. I've seen plenty dance hard to every band at a show they are playing.
Snuffed
Snuffed feels like Chicago hardcore's biggest secret. People are thirsting for the fast hardcore punk that Snuffed excels in. I've seen them play alongside bands like GEL multiple times and hold their own. But because Snuffed doesn't tour and isn't on a huge label, people outside the city aren't aware of them. Regardless, their debut Coping Human Waste is one of the better hardcore records to come out of Chicago in recent memory. It does a good job of balancing the fast sections with dancier segments and can satiate many different hardcore kids. If you like SPY, Jivebomb, or anything on Convulse Records, I'd recommend giving Snuffed a chance.
Subliminal Excess
In any city, there are bound to be sub-scenes within hardcore. I make a distinction between basement versus venue hardcore. Subliminal Excess belongs to the former, best experienced in a cramped basement with bodies smashing into each other. If I were to see them at a bar, it would be in a non-traditional space like One City Tap rather than at Beat Kitchen. But most people interested in hardcore will likely find something to love here. The few reviews I find on Subliminal Excess make comparisons to Rival Mob, and I can hear it. It's hardcore punk with plenty of mosh parts that are attuned to the modern ears.
Stress Positions
One of my favorite hardcore bands to come out of Chicago was C.H.E.W. Feeding Frenzy was one of my favorite records to come out of Chicago, and I found it particularly inventive in a constrictive arena like hardcore punk. I liked it so much that I rated it a top ten Chicago album in the 2010s for a Chicago Reader poll in 2020. So I was very disappointed when it was announced C.H.E.W. broke up, but thankfully most of the members quickly formed Stress Positions. It isn't too dissimilar in a good way. At this point, they know how to write frantic, no-frills hardcore punk. There's nothing else really to say here. It just hits the lizard part of my brain that likes it when hardcore is fast.
SI Dios Quiere
Part of what makes hardcore so distinctive in Chicago is just how multicultural it feels. At least since I've been going to shows in the city, there has been a significant amount of brown people not only attending but forming bands. Si Dios Quiere is carrying that tradition forward, albeit in its own ways. They aren't as didactic as Los Crudos or bands of that era. Si Dios Quiere also takes more from someone like Cro-Mags than anything from the Midwest too. But they find a comfortable middle ground, sometimes interspersing Spanish into songs while discussing topics that only someone of color could discuss. And there are still plenty of pile-on singalong moments, like on "Urban Guerilla."
Absolute Truth
Though Absolute Truth is a relatively new band, the members have been involved in Chicago's hardcore scene for over a decade. Their roots go back to the 2000s with Expired Youth and the 2010s with Decline. Absolute Truth isn't too dissimilar from those projects, with an obvious eye toward youth crew as inspiration. But the songs take on a different life when people are in their 40s instead of teens. While singing about straight edge may feel a tad silly when you're that old, I'm more inclined to believe the message from a grown adult compared to someone who isn't even the legal drinking age. But what strikes me when I see Absolute Truth is how youthful it feels. It is inspiring to still be dedicated to hardcore when most people drop out at their age. I hope I still feel inspired in ten years to attend shows and be a somewhat active participant.
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