It’s Monday and Mondays suck, so let’s grind it out with a split from Regional Justice Center and Wound Man.
A little less than a year ago, you might remember this column doing a piece on Seattle, WA’s Regional Justice Center and their debut A World of Inconvenience. Their brand of powerviolence/hardcore is crushing, infectious and thoroughly punk to the core. So, in case you missed their last one, well, they’re back. Now’s as good a time as any to jump into this band. But they’ve brought company.
For the uninitiated, powerviolence purveyors Would Man are here for this round robin too. Haven’t heard of Wound Man? You should have, especially if you follow Iron Lung Records. Or listen to hardcore. Members have been in bands like The Rival Mob, Xfilesx, Straight Razor, Wolf Whistle, Outrage/Raindance, and more. Perimeter alone should have commanded your attention back in 2016 with how masterfully pissed, heavy and violent it was. A Last year’s Prehistory was no slouch either. The New Bedford, MA group has been blasting since 2013.
First up is Regional Justice Center’s side. Three slices of powerviolence/hardcore punk as described above. “Aspirations” opens with a little feedback and RJC is quickly on the attack, blasting away. The track moves into a slower, more disjointed beat that chucks blasts in here and there. In a minute, it’s over and “Amphetamines” is serving up some violence. It’s more of a hardcore song but still has that powerviolence chop. However, it’s with “To Cope” that RJC really shine. The intro is quick and catchy and the song the most punk on the record. It builds and builds and then comes down, ending on some distorted talk.
Next is four offerings from Wound Man. “Man Slaughter” gets things going without mercy. The track is quick, hard on the blasts and utterly raw. And it’s over before you know it, and we’re on to “Pound For Pound.” This track is much like the last but with a thicker, meaner streak. It’s the kind of track that sends you into the mosh pit, arms flying. “Chain” is maybe the most punk track on this side, and probably the most frantic. In forty seconds, Wound Man are both blasting on the verge of grind, and then at once breaking things down like sludge fiends. “Bone” could have a case made for its punk streak too as it’s probably the fastest of Wound Man’s tracks. It’s the most grinding track on the entire split and has the densest breakdown. Utter brutality, and nothing with Wound Man clocks in over sixty seconds.
Both sides to this split are simply a taste of what these bands can do. As a split, this thing is great. Both bands are playing at the top of their game, so if you like this, you’re going to love their other material. If you’re on the fence about hardcore, either of these bands could change your mind. Especially if you skew towards grind. Both of these bands blast like maniacs. Seven tracks in seven minutes. Get grinding on this one!
Regional Justice Center Merch
Wound Man Bandcamp
