May was a month packed with gems from the likes of Wounded Touch, Body Minus Head, Slung and Hundredth. Even within all that, there have been some stellar records that have not managed to get the appreciation they deserved, including likes the of Citrus, PROVOKE, Sowing and more, which can all be viewed below.
Citrus – Succumb to Scum (EP) (Frozen Records)
Seven songs and just over ten minutes? We already have the fundamental mold of a hardcore EP. Quick and beautifully dirty, French outfit Citrus curb stomp listeners into a state of facial deformity on Succumb to Scum. Though it’s superficially thin, Succumb to Scum fit in everything from molasses riffs to turret blast beats. Who needs caffeine when you have a thickly pressured shot of hardcore adrenaline that is all peaks and no plateaus? “SOAKED WITH ANGUISH” and “WHO’S LAUGHING NOW” stand out amongst this string of engagingly raw tracks. Citrus are living proof that you don’t need perfect engineering to sound outstandingly heavy. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, despite Citrus ensuring our eyes are blackened beyond healing on their latest iteration of punishment. If you think otherwise, as the band have said: This is a MTPHC release, go fuck yourself! – Shane
FFO: SPINE, Identity Shock & Choof
nerveagent – falling is more fun when there’s no one to catch you (EP) (Independent)
Bedroom production has been present up and down the ladder for a whole generation. A recent trend in guitar music sent direct from the duvet has been “hopecore” – layered tapping creating woozy and wordless emo pieces. This serves a purpose, but misses an essential roughness that might communicate the honesty and drama of the space it represents. nerveagent strikes out from the college dorm with an EP of lo-fi heartbreak, cosily merging chiptune with screamo. It’s a barbed package, with vocals that can only have led to noise complaints, and shrill nostalgic bleeps that compete to be the most discordant element. The result is something that tugs at you deeply. “u ok”, “stay scared” and “girl’s theme” make things heavy through quantised skramz, honouring the precision of the drum machine with a barrage of razor sharp synths. Every song is its own ballad, only topped by the “if only we could hibernate” which will be crack for those with the ear for those 5th wave emo vocals. – Dobbin T
FFO: Your Arms Are My Cocoon, Algae Bloom & Flawed Mangoes
Irruption – TCK-TKN (EP) (Independent)
Hardcore across Europe cooking up in a way it hasn’t before. With the likes of the aforementioned Citrus, Sorcerer, Divine Sentence and Lifecrusher producing some of the best hardcore this side of the Atlantic, Irruption add to that, reactivating after a five year studio gap. Fierce vocals pierce through the ear, which will be familiar to followers of Calcine, injecting adrenaline into the veins like a war cry. Backed by riffs and chugs that are simply there to induce violence, Irruption show how much of a sheer force they are, and hopefully one we will see much of over the coming months. – Joe
FFO: Not Without Punishment, Wasted Life & Splitknuckle
Poltergeist – A Fear So Cold, So Raw, So True (EP) (Independent)
The second Poltergeist EP is a huge treat for tech and djent heads. A Fear So Cold, So Raw, So True is defined by its mid to low tempo riffs, rendered with girthy guitar tones and dramatic harsh vocals. “Mutation” is a tense opener, lurking in a holding pattern to unleashing its ultimate grooves in short bursts. The following track “Hind Legs” is Poltergeist distilled, sure to have you drilled into its rhythms and idiosyncratic solo. A unique aspect is the dynamics, with a fresh approach taken for all the quiet moments across “Tentacles”, “Boltzmann Brian” and “To Climb These Stairs Again“. Even without mentioning moments of relative quiet, they are so very good at pacing these massive tracks. There will be a few for whom Poltergeist will be too on the nose, and the rest of us will be eating well. – Dobbin T
FFO: Mesuggah, Meshuggah & Meshuggah
PROVOKE – Promo ‘25 (EP) (Willmore Records)
Willmore Records are proving to be ones to watch, as they are connecting the California heavy scene with a set of lovely releases from the dreamy Parallel. to the ‘core revival bands A Year Ago Today and anvilchandelier. The heaviest release yet is PROVOKE’s Promo ‘25, a tight offering with just an intro and two disgustingly intense hardcore tracks. “Destruction of the Mind” showcases their vocal command and vertigo-inducing breakdowns. “Soul-Tied” adds some two-step rhythms and essential whispers before its salvo of chugging riffs. Their producer heard somewhere that the high-end goes under-appreciated on demo mixes, resulting in a characteristically piercing mix with serrating fuzz and drums; an electrifying way to render PROVOKE and help them stick out. – Dobbin T
FFO: Your Spirit Dies, Volatile Ways & Church Tongue
Odoacer – All Was of Little Worth:,Pt 1 (LP) (Church Road Records)
A rare dark ambient release from Church Road Records comes from the unlikely Odoacer. Opener “A Sorrow So Vast” swells from organ-like dirges up to a faint choir, as if the congregation is trapped in the pipes and singing in soft lamentation. The chilling effect is much like the work of raison d’être or the Cyclic Law roster, and the rest of the release holds you in this ghostly grasp. The record’s drones drifts carefully being frosty and comforting, letting some shafts of light in on “Over Your Cities, Tall Grass Shall Grow”. It’s not until the final song that Odoacer returns to the project’s roots – “Exanium” allows some distortion and tortured vocals to seep into the chamber, like a reverie of the black metal that can be found on their debut release. Although removed from the project’s origins, All Was of Little Worth:,Pt 1 is a curious gem that has a lot to offer your rotation. – Dobbin T
FFO: Je Est Un Autre, Sutekh Hexen & Körkarlen
You Win Again Gravity – Don’t Leave Me Here, Pt. 1 (Independent)
English progressive outfit You Win Again Gravity have struck gold with their thirty-minute odyssey, Don’t Leave Me Here, Pt. 1, weaving together a tapestry of math rock, post-hardcore, prog, and djent. It’s a release that feels carefully crafted, including the atmospheric interludes which prove a worthwhile breather between the proper tracks; and while the project is undeniably cohesive, there’s a certain focus to each which takes it in its own distinct direction, from the moody, noodling leads of “Heartwood” to the more back-and-forth angularity of “Something Has To Change”, supplemented with hypnotic cleans and at times nostalgic, late-’00s metalcore roars. If moody prog is your thing, You Win Again Gravity is certainly worth the time – and it’s rather lean for a prog release. – Harry
FFO: The Contortionist, Karmanjakah & Artificial Language
Sowing – The Distance Surrounding Me (EP) (Independent)
On The Distance Surrounding Me, central Massachusetts’ Sowing deliver their own evocative blend of grungy and gazey alt-rock influences with a cutting screamo edge. The sophomore EP expands on the sound established by the group’s 2024 debut Becoming Hollow with a noticeable step forward in production polish, bringing greater clarity and depth to their sound without sanding down its emotional grit. A short but striking listen, The Distance Surrounding Me leaves a lasting enough impression that assures Sowing as ones to keep an eye on. – Kathleen Crooks
FFO: Finch, dream fatigue, Holder
andthecanaryfell. – As The Ice Melts (EP) (Post Party Rock Records)
Crashing together the sombre yet gorgeous melodies of emo and the sheer raw harness of black metal, andthecanaryfell. produce one of the most striking and harrowing records of 2025. An EP that seems haunted by its own raw nature, with tracks such as “When the Heaven Sings, Sorrow Brings Rain” channelling a stricken grief and pain that is difficult to shake after listening. The sublime output from the screamo revival seemed like a lost art from the early 2010s – andthecannaryfell. and others are proving that it’s one that still strikes a chord. – Joe E
FFO: Dreamwell, Tarnished & Body Minus Head