Hardcore in 2025 delivered no shortage of records that stuck with me long after release day. Instead of ranking them, I’ve laid these out alphabetically—because trying to lock this into a Top 12 order would’ve been impossible.
If you want to go even deeper, be sure to check out my Best Hardcore Demos and Best Hardcore EPs of 2025, where some of the year’s most vital material surfaced.
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Bad Beat — LP 2025 (Triple B Records)
Fittingly, Bad Beat landed on this list last year with LP 2024. On LP 2025, the Detroit band crank out more of their speedy, attitude-filled capital-H Hardcore.
You can practically see the middle finger when Jimmy Lawson hits you with those snotty vocals. Bad Beat closed out the year with EP 2025, proving they’ve got plenty more up their sleeves. Goddamn showoffs.
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C4 — Payback's a Bitch (Triple B Records)
The vitriolic tone of Payback’s a Bitch hits from the first few seconds: “C4 is back!” echoes over a menacing intro before slamming into the ripping opener, “Subject Has Escaped.” The Boston crew’s sophomore album is blunt, ugly, and proudly confrontational. Outside of the backend of the LP, most of the songs clock in under 2 minutes, ensuring the material's vigor.
In short, the music on Payback's a Bitch is every bit as gnarly as its cover art.
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Citric Dummies — Split With Turnstile (Feel It Records)
Fast and obnoxious in all the right ways, Split With Turnstile hit my radar after Zack Nelson raved about it on the 185 Miles South podcast. The Twin Cities crew leans into the catchier side of ’80s hardcore punk, with a punch that channels garage rock energy.
“I Can’t Relate” feels like one of those tracks from a classic Punk-O-Rama comp—instantly making you hit rewind. I know where I stand, but I wonder what the folks in Turnstile think about this album?
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Combust — Belly of the Beast (Triple B Records)
Combust’s Belly of the Beast is a groove-heavy slab of hardcore that grew on me with every listen. The LP features guest spots from members of such bands as Mindforce, Dmize, and Terror, but my favorite tracks are when Combust and vocalist Andrew Vacante go it alone. Cue up “Truth Hurts” and “Distorted Dreams.”
Killing Time and Outburst may not be making new music these days, but Combust are carrying the NYHC torch in the studio, thankfully.
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Deadguy — Near-Death Travel Services (Relapse Records)
Deadguy’s Near-Death Travel Services is that rare comeback that justifies its existence. Instead of softening their edge or modernizing their sound, Deadguy dig in deeper—angular riffs, fractured rhythms, and Tim Singer’s unmistakable bile, all sharpened by age and perspective.
It packs the same psychopathic energy as Fixation on a Coworker, but with added weight, sharper perspective, and a dark sense of humor that only comes from surviving long enough to see the mess get worse.
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Discourage — In Lieu of Flowers... (WAR Records)
Discourage’s In Lieu of Flowers... is raw and confrontational, shaped by loss, exhaustion, and political anger. After a three-year gap, the Bay Area band returns sharper and more deliberate—pushing the fast parts faster, the slow parts heavier.
The lyrics feel lived-in, not abstract, channeling grief and frustration into something focused and urgent. It's with no surprise that Discourage's approach has been compared to the likes of American Nightmare and Blacklisted.
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Mental Warfare, Everything Is Wrong (Lionheart Records)
The brainchild of Chris Cesarini (Street Power, Back of tha Neck), Mental Warfare has the Boston musician cranking out alleyway fight-ready hardcore. Everything Is Wrong features lead vocals from Chris McNulty (Pledge, Years Apart), whose shouty style is the perfect match for the material.
Cesarini told me he already has another Mental Warfare record in the can. We'll see what that one brings, but I expect great things because this one hits as hard as a combat boot to the noggin.
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Scarab — Burn After Listening (Rebirth Records)
Burn After Listening is 11 minutes of pure, unrelenting hardcore fire. With a murderer’s row of talent from such bands as Envision, Simulakra, and Gridiron, the Philadelphia crew dropped an album even my most out-of-the-loop old head friends couldn’t ignore this year: "Carlos, what's up with this Scarab band?!"
Can anyone blame them? On Burn After Listening, the fast stuff rips, and the slower, more groove-driven sections don’t overstay their welcome. It’s with little surprise that Scarab landed on so many year-end lists this month.
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Still In Love — Recovery Language (Church Road Records)
Drawing on the members’ long histories in the UK heavy music scene (Dead Swans, Last Witness, Bring Me the Horizon), Still In Love pairs raw aggression with reflective songwriting that never sounds soft or performative. On Recover Language, the riffs stay tense, the pacing breathes when it needs to, and the lyrics on songs like "Tell the Truth" and "Inherit" will have you reaching for the lyric sheet to dig in deeper.
"I think our sound is still developing to be honest so I’m excited to see where this next record takes us," vocalist Nick Worthington told me about Still In Love in a 2024 interview. His excitement was warranted.
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Terminator — Identity (Rebirth Records)
Terminator make a serious statement with Identity, a debut LP that’s just as personal as it is punishing. Guitarist/vocalist Shae Alexander handled nearly every aspect—writing, recording, producing, and mixing it herself—and that singular vision delivers a tense, focused sonic attack packed with urgency and grit.
In a scene bogged-down with so much macho bullshit, the lyrics on the Canadian group's LP offer substance over posturing. “Identity is for all the queer, trans, and gender non-conforming folks out there,” Shae told me, describing the title track as “a song about taking control of your body, your mind, and your fate.” Hell yes.
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Ukko's Hammer — Ukko's Hammer (self-released)
Denver’s Ukko’s Hammer dropped their self-titled LP in 2025 with one foot deep in old-school thrash and the other in metallic hardcore that refuses easy labels. The 11 tracks hit like a late-’80s Noise Records relic blasted through a DIY filter, packed with snarling riffs and raw aggression fused into a relentless crossover warhead.
Vocalist Zach Reini told me that while their sound might be “too metal for punk shows but too punk for metal shows,” what really defines the band is their DIY spirit and their willingness to let listeners label it however they want.
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Wiccans — Phase IV (Unlawful Assembly / Drunken Sailor Records)
There’s plenty of talk about the psychedelic rock leanings on Wiccans’ latest album, and sure, you’ll catch flashes of that and some Southern rock riffing. But make no mistake: Phase IV is a hardcore record. The speed, the attitude, and all the hallmarks of the genre are right where they should be.
When Wiccans veer left of center, it pulls you in instead of distracting from the aural pummeling. The Texan band took eight years to cook up their fourth album. Here’s hoping the next phase comes sooner.
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Tagged: bad beat, c4, citrus dummies, combust, deadguy, discourage, mental warfare, scarab, still in love, terminator, ukkos hammer, wiccans
