With 2000s Hardcore Week now in full swing, I wanted to celebrate some of the decade's best records. With that in mind, I reached out to musicians from the hardcore community with the following simple question:
What is your favorite hardcore record from the 2000s?
The long list below showcases their picks. There will be a second part to this feature coming later this week!
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Will Hirst (Restraining Order)
Cold Sweat, Blinded
"I could pick an easy answer like Ill Blood, the second American Nightmare 7”, the Step Forward 7” or the Rampage LP but hopefully someone else has already spoken on those. I’m gonna go with the severely underrated Blinded LP by Cold Sweat. As a student of the church of Black Flag, this is the closest a band ever got to My War, but that also might be selling it short.
"There’s a lot of noise rock/angular punk influence and Infest-style power violence in the DNA that makes this one of a kind. The band fires on all cylinders, precise drumming, ripping atonal guitars, overdriven bass, and possibly one of the most unhinged vocal performances ever put to tape."
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Maddi (GEL)
American Nightmare, We’re Down Til We’re Underground
"Really one of the first hardcore records I listened to in full. It made me want to play in heavy bands. I have always loved Wes’s lyrics and the emotion behind them. This album is perfect front to back."
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Tyler Washington (Foreign Hands, Excide)
Snapcase, Designs for Automation
"This record just makes the time stamp of being a 2000s record but it is my favorite because it’s got all the things that make their prior LP (Progression Through Unlearning) one of the best hardcore records of all time, but there is a new take on how they approach melody and chord structures. It gave me a whole new perspective in my own writing and how more “major”-sounding progressions don’t necessarily have to make the song so happy-go-lucky.
"Instead, it’s a testament to how they can add complexity and less commonly used flavors in hardcore. Some of the passages break my brain every time. It’s artsy, it’s positive and emotion-driven, and it has so much trademark Snapcase groove. Despite being not as popular as the previous LP, I think it’s a perfect record."
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Kyle Roth (Home Invasion)
86 Mentality, 86 Mentality
"The answer is Infest - No Man's Slave, however, that's a cheat because I believe it was actually recorded mostly in the '90s.
"Impossible question as this was my decade... I missed Diesel jeans but I got to see Lockin Out exclusives, the No Way Records '80s revival, and art students who didnt know who Agnostic Front was but would consume Youth Attack limited garbage bag shirts.
"The answer for me is probably the first 86 Mentality EP on Grave Mistake. They were awesome every time I saw them and there is something unique about them that bands tried to bite but never quite got right."
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Derrick Daniel (Never Ending Game)
Have Heart, The Things We Carry
"Coming into my own and discovering hardcore I attribute two records that really steered me onto a path I still follow to this day - Youth of Today’s Break Down the Walls and Have Heart’s The Things We Carry. I discovered both at the same time because a friend of mine gave me a burned cd that had both on it.
"This was 2007 and I was a sophomore in high school. Up until that point I had been into many types of aggressive music. Metal and metalcore of the day reigned supreme. But I was open-minded to discovering more.
"I knew of certain bands that played hardcore music but I had no means of listening unless a friend gave me CDs or allowed me to put MP3s on my iPod. So I was late to many things because I didn’t have many resources at my disposal. But I can remember getting that cd from a friend and him telling me, 'both of these bands are straight edge hardcore bands.' I don’t exactly remember if I had committed to being straight before or after that cd but at some point when I was 16 I had already known I was straight edge. I think hearing that from my friend solidified my decision.
"Hearing 'Life Is Hard Enough' come on, track 1, I heard the feedback followed by the speed of the drumming and the scream Pat lets out. The abrupt stop and two step part that followed. The gang vocals and the last line that had no music over it - 'Life is hard enough as it is.' Straight edge hardcore. Then just like that it was over in less than a minute.
"The ring out of 'Watch Me Sink' gave me time to catch back up to what I was hearing. This was pure hardcore and I was absorbing it all. It was intense, it was passionate, the mosh parts and intros were all iconic. I knew I was hearing something special.
All of these songs have messages that are delivered sincerely and with urgency. Songs that cover an array of topics. Songs about straight edge, insecurities, ego, fear of growth, family, potential. These were all topics I was strongly dealing with around this time. Hearing someone else elegantly describe the things I was also going through made me gravitate even more to this band and record.
"I could relate to what Pat was saying. I wanted to play the drums with as much speed and ferocity as Sean did. I wanted to see this band, sing along, stage dive and mosh to them. I got the message, I got hardcore. I was hardcore from that day on. I attribute everything I’ve done in hardcore to that record as the starting point. I’m still straight edge, I still love Have Heart, and Youth of Today is my favorite hardcore band of all time."
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Richie Krutch (Wisdom In Chains)
Modern Life is War, Midnight in America
"Lyrics, vibe, this release had it. Beginning to end, a total travelers album “I live in a big house with all of my friends. I sing these stupid songs I roam all these highways. I hope it never ends”
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Cosmo Vidussi (Contention)
Trapped Under Ice, Stay Cold
"There’s some real obvious standouts in this era (Jane Doe, Things We Carry, Perseverance, Background Music) but if I’m approaching this with pure honesty and zero pretension, Trapped Under Ice - Stay Cold has to be number one.
"I remember a lot of the amazingcore nerds of that time period writing TUI off as ignorant or regressive but Stay Cold 100% conveys more emotion than any of those pseudo-deep American Nightmare rip-off records of the early oughts. I got into this around 9th grade and it continued to be the soundtrack to melodramatic breakups and tough life moments well into grown ass adulthood. It’s hard to overstate how important this record was to me and all my friends in high school."
Honorable mentions: Pulling Teeth - Martyr Immortal, Have Heart - Things We Carry, Kickback - Les 150 Passions Meurtrieres
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Devin Boudreaux (Rejection Pact)
Terror, One with the Underdogs
"This was a huge transitional record for me that pulled me much deeper into the traditional sound and ethos of harccore. At the time, anything 'core' was hardcore to me but the way Terror waved the purist hardcore flag really stuck out. The communal aspect of hardcore, high energy while performing, lyrics I could relate to, and moshing were all things that carried a lot of weight for me.
"I feel like this record and the videos/presentation that came with it, felt very catered to my interests. I think it being on Trustkill also really helped since at the time they had awesome distribution and I mean, I'm pretty sure I bought the CD at Best Buy in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2005, there weren't a lot of in-person options for getting hardcore albums up there.
"Spit my rage...are you fucking kidding me???
"The record is fast, the mosh is delivered, and the lyrics feel timeless as I can read them at almost 37 and still relate to them. A lot of hardcore can feel pretty dated depending on the era, whereas this record feels timeless, and TBH so does Terror. The day that band hangs it up will be a monumental loss to hardcore as a whole."
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Ryan Hardwick (Last Gasp)
Life Long Tragedy, Runaways
"Early millennium hardcore may have had the biggest effect on me coming up in hardcore. So many good bands and records but a record that I can always go back to with no skips is Life Long Tragedy’s Runaways record. It’s a masterpiece in my opinion.
"Kurt Ballou’s production is raw but crisp. The vocals are harsh, the riffs are anything but typical and the lyrics… bleak. A must jam! My old band got to rip a gig with them in Salt Lake City and they blew my doors off. I wish they got more recognition."
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Danny Lukach (HEAVYHEX)
Have Heart, Songs to Scream at the Sun
"Songs to Scream at the Sun was one of the first albums I was introduced to when being shown the hardcore scene. This album really does it all, the sonic arrangements, the tone, and the journey it takes. I still get chills when 'Bostons' goes into 'Pave Paradise'."
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Rob Sullivan (Ruiner)
The Suicide File, The Suicide File
"My pick is Suicide File's first EP, which is what would go on to make up Some Mistakes You Never Stop Paying For. I remember seeing them live for the first time after hearing the record maybe once from my room mate. I loved that band. That and Count Me Out's Permanent. I could probably interchange a few records from that decade. Bane's Give Blood as well."
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Austin Stemper (Praise)
Carry On, A Life Less Plagued
"-12 songs in 18 minutes
-Todd Jones’ right hand
-Semantic satiation of the word 'fuck'
-No cheat beat to be found"
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Nicholas Britles (Anklebiter, If It Rains, Attrition Rate, Ultimatum)
Mental, Get an Oxygen Tank!
"For me, it’s easily Get and Oxygen Tank! by Mental. It bridged the gap for me coming into hardcore through heavier things and showed that you could have something to say but not be too self serious and posture as something you’re not.
"That became my bench mark on how much I like a record or not. 'Sike,' in my opinion, is a Top 5 hardcore song of all time. It’s an easy reminder of why I’m here. I’ll never not mosh and sing along to a cover from this record."
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Mikey Petroski (Never Ending Game)
Fordirelifesake, Breathing In Is Only Half the Function
"This album and band changed (ruined) my life and got me into hardcore. I became obsessed with this band and saw them as often as I could. This album is full of raw emotion and talented musicianship and still gives me the same feelings I had when I found it at age 14. The tracks all flow into another beautifully and any time I put on a track I just want to listen to the whole thing.
"Fordirelifesake put out some great records but this one captures their raw energy the best in my opinion. Some people might classify this as metalcore but I didn’t know what that meant until way later so this is hardcore in my eyes. This band live was the first time I ever saw pile ons and moshing. First time I ever hit the dance floor was to the track 'Just A Memory.'
"For myself and a handful of my friends on the Eastside of metro Detroit, these guys changed everything for us. There’s other more savvy answers that I could’ve given you but if I’m being honest with myself, this is the most important album of the 2000s to me."
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Adam Thomas (No Time, Heavy Discipline, Concealed Blade, Short Leash)
The Regulations, Electric Guitar
"One of my absolute favorites is Electric Guitar by The Regulations. Came out in 2005. Snotty, catchy, early USHC style from Umeå, Sweden. Still holds up and still to this day one of the best bands I’ve ever seen live."
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Corey Williams (Internal Affairs, Carry On, Piece by Piece)
Death Threat, Peace and Security
"My two most listened to in the 2000s would be Death Threat - Peace and Security or Madball - Hold it Down. I think these two records are the more important to the 2000s hardcore scene, along with Terror - Lowest of the Low and Down to Nothing - The Most.
"Ringworm - Birth is Pain and Blacklisted - Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier Than God are my runner ups."
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Damien Moyal (As Friends Rust, Damien Done, Culture)
Justice, Look Alive
"For proper hardcore, my mind goes right to the Look Alive EP by Justice. Otherwise, it’s probably Isis' Oceanic."
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Stand Still (yes, the entire band)
Backtrack, Deal with the Devil
"When we started going to shows around 2008-2009, this record came out and it was masterpiece of straight-up hardcore. Backtrack was already one of the most formative bands of our youth after the '08 Demo and this EP is another one of the reasons we started going to and stayed going to LIHC shows."
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Anthony Pappalardo (In My Eyes, Ten Yard Fight)
Spacehorse, Spacehorse
"I can't pick a 'best' release of the 2000s--it's way too daunting—however, when I bought a car a few years ago this CD EP was one of the first things I stashed in the glove box.
"It was cool to hear some San Diego vets take a swing at hardcore in the 2000s and while it has some nods to the deep catalog of Gravity/SD heritage the members came from, Spacehorse is its own thing. I'm intentionally being vague so you check it out."
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Richard De La Vega (More to Pride)
Knockdown, Knockdown
"This was a tough one, but I’m going to go with Philadelphia's own Knockdown self-titled EP, released on Youngblood Records. As soon as you slap that fuck'n record on, BOOM! Nothing but banger after banger in your face straight to the fuckn point of what hardcore punk is supposed to sound like.
"Unfortunately, they left us with one release; however, that's all I needed from them because it's just that fuck'n good! STEP OFF!"
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Ace Stallings (Mutually Assured Destruction, Sentinel)
No Warning, Ill Blood
"This is extremely difficult. My first instinct was Carry On's A Life Less Plagued, then I went to No Warning's Ill Blood, some hometown bias has me thinking it might be Down to Nothing's The Most, but I think pound for pound, I have to go with No Warning."
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Gill Gonzalez (Foreign Hands, Excide)
Cave In, Antenna
"A recent addition to my rotation, Cave In’s 2003 release, Antenna, has quickly cemented itself as a huge inspiration for both Foreign Hands and Excide. This album is captivating from start to finish, weaving together catchy melodies and intriguing compositions.
''Youth Override,' easily ranks among my top three favorites, and equally unmissable is 'Seafrost,' a track so mesmerizing it should be a federal crime to skip it."
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David Gastiaburo (HEAVYHEX)
Verse, Aggression
"This record had a huge impact on me. It showed me just how powerful music can be. Murphy’s ability to use their voice to address so many challenging issues with so much passion and conviction made Aggression a standout record that will always resonate with me."
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Sara Gregory (Entry, Lockslip)
Modern Life Is War, Witness
"My pick is Witness by Modern Life Is War."
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Frosty (Chain of Strength)
Hot Snakes, Automatic Midnight
"This record kicked off the 2000s with a punch in the face and was a huge breath of fresh air despite the obvious influence from the first wave Portand originators. It came at a time when we needed new music from the best: Swami John and Rick Froberg! RIP Froberg"
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Lexi Reyngoudt (Spaced)
Righteous Jams, Rage of Discipline
"This album encapsulates everything I love when it comes to hardcore. It's fast, it's fun, and it's so catchy. Definitely one of my favorite hardcore records of all time!"
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Rob Moran (Unbroken, Over My Dead Body, Some Girls)
American Nightmare, Background Music
“Bane, Suicide File, Count Me Out, Hope Con,Internal Affairs, Carry On, No Justice and more, all had incredible releases and brought something special to hardcore. But it was American Nightmare's Background Music, above all others, is that one that still holds sway on what peak-2000s hardcore is.
"Bleeding guitars, accompanied by bloody lyrics and delivered with weaponized angst defines an era that I believe is still resonating today. Live they delivered and deserve all the praise this album gets for redefining what a hardcore band can do”
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Chris (True Grit)
The Hope Conspiracy, Death Knows Your Name
"This is an easy one. Hands down, my favorite hardcore record from the 2000s is Death Knows Your Name by The Hope Conspiracy. No skips whatsoever."
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Brian Stern (Planet on a Chain)
Herätys, Herätys
"Full throttle hideous and out of control Swedish hardcore punk with superb vocal approach (in Finnish) and tremendous punch in the throat riffs. A bonafide stomper that still blows most hardcore out of the water 15 years later."
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Jensen Ward (Iron Lung, Iron Lung Records)
Dystopia, Dystopia
"I know there is a big difference between best releases and favorite releases. I like to define a favorite as one that I can always go back and listen to at any time and in the 2000's realm it's probably the self-titled Dystopia album (Life Is Abuse / 2008). When that finally dropped I listened to it constantly.
"I was obsessed with every aspect of it, the riffs, the drum arrangements, the samples - god, those samples were real spirit crushers. And they were still playing shows back then where people had time to catch up to just how unique this band was right as the album was making the rounds and wrecking minds.
"They remain one of my favorite bands of all time. No one does depression and anger quite like Dystopia does. Always hits the sweet spot."
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Billie Page (Kill Uncle)
The Nerve Agents, Days of the White Owl
"Th Nerve Agents cast the typical fast hardcore conventions from their first EP to the side. They got weirder and created one the best hardcore/punk records out there with Days of the White Owl."
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Dan (Final Form)
Trapped Under Ice, Stay Cold
"Trapped Under Ice’s Stay Cold EP was one of the records that got me into hardcore when I was a teenager. I had it on repeat when I discovered it!"
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Dan Lomeli (Incendiary)
Converge, Jane Doe
"Damn, that's like 'what's your favorite ice cream/" Jane Doe would be my knee-jerk reaction, which I'm sure about 75% of the respondents would agree with. I would say, by fractions of an inch, Hot Damn! is second place. You could teach a class on how Jane Doe was such an impactful album and how it changed the trajectory for Converge going forward from that.
"When I had a 6-CD changer in my car during the Before Times, i don't think Hot Damn! ever left the number 5 spot. And it's no surprise that ETID and Converge and two of the bands I've seen live the most."
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Greg Falchetto (Hold My Own, The Mongoloids)
Death Threat, Peace & Security
"The music is hard but lyrically it's emotional, vulnerable, and very relatable. I can still remember it being released and my friend Seannie Sean picking me up from my grandparent's house in his shitty minivan with the sole purpose of driving around town just to give it a proper listen.
" Aaron does his own style vocally that no one on this Earth can replicate. Truly a one-of-a-kind band. Hardcore!"
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Chris Williams (Change, Champion, Dead Weight)
Count Me Out, 110
"My answer to this question will change from day to day (with Carry On and Terror also in the mix), but on this specific day; I’m taking Count Me Out’s debut LP 110.
"This record came out on the tail end of the Youth Crew sound revival and by this time, just about everything in this lane was starting to sound like rehashes of rehashes. But somehow, despite this backdrop, '110 'captured the spirit and urgency of that traditional straightedge hardcore sound and brought something completely fresh, modern and imaginative."
"Snappy driving drums with hard ass breakdowns, blazing fast parts, and tom roll 2-steppers, tight picking patterns, epic dark melodies, well placed harmonics, shredded passionate vocals and big singalongs with new words shouting familiar themes of commitment and betrayal. XXX
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Greg Polard (One Up, Where It Went podcast)
Count Me Out, Permanent
"I thought about this a lot over the last couple of days and I’m pretty confident in my answer. Count Me Out Permanent takes the cake, for me. Maybe I’m a little bit biased, but this one held up so much better than a lot of releases from that era.
"The production is still some of my favorite there is for hardcore and musically it just absolutely crushes. I also think Jason has one of the best voices for the style and they managed to be a straight edge band without being cheesy about it. Plus, they have a song named 'South Street' as a little nod to us Philly folks so, c’mon! Classic."
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Andy Franchere (Ill Communication, Diehard Youth)
In Control, Another Year
"My favorite record of the 2000s is In Control's Another Year on Indecision Records. The dudes in the band and Oxnard’s scene at the time made it special. The songs rip, the sequencing is perfect, and they were saying things that needed to be said."
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LJ (White Collar)
Urban Blight, More Reality
"These guys caught the tail end of the aughts, though there are a handful of other records I could have picked and wanted to consider for the role of 'best of' this album will always come to mind above all. Toronto had a plethora of ripping bands thru this era but Urban Blight did exactly what was needed at a time when speed and thrash ability had overthrown the traditional minimal approach to hardcore.
"UB is fast, mid temp, stomping, slamming, and they got all the intersectional parts. Simple riffs, gruff vocals, layman style lyrics accompanied by Jonah Falcos insane move to push everything into the red and literally have the whole record clipping and blown out to hell- far before it became a staple method for contemporary meat head hardcore bands.
"The name is probably derived from a Vile song which is only icing on the cake, and the art on the North American press of this is so wild, they did a DJ sleeve with hype sticker as if it was a hip-hop maxi single. So sick. Best album to me hands down."
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Jack Beatson (Foreign Hands, Simulakra)
Trapped Under Ice, Secrets of the World
"It was really tough to narrow this down, and I feel like my answer could realistically change by the time this comes out, but this one felt right to me. Trapped Under Ice was one of the first modern (at the time) hardcore bands I really connected with. Big Kiss Goodnight was my introduction to them when the 'Pleased to Meet You' music video came out, and that made me go back and watch the video for 'Believe.'
"At the time, I wasn’t super into hardcore, so seeing those two videos really shook me up—mainly just seeing how hard people were moshing. Secrets of the World captures everything that initially excited me about hardcore: good lyrics, catchy riffs, hard ass mosh parts. It still holds up today as one of my favorite albums of the era."
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Tagged: 2000s hardcore week
