Record of the Week: The Annihilated: demo cassette

The Annihilated: demo cassette (Roach Leg) I’m thankful this UK band’s demo has a domestic US pressing because it’s one of my favorite hardcore recordings in recent memory. When this thing hit the internet, I was in love immediately. While the Annihilated has a timeless 80s American hardcore style, there’s something about the way they do it that sounds realer and more urgent than just about any other recent band attempting the style. The vocals are mean as hell and the production couldn’t be more perfect for my ears, and I love how there are traces of simple melody, something a lot of retro hardcore bands forget about. “Push Me Around,” for instance, reminds me of SOA or Negative Approach in that it sounds like bonehead UK82 punk that’s been in solitary confinement for months, fed a minimal diet of bread and water, and then let loose. The way the vocal melody follows the guitar line is so simple and primal, and while I usually hate it when bands do that it’s perfect for this context. This tape gives me the same excitement I felt when I first heard Direct Control. It’s hardcore that gets every single thing right.