Shipwrecked: We Are the Sword 12"

Shipwrecked: We Are the Sword 12"


Tags: · 10s · Europe · hardcore · hcpmf · norway · oi! · recommended · Scandinavia · spo-default · spo-disabled · USHC
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Norway’s Viking horde return with their first LP since 2012’s hardcore masterpiece The Last Pagans. We Are the Sword expands on the band’s signature X-Claim/early Dischord style, adding a second guitar and the metallic tinge of Bathory and Dark Throne to their FU’s/SS Decontrol worship. This is heavier than you ever thought Shipwrecked would sound but it’s still fast, violent noise with no gimmicks or tricks. White vinyl mastered by Adam Gonsalves (Templars, Power Trip, Poison Idea, Elliot Smith) and housed in heavy black and gold jackets. Limited to 300 copies on Foreign Legion Records for their appearance at 2018’s This is Hardcore Fest.

Our take: Shipwrecked’s debut LP received a ton of hype a few years ago, but I never heard their releases so I’m coming to this one fresh. My first impression is that it makes sense that Shipwrecked were hyped in 2012 because their brand of Boston hardcore worship is similar to the first Boston Strangler LP, which also came out that year. Once you get past this LP's long intro (it takes up nearly the entire first side) you get a big helping of meat and potatoes hardcore that sounds like SSD and the FU’s thrown into a blender. The label’s description mentions that metallic influences creep in on this record, and aside from a few guitar leads that would fit well in a Battle Ruins song I’m not sure I hear much of that. While I tend to prefer hardcore that’s less straightforward, I understand why Shipwrecked get so much attention as they know their way around a hardcore tune.