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Debut vinyl release by this hardcore band out of Philly.
Our take: Debut 12” from this new band from Philly whose demo we carried a few months back. Given the personnel involved, I knew this band would be good, but I was blown away by how fresh and vital the Berserk sounds without straying outside the relatively narrow bounds of fast hardcore punk. The title track, which kicks off the record, is a little different from the other songs, working within the early Chaos UK template with a fast tupa-tupa beat and rubber band bass sound, but infused with the precision and power of the best early US hardcore. While the Berserk is super tight and locked in, the vocalist is loose and unhinged, his syllables splayed across the beat like loose entrails. That dynamic between fist-pumping tightness in the music and savage insanity in the vocals remains compelling throughout these seven tracks, whether the Berserk is playing at an Out Cold-esque groovy fast tempo (“Liquidate Society” and “Never Absolved”), a menacing stomp (“Razed Catholic”), or dipping back into that Chaos UK / Disorder / Confuse wildness (“Next Invasion”). The recording showcases the band perfectly as well, achieving a great balance of grit, punch, and clarity. Anyone who likes fast, old school hardcore should give this record a shot… the Berserk delivers everything you want from a fast hardcore record while bringing a ton of their own unique personality to the table.