LOOSE NUKES – Forward To Extinction LP (Kibou/Kangaroo/Cimex)

crushing Texan hardcore

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Formed in Houston, Texas in 2016, LOOSE NUKES (not to be confused with the now-defunct Philadelphia crew) have a full length album (2020’s Cult Leaders) and two 7″ EP’s. Incredibly, Forward To Extinction is their 2017 demo, remastered and rejigged – they added four more songs from the same session and culled another. Taking inspiration from early 80’s American punk bands, particularly speedcore bands such as NEOS and KORO, on the strength of Forward To Extinction they appear to have arrived fully-formed and ready to go.

Short, fast and loud, LOOSE NUKES bolster longer songs like Fast Forward and Earwax with some riff-heavy, motörpunk momentum to add a crossover-era DRI flavour. On Slaves, Flesh and Mindrape though, they shift to lightening-fast hardcore, all clocking in at well under a minute. Blending blastbeats with blazing guitars, tight drumming and gang shouts for added anxiety, the cover of their beloved KORO’s Dear Sirs is equally invigorating. The vocals get a little tough (not tough guy) on the mid-paced, DICKS-esque Vietnam, head-turning riffage enters the fray on the panicked, chorusy Gag Order and Used sports a nifty MDC intro. Things sag just a little on Parasite but Conversion Therapy gets the show back on blazing track, with a little guitar widdle, gang shouts and more shades of MDC. Ditto Loose Nukes because I can’t get enough of stop/start, shouty hardcore and White People Problems knows how to close out an album. All rocky and catchy in a classic MDC/DICKS vein, complete with guitar solo, you’ll struggle to keep this one out of your head.

So many hardcore bands are described as having ‘no frills’, it’s difficult to stand out from the pack, but if you are into this style, I urge you to listen to LOOSE NUKES. The whole thing flies by as it should, effortlessly encapsulating past and present. Speed variation abounds, from DICKS-style mean rockin’, MDC mania, fastcore and blastbeat blur, with heaps of hooks and gang-shout choruses to reel you in. It’s telling that the bands I thought of when I first heard this are from Texas (MDC, DRI & THE DICKS) so geography plays a part but these guys have given themselves a chunky production and added COKE BUST hurly-burly, bringing it bang up to date. Stop-on-a-dime hardcore at its very best.

Released by Kibou (UK), Kangaroo (France) and Cimex (Sweden) on the 18th July 2022. Here’s where you can get it

https://kibourecords.bigcartel.com/product/loose-nukes-u-s-countdown-to-extinction-lp

https://kibourecords.bandcamp.com/album/fast-forward-to-extinction?from=fanpub_fnb