10 Hardcore Punk Bands to Smash Patriarchy

Ever since the release of their raw four-track demo in February 2021, Taqbir have been causing quite a stir in the DIY hardcore punk circuit. Shortly after its first appearance, the untitled demo was released on seven-inch vinyl as Victory Belongs To Those Who Fight For A Right Cause by London’s finest DIY punk label, La Vida Es Un Mus Discos, and has been reissued at least three or four times since.

At first, Taqbir’s songs sound hard to swallow, with amped-up bass, feedback-laden, almost industrial guitar sound and riotous vocals spewing vicious tirades in Darija (Moroccan Arabic) against patriarchal systems and religious hypocrisy. Choosing to stay anonymous due to potential threats and reprisals in their homeland, Taqbir’s founding duo isn’t about gimmicks; they’re all about forging a space for genuine, radical transformation. As the singer stated in a 2022 interview: “I think as a woman I have been oppressed by two patriarchal systems. The first is the systematically patriarchal system, and then there is the religious side. For me, Taqbir is against all types of patriarchy, but the religious one is our main oppression since we have always lived in a religious society.”

Taqbir has since expanded into a five-member band of punk musicians coming from diverse geographical locations and background, storming through DIY gigs and festivals with an unwavering drive for freedom. They embody the true essence of punk: a call for an environment free from misogyny, homophobia, and regressive forces. Women, Life, Freedom!

Abyecta began as a two-piece metallic punk onslaught formed by singer/guitarist Carolina Valium and drummer Marc Boleas in Barcelona around 2019.

After rehearsing for a few months, the duo recorded their debut EP, Infrafuturo, just before the pandemic hit. As the Covid hell unfolded, Carolina was forced to return to her native Chile, where she reformed the band with drummer Benjamin Orrego. There Abyecta recorded and released their second EP Enemigos De La Razón in 2022. In both EPs, Abyecta demonstrate a deep passion and dedication to a blend of aggressive hardcore punk with elements of ’80s speed metal and thrash. Abyecta relentlessly deliver a barrage of fiery riffs and thunderous drumming, drawing inspiration from a spectrum of legends including all-female heavy metal bands like Las Brujas and Leather Angel, and metal/punk stalwarts, ranging from Razor, Whiplash and Exciter (North America) to Discharge, Sacrilege and Broken Bones (UK) or Death Side, The Comes, G.I.S.M. (Japan).

Currently, all copies of their seven-inch records are sold out from their label Symphony of Destruction, but a collected vinyl LP containing both EPs and their brand new Demo III are expected to be released in physical format just in time for Abyecta’s tour in May 2024. Don’t miss the chance to see them live!

TRIPA, a newly formed band from Buenos Aires, Argentina, deliver an exciting sound that combines the vicious anti-systemic themes and musical tropes of crust and hardcore punk with infernal tremolo black/death metal riffs and aesthetics reminiscent of Sarcófago, early Sepultura, Vulcano and other classic Latin American bands that have influenced both punk and metal.

They have a certain dark aura around them that is present not only in the music but also in the artwork and especially in the well-crafted lyrics that deal with both social and introspective issues as well as darker, supernatural metaphors, all done very poetically. TRIPA’s nihilistic conceptuality is really well thought out and presented. What they do, as far as genre definitions go, is a very unique blend of shrieky crust punk vocals, occasional d-beats and frequent black metal riffs followed by slow and doomy parts that really serve the whole atmosphere perfectly. Having two guitarists obviously helps them make the songs darker and more complex. There are moments when the guitars follow each other perfectly and remind us of old school death metal acts like Dismember or Sinister. You could call them blackened crust with a strong death metal influence. The mood of their songs is cavernous, gruesome and definitely demonic.

TRIPA represent this newer way of combining extreme metal with hardcore and crust in their own way and it seems they have found a niche spot in the scene. Having released a single and two EPs, most recently their self-titled EP in December, they are progressing quickly and time will tell what else they have in store for us as their material so far is very promising. Their unique style is a true testament to what a strong DIY ethic and total dedication to music can achieve.

Rites have been around a good while, releasing their debut EP in 2014, and like many other bands in the contemporary punk scene, they’ve been trying to find the formula to sound as fresh and original as possible in a genre that’s often been overplayed to the point of boredom. But they’ve made the necessary upgrades as needed to venture into their own style of melodic punk that’s both deeply emotional and unmistakably powerful.

Louisa Steenbakkers shines as the band’s gifted singer, showcasing an impressive range from energetic hardcore screams to captivating, clean vocals full of emotion. As they’ve progressed both musically and lyrically, Rites released their standout LP, No Change Without Me, in May 2023, reflecting their commitment to producing music that focuses on quality over quantity. The band has embraced a style that doesn’t shy away from pop and melodic punk influences, delivering a nine-track album with impressive production values without feeling overproduced or superficial. At a time when genres that peaked in the ’90s are experiencing a resurgence, Rites demonstrate a keen understanding that hardcore and poppier, melodic elements can coexist harmoniously.

Fans of bands like Tsunami Bomb, War On Women or Scowl will find much to appreciate in Rites’ catalog. Even more exciting is that Rites come from the south of the Netherlands, which goes to show that Europe still has something good to offer in the melodic/pop punk scene that has been dominated by US bands and labels for so long.

Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys is a hardcore punk band formed in 2014 in Kaurna Land (Adelaide), Australia. They describe themselves as “a collection of frustrated queers with an unrelenting thirst for screaming in public, leaving punters speechless.” That’s exactly the vibe of their hard-hitting songs, which always explode with rage and deliver a powerful insurrectionary message.

Their latest record III, released in 2022, is rage in its purest form—and so much more. Although Alex’s slow, powerful drumming is very similar to classic hardcore, the deft, dissonant guitar riffs have an undeniable black metal and blackened crust influence on guitarist Claire. The lyrics paint a post-apocalyptic landscape, which is exactly what marginalized people see of the world. In simple and powerful language, they explore the punishment of gender non-conforming bodies by heterosexist and macho society, laced with unconscious envy and even admiration; queer grief and the desire to be more “normal”, only to be left alone; the masochism of religious fanatics; the destruction of the environment through greed. The solutions they offer are not heroic platitudes, but a vicious struggle for survival. The tormented are supposed to strike like “snakes in the grass,” growing like parasites in the body of the machine. Their oppressors don’t even deserve dignity in death, because they don’t grant it.

All in all, the nine short songs of III paint a compelling, yet terrifying picture of the world, both through sound and lyrics. “YOU WON’T TAKE ME DOWN WITH YOU!” they scream in the last song—and we hope that this will turn out to be true and that they will continue to create even more promising pieces.

Cell Deth is a brand new band from Epekwitk, Mi’kmaq people’s territory (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island), Canada who released their first demo in January 2023 on Sewercide Records. Their style can be described as ultra fast and brutal hardcore punk, with moments bordering on powerviolence.

Six very short songs, catchy riffs and the typical slower doom parts that obviously come from their slight powerviolence influence. Thematically they are obviously very socially conscious. From the song titles alone, you can tell that they are very involved in issues like climate change, feminism, anti-capitalism and deliver an all around anti-systemic attitude that is present in all their tracks both sonically and lyrically. The vocals are your classic hardcore shouty screams, yet they are easy to digest, which makes the political lyrics easier to understand. It is a breath of fresh air to hear clearer vocals like this in this particular style and the production on this cassette release definitely helps them shine amongst the otherwise loud bass and guitars.

As a first release, this demo, with its dirty guitar tone, deafening rhythm section and the aforementioned stark vocal delivery, definitely shows their future potential and their uncompromising stance on current societal problems, presenting a very militant feminist and anti-capitalist position.

A recently formed New York band, T.O.Y.S. (Tired of Your Shit) represents the NYHC style in their own unique and powerful way. Their self-titled demo, released in early September 2023, puts them on the map as one of the hidden gems of the genre, as they present a distinct and interesting approach to songwriting, at times reminiscent of classic acts from the New York scene, and at other times reminiscent of a more melodic approach and classic ’77 punk rock fervor.

Cherry’s earnest and heartfelt vocals are full of angst and immediately grab your attention on the first track with their vibrant screams. The riffs range from old school heavy hardcore bangers to more varied Dead Kennedys style chords, giving the release a strong sense of variety, especially with the occasional guitar solo. The rhythm section is as tight as it gets and the production complements this perfectly, sounding really good and ambitious for a demo and for a first release. The sonic landscape is deeply energetic and it is as joyful as it is angry and non-conformist.

We can’t wait to see the band release more music in the same vein, because with this short demo, they’ve certainly raised our expectations!

A rather unique hardcore punk act from Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, HARDIK is a band with a rather interesting concept and an original approach to songwriting.

HARDIK released their first EP Anger Catastrophe in July last year and since then have been making a name for themselves in the scene, playing a lot of live shows and impressing the goons with their ability to breathe new life into hardcore in their own unique way. Vocalist Nahla does really cool reverb-laden shouts and sings about introspective themes of mental health and isolation, and while the lyrics can sound pessimistic at times, they always have a hopeful message of perseverance in the face of the post-industrial late capitalist hellscape we all live in—which is ultimately the band’s lyrical concept as we understand it. Their music is very diverse, and although at first listen it seems to rely on classic hardcore punk tropes, as you delve into the sonic atmosphere of the six songs here, you hear more and more compositional originality and atmospheric joy behind the dark lyrics and heavy riffs. Although obviously influenced by a variety of ’80s hardcore acts, HARDIK ultimately sound like themselves and we haven’t heard anything that resembles their distinctive and powerful compact sound. The guitars range from playful power chords to heavy and catchy riffs, the bass is intentionally loud in the mix, which serves the overall sound very well, and the drums are vicious and powerful, creating an excellent rhythm section.

With all these elements combined, especially Nahla’s unique voice, the band has proven to be one of the best up and coming Indonesian hardcore acts we’ve heard in a while. Support them, as such cool and interesting takes on hardcore punk are rare in the scene.

Rarely do we see a new band that can evoke so much ’90s emo nostalgia without sounding unoriginal and uninspired. Washer from Anaheim, California are proof that you can have all kinds of influences and still create your own style and sound that is distinct and interesting.

Washer’s debut EP, Crossing a Burnt Bridge, is a six-track emotional rollercoaster with angular guitars, occasional melodic indie moments, typical emotional hardcore tortured vocals (with some clean parts here and there) and a very strong and often offbeat jazzy post-hardcore rhythm section. All this is done in a very old school fashion (even the minimalist artwork evokes emo nostalgia, as all bands back then did similar covers), reminiscent of classic post-hardcore/screamo bands like Portraits of Past, Evergreen, Indian Summer, June of 44 and many others. Washer eloquently combines the frantic and anguished sounds of screamo with the angular song structures of post-hardcore and the more emotional indie side of bands like Evergreen, Boilermaker or Sense Field. It is a spectacular and distinctive blend of all the best qualities that ’90s emo had in its various incarnations. And they managed to do it all without sounding repetitive or clichéd.

Check them out and support them if you like earnest, powerful, and inspired emocore, because bands like this are few and far between these days.

The X-Files, with its trailblazing blend of science fiction, horror, and drama, seized the hearts of ’90s kids through its engaging storytelling, which alternated between standalone mysteries and a gripping overarching conspiracy narrative. It tapped into the era’s fascination with UFOs and the paranormal, and was further enriched by the dynamic interplay between the skeptical Scully and the believing Mulder, compelling character arcs that set it apart from other shows at the time.

For those who grew up anxiously awaiting each new episode to see if “the truth is out there,” Cornwall, England’s hardcore punk band F. Emasculata could be the next grand discovery you never knew you needed in your X-Files fandom. The band was named after an iconic episode from the second season in 1995, which explores a narrative that eerily resonates with today’s conspiracy theories about vaccines, pandemics, and government secrecy. Musically, F. Emasculata are firing on all cylinders with short, thrashy riffs reminiscent of some of their members’ other band Rash Decision, but in a more stripped-down, fastcore fashion. Nat Gyll-Murray’s vocals are powerful and full of determination, with much more aggression than we hear on Swansong (her main band).True to form, F. Emasculata actually keep their real identities under wraps, opting instead for pseudonyms borrowed from characters in The X-Files. The titles of their songs, their lyrics, and samples peppered throughout their tracks are also, unsurprisingly, drawn directly from the television series.

Over at DIY Conspiracy, we’re among the fortunate few to possess some of their ultra-rare lathe-cut vinyl releases crafted by Matt Pumpkin while living in the Bulgarian countryside.

Check out and follow @lesinsoumisesmtl for more great music recommendations and activism!