Krime appeared in early 2024 from the Dutch hardcore punk underbelly, bringing ex-members of Citizens Patrol and Brat Pack together under a single banner. Despite the name’s sharp K, there’s no cryptic subtext—just a desire for a punchy label that pops off the tongue.
The result is raw energy steered by influences from mid-80s punk, spiked with flashes of Motörhead and Wipers. They’ve only been around for about a year, yet friends already draw parallels to their past outfits.
Krime leans heavily on the spirit of Poison Idea, Long Knife, RKL, Government Warning, and Syndrome 81, blending threads of hardcore, post punk, and other fierce tones into concise tracks that will stick with you right away.
Their lyrical drive is simple: frustration and anger unleashed in urgent bursts. Pissed-off music for pissed-off people, as they put it. Well, I’m quite relaxed today and still dig it!
Their corner of the Netherlands is no stranger to heavy riffs; from Vitamin X to Seein Red (who are back by the way) and fresh names like The Covids, Traumatizer, Pressure Pact, Abusive Forms, Third Ego, and Dobertrotter, there’s a strong current fueling new acts.
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Krime has shows lined up around home turf and beyond, with a physical release of their demo in the pipeline. Meanwhile, they’re weighing up whether to drop a full-length or an EP next.
Recent listening habits hover around Puffer, Rixe’s latest, and Civic—no shortage of high-octane inspiration. Ultimately, Krime wants listeners to slam headfirst into raw momentum. Ready to rage.
Below, you’ll find our full exchange with the band, covering everything from the name’s backstory and key influences to the evolving Dutch hardcore scene and their upcoming plans.
Alright, first off—what’s the story behind the name? Feels like there’s gotta be a bigger meaning or vibe you’re channeling there.
Ken: Whoops, sorry there’s no bigger meaning behind the name. We lined up a few names and had a vote. The K makes it stand out more, gives it a bit of a German feel to it. It was either Krime or Salty Dawg 😉 Im happy with Krime.
You’ve got roots in some other bands—how much of that old energy are you carrying over, and what’s totally new in Krime’s sound?
Bas: Krime’s sound goes back to the mid eighties. Fierce punk with a hardcore backbeat mixed up with some Motorhead and Wipers influences to keep things interesting and memorable. We started the band less than a year ago, so we’re still developing our sound. Though we’re trying hard not to rip off our own bands, friends immediately compared us to our former band Brat Pack, which I can live with.
You’re dropping names like Poison Idea and Syndrome 81. How do those influences actually shape what you’re doing now? Is it homage, or are you flipping the script?
Bas: PI is one of my main influences when writing songs for Krime, especially their mid career output where they were mixing up all sorts of hard rippin’ music. We’ve been influenced by different kinds of punk, hardcore, postpunk and hard rocking music in general and it would be cool to come up with a full length records that channels all these influences into a cohesive sound. S81 is one of my favorite ‘new’ bands. Perfect melodies. Bands like S81 and Long Knife made me want to do a hardcore punk band again.
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What’s the lyrical backbone here? Are we talking personal rage, societal wreckage, or something else?
Ken: Its a bit of both. A pressure release for a lot of frustration and anger. Pissed off music for pissed off people is what we’re aiming for.
What’s the hardcore scene like in the Netherlands these days? Still thriving, or are you out here trying to light a fire under it?
Ken: The scene is still there, even bigger than before I guess. It depends in what region you’re in, but there are a lot of new young bands around. Covid and having an extreme right wing government definitely light up a fire. Of course the OG’s from Vitamin X and Seein Red are still around.
Bas: there are tons of cool bands like The Covids, Traumatizer, Pressure Pact, Abusive Forms, Third Ego and Dobertrotter.
What’s the game plan? Tours, albums, or just taking it as it comes?
Bas: We got a bunch of shows coming up, most of them in The Netherlands, including some festivals. Besides that we got booked for some shows/festivals outside of the Netherlands. Also we’re very pleased that our demo will get a physical release, more news on that soon. Besides that we’re currently working on songs for a new release. We’re still discussing whether we will save songs up for a full length release or we’re gonna do an EP first.
What’s been on repeat for you guys this year? Any records you think just nailed it?
Bas: I liked this Puffer demo/ep LP a lot. Rixe new EP is pretty good! Also the latest Civic LP got a lot of spins!
When someone listens to Krime for the first time, what do you hope they walk away feeling—or breaking?
I hope they feel energized, ready to rage!
Thanks guys. Feel free to drop your final words and take care!
It’s Krime with a K!
