untopia, the second LP from Tokyo, Japan’s brutalizing metallic hardcore quintet KRUELTY, is now streaming in its entirety on the eve of its worldwide release through Profound Lore Records.
Formed in Tokyo in the summer of 2017, KRUELTY has emerged as the most notable artist to find that sweet spot where heavy beatdown hardcore and ‘90s American/Scandinavian death/doom metal meet. This devastating amalgamation becomes the blueprint of brutality and slam the band unleashes. With KRUELTY, you will hear the ultimate convergence of some of the most punishing death metal riffs and the most mind-blowing breakdowns influenced by Japanese and ‘90s East Coast hardcore bands.
2020 saw the release of KRUELTY’s debut album A Dying Truth and revealed itself as one of the heaviest albums that year. With their second LP, Untopia, the band will release an album even more massive in scope and ultimately heavier than their debut. The bulldozing seven-song record was produced by Taylor Young at The Pit Studios (Nails, Xibalba, Section H8) while the band was touring in the US earlier this year, mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Obituary, Terminal Nation, Mindforce), and features artwork by Norwegian artist Sindre Foss Skancke.
Untopia will see release through Profound Lore tomorrow, Friday, March 17th, on LP, CD, CS, and digital formats. Find preorders HERE and watch the “Harder Than Before” video below.
KRUELTY continues touring across the planet in support of Untopia. Having just completed tours of New Zealand and Australia, KRUELTY will now crush through their home country this week for ten dates on the Untopia Japan Tour, running from March 17th through April 2nd. Less than two weeks later, the band heads to Europe for the Untopia European Domination Tour 2023, running from April 12th to May 7th with special guests Gates To Hell, and Splitknuckle on select dates. See confirmed dates below and watch for additional tour announcements to post shortly.
KRUELTY Untopia Japan Tour:
3/17/2023 B.B. Street – Yokohama, JP
3/18/2023 Socrates – Kyoto, JP
3/19/2023 Keith Flack – Fukuoka, JP
3/21/2023 Hood – Nigata, JP
3/22/2023 東高円寺二万電圧– Tokyo, JP
3/23/2023 Bears – Osaka, JP
3/24/2023 Rizin – Kagawa, JP
3/25/2023 Agit – Hiroshima, JP
3/26/2023 Zion – Nagoya, JP
4/02/2023 Bushbash – Tokyo, JP
KRUELTY Untopia European Domination w/ Gates To Hell, Splitknuckle*:
4/12/2023 Le Temps Machine – Joué-Les-Tours, FR
4/13/2023 Orbeko Etxea – Llodio, ES
4/14/2023 Sala Rouge – Vigo, ES
4/15/2023 Núcleo A70 – Lisbon, PT
4/16/2023 Let’s Go Rock Bar – Parla, ES
4/17/2023 La Deskomunal – Barcelona, ES
4/18/2023 Secret Place – Montpellier, FR
4/20/2023 Le Glazart – Paris, FR
4/21/2023 The Green Door Store – Brighton, UK
4/22/2023 The Cab – Newport, UK
4/23/2023 Deadwax – Birmingham, UK*
4/24/2023 The Lubber Fiend – Newcastle, UK*
4/25/2023 Flying Duck – Glasgow, UK*
4/26/2023 Percy Picklebackers – Nottingham, UK*
4/27/2023 Boom – Leeds, UK*
4/28/2023 New Cross Inn – London, UK*
4/29/2023 Treftpunt – Gent, BE
4/30/2023 Bloodshed Fest @ Metropool – Hengelo, NL
5/03/2023 Klub Pod Minogą – Poznan, PL
5/04/2023 Gerber 3 – Weimar, DE
5/05/2023 Kulturzentrum dasHaus – Ludwigshafen, DE
5/06/2023 Rocas – Luxembourg, LU
5/07/2023 Baroeg – Rotterdam, NL
“Japan has a long, proud history of making some of the most gut-rippingly intense punk, metal, and hardcore in existence, and the Tokyo band KRUELTY have carved out a place within that tradition. KRUELTY make the heaviest version of hardcore imaginable, pulling influence from beatdown and death metal to make something truly disgusting.” – Stereogum
“…more than the mix of genres, it’s the relentless fury that catches you first. Brain-numbing slam-by-numbers or mere circle pit-fodder breakdown sausage factory, it certainly ain’t.” – Decibel Magazine
“Death metal and hardcore are romantically entwined these days, but KRUELTY do things a little differently with their take on that common crossover… It’s basically full-on metal, with just a teensy bit of hardcore bite.” – Revolver Magazine
“KRUELTY treats their stylistic combination like a contest to see how much punishment they can derive from each genre they take from. Like the legends of metallic hardcore, they thoughtfully take elements from both ends of the spectrum that best help them serve up a healthy dose of adrenaline. To that effect, these guys continue to set a standard for the Japanese underground with Untopia.” – Metal Injection
