Korean Cars, a new band from Follo, Norway, arrive with their debut mini-album on May 23 via MAS-KINA Recordings.
The group includes members of rumble in rhodos, infidels forever, arms on fire, and insense—bands with roots in Norway’s underground hardcore and alternative scenes. What they’ve built together is a sound that pulls from that legacy without repeating it.
The record moves between contrast-heavy moods: calm, meditative stretches that lean into post-rock’s cinematic tendencies give way to sharp, distorted jolts of noise. Think of the way explosions in the sky build tension, but here, the payoff is more chaotic and urgent—more helmet than sigur rós.
Instead of genre-hopping for effect, Korean Cars blur the lines with intention. Their songwriting is angular and unpredictable, but never aimless. They let tension breathe. Guitars swell with melody, then collapse into grind. Vocals emerge in bursts—raw and spontaneous—never overstaying. It’s a method rooted in ’90s/’00s post-hardcore and alternative rock, shaped more by dynamics than riffs.
The band describes their work as “emotionally charged,” and that’s the thread holding it all together. You don’t hear a need to impress or showcase chops—what comes through is mood, built from a shared instinct for dramatic structure and sonic contrast. The production is thick but not overdone. Effects serve the atmosphere rather than hiding flaws.
The result is very organic. A track might start with sparse, reverberating chords that lull, only to be torn open by distorted outbursts. It’s not neat or symmetrical—this is music meant to reflect volatility.
Fans of and you will know us by the trail of dead or failure will likely recognize the tonal palette: melodic, weighty, sometimes dissonant but emotionally grounded. This isn’t about nostalgia, though. Korean Cars use their influences like scaffolding, not a blueprint.
Their debut is a cohesive and well-executed statement from a group that sounds like they’ve already spent years together, even if this is their first official outing.
