As the sunshine state simmers with the usual tropical heat, there’s a lesser-known blaze burning through the underground music scenes of Florida. It’s the incendiary world of hardcore, a genre that thrives on the raw and unbridled, where bands like Horsewhip are just the tip of the spear.
Late September brought us a teaser of the tumult with Horsewhip’s announcement of their new album “Consume and Burn,” setting the stage for a dark and compelling dive into Florida’s hardcore soundscape. This upcoming release is already turning heads and bending ears with its preview tracks “Pain” and “Plague Machine,” showcasing the band’s depth and darkness, qualities that have become synonymous with the state’s hardcore scene.
But the plot thickens beyond Horsewhip. There exists an entire lineup of Florida’s hardcore bands that often fly under the radar yet pulse with an unmatched vibrancy. We’re talking about groups that channel Florida’s wild spirit into frenzied, energetic performances and recordings that are as unique as they are intense. Today, we give you a special selection of such bands, as selected by Horsewhip.
There’s no shortage of diversity either, with bands like Superbitch offering a noisy punk sound that’s raw and authentic, or Thorn from Tampa, marrying goth with grotesque grindcore punk to chilling effect. See the full list below and feel the true pulse of Florida’s underground.
PeZ
Gainesville
Marketing hilarity and brand mashup along with a killer punk band, excellent fellas to boot. Pez puts on and organizes ripping shows! Check out ‘Consumer World’ and get you some natural enhancement pills! Appearing at Hellshine Fest Tampa Nov 17-19.
Heaven’s Gate
Tampa Ba
Mostly weird Florida tales/topics on top of mostly fast hardcore punk yelling about sinkholes and bridges collapsing. Members of Horsewhip, Warthog, Municipal Waste and Cannibal Corpse. S/T out on Beach Impediment Records. Appearing at Hellshine Fest Tampa Nov 17-19.
Ideation
Tallahassee
Raw and ripping heavy hardcore punk. Let’s go! Appearing at Hellshine Fest Tampa Nov 17-19. Blunt Instrument Demo available to download.
Yield to None
Tampa
Graffiti logos and deranged HC out of Tampa. Music to mosh to. Demo 2 out now on Designated Moshers Unit. Appearing at Hellshine Fest Tampa Nov 17-19.
Meatwound
Tampa
Band full of buds and veterans of the Tampa punk scene. They also have a unique sound that consists of noisy menacing guitar, gnarly almost death metal style vocals and brutal bass that takes over the overall sound and really is the driving force of Meatwound. It’s a deathly heavy drums and bass hardcore band that has never played a disappointing show.
Afterworld
Tampa
A paralyzing rhythmic industrial nightmare straight from Tampa’s underground noise syndicate. Appearing at Hellshine Fest Tampa Nov 17-19.
Superbitch
Tampa
Noisy underground punk done proper.
Thorn
Tampa
Goth bringing the Grotesque grindcore punk. I saw them do an Assuck cover once. Appearing at Hellshine Fest Tampa Nov 17-19.
Found Dead
Gainesville
Loud as hell 2-piece grind with a Britney Spears microphone.
Supertwin
Gainesville
Huge, noisy rock with two drummers.
Terror Management Band
St Augustine
Heavy rhythmic bass and noisy pedal induced guitar riffs by Mike from Palatka. Has a very 90s feel to it and I can’t wait to see them live. Big Box Apocalypse out on Belladonna / Bakery Outlet Records
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