‘From victim to oppressor, Life cycle of abuse…Made to be productive, Productive’s what they tell you’ (The Farm)

Right, we’re talking raw d-beat hardcore.  Imagine every element dialled up to what you think is the max.  Now, just push it that little bit further, further than perhaps feels wise, until every bone in your body is shuddering.  There you go – welcome to the sonic violence of Birmingham, Alabama’s B.O.R.N.

The band’s acronym stands for Belligerent Onslaught Relentless Noise, which is undeniably pretty apt.  Having honed their sound across a slew of cassette-only releases since 2022, this represents the band’s debut vinyl release.  The trio are not seeking to dramatically reinvent their influences, but what they do with an unabashed zeal  is deliver every element with an absolutely venomous intent.

The guitar tone is filthily blown out.  The waves of surging riffage are leavened only by squalling, blink-and-you-miss solos, while the primitive drums lock in with, bar the occasional indulgence of a fleeting tom roll, a thudding singularity.  The barked vocals are delivered with more of a classic hardcore cadence as they build connections between economic exploitation, gentrification, escalating militarisation, and a society programmed to punch down.  The eight tracks are unleashed in just twelve unforgiving minutes, the velocity vividly embodied by the seething Local Outsider, the choppy fury of Moved West, and the pneumatic groove of the closer, Reprise.