‘All that you believe is a commodity, Everything we touch preys on our psychology, Digital world brings new currency, If there is money to be made then none of us are ever truly free’ (Commodified Life)

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Illiterates continue to draw with relish on the traditions of 1980s’ US hardcore, with more than a passing nod to the youth crew of that era, as well as notable flares of more crossover inspired riffage.  The band’s previous albums, 2023’s No Experts and their 2021 self-titled debut, were blisteringly fast, no-holds barred affairs.  And while Does Not Compute shares the same base pleasures of scorching speed and lusty gang vocals, the band have also afforded themselves a little more room to introduce plenty of brutish mid-paced stomp and it works a treat.

While revelling in the moniker of ‘the dumbest band in hardcore’, the gruffly guttural vocals meld together a satisfyingly concise deconstruction of the modern malaise of political expediency, surveillance capitalism, and corporate virtue signalling, laced with a healthy dose of black humour and a robustly nihilistic vigour.  The twelve tracks crash home in as many minutes and are packed with a succession of standout moments.  From the absolute beast of a riff that defines Remember When to the ferocious contempt of Hold A Grudge, by way of the swaggering climatic breakdown to Read The Room, not a moment is wasted.