Santa Cruz hardcore favourites Scowl today unleash their brand new album Are We All Angels. Produced by the iconic Will Yip (Turnstile, Title Fight, Mannequin Pussy), the boundary-smashing band’s sophomore effort finds them fine-tuning their aggression and venom with a renewed sense of identity and power. It explores themes of alienation, grief, and the loss of control, particularly in relation to their newfound place in the global hardcore scene.
To celebrate the arrival of the LP, we hit up Scowl frontwoman Kat Moss to run us through her 10 favourite hardcore/punk bands in the world right now. Cop her top recs, in no particular order, down below.
Scowl – ‘Not Hell, Not Heaven’
1. Civilian
Kat: Perfect hardcore with oi influence just seeping through the cracks, this band’s energy is magnetic, bold, and entirely unavoidable.
2. Bib
Kat: Every time I’ve had the opportunity to see Bib live it has exceeded every expectation i could have had- their recorded music is fast and vibrational but live they are fierce in nature.
3. Big Laugh
Kat: This is what hardcore is about, Big Laugh rips through every song with ease and intensity, unintentionally the coolest.
4. Punitive Damage
Kat: This band is ferocious and rips every single chord straight from the wall of contempt through their narrative, that’s true hardcore.
5. Jivebomb
Kat: Jivebomb is perfectly unpredictable yet relatable in nature, having the privilege to know them personally only deepens this feeling. I’m grateful for how they choose to have fun, for how intentional that they are about putting on for their home scene, Jivebomb does it right.
6. Destiny Bond
Kat: Reminiscent of DC hardcore from the 80’s, Destiny Bond does something still so special. Fueled by melody and emotion tucked deep in their heart, this band is expressive to a radical degree and it’s all I’ve ever wanted.
7. Cosmic Joke
Kat: This band takes inspiration from a notable sick era of punk music, turned it inside out, and planted their flag rightfully so. Cosmic Joke embodies hardcore and punk music in a fresh way.
8. Entry
Kat: What a band! Sara’s stage presence is magnetic and maniacal, often times enigmatic. I think Entry is one of the most underrated hardcore bands currently.
9. World Of Pleasure
Kat: Iconic band, every single thing that they do is with the utmost attention to detail, intentional and from the heart of rage every step of the way. XVX.
10. Spy
Kat: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Perfect hardcore of this exact flavor— the fast parts drive me crazy and I love watching the crowd react to Peter’s massive presence every time Spy plays. Spy is teeming with personality and never shys away from saying it exactly how it is. ACAB.
