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Listening Notes: Special Emo & Core Vol. 3


The third volume of emo & core is filled with punk rock and -core releases, but unfortunately, I don't have many words to respond to each section. What’s inside? Check them out!

...But the Shadows Have Foes - Look With Pity Upon the Sallow Face of God, For We Have Built Hells Beyond His Imagining (2025)

70%
The long title reminds me of Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean, but ...But the Shadows Have Foes is a blackened crust band. I initially mistook them for post-black metal or emo because the album cover is just an image of a seashore. They’ve used sequential Roman numerals since their debut, and this album contains tracks 44 through 50.

Since it's outside my typical taste, I mostly sat in silence amidst the hardcore punk drumming and guitar roar, despite the black metal flavor. Only "XLVII: A Million Odious, Invisible Machines" managed to bring a slight touch of emotional guitar to my ears, but the most striking title was "L: Nothing Durable but Suffering."

Highlight: XLVII: A Million Odious, Invisible Machines

Crash - Guten Morgen (2008)

70%
A morning spirit comes from the German hardcore/punk rock band, Crash. Despite being a debut from a small group, the recording quality is good—not harsh for its class—and carries a sense of street punk freedom. It might suit fans of Discharge, Rancid, and the like.

Highlight: -

Daniel Ressler - Not Only Will This Kill You, It Will Hurt The Whole Time You're Dying (2018)

20%
Daniel Ressler presents an instrumental metalcore interlude, but unfortunately, it sounds monotonous. Imagine a 10-minute single without any meaningful drum dynamics or riffs.

Highlight: -

Mercy's Own - Self inflicted (2002)

70%
Mercy's Own delivers energetic 2000s metalcore. It feels relevant to the "Myspace metalcore" era, reminiscent of bands like I Promised the World or veterans such as As I Lay Dying, Underoath, and Parkway Drive.
 
Highlight: -

Non Serviam - We are Nothing but Your Krill (2022)

50%
A mix of noise, core, experimental, and electronic elements makes me wonder if French act, Non Serviam even belongs here. The tracks that come closest to the topic are "O My Whale," "Ne Me Quitte Pas," and "Vengeance Sauvage," though they remain heavily laden with noisy experimentation.

Highlight: -

Self-inflicted Wounds - Self-inflicted Wounds EP (2019)

65%
Garage/punk rock (?) project Self-inflicted Wounds might be a bit of an outlier here as it's lighter and sounds more classic. I truly cannot and do not want to go on at length about this one. However, based on a quick reference check, fans of the Sex Pistols and Ramones would likely enjoy it.

Highlight: -

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