***Ahead of the band’s US tour in spring 2024, Sorry State presents a US pressing of the second album from Saint Étienne, France’s Deletär. When Kick Rock and Destructure released these tracks in May 2023, the worldwide raw punk underground’s response was a resounding FUCK YES! Taking inspiration from Totalitär, Skitkids, and Herätys, Deletär alternates between maximum-tempo fury and grooving, mid-tempo head smashers, but no matter the BPM, the intensity is always through the roof. The riffs are the centerpiece, heavy and raging, but so catchy you’ll be humming them in the shower the morning after your late-night käng party. Alongside the top-notch riffage, Deletär’s songs are anchored by infectious shouted choruses and scorching twin guitar leads spring from every nook and cranny. The playing is way in the pocket, with a beastly kick drum that sounds like an enormous door slamming in the depths of hell. It’s one of those records where everything comes together seamlessly, its great songs, huge production, and commanding performance making Deletär’s second album a clear high-water mark in contemporary hardcore punk.
LP $21.95
02/16/2024