Demoted, from Brooklyn, New York, are an old school hardcore punk band that may remind you of bands like Minor Threat, with angry shouted vocals and punchy powerful instrumentals, though they’re not quite as speedy as those bands of 40+ years ago. The best example of this is on the title track, which is easily the fastest, strongest of the bunch. The song that bears that band’s name and ends the record is another great one, with angular guitar riffs, big chords, and those angry vocals. The nine-song mini LP (songs range from under a minute to just over two minutes, totalling eighteen minutes) is almost like falling into a time warp. “Twitching Eye” and “Not Myself Today” are outliers, with a slower tempo and sparser, darker sound. Solid stuff here, keeping the old school hardcore sound alive.

Check out the album here: https://demoted.bandcamp.com/album/shit-for-brains

-Paul Silver