Since their formation in the later half of 2023, Berlin’s Industry have quickly emerged into the foreground as one of the more exciting groups of the European DIY punk scene. Having released their 2024 debut LP, touring and playing festivals all over the continent, they are now back with a follow up record that’s every bit as bruising and bleak as the first.
Much has been made of how ‘on point’ Industry sound - a mid-paced cocktail of heavy toms and churning riffs recalling ‘No Sanctuary’ era Amebix or classic Killing Joke. But Industry use these sounds as a springboard rather than a template, utilising the form for genuine expression where others are tempted by retro cosplay. Their sound is pared back, pulsing, relentless but danceable. But it’s the words that result in a listen that’s engaging from start to finish, an album that’s both expressive and polemic. Just as people often describe Discharge’s lyrics as Haiku, Industry uses the band’s repetitive grooves as a wide-open canvas on which their exasperated observations are given space to land with precision. The litany of criticisms are familiar to us all - violence exacted on the poor and vulnerable by those in power, the ongoing industrialised slaughter of humans and animals, the disastrous consequences of colonialism, the list goes on… The world is fucked, and even though they say they ‘can’t even look’, this band has got their eyes wide open.

Bleakness is a dark punk band from Paris, known for their intense and dark sound that bridges 80s goth and modern hardcore. Their music is characterized by driving rhythms, atmospheric elements, and raw vocals, creating a bleak yet energetic sonic landscape.

Belgium’s Dögmën cover quite a bit of ground on their second release, All Men Must Die. The band toggles from straightforward punk instrumentals to powerviolence blastbeats to Long Knife/Poison Idea-style hardcore to an acoustic intermission that leads back into a thrashy punk burst (and that’s only the first three tracks). There are a lot of ideas swirling around here, and Dögmën are adept enough to make it all make sense, putting together a strong collection of songs that keep the listener on their toes.