Ecstatic Ephemera: Aussie Hardcore Essentials

The very best in pit-starter mosh mayhem from the land Down Under.

Last week, a list featuring “The 50 Best Hardcore Albums of the 21st Century” was doing the rounds on Twitter and, naturally, pissing people off for days on end.

Lincoln Bio @_TimeEnds

Growing up is learning how to self care by doing things like taking a walk or not rage clicking on the hardcore listicles anymore. I understand the urge brothers and sisters but peace will not be found here.

Treble @treblezine

The 50 Best Hardcore Albums of the 21st Century https://t.co/k0JIpk1BY7

Now, as a writer myself, I don’t want to judge the contributors to this list or their selections. After all, musical taste and opinion are, to my mind, largely subjective processes. However, not a single record from Australia made the cut, and I took this to be both a grave error and a personal slight against my fellow countrypeople.

So, I’ve been working on a larger piece this week that pulls together the “essential” Australian hardcore albums of the millennium and, believe me, it’s much more difficult than it sounds. Here’s a selection of key releases across each decade that are worthy of this distinction, and if you happen to disagree, that’s totally fine. You’re welcome to email me and we can beef. Alright, let’s go!