REVIEW: Desolated - Finding Peace

Hardcore has come a long way in the last nine years, and we’ve seen the monumental rise of the genre, going from strength to strength in underground venues to monstrous no-barrier sets at Coachella. Charli XCX made it known to the heavy music girlies that 2025 will be a Turnstile summer, and even in the UK, the community descends in its droves to Manchester for Outbreak Festival.  In the blink of an eye, how we perceive a genre rooted in community, with its raw brutality of sound and unwavering authenticity, is blindsided by commercial success. 

Whilst it can be argued -and it is, amongst its divided community- that the hardcore has lost its way, there are spaces of spine-crushing brutality and a wild love of the genre in its purest form. For Desolated and ‘Finding Peace’, their first album in nine years, their space remains unchanged and with a relentless love of the mosh. Billed as a longtime member of the UK hardcore royal family MLVLTD, they’ve been instrumental in developing Sheffield’s iconic heavy sound. These days, Desolated has gained its prestige in becoming a supergroup of sorts in the time between now and 2016’s ‘The End’, featuring Les Law from Fifty Calibre and Bun Dem Out and Malevolence’s own Charlie Thorpe. Tony Evans from Idle Hands has joined the band as a new addition to the lineup for this record, and with Richy Unsworth and Dan Ford, they’ve got the credentials to make a truly damaging LP. 

Make it known, ‘Finding Peace’ is not reinventing the wheel when it comes to hardcore, but it is an excuse to make a record with intense impact. It doesn’t mess around. Its beauty lies with short, sledgehammer-sounding tracks that ooze with energy. Every beat has purpose, and every one of Tony Evan’s menacing scowls hits the spot. The record bleeds with caveman riffs in the most effortless way possible. Putting pure power and aggression behind this album, it warrants its outcome to become relentless and cruel.

An international celebration of the slam, the record also features guest spots from self-acclaimed ‘Bangkok evilcore’ tyrants Whispers and Michigan’s own D Bloc, with London’s Ninebar representing the UK. The record’s special sauce is Will Putney, who has mixed and mastered the record with the same tenacity that he did with Knocked Loose, Stray From The Path and Counterparts.

The record is a love letter to hardcore, echoing the mysterious charm of the old school New York scene, which also revisits the band's roots of Biohazard, Life of Agony and Shattered Realm, whilst still adding a fresh perspective to the scene. The beatdowns are still beguiling, especially on tracks like ‘Endless Betrayal’ and ‘Glass Ceiling’, as a demonstration of mastering their craft with full tenacity and conviction. The record packs a monumental punch when it comes to ‘Lessons’, offering gang chants to soothe the pain inflicted by the slow crushing weight of the guitars.  In a live context, performing tracks like ‘Victim 2.0’ will result in ruthless carnage. 

The only deviation from creating a monumental hardcore record comes with their closer, ‘Dead End 2025’. Becoming intoxicated with the extreme and making it known that the band can also do both fast and heavy, it scatters blastbeats like heavy machine artillery. There is untapped potential if Desolated ever decide to do a deathcore record, as the tone shifts suddenly to make the heaviest closer in hardcore possible. 

We’re glad that Desolated are back- it's been a while, and we’ve missed the band’s brutality. The nine-year payoff has been worth the wait, as an opportunity to perfect their craft, make a truly awesome record and come back to UKHC swinging.  If it all goes to plan, we will see you back here in 2034 for Desolated’s next record.

Rating 8/10

Words: Amber Brooks