Classic angry hardcore. Fisherking, who take their name from the 1991 film directed by Terry Gilliam—look it up, kids—specialize in swift punishment. Their punk roots are readily on display and rather than succumb to the melody and emo tropes of hardcore today, they take the blasting ‘80s SoCal approach and shovel out six songs in 15 minutes. No frills, no bullshit. Just the rampant frustration that birthed hardcore as a style in the first place—no less potent some 30 years later as it was back then.
It’s over before you know it, but the Forget It EP leaves an impression nonetheless, the sub-metallic riffage of “No Faith In Me” (the second longest song on the release at 2:47) reminiscent of early Suicidal Tendencies’ excursions into crossover. Also refreshingly retro, Fisherking doesn’t shy away from the lost art of the quick guitar solo, guitarist Ben Jenson seeming to make room for them out of air while drummer Alex Corey and bassist/vocalist Ryan Holmes step back and let him go.
The release is so simple you could almost call it rustic, but Forget It has a primordial appeal that’s doubtless going to strike a nerve with punkers old and new. They’re not the only act in the country playing proto-hardcore like it’s something they just came up with in their basement right now, but their conviction is audible and I can think of way worse ways to spend a quarter of an hour than these six songs. It might make you wish all punk was still this pissed off, but in that, it’s also a lot of fun.
In A Word: Aggro
