NYC's Combust certainly know how to pay homage to their forefathers. The band's debut - a self-released six song demo, soon to be officially released by the prolific and unstoppable Straight and Alert Records - proudly carries the torch of New York Hardcore authenticity.

From the raw (but listenable) production quality, to the ferocity of each track, to the Spoiler-inspired artwork, Combust gives new listeners a crash course in the New York sound, circa '89, and will surely bring a smile to even the most grizzled pit veteran's scowling face.

Honestly, if you snuck Combust into the track listing of Where the Wild Things Are, I doubt most people would be able to hear much of a difference. These guys really know how to channel their inner-Breakdown: meaty guitar riffs, chugging breaks, a crushing rhythm section, and ferocious vocals. Plus they do a solid cover of "Dissed and Dismissed."

Though Combust is tailor made for fans of late '80s NYHC like Outburst, Raw Deal, and the aforementioned Breakdown, any fan of solid, streetwise hardcore will find something to bang their head to here. And until Straight and Alert drops the vinyl, you can find Combust's tunes on their Bandcamp page: combustnyhc.bandcamp.com.