Pure Disgust

Pure Disgust (2016)

Ricky Frankel

There is no question that Washington D.C. has been one of the epicenters of hardcore punk rock. Incredibly important bands like Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Fugazi, Bad Brains, Government Issue, etc. all started out there. And now that they have released their first proper full-length it is time to add Pure Disgust to that list.

Pure Disgust’s self-titled album is filled to the brim with unrelenting hardcore from start to finish. None of the ten tracks let up at all. What immediately makes Pure Disgust stand out is their lead vocalist’s deep yelling through out the album. He and the rest of the band are truly at their best in the song “Scumbag” where his powerful vocals mesh really well with the hectic and sometimes sliding chord progression coming the guitars. One of the other more standout tracks on Pure Disgust is “Lost Child.” It is the only song with a main riff, but it isn’t really something you typically hear from a hardcore band. It has a slow heavy metal feel to it that builds up the tension in the introduction, which breaks into a much thrashier first verse.

And of course being that they are from the center of American politics Pure Disgust do not hesitate to express themselves politically through out the album with lyrics like “School to prison/Raised to fail/How do you escape/ The poverty that you’re in when nothing can change status?” in the song “Pipeline.”

For their first full-length effort, Pure Disgust has come out the gate with an extremely fierce batch of songs. Unfortunately, it may have been one of the more overlooked and underrated releases of 2016. Don't sleep on this band.

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