It’s hard to keep the classic genre styles sounding fresh, which is what makes a band like Chain Whip so vibrant. The Vancouver hardcore band play tough-sounding, angry, loud, and fast punk – the type that makes yoo want to punch things. Heck, they named the band Chain Whip and the record is called Call Of The Knife. It’s aurally and thematically violent stuff, for sure. Fortunately, when you listed closer, it doesn’t embrace the problematic issues with the hardcore of yesteryear, though.
While this is rooted in hardcore, the band mixes up the formula lot, culling from oi! and street punk too. The rumbling bass is prominent throughout, giving a stomping feeling that pauses for the vocal tradeoff where you let it all out. Because, ultimately, that’s what Chain Whip is doing. It’s a grounded outlet to let out a whirlwind of frustration and anger at messed up world, with some underlying working class tones. If you’re into any of the styles I’ve namedropped but don’t necessarily vibe with the subcultures those scenes draw, Chain Whip is the perfect fit. It’s brutally angry punk that slots into the margins between several styles without succumbing to their flaws.
