One of the arguments for censorship of items that are deemed obscene or pornographic can be traced back to the infamous declaration, “I’ll know it when I see it”1 Ostensibly, this is a flawed concept as it stems from the eye of the beholder and can lead to unnecessary action based on personal whim and experience. The genre of “hardcore” music would seem to also fall under this paradigm as myriad bands are lumped into this category with seemingly little similarities between them. Ergo, when a band like Combust drops a gem in Belly of the Beast, quickly it is deemed “hardcore”. Well, motherfuckers, that’s because this record is truly, unabashedly, 100% hardcore from NYC. Full stop. I hereby petition Merriam AND motherfucking Webster to include Combust in the heart of the definition of hardcore.
Debate has raged on for decades about the origins of the genre and what city or cities were the catalyst for the boom of hardcore and I am not here to litigate any of that mess. It is undeniable to claim, however, that NYC is one of the most important areas from which hardcore was nurtured. Generationally inspirational bands that no longer exist and bands that have soldiered on for 30+ years emanate from that island and its surrounding boroughs and one thing is for sure: you fucking know when a band is NYHC. See: Combust. So much so, that the song “NYHC” illustrates the deep roots that run in the scene and Combust’s place within that scene and the torch that they carry. Having Danny Diablo AKA Lord Ezec guesting on this track certainly lends credence to their cause.
Stylistically, you understand what to expect from a band like Combust: plenty of two steps, gang vocals, succinct breakdowns, and the occasional solo for the crossover appeal. However, it is the manner in which they accomplish these feats. These guys are just plain fucking good at what they do. In a blender add some Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags (“Truth Hurts”), some Leeway (“Fear in the Streets”), a dash of Anthrax (“Distorted Dreams”) and even a touch of Vision of Disorder. It’s as if Belly of the Beast is inadvertently a love letter to NYHC but it’s also just the way in which Combust conducts their business. It is the ability to pay homage to the style while freshening it up and airing out the staleness of age.
Lyrically, Combust, range from culture vultures on “Our Own Breed”…
Shapeshift you bend and twist/False idols fit with crowns of shit/Lines are blurred between shepherd and herd/Their bitter grip dies but our rage still burns
…to fence sitters who can’t pick a side or belief and have no conviction on “Everyone’s Enemy”…
Understand I gotta be my own man/Never had desire for a common stance/You feel the need to seek out blind loyalty/I’d rather be everyone’s enemy
…to the literality of the titled “Atlas” and the strength it takes to hold up the pressures of life
There’s never an in between/Gotta bear it all on my own feels like I been weighed down by thoughts of stone
While Queens born MC god, Nas, boasted that his first album2 had no famous guest appearances, one of my favorite aspects of a tried and true NYC Hip Hop album is the inclusion of a verse by some of NYC’s other notable MCs. Combust tap into that throughout Belly of the Beast. As the head, Combust called on some of the great lions in the game to form a hardcore Voltron. Jay Peta of Mindforce, the aforementioned Danny Diablo of Crown of Thornz, Rory O’Neill of Imposter, Chiqui Rodriguez of Dmize, Rome Streetz and Ryan Griffith, and Scott Vogel of Terror. Old school and new school are well represented on Belly of the Beast. (Oh, and to come full circle and demonstrate that Combust appreciate the roots of what NYC is, they recently played a show with another Queens bred MC in Meyhem Lauren)
I haven’t even mentioned just how goddamn good Belly of the Beast sounds. Every instrument is given its moment to shine, the vocals are full and robust, and the mix is spot on (As a Jersey born dude, I will now take this moment to gloat that this incredible NYHC band recruited Zach Miller and Landmine Studios in NJ to record this opus). Make no mistake, when someone says they listen to or are starting a hardcore band, Combust should be the present day example of what that word means. Crush all fakes.
- Fav song: “Swallowing Swords (ft. Jay Peta)”
FFO: hardcore, NYHC, bagel and a schmear, cracking skulls, two steps, dive bombs, crowdkills, pizza slice in a bag
Follow this fucking link to listen and while you’re there, fucking buy something from the band:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it ↩︎
- I know that Belly of the Beast is not Combust’s first album but the metaphor was too good not to use ↩︎
Windmills, Spinkicks, Headbangs, Push Pits 
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