Written by Jennifer Moglia
This past Friday, New York hardcore band Mindforce released “Reign of Terror”, a stand-alone single via Triple B Records. The song serves as a follow-up to their four-song EP “Swingin’ Swords, Choppin’ Lords”, which came out in February of this year.
You may also know them from their 2017 EP titled “The Future Of…”, their 2018 full-length “Excalibur”, or their split with Dead Heat. Chances are, if you’re from New York or even just the northeast, you’ve probably seen them live too.
Mindforce’s sound appeals to so many because of its fusion of classic New York hardcore with elements of metalcore, along with some callbacks to vocalist Jason P.’s interest in rap. At times, one could even say they have a groovy sound, which definitely isn’t a word people tend to associate with hardcore.
“Reign of Terror” in particular is similar to the New Yorkers’ past work, particularly “Swingin’ Swords.” Catchy, memorable guitar riffs could be considered Mindforce’s specialty, especially after this track, where they take center stage.
Frontman Jason’s vocals remind me a lot of Brendan Yates of Turnstile, coming out as more of a bark than anything else. The delivery is fierce and cuts right through the instrumental in the perfect way.
Despite only being two minutes long, this single absolutely gets the job done. The band's ability to focus on each riff sequence, moving through the track at a steady pace and leading up to the breakdown, is impeccable.
“Excalibur” was one of my favorite albums that I discovered in 2019 and “Swingin’ Swords, Choppin’ Lords” is without question one of the strongest hardcore releases of 2020, but if you haven’t checked out Mindforce before, this track is a great place to start. This is a band you absolutely want to keep your eye on, especially when shows start to come back; there is no doubt that this song will translate to a live setting extremely well, and you don’t want to miss it.
“Reign of Terror” is available to stream wherever you listen to music, and you can support Mindforce by picking up some merch on their online store through Triple B, as well as following them on Twitter @MindforceNY. Be sure to let us know what you thought of this track by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
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