Caloris Impact – First Impact CS

It’s been a while since I introduced some hardcore punk band on these pages, so what better occasion than now to introduce this Austrian quartet. Caloris Impact is a powerful hardcore unit that emanates from Graz, and this material represents their debut extended play. The group consists of Rebeca on lead vocals, Christian on guitars, Böffi on bass, and Peter on drums. Their music appears as an important document about the contemporary Austrian hardcore punk scene, which delivered so many great acts in the past. The activities of Caloris Impact also come as a bit of encouragement to any other young band to continue working in these troubling times when the pandemic hits hard at all the pores of modern society.

First Impact EP carries five profoundly aggressive hardcore punk numbers, appropriately arranged and performed to suit the contemporary scene. Nevertheless, the group explores everything from old school hardcore over modern raw hardcore to d-beat and crust punk. Still, First Impact EP encapsulates all these elements under the banner of dynamic hardcore punk that will probably knock your socks right with the initial beats of this cassette release. The group solely relies upon fast-paced rhythmic acrobatics and powerful shreds delivered by both guitar and bass guitar. You may hear a slight resemblance with mid to late nineties crust and hardcore punk bands, but Caloris Impact surprises with some catchy maneuvers, vividly hearable among some renowned contemporaries. The group paid a lot of attention to the song structures and arrangements, so each involved member articulates in a unique manner.

The entire band resonates with so much power, but it seems like the lead vocals are taking everything to another level. Rebeca unleashes ferocious screams and shoutouts during the entire material, so the remaining portion of the band appears even more powerful from scratch to finish. It seems like all the members clicked between each other because Caloris Impact sounds like singular wrecking machinery, capable of tearing down everything in the broader radius. The group stacks up piles of interesting tempo changes, breaks, accentuations, beatdowns, but keep things concise as much as possible. Caloris Impact keeps these tunes short and sweet, just like hardcore punk songs should sound in the 21st century. First Impact EP will be such a treat for all the diehard fans of raw, dynamic, ferocious hardcore punk, decorated with loads of intelligent arrangements. The band decided to release this cassette by strictly following the DIY ethos, so go ahead to their Bandcamp page and grab yourself this marvelous tape.