Relentless

Hardcore bands' monikers have never been as important to their holders as their metal kin. With no need to evoke an evil or brutal aesthetic, hardcore bands from Gorilla Biscuits to Backtrack seemingly chose their names out of a hat. However, Australia's Relentless could have chosen their moniker as an adjective for the blistering NYHC-style hardcore they play on Turn the Curse. Relentless abide by the unwritten "hard, short and fast" rule held in hardcore, with the album's longest song running less than three-and-a-half minutes. Despite the songs' short lengths, they're jam-packed with some of the best riffs found Down Under, or anywhere else, for that matter. With similar acts such as Madball and Terror still around, it's important to have groups like Relentless to keep them on their toes. While 2011 had Backtrack and 2012 had Expire, 2013 has Relentless. Get into them now or prepare to eBay their merchandise so you can pretend you were later.