Cutthroat The Purge EP Review
Cutthroat
The Purge (EP)
M-Theory Audio
2026
California has had its fair share of notable hardcore bands since the genre’s inception in the early '80s. Today, the scene there is still going strong with many acts that stay true to the old-school sounds, the more metallic hardcore of the '90s/early 2000s, and even the down-tuned, death metal-adjacent new stuff that seems to be all the rage. Cutthroat (not to be confused with the German death metal trio of the same name from last week) have been around since 2013 and also call California home. They are back and coming out strong with their brand-new EP The Purge.
Cutthroat are the brainchild of founder/frontman Neil Roemer. Joining him here are São Paulo, Brazil scene veterans Betto Cardoso on drums and Renato Romano on guitar. Their sound is direct, inspired by the previously mentioned metallic hardcore of the '90s. Those familiar with what I'm referencing will remember the groundbreaking albums of the likes of Madball, Earth Crisis, Blood For Blood, Biohazard, and Sick of It All around that time. Back when Victory Records was all over the place. Yeah, THAT sound. Having come up during that time period, it’s my favorite type of hardcore, and I will always have a soft spot for it. That DNA runs heavily through The Purge.
The production here is also indicative of that era: chunky midrange high-gain guitars, groove-laden drums, pulsing bass, gang shouts, and the snarly, angry shouts/screams of Roemer. Everything has a modern sheen of today but still keeps things organic and bare bones, which I love. “Hard Times” kicks us off with a declarative statement/spoken word intro, then a feedback-drenched groove morphs into a double-time verse extolling the plight of the world today, then shifts to a mid-tempo gang vocal chorus. “Sick One” has a movie sample at the beginning I can't place before a proto-thrash riff snakes and chugs into another double-time verse and another bouncing, danceable call-and-response chorus. The metal element is also more prevalent here with Cardoso’s double-bass gallops and lots of triplet-picked guitars and some brief whammy bar notes from Romano.
Trudging right along, “Feeling Disconnected” greets us with another movie sample and is more of the same pummel and grind, but the band stays fairly mid-paced here, with some more thrash riffing and chugging grooves atop some accompanying guitar lead lines. Throughout, Roemer has the kind of grit and sneer in his shouts that recall prime Evan Seinfeld and Freddie Cricien. The title track hits hard with some heavy breakdowns, more triplet-picked palm mutes, and some well-placed d-beat speed and double kicks. There's even some hip-hop-influenced vocal delivery here over more bouncy riffs, and this track is probably my personal highlight. Closing things out is “Bullet Proof Mind,” with a pounding toms/minor guitar octave start, then more of their now-patented “groove hard then hit double time and groove hard again on the chorus” approach. In just 17 minutes and 23 seconds, it's all over.
Cutthroat’s The Purge is a hard-hitting, metal-infused hardcore romp through songs that expose the harsh realities of life and our ability to overcome them. Though serious in its lyrical musings, it's an enjoyable, focused, and intense listen. Surely it will appeal to those who worship at the altar of the golden years of NYHC and the Chicago scene, with just a slight touch of West Coast attitude thrown in. Open up the pit and two-step 'til your heart’s content…
RIYL- Madball, Biohazard, Sick of It All, early Hatebreed, Terror
~TB