25 years in and Hellshock still have a lot to say and their sound is getting darker and heavier than ever. XXV dives deep into bleak, metallic stenchcore territory, blending their trademark crust foundation with Bolt Thrower-style riffing, somber melodies, and even the occasional synth touch that adds to the apocalyptic vibe. The production is massive, thick, heavy, but never over-polished. Everything hits hard: the guitars are crushing, the rhythm section is powerful, and the vocals bark with the usual visceral intensity. There’s an oppressive, almost funereal atmosphere running through the record that drags you down with it—and that’s a compliment. Hellshock kinda reinvent the wheel here creating something different that usual that I would define “progressive darkened stench core”. XXV is a fitting soundtrack for the end times: scary, powerful, and utterly uncompromising. American press by Black Water Records. Limited run of 500 copies.

22 years, several ep’s and splits, 3 full lengths and countless tours around the globe, HELLSHOCK are still standing relevant and still playing some of the heaviest riffs in the world wide punk scene. Where most bands of the crust genre seem to lose the fire and filth or simply break up before their prime, this band seems to get more powerful with each release and this long awaited LP is no exception! This recording features the addition of Robbie Chronic from RIPPER on guitar who adds some real sick fucking solos on top of the established rolling crust riffage that the original core group had perfected years ago. Neck aching tempos, sheer brutality, growled anguished vocals, and epic song writing without straying from pure unadulterated crust. For the seasoned HELLSHOCK fan, you know you will already love this album and it will only exceed expectations. For the newcomer, if they were to ask “what is this crust/stenchcore thing about?”, I would point them to AMEBIX, DEVIATED INSTINCT, AXEGRINDER, and HELLSHOCK. The name deserves to be right beside the creators and masters. In another 20+ years this record will be regarded as one of the best crust records of the 2020’s, just as we look back at “Only the Dead Know the End Of War” as a defining record of the early 2000’s.