10 Newer Punk & Hardcore Records From Sweden

Bulls Shitt caught my ears on the first Greetings From Sweden comp in 2021, and I was sold within seconds. Their raging 7-inch the following year only confirmed it. Now they’ve returned with a debut LP that’s even more aggressive, focused, and ready to knock your teeth out. Eleven tracks that channel the bark and attitude of Commitment Crew and Hårda Tider, with a delivery that leans heavily into Infest-style powerviolence ferocity and vocals that feel like spit flying in your face. Every track is an outbreak of frustration and resistance: “Drawing Blanks” confronts sycophants and self-righteous know-it-alls, “Static Life” rages at paralysis and wasted time, and “Break Free” is a full-throttle rejection of outside control. There’s a mix of personal venom and broader discontent here, all snarled with intent and backed by no-frills hardcore that hits as hard as it should. No posturing, no polish, just relentless hardcore with (no) bulls shitt attitude.

XIAO have been on our radar since their earliest days in 2019, and Control is by far their most complete and uncompromising release to date. 14 tracks of sharp, incendiary hardcore with powerviolence intensity and relentless political commentary. The Stockholm band sounds massive here: fast, tightly wound, and absolutely merciless, backed by a crisp production that doesn’t dull the edge but makes every blastbeat land even harder. Lyrically, they don’t hold back either, tracks like “No Fiction”, “Servants” and “Control” call out complicity, class hierarchy, and the performative progressivism of Sweden’s government, while “Karoshi” and “End of Times” tear into the soul-crushing weight of capitalism and burnout. Released by Twelve Gauge Records, a label run by a Palestinian based in the US, this LP doesn’t just sound urgent, it is urgent, right down to its core. You want hardcore with purpose, rage, and a message? This is it.

Śmierć is another Stockholm band I’ve been following since their early days, and their latest album Opór is the one that’s hardest to pin down because it finally sounds like only them. The early nods to Dezerter, Homomilitia, Zbombardowana Laleczka, and the poetry of Ewa Demarczyk are still in the bones, but this third album steps out of tribute mode and into a fully formed voice of its own. Think Scandinavian d-beat at the core with a big dose of melody, atmosphere and mood. Add political lyrics in Polish, Swedish, and English that form a stream of consciousness, all tied to a clear theme of resistance. Five of the nine songs run past the five minute mark and earn it, with patient intros, keys and other textures blooming before the drums bite and the guitars surge. “Uffe” sets the tone with a rising chorus, “Krew” floats then burns, “Das Umheimliche,” “Razem” and “Prawda” lean darker without losing the spark. Every play reveals another layer, another small detail in the mix. I could write a thousand words on this one (and probably will in the future), but I’ll keep it simple this time: Opór is a fantastic album and one of my favorite punk records in a long time.

Speedway have been steadily building momentum over the past five years, and A Life’s Refrain cements their spot as one of the most visible and vital Swedish hardcore bands today. Now signed to the legendary Revelation Records and touring the US with Youth of Today, they’ve fully arrived at this spot. Their first proper LP delivers twelve urgent, ultra-tight tracks, all under two minutes, blending speed, melody, and anthemic punch with touches of Quicksand and Have Heart’s Songs To Scream At The Sun. It’s passionate and polished without losing the genuine emotion that drives it. The lyrics lean into reflection, hope, personal struggle, and inner strength. “Day by Day” and “Solitaire” speak to isolation and the search for connection, while “Permission to Dream” and “Another Life” push toward change and growth. With guest spots from members of bands like Title Fight and Ekulu, and a sound that balances mosh parts with melody and meaning, A Life’s Refrain deserves to be mentioned alongside the best modern hardcore has to offer. 10/10 hardcore release.

Sidestep might have met through a shared love of Super Smash Bros, but their self-titled debut LP isn’t a novelty. It’s a fully-formed and confident blast of groove-heavy hardcore that lands somewhere between Cold World, Trapped Under Ice, and early Turnstile, with a charming dose of hip-hop and spray-can attitude. Their 2020 demo was solid, but this takes things up several levels. The music is packed with energy and swagger, and while this isn’t the style of hardcore I usually listen to, it’s clear they are doing it with real love and intent. The lyrics switch between tough talk (“Real”), goofing around (“Pearly Whites”), local pride (“Touchdown”), and moments of frustration or doubt (“Unforgiving Decisions,” “Teeth”), and it all feels honest, like a group of friends making something that’s 100% theirs. Fun, loud, and full of bounce. This is Sidestep doing their thing and doing it well.

Modern Guilt is a hardcore band from Gothenburg comprised of veterans of the Swedish HC scene. Their Do Not Panic! EP immediately brings to mind the Bridge 9 roster and the Youth of Today revivalist spirit of the early 2000s. All these bands that gave me a flicker of hope, proving that youth crew could be both fresh and thoughtful. Three Modern Guilt members also played in Out of Vogue, one of my favorite Swedish hardcore bands of the early 2010s, fronted by José Saxlund of Abhinanda. In Modern Guilt, Out of Vogue guitarist Peter Bader takes over vocals, and he absolutely throws himself into it. Do Not Panic! is lean but layered, threading the personal and political through a straight edge lens that acknowledges despair but refuses to give in. There’s no sloganeering, no tired youth crew clichés. Modern Guilt’s screaming for change is grounded in honesty and driven by a call for clarity, compassion, and collective action.

Dishumanitär’s self-titled LP is a neocrust epic of the highest order and one of the most impressive debuts I’ve heard all year. Ten songs, some under two minutes, some stretching close to six. All absolutely crushing. Dishumanitär’s sound draws clear lineage to bands like Nux Vomica, Agrimonia, and newer acts like Encierro, but there’s nothing derivative here. They’ve nailed the balance between speed, atmosphere, and weight. Hanna’s vocals are the standout, epic howls that brings real urgency and emotion to every track. Hanna’s husband David handles both bass and guitar, and both are pummeling, carrying the songs with massive tone and tight, expressive playing. Fredrik from DSM-5 and formerly Adrestia is behind the kit and delivers some of his best drumming yet, powerful without overplaying. The record also features guest vocals and artwork from the ever-prolific Alex CF, which fits perfectly with the tone. Dishumanitär is fast when it needs to be, expansive when it should be, and always intense. I love everything about this record.

Now we’re talking Swedish hardcore royalty. Apokollaps is the fourth LP from Exploatör, and it’s another scorcher of relentless Swedish hardcore from a crew that needs no introduction. With a name like that and three out of five members having done time in Totalitär, the influence is clear. Since 2017, they’ve been cranking out classic Totalitär-core in the spirit of Vi Är Eliten and Sin Egen Motståndare, and this new one might be their strongest yet. But this isn’t just a nostalgia act as the veterans sound more pissed off and locked in than ever. Lanchy and Kenko’s dual guitar attack is pure textbook kängpunk: razor-sharp, full of urgency, and instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up worshipping this stuff. The production is cleaner than the ’90s records, but it still hits with that classic blown-out force. If you live for Scandinavian d-beat energy with riffs that stick and a pedigree that speaks for itself, this is a no-brainer. Top-tier Swedish hardcore, no questions asked.

Slan’s debut LP is a 16-track blitzkrieg of raw, unrelenting kängpunk that doubles down on the ferocity of their Skiter I Allt EP. Clocking in just under 24 minutes, it’s a ruthless follow-up that sacrifices none of its urgency. Everything here’s nastier, faster, and more unhinged. The rawer mix brings vocals to the forefront, delivered in Swedish and the kind of contempt that recalls Diskonto, Asocial, and Krigshot. There’s zero filler, just relentless råpunk attack with standout moments like the riff napalm in “Pripsblåa ögon” or the longer-burning wreckage of “Dynga sprids.” Unapologetically savage and crushingly direct, Ägd is yet another reminder that Sweden still writes the manual on how to play this raw shit straight to the point.

Stockholm’s top apes Kong Kong return with Kong Kong Five (got the pun?), a four-track EP packed with banana-slip sarcasm, working class rock’n’roll grit (or simply call it Oi!), and even powerpop delight. Opener “Heroes Gone Were Never Heroes at All” sees the band beating their chests at fallen idols (those who turned out to be frauds, abusers, or just plain pathetic), while “I Say My Thoughts out Loud” swings in with sharp-tongued defiance and the catchiest melodies. The real standout here is “Backbone,” a callout aimed at spineless punks who haven’t figured out how to stand for anything. The band’s two-vocalist setup is still their wild card: one delivering gorilla grunts from the gut, the other cutting in with sharp, melodic clarity. It’s a dynamic that keeps things unpredictable, and somehow it works. Whether they’re throwing rocks at false idols or writing relationship breakup letters, Kong Kong are still among Sweden’s most entertaining primates.