They may have only delivered us to the evil of their sophomore EP “Ultra Violence” in August but six months on, Peterborough Hardcore crew Break Them are ready for the third chapter in their infamous existence. This time out it seems the Rabidfest and Metal 2 The Masses survivors, who have reduced venues to rubble with everyone from Compounds and Higher Walls are in the mood for a bare knuckle fist fight… so get in the ring mother f**ker!
If you hadn’t already guessed it “To The Death” very much a battle cry, a call to arms across three short, sharp shocks in pure unadulterated Hardcore that feels like being punched in the guts by the steel fist of RoboCop circa 1987. As with the finest in the genre, underneath the crushing weight of the abrasive riffs, rumbling bass and pummelling percussion there are subjects that need to be discussed, the politically charged and socially aware nature of this beast an integral part of what makes it tick. The time bomb starts with “No Peace For My Enemies“. a cut about the rise of far right Christian nationalism and the threat of being quiet and letting people get away with racism and bigoted views. A two steppers delight with a DIY or DIE attitude, it fuses together elements of Hardcore, Punk and Metal with style and substance with venomous blood spitting vocals without pause for breath. There is an emotive quality to the vocal performance which tells you all you need to know about the depth of feeling on the subject before an ominous quote from US Army General George S. Patton Jr during World War II “May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t!” ushers in the punchy final verse.
Another sample, this time from a speech by John Price in Call Of Duty brings in the Metallic Hardcore groove of title track “To the Death“, a blunt force trauma of a song about how much the hardcore community means. Cast in the same mould as tracks like “Punishment” by Biohazard with weighty riffs and dark atmospheric, this one has a classy gang chant that will gets fits in the air when the band perform it live while also giving pause for thought with the lyrical narrative. We all know a poser who claims to like Hardcore, wears a Hatebreed t-shirt but never goes to a show or supports the scene and they’re infuriating.
Last but by no means least is “Trench Raid“, a World War One themed cut about groups of people on all sides who used to sneak behind enemy lines for intel. Showcasing some mighty fine storytelling abilities vocally this one is a little different but still moves in the same circles, the tempo shifts tastefully done and the riff an classic earworm. Sonically these three tunes hold together cohesively, the five years of graft the outfit have put in since their inception paying off handsomely. If this isn’t enough to get you in a mosh pit at a Break Them show, you need to go and talk to a shrink to find out what the hell is wrong with you! [7.5/10]
Track Listing
No Peace For My Enemies
To The Death
Trench Raid
“To The Death” by Break Them is out 26th February 2026 and is available over at bandcamp
