Written By Chris Norris
Some records sound carefully constructed. Others sound like they were dragged through concrete alleyways at midnight and thrown directly into the listener’s chest.
The Purge EP from Los Angeles hardcore crossover outfit Cutthroat belongs firmly in the second category.
Forged in the pressure cooker of the LA underground, Cutthroat blends metallic hardcore, crossover thrash, hip-hop groove, and street-level aggression into a release that feels tense, volatile, and constantly on the verge of eruption.
Cutthroat The Purge EP Review
Across the EP’s five tracks, the band channels frustration, distrust, emotional burnout, paranoia, and survival instinct through pounding rhythms, crushing riffs, cinematic samples, and an atmosphere that feels ripped from late-night city streets and psychological crime films.
What immediately separates The Purge from a lot of modern crossover releases is its sense of groove. Beneath the aggression is a strong rhythmic backbone pulling influence from bands like Biohazard, Body Count, and Downset while still leaning heavily into metallic hardcore and thrash territory. Founding member and front man Neil Roemer drives the EP with an intense, street-level vocal presence that leans heavily into confrontation, rhythm, and raw energy, while Betto Cardoso’s drumming gives the record much of its physical force. Whether launching into punishing grooves or hammering through thrash-driven sections, Cardoso consistently pushes the songs forward with power and precision.
Renato Romano and Bruno Nicolozzi on guitars also carry serious weight throughout the EP, especially on tracks like “Purge” and “Bullet Proof Mind,” where sharp riff work and relentless percussion create some of the release’s strongest moments.
The cinematic thread running through the EP also gives the record a distinct identity. Samples pulled from films like Taxi Driver, Joker, and Requiem for a Dream reinforce the emotional atmosphere surrounding the songs rather than simply functioning as surface-level references.
Themes of alienation, pressure, social decay, emotional collapse, and disconnection run through the EP’s DNA, particularly on tracks like “Hard Times,” “Sick One,” and “Feeling Disconnected.”
“Hard Times” stands out as one of the EP’s strongest moments, balancing groove-heavy aggression with frustration aimed directly at economic pressure, social division, and modern exhaustion.
The Taxi Driver sample feels especially fitting within the song’s atmosphere, adding another layer of tension to an already confrontational track. Meanwhile, “Feeling Disconnected” dives deeper into emotional burnout and fractured relationships, pairing its bleak tone with one of the EP’s strongest cinematic moments through its Requiem for a Dream sample.
Throughout the release, Cutthroat sounds less interested in polished perfection and more focused on impact, attitude, and raw intensity. The EP feels built for the pit in sweat-soaked venues, blown speakers, and chaotic live environments where groove matters just as much as aggression.
With The Purge, Cutthroat feels like a band entering a major turning point. Between the signing with M-Theory Audio, a growing international presence, and a sound that successfully bridges hardcore grit with crossover heaviness, the band carries the energy of an underground force beginning to push toward something larger.
Metal Lair Rates The Purge By Cutthroat 4 out of 5 Devil Horns
The Purge may still emerge from the underground, but pressure this intense rarely stays buried forever.
The Purge also builds upon the foundation Cutthroat established across earlier releases like Reflekt (2020) and Fear by Design (2023), two records that helped shape the band’s groove-heavy blend of metallic hardcore, crossover thrash, and hip-hop influence.
Reflekt, produced by Biohazard’s Billy Graziadei, introduced tracks such as “Never Settle,” “Drown with Me,” and “Rat,” while Fear by Design pushed the band further into darker and more aggressive territory with songs like “Murder Ring,” “Press On,” and “Blood on My Hands.”
Both releases helped expand Cutthroat’s international presence through European and South American touring while strengthening the band’s reputation within the hardcore underground.
The Purge will be released on August 14th via M-Theory Audio. Pre-Save here.
Track Listing:
1.Hard Times
2.Sick One
3.Feeling Disconnected
4.Purge
5.Bullet Proof Mind
TOURDATES With Vio-Lence
28/07/26 – BE, Antwerp – Kid’s 29/07/26 – UK, Plymouth – The Depo 30/07/26 – UK, London – The Underworld
31/07/26 – UK, Bridgwater – The Cobblestones
01/08/26 – UK, Preston – Blitz
02/08/26 – IRE, Dublin – Grand Social
03/08/26 – NI, Belfast – The Limelight
04/08/26 – UK, Glasgow – Audio
05/08/26 – UK, Cardiff – The Globe 08/08/26 – AT, Vienna – Viper Room 09/08/26 – DE, Munich – Backstage 12/08/26 – SK, Košice – Colosseum 13/08/26 – AT, Salzburg – Rockhouse
14/08/26 – CR, Zabok – Cuk Regenerator
Band Line-up
Neil Roemer – vocals
Renato Romano – guitar
Bruno Nicolozzi – bass
Betto Cardoso – drums
CUTTHROAT ONLINE:
About the Author
Chris Norris is the voice behind Metal Lair’s global metal coverage, World Metal Weekly. From funeral doom in the north to thrash born in the streets. Known for spotlighting bands before algorithms notice them and for writing with the precision of a scalpel… or a well-sharpened guitar pick. Vinyl collector. Night-shift journalist. Believes heavy music has no borders.
Read More From This Author:
Interview With The Ghoulstars: Horror Punk, VHS Culture & The Dark Overlords of the Universe
Green Carnation Part II Sanguis Interview with Kjetil Nordhus
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