Boston is a city with a punk history as storied as any, having produced some of the greatest and hardest bands in the genre. In its heyday bands like SSD, JERRY’s KIDS, and NEGATIVE FX paved the way for modern crushers like SAVAGEHEADS, PUBLIC TRUST, and SADIST. Straightforward, brash, and tough as fuck, somehow you can tell when a band is from the area. Case in point: THE MASSACRED, who, on their debut LP Nightmare Agitators, bludgeon you over the head with some of the most powerfully menacing music to come out of the city.
Following a demo and two excellent 7” EPs, THE MASSACRED have had plenty of anticipation building up to this record. Fusing the brutish strength of UK82 bands like EXPLOITED, CHAOS UK and PARTISANS with the hardcore thrashing of Finnish legends like APPENDIX and KAAOS, THE MASSACRED have an intense sound that hits like a wrecking ball. The band does a great job of balancing the 25 minute runtime, seamlessly toggling from mid-tempo stomps to breakneck bursts, oftentimes in the same song. It’s a sound that’s familiar but fresh, something that isn’t easy to pull off but when done right, makes for a modern classic.
THE MASSACRED are fully locked in and tight as a whip throughout; every track sounding as thoughtful and intentional as the next. On recording and mastering duties is Chris Corry of the excellent LIFELESS DARK, whose own debut dropped last year to universal acclaim. Beefy and clear, the album sounds pristine and gives each instrument and vocals room to breathe.
Nightmare Agitators kicks off with a bang on first track “Massacred”, a song that makes for a perfect calling card for the band. Complete with galloping drums, muscular guitars and bass, and gruff vocals that call out the cowards behind state violence and international wars, the song sets the tone for the rest of the album. The band rages against political bullshit, with politicians and bootlickers alike in their crosshairs. Take the rumbling “Arsonists” for example, where they declare ‘You are their meat/Prepared to burn in the heat’, or the scathing “Allegiance”, where they warn, ‘Political Masters are your true enemy’. If ever these words were relevant, it’s now, in America, in 2025.
Elsewhere the band takes down the cops on the brilliantly titled “Butchers For The Rich”, armed forces on “Their Deathly Armaments” (which features a killer bass solo), and organized religion on “Detest”, whose over-the-top graphic lyrics make for a perfect cousin to SUFFOCATING MADNESS’ “Shove Your Cross Up My Ass” (off of last year’s fantastic Unrelenting Forced Psychosis). Both bands play with a very similar formula; if you’re looking for a “FFO”, this would be it.
Picking a favorite track is tough, so here’s a top four: “Nightmare Agitators”, whose intense words about children dying in war is accompanied by a great sinewy guitar lead; “Power On Top Of Power”, which leads side two with another badass intro and features militant drums that absolutely crush; “Lie In Ambush”, featuring the album’s slowest, sludgiest moment in its intro before launching into a tirade against the ‘psychological warfare at every moment’, presumably brought on by both big tech and big brother. And finally, closer “Extermination”, a powerhouse of a track with a propulsive beat and catchy riffing. Another guitar lead accompanies lyrics about fear of atomic warfare and the government’s being turned on by violence and destruction before slowly fading out in a fog of phased out guitars.
This album takes you on a journey, a relenting one that hits so close to home at this moment in time. It’s clear to see why this record has been getting so much attention. Not only does it sound amazing but it has a seriously topical message that anyone would benefit from hearing. THE MASSACRED isn’t fucking around and rightfully so; we’re too close to a seriously dire future to be fucking around.
THE MASSCRED’s Nightmare Agitators is available now on Active-8 Records.
