Before bidding adieu, the hardcore quintet of S-21 released its second and final EP. Operation Menu serves a primal, pummeling blast of unfiltered energy. Channeling pent up frustrations into raw musical determination, the release rumbles and shreds through barriers. Available via Sugarsalt Records and World Gone Mad Records, a portion of the pressing sales will be given to non-profits that benefit refugees, displaced people and immigrants, and all proceeds from digital sales will be donated as well.

Get Better Records recently put out an extensive (119 song) compilation, whose title says it all: A Benefit Comp To Help Pay Medical Bills For Those Activists Fighting Against Fascism & Racism. With proceeds aiding those injured in Charlottesville, as well as those affected by Hurricane Harvey, one can listen to a massive collection that includes a multitude of local talent Bren Lukens, Cayetana, Sadie Dupuis, Mischief Brew, Soul Glo, HIRS, S-21, Radiator Hospital, Mannequin Pussy, Worriers, Dominic, Jon Loudon, and Roger Harvey among many others. Especially in times of crisis it’s important to standup for what one believes in, reach out to those who have sacrificed and suffered, and help in any way you can.

S-21 is one of the most exciting hardcore acts to emerge from the Philly DIY scene, as of late. That is why we are truly bummed to learn that the band's show this Friday, September 1 at the First Unitarian Church, with Blazing Eye, Exit Order, and Macho Boys, will be the group's last. However, before they burn it all down, you can stream and download the brutal lead single, off S-21's forthcoming EP Operation Menu (World Gone Mad/Slugsalt), called "Thirst for Violence".

The Rotunda hosts a daylong hardcore/punk affair this Saturday; Break Free Fest hopes to shine a light on those that have been marginalized within the scene. Among the plethora of artists from near and far, the undeterred raw emotive eruption of Soul Glo holds nothing back, capturing an intensity soaked in sincerity. After recently releasing their new EP Modern Mutants, Complex bombards the airwaves with the combination of Spanish-English that steadily rips at its core. Exposing the walls of injustice, the quick-hitting onslaught of S-21 tears at the foundation, while the murky, rumbling, noise-etching, pressure-building punk of Solarized and genre-melding, noise-filtered, dance-driven, sonic-concoctions of DJ Haram set off a day of excellence. - Michael Colavita