Mastermind - The Masters’ Orders 12”

Quality Control HQ proudly releases The Masters' Orders, the new LP from South London UK hardcore band Mastermind, a jewel in the crown of UKHC. This is the band's third release after 2019's Bad Reaction EP, and comes on the heels of recently released single "Price You Pay". Having played with a range of punk and hardcore bands from Judge to Chubby and the Gang on their home turf, this summer sees Mastermind touring with NYHC upstarts Combust across Europe and playing Fluff Fest, so get in the pit coz this train won’t stop!

If one proposes that the classic late eighties NYHC sound owed a chunk of its identity to blue collar meat heads from Queens, then the same can be said for London hardcore’s meatiest riffs coming from Croydon cousins who work construction, built their own instruments and met their lead guitarist on the tram. This band reminds me of Rest in Pieces, Breakdown, Sick of it All, Sheer Terror, Inside Out NYC, and a touch of Cleveland’s Die Hard with a healthy dose of crossover picking and a heap of sick guitar solos. Something all of the above bands had in common was the ability to blur the fine line between great genius and great stupidity. It's a delicate natural balance reached only by bands that don’t take themselves too seriously but would kick your ass if you called them a joke. There is a clearly defined love of hardcore, in its many forms, behind the songwriting in Mastermind – a band of young heads and scene mainstays who intend to have fun playing hardcore the way they like it. After a four year run with a solid demo and a crushing EP, Mastermind are ready to present you with their masterpiece – The Masters’ Orders.
– Uncle Spoiler