Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is the seventh studio release by Scottish post-rock/shoegaze group Mogwai. These guys have been together for over 20 years now, and it shows. The new album is pulled together and packed with a ton of energy and tenacity. You’ll get no comparisons from me of Hardcore to previous Mogwai albums. For that I apologize, both to you (the reader) and myself. I can’t believe I’ve missed out on these guys for the large majority of my young adult life. Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is a hefty title to put out there, encompassing a dark humor to an odd, uncomfortable irony. In my mind, this album is that story exactly. Synths and distortions simmer with guitars and drums to provide a fast-paced landscape whose music will survive, while its inhabitants pass through unnoticed. City lights glow and cars speed through tunnels while swells and riffs take their hold on a thriving (albeit, doomed) existence. “White Noise” is a great opener and by far a favorite, along with “Letters to the Metro” and “George Square Thatcher Death Party.” (Sub Pop Records, www.subpoprecords.com) Victoria King
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989