The Pass- Gråtrunka album. Melbourne's Sludge-Fueled Hardcore Hellions Drop Their Debut Bombshell By Mark Jenkins.
THE PASS - "GRATRUNKA"
Melbourne's Sludge-Fueled Hardcore Hellions Drop Their Debut Bombshell By Mark Jenkins.
Holy fucking Christ, Melbourne's done it again. Just when you think the city's hardcore scene has shown all its cards, along comes The Pass with Gråtrunka – a debut album that sounds like it was birthed in the grimy underbelly of a Collingwood warehouse, fed a steady diet of Black Flag records and industrial-strength amphetamines.
This isn't your garden-variety hardcore by any stretch. The Pass have crafted something that sits comfortably in that sweet spot where sludge metal's tar-thick heaviness meets the breakneck brutality of powerviolence, all wrapped up in the political fury that defines the best of Melbourne's underground. It's the kind of record that makes perfect sense in a city that gave us Depression, Vicious Circle, and countless other bands who understood that hardcore punk isn't just music – it's a fucking weapon.
From the moment the opening track kicks in, you know you're in for something special. The production is raw but not sloppy, giving each instrument room to breathe while maintaining that crusty, lived-in feel that separates the real deal from the posers. The guitars don't just play riffs – they excavate them from some primal place where Tony Iommi met Greg Ginn in a dark alley. When the sludge elements kick in, time seems to slow to a crawl before the powerviolence sections come screaming back like a caffeine-fueled panic attack.
But what really sets Gratrunka apart isn't just its sonic brutality – it's the intelligence behind the mayhem. These aren't just kids making noise; they're seasoned musicians who understand dynamics, who know when to pull back and when to absolutely fucking obliterate everything in their path. The rhythm section locks in with the precision of a Swiss watch and the power of a wrecking ball, providing the perfect foundation for the guitar work that alternates between crushing doom passages and razor-sharp hardcore precision.
The album's stylistic variety showcases the band's range without ever losing focus. There are moments of almost meditative, sludgy heaviness that wouldn't sound out of place on a Primitive Man record, immediately followed by blasts of raw fury that channel the best of late 80s/early '90s American underground powerviolence. It's this ability to seamlessly blend influences without ever sounding derivative that marks The Pass as a genuine contender in a scene that doesn't suffer fools gladly.
Lyrically, while the domineering growled vocals often blur the specific words, the intent is crystal clear. This is music born from frustration, from watching the world burn while politicians count their money and cops count their bullets. It's the sound of a generation that inherited a broken world and decided to soundtrack its rage rather than quietly accept its fate. And the savage vocals are so caustic and frankly extraordinary.
The production deserves special mention – it's got that perfect balance of clarity and filth that the best hardcore records achieve. You can hear every cymbal crash, every bass note, every guitar squeal, but it all sounds like it's coming through a filter of cigarette smoke and righteous anger. It's clean enough to showcase the band's technical prowess but dirty enough to maintain that essential punk rock grit.
If there's a slight criticism to be made, it's that Gråtrunka occasionally feels like it's trying to pack too much into its hyperactive runtime. There are moments where a more focused approach might have served the songs better, where the band's obvious enthusiasm for experimentation slightly dilutes the raw impact. But these are very minor quibbles with what is ultimately a remarkably confident and brilliant debut album.
The Pass have delivered something that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary. Gråtrunka sounds like it could have been recorded in 1985 or 2025, and that's exactly the point. Ingenious hardcore punk transcends its moment of creation, and this album has that quality in spades. It's the kind of record that will still be getting spins in sweaty venues and bedrooms alike years from now, introducing new generations to the pure, undiluted power of truly uncompromising music.
Melbourne's hardcore scene has always punched above its weight, and The Pass are here to make sure that tradition continues. Gråtrunka isn't just a strong debut – it's a statement of intent from a band that clearly has much more to say. In a world full of watered-down hardcore and scenester bullshit, The Pass remind us what this music is supposed to sound like when it's played with genuine conviction.
This is essential listening for anyone who gives a damn about the current state of underground music. The Pass have arrived, and they're not fucking around.
Essential if you like: Integrity, Cursed, Mammoth Grinder, Nails, Blaster Master or Rape Revenge.
RIYL: Crushing riffs, political fury, and the kind of hardcore that makes you want to flip over cars
Out now:
https://itsthepass.bandcamp.com/album/gra-trunka
Get antisocial:
https://www.facebook.com/theMFpass
https://www.instagram.com/the_mf_pass/
DON'T MISS THE LAUNCH OF THIS KILLER ALBUM:
KILLER INTERVIEW COMING VERY SOON!!!
– Reviewed by Mark Jenkins for Devil's Horns Zine "Bringing you the music your parents warned you about since 2018 " LAST BUT NOT LEAST, SUPPORT THE ARTISTS (AND US) BY SPREADING THE WORD, FOLLOWING US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND REPOSTING OUR WORKS...SUPPORT THE UNDERGROUND AND OUR COMMUNITY. THERE ARE NO COMMERCIAL GAINS.
And:
Music is not a commodity, it's a community. Your art should reflect your truth, not what others want to hear. Ian MacKaye.
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