Gouge Away

Few hardcore bands from Florida wear their influences as openly as Gouge Away, a Fort Lauderdale group formed in 2012 whose sound draws on the angular noise of the Pixies, The Jesus Lizard and Unwound alongside the grit of Fugazi and the bruised melody of Nirvana. Their music sits in the space between post-hardcore and noise rock, with a politically pointed streak that makes the songs feel like arguments rather than simply racket.

In 2013, the band self-released two EPs, Still Bored and Focus Your Anger, and toured for local charities and activist groups. Its debut album, Dies, arrived in February 2016 on Eighty-Sixed Records and drew critical attention, placing 17th on BrooklynVegan's list of the best emo and punk albums of that year and earning a spot on Noisey's overlooked albums roundup. The single Swallow, backed with Sweat, followed in 2017 via Secret Voice Records, and in March 2018 the group joined Deathwish. Second album Burnt Sugar, released on 28 September 2018 and co-produced by Jeremy Bolm, was followed by a tour of the US and Europe with Culture Abuse.