Lagrimas - Demo

Okay, kids. History time. There was a point, back in the 90s, when a genre called "screamo" didn't exist and most bands that played what now gets called screamo actively rejected the label (because, let's be honest, it's an embarrassing term). Those bands (including bands I was in that sounded like that) typically thought of what they were doing as good old hardcore, albeit slightly outside the box hardcore. Then, somehow, the "screamo" label started to stick, and then later generations needed a whole new word (skramz) to differentiate original pretty good screamo from later much worse screamo. Which I get. If I were 22 I wouldn't want to admit I listen to a lot of "screamo" from the the last ten years, either.

Anyway, where I'm going with this is that Lagrimas is a band from Los Angeles that sits right at this intersection in a way I really appreciate. What I think people responded to about the 90s hardcore that gets called skramz nowadays was the intimacy and immediacy of it. The records sounded like home recordings done on used equipment in someone's bedroom, the lyrics read you were skimming someone's journal behind their back, the music felt like it could fall apart at any second. This demo exemplifies that sort of closed-door intimacy that was so resonant about that music. Additionally, they don't skimp on the hardcore elements of the genre, including some really compelling fastcore and crusty elements that pull the music together and give it an urgency that can sometimes be wanting on albums like this. Every time they kick into a fast beat in a song, it really gives it a shot of energy that pulls me right back in. All in all, this is a really compelling demo. It's PWYW over at Bandcamp. I suggest checking it out.