EP REVIEW: Bodyweb – deadwired

‘…builds upon all of the promise that the band had originally presented with, and evolves it in exciting, engaging, and genuinely thoughtful ways…’

Having emerged from the hardcore scene of Leeds back in 2022, Bodyweb are a band that pull sonic influence from grunge, jungle, nu-metal, and shoegaze, and tie these influences together with pure, unadulterated hardcore aggression. Their 2023 debut mixtape, ‘train_wreck_simulation‘, was a disquieting and unsettling exploration of faith, familial abuse, and mental crises, and made for an incredibly inventive and impressive first impression. Accompanied by a stellar live show and supporting slots for the likes of God Complex and Static Dress, it is unsurprising that the band have managed to become cult favourites in such a short amount of time.

2025 has seen the band return under the helm of Flatspot Records, and with a refreshed line-up that now includes Naomi McLeod of Empire State Bastard on bass, Luke Tompson of Stiff Meds on drums, and Tom Hobson on guitar. Accompanied by founding members Louis Hardy and Ben Jones, the five-piece have unleashed their first EP, ‘deadwired‘, a four-track collection that ruminates upon human connection, human suffering, and the prices we pay to get through the day.

‘no faith‘ commences with claustrophobic, pulsing electronics, before exploding into a ferociously aggressive hardcore number. Hardy is vicious presence, delivering a torrent of screamed vocals atop of swaggering, groove-laden beatdowns. ‘shadowboxing‘ continues this momentum, with the record scratching and vocal flow giving the track almost something of a nu-metal undercurrent. The climax of this cut is utterly brutal, as ‘you’re killing yourself to live‘ is barked repeatedly over crushing instrumentals that stab at the listener with mechanical precision. The listener truly feels as though they are being compressed and mangled by the sheer weight of the track bearing down on them.

Moody and swaggering, ‘sugarcoated‘ clearly and immediately takes influence from 90’s grunge, with fuzzy, distorted guitars cascading over a seismic bass line. The melancholy verses work perfectly in tandem with a ruthlessly aggressive midsection, serving as a cathartic display of musical ebb and flow. The highlight is undoubtedly, however, ‘deadwire‘. A perfect example of what makes Bodyweb so special, this is a thorough demonstrating that genre is meaningless when you are driven by a vision to make people feel and move. Disquieting ambient soundscapes merge with nu-metal flair to produce a juggernaut of a track, hurtling forwards with total disregard for expectations or demands. The ‘Father/Are You waiting for me to forgive your sins?‘ hook penetrates deep; ambiguous in its meaning, and weighted heavily with themes of both the sacred and the familial, it’s the sort of lyric certain to provoke a reaction from all listeners, especially when the rest of the track drops away from the vocals and leaves them in the spotlight.

Hardcore is not an environment that prioritises being ‘the next big thing’; authenticity and expression are what truly matters. Yet Bodyweb might just manage to become that anyway. ‘deadwired‘ builds upon all of the promise that the band had originally presented with, and evolves it in exciting, engaging, and genuinely thoughtful ways. This is the sound of a hardcore band unfazed by the concept of appealing to the masses, and paradoxically that energy perhaps may well produce that outcome. You can always hear when it’s real.

RATING: 81/100 – Very Good

For Fans Of: Prozpekt, rozemary, Static Dress, Loathe, Ocean Grove

Physical copies of the record are available to purchase here for UK listeners, and here for US listeners.

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify