Another supergroup hardcore band. Pillage is a four-piece out of Chicago featuring members of Los Crudos, Charles Bronson, MK-Ultra, and Sick/Tired, among others. The self-titled 7”, released on Chicago’s Residue Records, features eight tracks of powerviolence influenced hardcore full of raw aggression. Pillage is a kindred spirit of late ’80s/early ’90s powerviolence without ever falling into the trap so many contemporary bands do of sounding like a cliffnotes version of them. Instead, there is an intensity all their own. The record is full of a reckless ferocity that really makes it one of the best 7”s of the year. It is ugly and harsh music in a way that differentiates it from its peers in that its ugliness and harshness stems from the assault of the music and not the production of the record. The vocals sound truly agonized, the guitar sounds like it is always a step away from flying out of control, and a driving bass always just out of the forefront. Pillage may not be a band for internet punks, but they’re a band that makes you want to go put your fist through a wall. Grabbing a copy of this record before it is sold out should be at the top of your to-do list for 2015.