Choke Release Visceral New 7", 'Desire'

Choke deliver their best work to date with their heavy, fast and hard-hitting new 7", 'Desire'. 

"You know the good years when you're in them? Or do you just wait for them until you get ass cancer and realize that the good years came and went? Because there's a feeling that -- you might notice it sometime -- that this feeling that life has slipped through your fingers. Like the future is behind you. Like it's always been behind you."

For those of you who don't know, the above quote is a terrific monologue from season one of True Detective, spoken by Woody Harrelson's character, Detective Marty Hart. While the rest of that quote is about Hart's infidelity and his inattention towards his wife and children, the first half is a sombre reminder that too often do we forget to enjoy the now and the good times that surround us; before they drift away into the ether of time.

It's an audio sample of this standout scene from the HBO series that kicks off 'Desire', the new 7" from Central Coast heavy outfit, Choke.

Choke's latest offering of bleak, cutthroat hardcore relates to the "importance of acknowledging self-destructive behaviours and attempting to self-correct and improve". Because as the band puts it in this new release's bio, "Until this is done nothing can change." As a whole, 'Desire' is a cathartic story of one's journey through a long, painful path towards that of personal growth and the betterment of their physical and mental health. This is all told across four fittingly heavy tracks that are each covered with the band's usual metallic hardcore sound.

This short but sweet 7" also acts a great follow-up to last year's solid effort, 'Left With Nothing', which our very own Owen Morawitz described in his initial review as being an "ample soundtrack for sore heads & perforated ear drums." And that much is true here, as this quintet savagely mixes the menacing riffs of bands like Cro-Mags, the abrasive vocals of Magrudergrind, the blistering pace of Trash Talk, and the sonic intensity of Converge's older records; which is is then bolstered by the behind-the-scenes work put into this release.

Written and recorded on Indigenous Australian Darkinjung Land in NSW, this 7" was mixed by Taylor Young (Nails, Twitching Tongues, Xibalba) and was then mastered by Dan Randall (Left For Dead, Magrudergrind, 86 Mentality). All meaning that 'Desire' was sonically moulded by very capable hands who understand that a good hardcore record doesn't always need to be the loudest or most polished release on the block to make a real impact. And fuck me, does this 7" hit hard!

Without waffling on for too much longer, Choke's latest 7" is their heaviest, bleakest, and their most aggressive work to date, and as such, 'Desire' is also their best release thus far. Find out how and why for yourself below.

'Desire' is out now, and you can grab it here via Resist Records. Also, watch out for that sick guest vocal spot from Luke Dolan (The Dead Walk!, Life.Love.Regret, Arms Reach) on 'iii' - that shit's mental.