Fear The Lord – Moved By Guilt (2025)
Margem Sul’s Hardcore Torchbearers Return With a Vicious, Guilt-Ridden Sermon
Hailing from Margem Sul—the gritty, industrial underbelly of Portugal’s south side—Fear The Lord.(FTL to their friends) have been steadily carving their name into the concrete of European hardcore since 2014. Their latest release, Moved By Guilt, is a 19-minute blitzkrieg of beatdown, metallic hardcore, and righteous fury that feels like a sermon screamed through a broken megaphone.
This is their third major release, following South Scythe (2020) and Tower of God (2021), and it’s easily their most refined and punishing work to date. FTL fuse NYHC swagger with chaotic metalcore precision and a distinctly Portuguese sense of urgency whilst also notably blending numerous other elements of Portuguese urban subcultures in their work – the album contains Hip Hop influences throughout, not surprising seeing as frontman Rafael Silva also goes by the rap-moniker Vorm and several members of the band are also deeply involved in local graffiti and hip hop scenes.
The EP opens with the title track “Moved By Guilt,” a five-minute descent into self-loathing and spiritual warfare. Vocalist Rafael Silva sounds like he’s clawing his way out of a confessional booth, spitting lines like “The more it goes, the more I’m digging my grave” over chug-heavy riffs and blast beats that feel like a street fight in sonic form.
“Common Enemy” features guest spots from Dutch hardcore legends No Turning Back and heroes King Street, turning the track into a multinational gang vocal anthem. It’s a call to arms against division, corruption, and the faceless systems that grind us down.
“Street By Street” and “Justice By Design” (featuring Not Without Fighting) are emblematic of the new breed of Hardcore bands emerging from the southern European hotbed—raw, political, and unrelenting. The former is a tribute to the band’s roots, while the latter feels like a manifesto for DIY justice in a world that’s forgotten how to care.
“Blame Game,” featuring clericbeast, is the EP’s most chaotic moment, with tempo shifts anddissonant riffs that nod to Converge’s Jane Doe era. It’s messy, cathartic, and absolutely necessary. clericbeast are fellow vanguards part of the burgeoning Tuga scene which also includes Steal Your Crown and Fight Your Fears
Fear The Lord aren’t just making music—they’re building a movement. Moved By Guilt is a testament to their growth, their rage, and their refusal to be silenced. It’s not polished, and it’s not pretty. But it’s real. And in a scene that often feels like it’s chasing trends, Fear The Lord are dragging hardcore back to the streets where it belongs.
Rating: 4/5
For fans of: Madball, Converge, Employed to Serve
Written by @jdprosho
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