Hard Mind – Negative Thoughts (2025)
Hard Mind, the beatdown bruisers from Rennes, emerging from the impressive and underrated French hardcore scene, the Brittany stalwarts have been swinging fists since 2014, and their fifth release Negative Thoughts—out now on Face to Face Records—is a 16-minute descent into unfiltered hostility.
The EP opens with a sample of dialogue from the Tom Hardy film Bronson, setting the tone with a nod to Britain’s most infamous prisoner. “Protect What’s Mine” follows like a boot to the chest—front man Loïs’ vocals are feral, the riffs are dense, and the message is clear: loyalty is sacred, and betrayal will be punished.
“Through Your Flesh” is a venomous middle finger to fake friends and backstabbers, delivered with the kind of guttural intensity that makes drywall tremble. It’s beatdown at its most primal—no frills, no mercy.
“Fallen Soul” offers a brief interlude, but it’s not a breather—it’s a slow, metallic crawl through existential dread. The band leans harder into their metalcore influences here, harkening back to 2023’s effort Endless Fall
“The Call of the Void” and the title track “Negative Thoughts” are the EP’s darkest moments, both thematically and sonically. The former is a nihilistic scream into the abyss, while the latter feels like a breakdown-laden therapy session.
“Hands of Steel” closes the EP with a final barrage of riffs and rage, a fitting end to a record that never once lets up. It’s a war cry, a middle finger, and a love letter to the hardcore scene all at once.
The production—handled by Yann Sthonba (FRZB Studio) and Antoine Noss (Studio SOVAJ)—is thick, punishing, and refreshingly local. No need to outsource brutality when you’ve got this kind of talent in your backyard.
For fans of: Tempers Fray, Confined, Desecrate
Written by @jdprosho
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