Album Review: Desolated – Finding Peace (MLVLTD)

Legendary Brit hardcore bruisers Desolated are back with their much-anticipated brand-new album, ‘Finding Peace’, out on May 30th, 2025, via MLVLTD.

Back with renewed focus and sounding more pissed off than ever, Desolated’s new album is the sound of hardcore heaven. Featuring a ton of gnarly riffs, drums that pulverise (no surprise considering Malevolence’s Charlie Thorpe is in the seat), and vocals that strip flesh from bone. From the start, this record puts the boot in and there is no let up across its ten blistering tracks. Yet, if that wasn’t enough to thrill the aggressive side of the psyche, the album also features a selection of savagely creative guest spots, namely Ninebar, Whispers, and D Bloc.

Putting it bluntly, this is as mean as it gets. Desolated bring the stompy hardcore heavy, but with metalised intensity, and deliver each track with furious focus. Chances are, you’ll end up with a bloody nose just sitting alone listening to it.

Who wants to do that though!? This is an album made to move to. Be it via a whirlwind of bodies, where fists flail and legs spin, or via some solo two-step action. Whatever you do, and you will do something, blood will be pumping noisily in your veins and your heart will be pounding heavily in your chest.

The first half of the album flies by in a blur of brutal metalised hardcore intensity. Showcasing a series of spitting and snarling tracks that are as dangerous as they are anthemic. The Stomper, Lessons, Bite Down, Glass Ceiling, and Never Enough. If you’re not seeing stars and hearing ringing in your ears at this stage, you’re not paying enough attention. I’m not even going to try and explain to you why you should love this, you’ll already know if you do or not. It all comes down to your proclivity for hardcore, as Desolated aren’t breaking any new ground here.

Don’t see that as a negative though! This is the first album to feature Tony Evans (Idle Hands) as lead vocalist, and the band clearly wanted to make a statement with this album. They’re not going anywhere, hardcore is their ‘bread and butter’, and they’re as dominating as ever. Just listen to something as venomous as Endless Betrayal (the drums are staggeringly good on this one) or something as sharp, intense, and manic as Let it Slide to understand that.

One of my favourite tracks on the album is Victim 2.0, an updated version of their 2024 single, Victim. A blistering takedown expressed in chaotic hardcore style, that can be described as a ‘crowd-killer’ track for sure, but features some deviations on the norm, one being a guitar solo and some really anthemic gang-vocal shouts. Though fear not hardcore fans, it does culminate in the filthiest of breakdowns. It makes me feel like I’ve been in a f**king war.

Finally, it’s Enemy and Dead End 2025, and two more raging bangers that confirm this as one of the finest hardcore releases of the year. Desolated are back and ready to tear everyone and everything apart!

Desolated – Finding Peace Track Listing:

1. The Stomper
2. Lessons
3. Bite Down
4. Glass Ceiling
5. Never Enough
6. Endless Betrayal
7. Let It Slide
8. Victim 2.0
9. Enemy
10. Dead End 2025

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