Rockfreaks.net

Some of you may still remember our short lived tradition of posting weekly stickies with our staff's picks of the week on them; playlists that we were cycling through on any given week. Well, I miss that tradition, and as I create these lists on almost a weekly basis, why not share them with our readers for inspiration? So, without the consent of the rest of our staff, I will brave the consequences and share the tunes that are blasting out of my speakers and earphones as we speak - but rather than just spitting it out, I thought I'd share some thoughts on why I've picked these specific songs for the mixtape.

In my opinion every mixtape and playlist needs an intro track, and considering the nature of this week's tape, 21st Century hardcore with a unique tinge, Beecher's fantastic interlude from their 2005 effort "This Elegy, His Autopsy" provides the perfect build-up for what's to come. Try listening for yourself, if you don't believe me. This week we move from dark, foreboding songs to stuff that's more quirky and Southern sounding, before concluding with one of my all-time favorite hardcore songs, Comeback Kid's "Wake the Dead".

I tend to use a five-second cross-fade between all tracks, and each song is carefully positioned so that the songs flow into each other and impact the listener both on their own and as a whole. So give it a go, and hit me back with your thoughts in the comments.

01. Beecher - The Biting Cold ["This Elegy, His Autopsy", 2005]

02. Doomriders - Bear Witness ["Darkness Come Alive", 2009]

03. Kvelertak - Blodtørst ["Kvelertak", 2010]

04. Cancer Bats - Bastard's Waltz ["Hail Destroyer", 2008]

05. Every Time I Die - Wanderlust ["New Junk Aesthetic", 2009]

06. Maylene and the Sons of Disaster - Step Up (I'm on It) ["III", 2009]

07. Alexisonfire - Old Crows ["Old Crows / Young Cardinals", 2009]

08. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Milk Lizard ["Ire Works", 2007]

09. Acid Tiger - The Claw ["Acid Tiger", 2010]

10. Converge - Dark Horse ["Axe to Fall", 2009]

11. Comeback Kid - Wake the Dead ["Wake the Dead", 2005]