Hard Times NYC’s new EP, End This Life, doesn’t waste time with subtlety or theatrics — it’s five cuts of pure, unfiltered heaviness from a band that knows exactly what they want to be. The riffs are grimy and dense, the bass is thick enough to sink ships, and the drums slice through with a raw, unpolished impact.

From the first moments of "Truth Is Dead," you’re met with a wall of sound that nods to sludge titans like Crowbar but cranks the aggression into borderline death-metal territory. It’s heavy, it’s groovy, and it’s relentless. The breakdown might not reinvent the genre, but when this band locks in on a groove, the floor practically shakes.

Their message is as uncompromising as their tone. "Sentenced to Bleed" kicks off with a scathing sample about government overreach — a clear statement of intent — before dropping into pounding, groove-driven riff work. The tempo drags in places, but when the drums bring in those double kicks toward the end, the song earns its weight.

"Bring It On" might be the EP’s most menacing track, pairing Kruelty-level riff heft with massive, room-shaking drums. It’s a masterclass in how to make “simple” sound devastating.

"False Kings" slows things down, channeling the dense, street-fight swagger of Sworn Enemy, though the drawn-out pre-breakdown section lets some tension leak away. Still, when the band leans into their low-and-slow attack, you feel every hit.

The closer, "End This Life," is where they bring it all together — tight, chug-heavy riffing, cymbal crashes like shrapnel, and vocals that stay guttural and menacing until the last second. This isn’t an EP built on peaks and valleys; it’s a concrete block of sustained intensity.

Hard Times NYC aren’t trying to surprise you — they’re trying to flatten you — and they succeed by doubling down on what they do best: massive tone, unrelenting weight, and a sound that feels like it’s closing in on you. It’s not a record for everyone, but for those who crave hardcore with the density of a wrecking ball, End This Life hits exactly where it should — hard, low, and without mercy.

Rating: 7/10