COMING INTO FOCUS!

Los Angeles hardcore has never been short on bands willing to keep things raw, aggressive, and stripped down, and Broken Focus fit comfortably into that tradition. Their self-titled demo is a five-song introduction built around sharp riffs, chunky bass, pissed-off vocals, and grooves designed more for movement than technical showmanship.

There’s nothing especially complicated about what Broken Focus are doing here, but that isn't necessarily the point. The band understands how effective a simple hardcore riff can be when the rhythm section is locked in and the vocals sound genuinely pissed off. The main problem is that some of the production choices occasionally work against that aggression, creating a hollow and distant quality that takes away some of the impact.

“Put It On” opens the demo with an unexpectedly eerie introduction. The slow guitar tones initially feel almost disconnected from hardcore, carrying the strange atmosphere of an old West Coast hip-hop instrumental before the guitars suddenly crash into tighter, thrashy riffing. That contrast is a cool way to begin the demo and immediately suggests that Broken Focus aren't interested in making every song sound exactly the same.

The bass sits low and chunky underneath the guitars, giving the song a surprisingly groovy foundation, while the drums have a hollow character that becomes one of the defining production choices throughout the release. The vocals are scratchy, high-pitched screams that almost have a ’90s metal quality to them. I actually like the vocal style, but the mix makes them sound more distant than they should. The backing vocals help compensate by adding some additional weight and making the heavier moments feel more immediate.

“Spit” is where the demo really starts to tighten up. The drums hit harder, the snare has a satisfying snap, and the riffs move with much more urgency. The bass remains thick and low while the guitars stay fast and precise. Most importantly, the vocals sound more pissed off here, giving the track the attitude that hardcore needs.

This is probably one of the best examples of Broken Focus finding a balance between rawness and control. Nothing is overly technical, but everything has a purpose. The snare pushes the song forward, the bass keeps the riffs grounded, and the guitars provide enough aggression without becoming unnecessarily complicated.

“Break Me Down” takes that aggression and slows it down.

Dense guitar tones establish a darker atmosphere before the chunky bass comes crashing underneath them. Eventually, the song settles into a slow two-step groove that feels practically designed for a hardcore pit. This is where Broken Focus sound most comfortable to me. The band doesn't need to play faster to sound heavier. They simply let the guitars and bass become bigger and more physical.

The drums sit slightly further back in the mix but still maintain the momentum, while the sharp vocals and backing screams give the song plenty of attitude. Toward the end, some additional drum patterns prevent the track from becoming too repetitive before the band drops into a slow breakdown.

It's simple, but that's exactly why it works.

“Life Dysmorphia” takes a more experimental approach. Layered news reports play over distant guitars before the bass and drums gradually enter, creating an atmosphere that feels noticeably different from the rest of the demo. There's more of a punk influence here, and the vocal delivery remains consistent with the band's aggressive style.

I appreciate the attempt to change things up, but this is probably the least effective song for me. The different production and punkier approach make it feel somewhat disconnected from the rest of the demo. It isn't necessarily a bad song, but it doesn't have the same physical impact as “Spit” or “Break Me Down.”

Thankfully, “Matchbox” brings the demo back into heavier territory.

Slow, ringing guitars establish tension before low bass and distorted riffs begin creeping into the mix. Eventually, the song erupts into sharper guitar work, deeper rhythm parts, and some of the most aggressive vocals on the entire release. That high-pitched scream works particularly well here because the instrumentation has enough metallic bite underneath it to make the vocals feel almost viciously abrasive.

The drums are tight and deep, while the backing vocals once again add weight to the bigger sections. There's a strong sense of tension throughout “Matchbox,” and that makes it a fitting closer. Rather than simply ending the demo with another straightforward hardcore song, Broken Focus gradually build toward their heavier side and finish with a track that feels like it has some real momentum behind it.

The guitars are probably the most consistent element across the entire demo. Broken Focus aren't reinventing hardcore riffing, but they know how to make simple ideas work. There are sharp thrashy sections, chunky two-step grooves, slower ringing passages, and denser breakdown-oriented riffs scattered throughout the release.

The bass is another major strength. It has a thick, chunky tone that gives the songs a physical quality, especially during the slower sections. When the guitars pull back, the bass often becomes the thing keeping the songs moving.

The drums are more inconsistent. There are some excellent moments, particularly the snappy snare on “Spit” and the slower rhythmic patterns on “Break Me Down,” but the hollow production prevents them from hitting with quite as much force as they could. The drumming itself isn't the problem as much as how it's presented.

The same goes for the vocals. The high-pitched, scratchy screaming gives Broken Focus an identifiable vocal character, and I actually think it's one of the more interesting parts of their sound. Unfortunately, the mix occasionally pushes those vocals too far into the background. When the backing vocals enter, the overall presentation immediately feels stronger.

That production is ultimately the biggest weakness of the demo.

The hollow, somewhat distant sound does give Broken Focus a particular personality, and there's something appealing about the roughness. But there are moments when it feels less like intentional rawness and more like the recording simply isn't giving the band enough punch. The guitars and bass generally survive this treatment better than the vocals and drums.

Still, the underlying potential is obvious.

“Put It On,” “Spit,” “Break Me Down,” “Life Dysmorphia,” and “Matchbox” each show a slightly different side of the band without completely abandoning the hardcore foundation. The eerie atmosphere of “Put It On,” the fast aggression of “Spit,” the pit-ready groove of “Break Me Down,” the punkier experimentation of “Life Dysmorphia,” and the tense heaviness of “Matchbox” give the demo enough variety to remain interesting across its short runtime.

Broken Focus aren't reinventing Los Angeles hardcore, but they don't need to. There's already enough personality in the riffs, vocal delivery, bass tone, and rhythmic approach to suggest that this band could develop into something much stronger with more experience and a production style that better captures their aggression.

The songwriting is straightforward, but the demo works best when Broken Focus trust their groove and let the songs get heavy rather than trying to overcomplicate them.

Self-Titled Demo isn't perfect, and the production keeps it from hitting as hard as it should. But there is real aggression here, the band has a developing identity, and several of these riffs have the kind of physical quality that makes hardcore fun in the first place.

For a first introduction, Broken Focus have given themselves something solid to build on.