Baldwin Park hardcore outfit Wholesale Murder come charging out of California’s San Gabriel Valley with Graveyard of Empires, a six-song release where hardcore punk speed collides with the heavier force of thrash and metal.
Made up of vocalist Andrew Romero, guitarist Billy Lee, bassist Rose Avila, and drummer Rito Orosco, Wholesale Murder sound locked together throughout the record. The performances are aggressive without becoming sloppy, giving the songs just enough control to make every burst of chaos land harder.
The first song, "Altered State" immediately sets the temperature. Its racing punk foundation is sharpened by metallic guitar work, while lyrics about distorted perception and sensory overload add a frantic psychological edge. “Dead End” keeps the pressure high, pairing its breakneck attack with a grim story of desperation, violence, and a nighttime police chase.
The scope widens on “Uninhabitable Planet.” Humanity becomes its own worst enemy as exploitation, pollution, war, and unchecked consumption push Earth toward ruin. Wholesale Murder don’t soften the message, matching those apocalyptic images with blunt hardcore force.
The title track, “Graveyard of Empires” is particularly vicious. Orosco throws explosive fills through the track while Romero’s abrasive vocal performance cuts against the instruments in all the right ways. Its recurring declaration that every empire is destined to fall gives the song the kind of gang-vocal refrain that practically demands a room full of raised fists.
“Behind the Veil” follows with another attack on power, turning toward propaganda, warfare, and manufactured versions of reality.
The finale moves the battle inside the human mind. “Cognitive Dissonance” sounds increasingly unhinged as competing thoughts, fading clarity, and psychological confinement take over. The entire band seems to accelerate toward the breaking point before the record abruptly leaves the wreckage behind.
There is no dead weight here. Graveyard of Empires is lean, hostile, tightly played hardcore that understands aggression works best when there are memorable riffs, rhythms, and choruses underneath it. Wholesale Murder have made six songs that sound ready to detonate in a crowded room.
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