Haggus – The Mincecore Manifesto

Tankcrimes

Genres are still important. Whether you care about them or not, genre distinctions and associations for bands can be vital to publicity, success, and virality – good or bad. The Smiths and R.E.M. both chose band names that would signal no genre, while artists like Metallica leaned into their stylistic aspirations wholeheartedly. It might seem tongue-in-cheek when JPEGMAFIA names his album EXPERIMENTAL RAP, or Charli XCX releases a single called “Rock Music,” but you can look at those titles and know exactly what you’re getting. So with that, let’s talk about Mincecore.

When Metallica’s debut Kill ‘Em All released in 1983, I doubt Papa Het had any idea he would be somewhat responsible for the endless subgenres that would stem from heavy metal, everything from Depressive Suicidal Black Metal, to Technical Death Metal, Melodeath, Mathcore, and Slam. Somewhere in the Grindcore and Crust pipeline arrives Mincecore, the flagship style of Oakland’s underground sultans of sickness, Haggus. Originally coined by Belgian grind band Agathocles sometime between 1988 and 1991, “Mincecore” is simply a deviation of grindcore with a primarily DIY ethos and lyrical lean towards anarchism and anti-fascism. For as long as I’ve been into grindcore, all of those elements seem to be present in most of the bands I absorb, but I certainly have no complaints with the direct notation of them.

While Haggus has been prolifically pumping out material since 2014, they hit a bit of a late-career wind last year with Destination Extinction, their first full-length LP in five years. In their typical high-speed fashion, both in sound and work ethic, the band has already grinded and minced together eight new songs for their latest EP, The Mincecore Manifesto. The title is certainly apt, and one’s understanding of its niche can be instantly fulfilled with the opening track “Decease The Police,” and its abundantly clear mission statement in the second verse: “Every cop should fucking die.”

You can continue to follow the Haggus crash course through other tracks like “Welcome To The Mincecore Jungle,” “Mincecore Provacateur,” and “Mincecore Gratitude.” For those who feel barricaded from enjoying Haggus due to their specialized genre, focus more intently on my favorite song, “Ain’t Life Grand?,” featuring the best hardcore “OOH!” I’ve heard all year. The Mincecore Manifesto is the perfect record to get side-eyes from at your begrudging holiday barbecue this weekend, and you can let your less-than-thrilled relatives know it will be over in fifteen minutes. That’s just enough time to crack open a cold one (if you need any inspiration, feel free to reference our team’s summer beverage list) and spit it in the face of our longtime lackluster government officials. Embrace the Mincecore, try new things.