Sometimes, a great record needs time and exposure and serious thought to reveal itself as a great record. And sometimes, you can tell from the opening seconds that you’re hearing a great second. This album is the second kind.

Abuse Of Power are an Atlanta hardcore band who draw on the heart-on-sleeve expressionism of mid-’80s DC hardcore. That’s a much-explored sound, but Abuse Of Power play it with urgency and ferocity. They go all-in. The band released a very good debut EP called When Then Becomes Now in 2017, and I saw them tear it up at the Damaged City festival last year. Today, they come out with their full-length debut What On Earth Can We Do, and it is an absolute fucking ripper.

What On Earth Can We Do is a short album — nine songs, about 21 minutes — but it makes a deep impression right away. Abuse Of Power play fast, but not blurry-fast. There’s a deliberate focus to their riffage. And they play with absolute passion and conviction, making all these old sounds fresh and tangible. It’s a truly moving record, one of the best hardcore albums that the year has yet given us. You can stream it below.

What On Earth Can We Do is out now on Triple B Records, and you can buy it at Bandcamp.