Punk: The scrappy, angsty, anarchistic little brother of metal. It’s hard to believe that at one point in time, these two genres were sworn enemies. There’s been so much crossover in the years and decades that followed that it’s hard to imagine metal today without punk’s influence, and, contrary to what your beer-bellied, balding, Black Flag-shirted elitist punk might say, vice versa. So when an act like Hot Load, who’s attempting to recreate the crossover thing before crossover was cemented musically by acts like D.R.I., Suicidal, etc., crosses my radar, I take notice.
From what I’ve gathered, Hot Load are a rather newish act, having released their debut demo in 2021. An eponymous EP arrived in 2023, which was followed by a 2024 live album entitled To Live & Die in Sendai. And because punk rock is all about sticking it to the system and doing things your way, even if said way is ass-backwards, it only makes sense that in 2025, AFTER the release of a live album, Hot Load strike with their proper debut full length, Fate Unknown. This 11 song, 25 minute outing is as metalpunk as they come, rotten inside and out, hooked on speed, and going for the jugular with cathartic rage.
As for the “punk” side of Hot Load’s metalpunk melee, there’s no bigger influence heard on Fate Unknown than Discharge. Granted, this could apply for every punk act post-1982, but Hot Load really hone in on those flying d-beats and harsh aggro riffing that blurs the line between old school punk and traditional metal at its most naked. The songs themselves, however, don’t seem to have as anti-authoritarian of a bend as Discharge, instead fusing the band’s musical tropes with a streetwise toughness reminiscent of acts like Dead Boys, Battalion of Saints, and Keith Morris-fronted Black Flag. This is most prominent on cuts like “No Streets”, “Superstition”, and “Rocket Reducer #69”.
Contrasting Hot Load’s raw punk power are subtle hints of old school metal glory, peppered ever so subtly to make it past the ears of the punks, yet pronounced just enough to lure in the long-haired, denim and leather-clad crop who’d otherwise frown down upon an act of this nature. Equally as impactful on this band’s sound are acts like Warfare, Venom, Midnight, and of course, the seminal metalpunk band, Motörhead. Many of the cuts on here can be classified as full blown speed metal (“Saint’s Brutality”, “Amphetamine Dream”, “Paingiver”), while others see the band flirting with the rabid side of NWOBHM skullduggery (“Heavy Blade II”).
Now my biggest problem with punk rock throwback releases is, despite the best efforts to channel that old school sound and spirit, a lot of the songs themselves sound the same. Unfortunately, this can be said for close to half of Fate Unknown, and specifically, I am talking about the punk songs. Being a metalhead first and foremost, there might be some bias to this conclusion, but I just can’t help it: I’d love to hear Hot Load explore the speed metal route further on a future release. No, I don’t want them to trade their torn denim jeans for striped spandex pants. That would defeat the purpose of metalpunk altogether, but in the never-ending battle of the riff, long-hair does beat mohawk.
6 out of 10
Label: Going Underground Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Punk
For fans of: Discharge, Midnight, Warfare