Retching Red

There are few bands these days that can claim to be truly hardcore. In an era of post-this, emo and screamo that — not to mention the gaggle of other offshoot styles — there’s a scant number of groups who genuinely understand the origins and embody the simplistic essence of hardcore. Retching Red is one exception. Led by a female vocalist named Cinder Block who’s capable of tearing shit up with the best of her male counterparts, the Bay Area quartet’s relentless, in-your-face style and attitude is a bona fide throwback to the music and ethos of such heralded ’80s icons as D.R.I. and Suicidal Tendencies. Red’s latest release, Scarlet Whore of a War, is a 24-minute blast of mosh-pit-inducing songs filled with biting social and political commentary. It’s a red-letter day for those who thought they didn’t make ’em like they used to.