Lucked Out – The ’23 Demo | EP Review

Raw, gritty, and just plain ignorant; Lucked Out are sure to be Colorado's next biggest thing in hardcore in the months following the release of The '23 Demo.

Straight from the Rockies of Colorado, Denver’s own Lucked Out have seemingly come out of nowhere with the release of their newest EP, The ’23 Demo. Raw, Gritty, and just plain ignorant; Lucked Out are set on being Colorado’s next biggest thing in hardcore following this release and the subsequent shows following. With four huge tracks mixed by @likemindedcompany while mastering got finished up over at @bricktoprecording, the effort put into this release is apparent. Also with amazing artwork to pair done by the talented perpetuity_designs, who you can find over at Instagram, this record proves to be what hardcore is made of in 2023 both audibly and visually.

Starting out this epic beatdown record is opening track titled respectively ‘Intro’. Coming in at just over one minute long, it displays everything that is great about the band and shows exactly what Lucked Out are all about within this first minute. With streaming services in abundance in 2023, listeners could pick literally anything to listen to. So why pick this exactly? Opening an EP in a minute is something many hardcore and beatdown bands do but it’s proven to get listeners straight to the point in this age of technology and quick scrolling. It gives listeners the perfect example as to why they shouldn’t hit skip when it comes on and Lucked Out  executed this perfectly. Feedback rings through as our main riff welcomes listeners with an equally groovy and slamming nature, similar to Detroits D-Bloc. Nothing overtly new yet it still feels fresh enough to intrigue listeners to hang around for the rest of this great release

Giving listeners a taste of the raw and gritty influence Lucked Out is becoming known for, ‘All Bets Are Off’ smashes into the picture with no holding back. Track three out of four on this short and sweet EP, like the other tracks, it doesn’t take up much time out of one’s day. Sitting at 1:40, it comes in just to cause absolute havoc then leaves. Unlike the other tracks, ‘All Bets Are Off’ gives listeners more of a metallic hardcore element not regularly heard on the record. Filled with two step bits, chant vocals, and an epic closing breakdown; this one will be immensely recognized among the Colorado scene as one of the top songs in terms of crowd engagement upon release.

Finishing off this fun little record is ‘ILYBFY’. The longest and possibly the hardest hitting of the four tracks present. While opening this piece with a certain powerviolence ease similar to Zulu, ‘ILYBFY’ gives absolutely no time to catch one’s breath as the guitars and drums bring listeners blood pressure soaring with each heart racing second that passes. Don’t fret though because this track was chosen as a closer for a reason. Around the 1:30 mark, the Lucked Out boys slow this bus down a just tad. Giving listeners a chance to collect their thoughts before slamming into a closing breakdown heavy enough to intimidate the likes of Knocked Loose and Inclination. To keep it brief and in similar vein to this brilliant demo, this is fantastic listening perfect for all who enjoy their music ignorant, to the point and oh so impactful.