Review: Sweat – “Gotta Give It Up”

Pirates Press Records – 04 Feb 2022

Sweat challenge preconceived notions about the definition of hardcore on their debut LP

I had been hearing the rumblings from far away Los Angeles about this exciting new hardcore band called Sweat, but until I dropped the needle, I hadn’t actually heard a note. It was the rare opportunity to listen to a band with no real preconceived notions as to what they would sound like, or whether or not I would like them. Sweat dropped their first release, a self-titled EP in 2020. Now they’re back with their full length debut, Gotta Give It Up.

My first thought? This stuff is intense. Never a bad opening salvo for a hardcore band. My second thought? Do I have my turntable set to 45 RPM? Wrestler/actress/singer Tuna Tardugno has a high pitched voice that seems almost sped up. It’s definitely piercing, and has no problem claiming its spot in the front of the mix. She provides much of the harcore intensity with a delivery that rarely lets up. Meanwhile, the band behind her is all over the place, helping to keep things interesting. 

Musically, it’s hard to find an easy reference point for Sweat. I would offer Dutch hardcore veterans Vitamin X and Portland’s Cliterati as decent starting points. Vitamin X, because like Sweat, they’re not afraid to incorporate giant, memorable classic rock type riffs. The riffs are king on Gotta Give It Up. Cliterati because of their relentless, rarely changing vocal style and occasional blast beats. They both have an undeniable harshness. 

While Sweat are clearly pissed off about the state of things, their lyrics are generally ambiguous enough to allow the listener to interpret what exactly they’re pissed off about. (The photo of them smiling in the insert really contrasts the general feel of the album.) “Hit & Run” starts things out with a punch in the gut. “Machismo”, one of the few easily interpreted songs, is a slap in the face. “Bastard” lulls you into letting down your guard before the brutal “Hard Grudge” curb stomps you. If you’re dumb enough to get back up, “Life/Death Complex” will certainly finish you off with a nasty uppercut.

Flip the record for much of the same experience. “Bone to Pick” and “Mental” are a bit more tuneful musically, but “New Kind of Dag” kicks you in the crotch with a tasty Metallica-esqe lick. I hear more than the occasional reference to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal too. The one-two punch of “Art of Posing” and the epic “Poor Execution” bring Gotta Give It Up to a satisfying conclusion. 

I’m not sure this is going to be for everyone, but I think everyone should give it a try. Hardcore is a genre that’s very much divided by age. There’s the old school crew who prefer the tough image, attitude and traditional sound. Then there’s the modern crowd who is more open minded musically, but also more politically rigid. Sweat might be the rare band capable of bridging the two generations. 

For vinyl fiends: Gotta Give It Up is available in black, white and a couple cool looking galaxy/marbled versions. That said, the most unique thing about it has got to be the cover. (Not for the ‘80s workout pic or ‘70s “keep on truckin’ “ font.) It’s slightly oversized, by maybe a quarter inch, which makes it barely fit in a typical plastic sleeve. It’s also made of an extremely rigid material, which makes it nearly impossible to suffer corner dings. (I’m pretty sure you could murder someone with this thing.) Time will tell if this new, harder shell is the wave of the future or just a cool one-off.