Gulch’s Demolition of Human Construct is a visceral debut from Santa Cruz, California, where the band emerged in 2016 as part of a wave of innovative hardcore acts redefining the genre’s boundaries. Combining elements of hardcore punk, crust, and death metal, the 7-inch captures the raw energy and fury that would come to define their brief but impactful career.
The EP, self-released in 2017, includes standout tracks like “Lie, Deny, Sanctify” and “Eco-Terror,” which channel themes of human decay, environmental collapse, and unrelenting nihilism. “We wanted this record to feel like being hit with a wall of chaos,” guitarist Cole Kakimoto said in an interview, describing the band’s goal of blending aggression with a sense of overwhelming intensity.
One of the most memorable moments of the EP occurs at 00:18 in “Eco-Terror,” where a guttural “UH-ARRGH!” punctuates the chaos—a disgusted roar that encapsulates the rage Gulch channels into their music. The moment is as iconic as it is primal, and fans quickly latched onto it as a defining feature of the record.
The production, intentionally unpolished, was handled to preserve the band’s raw energy. As Kakimoto noted, “We didn’t want it to sound clean—it’s not supposed to. Hardcore is about feeling something unfiltered.”
The EP’s unrelenting intensity, combined with its thematic focus on humanity’s destruction, ensured that Demolition of Human Construct became a cult favorite. Its limited pressings quickly sold out, cementing the release as a cornerstone for fans of aggressive, genre-defying hardcore.
For listeners looking for pure, unrestrained fury with a sense of purpose, this 7-inch remains an unforgettable statement from a band that left a significant mark in just a few years.
Sterling Mosh 
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