DOCTOR LIVINGSTONE Contemptus Saeculi Vinyl (2014)

France has always had a weird, ferocious corner of the underground that refuses to play nice, and Doctor Livingstone sat right in the middle of it. Contemptus Saeculi, Latin for contempt of the world, is exactly the kind of record that title promises: hardcore punk fury dragged through black metal darkness, no compromises, no clean exits.

This is the overlap on the Venn diagram where Deathspell Omega cultists and Tragedy devotees finally shake hands. The French hardcore scene of the 2000s and early 2010s produced some genuinely unhinged music, and Doctor Livingstone were among the better-kept secrets, blending the raw aggression of punk with the bleak atmosphere of black metal in a way that felt earned rather than grafted on. If you've been sleeping on this one, here's your chance to fix that.

2014 vinyl pressing. Standard black 12". For fans of: Celeste, Hexis, Oathbreaker, His Hero Is Gone.