Dutch band State Power describe themselves as the Netherlands’ “latest outpouring of fury,” throwing a tantrum in a giant ball of fast-paced, vicious hardcore punk goodness. The antagonistic quintet’s thrashy hardcore approach enables them to unleash a fury that has been “festering for too long” in a sound they summarise as “energetic, urgent and heartfelt.”
The Utrecht-based band of Stefan Bonestroo (vocals), Daan Lutgerink (lead guitar), Pim Cruiming (rhythm guitar), Rinus van de Weerd (bass) and Mert Gungor (drums) formed from various existing bands. Daan and Pim were half of Utrecht metal band Two And A Half Girl, who we featured back in 2019, and Mert was in a band HALF CAN and played and toured with Pim in other hardcore bands like Getsome! and Brothers In Blood.
The new band first met in a cafe in Utrecht in January, and by April they’d played their first show in Groningen. Since then, they’ve honed a sound that Stefan describes to us as: “A thrashy hardcore punk band with the heart in the right place.”
Our latest taste of this is State Power’s debut EP The Year of the Harvest, which was released in August. It kicks off superbly with feisty opening track Payback, which launches straight into big screamed vocals, stabbing guitars and rapid-fire drums. It drops into a cool little riff and more intense drums supporting a lively chorus. The pace drops with a high-pitched guitar, then intense vocals drop into chunky guitar chords as the track winds to a powerful conclusion. Check it out in the video below:
Next up is the band’s debut single Gates Of Hell, which opens up with the screamed vocals:”You think you’re doing right by the world, But you’re so full of shit.” A fun lick comes in before big thrashy guitars support the chorus, before flying into another breakneck verse of vicious vocals. The drums drop out to hand over to a stabbing riff that continues under huge cries of “There’s no salvation at the Gates of the Hell,” which sets up a heavy outro. Check it out in the video here:
The hardcore punk goodness continues to flow in the intense Constant of Violence and title track, and possibly a personal favourite, The Year of the Harvest. The latter opens up with drawn-out guitars before flying into a breakneck verse before a big catchy chorus, which gives way to a wild little guitar solo. The pace slows after the second chorus then a cool little breakdown teases into a final blast of the chorus. The EP wraps up with Seed, which starts out with a funky riff then stabbing guitars support intense vocals that feed into drawn-out chorus vocals, before intensifying again. A fun breakdown features stabbing guitars that end with a big guttural scream and down-tuned guitars and harmonics to bring the EP to a close.
On the EP, Daan told us: “The reception has been insane. A lot of good reactions, and John Coffey asked us to do their support on their Holland shows right after the first song dropped, so that was sick. Gates of Hell also got featured in the Dutch heavy podcast Zes Losse Tanden.”
The State Power sound draws on influences from across the hardcore and punk scene. As Daan explains: “For the writing of The Year of the Harvest. I wanted to make some melodic hardcore in the style of Comeback Kid and Stick To Your Guns. But also bands such as Drain, Terror and Hatebreed were inspirations for the songs on the record.”
And on what inspires them to write music, Stefan adds: “I mostly write about the big issues of our time and about the people that are causing them.”
You’ll be hearing a lot more from State Power through 2025 as the band is currently in the process of recording their second EP, which they have “something fun” planned to promote it. They should have festivals and gigs lined up too, so keep an eye out for more.
And Mert adds: “Yeah, free Palestine and fuck Trump! Clichés aside, we’re a hardcore band. That means we stand for something. We all gotta do our part. It’s too easy to give up and become cynical. Unite and organize with the homies. Educate yourself and each other. And support your local scene! Show up and mosh hard, buy a shirt, learn the lyrics.”
We’ve found our fair share of good Dutch bands over the years and these guys are right up there, with a brutal level of intensity and fury that we absolutely love.
You can follow State Power on Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Deezer and YouTube.
Listen to State Power and more new bands on our playlists GigRadar Core and GigRadar Punk
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