Fake Dust
Philadelphia
June 7, 2026
My favorite grindcore bands typically take the best of every other subgenre of underground heavy rock and smush them together with a paradoxically equal amount of crudeness and intention. Portland, OR’s Fake Dust take the reins from genre standardbearers like Insect Warfare, Phobia and Discordance Axis, playing harder than shit, faster than lightning, and throwing in more out-of-nowhere grooves and fist-pumping crust riffs than anyone else. The largely indiscernible riffs and flayed-alive vocals simply happen to you as a listener, and it’s only until the parts change do you realize what you were just hearing.
Insect Warfare - World Extermination
Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless
I had heard chatter of Fake Dust having released an incredible grind record, one of the best in recent memory. I happened to have a rehearsal nearby and had just enough time to get over to the show (which was at a location that must remain undisclosed, but was perfect for a grind gig) to listen and find out for myself. All I have to say is, jeez, I get it. I’d not heard snare and ride cymbal work like this since someone like Dave Witte, Lord Marco, or John Merryman, but that isn’t this band’s only strength. Like, yes, the relentless barrage of varying blast styles, groovy ride rhythms, perfectly executed tempo changes and inventive songwriting are all marvels that center the obvious talent of Fake Dust’s drummer, but it’s also the precise dosages of crust, death metal, and powerviolence that gave me as an audience member every side of my ideal grindcore experience.
Fake Dust is in the midst of a tour (including European dates!) supporting their new Iron Lung-released LP, and if you happen to be reading from one of the towns they are still set to visit, you definitely don’t want to miss one of the most insane performances you’ll have the chance to catch this year. Many were the times where I peeped that the audience was laser focused on the performance, breaking concentration only to see if the person next to them just saw what they saw. I spent most of their set laughing at what I was hearing because it was simply unbelievable, and when I wasn’t, the corners of my mouth were so downturned at the nast of the grooves that I felt it in my neck. It was worth getting eaten alive by mosquitos. Sick shit.
Decrepitizing Din Of The Cerebral Psyopticon (LUNGS-320)
Remaining Dates
6/8 - Washington, DC
6/9 - Richmond, VA
6/10 - Greensboro, NC
6/11 - Asheville, NC
6/12 - Athens, GA
6/17 - Paris, FR
6/18 - Besancon, FR
6/19-6/20 - Lixiviat Fest
6/21 - Bern, CH
6/22 - Padua, IT
6/23 - TBA - SI
6/24 - Budapest, HU
6/25 - Vienna, AT
6/26 - Pilsner, CZ
6/27 - Leipzig, DE
6/28 - Berlin, DE
6/29 - Dresden, DE
6/30 - Prague, CZ
7/8 - Birmingham, AL
7/9 - Memphis, TN
7/10 - Oklahoma City, OK
7/11 - Albuquerque, NM
7/12 - Phoenix, AZ
7/13 - Los Angeles, CA
7/15 - Sacramento, CA
7/17 - Portland, OR
