The aim of the festival and its travels is to “showcase underrepresented regional POC artists and engage/connect with POC fans of punk and alternative music in the communities where they live.” This year’s instalment will feature Art Rock musician Kapil Seshasayee, R. AGGS and Trishaaa.

In Kerrang’s free hosted Black Voices In Alternative Music event with the Royal Society of Arts in London on the 16th of October, Decolonise Fest’s co-founder Alex Ekong said, “Decolonise Fest is a space that allows us to advocate for emerging artists of colour, foster a community of like-minded people, connect punx of colour to global struggles against the legacy of colonialism, and indulge in our love of punk together.”

The panel discussion also featured London’s own trap metal star Kid Bookie and journalist Laviea Thomas and centred around their own experiences within the alternative rock scene as well as whether or not they have witnessed or felt any changes and where the scene will go in the future.

A complete DIY festival that began in 2017 in London, Decolonise Fest was began to highlight people of colour within the alternative music scene. Centring on what they term punx of colour, the collective focuses attention on people, “who we define this as people who are descended (through one or both parents) from the original inhabitants of Africa, Caribbean, Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Australasia, North America, and the islands of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, and of Romany Gypsy or Traveller heritage.”

The festival’s site states, “We celebrate the many punx of colour creating right now, acknowledge the legacy of our elders and the doors they opened for us, and make room for more DIY punx of colour to take centre stage and make some noise. You can read our manifesto here.”

Much in line with Hacktivist’s signature sound, the single hits hard with low djenty guitars and pinpoint drumming, backing up the fierce verse exchange between rappers J Hurley, Jot Maxi and Kid Bookie and building towards the explosive anthemic chorus. Speaking about the powerful track, J Hurley said: “It’s like a shield against anyone attacking us. Anyone can say anything they want, but you can’t get through the armoured core!” 

‘Armored Core‘ is the first new track from Hacktivist this year and the fourth standalone single since the release of their debut studio album Outside The Box that came out in 2016 via UNFD Records. In 2019, the rap metal outfit dropped the three fresh songs ‘Reprogram‘, ‘Dogs of War‘ and The Prodigy cover ‘Spitfire‘. Recently, the band also teased the exciting collaboration with Arizona nu metal act Dropout Kings ‘I Ain’t Depressed‘ expected on 4 December. All new material and recent activity surely means a second album is on its way, expected in 2021 without confirmed title or tracklist yet.

The new single premiered with official video at 10am today and is available to stream and download from all digital platforms. The video is predominantly shot around Hacktivist’s hometown Milton Keynes and directed by their own bassist Josh Gurner, with additional camera and drone footage by PJ West. Mostly self-made project, the track is produced by guitarrist and band’s main driving force James Hewitt, with mixing and mastering by the rewnowned metal producer Justin Hill, ex-singer of djent godfathers SikTh.

INTRODUCING ‘ARMOURED CORE’ FEATURING @kidbookie
OUT NOW VIA @unfdcentral

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/6oh08KqJ1n
STREAM / DOWNLOAD: https://t.co/LFjqSNC5sV pic.twitter.com/i4wQFciL8l

— H Ʌ C K T I V I S T (@HacktivistUK) November 18, 2020

Hacktivist were the symbollic headliner at Knotfest’s inaugural Pulse Of The Maggots virtual festival that took place last Friday 13 November. The event was streamed for free and featured pre-recorded mini sets by some of the most exciting emerging and less popular bands from various metal genres all over the world. Representing the modern UK scene alongside Hacktivist were Wargasm, Death Blooms and October Ends, all of which with exciting recent releases or new material in production.

Born Tyronne Hill and usually labelled under the ambiguous trap metal style, Kid Bookie has been acting as South London’s primary melting pot of hip-hop and metal for few years now and slowly building his reputation as one of the most exciting names on the underground scene. He featured on Corey Taylor’s track ‘CMFT Must be Stopped‘ from his 2020 debut album, and recently released the killer collaboration with Tech N9ne ‘In My Soul‘. Kid Bookie’s highly anticipated new album Cheaper Than Therapy is dropping on December 1st.

My album is fucking sick, a south London mother fucker, no label, no backing, no help but I get to hear my voice with the voices that raised me on my own music, literally raised me, I don’t give a fuck if nothing happens, I made a dope album with my inspirations, heavy rock & rap pic.twitter.com/psxg6vSMUF

— Cheaper Than Therapy – Dec 1st. (@kidbookie) November 14, 2020