So here’s the deal with X-Acto, this Portuguese hardcore outfit from Lisbon that was kicking around from ’91 to 2002. These guys were doing the vegan straight edge thing before it was cool everywhere else, and honestly? They had something going for them that a lot of hardcore bands just don’t get right, they knew how to write a hook without selling their souls.
This split with Ignite from ’96 showcases X-Acto at their peak, and man, listening to this takes me back to discovering hardcore sung in Portuguese for the first time. There’s something about hearing your own language screamed over double bass that just hits different, you know?
“Hope” kicks things off with that classic X-Acto formula, nothing too fancy, but it works. The track’s got this infectious energy that’s part punk attitude, part hardcore aggression, but never loses sight of being catchy as hell. The lyrics hit that sweet spot between political and personal that makes you want to sing along even when you’re getting your face melted off.
“Backwash” keeps the momentum going, and you start to notice the drummer’s got this steady, almost mechanical approach, not in a boring way, but like he’s the engine that lets the guitars go crazy. There’s this breakdown that comes out of nowhere and just crushes, simple but effective.
Then there’s “The Bridge” which… look, it’s fine. Not every track needs to reinvent the wheel, and sometimes you just need that two-minute blast of pure energy to bridge (see what I did there?) the gaps between the real standouts.
“Entertainment” shows these guys branching out a bit from the standard hardcore template, and it works. Same drumming approach, but the guitars get more room to breathe and experiment. It’s still aggressive as hell, but there’s actual songcraft happening here.
But “The Pace”, holy shit, this is where everything clicks. The double vocalist thing on the chorus is just perfect, creating this wall of sound that’s both melodic and crushing. The way it builds to that ending… man, this is what hardcore should sound like when it’s firing on all cylinders.
“Upgrade” follows that classic X-Acto playbook, start with the double bass assault, then dial it back and let the song breathe. It’s a formula, sure, but when it works this well, who cares? Another absolute ripper.
“Compassion” strips things back to pure hardcore/punk basics, and while it’s not as memorable as the previous tracks, the lyrics pack more punch. Sometimes the straightforward approach hits hardest.
“Water” gets a bit weird with the sound effects and that over-the-top breakdown, and yeah, it’s cheesy as hell. But you know what? It’s the kind of cheese that makes you smile while you’re headbanging. Not every experiment lands, but at least they tried something different.
The whole thing wraps up with an untitled noise track that’s… well, it’s noise. Does what it says on the tin.
Look, X-Acto weren’t reinventing hardcore or anything. The production’s rough around the edges, the songwriting follows predictable patterns, and they’re not gonna blow your mind with technical prowess. But sometimes that’s exactly what you need. This is raw, catchy hardcore with genuine passion behind it, sung by guys who clearly gave a damn about what they were saying. Almost 30 years later, this stuff still hits, and in a world full of overproduced metalcore nonsense, that means something.
X-Acto – The Pace