Our take: The physical version of Ego-ism is billed as a demo on this Berlin band’s Bandcamp page, but with ten very lengthy tracks, Ego-ism is longer and more ambitious than most current punk and hardcore bands’ full-lengths. The sound is gruff and heavy (particularly the vocals, which are growling and intense), but the music is adventurous, working in elements of shoegaze and darkwave around the edges. Take the track “Decadent,” which borrows moves from Bauhaus and Skeletal Family, but then Ego snaps right back into d-beat with “Ljudi.” Despite the eclecticism, it doesn’t sound like the Fucked Up’s grandiosity, but more like a hardcore band who isn’t so uptight about maintaining a certain aesthetic.