Prevenge and Dig It Up are hardcore bands from Montreal, Quebec with a similar sound and spirit. Both play a straightforward strain of punk, and the formula is simple: keep the number of chords low, the solos short, hit the drums as hard as possible, and shout into a microphone that’s way too close to your face. That, however, is about where the similarities end.

Prevenge’s take on hardcore is more influenced by pop-punk, and that’s especially evident in the lead guitar parts and the vocals. Prevenge is heavily indebted to early ’90s punk acts like Rancid and Jawbreaker. There are a lot worse artists who they could take their cues from, and this side of the split should please nostalgic fans.

The vocalist from Dig It Up does not sing — he screams until it sounds as though his vocal chords will bleed. This must be entertaining live, but it is less enjoyable on a record. This vocal style calls to mind Damian Abraham of Fucked Up, though Abraham periodically dials it down a notch. All around, Fucked Up is a decent point of reference for Dig It Up, if you remove all the orchestral bits and soft female vocals.

(Pavones Records, no address provided)