Ring the buzzer on Foundry Street and you step into Hellride Records, Brighton’s hardcore punk and metal basement for diggers who like their crates loud. The blue-fronted shop at number 8 still sits in the same industrial block just down from the Foundry pub, but the name on the A-board and the bins is Hellride now, after the space moved on from its years as Godzilla Records.
Background / History
Hellride Records took over the ground-floor Foundry Street room that Brighton collectors already knew as Godzilla Records, keeping the underground focus while rebuilding the shop under its own banner. The trading company behind the address, Brighton Hardcore Records Ltd, was incorporated in May 2025, and by summer 2026 the shop was marking a year of Hellride with a birthday party at the Green Door Store. Alongside day-to-day retail, the team puts on gigs around town and issues its own releases, so the counter doubles as a local hardcore hub rather than a silent sales desk.
What You’ll Find
Expect new and pre-loved vinyl with a heavy lean toward hardcore, punk, black metal, death metal, pop-punk, emo and rock, plus sale crates that reward a patient dig. Cassettes sit in their own shelves, and the walls carry 7-inches, posters and flyers from the scene. Merch runs from band shirts and hats to badges, patches, zines and the odd collectable, including label stock and shop-branded bits. Hellride also buys and trades records, tapes and related clutter, so the racks keep turning for regulars who drop by between shows.
Experience / Atmosphere
Inside it feels like a DIY clubhouse: chequerboard floor, flyers on the door, mesh and hedge walling behind the bins, and a wall covered in punk and metal posters. Genre tabs steer you through Hardcore/Punk, Pop Punk/Emo, Black Metal, Rock and more, while a glass case of tapes, stickers and oddities sits near the counter. Staff know the underground circuit and are happy to talk crates or point you toward the next gig. Ring the buzzer to get in, then take your time: this is a browsing room built for people who already live in the heavy end of the dial.
Why Visit
- Hardcore, punk and metal specialist on Foundry Street in central Brighton
- New and pre-loved vinyl, tapes, merch, zines and collectables
- Buys, sells and trades, with regular sale finds in the racks
- Shop-linked gigs and own-label releases keep the room plugged into the local scene
- Buzz-in DIY atmosphere a short walk from the Foundry pub
Summary
Hellride Records is the Foundry Street hardcore stop Brighton needed after Godzilla: same industrial doorway, sharper Hellride identity, and crates aimed squarely at punk and metal heads. Buzz up, dig deep, and leave with something that still smells of the underground.
Massive thanks to Sharon (@sonicshaz on Instagram) for the photos! See her post from her visit here for more on this fantastic shop.
