Some pre-PIGBAG art-punk here from Cheltenham’s short-lived HARDWARE, and despite the title, it’s not exactly a proper LP, rather a collection of the band’s two self-released 1979 EPs plus two previously unreleased tracks recorded that same year. HARDWARE’s stated influences weren’t exactly uncommon in a late ’70s UK DIY context—dub reggae, the hypnotic pulse of […]
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Late 1980s Japanese fastcore resurrected (thankfully) by the folks at Beach Impediment. I know them from the Enjoy Your Youth… sampler, and was a little surprised to see SCUMBAG get the treatment before realizing the ROCKY & THE SWEDEN connection, but never mind the why and sit with these eight burners. Even when you hear […]
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NECROPOLITICA from Burgos, Spain plays a thrash-laden, crusty D-beat that is speedy, tidy, and full of noise. The twelve songs that make up Cualquier Ideología Es Una Trampa emerge at an unrelenting pace and scorch through the aural canal as they enter the brain at warp speed. Guttural vocals deliver Spanish lyrics that criticize our […]
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Cool and weird grunge, proto punk-ish, rock-adjacent band that explores darker themes. The album opens with PJ HARVEY-sounding vocals, and builds to create a cool evolution with the introduction of more distorted guitar/bass lines. I loved how playful the guitar lines were throughout; with a kind of talking guitar in “Small Talk” to the more […]
Read full "The Periods LP" reviewCary does another showcasing of the Central Appalachia underground scene.
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And now, part three of the 2024 Year End Top Tens! Here are parts one and two, if you missed those. Also, be sure to scroll all the way down to see the Top Tens of this year’s Top Tens! Ben Perkins Ben Perkins publishes Another Subculture, a London punk newsletter, and co-hosts Repetitive Strain with Victoria […]
Read full "2024 Year End Top Tens, Part Three" Year-End Top Ten
And now, stay tuned for more 2024 Year End Top Tens! Part one is here, part three to follow next week. Ana Armengod Ana Armengod is a Philly-based artist, filmmaker, and vocalist in DE RODILLAS. My favorite things in 2024 in no particular order: THE DARK – Sinking Into Madness LP (Toxic State) GUERRA FINAL – Purgatorio […]
Read full "2024 Year End Top Tens, Part Two" Year-End Top Ten
Welcome to 2025, and welcome to Maximum Rocknroll‘s 2024 Year-End Top Tens. Once again, we asked MRR reviewers, friends, fellow travelers, and extended family from all over the world about what punk records defined the year for them. Part one of three this week, part two to follow next week. ALEX HOWELL Alex Howell reviews […]
Read full "2024 Year End Top Tens, Part One" Year-End Top Ten
And here is the final round of Maximum Rocknroll Year End Top Tens! Be sure to read all the way though for the surprise at the end. Parts, one, two, and three, in case you weren’t staying tuned. BEN C. TROGDON Ben C Trogdon lives in NYC, puts together NUZZZZZZINE punk fanzine, and plays drums […]
Read full "2023 Year End Top Tens, Part Four" Year-End Top Ten