Reviews

For review and radio play consideration:

Please send one copy of vinyl (preferred), CD, or cassette releases to MRR, PO Box 3852, Oakland, CA 94609, USA.

Maximum Rocknroll wants to review everything that comes out in the world of underground punk rock, hardcore, garage, post-punk, thrash, etc. No major labels or labels exclusively distributed by major-owned distributors, no reviews of test pressings or promo CDs without final artwork. We reserve the right to reject releases on the basis of content. Music without vocals or drums will not be considered. All music submitted for review must have been released (or reissued) within the last two years. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!

Abism Barbie Terminator EP

Right before the first time I heard ABISM’s new 7”, I’d just finished jamming a live boot of the VELVET UNDERGROUND, and I was amazed by the freedom of the faded guitar pokes and messing around, demonstrating how bravely primitive and self-conscious they were (and which I guess is the essence of rock’n’roll, to be a confident dilettante). This feeling probably stuck with me when “Barbie Terminator” kicked in with its cacophonic guitar scraping and burst of pumping beats that meticulously, or by instinct, are set to a tempo that grabs attention and moves bodies. Then by the second song, the fuzzed guitars started playing notes that are weird, not too technically difficult but remarkable when paired with confidence and taste, because fuck it—some of us do mess around with such ideas at odd hours of the day under odd circumstances and wonder whether it is okay to include them even in radikal punk songs. ABISM’s new record is a straight “fuck you” to those thoughts, because this sounds great and it fits a hardcore song. Only four rudimental hardcore tracks reflecting the universal frame of many signature scenes’ sound, with a wink to those roots that make the record sound simple and original, and which combined recall dozens of the best bands without referencing any of them. This balance is the challenge of sounding original nowadays after everybody has heard everything and still ever-wanting more of this raw power. Another highly confident “fuck you” is the riff of “Fly Away”…you have a four-song 7”, and you dedicate a significant amount of time to summon LENNY KRAVITZ in the subconscious of your listeners? That is bold. But even the realization of this bizarre thing is not able to keep me from loving this record. I love the non-stop pogo beat and tight groove that delivers all the weird and cool guitar sounds, and the best raspy voice (familiar from the amazing GARRAPATA).

Atol Atol Atol Dron Dron Dron LP

ATOL ATOL ATOL’s 2023 LP Koniec Sosu Tysiąca Wysp completely threw me for a loop—taut, twin-vocal Polish art-punk with a minor DOG FACED HERMANS fixation? I might as well be Pavlov’s dog. Follow-up Dron Dron Dron is just as mind-warping, centering the band’s anxious electronic textures and snap-tight rhythms like an alternate-timeline Hardcore-era DEVO that wound up on Ron Johnson Records alongside the EX and BIG FLAME. Opener “Neon” is a perfect example of the band’s controlled chaos, locking straight into a staccato, mechanical groove with skittering guitar, a bass line bouncing everywhere like an errant rubber Superball, and doubled-up chants from vocalists Łukasz and Agata, all of which could be panic-inducing (or just irritating) in lesser hands, but it’s completely hypnotic here. Likewise, the densely knotted skronk of “Blok” might easily tip into prog-punk territory were it not for some wild, collapsing drum breakdowns, but when the frenetic call-and-response in “Płytki Sen” hits against some incessantly buzzing synth and treble-maxed guitar cutting in like the quickest of knife flicks, there’s no question that ATOL ATOL ATOL’s true objective is putting the damage back in “art-damaged,” and they’re killing it.

Blood Cannery Olympic Blood cassette

If you’re in the mood for something challenging, BLOOD CANNERY’s latest concept album about a man facing (possibly supernatural) beasts on the early American frontier might be exactly what you’re searching for. “Olympic Blood” sounds like a LIGHTNING BOLT-versus-KYUSS showdown with super-fuzzed, whammy-heavy guitar shreds placed against hyperactive drums and muffled vocals. The lyrical tales of curses, attacking brutes, and violence sometimes evokes aesthetically coherent heavy punk experimentation, and sometimes skews toward “Faaaar out, man!” stoner excess, but it’s always enjoyable. Check it out for a conceptual romp through blood, dirt, and heavy riffs.

Cheap Fix Re-Animator Blues / French Song 7″

This is CHEAP FIX’s debut 7”. Garage punkers from your dad’s days. They all play in a bunch of different bands (TRAINWRECK, ENDURO, DECEMBER BOYS) and join together on this 7” for two songs sans bass guitar. This is workin’ class, “done with the day job,” fuzzy, bluesy shit from the constant maestros in class, Goodbye Boozy. Could be Mark Arm’s cousin singing.

Contrast Attitude Discharge Your Noise LP

Although they have been around for more than 25 years, Discharge Your Noise is only CONTRAST ATTITUDE’s second album. Needless to say, I preordered what promised to be an exercise in intensity and ferocity as soon as possible—the limited version of course, out of excitement. It would be far-fetched to claim that these Mie punks have drastically changed their sound (a new drummer, Daigo from DECEIVING SOCIETY or RADIOACTIVE, did join them, though), but I have to confess that I was a little disappointed when I first played the vinyl. Of course, the high-level energy and relentless hardcore aggression, trademarks of the band’s sound, are still there, but the guitar is not as distorted, if perhaps heavier, and I suppose on this LP, CONTRAST ATTITUDE cannot really be described as the crust monster they once were. As a result, probably because I was expecting that typical “wall of noise” bollocking like it was still 2009, I was, well, disenchanted for a bit. Listening to the LP again for this review, I realize that it is, in fact, a solid work that, once I accepted change, I was more than able to enjoy thoroughly and play air guitar to when no one is looking. The music is still as fast and punishing, the vocals as anguished and extreme, the unstoppable D-beat noize has not disappeared, but a lot of the arrangements (and generally the songwriting and the production) point to more traditional Japanese hardcore to my ears. The band even experiments with paces a little with the very punky “Feeling of the Freedom” and the heavier and slower “Disclose Naked Myself.” I feel Discharge Your Noise is in between both styles, and while it won’t alienate the traditional CONTRAST ATTITUDE fans, it may actually appeal to other people who don’t necessarily wear DISCLOSE pajamas (unlike me). A good record that I still wish was a little crustier.

Dark Thoughts Highway to the End LP

Six years after their last record, Philadelphia’s DARK THOUGHTS have reemerged as dialed-in as ever on this brand new slab. The tunes are tight and concise, never overstaying their welcome and always getting the point across within their brief duration. Applying the poppy and speedy formula of classic SCREECHING WEASEL and RAMONES to maximum effect, the songs hit hard with relatability, realism, and hope. They’re what I wished every band sounded like when I was sixteen. “Please Don’t Be Lonesome” is the perfect reassuring follow-up to the previous album’s heartbreaking “With You,” with which I positively tortured myself at the time of its release. Or is “Sweet Success” the real happy ending? Either way, I’m glad the story isn’t over.

Flux Peace is a Lie LP

Ten pogo-inducing corkers from Belgium’s latest and greatest FLUX, a band that has done their homework and sounds as authentic as anything from the UK in 1982. Speed, anger, and just the right amount of snot make this a thoroughly enjoyable listen; by the halfway point of “Punk Retaliation,” you’ll be pumping your fist and spilling your beer along to the proceedings. For fans of SAVAGEHEADS, VAXINE, and the MASSACRED.

Havana Syndrome Kill Your Brain cassette

Demented synth punkers HAVANA SYNDROME are back with a quickness after dropping a demo tape in July. Look at the cover art: a brain mainlined into a computer monitor displaying a punk whose face is being eaten by his own brain! Cool. This should give you an idea of what you’re in for. It’s aggressive, it’s fast, and the synths give the songs life through a vein of electro insanity. On songs like “Wrapped Boots” and “Mind Control,” the vocalist yelps and hollers like a wounded animal around pulsing guitar and synth lines. It would be easy to compare them to bands like RESEARCH REACTOR CORPORATION, but it kicks way more ass. Think LUMPY & THE DUMPERS imprinting onto members of the LOCUST. Pick this up and kill your brain.

Lamictal Lamictal cassette

OC punk slop from the future. This is a solo project from Alex Colettogents, who is associated with seizure-core spazzers GNARLES MANSON and X-ACTO. Coming out of this eight-song tape, there is some vertigo and nausea that will take a moment to wear off. Once it does, I can say that there is slight intrigue, egg-punk on 78, dysphonia, a cacophony of eight tracks all barely clocking in at six retching minutes. Is he alone in this chaos? In the end, “Can’t Stand My Dreams” is worthy of note.

Melkus Discografia Due LP

Leipzig’s MELKUS has a distinct sound of their own that really enchanted me. Fast and furious sequences that smoothly transition into melodic passages, dark and mysterious garage sounds that get better and better with each layer, and catchy hooks peeking around every corner…it’s one of those albums where every part flows perfectly into the next. While guitar and bass with gloriously filthy tones lock into each other to form amazing riffs, punchy drums not only accompany them but also add another layer of that explosive energy. Charismatic vocals are definitely the cherry on top of this beautiful rock’n’roll cake, along with the momentary bursts of ear-candy from miscellaneous instruments like saxophone, organ, and synths. The dark and gritty production style of this LP complements the band’s sound flawlessly, too. I really like this one, and I’m already looking forward to their next release.

No Idols The Fall EP

Excellent hardcore punk from Baltimore’s NO IDOLS, a band composed of members of ANGEL DU$T, BIB and TRUTH CULT. Muscular and tough as hell, NO IDOLS draw from Feel the Darkness-era POISON IDEA, with catchy leads and heavy riffs galore. You can hear the pedigree behind these songs; they feel a little more complete and pulled together than your usual hardcore fare. One of 2025’s best 7”s.

Plastika Sijamski Blizanac LP

PLASTIKA is from Croatia and plays raw, hardcore punk, and Sijamski Blizanac is their ten-track full-length that delivers a noisy pummeling. Think KRIMEWATCH but faster, and oh yeah, the lyrics aren’t in English, but not knowing the words in their native language really doesn’t matter with how tight tracks like “Nervoza” and “Kaj Sad” are. PLASTIKA has a rare authenticity in their energy which makes their delivery of primitive hardcore that much more enjoyable of a listening experience.

Saints of Lorain Before We Were Saints cassette

Gonna do my best to break this somewhat confusing one down and hope that I’ve got my facts straight. SAINTS OF LORAIN are from Cleveland, OH and put out a digital demo in 2023. This is the second release by the band, a “collection” of songs which were written by the members’ former band AL & THE COHOLICS (the collection featuring a grand total of six songs). AL & THE COHOLICS formed in 1999, and when the drummer died in 2014, his brother apparently promised to keep the music alive. Fast forward to the present and the brother is the drummer of this band, and the songs that would have been lost to time are now documented. What an absolutely lovely sentiment. Never would I ever have thought that the actions of members of a long-running drunk punk/street punk/pirate-punk band would hit on sentimentality as strong as this. Musically, this is complicated, uptempo slap bass street punk. If you like songs about being drunk, being addicted to drugs, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, or sex, or you were around for the heyday of AL & THE COHOLICS, then I’m sure you’re gonna have a great time with this tape.

Small Doses Rodeo EP

Pretty nifty record here with plenty of nuances, combining pieces of orgcore (melodic vocals paired with power-chord-driven punk songs à la BAD RELIGION and LAGWAGON) with post-hardcore (dissonant chords, slower tempos, and throaty screams that reminds me a lot of POLAR BEAR CLUB if they had embraced more of the Dischord style). I guess you can call this post-orgcore (although I’m not even sure if that term is in vogue anymore). Well-crafted tracks that do a great job telling a narrative—both musically and lyrically—that never once gets boring. Great work here. As far as punk goes, this is as perfect of an EP as you’ll get.

Snörkler Hot Dignity Dog and Other Future Classics cassette

Spastic egg-punk is what y’all might call SNÖLKER nowadays, but it was called Very Small Records-esqe back before that term was around. It has all the perfect elements of FALSE SACRAMENT, SCHLONG, NONMEANSNO, or VICTIMS FAMILY, with keyboards for all the sulphur egginess you can handle. Four tunes that clock in under nine minutes, all plopped onto a cassette tape. The coughing on the tune “Vape Man” is perfect. Also, I think I’m hearing a flute layered in here. What the fuck is this gorgeous tidal wave of gross perfection called, you ask? I guess it’s called SNÖRKLER.

TV Casualties Orphanage Fire CD

Self-proclaimed “Canola Hardcore,” whatever the hell that means. This sounds like a band that you saw on the Warped Tour when you were thirteen years old whose name you can’t remember. The EP is self-produced and self-released which is commendable, but the songs are generic and unmemorable. You could put it on in the background and no one will be offended, but no one’s going to ask you who it is, either.

Zlodzieje Rowerow Każdy Inny Wszyscy Równi EP

Melodic yet confrontational punk rock from Poland, rooted in DIY ethics and social awareness. ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW delivers mid-tempo anthems with heartfelt vocals and strong choruses, balancing aggression and melody with ease. The lyrics emphasize equality and solidarity, making this EP both politically charged and emotionally resonant. 

Punk rock melódico y combativo desde Polonia, con una fuerte base DIY y conciencia social. ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW presentan himnos de medio tiempo con coros sólidos y voces cargadas de emoción, equilibrando agresión y melodía con naturalidad. Las letras giran en torno a la igualdad y la solidaridad, logrando un EP tan político como emotivo.

V/A Right on Time Re:imagined LP

I try to refrain from using the phrase “I’m sorry” when writing about music (in real life, I may not apologize enough). But in this case, I can’t conceive of any other way to rationalize how I feel about what I’m duty-bound to say. Right on Time Re:imagined is easily the worst release I’ve had to suffer through listening to in a long, long time. Each and every song is bad, some extraordinarily so. What we have here are six versions of the same song, interpreted by different artists in distinct genres spanning the gamut from “Sexy Stoner Rock’n’Roll” to “Emo Pop Punk” and “Heavenly Metal.” There’s even an “Unplugged Hardcore” rendition that is more egregious than whatever you’re imagining. The song that is the basis for such wide and varied explication is a by-the-numbers youth crew ditty called “Right on Time.” As a stand-alone track, it’s a decent slice of impassioned straightedge hardcore, with a message that offers genuine positivity in the face of adversity. And herein lies the source of my initial plea for forgiveness…this whole project is inspired by a member of the band RIGHT ON TIME’s battle against cancer, and is an ode to the support they received from friends in the darkest moments of that experience. Profits from this release support a Dutch foundation, No Guts No Glory, that is dedicated to making the music-related wishes of cancer patients come true. Truly a fantastic cause, and one that I do not wish to denigrate just because I don’t like the music involved. If you dig sXe hardcore and have broad enough interests, this may be right up your alley. In any case, there’s a worthy cause attached to this that makes my snarky take on the tunes irrelevant. Fuck cancer!

100 Flowers Presence of Mind EP reissue

Shortly after the URINALS changed their name to 100 FLOWERS, they cemented the switch with the release of this artsy 7” in 1982. A bit more explorational than their earlier output, which brought us dum-dum classics like “I’m A Bug” and “Ack Ack Ack Ack,” the band’s evolved style on this three-song EP is more in line with the sound of early WIRE and PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED. The dark disco of the title track leads the proceedings, an energetic post-punk number that would eventually make its way onto the group’s LP the following year. Next up, the brief and bouncy “Dyslexia” quickly reminds us that we’re still dealing with the same guys that wrote “I Am White and Middle Class.” On the flipside, “Mop Dub” is an instrumental backwards treatment of “Presence of Mind,” providing a symmetrical bookend that suits the fashion of the era. Faithfully reissued in its original format, this poignant little slab documents the iconic unit’s transition from weird to weirder.

Axe Il Cimitero è Dappertutto cassette

Italy’s Sistema Mortal has had an excellent year, starting off with the head-splitting FARCE 7” and wrapping things up with this killer debut from Milan’s AXE. Featuring two vocalists and a raw, crusty sound, AXE plays with a little more texture and melody (and I think keyboard) than your usual D-beat fare. Opening track “Patto di Sangue” kicks off with an ominously dark tone that quickly morphs into full on mängel fury that doesn’t let up for the entirety of the tape. A total scorcher and highly recommended.

Billiam The Letter W & the Numeral B EP

Melbourne’s BILLIAM is back with another EP, his fourth release this year. There’s nothing new here, and any of the four tracks could have appeared on any of the project’s previous efforts. If you’ve enjoyed any of his other records, you’ll dig this. “New Wave” and “Houston We Have Rock” are full of fuzzy three-chord punk, battered with synthesizers and left scrambling to catch up to the lo-fi hi-hats working overtime in the background. The vocals sound like they were recorded through a cell phone inside of a cave, which kind of ruins it for me, although repeating the phrase “Houston, we have rock” 16 times in 54 seconds brought a smile to my face. The B-side is more mid-tempo and features the highlight of the EP for me, the closing “Essential Feedstock Oils,” where they repeat the word “record” 27 times in 90 seconds. Heavy SPARKS vibes with a bedroom charm. It ain’t for me, but fans of 1-800-MIKEY and GEE TEE will eat it up.

C.A.M.O. Combative Anthems Motivate Outcry 12″

If you played this for me and told me it came out in 1985, I’d believe you, but C.A.M.O. out of Vienna, Austria exists in 2025, and thanks to Mendeku Diskak, their cassette Combative Anthems Motivate Outcry is now available as a vinyl disc. Anarcho-punk with a cold bent makes C.A.M.O. sound indignant and haunting, and this eight-song album is full of sonic macabre with ominous lyrics and guitar riffs that sound adjacent to funeral marches. If you dig early KILLING JOKE, 1919, or PART1, then go check out C.A.M.O. right now.

Condumb Disassociation EP

Crasher-crust noise punk from Philadelphia. It’s a well-crafted 7” where both the songwriting and the smart usage of the classic pedal arsenal are strong—there is a good balance between fast- and mid-tempos, and the screaming vocals let the songs breathe but sound forceful when they’re happening. The songs are so well-written that they would work without the screaming/swirling jet sounds of the guitar, which in could go against the noise-not-music ethos within the record, as the added effects are not masking rather traditional songs but upgrading primitive, non-existent ideas to something truly otherworldly. Here, the noise is masking knowledge and talent if you let yourself lead into mindless headbanging (which the record offers), but if you arrive via the main bands of the members, you probably will not feel cheated, either. Or if you listen beyond aesthetics and pay attention to what is actually happening. Nowadays, the look and slogans of this style seem more popular than ever, yet most bands do not come close to getting the essence of this sound. CONDUMB does; they get it and do it just right.

Dead Bug 6 or 12 New Songs cassette

NYC/Richmond, CA duo DEAD BUG’s 6 or 12 New Songs is not really an album, but more of an experiment on interpreting visual data and translating it into music. It goes like this: there is a zine called 5 New Songs which has cryptic drawings and enigmatic descriptions that symbolize abstract ideas for five different songs. Both members of the band work alone to write and record their respective sides with their interpretation of what those songs would sound like. The results are really interesting and it’s definitely a thought-provoking experiment. But I think reviewing and trying to describe how it sounds would defeat its purpose, as it requires listeners to connect the dots between the music and the visuals. I highly recommend checking it out and maybe even trying it yourself.

Embittered This Failed Endeavor cassette

Raw, pissed-off hardcore punk with a distinctly bleak tone. EMBITTERED tears through short, furious tracks driven by urgent drumming and a bitter vocal delivery. The cassette format suits the band perfectly—lo-fi but powerful, emphasizing frustration, alienation, and total rejection of false optimism. Hardcore meant to be felt, not polished.

Hardcore punk crudo y cargado de bronca, con un tono marcadamente sombrío. Embittered avanzan a través de canciones cortas y furiosas, impulsadas por una batería urgente y voces cargadas de resentimiento. El formato cassette le sienta perfecto al material: sonido áspero, directo, enfocado en la frustración y el rechazo absoluto al optimismo vacío.

Fungas Intelligence 1 LP

Sci-fi egg-punk from Australia that mixes DEVO-core vocals and herky-jerky rhythms with maximum dork power (they’re really into rocks, apparently?). Sneaky spy riffs tangle with alien synths for a familiar but fun high-energy blast. “i1” pulls back the shtick just a bit to allow classic new wave melodies to emerge and build a near-perfect multi-layered pop song. If you like this kind of stuff, you’ll like this record—it’s well-produced and carefully composed for maximum party impact.

Holly and the Nice Lions Dolores LP

I went to Green Bay UFO Museum Gift Shop and Records for the first time a few years ago when I decided to drive the northern route around Lake Michigan to Minneapolis. I walked out of there with some great records on Amphetamine Reptile and a Darth Vader bank for my cousin that would activate with every road bump and say “Impressive, most impressive, you are not a Jedi yet.” There were a lot of bumps. Still, with that slap-tickle memory, I was excited to see that they had something to do with this release. I researched (typed into an Internet browser) Certified PR Records and found that they are based in St. Petersburg, Florida, where long-ago Maximum Rocknroll shitworker, reviewer, columnist, and interviewer Lali D lives, so it can’t be that bad. I heard that St. Pete has a good glass arts scene, too. This Dolores LP starts off with a song clocking in at over four minutes, pulling from the dark side of the dirge-like, cloud-covered Midwest, but around the two-minute mark, it becomes a straight-up middle-finger rocker. This easily could have been on Sympathy for the Record Industry with its lean into the punk side of rock’n’roll. The standout on this is the HOLLY part of HOLLY AND THE NICE LIONS band, and her direct and committed vocals. Oftentimes I’ve felt that singers can tend to overdo it with screaming to try and get across their disgust or pain or anger, but in this instance, HOLLY uses good songwriting coupled with subtle vocal tones and inflection to let you know she’s had enough. I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on Steven Spoerl’s bass-playing that complements every song, almost as though another dim and somber conversation is taking place somewhere in the same room, with Travis Pashek’s drums pulling you forward through a late-night drive north, hugging the lake shore alone with everything getting darker and darker. This record, in sum, is thoughtful, heavy, dark, empowering, sorrowful, and redeeming rock’n’roll/punk/sludge/garage. Dolores is for those times that you want to be alone to work out what’s been bugging you. HOLLY AND THE NICE LIONS have been a band for over a decade, and I’m a bit sad that I’m just hearing them now. In closing, my cousin loved his Darth Vader bank, and think he’s going to love this record, too. He’s 53.

Industry Industry LP

Berlin-based INDUSTRY has been gathering steam from the past two years and has finally unleashed their self-titled full-length. Burly punk rock with jazz compositions and an aggro vibe creates a ten-song LP that reads as monolithic but is overtly so much more. In other words, lyrics born out of exasperation are delivered over rumbling rhythms and grinding guitars that shift grooves frequently, but always seem to get your head banging. If you’ve had your fill of AXEGRINDER and are looking for something more, then look no further than INDUSTRY.

Lake Inferior Five Ahead / Avoid All Robots 7″

Wow, this is a phenomenal pair of songs here. Sinister doom-goth-surf rock, as if WEEDEATER decided they wanted to sound more like the CRAMPS and Danzig-era MISFITS. I love the unintentional (at least I assume it’s unintentional) irony of their song “Five Ahead,” which features the lyrics “Five years ahead of our time / Ten years behind.” This certainly sounds like it’s from the future and not at all dated or “behind.” The B-side (“Avoid All Robots”) is equal parts retro-futuristic and a cautionary tale for our current AI-addled society. Really great slab here. Highly recommended.

Model Martel A Thousand Couple Times LP

MODEL MARTEL has a parallel sound with many bands on Tiny Engines Records and the Lauren Records style of Midwest-centric emo-punk-pop-core. This is shitty jobs, friends you can’t depend on, broken relationships, expecting more from life, and finding comfort in late night talks, all wrapped in guitar hooks and melancholic melody. If I were 25 years younger, I would be calling this my favorite record of 2025 because of how it encapsulates life’s twenties and thirties. A solid, lyrically-focused rite of passage LP, open-eyed on broken and healing, punctuated with tight bass and drums. There are only 300 of these LPs, on all of the different colors that an LP could be, perhaps. A Thousand Couple Times, although budding with infectious hooks, has a regretful and foreboding lyrical sorrow to it that always seems to be amplified by a band’s proximity to the Great Lakes.

The Not This Record Contains Not One Hit Single… + I Do Not Care!!! CD

Off-kilter Japanese punkers NOT existed in the early 2000s, sticking around for just long enough to record the thirteen rough-hewn tracks showcased on this CD. Injecting straightforward ’77 punk in the vein of the KNOCKS with a bit of modern meddle like the BLACK AND WHITE, the band’s sound is ultimately a quirky take on ’90s garage punk style. The opening groove to “I Can’t Get Back to Me” is a straight-up REGISTRATORS swipe, and the winding instrumental “Mituwadai 101” sounds like it could be a GASOLINE jam session captured in uncharacteristically clean fidelity. Tracks one through eight are from the band’s most realized recording, titled This Record Contains Not One Hit Single, and the remaining songs are taken from their 2004 demo (I Do Not Care), bringing you the full NOT experience on one disc. A brief interview with the group’s founder Hidde included in this package alludes to a reunion gig slated for 2026, so keep an eye out if you happen to find yourself in Chiba prefecture this coming year.

Dre Perish Twist of Fate LP

New Orleans artist/producer DRE PERISH (also of the noise punk duo QUARTER RATS) is a self-styled “psych punk/no wave junkie,” and their new LP seems to push that identity in every direction at once. PERISH handles vocals, guitar, bass, synths, sax, beats, and samples, with guest players dropping in on about half the tracks. Across its eleven songs and three field recordings, the album meanders between styles like a Tuesday-night CBGB audition lineup: opening with a NINE INCH NAILS-leaning opener, then a detour into alternative/art rock, the rumble of a passing train, and then “All Night!”—the standout for me, which sounds like it could’ve come off one of the more chaotic OSEES recordings. There’s also a crunchy/synthy cover of GANG OF FOUR’s “To Hell With Poverty!” I found myself gravitating toward the tracks played with real instruments and patiently waiting for the synth-heavy ones to end, but that’s just personal taste. For most people, this will either be a challenging listen or a novelty, but if you’ve got a wide-open brain and enjoy listening to an artist follow every weird instinct, Twist of Fate might be an entertaining journey.

Precipice Down the Well 12″

PRECIPICE is a band that formed during COVID and put out a demo that I heard yet quickly lost interest in. Down the Well is a welcomed return, and is demonstrative of the Nantes group strengthening and turning the knobs. Bass-driven in an almost KILLDOZER-like way, the eight tracks are spread evenly with hate and indignation. A minute-long beatdown with “A Customary Behavior in a Particular Situation” is my mixtape track. Good bruisers.

Royal Scum Human Gallantry EP

This is a perfect example of a cover being a poor illustration of the music included on the record. In terms of semiotics, using a rather gruesome black-and-white picture of a horse being hung on a deck points to growling, nihilistic grindcore, but ROYAL SCUM from Hamburg does not belong to that school, rather playing heavy and dark crusty hardcore with some moody melodies. The band is actually more of a collective and does not have a fixed lineup, so I do not know if the members of this version of the band were around in the ’00s, but I would bet they were because ROYAL SCUM has that typical quite well-produced neocrusty sound that was so popular back then. It would be far-fetched to claim that they stand as an all-out FROM ASHES RISE-type band, but early/mid-’00s ACURSED or UNKIND come to mind, although they do not sound quite as bleak, and the vocal delivery in English—as well as the use of several angry singers—makes me think of US bands (like ANTIPRODUCT, maybe?). With ROYAL SCUM being pro-vegan, I assume the cover is meant to reflect human cruelty toward animals, and I would guess the band is not too keen on the monarchy (even if Germany, besides Franz Beckenbauer, has not had a king for a while). On the whole, Human Gallantry is a pretty solid listen if you enjoy this sort of politically-driven, heavy, angry hardcore with dark melodies, and the EP works well and does perfectly what it set out to do.

Slang Rest in Misery LP

Sapporo City legends return after a decade of silence with all the subtlety of a bomb blast. Stoke-on-Trent meets NYHC in a glorious amalgamation that still sounds fresh and innovative over thirty years on. The vitality and rage hasn’t faded in the least, and one gets the sense that SLANG has reemerged in response to the deteriorating global political climate. In the face of so much avoidable death and exploitation, the outrage laid bare across the nine tracks of Rest in Misery is palpable. Prank isn’t as active as they once were, but they always deliver the goods. No exception here, just raging Japanese hardcore with a metallic bent that will make you want to run through a wall.

Stare Kits Live in NYC 1979 LP

STARE KITS were an enigmatic, art-leaning minimalist punk quartet that operated on the periphery of New York’s late ’70s no wave scene—their first show was actually on a May 1979 bill with the similarly-disposed (and also debuting) UT, two strange and striking flowers simultaneously sprouting from the same overgrown garden plot. It turned out to be an incredibly short-lived project (six whole months and three live performances), with a legacy that has largely survived through the web of what its members would later go onto to do, namely vocalist Angela Jaeger relocating to London and joining DROWNING CRAZE and PIGBAG after STARE KITS’ split and drummer Amy Rigby forming the SHAMS in the late ’80s before a lauded singer/songwriter career. This LP marks the first proper STARE KITS release, with Side A pulled from live tracks recorded at two of the band’s three gigs at the Lower Manhattan post-punk/experimental music hub Tier 3 and rehearsal versions of six of those eight songs making up the flip. The raw, feral energy of the live takes gives them an almost universal edge here—“​If It’s Red It Can’t Be Black” is STARE KITS at their most classically no wave, as Angela’s vocals waver somewhere between spoken, sung, and incanted over a completely tumbling and halting rhythm, while the doomed guitar-and-poetry intensity of “I See Them From My Window” almost prefigures MECCA NORMAL, and standout “Strength Accumulate” strips bass-driven, UK DIY-style post-punk to an absolutely paper-thin extreme. A footnote in the grand scheme of things, to be sure, but still one worth investigating.

Twenty One Children Ice Cube EP

Scrappy, hook-driven punk rock with garage energy and a sneering attitude. TWENTY ONE CHILDREN balance raw distortion with catchy songwriting, keeping things loose but memorable. The EP moves fast, loaded with youthful frustration and sharp humor, recalling classic underground punk while still sounding fresh. A solid reminder that simple punk done right still hits hard.

Punk rock directo y pegadizo, con energía garage y actitud burlona. TWENTY ONE CHILDREN combinan distorsión cruda con canciones memorables, manteniendo todo simple pero efectivo. El EP avanza rápido, cargado de frustración juvenil y humor ácido, evocando el punk underground clásico sin sonar pasado de moda.

Wax Static Wasted Town EP

The cover is a picture of a broken skateboard with the band name in ’90s labelmaker font, and there’s a PRIMITIVE HEARTS cover included. I love it when a band lets you know exactly what to expect from their cover art. There’s a lo-f surfy element to these songs, but it’s still a little tough while still being fun. Both “Wasted Town” and “Back to You” have an early BLACK LIPS feel to them and pair well with the PRIMITIVE HEARTS cover. The vocals are much more audible and in the mix than on their demo released in early 2025, and it benefits them well. Worth checking out if you’re into lo-fi bedroom garage punk.

Yellow Ghoul Yellow Ghoul cassette

Solid five-track debut from Buffalo punks YELLOW GHOUL, featuring grimy and lo-fi(-ish) guitars accompanied by pounding drums and vocals by SCIENCE MAN’s John Toohill. YELLOW GHOUL speeds through these songs, slowing down for a breakdown or two but not much else. Overall, I have no complaints here; this sounds like something Toxic State would put out, which is as high a compliment as I can pay.

V/A Slice of Death cassette

Tennessee Cold Cuts have had one hell of a busy year, dropping some of the best albums I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing over these last 365 days. This comp will give you a great taste of what this label has to offer, with tracks ranging from egg-punk to goth rock, dance punk to brutal grindcore. This is a fantastically eclectic mix and definitely worth a couple plays. Tennessee’s punk scene is looking mighty strong heading into 2026.

Angel Face Out in the Street LP

If you’re a fan of garage punk and this isn’t already on your radar, then no, you’re not. Distributed via the gold standard Slovenly and featuring members of TEENGENERATE and the FADEAWAYS, this exemplifies what makes the genre exciting. The hooks are incredible and the production presents the whole affair within crackling gritty trappings. These players have power pop chops for decades, but they’re so tuned in here and pushed into the red that they have major teeth track to track. Background “ooh”s and “ahh”s are guiding stars of style, as well as handclaps that inflect a bubblegum tone that bumps nicely against the spikier edges of what’s going on. This group’s debut was good stuff, but this is a whole other level. The B-side standout “Press Your Luck” has STOOGES’ dripping venom with a chorus that’s downright gorgeous. The album is undeniable, so don’t try and fight it off and let it take over your turntable.

Banda Des Femer Herència Enverinada 12″

It’s the first time I get assigned a band singing in Menorcan Catalan, which is a specific type of Catalan from the Balearic Islands, and if the language is new to me, the music certainly is not, because BANDA DES FEMER play good old raw, käng-influenced hardcore punk that takes no prisoners and gets straight to the point. What sets this LP apart might be the peculiar production that keeps things deceptively simple and primitive—it doesn’t go for any deafening “wall of noise” or anything fancy, but just old school D-beat punk for the punks (a noble cause indeed). The band clearly displays self-awareness about the genre and their own technical prowess, which I find quite refreshing. I like the upfront vocals that are still intelligible, and there are some welcome mid-paced moments and even a couple of sing-alongs. There are strong hints of ’90s D-beat and some songs would have been at home on a Distortion Records compilation in 1994. The music also reminds me of DHK for its spontaneity and its radicalism, not synonymous with extremity here but of core value. Simple, fast, and loud political hardcore punk that loves DISCHARGE lovers. However, I think the record should have been longer, as seven songs in fourteen minutes is a little short for an album (although the three members do not live in the same town, so practicing has to be an issue), but these are fourteen good minutes.

[Brick] Demo 2025 cassette

Visceral and vitriolic, the UK’s [BRICK] are angry and have good reason to be. Existing in a world that rejects you at every turn is unimaginable, but that is indeed their reality. As a group of trans women (who met at a transfeminist book club, awesome), [BRICK]’s songs speak to the very real hate faced by trans people every day. Sonically, it’s a lo-fi and straightforward punk affair, occasionally going off the rails into discordant noise territory. Lyrically, it’s a brutal listen, but one that deserves to be heard.

The Covids Pay No Mind LP

The COVIDS have an UNDERTONES quality to their songs while drawing in a more modern song structure influenced by Goner Records’ roster of catchier bands, the Rev. Nørb, and bands blending the METHADONES and RAMONES. “Waste of Space” is my favorite track on the record simply because of the way they cadence the chorus of “space and time” with space and time; it will make sense when you hear it. There are ten songs rounding out this LP, making this a perfect length. I think I’m most pleased by the front and back of the sleeve because it gives you a near-perfect idea of what this band is like just by the color and composition, and the sunglasses on the back made me giggle.

The Drags Dragsploitation… Now! LP

One of three well-deserved DRAGS reissues delivered by Total Punk this year, Dragsploitation… Now! is a brief and potent ride through the band’s legendary ’60s-fueled punk swagger in its earlier stages. Originally released as a 10” by Estrus in 1995, this was their sophomore effort following the iconic I Like to Die 7”. Alongside the MAKERS, THEE HEADCOATS, and a handful of others, these guys forged the throwback garage style of the ’90s, offering an eye-opening take on punk for impressionable youth of that era (including yours truly.) Dig that crazy beat—it still feels fresh 30 years later.

Endless Joy Endless Joy LP

Iron Lung hits the mark once again, delivering another masterclass in abrasive, high-stakes hardcore. ENDLESS JOY plays with tension and dissonance like a weapon—jagged riffs, frantic delivery, and a suffocating, anxious energy that never lets up. Every song feels like it’s on the verge of imploding, yet the band maintains complete control, which is exactly what makes it so powerful. Easily one of the strongest releases of the batch.

Iron Lung no falla, y este LP es otra prueba de su puntería quirúrgica. ENDLESS JOY ejecuta un hardcore desquiciado, tenso y abrasivo, donde la disonancia funciona como motor emocional. Los temas avanzan como un enjambre eléctrico: rápidos, incómodos y llenos de esquinas filosas. Todo suena al borde del colapso pero siempre bajo control, lo que lo vuelve aún más poderoso. Uno de los discos más fuertes del mes.

The Fuzz Bombers The Fuzz Bombers cassette reissue

The FUZZ BOMBERS were a blink-and-you’ll-miss-them San Gabriel Valley band active circa 1998, built from ex-members of the JAWAS and future members of the TAKEDOWNS and BAD MOTIVATOR, among others—basically the extended universe of singer/label-runner Brian Von Wolfe. This tape pulls together two sessions from that year, and the results are classic no-budget garage punk: fast, loose, and sounding slightly better than recorded-on-a-boombox. There’s an early version of “Get Out Of,” later re-recorded by the TAKEDOWNS, but this one is faster and a shade more raw. None of this rewrites the genre playbook, but it’s a perfectly decent document of late-’90s punk ephemera. Maybe essential if you’re trying to fill out the Brian-adjacent family tree; otherwise, it’s probably not going to have a huge impact on anybody.

High Anxiety Your Dreams Are Caught in War 12″

HIGH ANXIETY from Ontario, Canada plays crust-blown anarcho-punk, and earlier this year, they released Your Dreams Are Caught in War, which is ten tracks of indignation and rage. Espousing post-crust and proto-grind elements, HIGH ANXIETY features noisy vocals, upfront, dirty bass, and guitar riffs that are primitive, rhythmic, and energetic. Lyrically, HIGH ANXIETY cuts through the bullshit with scathing criticisms of political, cultural, and religious institutions of our time. The ten songs on this disc are over in much too short of an amount of time, leading to multiple playthroughs. Your Dreams are Caught in War is a joint release of Fiadh Productions and Violet Hour Transmissions, so the sleeve and disc are of the highest quality.

The Icks Devil cassette

Second five-song cassette released by this Florida three-piece punk outfit. Similar to the first tape, this follow-up is almost painfully lo-fi. Unfortunately, this does detract a bit from the songs, making it difficult to discern exactly what’s going on. While I find the attempt to do an analog recording right onto a stereo tape deck incredibly commendable (and a hell of a lot more real than doing a crummy cell-phone-recorded demo), there is a learning curve and obvious limitations with such an approach. In terms of the songs themselves, the first three are driving, mid-tempo grunge-inspired punk songs with somewhat lazy vocal delivery, “Nice Things” being the clear standout of the bunch. From here, the tape changes lanes completely, bringing us an artistic, quirky spoken word/bass interlude, and finally an acoustic, open-mic-style bedroom pop song. All in all, I’m just left more confused than anything else after listening to this release. Oh, also, having to do research to figure out that a release is on a tape label is a bizarre move. Why wouldn’t the label releasing something just put their label name somewhere on the tape or the artwork?

Jailcell Recipes Artifact for an Empty Tank World LP

A reissue compilation encompassing the first two full-lengths and first two EPs from hardcore Wiganers JAILCELL RECIPES. The target for this collection was to clean up poor-quality old recordings to be introduced amongst a teeming new audience. Did it work? Yes, it did. The traversing collection starts with the band in their heavily YOUTH OF TODAY-influenced genesis and ends with the band’s LEATHERFACE-styled coda. Tons of material is crammed into this record sleeve, really everything there could be to know about these blokes.