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!

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.

Knotwork Knotwork demo cassette

The last time I heard of a Detroit crust band was when ANGUISH released their first EP in 2009, a comparatively innocent time when the very idea of Donald Trump being president still belonged to the realm of dystopian science fiction (where it should have stayed). I cannot be said to have a large expertise in this area, but I have a  sixth sense when it comes to quality crust and, weather permitting, am able to detect it from beyond the seas. KNOTWORK had been on my prestigious “bands to watch for” list, so I was genuinely excited when this demo tape finally came out. And let me tell you that I was right to be excited, and my sixth sense is as sharp as ever. If the production might be a little too raw for some—as a lover of cave music, it certainly is not for me—the songwriting skills of KNOTWORK are undeniable, and for a first proper recording, it is a crust tour de force. The band inhabits the stenchcore revival waters of the punk world and are not unlike modern classic bands like ALEMENT, the sadly missed ZYGOME or mid/late ’00s INSTINCT OF SURVIVAL, meaning they have a certain flair for good crust arrangements. Basically, they keep working on the traditional old school apocalyptic metal crust sound that, if it cannot be said to be the fanciest of punk subgenres these days, still has very loyal enthusiasts ready to save on soap in order to buy the stenchcore goods. KNOTWORK also nods to the genre’s forefathers like DEVIATED INSTINCT or AXEGRINDER on a couple of occasions, but the influences are overall structural, the band cannot be considered as too derivative even if they borrow liberally. There is a good mix of paces and vocal styles, which is all the more impressive since there is just one vocalist who can switch from demonic growls à la LAST LEGION ALIVE to more traditional DETESTATION-ish ’90s anarcho shouts. This tape is right up crust street.

Laundry Bats Hangin on a String LP

Behold the LAUNDRY BATS—an unanticipated bastion of punk purity in these troubled times. These are the Memphis all-stars of dirt-caked rock’n’roll, featuring members of the OBLIVIANS and COMPULSIVE GAMBLERS, and led by the distinctly raw vocals of Abe White (MANATEEES, TRUE SONS OF THUNDER). This configuration taps into an unbridled, freewheeling spirit that unwittingly touches edges with the likes of the RETAIL SIMPS and even Bloomington’s enigmatic COWBOYS, swinging from soulful ’70s blues rock à la Kill City (“Bizness”) to psychedelic spaghetti western (“Lawnmower Man”) in impressively graceful fashion. You’ll throw your hands in the air at the haunting and sympathetic “Church of Bad,” and nod in approval as “Nightmare” reappropriates the lead riff from the CLASH’s “What’s My Name” like it was a stolen catalytic converter welded onto a rusted Camaro. That’s not the only familiar groove you’ll find here, but any similarities to other songs living or dead are undoubtedly in tasteful homage. It’s a diversely inspired party of a record, with the only constant being that it’s 100% fire.

Lo and Behold Onward Journey cassette

Debut release from LO AND BEHOLD, the solo project of Louis Harding. In a list of bands too long to name, Harding’s tenure as a songwriter really shines through on this heartfelt, ten-track masterpiece. I recognized his name from his bass work in BELGRADO, whose 2023 Intra Apogeum made quite a splash. That said, there’s no synth/dance vibe present on Onward Journey, instead we get a beautiful, sweeping reverie, reminiscent of the shimmering guitar and despair on something like Paul Westerberg’s “Answering Machine”—trading Midwestern sensibilities for downcast British shoe-scuffing. This will make my top ten albums of the year, easy. I just hope the cassettes are quality, because unlike many raucous, lo-fi recordings, this one wants to be listened to loud and clear. Buy the ticket, take the Journey.

The Manks Last New Wave Hero!!!!!! CD

Japan’s the MANKS ran from 1994–2001 as part of the Chiba punk scene, and Last New Wave Hero!!!!!!! collects eight tracks of their extremely lo-fi garage/’77-style punk, pulled from demos and compilation appearances recorded thirty years ago. It’s raw, unvarnished, recorded-in-the-basement rock delivered with a bratty, high-energy sneer. “My Generation” might be the highlight for me, although at 2:52, it’s the longest song on the collection and probably could’ve been trimmed. It all falls into that wonderfully sloppy zone where there’s way more spirit than technical finesse, but I think the potential really shines through. Members later went on to the SPIT, the PLASTERS, and, more recently, SPIT-TN, but this CD captures the scrappy origin point and it’s better than it has any right to be.

Optic Sink Lucky Number LP

Tennessee’s OPTIC SINK delivers eight synth-driven post-punk tracks with their LP Lucky Number. While thoughtfully layered drum machine beats and bass lines akin to Peter Hook’s melodic style form a strong foundation for the album, analog and unpolished synth tracks provide a nice, gritty top layer for Natalie Hoffmann of NOTS to sing over. Though not as front and center, guitars help strengthen the melodic content significantly. All in all, it’s a nice album to sway along and wander off.

Dre Perish Criminal Ghost LP

Rootsy collection of noisy, melodic rock songs steeped in Southern gothic and reverb that might appeal to fans of the GUN CLUB or the DRIN. Criminal Ghost is not bad by any means, but it definitely follows a more traditionally structured mainstream rock music approach than punk, although some of these tracks do have a smoky post-punk skeleton inside the meticulous production. DRE has a full-throated singing voice with a bluesy warble that registers somewhere between Win Butler of the ARCADE FIRE and Jeffrey Lee Pierce and gives the songs a lived-in sonic weight. The recording was done in New Orleans, which seems apropos, given the streetwalking at dusk vibes; I can practically smell the stale beer and cigarette smoke wafting through the lyrics, accompanied with just a touch of danger.

Pocket Bike Racers Pocket Bike Racers demo cassette

Posthumous cassette release of a two-song demo from a lo-fi, nasty, rock’n’roll/rockabilly-infused one-off garage punk project from Cleveland, OH, recorded in 2020 during COVID lockdown. There’s something very charming about these tracks, and it is yet another of many examples from that timeframe of people finding a way to have some sort of creative outlet when isolated from others. Released in small quantities, Knuckles On Stun is onto their second run of 25 copies of this demo, with the second press having the art inverted as a differentiation from the first run of 25. Thankfully, my copy is from the first run or I would have had to photocopy my own cover, inverting it back to normal as that is a massive pet peeve of mine. Check out the recent article written for The Counterforce on that exact topic if you are confused as to what I mean.

Schenectavoidz Attaining New Levels of High cassette

Straight out of Schenectady, New York, this hometown homage brings us some modern “blink it and you’ll miss it” hardcore. To put it bluntly (no pun intended), most of these tracks don’t last longer than a minute-and-a-half, besides the appropriately titled “90 Seconds” which abandons the lightning-quick hardcore motif and adopts a sludgier edge. These folks channel the energy of CHARLES BRONSON, but sound a bit more like fellow East Coasters EVERY TIME I DIE and SUCIDE FILE. If you’re a fan of the modern hardcore sound of the last two decades, you’re going to want to check this out.

Shakti Shakti LP

Barcelona punk band with members of Indian heritage deliver a fucking killer debut record that captures post-colonial disillusionment so precisely that it sounds like a future rebel anthem. With Marathi-language vocals and Bollywood-influenced dancefloor rhythms, SHAKTI feels culturally rooted in India, while also existing as a seething punk band. It’s an incredible, invigorating balance—and the track “Lahan Pani,” with its spoken word intro detailing the exploitation of India by countries that repair the favor with blatant racism, is maybe the year’s best album opener. The bass riff is hooky, and the fury that follows is decimating. Locked-in bass/drums configurations that wouldn’t be out of place on a disco floor abound on this record, but it stays punk AF; not an easy feat. Songs like “Maut” and “Andolan” have a funk-anchored post-punk approach that crackles with found-sound samples, sounding like a walk past a dance club anchored by a wall of TVs displaying the same staticky news reporter. It’s a rich experience, and you owe it to yourself as a connoisseur of international punk to get this on your turntable fast.

So Close / Wipeout split EP

Samples and powerviolence go together like a horse and a carriage. WIPEOUT delivers a seriously bass-heavy axe to the face, with a thin, can-like snare cutting through the wall of fuzz with precision, and horrific vocals setting the mood. Four tracks of modern powerviolence as short as they come that could appease both the WEEKEND NACHOS enjoyer as well as the CROSSED OUT purist. Next up is SO CLOSE, and guess what? Samples? Check! Blasts, skanks, and breakdowns? Check! More polished-sounding (if there is such a thing), INFEST-like fast hardcore delivered with the obligatory Joe Denunzio snarl. And by the time you’re done reading this review, so will be the split. One for the Ham-slappers.

Starburst Revolutionary Technology cassette

Harkening back to when emo was being argued over on the WEEZER message boards (during its third wave that many decried as false) is this harsh-washed gem of a tape that buries its achingly sweet harmonies in swaths of lo-fi gunk. The result is totally compelling and well-anchored to its melodies, which are uniformly excellent. Even though they get a little Midwestern on the lick starting off the penultimate cut “Summer,” this is a novel approach to pop-sensible indie rock with a punk ethos. Perfecto.

V/A This Is It… LP

With every compilation I have ever heard in my entire life, I always look for several distinct things. The first being, did these bands give their best, or did they submit throwaway tracks? Second, do I get the feeling that I’d want to stop into this area for lunch and record shopping? Third, and most importantly, do I want to seek out music from bands I’ve never heard before? Put simply, this is the Midwest at its absolute best, styled as a variety of underground hardcore and punk to let you know that quality control and intent is paramount to the label that put this out. With seven bands, and six of them having multiple songs, this comp does its best to hack a path to uncover that raw nerve dry socket of the Great Lakes region.

The record comes hammering in with CROSSES, which is essentially DIE KREUZEN, and I don’t want to waste the space telling you what you already know about the staggering power of their ferocious songwriting. Up next, SEX CHANGE comes blasting in, and reminds me of a RORSCHACH, ANTISCHISIM, and DROPDEAD both in style and highly charged personal lyrics. MDOP’s two songs are wall-of-sound hardcore, and the recording makes me think they left some blood on the floor in that room. They are a gross rainbow of chaos and corrosive juices playing completely unhinged hardcore. The lyrics “Fuck this job, kill your boss,” come on, who can’t get behind that? KIWI ARMY brings in pop punk/power pop with melody and a homage to one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, Silent Night Deadly Night. Similarly to how DESCENDENTS deliver an amount of level-setting to an SST compilation, KIWI ARMY mirrors that with their style of melodic punk songwriting—what I mean by this is having great musicians pull in a perspective outside of aggressive id, and harnessing an everyday joy or sarcasm to round out the Side A. However, KIWI ARMY’s second tune abandons the poppier punk elements with a straightforward song called “The Boring Song,” and it will burrow its way into your brain and live there for the rest of your life, methinks.

NO SYMPATICO might be my favorite band on here, featuring members of THEE ELDER GODS and channeling NOMEANSNO and CRUCIFUCKS while allowing ample space to be themselves. The songs mirror driving a big-engined car with a middle finger out the window, slowing down for raccoons and opossums, but heavy-footed through tweed and suit and uniform and meat and fat and muscle of certain people. PIG RIDES have members of a ton of bands you’ve passed up in dollar bins or who were featured on the split 7” that you bought for the other band—here is your chance to hear what they’ve become, and it is worth it. You get two dense hardcore songs delivered in the NEGATIVE APPROACH style of Midwestern hardcore you’ve come to love. To be honest, when I heard these tracks, I pulled the needle off the record, looked them up, and ordered their cassette on December 4th, 2025 at 11:21 PM.

Closing this record out is the STATE. The STATE is Michigan’s longest-running hardcore band, with Jeff Bale having reviewed their No Illusions EP in Maximum Rocknroll #10 in 1983, to now, me, Maximum Rocknroll #511, in 2025. Here is the good and bad about that, nothing has changed. The STATE is still ferocious and machine-faultless in delivery. This makes for great songs with impact, but it also makes me a little bit sad that 42 years later, things are still the way they are. This compilation overwhelmingly succeeded in overcoming all three measurable points I have. I do have one challenge with this record, and it is kind of a big one for me—no booklet. The insert doesn’t match the power or intent of the music, and to me, it softens the full force a bit. I really love to read along with bands, and without that, I can only be partially committed. A corrective suggestion might be to have the bands send in something and plop a link to a downloadable PDF on the Bandcamp page. I dunno, I’m spitballin’ here. In the end, this is a fucking outstanding representation of current Middle West bands, and you’d be foolish to let this pass.

Axe Collector Unforced Damage EP

Human Future continues to prove why they’re one of the most exciting labels in today’s hardcore landscape. Evil-driven AXE COLLECTOR unleashes a full-force EP of ripping, steel-cut aggression: sharp riffs, collapsing-wall drums, and vocals that spit fire without a pause. Every track hits like a thrown brick—fast, raw, and absolutely determined. Fury with intention, nothing sloppy, all deadly precise. Hardcore with no filler, no posturing. A record that feels urgent, necessary, alive, like it was tracked inside a street riot. One of my favorites this month.

Human Future continúa demostrando por qué es uno de los sellos más emocionantes del circuito hardcore actual. Guiados por una fuerza maligna, AXE COLLECTOR entrega un EP que es pura metralla: riffs filosos, baterías que parecen detonar paredes y una voz que te escupe la realidad sin descanso. Cada tema cae como un ladrillazo—rápido, crudo, decidido. Hay furia, pero también claridad en la ejecución, nada suena atolondrado, todo está apuntado a matar. Hardcore sin relleno, sin poses, sin descanso. Un disco que se siente urgente y necesario, como si estuviese grabado en medio de un incendio en una manifestación. Uno de mis favoritos del mes.

Ayucaba Operación Masacre LP

Here’s a searing debut from this Barcelona powerhouse. Featuring members of killer bands like MURO and INYECCION, the bar for this slab is quite high, but goddamn, my expectations were fully exceeded. Not unlike INYECCION, there’s a prominent UK82 backbone, yet AYUCABA eschews the street punk bent for metal leanings in a BROKEN BONES kind of way. Ripping solos, chaotic, thrashy riffage à la BLACK UNIFORMS, Operación Masacre is a behemoth album. Impressive instrumentation is bolstered by straight evil vocals, launching this into a whole other galaxy. This whispered part of the opener “Sistema Siniestro” has Sakevi vibes, and there are nods to Japanese hardcore found throughout the album’s ten tracks. A potent formula executed with deftness and precision. Can’t seem to keep this one off the turntable.   

Body Minus Head An Exercise in Self-Sufficiency LP

BODY MINUS HEAD hail from Kitchener, Ontario, and play a blend of hardcore and crust punk that is emotive and gnarly. On An Exercise in Self-Sufficiency, the first full-length by the band, you’ll find vocal blasts that give goosebumps, guitar licks that make you say “hell yeah,” and a rumbly rhythm section that gets your head nodding. The majority of the songs on this ten-track album are over in less than two minutes each, so you know BODY MINUS HEAD isn’t wasting time noodling around, and most of the songs hit so hard you may experience shellshock. Tracks like “Reset to Factory Default” and “Unconditional” are full-on sonic pummelings, while the lyrics speak truths about the failures of the human condition. If you’ve ever listened to MURDERESS’s The Last Thing You Will Ever See… and said to yourself, “This could be heavier and faster,” then you should absolutely check out BODY MINUS HEAD.

Citric Dummies Split With Turnstile LP

Minneapolis cut-ups CITRIC DUMMIES return with their fourth LP, Split With Turnstile, which—consider yourself warned—is not a split with TURNSTILE at all. They put up a snotty front, but all hijinks aside, across eleven high-energy songs in twenty minutes they blast out buoyant, tongue-in-cheek punk propelled by D.V. Tinner’s hyperactive drumming. It’s fast without tipping into hardcore, landing somewhere between the BROKEDOWNS and DEAN DIRG. My buddy Tom says parts of it sound like a less crusty ANNIHILATION TIME, and he’s not wrong. Even when they’re yelling “I Don’t Like Anything,” the whole thing still bursts with this dumb, irresistible sense of fun. I fucking love this record. Immediate top ten material.

Die Benjamins In 10 Jahren / Pas de Deux 7″

Synth-spiked German post-punk casting backwards glances to the pop-leaning (but still properly asymmetrical) side of the Neue Deutsche Welle—think ÖSTRO 430, IDEAL, NEONBABIES, etc. That was enough to pique my interest after cueing this single up with zero background context, so imagine my surprise when I clocked that DIE BENJAMINS’ vocalist Annette Benjamin was the same Annette who had been the singer (and occasional saxophonist) for late ’70s/early ’80s femme-punk paragons HANS-A-PLAST! Her voice is as powerful as ever here, with all of the shouty defiance and boundless energy that made “Rank Xerox” and “Sex Sex Sex” such indelible rippers, but while these two songs are clearly informed by her musical past, they’re definitely not shackled to it. Thick, distorted bass drives the quirky/arty A-side “In 10 Jahren,” periodically dissolving into washes of echoing electronics straight out of the modern Leipzig school (not unlike a punchier/less coolly detached MARAUDEUR), with the darker and more desperate atmosphere of B-side “Pas de Deux” only heightened by Annette’s soaring, passionate pleads. Totally unexpected, in the best way.

East End Redemption Crashing Down LP

Pop punk out of Maine that combines the melodic sensibilities of your average RAMONES-core outing with a hint of early PROPAGHANDI—mainly in the vocals. In other words, this sounds like it came straight from the early years of Fat Wreck Chords. Good mixture of lighthearted lyrics paired with dystopian themes, specifically with tracks like “Lost Town” and “Lacking Motivation.” Nothing groundbreaking here, but it really scratches that itch if you’re a fan of this era of punk. I would be remiss not to mention how great the bass tone is on this here slab. Solid production all around, actually. In my research, I came across a recycling center of the same name from the same town the group calls home. I love when bands pull their monikers from shit like that. Fantastic stuff, and would recommend for a couple spins.

Fen Fen In Yer Sights 12″

Pumping stripped-down and rugged rock into the Motor City, FEN FEN unleashes a tough rip of tunes on their debut 12″. Loaded with foreboding riffs and catchy lyrics, the songs are propelled by a triumphant power, at times coming across like a warped version of the HIVES. Snappy and snotty, its clean aggression makes for pure punk catharsis.

Fog Spring EP

FOG is a four-piece anarcho-punk band that has been very active for the past couple of years. The band’s latest release, Spring, is a four-track EP that takes a hard look at the genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza with poetic and articulate lyrics. Sonically, FOG reminds me a lot of France’s TOXIC RITES, with fast-paced, quick-switch punk rock forming a backdrop to the vocals. When compared to FOG’s previous output, Spring comes out feeling more focused with its concise lyrical theme. The closer “No Fate” is perhaps my favorite song on the EP, as it lets the instrumentals come through fully and has a playful energy while still being serious as hell.

Gerinc Reklamáció cassette

Not everyone has an ear for melody, but certainly everyone in this group does. The guitars have a satisfying crunch, interplaying with the bass in a way that surpasses the bare minimum root note playing most punk asks of its players. In just eight brief tracks, this international Budapest-headquartered band shows a refined and biting sound brimming with harmonic turns that keep the ear on end. Citing the iconic WIPERS as a reference, tracks like “Dolgozz” earn the right to the influence, with downpicked chugging that gives way to Greg Sage-like chiming open chords, to say nothing of “Mindent Belep” which all but echoes the opening arpeggios of “D-7.” But the sound is novel and all their own. The energy never lets up, with earnest, ganged-up vocals and a drummer who keeps it close and tight. An immensely satisfying listen. Grab a tape while they’re still around (they won’t be for long).

Hurt Hawks The Big Sweat cassette

Ever wonder what it would sound like if Charles Bukowski had a Casio keyboard? Oh, are you ever in luck. HURT HAWKS are here to spit gravelly, liquor-soaked tales of debauchery and hard living in your face, accompanied by a drum preset. The opening track goes something like this: “Libation! / Liberation! / The last mad days of a hedonist / If you want to bitch about it / Dial 1-800-Eat-Shit!” The next track features the chant, “Bad whiskey, bad women, bad sex / My goddamn life is rudderless.” Reading these lines, you are either snapping your fingers at your new favorite tough guy poet laureate, or rolling your eyes back into your skull like a slot machine. That’s really all you need to know.

The Icks The Icks cassette

Five tracks of fuzzed-out, overblown four-track fidelity, with bratty vocals and drenched in Florida humidity. The ICKS ride the line between angular, fuzzed-out punk and slow and gritty mid-tempo bore-core. “IDMTMTM” is killer and will end up on a mixtape or two. If the tape ended here, I would love it, but they use the dreaded disco beat to lead off the next song, and that is an automatic point deduction from me. This would be best played loud while skating curbs in your local cul-de-sac, or taking resin hits from a dirty bong.

Kibera / Solitär split LP

In sci-fi movies, especially in the ’80s, time machines are always a big deal: incredible technological feats involving years of studies, vast amounts of unstable nuclear energy, and the possibility of changing the course of history. Listening to KIBERA is a much safer way to travel back in time, although it will not get you farther than the mid-’00s crust dimension. This Czech band plays raw, dark, and aggressive neocrust with harsh female vocals. I am definitely reminded of bands like AMBULANCE, EKKAIA, or even SCHIFOSI, back when the core of the subgenre still relied on the punkier, more direct side of the spectrum rather than the more emotional or polished “post-hardcore” one. The six songs on this LP are firmly rooted in primitive, angry hardcore, and the listening experience is therefore pleasant if you like depressive crust. KIBERA shares the split with SOLITÄR, a rather new Prague-based unit that delivers direct, fast, and furious crustcore. Of course with a name like this, it’s hard not to get the heavy nod: yes, these people are into TOTALITÄR. But, even though there is an influence (especially riff-wise), I would not place the band in the käng drawer overall, but clearly in the crust basement. There is a lot of energy on this recording, and it certainly more than makes up for some moments that don’t totally work for me. The relentless feel really works well here, and on that level I am reminded of bands like INFEKCJA, local classics like MASS GENOCIDE PROCESS or even MASSGRAVE, or some Brazilian thrashing hardcore at times (because of the fast-paced vocals, probably). On the whole, a solid split LP, and a relevant display of fast and aggressive punk music from Czechia.

Lebende Tiere Uwaga cassette

New release on Berlin, Germany’s Flennen label from LEBENDE TIERE with their Uwaga cassette.  From what I can tell, this is the band’s debut, and I assume they are also from Berlin?  The songs are fun and fast, featuring bouncy drums and bass, and higher-register guitar tones with a perfect amount of crunch that squabble in some forever-turmoil under the shouted direction of a lively vocalist.  Everything feels electric, frantic, and…a little odd or eggy? For example, the vocals in “Achtung Pferde” are replaced by the neighs and whinnies of a horse.  So that’s fun. They may have had me with the red-on-pink cassette jacket, but the music rips, too!

Middle-Aged Queers Theatre of Shame CD

I guess this might be the feel-good, laugh-steady queer punk album of the year, unless there’s another one. These are catchy songs, not unlike PANSY DIVISION or some DIESEL QUEENS tunes. Among the laughs and fun-time-party-guy stuff, the MIDDLE-AGED QUEERS pepper in some lyrically heavy songs, exemplified by the tunes “Big Sisters” and “Nobody Wants.” I initially was ready to toss this into the WEIRD AL punk category, but MIDDLE-AGED QUEERS have more than that to offer. Look, WEIRD AL punk is a fine place to be, I like a lot of it, but all I’m saying is that MIDDLE-AGED QUEERS have more than just songs funny about slumber parties, kinks, and anal beads. And just in time for Xmas, the MIDDLE-AGED QUEERS have a fully stocked online merch presence!

Nape Neck The Shallowest End LP

I won’t beat around the bush, folks—Leeds trio NAPE NECK’s first LP The Shallowest End utterly and totally stunned me. This thing is a perfect mess of puzzling bass lines, proudly no wave guitars, and incredibly fucked-up drum beats. What’s crazier is the fact that all three members are singing while breezing through those dazzling signature changes and sharp turns in composition. I mean, how? How is it possible for three people to make that much noise and make it make sense? It’s an absolutely explosive and electrifying noise rock freakout, and I’m head over heels in love with it. Ring-ring: Hey Alex, I know I already submitted it, but is it possible to make a few changes to my year-end top ten?

The Problem With Kids Today Take It! CD

These guys come out of the gates swinging, with some straightforward, melodic, and catchy punk’n’roll. When the vocals themselves are melodic and also a group effort, I just find that kind of infectious. There’s a rawness that reminds me of early REPLACEMENTS, without really having that sound. It’s just the energy. But then they take a different turn and sound almost like the CLEAN. Towards the end, they put together back-to-back-to-back songs all under a minute each. That’s how to win my heart. Excellent album.

Reds The Truth of Impermanence 12″

REDS! Liked the movie, love the band. Full disclosure, I have known these folks for some time and we cut our teeth on the same kinds of punk rock. Kids of the ’90s, I tell ya. This new release is called The Truth of Impermanence, and it is out on Council Records. “So You Say” showcases vocalist Evan Kilgore’s sass and snarl, with quiet vocals reminiscent of some of my favorite Ian MacKaye vocals both in FUGAZI and MINOR THREAT. This record is quite polished in terms of production, but the essence of punk is foregrounded and intact. “Energy” reminds me a lot of my favorite Louisville bands, and the first couple of guitar and vocal lines reached into my core, surprising me with how emotional it made me. There are creative and inventive bass lines peppered throughout, as well as driving, solid drumming. Some of my favorite patterns emerge in the song “The Body,” with well-placed call-and-response instrumentation and noodling. These are the anthems I think we all need in these times, especially as they relate to human dignity and bodily autonomy themes. The treble at the end along with Evan’s shouts makes me wanna punch a fist in the sky. Fans of Dischord will like REDS, and fans of liberation writ large will find something in this as well.

The Sinꓘs Pleasure to Burn EP

The A-side is a slow-burner that doesn’t really hold my interest. The B-side has two more punk’n’roll tunes that are a bit faster but still not very interesting to me. These three tunes feel a bit uninspired, which seems weird since the members have been in bands such as POISON IDEA, SMEGMA, OILY BLOODMEN, EXACERBATORS, LOVESORES, and so on. I guess I’m a bit surprised by the lack of impact.

The Sleeveens Downtown / Drowning 7″

The hits keep on coming for the SLEEVEENS. The latest offering from this Nashville/Dublin combo shows their continued ability to take three-minute songs and make them feel like epic journeys. A lot of this amplification and magnification of sounds and sensations surely comes first from the emotive vocal delivery, but the instrumentation across the board definitely bears load on these creations. “Downtown” specifically just feels larger than life, and also shows that the band is really finding their sweet spot. Their first single, “Give My Regards to the Dancing Girls,” was an awesome way to debut their sound, but it did leave me wondering a bit about the decision of the over-five-minute runtime. When the song appeared again as the opening track to their debut full-length, the track was cut down by almost three minutes, which then ironically left me wondering about all that was left off of it. The three-minute runtime of “Downtown” hits every note with every second sounding vital, surely pleasing even the fussiest of the punk rock Goldilockses.

Spatter Pattern Atomic Dinette / TV Casualty 7″

Two tracks of DIY minimal synth punk from Michigan. Both sides throb with thick, warmly produced synth tones, crisp drum machines, and cynical spoken/sung vocals. “TV Casualty” got a few extra plays due to its noisy buzzing frequencies that accompany the main dancefloor rhythm and infectious chorus railing against the influence of television (a quaint concern these days). Bleak, catchy, and worth a listen.

Sweepers Sweepers cassette

Self-released cassette version of an LP released on Abandon Everything Records. I can’t remember the last time I was this confused by a band. A novelty punk project about sweeping? I guess it’s impressive that one can write that many songs about sweeping. Between this full-length recording and the band’s initial demo, that’s over 25 songs, of which the only subject matter seems to be…sweeping. Hell, I don’t think I’ve swept the floors of my house as many times as this band has songs about the act of sweeping. To make it all that much more confusing, musically this is something of an artsy free jazz project, wrapped in novelty punk packaging. Maybe I’m the wrong person for this kind of “punk.” Halfway into this band’s eighteen-song LP (too long), and I’m ready to sweep this under the damn rug.

Toy Tiger Meow Sabotage LP

TOY TIGER, a DIY five-piece from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, dish out ’70s glam- and Oi!-influenced street rock built around steady, down-the-middle playing and explicitly anti-racist, anti-authoritarian, pro-LGBTQ2+ lyrics. Meow Sabotage, their second full-length, sticks to that formula and spends most of its time parked in the same mid-tempo lane. The overall effect reminded me more of ’80s L.A. sleaze rock—like they could have opened for FASTER PUSSYCAT on the Strip—than T. REX’s shimmer. Nothing here knocked me sideways, and a lot of the tracks blur together, but Bugsy Faithfull’s vocals were a standout, shifting between a controlled street punk snarl and a ’50s-tinged Danzig croon. I have a feeling these songs hit harder when you’re shoulder-to-shoulder in a bar, singing along and getting swept up in the message with the people around you.

Who Pays Hard Times EP

What a year for NYC’s WHO PAYS—they wrecked stages across the country, dropped this killer EP, and (checking notes) loaned Captain Sensible a pair of pants. Anyway, that new EP, Hard Times, features five original cuts of powerhouse HC and an equally aggro BABY HUEY cover. They sort of remind me of Cleveland’s INMATES if they traded the AGNOSTIC FRONT influence for POISON IDEA. You get the picture, this thing fuckin’ rocks. Highly recommended.

V/A Somos El Peligro Social: Un Homenaje a Ultimo Resorte LP

Seminal early ’80s act ULTIMO RESORT left a lasting impact on not just their home turf of Barcelona, but on Spanish punk as a whole, which would explain the wide scope of groups united in homage on this sprawling tribute album. During their original run spanning from 1979 to 1984, the band channeled numerous styles, ranging from speedy hardcore to anthemic UK82, and the lineup of groups covering them here is equally diverse. Everybody from the ass-kicking DISTHROAT to technopunk experimenters ECM showed up to drop a track and pay respect. There are 24 tracks in total, packaged with a poster in this fitting follow-up to the retrospective LP that came out in 2023.

The Action Party The Action Party CD

The ACTION PARTY is a tepid rock’n’roll band. Maybe you could say this is like a flaccid JONESES and stuff like that. I’m betting their shows are a rocking good time, maybe. I’m not sure this was quite the right place to send this for review. This is fine, well-produced rock’n’roll that might fit in better on a “Best of the ‘90s” college/alternative rock CD.I guess the one positive thing I can say is that I dozed off a couple times while listening to this, so if you are a little sleep-deprived, then this is the CD for you.

Bahia de Kotxinos Bahia Kotxinos LP

This is a strange piece of ephemera; a long-abandoned debut by Euskara band BAHIA DE KOTXINOS, who by all accounts were a leading light in an active scene and had a record ready to go that was left on the shelf, gathering Basque dust for the next 30 years. Now lovingly remastered and released into the world, it’s a peculiar document of a very specific scene. It has the taut, frantic energy of yer DEVOs, yer WIREs, yer ADVERTS of the world. However, it also has the sort of wacky, clever-dick stylings of a kind of proto-egg-punk too, which is unfortunate. It’s certainly a lot more interesting than I was anticipating, and well worth your time, albeit three whole decades later than you should have enjoyed it.

Bootcamp Time’s Up LP

Who doesn’t like a great hardcore record that makes one punch a hole through a wall? Strap on your boots, because it’s time to slam with Iowa City’s BOOTCAMP. Proper USHC delivered in an intense manner, sounding fresh but remaining true to the classic tropes. You will find them on the same record store shelf as ARMOR and some of the 11 PM releases. Time’s Up, go listen to this! Now!

The Dick Spikie Ultra Punk 4Cycle Vol. 1 EP

Three fantastic Japanese Oi! tracks that will bring you to your feet to pogo with the best of them. Much like the BUSINESS and BLITZ, this trio of D-beat classics are equal parts catchy and rowdy as hell. “Restriction & Freedom” is the cream of this crop, an earworm that led me to spinning the A-side quite a few times. On the B-side, we have a song called “You’re a Bastard” that features some of my favorite lyrics of the year. Here’s a taste: “You’re a bastard / Wipe your arse yourself.” Fair enough. For my money, Japanese Oi! has always sounded the most authentic, and this is no different. Grab this slab today!