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!

Aftermath The Cutting Begins LP

Damn, that is one strikingly grim cover, one that can be seen as a warning to the listener who therefore will no longer be able claim that they didn’t suspect that there’s proper dark music ahead. AFTERMATH makes no secret of their sonic intentions and unleashes their primitive brand of metallic crust from the outset of their first full album, The Cutting Begins. I discovered the band through their first record, the Garbage Day 10”, and rather like their simple but effective gait on the well-trodden path of dark Swedish crust. AFTERMATH will sound familiar to most crusties, which is not a bad thing, and this second effort incorporates a more pronounced metallic stenchcore influence with the addition of mid-paced numbers (not far from CANCER SPREADING) to their groovy crust. The music has an early extreme metal vibe as well, and I am significantly reminded of LEGION 666 or early ANGUISH (especially in the vocals and some arrangements), although the sound is definitely embedded in the Swedish tradition. It is a solid follow-up that demonstrates the quality and the seriousness of the project (I have to admit the 10” left me wondering), and something of an improvement on the first one if you like more filthy metal in your crustcore.

Big Trouble Pink Wrinkley LP

A wild and dense LP that I’d classify as “mutant hardcore” from Athens-based BIG TROUBLE.  The vocals are definitely the standout component, going full-on feral rasp, including a moment at the end of sixth track “Church” that is so over-the-top that I audibly laughed when I heard it. Solid stuff overall; the riffs are huge and the drumming is wild, going into powerviolence territory on occasion. I recommend this one, and I also award the band points for having the funniest album title of 2025.

Clacker Clacker cassette

Mid-tempo hardcore punk from Medford, Massachusetts. CLACKER brings us six songs of intelligently crafted lyrics delivered by one of the gruffest sounding punk vocalists I have heard in a while. Reading along with the novel’s worth of lyrics, I was surprised how natural it sounds hearing the singer fit so many words into each of these songs. There’s not a single sing-along part on this tape, which kind of comes with the territory of extensive lyrics. The band breaks out of their wheelhouse a bit through the course of the cassette, revving up from mid-tempo into the faster hardcore realm, and even ripping a couple wild rock’n’roll guitar solos. Both are cool changes and help to keep your attention, but I think the band really shines when leaning into their mid-tempo comfort zone.

CP Westman Orkester Legalt / Boris är en Spindel 7″

CP WESTMAN ORKESTER pulls together garage vets from Sweden and France (members of BIG KIZZ, LADY BANANA, TUNDRA FUCKS, DESTINATION LONELY, JERRY SPIDER GANG, BART AND THE BRATS, TEENAGE HEARTS, and SKEPTICS) for their debut two-song 7″. Side A, “Legalt,” is a straight-up rock’n’roll pounder—big guitar/keys/drum stomp, with lyrics pushing for drug legalization, delivered with the kind of energy that makes the argument feel celebratory. Flip it and you get “Boris är en Spindel,” a Swedish spin on the WHO’s “Boris the Spider.” Here, Entwistle’s kiddy-creepy original gets stripped of the cartoon voices and blasted out like it was recorded in a hangar, with feedback and grunge bleeding everywhere. Pontus Westman did a cleaner version in 2024, but here the mess feels truer. It’s ragged and absolutely unpolished—I could see these guys playing on a DEAD MOON bill—and that’s exactly the charm. Looking forward to seeing what they do next.

Danse Macabre Danse Macabre LP

Mining another absolute fucking gem, General Speech brings us a remastered collection of fabled group DANSE MACABRE, the post-ZOUO brainchild of Katsunori “Cherry” Nishida. This footlong slab cobbles together the band’s earliest material, ten tracks total with alternate versions of three songs and a STEPPENWOLF cover for good (great?) measure. While this is an entirely separate beast from The Final Agony, the spirit of evil lurks here as well. Oozing charisma, DANSE MACABRE conjure moribund hard punk with a tinge of MOTÖRHEAD-esque sensibilities. The label description references Danzig’s post-MISFITS evolution. That’s an apt analogy for Cherry’s trajectory from ZOUO to DANSE MACABRE, which is certainly informed by punk but has a rocker appeal, leaning more towards proto-metal. No reason to belabor the point, this LP puts some crucial cult rock classics at your fingertips and you don’t even have to barter your soul to Lucifer for the price of admission. Hail Satan and praise General Speech!

Doc Hopper Zigs, Yaws & Zags LP reissue

Originally released in 1999 on Go Kart Records as a CD only, and to be honest, until this reissue, I didn’t even know it had come out. I’ve loved everything I’ve ever heard them do, from their Sweetums 7” through their Reservoir and Ringing Ear releases. I just assumed that the band split up in ’95 to go be in the hundreds of other bands they ended up in. This LP continues the high-energy DESCENDENTS/CHEMICAL PEOPLE style while keeping true to their East Coast charm. Also, Chris Pierce is the most consistent member of this band, and his punk lineage stretches back to the A.G.’S who had a couple Mystic Records releases, up through SINKHOLE who were on Lookout! and Dr. Strange, on through hundreds of other bands and recording up through SCHOOL DRUGS currently, perhaps. Don’t sleep on this DOC HOPPER’s Zigs, Yaws & Zags LP as I had.

Guzoo Compilado cassette

The moment I heard the drum intro on the very first track, I knew I would be obsessing over this tape for the foreseeable future. And folks, I’m not ashamed to admit it, by the end of it, I was down on my knees worshipping this Chilean band GUZOO that I’ve never heard before. Yes, it’s that good. And yes, I know I’m gushing over it. But what can I say, I adore everything about this cassette: a guitar sound that would make you piss yourself, a distorted-beyond-belief bass, drums that would easily beat a Gatling gun any given day, and absolutely, disgustingly filthy vocals…all packed in a brutally and delightfully shit-fi recording. I don’t speak the language or have any idea what the lyrics are about, but thanks to the samples in between tracks, I sense that there is some SPAZZ-style tomfoolery going on. I wouldn’t be surprised, though—the record has West Coast powerviolence written all over it (I mean, duh, it literally ends with a NO COMMENT cover). While there is no doubt that GUZOO follows that path, they seem to have masterfully tailored their own unique sound. The label says it’s a compilation of their current work, but I’m not sure if it is the entirety of their discography. If not, all I can say is “For the love of everything unholy, give me every single song they’ve ever recorded, including the bedroom demos. Please and thank you.”

Illiterates Does Not Compute LP

Another cracker from the fine folks at Sorry State, ILLITERATES’ Does Not Compute chalks up another win for the “dumbest band in hardcore” (their words, not mine). Following their excellent 2023 12”, this LP sees the band maintain the blunt force of their previous output while refining the production, giving the proceedings a real pop. Each instrument sounds huge, particularly the bass which really rumbles. ILLITERATES’ greatest strength though is their vocalist who fully leads the charge. He kind of reminds me of a particularly irate Ray Cappo, yelling about social issues as well as some very well-written introspection. “Remember When” and the title track are particularly effective in their songwriting, the former grieving over the lost passage of time and the latter lamenting the overload of modern technology frying our individual and collective brains. Does Not Compute is a great LP that crushes and has something important to say. Maybe ILLITERATES shouldn’t be so hard on themselves, there’s nothing dumb about them.

(LA’s) People Talk About Things LP

This on-and-off-and-on-again group features a conglomeration of incredible players who between them have put in time with ALICE BAG, SHUDDER TO THINK, REDD KROSS, JAWBOX, the SHAKES, and more. Having shelved these sessions back in 2012, tracking was finally completed on this full-length, and the results are top-notch. Organ groove and sax fills out the sound, backing catchy-as-hell, hook-laden rock’n’roll that sounds fresh and metropolitan even as it captures a sort of timeless swing. Tracks like “Obsessed Obsessive,” which is replete with a sing-along chorus, are impossible not to flail around to. It’s a joy to hear this record fully realized after nearly being lost, but this is no archivist’s niche passion project. This is vital music from the wellspring of Los Angeles’s long storied history, and it’s perfect.

Media Puzzle Intermission cassette

Garage punk with swagger from Lismore, Australia. These tracks are snappy, gritty, and full of hook-laden riffs that harken to youth rebellion and burnt-out nights. “The Scene” and “Bundy Vision” cut through fuzz with attitude. “How Do You Feel?” strips everything back to raw vocals and guitar, letting the emotional grit shine. This cassette feels intimate like hanging in practice spaces, like something made by friends.

The Obliques St. Petersburg / Cigarettes 7″

Delivering a drizzle of thought-provoking outsider sounds, this Durham, NC group is comprised of three uniquely inspired teenagers who appear to be based beyond their age. The sound is dreary, ponderous art-rock that seems to exist under the constant threat of collapse, very reminiscent of Montana’s singular MORDECAI. It’s strange to hear such youngins express in such a distinctly creative and mature way, like encountering an infant with a palate for dry-aged Kobe beef. How have they amassed such vibrant wistfulness in less than two decades? Maybe it’s best not to question it, but to digest this brief and intriguing record thoroughly and quietly add the OBLIQUES somewhere near the top of the list of up-and-comers to watch.

Pests Call of the Void EP

Dark, mournful four-chord crust from Toronto. PESTS have a powerful presence, tightly wound and well-formed, if not entirely realized. Call of the Void channels fury with six driving tracks propelled by thick, sinewy guitars, thunderous drums, and haunting vocals. The raw production bolsters the edifice, drawing the listener into the distorted vortex. Sadly, the style surpasses the substance. Though everything sounds great on paper, the riffs lack the imaginative execution needed to make them truly memorable. Similarly, the vocals are cool and evil, but the monosyllabic delivery washes them out and waters them down. The track “On Your Own” stands out because it breaks up the tempo common to nearly every other song. I have a feeling that PESTS would be killer live. Nothing about this EP is shitty or even bad, it’s just missing the secret sauce that could’ve made it great.

Prison Affair Demo IV EP

Out with their fourth demo, Barcelona’s egg-punk trio PRISON AFFAIR brings more guitar squabbling, drum-kit-as-drum-machine precision, picked-apart bass, and heavily distorted vocals to our crumb-laden, sticky table. The whole thing sounds like a mouth harp run through a ratty amp: elastic, frenetic, completely hairbrained. The guitar tone/effects are wild, sounding more synth than six-string with riffs that rarely quit and that stay in the sweet spot on the neck, maybe between the seventh and fourteenth fret—like a fucked-up MINUTEMEN jam. And I must say, I’m glad the penis-nosed band mascot is shadowed-out and behind bars. I’m sorry, the cartoon penis and butthole imagery from earlier releases just puts me off. I guess that’s the point? Watching their Audiotree live recording did give me a better impression of the band, as cartoon genitalia floated from my mind, to witness three grown men in full mission stance, sincere in their effort to bring us whatever this music may be. Will we get something that’s not a demo soon? Or is the joke on us? All said, they’ve won me over.

The Remote Controls Too Tough CD

I fucking love this record. Pop punk done beyond right with RAMONES riffs as a foundation, building on top of it with Midwestern melody (think NAKED RAYGUN around Jettison), and topping things off with nods to the golden era of Lookout! Records pop punk (SCREECHING WEASEL/the QUEERS’ best moments). Catchy as hell, great raspy vocals, with melodic and tempo changes to keep things interesting through the beefy runtime the fourteen tracks get up to. This is what guitar-driven melodic punk should be shooting for, killer release.

Small Portions Demonstrate cassette

Holy hell, this rips! SMALL PORTIONS is a solo project from the UK, and these are three songs of blistering, spastic, treble-heavy lo-fi punk. The guitar is so delightfully twangy and has absolutely no sustain whatsoever. My only gripe? Too small a portion. Apparently the creator, Goo Stafford, felt similarly as there’s a disclaimer that there “would have been more songs, but I fractured my clavicle, sorry.” Well, here’s hoping you heal up soon and can get back to work on the others, because I am left horrifically unsated and just gotta have seconds!

Stress Σκέψου Πριν Είναι Αργά 10″

From Athens, Greece, STRESS reimagines five of their ’80s ska/punk/dub hits to give a better clarity of sound and message. Rooted heavily in ska and punk from the ’80s and blending together perfectly, these songs will leave you wanting more. Their original LP from 1985 fetches hundreds, and even the 2013 repress seems to crack the $100 mark from time to time. But look, grab this 10” and maybe just be happy that you’ve got something. Also, who would I check with to see if the LP is in the MRR archives? Is there a phone number for Tennessee punk record archives?

Timüt Touka Touka LP

Minimal, funky post-punk from Metz, France, consisting of drums, clean guitar, and reverbed vocals that sound like they were recorded while being hollered from the next room. TIMÜT sounds like a tiny, noisy jazz combo at times (“KTM”) and a dubby, reggae-influenced jam group at others (“She Waze” and “Sick”). It’s a unique mix and excites with call-and-response vocals and never-ending syncopated rhythms. There is also a cover of NIRVANA’s “Tourette’s,” their most (only?) punk song. If you like the melodic minimalism of SACRED PAWS with a medium dose of no wave, check it out.

Tomar Control Frente al Miedo LP

I absolutely loved this hardcore band from Lima, Peru. They start off the album with strength and power, and it never diminishes throughout the entire album. I loved the balance of faster, more punk songs with slower and more sludgy riffs. I found myself doing the classic metal stank face during many of the breakdowns. You can feel their passion and energy in every single track. Overall, I could not recommend a band more.

Udder Or I’ll Kill You EP

Athens, Georgia’s UDDER originally recorded the three tracks on this archival-sourced EP in 1991, but flamed out before actually releasing them (or anything else, as far as I can tell)—Athens obviously has a rich and storied history of fostering subversive, convention-dismantling post-punk groups, from the B-52’S to PYLON to OH-OK to LIMBO DISTRICT, although that chronology gets much blurrier in the pre-grunge years of the early ’90s when UDDER was kicking out their feral, freewheeling post-no-wave noise with little to no proper documentation. With its steady but slightly asymmetrical beats and vocals that are somehow both deadpan and taunting, “Grandpa Volleyball” sits somewhere between the vacant-stare downtown drone of Bad Moon Rising-era Sonic Youth and the off-kilter genderfuck art-punk of GOD IS MY CO-PILOT, while the moody, slow-burn spoken word sprawl of “Or I’ll Kill You” is especially Kim Gordon-coded, and the knotted and intense rhythmic crush of “Incubus” has all of the hallmarks of a band that would have been rearranging the furniture at Rocket House in the early ’90s had they been from Louisville, basically plotting out the RODAN template a full year before RODAN managed to do so. A very cool time capsule, genuine freak shit here.

Xeroform Faceless Nameless Number cassette

Super catchy, energetic Oi! with a modern twist, as if BLITZ developed the same pop sensibilities the BUSINESS incorporated later on in their lifespan. The music itself sinks its hooks into you instantly and has a post-punk quality about it; a danceable rhythm section paired with manic dissonant chords and low-end upstrokes. The vocals here are the crown jewel of this album and really drives home that Oi! sound—deep and grunted, giving all these tracks that true working class quality. This is a very solid effort and well worth a play. It goes quickly though, ten songs that nary crack the ninety-second-long mark.

Zevk Zevk demo cassette

This might be my favorite demo tape of 2025. ZEVK out of Paris plays hardcore punk with a downtuned bent that lends a dark, contentious flavor to their sound. The four-song demo opens with “Bomboş (All Empty),” a sub-two-minute opus that shifts in delivery with blindingly fast momentum. The closing track “Dykes Trans & Queers” is a treatise on the emotional struggle related to self-identification in a society that favors heteronormative homogenization and how that struggle influences one’s opinions back towards their oppressors. All that is delivered in two minutes over thunderous rhythms and shredded guitars. If this is what ZEVK is capable of, then I’m eagerly waiting for more.

V/A Weird Scenes From Inside the Droll Mind EP

Four bands from Montreal who build off of each other to create a nice and loud EP. I felt quite enchanted with the vocals in the first track by GARDEN OF LOVE, and I loved the utter noise and chaos by G.I. JINX. I appreciate that this whole EP was live, I feel like it really added to each band’s sound. Overall, a solid release.

80 Billion Animals 80 Billion Animals cassette

80 BILLION ANIMALS play anarcho hardcore with desperately urgent vocals that range from spoken word to frenzied screams and articulate lyrics pertaining to animal liberation, police and state repression, the corporate war machine, the genocide in Gaza, and other topical issues. Instrumentally, 80 BILLION ANIMALS is an enjoyable rollercoaster with quick shifts, jacked-up riffs, and chugging bass. There are moments that remind me of BEHIND ENEMY LINES or some early R.A.M.B.O., albeit with more grime and finesse. This self-released cassette is opened and closed with poetic spoken word and is packed with edifying jams that are sure to keep you inspired during the present madness, so definitely check this out.

Agathocles / III Guerra split EP

Mallorca’s III GUERRA opens this split with some no-frills hardcore punk that has the old school attitude with a relatively modern sound. Shouty vocals drenched in delay sit on top of guitars with perfectly dialed-in distortion and gnarly bass with a strict sense of duty, while the drums punch their way through the mix. This side sounds like getting hit in the face with a concrete block that is so perfectly cut that you don’t really get mad about it. But once you get to the mincecore pioneers AGATHOCLES’s side, the sound definition degrades dramatically. It sounds as if the band recorded their side through a single AirPod’s shitty microphone, but decided to place it even closer to the hi-hat this time around. But hey, if you have any prior experience with this band, you should have seen it coming from a mile away. So, that’s kind of on you if you have any complaints. To be honest, I’m not well-versed in AGATHOCLES’ discography—I mean, who even has time for that??—but it sounds like they incorporated a tongue-in-cheek parody of Oi! punk into their sound to celebrate their bajillionth split. Yay?

Barren Soil All Paths Lead to Darkness cassette

Pounding into your cranium like a frozen axe, BARREN SOIL drops three cuts of plodding, blackened crust on this self-released cassette. The stench is ripe with this one, in the vein of WARCOLLAPSE or HELLSHOCK with fewer fast parts. The use of synth and soundscapes makes for an atmosphere of depressive frigidity. Holding an ice-laden mirror to society, this Vancouver-based three-piece demonstrates that all paths do indeed lead to darkness. This begs for a longer form to unfurl the group’s full brutality.

Class Tourists Blunt-Forced Trauma cassette

A fiery tape from CLASS TOURISTS, who play fast and catchy hardcore punk with cool vocals. I hadn’t heard CLASS TOURISTS before this review, but read that they previously used a drum machine, something I’d be interested in hearing. Anyway, on this tape things are pretty straightforward, although there’s definitely a sort of rock’n’roll vibe throughout. This really comes through in the guitar leads on “Thorn” and “Time,” two tracks that make this one worth checking out.

Derrumbe El Animal Humano LP

Solid twenty-minute-ish slab of D-beat/mid-tempo hardcore punk, with really clean production on the guitars and a bit of reverb on the vocals and drums. What stands out to me the most about this record is that it works so well as an album/release; it has an aural cohesion that tells a story from despair to outrage/hope. The first half feels a little clenched tight and it gives way to more flourishes (maybe even a little melody) and hopeful-feeling moments. The vocals took a couple listens to click for me (I have a weird relationship with reverbed vocals), but when they did, it really worked with the music. Lyrically, there is a poetry to it that you don’t usually see with this kind of punk expression,  which was quite impressive—at least in the Spanish language songs, but I guess the song in Basque is probably along the same lines. Really impressed with the use of song structure here to benefit the feel/effect of the songs, well worth a listen.

Desolacion Desolacion 12″

Now, this is a record I had been waiting for, and I am quite pleased to have been graced with the opportunity to review it, which can be read as yet another sign that I might be becoming the official in-house crust annalist here (a noble position I’d humbly take, of course). DESOLACION is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is made up of members of the excellent RUINAS and the lesser-known CLAUSTROPHOBIA. Expectedly, DESOLACION plays dirty stenchcore for the true believers of the genre, those who gave up on soap a long time ago and embraced a life of devotion to filthy crust, a bit monastic in essence but with more booze and better-looking jackets. The music is downtuned, dark, and offers a good balance of fast, thrashing, gruff crust and slower, brutal metal-crust. The sound of RUINAS clearly informs this first LP that must be seen as an heir of the meaningful ’00s stenchcore revival, in line with the more BOLT THROWER-influenced school. STORMCROW or FEMACOFFIN are not far away sometimes, while CANCER SPREADING and FATUM definitely got good seats to the gig as well. The production is fairly raw at times, and this unprocessed authenticity gives the album a genuine punk vibe that feels fresh—well, in a fetid fashion—and primeval. This is for the crust lifers.

Elvis II Thank You Very Much 12″

A one-man recording project that achieves a rare degree of rockin’ comprehension, ELVIS II is the brainchild of Australia’s mysterious Mitch Casino. With a procession of beefy and electrified tunes, this album presents an energetic and astute take on the “budget rock” mentality, fusing classic style with the DIY power of the modern age. Cool melodies colored by soulful licks and mired in thick digital distortion make for a combination that’s as timelessly tasty as fried peanut butter and bananas. Fans of THIN LIZZY and TOKYO ELECTRON can enthusiastically shake hands over this one. All hail the new king.

Forty Two Beeblebrox CD

I love the cover of this, as it reminds me of an AVAIL record. But that is it. Only the cover reminds me of AVAIL. I don’t want anyone picking this up and thinking it is anything like AVAIL. Musically, oh man, this is fine. I appreciate the effort, but it falls into medio-core sonically. There are six songs on here, and I think they should have tossed these out and maybe recorded their thirty through thirty-sixth songs. I just can’t get a feel of what the band is about. They are hitting all the notes, the lyrics are clear, some of the songs are driving, with gang vocals, and through all that, I’m just not convinced that they even know what they want. Regionally, I bet their shows pack the house. Maybe FORTY TWO should break up, or maybe switch instruments clockwise one band member. Listen to the link and you decide.

Harry Chinaski Ciudad de Ratas Muertas cassette

Buenos Aires hardcore skate punkers keep pushing, and HARRY CHINASKI is at the front. Ciudad de Ratas Muertas is taut, furious, and socially wired—short songs, sharp feedback, and venomous vocals. They don’t waste a second: from the title track’s creeping dread to “Algoritmo” and “Caras,” there’s a political pulse, a sense of community anger, a reflection of decay, but also hope in the raw urgency, in their uncompromised underground ethics. Sounds like the streets are screaming and someone turned the volume all the way up. Vividly active in the underground Argentinian scene, their live gigs are on fire, clinging to a sense of emergency and an outburst of hate and despair.

Lùlù Lùlù LP

I don’t speak any real French or Italian, but I sure wish I did at this moment. That said, I do know catchy when I hear it. Both musically and vocally, this is infectiously catchy. Mid-tempo pop’n’roll, this will have you tapping and swaying along from the get-go. This is my kind of pop music. A couple of the tracks miss the mark for me, but overall I like it a lot. More cowbell.

Moving Targets Red Eyes LP

Boston vets MOVING TARGETS are back with Red Eyes, the third studio album since their 2018 comeback Wires. They still tag themselves “melodic punk,” but this release lands closer to the GOO GOO DOLLS than BAD RELIGION. It’s ten songs recorded by J Robbins, produced tight and clean, but definitely too clean for my taste—it sounds to me more like a band that would underscore some WB drama instead of inspiring kids to fuck the system. Maybe that’s the goal because we’re all grown-ups now, but I found 2023’s Live at Kling Klang, with all of the rough edges on full display, to be so much more compelling. If you’re a die-hard, or if your shelves already have space for SOUL ASYLUM next to your punk section, you might find something to like. For me, it’s more background noise than a burner.

NightFreak Mindfuck cassette

Hardcore hanging on the metal side of the spectrum, sounding a bit like SUICIDE FILE with all of their twangy, noodly guitar leads. Very strong vocalist who has the power of one thousand burning suns. Guitar and bass are in lockstep and play off each other very well. Super fast and energetic as all hell. Very fun EP if you like this kind of thing.

Peer Pressure Zombies Screen on the Green LP

Drum machine post-punk with psychedelic flourishes from this Cleveland band. Monotone vocals with repetitive, chant-like lyrics hang over moody synth textures like a mix of PLEASURE LEFTISTS and fellow Clevelanders KNOWSO. They are best on slower tracks like “Zip Code” and “Circular Psychiatry,” bass-heavy jams that evoke Calvin Johnson fronting BAUHAUS, but it’s all great. Weird, abrasive enough to fit under the punk umbrella, and danceable—it’s a win.

Poky III LP

Third release from Leipzig, Germany’s POKY. Songs stay on the shorter side, and have a bedroom-meets-basement energy with some psych-rock guitar elements thrown in, best heard on “Cerberus.” Songs bounce around and stay lighthearted, even eggy, like the track “Im in a Band” which gets more comical with every key change and oddball shriek. Vocals are sassy, even a little whiny, but never in a melancholic way, more like Joe Jack Talcum. With no credited musicians and very little information on Flennen’s or their own Bandcamp page, it’s hard to give any context to the group. But no matter, have the friends over for this one, all fun within.

Primal Brain Is It All a Game? cassette

Third release for this Oklahoma City unit. The main inspiration here is ’80s American hardcore with pedal-to-the-floor intensity and some noisy elements, especially around the vocals. There’s some moments of wild speed, but what stands out for me is the mix/production for the guitar: the whole mix is centered on it, and the distortion flirts with being clean-ish in a very Midwestern HC way. This is decidedly not hardcore worship or rehash; every song on here goes hard, regardless of tempo, with plenty of interesting twists and turns. Great fucking hardcore punk that stands out among its peers, like OUT COLD put in a blender with weirdo Midwest HC vibes.

R.M.F.C. Ecstatic Strife / Golden Trick 7″

Buz Clatworthy may have changed the meaning of his acronym and broadened the scope of his home-recording vision, but he hasn’t lost the electric charge of the early recordings that made so many of us take notice to begin with. With merely one full-length in his oeuvre, he continues to push himself creatively through singles, which feels like the smart play. He is allowed the freedom to experiment and express without really having to harken back to any trace of his beginnings of automaton-inflected, fast-paced wormy punk from his youth (okay, he’s still young, but still). “Ecstatic Strife” dips its mug into the punch bowl of what’s best about New Zealand’s ’80s jangle pop scene, with Clatworthy’s assured drumming keeping it on edge. “Golden Trick” is just that, a magical stunner that delves into something more meditative. Honestly, I’d take a whole album of something born of this strain of meditative and mature exploration. It’s gorgeous and lush and hopefully a promise of more to come.

S.C.U.M. DCxPC Live Presents, Vol. 36 LP

S.C.U.M or, SOCIETY FOR CUTTING UP MISOGYNISTS, attacks with brute force and sheer passion. I couldn’t quite understand the vocals (long, drawn-out screaming) and I absolutely loved it; that’s why I really appreciate that they made this album live and kept the raw energy that they bring to all their songs. I loved how they messed around with tempo changes throughout, slowing down right after picking up the speed—you really don’t know what to expect next. They aren’t afraid to be a little goofy at times, while simultaneously having strong, pointed lyrics. Loved this album.

The Sick Rose Dont’ Give Me Up Now / A Golden Boy 7″

Long-running Italian garage rock crew SICK ROSE released a two-song 7″ with the A-side covering the LYRES’ “Don’t Give It Up Now,” featuring guest vocals from Dom Mariani of Australia’s the STEMS. This version is faithful to the original, but Mariani’s delivery and the production give it extra punch. Flip it over and “A Golden Boy” channels a breezy mash of ’60s/’70s rock, toe-tapping and driven by a guitar/organ attack straight out of Sixteen Flights Up-era CYNICS. They play the kind of throwback retro rock that frequently makes my eyes roll, but here it seems more substance than style and it works for me. Only 300 copies pressed, so grab one fast.

Strul Fuck Strul LP

Just when we needed it most, STRUL has re-emerged to unleash a banger LP that eclipses the intensity of the Gothenburg group’s ferocious 2019 Punkrock Deluxe 7”. These guys shred and pummel with a rocking, guitar-heavy edge, playing O.G. hardcore punk as if it were taught to them by the guys in TOTALITÄR. It’s a top-shelf heavy-hitter in a classic way that brings Kansas City’s TOTAL SHAM to mind, but let us not finger it all up unnecessarily—this rips completely, and STRUL is easily one of the best bands doing it in the worst era of modern history.

Tritonic Bend the Arc! cassette

Do you remember the feeling when you were young and you became aware of something that you thought was so cool, be it the cover of a record or a toy or a movie poster or something? You spend your time obsessing over it. You do whatever needs to be done to be in a position of experiencing the coveted thing. Once it is finally acquired, you really take your time with it, trying to savor every minute of the experience. Then you receive the rude awakening of finding out that MOLLY HATCHET was nowhere near as cool as you tricked into thinking they were from Frank Frazetta’s artwork. You remember that feeling? Well, receiving this tape was like that experience with time sped up. The packaging of this cassette is so insanely cool. Gold cassettes in a black O-card adorned with splattered gold paint, all wrapped in tissue paper, inserted into a cardboard folding case which is hand-painted and stamped in multiple locations, then dipped in wax to seal it like a bottle of Maker’s Mark. This thing is an absolute work of art! Slowly, I took my time and opened and inspected every aspect of it. Preparing for the unknown, I pushed play. These are expert-level musicians playing every genre of music you can possibly imagine, changing drastically from song to song. It’s essentially the score to a musical. There’s the “CRADLE OF FILTH but it’s a slick hardcore band” song, there’s the “pirate sea shanty” drinking song, there’s the RADIOHEAD-inspired track, there’s some unlistenable garbled nü-metal that breaks into a Tibetan monk chant, there’s a three-minute-long free-jazz drum solo, there’s a laid-back elevator music jazz piano track. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. These are clearly very good musicians who are fans of every single musical genre, and this cassette shows that TRITONIC has chops across them all, but I just couldn’t possibly care less. If this sounds like it is up your alley, then I can’t believe you’re reading Maximum Rocknroll…I mean, if this sounds like it’s up your alley, there is a dissertation on the TRITONIC Bandcamp that will explain to you why you can’t just check It out online. Normally I think that’s a cool move to only have stuff available on cassette tape, but for some reason, the manifesto seems a bit self-righteous and artsy to me. The tape looks truly awesome, though.

U.I.S. U.I.S. cassette

Are we entering a new age of Mysterious Guy Hardcore? Did it ever go away? There isn’t much online about the shadowy figures behind this five-song EP, but it rips. Mining similar aural terrain (probably caves, maybe catacombs) as HOAX and CULT RITUAL, filthy shit-fi production reigns supreme here. Nasty, serrated guitar riffs and leads that hint at extracurricular studies in metal, coupled with ultra-raw vocals, create a gnarled full-aggro churn that demands repeated plays. Bleak and disquieting, I look forward to what comes next.

Vestigio Vestigio LP

Full of rage and waging a sonic war against injustice, VESTIGIO uses punk as a vehicle to convey a sense of their experience as Latinos living in Canada. Gruff shouts punctuate the chainsaw buzz of wild guitars and tupa-tupa drums. The artwork portrays a scene of skeletons and razorwire that might lead one to chalk this up as a D-beat record, but this is a little different than your standard gasmask and bullet belt fare. VESTIGIO brings to mind APATIA NO and FALLAS DEL SISTIMA, passionate anarcho-punks committed to the struggle against oppression. A solid release from a band I’ll be keeping an eye out for.

The Wind-Ups Confection LP

Third LP from Chico, CA’s WIND-UPS. Started as Jake Sprecher’s solo endeavor, the project has evolved to include many different credited musicians, most notably JONATHAN RICHMAN’s electric guitar work on the outro “Little Boy Blue” (originally on the ’23 Jonathan Says EP).  Is there a steady lineup? Unclear, though there is a trio pictured on the Bandcamp page. Inside, we find a RAMONES-core, burnt-sugar kind of power pop that owes as much to the aforementioned greats as they do to the shamble and sweetness of pandemic-era bedroom projects. I kind of glazed over at first, but after a few listens getting through the powdered, confectionary “Fine Pink Mist” (great, punchy opener), I really enjoyed this. Some standouts of the album for me are “(That’s Just My) Dream Girl” and “To Keep Away,” both which really lean into the RAMONES sound. Kerra Jessen wrote and co-performed “Cheer Up,” which may be the feel-good, don’t-be-too-down-on-yourself song of the year, and features some shoegaze-y guitars during the chorus, in contrast to the otherwise light and sparse verse. And JONATHAN RICHMAN on “Little Boy Blue”?? That reference alone could speak for itself, but the song is actually one of my favorites, featuring a blown-out, melancholic energy that feels well-placed at the album’s end. Is this sad birthday music? Is it the glistening, split-skinned cherry atop a cake no one asked for? Is it a bad haircut on a windy day? You decide.

Zero Azúcar Zero Azúcar LP

I’ll say it again. It’s funny as hell to me that I got assigned records from ZERO AZÚCAR and NO SUGAR in the same month. It’s gold. Unlike the NO SUGAR record, this one and I are getting off to a fantastic start. It’s punk, but it’s a little poppy. That said, I would not call it pop punk. Mid-tempo and super catchy, it’s got some sort of organ or synthesizer that they use enough that you notice it, but not so much that it’s a distraction. It gives it a little bit of an early new wave feel. It’s all in Spanish and I speak some Spanish, but not at the level that I understand much of this. But I can say that the vocals are strong and perfect for the music here. Really nicely put together. A complete package. At its core, this is punk rock.

Alien Nosejob Forced Communal Existence LP

With little introduction needed for the Aussie bedroom artist Jake Robertson, known as the formidable ALIEN NOSEJOB, Agitated and Anti-Fade have put together a compilation of previously released EPs and singles on this massive 23-track LP. Releases are displayed chronologically: 2017’s Panel Beat, 2018’s Death of the Vinyl Boom (featuring a cover of JACKSON ZUMDISH’s “Flyblown”), the DEAD KENNEDYS cover “Government Flu” comes out to play in between, then 2020’s HC45, 2021’s HC45-2, 2022’s Cold Bare Facts, and finally a cover of ED KRUEPPER’s “S-O-S ’75.” Whew. I don’t know, it felt important to credit the releases for some reason. This is one-stop shopping for some of the best ALIEN NOSEJOB on offer—it spans the progression, the off-kilter aggression, the fuzz, and the insanity of this tireless Australian gem. I needn’t say more.

Berserker The State of the Empire LP

Hardcore is just one of those genres whose umbrella stretches so far that no two fans ever have the same taste. If your sweet-tooth for hardcore trembles for the more melodic strain, harkening back to the late ’90s/early ’00s especially in guitarist/singer Jon Vornbrock’s convincing Dennis Lyxzén impression, you’ll have plenty to like here. In fact, overall BERSERKER is specifically reminiscent of REFUSED. The riffs, the vocals, the earnest and unpoetic political lyrics; it’s difficult to parse it from the influence of the Swedish icons of post-hardcore (read: when hardcore became appealing to indie rock kids). The blend of pit-savvy chugs and chiming open chords in particular dips its toe into noise rock, a cross-genre amalgam that isn’t my cuppa but is competently written and performed. It’s just hard to look past the lack of originality, especially when a track like “Suicide on 66” lifts a riff directly from “Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine” from The Shape of Punk to Come. And look, I’m not against wearing your influences on your sleeve. I just prefer when it’s not so easy to trace back to a singular source.

Blug Turnip Nation cassette

Liberated now wave, as brought to you by three of this century’s foremost freaks—you might (and should) know Grace Ambrose, Marissa Magic, and Max Nordile from their time spent warping minds in projects like PREENING, DEBT RAG, MOZART, NEON, and GIRLSPERM (that’s just the short list), and together, they are BLUG. Turnip Nation was written and recorded over the course of just a few hours this summer, a frenetic and agitated first thought/best thought scrawl of clanging percussion, loping, eternal return bass lines, and gnarled, punctuated shocks of treble-heavy guitar in six minute-long (give or take) parts. Intuitive instant music as a document of friendship and collaboration, art-punk at its most wild and free, can you take it?

Celebrity Handshake Counterfeit Head LP

You know that one guy in town who’s always shouting conspiracy theories for the world to hear but they’re actually not speaking to anyone in particular at all? Well, what if that guy fronted the BUTTHOLE SURFERS? This is like a combat-shocked D. Boon fronting SONIC YOUTH. The fact that I have to make up these weird scenarios to try and explain CELEBRITY HANDSHAKE is honestly a testament to the originality at play here. This is pleasantly unpleasant, or unpleasantly unpleasant; it just depends on who’s listening. And honestly? That’s awesome.