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!

Dream World Dream World LP

DREAM WORLD is out of Richmond, Virginia, and earlier this summer, they released their self-titled inaugural full-length through Sorry State. DREAM WORLD has a familiar feeling to their sound, with classic punk riffs laying the groundwork and a sense of distaste towards everything currently being promoted by the oligarchs—a message that is at the very heart of all that is punk. “Submission” is my favorite track with its anti-work morality, and is it just me, or is DREAM WORLD not so subtly nodding to the similarly named SEX PISTOLS song? Now before you roll your eyes and write this record off due to that reference, let me just reiterate for the thousandth time how much I appreciate creative, concise hardcore punk, and DREAM WORLD is certainly that.

D.S.B. Substitute LP

D.S.B. (DEFIANCE OF SHIT BASTARDS)’s excellent Substitute LP has some lore that deserves to be briefly mentioned here: the legendary Japanese band played a brief stint in the US in 2003, bringing their full-throated brand of hardcore punk to astounded audiences. As General Speech put it in their write-up, the band “basically blew the minds of everyone in the collective DIY hardcore scene at the time” (there is tour footage and audio available on the internet, I found it to be an excellent companion piece here). Feeling at the top of their game, D.S.B. went to the studio to re-record some of their tracks from previous releases like No Fight. No Get and the One Shot One Kill comp as well as some new tracks, resulting in their legendary second full-length Substitute. Until now, this was only available on a 2004 CD release, but thanks to the aforementioned General Speech, we can hear it in all of its glory on our turntables. Going toe-to-toe in the song department with nearly any of their peers, D.S.B. play fast, furious, and sound super revved-up across the entire album, particularly on standouts “死ぬまで戦え” and “Rebel and Protest,” the latter of which sounds like a direct influence on many of today’s latest and greatest “inspired by Japanese hardcore” US hardcore bands. Essential listening for fans of the genre, young and old.

Esperanza Freedom and Equality 12″

The drums sound like drums. The guitar sounds like a real life guitar. And the bass, well, you get it. This is human music through and through. Raw aggression that cannot be faked. This sounds unique. You cannot pin this down, and it is all the better for it. Punk should sound like this. Like movement. Like an inexhaustible energy reminiscent of one’s wasted or at least misremembered youth. This touches on UK82 but is not defined by it. This is its own well-cornered niche of punk. You can taste eclectic notes of their countrymen PAINTBOX, you can detect a little metallic flavor of ENGLISH DOGS, you can breathe in a whisper of IMPACT, you can close your eyes and wish they were coming to your town. Until then, this record will do a more than serviceable job and be well worth your time and money.

Grotto Targeted Solution 12″

Paranoid punk for a world that already lost the plot. Eight tracks of schizoid hardcore that take the twitchy aggression of RUDIMENTARY PENI, the frantic, angular attack of KORO, and the warped mania of early obscure hardcore. The songs are short and nasty. “Black Imp,” “Dark Arts,” and “Dogmen” strike  with the kind of nervous energy that makes everything feel slightly wrong. Recorded at Pee Blood Studios and mastered by Will Killingsworth, the record has the suitably raw, abrasive finish this kind of psychotic punk demands. Neon Taste even pitches it at listeners obsessed with “media-induced paranoia,” strange water, and the feeling that something is very, very wrong.

Hi Sheriffs of Blue Live: Mudd Club & A7 12″

HI SHERIFFS OF BLUE started out as more of a concept than a band. An experimental post-punk unit with a rotating cast of noteworthy NYC players including Lydia Lunch, Jerry Williams, and Neneh Cherry (of “Buffalo Stance” fame), the group initially incorporated wacked-out takes on jazz, disco, and noise into their performances. Eventually, they settled into a more permanent lineup, and in the process, forged the rootsy and charging off-kilter blues sound heard on these live recordings from ’82 and ’83. The resulting din is somewhat ahead of its time. If you close your eyes and listen, forgetting everything I just said, you can easily imagine this as an obscure entry in the ’90s bastard blues revival alongside bands like the OBLIVIANS and JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION. The tunes range from speedy ragtime jaunts (“Sloppy Drunk Again”) to lurching disjointed dirges (“Wolf”) and beyond, all of it caked in claustrophobic club atmosphere. They straddled the line between no wave art and the punk Southern gothic of the GUN CLUB like no one else, haphazardly paving the way for future Delta degenerates.

Ka-Oh! Ka-Oh! cassette

OH! This is absolutely lovely. Very FUGAZI/HAPPY GO LICKY-coded—the classic post-hardcore sound of noodly, dissonant guitar riffs, wandering bass lines, and syncopated drums that keep everything wrapped up in a nice little package. The singer has the standard Guy Picciotto energy that you typically see with these kinds of acts, but they have their own spin to it, adopting more of a hoarse barking style as opposed to Picciotto’s sinister hissing. Maybe that’s because it’s all sung in German. Everything sounds aggressive in that language. This is really fantastic stuff and a must-listen for anyone who grew up loving the DC sound.

Left Off God Hates Flags CD

There is a charm and earnestness to this tape that I haven’t heard in a long time. The recording sounds like it was done in a bathroom by a buddy, the musicianship is sloppy and earnest, the lyrics are perfectly in time with the music, and the message is standard. All of it, the entire package, is what makes me love this so much. The songs themselves are pretty basic and mid-tempo in that punk lane. Through the speakers, I can feel how amazing it feels to be in a room playing music with good pals. I am certain that the longer this band stays together that they will become better songwriters, hone their lyrics, and develop a polished, cohesive sound and overall become a much better band. However, this first effort might be the punkest thing I’ve heard in a while.

Marbled Eye Forever 12″

The best post-punk creates the best tension; an uneasiness the listener can feel pulse through their appendages. Modern bands like DIӒT and INSTITUTE are perfect examples. MARBLED EYE, having formed a couple years after their aforementioned peers, feel like they’re chasing those tigers but never quite catching up. Their latest offering provides some of said tension, but there’s a layer of detachment seeping through which feels more affect than effect. That’s not to say these songs do not have merit. In a dark, cool room, these songs blasting from the speakers would surely create an atmosphere, but again that may be the rub here—the intent to curate sensation rather than a sensation naturally developing. Or maybe I’m the rub, the rube. What causes more friction to your ears, pageantry or pedantry? Turn this one on and decide for yourself.

Negative Runners Nightmare Agenda LP

Hurtling out of the gate on second album Nightmare Agenda is France’s NEGATIVE RUNNERS. They’re proud members of their punk local scene in Saint-Étienne, the city that’s home to the quartet, their studio of choice, and the record label putting out this album, which is a classic, rough-edged burst of melodic hardcore that tackles the joys and struggles of everyday life. Collecting ten songs into the album’s twenty-three minutes, Nightmare Agenda doesn’t wear out its welcome, and repeated listens slowly reveal meaning as its mix of gruff punk, hardcore, street punk, and even a touch of pop punk, thanks to some very well-placed organ, worms its way into your consciousness. The signposts to LEATHERFACE and HOT WATER MUSIC are clear, with one of the band’s vocalists sounding like he’s gargling from a glass of angry bees, but there’s also the occasional nod to NOFX from his counterpart. Together, they and their bandmates have created some great, urgent punk that keeps you coming back for more.

Oust A Girl Can Dream EP

Short and potent, this 7” from Amsterdam’s OUST packs a lot of menace and frustration into its three tracks. Expressing disgust and disbelief in our current dubious world order, it’s classic punk protest set to a strong modern hardcore sound. With a strapping back-and-forth beat, ripping sheen, and general atmosphere of malaise, the sound resonates in the vein of S.H.I.T. or BIB. After the brutal condemnation and revenge fantasy of the first couple songs, the decompressed “There is Only Hope in Action” is the real killer here, showcasing the band’s artistic precision and ability to evoke mood while delivering a clear message: they’re pissed, but far from discouraged.

Private Lives Think I’m Coming Around / Television Faces 7″

Two songs, no wasted motion. On “I Think I’m Coming Around,” this Montreal four-piece shoves the guitars right up front and lets them bite, and it had my head bobbing from the first bar. Their ’70s-influenced mix of power pop and garage is catchy without feeling soft, and the A-side is fast becoming one of my favorite songs of 2026. Jackie Blenkarn (formerly of PALE LIPS) is a big part of why, holding her own against all those guitars with a confident, cutting delivery. Flip it for “Television Faces,” which works the same territory but sneaks in some new wave and surf flourishes around the edges. I think both tracks pack more punch than anything on their 2025 full-length, and if this is where they’re headed, I’m on board. These are pure rock’n’roll hit-and-runs: get in, light it up, and peel out.

Sonnam The Chains Will Break and I Will Overcome All Sorrows cassette

Portland’s SONNAM works with doom, post-metal and ambient space, giving these six pieces time to unfold. There’s a political weight to the words that makes the title’s promise of release more interesting. “Aguas y Púas” turns the border into a ghost story, while “Hymn of Martyrs” confronts state violence and the machinery of empire. Against that, “This Fragile Body” makes a small, stubborn affirmation of being alive and loved. That movement from collective brutality to bodily vulnerability gives the release something worth sitting with. The closing “Wall of Unforgotten Misdeeds” runs nearly ten minutes, so leave the quick-hardcore expectations at the door. Heathen Fawn’s cassette includes an extended “Liminal Haruspex.” Heavy music with enough room for grief, and enough resolve to imagine getting through it.

SONNAM, desde Portland, trabaja con doom, post-metal y espacios ambient, dándoles tiempo a estas seis piezas para desarrollarse. Hay un peso político en las letras que vuelve más interesante la promesa de liberación del título. “Aguas y Púas” convierte la frontera en un relato de fantasmas, mientras “Hymn of Martyrs” enfrenta la violencia estatal y la maquinaria del imperio. Frente a eso, “This Fragile Body” propone una afirmación pequeña y obstinada de estar vivo y ser querido. Ese movimiento entre la brutalidad colectiva y la vulnerabilidad del cuerpo le da al lanzamiento algo en lo que vale la pena detenerse. El cierre, “Wall of Unforgotten Misdeeds”, roza los diez minutos: conviene dejar afuera la expectativa del golpe hardcore rápido. El cassette de Heathen Fawn incluye una versión extendida de “Liminal Haruspex”. Música pesada con espacio para el dolor y la voluntad de atravesarlo.

Suicidas Canciones Malditas LP

The first full-length from Barcelona’s SUICIDAS, who rip out fast, melodic punk. This may be their first full-length, but they’ve released over a dozen 7” over the years, and while I’ve heard them referred to as RAMONES-core, I beg to differ. The fab four are clearly an influence, but the production is sharper, and they lack that distinct NYC edge. That’s not meant to slight SUICIDAS, but I feel like there is a little more going on here than just RAMONES worship. “Paz Y Tormento” bears influence to LOST KIDS with its tight percussion and steadfast, down-picked guitar parts. The music is tight, the production is polished, maybe even slightly over-polished, and the double vocals are top-notch. It all works in their favor. Cool stuff!

Totalis Griefstate 12″

A heavyweight crust “supergroup” bringing together members of bands that shaped the genre as we know it today. TOTALIS refines the atemporal DISCHARGE/ANTI-CIMEX/SKITSYSTEM lineage through crushing production, piling D-beat agility, apocalyptic riffage, and an unmatched vocal savagery. Barney Greenway (NAPALM DEATH) and Fredrik Wallenberg (SKITSYSTEM) split vocal duties, giving the record two distinct but equally vicious voices; each one does three tracks. Andy Lefton (WAR//PLAGUE) oversees the guitar work, while the rhythm section is skillfully handled by Kelly Halliburton (DETESTATION, SEVERED HEAD OF STATE) and Charlie Claesson (ANTI-CIMEX, the PARTISANS). Throw Swedish hardcore, UK crust, and early grindcore into a blender, and the result is Griefstate. Nothing more than veterans of the extreme underground staking their claim to the genre they pushed forward, and a very refreshing take on it.

Volk Soup 10p Jazz LP

Leeds band (or rather, a whole orchestra) VOLK SOUP releases their extremely fluid and beautifully chaotic debut LP, 10p Jazz. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the premise of the band and started listening. As of right now, I still don’t know what to expect from the next song, and I mean it in the best way possible. This eight-piece (yes, you read it right, folks) has everything, singing saw included. I know what you’re thinking: “Psshh, Mama. You’re exaggerating again. They can’t have everything.” And you smirk as you add, “What about an electric drill? They have that too?” Why, yes dear. They do. This is one of those albums I don’t want to reveal too much about. But all that I can say is I’m very impressed by all those clever compositional choices, intense layers, and commitment to genre-bending. Check it out yourself and thank me later.

Absolut / Destruct Deafen and Disarm split EP

This is a record I was, of course, looking forward to, as a person of verified good taste. I mean, the room for error with Richmond’s DESTRUCT is non-existent: they are hot as shit and one of the best hardcore bands right now. These three new songs sound absolutely devastating, like a steroid-addicted FRAMTID with a touch of traditional Japanese hardcore and a pinch of SVART PARAD and BOMBANFALL; manic crasher Scandicore for the masses. This band smokes, but they are a very tough act to follow. It’s a bit like being asked to juggle a football just after Lionel Messi. I had no idea that ABSOLUT, from Toronto, was still going, and I was curious to hear what they would come up with. Their three songs are decent slices of raw, Japanese-style metal punk with extravagant soloing and evil vocals (ZOUO or the CLAY are certainly on the band’s playlist), but they do come short after DESTRUCT’s relentless punk mayhem. But then, most bands would. The incredible artwork, courtesy of Sugi, looks fantastic and should be more encouragement to grab a physical copy of this noisy fucker.

Brainwash Victims Brainwash Victims cassette

Filthy hardcore for the paranoid, pissed-off, and those permanently tuned to the wrong frequency, made for a world already circling the drain. Milwaukee’s BRAINWASH VICTIMS feature members of BIG ZIT, OOZE, and the CONEHEADS, turning eight tracks into just over sixteen minutes of absolutely noisy punk carnage. This is D-beat channeled through a Midwestern basement, the FIX smashed into NEGATIVE APPROACH sneering over the top and with DIE KREUZEN-style weirdness lurking in the riffs. Raw, ugly American hardcore with a serious D-beat infection. “Wasted Life,” “World Destroyed,” “Extraction,” all killers, no fillers!

Cherry Cheeks D.O. and the Bytes LP

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” Okay, Michael Corleone wasn’t talking about synthy punk sounds, but he might as well have been. With the glut of eggy punk that’s flooded the airwaves over the last half-decade-plus, it can feel a bit uninspired. But then CHERRY CHEEKS busts through the wall like the dang Kool-Aid man and gives everyone a reminder of how amazing this music can be when done right. On their third album, CHERRY CHEEKS opt for a concept record about the titular D.O. battling the evil Reapers set to wipe his memory, and it makes for nothing but fun from the drop. The juvenile, not so much snotty as they are nasally vocals blend so well with the catchy synth lines, and every song will have you bopping your head along. Songs like “D.O. Gets Hitched” sound like they could be the theme music for a cute platformer hero from a lost Sega Genesis gem, a subtle nostalgia that creates a comfort which never takes itself too seriously. Turn up the volume, go to the mattresses, and jump on the bed.

Cornpone / Pocket Fishrmen split EP

Call it serendipity, coincidence, or even something preordained, but here we are. Ya see, every so often, I like to have a few sips and be my own personal DJ for the evening, and just last night, I grabbed the “P” box of lil’ spinners. Here I was, playing both POCKET FISHRMEN 45s from the late ’80s, and now, fifteen hours later, this brand new record hits my inbox. Can I get a what-what? POCKET FISHRMEN’s “Smash the Fascist” somehow reminds me of DEAD KENNEDYS, the B-52’S, and NO SYMPATICO (Michigan band). While slightly different from the two records I listened to last night, these two tracks are on-point with twisty guitars, poignant lyrics, and Texas charm. Let’s switch gears to CORNPONE. With the heaviness of all the best AmRep bands and a distinctive Texas swagger, their first song on here, “Too,” has the pleading but not desperate (more, if you will, angry and jarring) vocal styles of Jennie Armour layered over a sludgy, pummeling, and powerful song that has me leaning forward out of my seat. “Mother’s Cough,” their second offering, has Anthony bearing the weight of the vocals with what starts off as a fast hardcore stomper and then, as is typical with Texas bands, they throw in some unexpected changes and make this a rollercoaster of a just over two-minute ditty. Both selections are perfect, and together, they cover a lot of ground in under five minutes.

Dimension Fight Another Day EP

At a glance, the freaky cyber artwork of DIMENSION’s Fight Another Day may be misleading. There is no techno or EDM to be found here, just six tracks of pummeling ’80s-style USHC that are generally very fast, occasionally slightly slower, and always totally ripping. KORO and NEGATIVE APPROACH are some sources of inspiration, evident in the breakneck riffs and brutal stomping; this shit is begging to be two-stepped to. Every song is a standout, highly recommended.

Drakulas Midnight City LP

Midnight City opened with me thinking I had DRAKULAS figured out: another punk band raiding the ’80s, except instead of the gloomy synths of HOME FRONT, they went for the party end of the decade, closer to OINGO BOINGO’s nervous fun. The usual guitar, bass, and drums get a synth riding shotgun, along with the proto-punk and new wave touches you’d expect. But the deeper I got into the record, the more it sounded like the band a TV writer invents when the punks show up on Quincy, M.E., music meant to sound dangerous that comes off pretty polite to anyone who’s heard the real thing. That could well be on purpose. This Austin crew includes members of RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS and RISE AGAINST, folks who’ve put in decades on the road, and Midnight City sounds like a record that could easily reach past the punk crowd. There are some spicy tunes here, like “Head in the Clouds” and “Garbage Strike,” but the whole thing just wasn’t for me. Maybe I just don’t like fun. If FRANZ FERDINAND ever made your playlist, you’re probably the target audience, since both bands are knowingly retro and danceable. It’s the first record I’ve reviewed for MRR that I wanted to pass along to my friends who don’t like punk, and honestly, these guys have earned a shot at a bigger crowd if that’s the goal.

Early Grave Sewer Baby Eaten by Worms EP

Hardcore for the damned. Deranged, old-school-styled hardcore punk soaked in the dank atmosphere of early extreme metal. Sounds like they wrote this material in a basement in 1983 with a stack of horror films and a bottle of poison as a chaser. EARLY GRAVE smashes together warped USHC, some UK82 abrasion, and Japanese hardcore psychosis, then buries the whole mess in a grave of early black metal. I can hear the ACCÜSED,  ZOUO, VENOM, and the ugly back catalogs of ’80s American underground punk, but Sewer Baby Eaten by Worms never feels like a tribute. The riffs are stark black over mutated tempos, while the vocals sound diseased. The whole EP plays like the soundtrack to a midnight horror movie. Rotten to the fucking core.

Fever Visions This Place is Full of Noises LP

Montreal band FEVER VISIONS have released their first full-length, and it might just be the best thing I’ve heard this year. This Place is Full of Noises finds FEVER VISIONS firmly entrenched in the continuum of punk with riffs that are straight out of early ’80s Southern California, vocals that sound very Jello Biafra at times, song structures that reflect the MINUTEMEN but also things like EMBRACE, moments that sound like the REFUSED, and even later post-hardcore. This Place is Full of Noises surges with adrenaline-inducing energy as rhythms linger but shift quickly and in unexpected ways. The closest comparison I might make is Temecula, California’s jazzed-out punkers the COLTRANES, so if you like them, be sure to check out FEVER VISIONS, but you should also just check out This Place is Full of Noises because it’s really fucking good.

Gimic New Traditions LP

Killer debut LP from Bristolian DIY punks GIMIC that melds hardcore fury with math rock intricacy. At first listen, New Traditions recalls the jazz-inflected MINUTEMEN, but the clean, arpeggiated guitar work often bursts into frantic punk with vicious vocals. Imagine a moment where playlists crash and GEL plays out of the left earbud while DON CABELLERO plays out of the right, but in perfect synchrony. Now imagine following the link and listening to the whole thing right now, because it rules.

Hawel/McPhail Sorrow Wonderland LP

Sorrow Wonderland is fuzz-caked garage rock that mostly rolls along at a steady head-nod pace, then every so often cuts loose with some flying saucer bleeps and B-movie space effects, just to take it a little over the top. The production makes everything sound huge, and the twelve songs, averaging three minutes apiece, keep moving without wearing out their welcome. The English-language vocals won’t win any awards, but they don’t get in the way, either. This is the second album from the Hamburg duo of Rick McPhail (MINT MIND, TOCOTRONIC) on drums and Frehn Hawel (TIGERBEAT) on guitars and vocals, and it’s pressed in an edition of 250 on yellow vinyl. The building blocks are familiar, but they’re stacked at enough odd angles to stand apart from the pile of fuzz pedal bands out there, and I spent the whole record wondering what the fuck they were going to throw at me next.

William H. Michael Jazz Destroyer LP

Outta Cleveland, OH comes Jazz Destroyer by WILLIAM H. MICHAEL, hitting equal parts X (See How We Are-era), MOVING TARGETS, maybe even a little DEAD KENNEDYS here and there, and some of those melodic, mid-to-fast-tempo alternative/college rock bands that have a slightly darker tint. Start to finish, this is a great rock punk record that had a transportive effect on me, sending me back to the mid-to-late ’80s of videotaping 120 Minutes every Sunday night and being tired all Monday at school. I bet he woulda played by me and I woulda been too young to get into the bar and WILLIAM H. MICHAEL would have seen me sulking outside the venue and he’d have given me a CD and a three-quarter sleeve Jazz Destroyer T-shirt.

Moody Goods Southern Lights LP

First off, I love the cover art for this slab. Just some blokes hanging out having a pint. It looks like a photo some random bar would post on their Facebook page, but there’s an aura to it. I think it has something to do with the throwback Best Buy Series sticker pasted on it. Anyway, this is a really solid release here. Modern pub rock with a garage punk twist. Powerful vocals that bring to mind D. Boon paired with melodic, noodly leads. There’s a violin intermittently thrown into the mix every so often, and it’s such a lovely little addition that I wish it was featured more prominently. This might make me sound like a total dumbass, but I was a bit shocked to see these folks were from across the pond. This has a very North American sound to it. A little more aggressive, a little heavier on the power chords, with dynamics pushed into the stratosphere. They’d be right at home in Chicago. Spin this a few times and you’ll see what I mean.

Pletyka Kedves Kis Gonoszságok 12″

Debut vinyl release from this Hungarian trio, following a demo cassette that they released three years ago. PLETYKA, which translates as “gossip” in English, plays synth-y post-punk. I was tempted to throw in “brooding,” since that’s the typical descriptor you find attached to stuff like this—it probably didn’t help that Kedves Kis Gonoszságok translates to something like “dear little evils”—but PLETYKA isn’t really your typical post-punk band. They may use analog synths to provide a layer of gloom to the five tracks that make up this record, but that layer just ends up serving as a tether to vocals that might otherwise float away. At least two voices sing in unison and somehow manage to strike a balance between melodic and ambient, harmonic and dissonant, sweet and gently melancholic. At times it reminds me of the Australian act TERRY at their gentlest, or when the synth lines get a little more primitive, the great Flemish act VITA NOCTIS. Really excellent record!

Ritual Disorder Ritual Disorder demo cassette

New demo from the Meanjin (Brisbane), Australia four-piece RITUAL DISORDER. This is a female-fronted post-punk group whose sound is immediately captivating. For a demo, I was expecting something a little rougher, but the recording/production is clean and sounds like they’ve been at it for years. Beyond Cate’s soaring vocals, the rest of the band holds their own with beautiful guitar riffs, urgent, driving bass lines, and really exceptional drumming that some could say is on the brink of distraction, but I think adds a perfect frenzy beneath the drawn-out vocals. This is right up my alley, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more.

Shaved Ape Love Letter to Hardcore LP

The LP cover is perfect; a picture of Riky Barnes in a RUDIMENTARY PENI shirt, mid-air, ripping a skate trick. Some records you know you are going to dig before you even hear them, and if I saw this in the bins when I was thirteen, I would have bought it, no questions asked. And when I dropped the needle onto this one, I didn’t just dig it, I fucking loved it. Ten songs (the B-side has their 2022 demo in its entirety) in less than ten minutes, and they all rip with the ferocity of ten Rottweilers guarding a junkyard! It’s maniacal, furious, and scary like good hardcore should be. And it was recorded on a glorious tape machine, giving it the perfect fidelity. All these key ingredients are necessary to make a stellar record and to pen an honest love letter to hardcore. Major props to the drumming on this one, too. Top-tier.

Sick Thoughts Another Piece of Plastic 12″ reissue

Slovenly gives last year’s five-song SICK THOUGHTS EP new life with an alternate cover, a poster, and a choice of black vinyl or yellow (limited to 100). When Drew Owen started this project as a Baltimore teenager, he got called a JAY REATARD clone, but his sound has been maturing ever since, most noticeably on 2022’s Heaven is No Fun, and this record pushes that evolution further. The foundation is still fast, melodic, hook-heavy punk with roots in garage, and he hasn’t sanded off the grit, but he’s doing more inside the songs. The pop-streaked ripper “Me and My Guitar” gives way to “19977,” where his gruff lead vocal plays off smooth backing harmonies, and the title track opens with GANG OF FOUR-style guitars ping-ponging between speakers. Then “Just Die Fast” delivers an ’80s hardcore blast before “The Doom” slows down and stretches into a heavy noise rocker. It all hangs together like it was written and performed by one person. Oh yeah, it was. Owen plays everything himself. He sings “Me and my guitar will never die,” and I hope he’s right, because I want him to keep pumping out good fucking music. What’s this guy gonna do in his thirties? Catch him on his short October tour through the Midwest and Southeast.

Slugmilk Salt Room Hardcore XXX cassette

Well, there’s one tape in every batch that confuses me, and this one has me completely baffled. Despite the “XXX” in the album title, SLUGMILK from St. John, New Brunswick does not have anything at all to do with straightedge. No, that’s actually the Roman numeral for 30, because this is the band’s thirtieth full-length release since they formed in 2010. Yes, you read that right. These aren’t short releases either, with 23 tracks on this specific tape. You know what else they aren’t? A hardcore band, making this the most confusing album title that I can possibly imagine. I could see maybe calling them a punk band, but to me, it essentially sounds like an aggressive rock band with an edgy, quirky, bar-rock vocalist. Wait, make that two edgy, quirky, bar-rock vocalists, as two of their seven members are credited solely with vox. Seven people seems like a lot when you only hear drums, guitar, bass, and vocals. Looking at the insert, I have the answer, but I am no less confused. Four people are credited with playing guitar, and three of them are also credited with playing bass. Finally, a band that gets to third bass. Did I mention that this is their thirtieth full-length? If you happen to be looking for punk-adjacent music that doesn’t take itself too seriously yet is serious enough to crank out release after release, you’re in luck, because I have uncovered quite the rabbit hole for you to dive into.

Team Work Somebody’s Gotta Do It LP

Transatlantic collab between Lise Sutter (MARAUDEUR, the STACHES) and Ronni What (SPLLIT, FAKE LAST NAME), with our two intrepid teammates exchanging ideas and inspirations between Leipzig and Louisiana over the course of three years to construct TEAM WORK’s debut, Somebody’s Gotta Do It. For as long as I’ve been aware of each of their respective projects, Lise and Ronni have struck me as kindred spirits cut from the same abstractly patterned cloth, so it’s extremely cool to be given this keyhole glimpse into their long-distance friendship and the richly creative musical partnership that has blossomed from it. The dominant traits of both MARAUDEUR and FAKE LAST NAME’s specific art-punk eccentricities have very much been passed down to TEAM WORK—rubbery bass lines, cut-up lyrical poetry, clattering woodblocks, wonky electronics and tape manipulations, dubbed-out echo and delay. There’s reverberations of LIZZY MERCIER DESCLOUX in the ass-shaking mutant funk groove and playfully taunting doubled vocals of “I Burnt My Tongue With F-icience This Morning,” and without overtly referencing the RAINCOATS, “(Bring More This Time)” still evokes their devotion to rhythm (shaky or not), their ability to conjure a sound that is simultaneously haunting and joyful, and the power of individual voices dissolving into each other to gain even greater strength as collective chants. A record that genuinely creates and inhabits its own world; a desire path splitting off from the established routes of so much point-A-to-point-B modern punk.

Trash Sound Conglomerate Sophomore Slump LP

This is one of those records where each song has a different style that can range from ’80s thrash, ’90s SoCal skate punk, ’00s crusty basement stuff like their fellow Seattleites SUX, Salinas Records-sounding indie punk, DIY scruff like GOD EQUALS GENOCIDE. and electro deathwave. And this is one of those records where it works so well that the band isn’t “pulling it off,” because it’s obvious that that’s just how they do music. It all fits together and feels singular in its attitude and self-deprecating anti-swagger. Every one of the three members sings, and I’m assuming they all contribute to the writing process. The alternating vocals and shifting sounds make the record move and never feel rote. The album art, with its Franklin Gothic typeface, may be an homage to Roberta Bayley’s work from the RAMONES debut, or maybe not, but it’s cool.

Willful Disobedience Self Checkout EP

Hardcore punk from our friends all the way out in the Atlantic time zone. Sloppy and fun—your standard lo-fi, local band affair. There are a couple groovy parts thrown in to break up some of the monotony, which gives the slab a nice ebb and flow. Two of the members share vocal duties (I think), but the one who dominates most of the record is my favorite. They’ve got this scrappy, wiry voice that would be right at home in the hills of Appalachia. This is a fun little 7” and well worth checking out.

Abizmo / S.O.H. Japan Tour ’26 split CD

Turning frustration, anger and social malaise into music has always been one of hardcore’s central purposes. S.O.H. and ABIZMO join forces to achieve this purpose in a very strong way. S.O.H. , from Los Angeles, bring their claustrophobic and super tight brand of hardcore to the table, taking some cues from Japanese hardcore like GAUZE, the STALIN, and the COMES and  mixing it up with some UK82 “danceability” and groove. Their musicianship is incredible (members are also in the ranks of ARRÊT, ARTIFICIAL JOY, and REPEAT OFFENDER), and the inflections on the vocals make every moment count.  ABIZMO, from Aichi with ex-members from SYSTEM FUCKER, responds with fast, intense DOOM-styled hardcore with vocals in Japanese, English, and Portuguese, aimed towards broken systems, fascist leaders, brainwashing, buried truths, and the rich getting richer while everyone else gets pushed towards the cliff. Two bands taking the classic hardcore vocabulary and putting it straight through the fucking wall.

Backfire! The Last Confession LP

Final offering from the Netherlands’ BACKFIRE!, who have been active on and off again since 1993. Fast metallic riffs, plodding breakdowns, and gruff vocals call to mind the usual suspects of this style like MADBALL and CRO-MAGS. I wasn’t particularly moved by any of these tracks, but I trust there’s a fanbase who will appreciate a swan song from this legacy act.

Bleak Streak Peak Bleak LP

An overall fantastic album out of Stockholm, Sweden that anyone who digs Sarah, K, or Slumberland Records will surely be fond of immediately. The diversity of sounds may cause a kneejerk read of a lack of cohesion, but by the time the listener is deep into album centerpiece “Imposter,” that thought will have become a distant memory. BLEAK STREAK finds their highest highs when they let things get a little shambling and loose (“Peak Bleak,” “Loser Band Plays Rock n Roll”), and that includes their C86-ified take on SNAIL MAIL’s early single “Thinning,” which works so damn well. BEAT HAPPENING, LOS CAMPESINOS!, and HEAVENLY will all come to mind throughout these tracks, and it just makes for a wonderful listen. Not every track works, and they actually lose me a little when they ramp up the aggression (“I’m Not Jealous”) or the art (“Loser Band Plays På Tisdag På Torsdag”), but those are small prices to pay for such a great ride.

Chumhuffer / Half Dizzy DCxPC Live, Vol. 45 split LP

Whenever I have a DCxPC release come across my desk, I usually gush about the series for half the review before I jump into the meat of the album and talk about the bands. I’ll keep it brief and let you know that I believe these DCxPC live releases are one of the coolest and most important things happening in modern punk rock. If this is your first time hearing of the series, I recommend checking out the whole catalog. However, before you run off on that assignment, this split is a great place to start. HALF DIZZY kicks things off with their brand of high-octane melodic hardcore. This would have been right at home on Nitro Records in the late ’90s/early ’00s. Super tight, so much so that I sometimes forgot I was listening to a live album. CHUMHUFFER is equally well-refined, but plays a more crust/D-beat version of the classic hardcore sound. The vocalist immediately stands out with their impressive melodic range, sounding a bit like Glenn Danzig without the attitude problem. Lovely work here all around, and well worth several spins. I almost can’t believe they’re already on volume 45!

Cloven Fang Silver Bullet EP

Serious MISFITS worship via Melbourne. There’s tons of fucking reverb, rudimentary power chord riffs, and horror movie inuendoes galore. “You are my silver bullet” is repeated like 50 times, and I want more! CLOVEN FANG gives you a hook and then murders you with it. The last track jumps off the MISFITS bandwagon, but it still rips and is full of ghoulish background vocals. This one’s a no-brainer.

Dirty Knees Dirty Knees LP

Whizzes and pew-pews in “Intergalactic Ladies” kick off this LP, but DIRTY KNEES then immediately pull you back from the edge to the great expanse of going to a quarry for a swim and all the random shit that can happen on a day that’s supposed to be low-key fun with friends in the song “Summer Odyssey Fun.” These songs are weighted with lo-fi, catchy punk, with enough inside jokes and humor to pull you along for the whole ride. Laura, Maggie, and Elizabeth all take turns writing and singing, completing a well-blended and rad listen. Some of the lyrics about sitting around and the design of the songs somehow remind me of J CHURCH in their bleak honesty and contentment. The song “CDK” is a great tune that’s easy to remember and quote at parties, with the lyrics “If it has to be abbreviated / Must be evil.” Closing this record is one of the best songs that will definitely make it onto the next few mixtapes I make for folks. This DIRTY KNEES LP would be the perfect accompaniment to a 25-minute drive or ride to anywhere.

Fear of Darkness Phobia 1986–1988 LP

Hailing from the Bristol suburb Yate, FEAR OF DARKNESS was active through the mid and late ’80s. Phobia is a taste of the band’s second iteration with original vocalist Dave Mac replaced by Richard Hulands, and with the addition of Angela Huggins on backing vocals. With his deep, rich, and sometimes sullen vocal styling, Hulands ushered the band towards a darkwave/goth sound that was admittedly halfway started in The Virgin Land-era.  SISTERS OF MERCY make for an easy comparison, maybe like the slightly poppier Floodland album. And in general, that’s what I hear here—fairly on-point second wave English post-punk that trades some of the more macabre feelings of the late ’70s first-wavers for something sweeter; chaotic anguish for tenderness.The arrangements definitely reach out and grab styles from straightforward pentatonic rock solos, to quasi-prog rock rhythms (“Friends Like You”), to new wave pop flashiness, to classic, downcost post-punk vocals and reverb-drenched guitar lines. I also think it’s worth noting Angela Huggins’s contribution to the record—her vocals add a lot of depth, and makes it stand out next to their male-only contemporaries. This album has all three tracks from their 1987 Lay Me Down single, and while the other songs were also recorded from ’86 to ’88 as the title suggests, it’s not clear to me if there was another release besides Bristol Archive’s 2008 digital release of Phobia. I inherently like this type of music, so when a group comes along from the archives that I haven’t heard, I get excited. But at what point does a band go from pioneers or standouts in their genre to repeating a formula? Does the big hair and moody band photo feel a little trite? It’s not my place to judge intention, so as far as I’m concerned, the music is good, albeit not boundary-pushing.

Feral!Cat?Red! How Do You Know, When You Are Old Enough to Know Better? CD

This band blends punk, sludge, mathcore, hardcore, and kind of everything in between. The concept sounds like it shouldn’t work, but holy shit, does it work. Annie, the bassist/singer, seamlessly moves her voice from screams to gentle doom vocals to punk yelling while anchoring the songs the way only a really good bass player can. She is outstanding. Drummer Sam is the source of most of the chaos, while guitarist Ben sounds like two or three players dragging the songs between all the genres they expertly mix. The energy here reminds me of bands like COMADRE—that heart-wrenching punk sincerity, but the sound is somewhere in 13/EYEHATEGOD foundations going to play with everyone from BOTCH to KING WOMAN. I fucking love when the punk scene produces something so clearly personal and original, I can’t recommend this enough.

Genre is Death Attractive People LP

No wave squall that punctures both eardrums and listener comfort as strongly as the good old bad days of ’70s New York avant garde. Pulsing bass, sheets of atonal guitar feedback, and GLENN BRANCA-esque, high-volume drone are grounded by the march of a dispassionate drum machine. The duo of Ty and Tayler call and respond in hollers and sarcastic sing-song chants that recall the best of TEENAGE JESUS AND THE JERKS (the band has a friendly relationship with LYDIA LUNCH, which seems like a feat in itself) and MARS. If you like the “screwdriver jammed in the fretboard” sound of urban collapse, this is for you.

Infuriate Scourge of Humanity …World Funeral LP

As a faithful, staunch premium consumer of gruff Eurocrust, friends often try to exfiltrate to my collection perfectly fine, generic, and uncomplicated crust records that they want to get rid of (which is indeed baffling, but no one is perfect I guess). I am easy to please like that. On paper, INFURIATE from Minneapolis has everything that I am looking for in crustcore: growling vocalists, filthy, bleak heaviness, Scandicore pace, cavemen metal breaks, and a cool name. However, and as much as I want to like this first album, it doesn’t click perfectly here. The production is lacking in energy, and the music doesn’t quite have that galloping vibe that works well with the genre, which is a shame because the songs have the required simplicity and directness you’d expect. I am not totally convinced by the very grindcore-inspired and sometimes monotonous vocals that are low in the mix, either. A punker production might have solved these issues, because in terms of songwriting, I am reminded of great bands like MAN THE CONVEYOR or late 3-WAY CUM. An alright record that could have sounded more impactful.

Look Away Look Away demo cassette

Stripped-down Bay Area hardcore. Oakland’s LOOK AWAY comes out swinging with five pissed-off tracks that get straight to the point. Groovy yet viciously fast when it’s called for, channeling the urgency of COKE BUST and CARRY ON with a killer nod to local punk legends GRIMPLE (last song is a cover of “Think”). DIY hardcore done right, with enough stomp to rearrange your teeth. Turn it up or get out of the way!

Mantarochen Wellness Ward cassette

MANTAROCHEN is out of Leipzig, Germany, and they just released the Wellness Ward cassette, a jangling, five-song recording that explores various aspects of post-punk. A classic post-punk method blends with melancholic shoegazing to create a sound that is momentarily reminiscent of the REPLACEMENTS mixed with PAVEMENT. The opener “Hotel Hell” and the closer “Bored to Death” both bring a bit more swagger with the inclusion of some deathrock tones. In all, Wellness Ward is a gradual trip that feels like an earnest expression of emotions.

Mycelium Cloak / Righteous Propaganda split cassette

An interesting tape that features two bands with distinct yet complimentary sounds. I was fully prepared to dislike this for a few reasons. First off, I find the artwork to be quite lacking. It’s boring and offers no indication of what the bands might be like stylistically. Strikes two and three are the respective band names. MYCELIUM CLOAK doesn’t really roll off the tongue, and RIGHTEOUS PROPAGANDA is about as generic as it gets. The music supersedes all of this, thankfully. MYCELIUM CLOAK dishes out some left-of-center hardcore that skillfully incorporates elements of powerviolence, post-rock, and metal. A bit of a slow burn, but the band is tight and the tunes are well-constructed. RIGHTEOUS PROPAGANDA offers a more direct take on powerviolence, with a plethora of blastbeats and a killer fuzz-forward tone. The unexpected inclusion of a cover of “Daddy Never Understood” by DELUXX FOLK IMPLOSION won me over.

Thee Outlets / The Thingz Chaputa​!​’s Double Feature, Vol​.​ 6 split 2×7″

I knew exactly what this was going to sound like the moment I saw the album cover. The THINGZ play a BOBBY “BORIS” PICKETT version of surf punk, while THEE OUTLETS…well, they kind of play the exact same thing. The only difference is that THEE OUTLETS are a bit poppier and feature a dedicated organ throughout, while the THINGZ rely heavily on synth and sound a bit more retro. Otherwise, this is your standard Halloween punk affair. It’s an easy listen and actually quite fun. Perfect for the upcoming spooky season.

Protex Sticking With You LP

PROTEX came out of late ’70s Belfast on Good Vibrations, same as the UNDERTONES, riding a wave that was still fresh at the time, when bands like the RAMONES and the NERVES had shown that punk and power pop could live in the same song. Their 1978 single “Don’t Ring Me Up” is the one people remember, since the album they recorded for Polydor sat in a vault for 30 years. They reformed in 2010, and this is their third album of new material, with guitarist and vocalist Aidan Murtagh the only original member left. What you get here is eleven tracks (most running past the three-minute mark) of pop rock played by a group of guys who have been doing this for a long time. It’s laid-back and competently made, and there’s clearly an audience for it, just not one that needs things to always be harder, faster, louder. The high point for me is the closer, “Slug City,” the album’s most rocking track and maybe the one that sounds most like the kids that they used to be.