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!

3 the Hardway Sex Cymbal cassette

Solid three-song EP here. This has a real ’90s vibe and will take you back in time to when riot grrrl was queen. Sex Cymbal hits all the sweet spots of lo-fi and noise, and at times reminds me of the classic acts such as GOD IS MY CO-PILOT and AIDS WOLF. There’s a bit of a rock’n’roll edge here, but it’s paired with a slow, sludgy cadence. It really felt like the rest of the world was melting around me. Perfect for those hot and heavy summer days which are bound to be fruitful in our current hellscape. Bonus points for having a singing drummer—I’ve always loved that combo! Give this a couple plays and melt with me.

Arms Dealer Mututally Assured Destruction cassette

This tape looks great. Totally homemade cut’n’paste cover with about as much artistic craft as a six-year-old. I love it, and the music is on par with the visuals: four songs and four minutes of punk chaos for people who like their “music” raw, juvenile and to-the-point. Primitive D-beat hardcore with no production value but a lot of energy. AD’NAUSEAM traveling in Sweden and Japan, maybe? I understand members of ARMS DEALER also play in a band called BEER PISS, if that can give you any indication. These kids are from Athens, Georgia, and the tape is released on Hard Tack, a local tape label supporting the local scene. Not exactly Emmy Award quality, but good enough to drink yourself silly on a Friday night.

Blanket of M / Dead Don’t Lie Mayhem & Madness split CD

Short, sharp punk bursts from BLANKET OF M, absolutely classic sounds that land somewhere between MISFITS, the SPITS, and rough ’90s punk with layers of hopelessly catchy vocals. DEAD DON’T DIE are less appealing to these ears, kinda like your awkward uncle’s horror punk band except this shit is sloppier and the attempt at vocal croons makes me cringe. I gave up after the line “Maybe I’ll get a sloppy blowjob” in the second track (“Serial Killer”), and I backed up to listen to BLANKET OF M again.

Choncy Trademark LP

Third release from Cincinnati’s CHONCY. Their angular approach, with clean, frenetic guitars (think D. Boon tone) and lightly distorted vocals, is at the forefront of this album. 2023’s Community Chest and 2024’s 20X Multiplier offered a wider range, with more full-belly guitar distortion and hardcore arrangements, but also plenty of the angularity and sharp rhythm changes that are evident on this release. If Trademark is a move towards honing their sound, I don’t mind. These songs are fast, catchy, and driving, if not a little needling with those piercing guitar riffs. The vocals are provocative in a comedic way, and the whole package reminds me of (a slightly less serious) STRAW MAN ARMY. Apparently, their members now split time between Cincinnati and New York, doing remote recordings and phone calls—but distance be damned! They’ve put out a solid record.

Cream Soda Serving You… LP

Just what exactly is CREAM SODA Serving You? How about fifteen gleaming garage pop freakouts from the mythic Medway Delta? This debut LP showcases the band’s sharp take on the ’60s-inspired rock’n’roll sound that the Kent, England area is famous for, and these three lads are certainly old souls. They’re only in their late teens, and this classic type of racket usually doesn’t originate from such spry young upstarts. Are they the illegitimate children of Billy Childish? If not, he may want to adopt them. They’ve followed in his footsteps brilliantly, adding in a few new moves along the way. Check out “Victim of the Medway Towns,” “On the Side of Evil,” and “2 for 1” for a proper taste.

Dead End Lane Crush LP

Pop punk/ska in the vein of many Fat Wreck bands, yet keeping their own original and fresh approach. Erin’s singing style and her lyrical content hold a unique perspective that help to move the Crush LP above similar-sounding bands. “Antisocial,” with an intro nod to J CHURCH, propels you through common antisocial feelings, while being so catchy that you wanna run around and sing it with a chorus of strangers at the top of your lungs. Overall, these ten songs take enough twists and turns to not only keep your interest, but a few may even make it onto your summertime mixtape for driving around to get a 3 am Slurpee with friends or alone, perhaps.

Fashion Bathers III cassette

Solo project of Joe Warkentin from Winnipeg, Manitoba. From what I can tell, Canada Joe seems to be a grindcore/death metal/extreme music head, and FASHION BATHERS is his foray into synth-heavy power pop/pop punk. I’ve seen similar attempts a few times over my years in punk, where someone mostly known for making more extreme music takes the plunge into one of the poppier realms under the greater punk umbrella, and it often translates surprisingly well. This project is no exception. FASHION BATHERS sound a lot like the MARKED MEN, but you know, if their songs were performed by the animatronic robot band at an arcade. These nine songs were originally self-released digitally in 2020, but have now been given the tape treatment by Knuckles on Stun. If you dig this, you’ll be happy to know that FASHION BATHERS have a bunch of other recordings out there. Whether or not the project performs live remains unknown to me, but I’d love to see them if they do.

Gentilesky Dream LP

This LP, the band’s second, is the first I’m hearing of this Sardinian/Istanbulite act. I somehow missed their 2024 debut, so I was thrown for a bit of a loop when I got some slick-as-shit melodic post-punk instead of the BO DIDDLEY beats and SONICS-y yowls, maybe some harmonica I expected—you know, your standard Slovenly Euro garage fare. The band even has ties to the RIPPERS, who might be thee paradigmatic Slovenly Euro garage act! Bait-and-switch aside, this record has its moments. There’s a big GANG OF FOUR influence running through the nine tracks that make up the record, and when they hew close to that sound, I’m into it. When they stray into math rock territory, I’m less interested. I do think the recording is a tad too polished, and the band has a tendency to launch into some relatively grandiose choruses that seem a little too…”obvious” doesn’t seem like the right word, but it’s getting close. Still, some great songs here. Fans of their debut (which I’ve since gone back and listened to and is maybe more my speed) should find plenty to like.

Giglinger Kasåkern LP

Post-punk from Finland that centers the locked-in bass and drums and moody vocals of the genre, while also incorporating heavy melodic moments that recall ’90s alt-rock bands like a JOY DIVISION/FAILURE blend. And it works! The spacey repetition of “Singularity” maintains its upbeat jam for over eight minutes and explodes with anthemic, fist-in-the-air choruses. “Holy Gasoline” takes a hooky lead guitar line and ignites it into the type of quiet/loud mega-riff that made Billy Corgan lots of money. I found myself waiting for the building crescendo of each song, the pounding tom and snare cadence and power chord chugging, to release into huge rock exultations, and it kept happening! It’s a simple rock formula that tickles big-riff lizard brains, but when it works, it works so well. GIGLINGER has done an interesting thing by pairing the structure with post-punk lyrics and themes, creating a crisply produced and satisfying guitar rock album.

Intimidation Cheap & American 12″

Right off the bat, these guys let you know where they are coming from with the cover art featuring a bunch of empty Budweiser bottles and cans. It’s rough-and-tumble American Oi!, fueled by cheap beer and ready to throw down in the gutter. The vocals are gruff, there’s a classic feel to a lot of the riffs and leads, and there’s not a song over three minutes. No complaints here. Turn it up!

Kläpträp The Infernal Machination… LP

There are bands whose style you can guess with ease just by checking who’s playing in them. With Stick (from DOOM, EXCREMENT OF WAR, and RUIN) and Steph (from the seemingly immortal VISIONS OF WAR) being involved in KLÄPTRÄP, even slow-witted punks can understand that crusty käng hardcore is close on the horizon, and that deodorant will not be necessary to enjoy the music. This first LP released on the always reliable Phobia Records is the next logical step from their highly enjoyable 2023 demo. It is recorded better, more energetic, more aggressive, and there is (a bit) more variety. Have no fear though, the band’s dirty compass firmly points to DISCHARGE-loving Sweden with classic riffs played convincingly. Galloping Scandicore not unlike EXCREMENT OF WAR (duh), with brilliant female vocals reminiscent of early SACRILEGE and early PINK TURDS—powerful shouts of anger rather than growls or shrieks—that set the band apart for me. I am sure that you already made up your mind as to whether or not you are going to enjoy this, but I suggest you give it a go. Old crusties never die.

The Last Responders The Last Responders LP

The LAST RESPONDERS’ LP comes in heavy with shouted, anthemic street punk choruses and pivots directly to a devilish little mid-tempo, upbeat ska punk tune about the daily rat race of the working week. This is pretty straightforward street punk with hooks and sing-alongs. This is the kind of record that you know right away if it is something that is staying or going. For me, it’s staying. I get the feeling that the LAST RESPONDERS put on a good show and a raucous party atmosphere, but mirroring that, I am willing to bet that if you are a friend of one of these guys and you find yourself in a bind that you have them on speed dial. There’s something familial and supportive in the songwriting and delivery that transcends the common “down in the dumps” nihilism that usually accompanies this style. Look, the LAST RESPONDERS aren’t going to change your mind, introduce you to new ideas, turn you on to a new sound, or prolly smell that good when you’re in the same room with them, but I suspect that they will have your back if things get shitty, and that’s more than good enough. Check it out. You won’t be sorry that you did.

Mulbo Mol-bot cassette

Hailing from Oslo, MOLBO’s Mol-bot is a beautifully chaotic combination of razor-sharp guitar melodies, driving bass riffs, expressive vocals, and straightforward drum beats. Though it can fundamentally be categorized as egg-punk, it is leaning a bit towards the chain side of the egg/chain spectrum, which I really enjoy—and if you have a clue what I’m referring to, you’re probably as insufferable as I am. It is a short and sweet collection of six really cool tracks, and definitely a great introduction to the band itself.

Private Prisons Prison Planet LP

I have mixed feelings about Cleveland’s PRIVATE PRISONS and their debut LP Prison Planet, a decent record with some very good songs and also some not very good songs that unfortunately hold it back from being great. Opening with the thrashy “Dead Peasant Policy,” the band showcases solid riffs, vocals, and rhythm section. It’s a promising start that’s derailed as they go on to introduce heavy-handed metallic elements like sluggish, mid-tempo breakdowns and low-register growled vocals, both of which put a damper on things. The overall effect comes off as two competing ideas of what this band could be smashed into one not-so-cohesive record. There are about five songs I’d cherry pick from this LP to make an excellent EP if given the chance.

Rudimentary Peni The E.P.’s of R.P. LP reissue

Between 1981 and 1982, RUDIMENTARY PENI released two recordings: a twelve-track tome of an EP self-released through their own Outer Himalayan imprint, and the Farce EP released through Crass Records. These recordings were combined in 1987 and released through Corpus Christi as a document of pre-Death Church activity. Fast forward to 2026, where Sealed Records has reissued The E.P.’s of R.P. complete with the original Nick Blinko-drawn sleeve, and even more fresh Blinko work on the inside. In my mind, RUDIMENTARY PENI has always represented a tectonic shift in punk—the architects of a new framework, an often-imitated but impossible-to-duplicate template, the next frontier in punk dissidence, and that is why The E.P.’s of R.P. is such an important document for highlighting the band’s developmental period. A reissue like this is truly a must-have for fans, but also an incredible collection of punk.

The Sacred About You / Resistance 7″

An explosive debut from a Los Angeles band that takes inspiration from the BAGS and the GERMS. The raw guitar riffs are accompanied by biting femme vocals delivered like the AVENGERS’ Penelope Houston. Outside of some YouTube clips of their live shows, there isn’t much of a digital footprint of their music, and the album isn’t streaming anywhere. Rumor has it that you can only get this record at one of their shows or at the Funhouse, the restaurant the band works at in Little Tokyo.

Šanov 1 Konec Světa LP reissue

If you’re a fan of the pure punk sound, then nothing beats the bands that come out of Eastern Europe. I don’t know if it’s a direct result of generational dictatorial trauma, but there’s a palpable dystopian darkness that oozes from each and every act. Granted, I usually have no idea what they’re singing about, but the angst is so thick you can cut it with a pocket knife. ŠANOV 1 incorporates a Gothic-flavored Oi! style that sounds like it came straight from the ’80s—instruments chock-full of reverb and biting, snotty vocals. Really solid stuff here, I’m just confused why Papagájův Hlasatel doesn’t give me the option to buy any of their albums on Bandcamp!

Screaming Eyes Screaming Eyes demo cassette

Four cuts of French SxE hardcore punk that alternates between quick, pissed-off blasts and atypical dissonant breakdowns. Rapid-fire vocals inject an energy that drives the songs and gives them character. The riffs pull from post-hardcore, but this isn’t skramz. Hardcore with jagged edges and a seething disdain for injustice. This demo is a solid foundation for a group that is clearly aiming for something outside the standard hardcore slop.

World I Hate Total Nuclear Annihilation LP

A furious soundtrack for late-stage capitalism’s funeral procession. WORLD I HATE delivers exactly what the title promises: twelve tracks of scorched-earth hardcore. Harshly bleak and confrontational. Keith Caves’ artwork matches the record’s worldview perfectly. Metallic hardcore and modern powerviolence are the cards that they have up their sleeves. The relentless pace and short song lengths evoke WEEKEND NACHOS and INFEST, while the crushing mid-tempo sections recall TRAP THEM and early HARM’S WAY. There are also traces of the suffocating atmosphere and social paranoia found in bands like CURSED. Tracks like “Disappeared,” “Less Than Zero,” and the title track channel rage at state violence, economic exploitation, and social decay into compact bursts rarely exceeding two minutes. Weaponized anger!

V/A Inherited Wasteland: Benefit Compilation for the Prairieland Defendants

Opening a comp with YELLOWCAKE, following that up with PHYSIQUE, then including local hellions HEX and DUKKHA is wild, but also guaranteed to get me to buy it. That fact that it supports the righteous cause of the Prairieland Defendants, victims of the present and ongoing political witch hunt, is something that I can absolutely get behind. Literally every active band that I’ve enjoyed over the past few years has a spot here, the flow is perfection, and the breadth of punk included means everyone will find something that hits.

Axefear / Terminal Filth split 12″

You know when you see two people getting into a relationship together and you just think that they fit perfectly together and it makes sense that they end up sharing the same bed? Well, TERMINAL FILTH and AXEFEAR are exactly like that: their union was meant to happen, and they may not share the same bed but they share the same crust. With both their names heavily (and rather unsubtly, it has to be said) nodding to the stenchcore of yore, they are the perfect crust tag-team. If you are not familiar with the bands, TERMINAL FILTH is from Berlin, this split LP is their third record, and they have consistently improved since their inception. The four songs they offer (one of which is a delightful synth interlude that brings to mind the mighty AXEGRINDER) are incredible and cement them as one of the best current bands in the stenchcore division. Heavy, dark, anguished, rotten, metallic crust not unlike CANCER SPREADING or LAST LEGION ALIVE. As a bonus, Janick from AFTER THE BOMBS takes care of the vocals on “The Last Journey”—this is the icing on the cake, and a time machine to 2006. On the other side, you will find three songs (one of them being a REPULSION cover) from Seattle’s AXEFEAR, and although TERMINAL FILTH is a tough act to follow, they deliver their own brand of stenchcore well, reminding me of HELLSHOCK or SANCTUM with the required intensity and a great, filthy sound to convince the punters to grab this album that is bound to become something of a crust classic and a high point of the ’20s for this peculiar subgenre. It is a definite win.

Burgers Gone Wild Mystery Meat cassette

When cars drive by blaring music, it’s usually bad music. But what if everyone chose good music instead? Well, if they chose good music, then I’d hear a lot more BURGERS GONE WILD as I walk my dog around town. This sounds like if RETAIL SIMPS could somehow be more loose. Impossible? The burgers have gone wild after all. These songs blasting from a set of blown-out speakers in an F-150 could probably magically fix all the potholes; don’t ask me how, it’s just a feeling.  Maybe we need to mandate tape decks come standard in everyone’s dumb truck once again?

Cherry Drop Evil With Imperfections cassette

Rock’n’roll in the punk style that put Detroit, Michigan on the map. CHERRY DROP probably always smells like last night’s show regardless of whether they had a show last night or not, but that’s OK, it’s what makes you tune in to this lawless Michigan rock. If this were to come from anywhere else, you’d question the authenticity, but goddamn if this doesn’t just reek of the Mitten State. Evil With Imperfections is relentless, and just when you think you’re going to get a chance to catch your breath, you get another punch to the chest. I betcha they play a lot of places that still allow people to smoke cigarettes inside. I’m mean, they just sound like a fire hazard, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Chubby & the Twerks One Second With… 7″

Lovely little handful of some bittersweet power pop bangers. Catchy hooks prominent in both the vocals and the guitar leads; really embraces that classic ’70s pub rock sound. The title is apt—this really does feel like only a couple seconds. It goes by fast! Just means you gotta keep flipping it from now ’til eternity. This is a fantastic two-song slab and will go great on anyone’s summer playlist.

Dru the Drifter The Atomizer & The Plumber cassette

With upwards of 70 digital releases since 2021, I can say with complete certainty that DRU THE DRIFTER is hands-down the most overwhelming project I have been challenged to make sense of and review. This tape is one release in what seems like a musical assembly line, with albums being churned out once a month. From what I can gather, DRU THE DRIFTER is primarily a solo recording project that performs live with the help of backing band the BACK ALLEY HOOKERS. This cassette compiles two previously released digital full-lengths from November 2025 and January 2026, resulting in over an hour of material. Across that span, there are some dingy garage punk tracks that stand out. Unfortunately, they are surrounded by a much wider sprawl of ideas, including sloppy punk rock, synth-pop experimentation, and acoustic folk tracks. The sheer volume is impressive, but also exhausting. My biggest issue with this project is its seeming lack of restraint. I am not sure what is driving this sense of urgency to keep cranking out release after release on such a tight timeline, unless there is a real life Speed situation where dropping below a certain number of monthly releases triggers dire consequences. If that is the case, someone should probably check on DRU. After listening to this double full-length release, I would say there are maybe five tracks here strong enough to make a pretty killer EP. Sometimes less truly is more.

Eyes Have It Eyes Have It cassette

Hard to parse this cassette—some kind of unholy amalgam of black metal and discordant mathcore. Functionally very tight and well-executed, but somehow this entire release is very disjointed. The songs, even when uptempo, are plodding and anguished. I’m reminded of RASPBERRY BULBS, though EYES HAVE IT trade away the conventions of songwriting for a busyness that makes the riffs opaque and ambiguous. This is challenging music by design and without clear signposts the listener can get lost in the sonic wilderness. The two elements that are in most direct conflict are the vocals and the drums. I’m not sure if it’s a production issue with how it’s mixed or something inherent to the performance, but it’s as if they are both vying for the spotlight, which results in the guitar work washing out almost entirely. And my final gripe: this has very little relevance to punk. Like, I wouldn’t think of this as being punk-adjacent. Maybe there’s something here for the black metal crowd, but I hear many of those people are, uh, purists…so, I dunno.

False Negative All Over But the Shouting LP

Hostile Midwestern hardcore street punk steeped in the classics. You’re gonna hear ’80s RAMONES (“Stuck in the Middle”), gruff Oi! (“Hostile Instincts”), pit-opening hardcore (“Broken Cross,” “Cryptic Times”), and some straight sub-60-second burners (“Scenario”). Sometimes you need someone else to take a fresh crack at something you already know and love, and that’s exactly what FALSE NEGATIVE has done here.

General Grievance DCxPC Live & Outsider Magazine Presents: Live & Dead, Vol. 9 LP

Newburgh’s GENERAL GRIEVANCE comes flying out of the pit with a record that understands one of hardcore’s oldest truths: songs don’t need to be long to hit hard. Part bootleg document, part scene artifact, the album is split between a live set on Side A and studio recordings on Side B, offering a before-and-after snapshot of the band. The live tracks are loose and propelled by pure energy, while the studio versions have the screws a bit more tightened. They employ the speed and brevity of classic early hardcore bands like MINOR THREAT and CIRCLE JERKS, but with a sneer that recalls POISON IDEA. The gravel-throated vocals add a dose of MOTÖRHEAD-style grime, which is never a bad thing. Fast, pissed, catchy.

Gooey Cookie Gimme the Goo cassette

This is one of the more convincing power pop EPs in years, very much in the ’90s style of the genre. I won’t name the references as they’re self-evident, but needless to say, this three-piece from Denver (a city that seems to know its power pop in recent years) knows what they’re doing and oozes with confidence. The melodies are soaring and the sound has a lot of weight to it, bringing plenty in the grit department. I was always a huge fan of the singular BUGG full-length, and this scratches a similar itch. It’s cool and good. What else is there to say?

Hard Pass Distorted Eyes LP

New-ish band, veteran players that have paid their dues in such diverse bands as PYRAMIDO, SATANIC SURFERS, BURST, and ANCHOR. Since their debut Hardcore 2024, the Malmö band has been in constant forward movement. Distorted Eyes is their first full statement, or as the official line puts it, “ten tracks of unrelenting hardcore punk.” No exaggeration there. The opener “Lies” sets the picture of systems failing, truth being commodified, and everyone’s complicity in it. Lyrics read like headlines chewed up and spit back out through a punk filter. The message is consistent: distrust power, reject passivity, and call out the machinery. Sonically, it’s classic hardcore chassis, but not stuck in time. What makes Distorted Eyes stick is conviction. This is hardcore as a delivery system for change.

Inside Job 6 Track Demo EP

Totally crushing hardcore punk from Haarlem, home of fellow D-beaters ANGSTMÄLER and TRAUMATIZER, the latter whose guitarist did the artwork here. INSIDE JOB has a metallic element to their sound—Sorry State drew a comparison to PUBLIC ACID, which is very accurate. Fried vocals accompany frenzied riffs and guitar leads, with a tough rhythm section holding everything together. I’m glad they decided to do a 7” pressing; a wise decision based on the strength of this material.

Jake King Rock and Roll cassette

Bringing a big boom out of Buffalo, JAKE KING gives you exactly what the name of the tape claims. In the spirit of the ’90s revival à la Estrus Records, these five catchy little tunes are painted in a primitive garage sound that’s caked in its own weight. With melodies like a punk rock MONKEES and way-out guitar solos, Jake serves up a version of ’60s-inspired swagger that rings damn fresh and ends too soon. Unless something better comes along to overtake its throne, “2026” is the anthem of the year for all intents and purposes. Promising stuff here; hopefully he’s just warming up.

Luckless I Promise to Be Good cassette

A little blown-out? Check! Driving? Check! Buried weird synth? Check! Impassioned? Check! Do I like it? Fuk yarp! I literally had to stop the review and buy one of these cassettes for myself. The biggest problem for me is that there are only four songs. These tunes by LUCKLESS have a little bit of SPRAY PAINT, MANATEEES, Pelican Pow Wow, and Goner Records feel, but bringing in melody that is sometimes lacking with those labels. This is a solid release and I kinda hope they break up because, for me, they might have set the expectation too high for whatever’s next. Well done.

Maria Tarey Route Tarey cassette

Originally released a few years ago, MARIA TAREY’s Route Tarey cassette has been re-released by XTRO for better international distribution. If you’re unfamiliar with MARIA TAREY, well, it’s French hardcore punk that sounds like merging EDITH NYLON with WALLS OF JERICHO. Brutally intense vocals deliver searing lyrical rebukes in French, Italian, and English over lo-fi but masterful punk. Brilliant. Go get yourself a copy.

No Peeling EP2 EP

Nottingham’s NO PEELING hits the ground running with their aptly-titled second EP, EP2. This thing has all the fun you can fit inside nine minutes…and then some more. Guitars are stepping in and out of post-punk and, dare I say, twinklecore territory, while the bass is working its groovy magic with outstanding riffs and licks. Synth parts add some gorgeous sparkle and depth to this already very eight-dimensional music, and the vocals complement the music perfectly with their effortlessly cool delivery. So, what about drums? Well, they are the best drums one could ever drum for this. It’s one of those records that you can feel how locked-in the band is by the way every part of it works like clockwork. If I’m being honest, it feels like a breath of fresh air in the world of egg-punk, which tends to get a bit too same-y—I know, pot calling the kettle black, something about glass houses and stones, so on and so forth. But after listening to this record over and over, I’m a firm believer that NO PEELING should be the next big thing. Whatever that might entail for you, they absolutely deserve it.

The Pox All Together Now! cassette

Seven minutes of perfect garage punk coming out of Montreal, “recorded in glorious mono” and self-released. This rules. The production is as dirty as the music is. The vocals are snotty, pissed, and scummy. At times, you can barely hear the guitar through the cymbal hiss, but you don’t need to. You still feel the anger, you still feel the intensity, and sometimes, if you listen closely, you can hear a synth buried in the madness. The last track (“BBITA/I Don’t Wanna Die”) is oddball, but it ended up being my favorite out of the bunch. It sounds like punks playing a spaghetti western song. Midway through, you hear “Every time I log on / I see another baby take its last breath / Free Palestine,” followed by a synth lead akin to a funeral procession before they kick back into familiar territory for the last 30 seconds. It’s rare that a recording leaves me wanting more. I’d recommend this to anyone who is a fan of scummy, lo-fi garage punk.

Shitbox камри флейм cassette

Russia’s SHITBOX gives us a batch of noisy hardcore tracks that are, I’m supposing, related to cars. My evidence for this is admittedly thin, but the translation of the release’s title is “Camry Flame.” There’s also a song called “Nissan Patrol,” and perhaps most compellingly, the band’s called SHITBOX. What do I spy in a background image on the lyric sheet? You guessed it—another car. What does any of this have to do with the music? Fuck if I know. The intrigue gives tooth to an otherwise standard set of modern hardcore tunes with a metallic bent. GEL and GULCH fans might find something here of interest, but only if they drive shitty cars.

Snailgun Glass Walls CD

Compelling mix of vocal-shredding post-hardcore and syncopated noise rock on this Australian band’s debut. There is a noticeable rawness to the bass tone that recalls Bob Weston’s work in SHELLAC, but also the textured guitar approach of bands like LUNGFISH and SELF DEFENSE FAMILY. SNAILGUN uses these dynamics to skillfully shift from pummeling noise punk tracks like “Straight Ahead” to looping, cinematic expansion on songs like the seven-minute “Shadow Operator.” Standout “Labyrinth” details the speaker’s unsettling plans to build a labyrinth in his basement, while threatening neighbors that he will have the last laugh. It’s creepy, but it also features a sax-driven, ecstatic full-band meltdown that rules in its bombastic audacity. The album’s final track, “Screamy Cat,” churns with a driving bass/drum rhythm and catchy vocal melody that sounds like a classic alt/rock radio ballad. Then it keeps going for eight minutes of high-energy jamming that never loses steam.

Spec Realists On a Frolic of Our Own cassette

Another rag-tag collective of oddballs from the current cradle of Canadian art-punk (that would be Calgary), SPEC REALISTS inhabit a dream world where Messthetics CD-Rs never degrade, where SWELL MAPS’ trip to Marineville detoured through Alberta’s prairies, and where TELEVISION PERSONALITIES actually were bigger than the BEATLES. The collapsing, willfully lo-fi post-FALL/WIRE damage of “On a Frolic of Your Own,” “Little Dive Bar,” and the highly self-aware “(We Aren’t Punks) We’re Art Punks” lands just over the northern side of the border from early TYVEK, while “Malcolm Tinsley (What’s Going On)” appropriates the tumbling, wide-eyed melody of the CLEAN’s “Thumbs Off” with a major Dan Treacy twist for the most convincing “I can’t believe it’s not UK DIY” invisible hit since we last heard from FAMOUS MAMMALS (who should be nervously watching their backs right now). People might laugh at them (coz they like weird music), but I’m right there with SPEC REALISTS.

Yambag The Psycho EP

There are few things as exhausting (in a good way) as listening to Cleveland’s YAMBAG. On The Psycho, as with each of their previous releases, every track is wound up tight and bursting at the seams as each member plays as hard and fast as possible. Tempo and rhythm changes happen at the drop of a hat, building up a pressure that culminates in the brutal blastbeats acting as a sort of release valve. If you haven’t heard YAMBAG before, don’t let that fool you—this isn’t a powerviolence record, but more in line with earlier hardcore punk bands like ASOCIAL, SIEGE, and D.R.I. who utilized the blastbeat to maximum head-splitting effect. Highly recommended, check out “#1 Fucker.”

Attack SS Land of Slaughter LP

Prepare to have your eardrums decimated by the punishing noise of Japanese stalwart punx ATTACK SS. Back with their first release since 2019, Land of Slaughter features seven new songs and four re-recorded cuts from their Mask of Those EP. No big deviation from their previous output; what follows is top-tier crasher crust pushed well beyond the limits of acceptable listenability. Blazingly fast drums and razor-thin guitars bolstered by a burly bass fuzz lead the full-on aural assault. Layers of distortion crush the notion of fidelity, leaving behind a series of vignettes that champion freedom in the face of monstrous tyranny. Punk-addled chaos, on the level with FRAMTID, ZYANOSE, CONTRAST ATTITUDE, etc. If your constitution allows for imbibing noize-distroyed raw D-beat punk, then this will go down a fukkin’ treat.

Backroad Burners Trash Night EP

Aww yeah, this is the kind of shit you blast while running moonshine during the wee hours of the morning in an El Camino through the mountains of Pennsyltucky. This is the pop punk equivalent of Barq’s Root Beer, because it’s both sugary-sweet but also has bite! The lyrics are relatable for all of us aging punkers who wrestle with our basic chores (“Trash Night”) and our unwillingness to move on from our favorite hobbies of our youth (“Banned From the Board”), and it makes me feel less bad about getting old. Imagine that! This might not strike a chord with everyone, but it really put a little pep in my step, and I’d recommend it to any of us who are coming face-to-face with middle-age.

Cardenales Antipunkpop cassette

Stylistically minimal feminist punk from Madrid that mixes the sounds of classic street punk anthems with indie pop melodies, like HONEY BANE meets CHIN CHIN. The Spanish lyrics poetically explore political themes via dark but hopeful personal sketches, occasionally delivered by call-and-response vocals. Moody bass lines and clean guitars on tracks like “Sangre” and “Fin del Mundo” evoke a post-punk atmosphere, but CARDENALES do fast punk just as well on “Golpe tras Golpe.” Equally interesting is Uterzine, who released the tape and look like a solid resource for anarcho-feminist writing and music, particularly in Spain.

Cœur À L’Index Fatigueé / Mes Héros 7″

There is something special about a great band offering a release and letting everyone know it will be their last; it can make the consumption of said music be accompanied by a little something extra that is more felt than described. That feeling is felt hard with these last two poppy gems courtesy of CŒUR À L’INDEX. The A-side feels like a whimsical French DOLLY MIXTURE, while the flip is a breezy and upbeat number that could stand side by side with your favorite singles from Sarah Records. Each year’s impending solstice gets me wondering what the soundtrack of summer might be, and looks like that question was just answered.

Damage Modern Times LP

Which DAMAGE is this going to be? Will this record be hardcore from ’80s NYC or Finland, ’90s Japan, ’00s Massachusetts, ’80s heavy metal from Norway, or ’80s rock’n’roll from Reno? It is none of those! To my absolute surprise, it is synth hardcore ridiculousness from Orlando, Florida. I absolutely love their ’84 EP and ’85 LP of crazy thrash synth punk played with two actual keytars alongside a drummer. This Modern Times LP doesn’t maintain the same punk and thrash pace as their earlier records. However, this has all of the elements of a very memorable synthwave record with a definite ’80s feel. This LP could almost be an undiscovered record by ART INTERFACE, or fit into any of the many Killed by Synth comps that have hit stores in the past five to ten years. I’m not exactly sure where this fits into my record collection, but I’m certain I should have it in there somewhere.

Eyes of Salt Collapse of the Infinite LP

The cover art’s apocalyptic imagery matches the debut effort from Denver’s EYES OF SALT perfectly. The album’s themes of social collapse, class warfare, grief, and self-reckoning throw you right to the front lines of an inevitable societal demise. Collapse of the Infinite sits right between metallic hardcore and melodic punk. There are shades of the HOPE CONSPIRACY in the darker metallic passages and echoes of COMEBACK KID in the anthemic choruses. Tracks like “No Greater Truth” and “The People Are Hungry” go for the conviction of classic political hardcore, while “Flower of Pain” and “Don’t Shed Your Tears” reveal a more vulnerable side without ever sacrificing intensity. The blend of melody and heaviness also recalls mid-’00s melodic hardcore, with touches of RUINER or even a heavier version of DEAD HEARTS. A furiously thoughtful hardcore record that balances metallic weight with genuine emotional depth.

Filth Hounds 1st cassette

The cover reminds me of an old ZZ TOP logo, so they get points for that right off the bat. FILTH HOUNDS are based out of Oklahoma City, and their tunes are riff-heavy with a heavy classic rock vibe. The opening track “They Live” had me drumming on the steering wheel with its driving rhythm and ’70s-esque riffage. In fact, these dudes can lay down a groove and they know a good riff, but the vocals really killed this for me. The fourth track, “Bubba Hotep,” was the final nail in the coffin. The vocals seem effortless and silly. Ironically, my favorite part of the entire cassette is when the singer operatically yells “peanut butter banana sandwich!” at the end of the song. Whether it was intentional or not, it made me chuckle. At least it’s got that going for it.

Go! Just Say Go: 1989–1991 and The Time is Now LP

GO! may just be the perfect example of when a band is more than just a band. They represent something far beyond the music they created. Vocalist Mike BS had an influential zine called Bullshit Monthly and founded ABC No Rio, an iconic, long-running DIY venue that offered a more inclusive alternative to the notoriously violent CBGBs hardcore matinees. GO! was an integral part of a scene that broadened what NYHC encompassed, with a blatantly anti-racist, anti-sexist, pro-queer message. Their brand of hardcore subverted the tough-guy machismo while delivering speedy, youth-crew-style tunes with sarcasm and wit to boot. GO! was a unifying force in a genre that talked outwardly about unity but has traditionally had a narrow scope for who that ideal could apply to. Their first gig was with NAUSEA! In the sixteen-page booklet that accompanies this record, you’ll find many fliers from when they shared bills with bands like BORN AGAINST, CITIZEN’S ARREST, and RORSCHACH. In 2026, mixed-genre shows are anomalous, but in GO!’s heyday, this formula made unity something more than an empty slogan. The period of the band collected here may have been brief, but they were prolific. This album contains just shy of sixty songs, with a gatefold cover and aforementioned booklet, courtesy of ever-reliable Refuse Records. This is essential listening for anyone with even a passing interest in this style of hardcore, and it lands at a moment when violence at shows is a pressing topic yet again.

The Hiveminds The Restless Park LP

Norwegians bring their own distinct take on the genre with a brooding post-punk aesthetic à la the BIRTHDAY PARTY and fuzzed-out guitar tones reminiscent of the GUN CLUB. Tracks like “All in My Head” reverberate with a darker, more theatric tone like the DAMNED post-Phantasmagoria, and there’s plenty of Nuggets-era hooks like those of the ELECTRIC PRUNES.

Knifemare Knifemare cassette

Catchy, high-intensity hardcore from Cologne in the same vein as DRY SOCKET and SNUFFED. There’s a good mix of breakneck speed and mid-tempo stomp on these tracks, with plenty of headbanging riffage to be found alongside beefy drums. KNIFEMARE does occasionally lock into a certain kind of groove that gives credence to their “garage punk” label; at times I was reminded of bands like THEE OH SEES. It’s a nice change of pace and something that helps them stick out a bit from the crowd.