Reviews - MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL

Aufruhr Zur Liebe 3 x 3 = Nein LP

According to the label’s bio—which is the source of everything I know about this release— AUFRUHR ZUR LIEBE was only active from 1983 to 1986 in East Germany, and none of these recordings had been issued on vinyl or CD before. So, it’d be fair to say that listening to 3 x 3 = Nein feels like opening up a time capsule from an ancient, isolated civilization. Upon hearing the hypnotizing, shamanistic atmosphere of the first two tracks, I was ready to buckle up for an hour of dissociating in minimal synth soundscapes. But all of a sudden, it threw me a solid curveball with a shift to a more guitar-heavy post-punk sound. Then another with abrasive, cathartic no wave with the help of some saxophones, then another with more conventional rock’n’roll…but I don’t think the lack of coherence in sound is a big deal, considering the fact that the label stayed true to the original track lists on this compilation album. If anything, it’s a very unique and intimate experience to listen to a band lost in time, experimenting to find its voice in a different era, in a different place.

Basic Shapes Low Energy LP

What a bait and switch. This album kicks off with a noise rock groove, setting my expectations for something that mines the ’90s for dark, syrupy riffs, before yanking away the rug and showcasing a pretty snappy hook-laden grip of garage punk cuts. This hits nicely on the ear, keeping it tight where it counts and then blooming riffs into big hooks with plenty of abandon. The French act veers into some nice and pointy post-punk structures à la GANG OF FOUR, but always drives it back to a melodic soaring spirit. In some ways, this record reminds me of the heyday of the HIVES, but with a DIY heart beating in its chest. I’m all for that, and would be pogoing my dumb ass off at one of their shows.

Blanket of M Finger Forest CD

Solid garage rock out of East Texas; this is what I would consider true-to-heart RAMONES-core. It doesn’t come off as gimmicky nor sticky-sweet the way other players of the genre are wont to be. Instead this is some raw, downstroking, honest-to-God rock’n’roll. For a trio, this band sounds huge. Your standard power chord affair, it’s the vocals that really do it for me—heavily layered, a little off-key, but nonetheless catchy. My only complaint is that this slab is over too soon! No joke. I was disappointed when I hit the end, as I was promptly returned to our bleak reality.

Columba Triste Columba Triste 12″

Tastefully-played French Oi! from Lille’s COLUMBA TRISTE. While there are countless bands currently playing this style, I’ll always be a sucker for melodic and moody Oi!, and COLUMBA TRISTE does it well. They sound very smooth and refined, with vocals that remind me of contemporaries SYNDROME 81. There aren’t really any misses on this 12”, but the final track “Dans La Vase” stands out. Good stuff.

Cyanides Black Bricks EP

Debut EP out of St. Louis, giving us a grip of out-of-this-world, synth-garage-psych-rock multi-hyphenated tunes that do a great job of establishing who they are and what they’re here to do. The combination of sounds here is the kind of thing that would be soundtracking Frankie’s Tiki Room in Vegas—by that I mean a genuinely cool-without-trying oasis that provides respite from an otherwise crushing nightmare (in this case, the strip). Digression aside, these four songs are for fans of DEVO, RESEARCH REACTOR CORP, maybe even ROTARY CLUB, or anyone who likes a coating of sci-fi in their garage tunes. Will be keepings tabs on future releases for sure.

Des Veines Démo 2024 cassette

I really enjoyed the balance these guys struck with a bit heavier and more distorted guitar in more classically punk tracks like “Torrent,” with a more melodic rock style to tracks like “Nous.” The vocals are charged with emotion, without being over-the-top or super angry like a lot of punk; they were refreshing. That being said, some of the tracks felt a bit long to me, as it sometimes felt like they said what they needed to a bit earlier in the song. However, each track brings something new to the table, so I would definitely keep listening.

Exploatör Apokollaps LP

I’ve been looking forward to this record, and I am not disappointed. EXPLOATÖR has an impressive pedigree, as the band members are like a who’s-who of Swedish hardcore. Their lineage features too many bands to list. This is a great record with a sound that leans heavily on their roots in TOTALITÄR. They bring the D-beat and some very catchy riffs to songs that seem to fly by as quickly as they started.. If you like Swedish hardcore, D-beat, etc., you will enjoy this album.

Fuck You Commercial The Complete Collection cassette

Compilation of four cassette releases from this Hawaii-based project. Each volume plays like a chaotic mixtape teetering back and forth between vintage radio and TV commercials from Hawaii and speedy, blistering hardcore. Chipper voices and Muzak jingles from the past try to sell you cars and vacation packages one second, while gruff-voiced, anti-consumerist hardcore screeds blast the plastic packaging apart the next. Even better is when the two components overlap and create a sound collage of superficial consumer culture overtaken by menacing punk. Musically, there are cues from classic West Coast USHC in the vocals and straight-up bruising instrumentation, but also nods to sample-heavy powerviolence of the Slap-a-Ham blastbeat flavor. Operators are standing by to take your order! (Or you can stream for free on Bandcamp).

Generation Decline Stygian cassette

Nice and crusty hardcore from Bremerton’s GENERATION DECLINE. There’s a lot of good stuff going on on Stygian: thrashy riffs, chugging metal riffs, some soaring stadium leads, blastbeats, D-beats, and hardcore breakdowns. All said, it’s a busy but coherent listen, thanks largely to the solid vocals tying everything together. If you’re into ANTI SECT, AXEFEAR, AVSKUM, and NIGHTFEEDER (all bands they’ve shared bills with), you’ll be into this.

The Hell Cut the Cord EP

Snarling like a puzzled panther, the HELL lurches through five slices of driving hardcore punk hostility. Harkening back to Cleveland classic (spin age) blasters like ELECTRIC EELS or the PAGANS, this is just the kind of seething punk I wanna hear. When nothing else in the world makes sense, snotty, nihilistic hardcore does. Razor-sharp guitars cut through to the front of the mix with riffs that would make Pat Smear blush. Four concise rippers occupy the topside of this platter, with a longer-form number on the B-side that unexpectedly breaks the five-minute mark. A brilliant follow-up to their full-length from a couple years back, the HELL is on an absolute tear.

Karma Sutra The Daydreams of a Production Line Worker LP reissue

For the uninitiated, KARMA SUTRA was an anarcho-punk band from the Crass Records era, and they released a limited amount of original recordings. However, due to the cult of CRASS, KARMA SUTRA has had a few reissues of their material through the years, and for good reason. KARMA SUTRA emerges from the anarcho-punk scene with a sound that is reminiscent at times of KILLING JOKE, but also demonstrates the pop-infused post-punk of bands like THATCHER ON ACID and NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN. In other words, you have aggressive, dark punk blending with world music, primitive synth and drum machine work, radio field recordings, and lengthy melodic excursions. The Daydreams of a Production Line Worker is absolutely one of those albums you have to put on and sit with, as it is a constantly shifting sonic adventure.

The Latin Dogs Warning! EP reissue

A time capsule of raw punk from Michigan—this reissued EP follows a once unreleased LP recorded straight to boombox in ’82. Grim hardcore from the era of cheap beer and cement basements. Total DIY ethos, somewhere between BATTALION OF SAINTS and early NECROS. It’s lo-fi, blown-out, and essential for anyone who lives for the sound of Midwestern punk being born in real time. The fidelity is trashy and perfect. An archeological artifact for everything-punk freaks—warts, hiss, and all.

Metdog Questions and Answers Regarding Computers and Screens LP

Do you remember the scene in Napoleon Dynamite where Kip sings “I love technology” over a Casio beat at his wedding? Imagine that with backing by ERIK NERVOUS and you have Melbourne band METDOG’s new record. A concept album of sorts, these thirteen songs are, as the title suggests, all about computers and screens. Opener “First and Last Day of My Life” is about the day Dad brought home a PC and changed the course of the singer’s personal history. The track list gives away the lyrical content for the rest: “What My Computer’s For,” “Screen Time,” “Computer Talk,” “Computer Games,” etc. You get the idea. Musically, the band buzzes with scruffy pop that intertwines guitar leads with bubbling synth washes and will resonate with fans of GEE TEE, RESEARCH REACTOR CORP., and, of course, DEVO. There are quite a few nice surprises, like when “Hey Siri” moves from garage punk to a pounding NEW ORDER-style club beat, and the synth take on “Miserlou” on “Surfing the Web” that probably has DICK DALE posthumously pissed. It’s a fun, low-stakes time for very online eggos. There is a vinyl pressing, but I think this one is better suited for digital download.

Minot And You’re Not cassette

Debut release by a three-piece band from Missoula, Montana, although this cassette plays as if it’s two releases spooled into one. The A-side is five songs of catchy and driving garage pop/psych, not unlike something you would find on In The Red Records. Very fun and I dig it. The B-side, however, has only three songs. Each of them are longer, with none of them clocking in under three minutes. All three of them are slower, more mature/less catchy, and considerably more artsy than the previous side. I was in the midst of jotting things down for the review during the first listen and had to rework it all because the difference in sides felt so jarring. It’s a bit funny when you start to notice how much your personal musical tastes and exposures can make you interpret things differently from others. For example, my initial inclination was to talk about how clean, slick, and professional the songs on this cassette are, but everywhere I look, the band seems to have “lo-fi” as a descriptive term for their band as often as they can affix it. Either way, I like MINOT (A-side MINOT, anyways), but this is definitely one of the cleaner cassette recordings I have reviewed in a while.

No Dreams All Bent Out of Shape CD

For fans of that style of ’00s songs by twenty-somethings talking about crushes, heartbreak, everyday pleasures, work and stuff, maybe parents, too. I like the sound of it, but I’m also instantly bored. It’s the movie soundtrack songs that you skip over to get to the song you bought the movie soundtrack for. I’m thinking the lesser JIMMY EAT WORLD, SIGNALS MIDWEST, PROMISE RING, TEXAS IS THE REASON, or SENSE FIELD songs, and on and on. This is completely adequate, but I think if you’re going to hit this style nowadays, ya gotta go for more than regular. Maybe they could consider switching instruments clockwise and see what happens. It could be genius or it could be horrible, but it won’t be medio-core.

Perfect Buzz Supermassive Superstar CD

Patrick “Petey” Foss has been a stalwart of the Portland punk and garage scene for over a decade now. He fronted PURE COUNTRY GOLD in the early ’00s as they’d tear up the local dive bars with their twangy, country-tinged punk blasts. Foss’s vocals now actually sound like his voice is getting younger as time rolls on. His current band, PERFECT BUZZ, has put out five new blistering tracks that they self-released, but they would have been at home on Estrus Records in their heyday. The opening track “Supermassive” has the swagger of MONO MEN or early MUDHONEY. “Wordsmithing” pulls from ’60s garage pop OBLIVIANS-style, and the closer “Superstar” is a fuzzed-out, lovelorn psych tune. Let’s hope we see a full-length from them soon.

Powerplant Crashing Cars / Never Smile 7″

New single from the prolific London-based POWERPLANT. With a slew of singles, EPs, and a couple LPs since 2018, this band has been busy. Formerly a solo project of Ukrainian Theo Zhykharyev, POWERPLANT is now a fully-membered band with Theo on guitar and vocals, supported by bass, drum, and synth (didn’t see any credits on this particular release to name them, however). Check out the band’s KEXP performance from September 2024, it feels like everyone is absolutely red-lining—the drummer is in a full sweat on the first song, the bassist is ping-ponging up and down the fretboard, the synth player is operating more keys, buttons, switches, and knobs than two hands allow, and Theo sells it hard into the mic, screaming, crooning, death-hollowing, and beating his guitar lifeless. If listening back to that performance and previous recordings in juxtaposition to “Crashing Cars”/”Never Smile” taught me anything, it is that this group plays a wide range of sounds, from moody dungeon synth, to black metal, to synth-driven post punk, to spurts of hardcore, often all in one song. On display here is something a little more catchy and driving. “Crashing Cars” has Zhykharyev crooning in a way that reminds me of FRANZ FERDINAND or the STROKES—the kind of alt/indie rock that was hard to avoid growing up—but I mean this in a positive way, if you can believe me! The even, smooth vocals sound really great in contrast to the jittery band, and makes for a perfectly tragic love song. “Never Smile” offers even deeper, richer vocals, maybe more like the haunting qualities of NICK CAVE, but still has a fast, driving beat, synth pushed way to the front of the mix. I admit that this is my introduction to POWERPLANT, but better late than never, as this group fucking rips.

Reason Why Cut You Loose EP

The gang over at Mendeku Diskak have done it, quite simply, once again. This release from REASON WHY is a lot of fun, emulating the classic Riot City or No Future sound to great effect. It’s not going to win any originality awards any time soon, but you can shove yer innovation where the sun don’t shine when it’s this much of a laugh. Fun sing-along at last orders UK82 by way of Istanbul.

Saufknast Saufknast LP

Classic punk band that’s not afraid to get in your face. I loved the fast tempo throughout, and the taunting, dare I say antagonizing, guitar. They didn’t slow down or stop for one second. My absolute favorite part was the breakdown in “Goldjunge.” I was headbanging with that puckered-up metal face, as they quickly transitioned into a slick guitar solo. Great way to end a great album.

Short Leash MK Ultra’d EP

This EP is some damn fine, burly-as-hell, mostly fast hardcore. The recording sounds fantastic as does the music, and the vocals sound tough as hell. This record left me wanting to hear more. This band has a pedigree as well, featuring members of NO TIME, KILL YOUR IDOLS, SHARK ATTACK, and VIOLENT MINDS. This record sounds like a mix of NEGATIVE APPROACH and ANTI-CIMEX, what’s better than that?

Sick Move Intrusive Thoughts LP

DIY from Baltimore that could fit on any Fat Wreck Chords or Epitaph comp or even be on one of those two labels. The LP is orange-ish or brown-ish in color and has a lyric sheet to follow along to all words, or to karaoke along if you’d like. Vocals are on the gruffer side of things, but the hooks are very hooky and completed by “ohhhhh”s and group choruses. It’s fast and tight like NOFX, BAD RELIGION, AMERICAN STEEL, BRACKET, GOOD RIDDANCE, and PENNYWISE. I think I expected something a little more challenging or more Baltimore from a Baltimore band. This record is great but, for me, it sounds a bit formulaic from such an iconoclastic city.

T.A.C.K. Tackle cassette

If you’re one for numerology, keep both your eyes on the number two here. Tackle is the second cassette release by T.A.C.K., who are a two-piece band from New Orleans. The band is comprised of drummer Stella, and guitarist Roach, both of whom share vocal duties. Their first cassette came out in April of 2023, marking almost exactly two years between releases. I played a show with T.A.C.K. in their hometown roughly two years ago and the power went out twice during the course of their set, due to a massive rain storm. What’s ironic is that for all the times it has come up, the number two in numerology is often associated with harmony, and that is one word I would absolutely not use to describe T.A.C.K.’s lo-fi, twangy, bopping, oompa-oompa cowpunk. T.A.C.K. finally follows up their debut five-song cassette with something more substantial, a whopping eleven tracks, each as trashy as the next. I find every song on this cassette incredibly catchy, and as a live band, T.A.C.K. is wildly commanding and entertaining.

Usurp Synapse Polite Grotesqueries 10″

Legendary Indiana-based screamo outfit USURP SYNAPSE resurfaces with Polite Grotesqueries, a vinyl reissue of their AssIIAss cassette originally released on Zegema Beach. Criminally overlooked compared to their early-’00s peers, the band delivers technical, aggressive, and unpretentious art-noise that calls to mind early DAUGHTERS, RACEBANNON, or a less perfect the LOCUST. Cramming a handful of minute-long panic attacks between a couple of two-minute epics, this EP may come off slightly more restrained than some of the scorched-earth chaos from their heyday (collected on the excellent 2003 compilation Disinformation Fix), but I don’t think they’ve ever sounded this good on record. Whatever they’ve been doing during their extended vanishing act, I’m not about to question it when the results slap this hard. Welcome back, you beautiful chaos demons.

Vampiric Baptism Vampiric Baptism cassette

One-man black metal action out of Tennessee. Really solid stuff, and very impressive that this is just one dude, sans the operatic vocals on “War Garden.” That’s only just a guess, though. It could potentially be the same guy! This is your standard black metal affair, but there are a couple tracks that reach outside of the genre, such as “Blood Sucker” which sounds like it came straight from the Matrix soundtrack. Great, bloodcurdling vocals; raw and natural without any additional effects, minus reverb. The album closes on a really lovely acoustic rendition of “War Garden.” Highly recommended for all fans of the grim and frostbitten

Wild City Alchemist Junkyard LP

You know the phenomenon in nature where an animal uses bright coloration or other means to advertise that it’s best not to fuck with them—think a poison dart frog or blue-ringed octopus? I had to look it up; it’s apparently called aposematism. But, in retrospect, it’s something I should have kept in mind as I picked up this LP. Its garish sleeve, the awful album title, the generic-ass band name, its unironic billing as a “rock’n’roll” record, the fact that the band has been around since 2018 and this is the first I’m hearing of them—it all screamed, “Dude, don’t, it’s gonna be a bad time!” Yet, I heeded none of these warnings. Instead, I focused on the fact that the act was out of Melbourne, a city which has given the world countless incredible bands, and just assumed it was all going to be fine. And initially it was. The first couple of tracks maybe feature some not great lyrics, but they otherwise kind of sound like the BLACK LIPS at their GUN CLUB-iest, which is cool enough. But then there’s “Silver to Gold,” which is more of a hard-rockin’ number, something like a blander take on what GOLDEN PELICANS were doing a decade ago, with lyrics that sort of invert the themes of the Girl Scouts’ “Make New Friends” via one of the clunkiest hooks I’ve ever heard (seriously, you’ll have to go listen to it because it’s too wordy to write out here!). But as bad as all that is, it’s not what sinks this record for me. At about two-and-a-half minutes into the song, the band slows things down to a crawl, and the singer says “Alright motherfuckers, let’s turn this shit up!,” then bites his lower lip (I assume!) while the band launches into an instrumental breakdown that’s so farty that it sounds tailor-made to score a Toyota Tundra commercial circa 2005. It’s maybe one of the worst moments I’ve had to sit through in all my time reviewing records for MRR. To be honest, the rest of the record wasn’t terrible…at least from what I can remember. But it’s all a blur after the sting of track three. It might have sounded like a bar band covering the SCIENTISTS’ “Blood Red River.” I don’t know. I should have known to stay away!

77 Lies Love Songs, Vol. 1 CD

As they say in their Bandcamp bio, this is a “three-piece punk band from Charlotte, NC.” Easily singable, straightforward, zero thrills, and on-point. Their messages are clear, from being scared of the United States in the opening track “United States of Fear,” to getting wasted as lyrically illustrated in the song “Wasted.” The third track “Fight” shows us where they got the name for the Love Songs, Vol.1 CD with the lyrics “Let’s fight, let’s fuck”. All four songs clock in at under six-and-a-half minutes, so that’s pretty cool. If you’re a fan of the CASUALTIES, BLANKS 77, SWINGIN’ UTTERS, or ANTI-FLAG and can take your punk milquetoast and uninspired, then I’d say you can’t go wrong with this.

Alpha Hopper Let Heaven and Nature Sing II LP

Heavy mix of noise punk, math rock, and fucking riffs on this third LP from Buffalo, NY’s ALPHA HOPPER. Molten, head-nodding riffs often split apart into intricate intertwining guitar leads that rival DON CABALLERO at their most rockin’, while still maintaining the chaos of ARAB ON RADAR. This would be a rad heavy alt/noise rock record if not for vocalist Irene, whose voice resembles Lucy from BIG CLOWN in timbre and rhythmic delivery. The high-pitched vocals steer the ship in a punk direction, and it sounds incredible. When the guitars started tangling on opener “She’s Thunder,” I had the thought that ALPHA HOPPER is the only band who could make a YES cover sound cool. Tracks like “So Easy” and “Down in Flames” rip with noisy, interlocking leads and slow, chugging buildups. Short instrumental tracks “AH01,” “AH02,” and “AH03” provide blooming psych explorations that, while rare on a DIY punk record, add a grandiose weight to the album that totally works. Check this one out.

Beat Panic Vyvanse Macabre 10″ flexi

Very classic post-punk band. My favorite track was “Anhedonia,” with the nice clear bass line to start and catchy instrumentals in the chorus, along with fun dual-vocal shouting at the end (I almost wish there was more of it!). All their tracks seem so thought-out and well-rounded. With a more techno edge at times, like the electronic intro in “Götterdämmerung Capitalism,” to more kinds of gothic rock elements throughout, you don’t quite know what to expect.

Blowers / S.U.G.A.R. split 10″

Long-haired punkers posing with their pets makes a fitting cover image for this beastly little split. Berlin’s S.U.G.A.R. provides two straightforward rockers that, though delivered with an inherent maturity, are still loaded with freewheelin’ spirit of the cut-off sleeves variety, including a classic cover that they’re known to use as an encore. The BLOWERS side is unabashed attitude, with three tracks of bratty, lo-fi, RAMONES-y garage capped off by the acoustic tearjerker “Fuckwit in a Band.” It’s a tasty platter suitable for all species.

Bosonogo Djetinjstvo Diskografija cassette

BOSONOGO DJETINJSTVO was a Croatian anarcho-hardcore band which only existed for a couple of years, but in the short time between 2013 and 2016, they recorded some killer tunes. However, the band broke up and those songs were shelved for nearly a decade. Now, thanks to Doomtown Records, we have the Diskografija cassette, a twelve-song collection of mostly unreleased material by BOSONOGO DJETINJSTVO. Blasts of surging hardcore mingle with extended riff-heavy jams to create a sound that is simultaneously diverse but also familiar. If you like REFUSED or maybe ZEGOTA, then BOSONOGO DJETINJSTVO should absolutely be in your scheduled listening.

Class Tourists Humanity Eats Itself cassette

CLASS TOURISTS are from England, and this is a really pleasant surprise of a tape. Not knowing anything about them and listening to this band for the first time was a real head-turner. Powerful hardcore, lyrically powerful as well. They seem to have taken something from many of the bands that started the first wave of punk and hardcore all the way up to today. They have other influences as well, including second wave ska. I know that can be a dirty word to a lot of people who lived through the third wave of ska, but this has little to do with that kind of vibe, and it’s brief. To me, it makes this a more interesting listen and a break from some pummeling hardcore. Great stuff.

Cold Meat Cake & Arse Party EP

Perth’s COLD MEAT has been at it for ten years now, but truth be told, this new EP (their first release since 2020’s Hot and Flustered LP) is where everything finally clicked for me. The string of singles that they dropped in the back half of the 2010s mostly struck me as solid attempts to force pegs into recently made GOOD THROB-shaped holes; a reductionist thought if not an entirely inaccurate one. In hindsight, it’s easier to acknowledge the many similarities between the two bands as a shared collective consciousness, one informed by snarling and shambolic KBD primitivism, speedy, razor-edged hooks in the Dangerhouse tradition, the fiery anarcho-feminist rhetoric of Eve Libertine-fronted CRASS, etc., rather than any sort of intentional coattail-riding. Cake & Arse Party is a concise, immediate five-song statement of intent, taking aim at the multitudes of damaging modern world bullshit which have only proliferated in the last decade—”Machine” blazes with one of the most furious, slow-build accelerating rhythms this side of the BAGS’ “Survive,” with vocalist Ash breathlessly shrieking about hustle culture reducing human value to the output of one’s productivity, as the bratty garage bash of “Prick at the Pub” tears down male energy vampires like a switchblade-carrying Slampt Records act, and Ash’s taunting shout of “I cannot remember how it feels to be myself” over the harsh, blown-out feedback squeal in “Artificial Energy” hit a nerve deep within my antidepressant-fogged brain. A perfect encapsulation of the supremacy of the 7” as a punk art form, absolutely vicious.

Drastika Warmongers 12″

I had no idea this band even existed until their generous attribution to yours truly. I am a bit torn about this one. On the one hand, I really want to love Warmongers, not just because this Swedish project has members of COUNTERBLAST and WARCOLLAPSE, but above all because they offer something different and, dare I say it, bring some originality to a crust buffet where you always find the same dishes. Is this album an absolute success? Well, I feel a little traitorous for saying it, but not completely. DRASTIKA’s plan is rather ambitious, although it cannot be said to be completely new, either. The band plays some sort of dark and heavy, old school doomy industrial crust (“post-crust”? “stenchgrunge”?) that does bring to mind songs from the two aforementioned bands but also SPINE WRENCH, the almighty DEPRESSOR, or even the oft-overlooked SONIC VIOLENCE. I bloody love the idea, and the songwriting itself often hits the mark (I am a sucker for the synth part), but I feel the recording is lacking in heaviness and the production does not really highlight the band’s very real strengths (but then it can’t be easy to make the drum machine sound right). Not as solid as it deserves to be, even though fans of mid-paced apocalyptic crust should check it out.

Dry Erase Decay Model LP

DRY ERASE blends slinky post-punk, lo-fi electronics, non-sequitur lyrics, and hip hop phrasings to create a fascinating full-length. “Go Out Quick” starts the record with nods to MASSIVE ATTACK in a slow-motion trip-hop exercise with close-to-the-mic smooth rapped vocals and carefully controlled guitar feedback. Tracks like “Claude is Cold” and “Deposed” build patterns of sun-faded synths to support a BOARDS OF CANADA meets coldwave meets early BECK feel. “Blue Light” sounds like the backing music was created by the Starship Enterprise: all theremin and chirping Moog octaves bouncing through space dust. Check it out for a unique, beat-driven approach several evolutionary stages away from traditional post-punk.

Eel Men Stop It! Do Something. LP

Having clear influences in your sound while also sounding fresh and unique seems like a bar most bands wish to reach, yet it’s often way harder to clear than it seems, even though, again, it’s kind of what every band sets out to do. With Stop It! Do Something., EEL MEN walk this tightrope with ease, aplomb even. This record calls to mind the JAM, SQUEEZE, early PARQUET COURTS, sure, but it simultaneously sounds uniquely itself. The guitars are punchy and angular, the vocal harmonies are effortlessly cool without coming across too slacker-y, and the drums propel these ten tracks forward with endless energy. This is all killer, no filler, but tracks like “Archetype” are a great example of all these little descriptors synchronizing like some Voltron of good taste. Perhaps the release perfectly coincides with springtime starting to bloom, but this is an easy and early candidate for one of this year’s best.

First in Line Connect the Dots LP

Sweden’s FIRST IN LINE (F.I.L) originally formed in the late ’80s, playing in the vein of early DC hardcore before taking a break in 1999. In 2008, they picked back up where they left off and have since released two records and now their third, Connect the Dots. Style-wise, they haven’t changed much, playing straightforward punk with obvious nods to MINOR THREAT. Overall, it’s well-produced and well-played, although about halfway through, I lost interest. The album feels overly long, with songs blending together if listened to in one sitting. Not a bad album, but one I would take in small doses.

Gun Boat But the Machine Demands Blood LP

In a mean world, making meaner music can be a loving act. This leans into the most metallic early days of grunge while turning a corner into near-industrial rhythmic cruelty, all with echoing chaotic vocal delivery. It’s an impressive package to couch one’s hate for a world gone wrong for a very long time, and cathartic as hell. The riffs, bolstered by excellent production, are thick as bloody steaks and often catchy, too. But catchy doesn’t temper the anger on display here. This is righteously pissed-off, inspiringly so. A singular mission of anger that comforts an unquiet heart in the maelstrom. It even has some heady space out moments that contribute beautifully to the overall rhythm and flow, especially on the throbbing track “Cut Your Hand and I’ll Cut Mine,” which nearly goes full HAWKWIND. Overall, an eye-opener that satisfies right down to the teeth.

Heaven’s Gate Tales From a Blistering Paradise LP

Look, if you have a proclivity for crossover thrash, extreme metal, or blistering hardcore, then you’re already all over this most likely. I can’t really call HEAVEN’S GATE anything other than a supergroup, which always sounds lame, but these dudes have been in bands that even your wannabe cool-guy boss has probably heard of. Like CANNIBAL CORPSE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, and WARTHOG, for fuck’s sake. And, get this—they’re from Florida. Somehow that makes perfect sense, ‘cause this album is about as scorching as the impending nuclear summer. Do you like CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER, the ACCÜSED, or any of the other bands these maniacs are in? Don’t deprive yourself, ya freakin’ masochist!

Human Stopping Power cassette

Cassette version of an LP out on Deep Six Records. HUMAN is a powerviolence supergroup of sorts based in both California and Australia, featuring members of LACK OF INTEREST, EXTORTION, and others. Twenty-one tracks, and the tape is over in what feels like an instant. There’s not a ton else to say about this. It’s really solid, aggressive powerviolence. Do you like powerviolence? Well then, like me, you’re sure to like this. Personally, I always think that bands of this style thrive when the recording is less polished and more scary. This recording sounds like an Ennio Morricone symphony compared to the trashcan recording of a band of similar ilk like CROSSED OUT. Maybe everyone has just gotten too good at recording aggressive music in the modern day?

Irked The Hardest Man in Billingham EP

New EP from Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK group IRKED. A-side is the title track, and it starts off with a snotty guitar, the rest of the band ripping in a few bars later—kind of a AMYL & THE SNIFFERS vibe—with dissident tones and snarly get-the-fuck-outta-my-way vocals. The B-side features two covers: first up is DAN SARTAIN’s “Fuck Friday,” which they really ace, fitting perfectly into the IRKED style. The 7” concludes with SUPERCHARGER’s “Sooprize Package for Mr. Mineo,” also a well-executed, off-the-beaten-path cover that, without liner notes, I would have assumed was theirs. The band claims a debut album is on the horizon, so be on the lookout!

Kids Like Us Outta Control LP

KIDS LIKE US from North Florida formed in 2003 after the demise of XONE FIFTHX, releasing three full-length albums and two splits, and touring alongside bands like DOWN TO NOTHING. They’ve been around! Originally released in 2005, Outta Control is a twenty-minute straightedge spin-kick to the head that sees a long-awaited reissue. Not my cup of tea, but it will appease all the X’ed-up mosh maniacs out there. Get in the pit or get out of the way.

Loud Night / Taifun split EP

Transatlantic head-splitting metal punk mania. LOUD NIGHT (Virginia) is full-throttle, bombastic, fist-banging metallic D-beat. Think INEPSY tinged with demonic ’80s metal, dueling guitar leads, and pure power from start to finish. TAIFUN (Germany) presents as a slightly more stripped-down and “punk” animal on this release, but their modern Euro interpretation of Burning Spirits-style Japanese hardcore is still untouchable. The mid-tempo stomp “Destroyah” might be my summer anthem, even though I’m going to be banging all four of these tracks on repeat. Both bands execute flawlessly and they compliment each other perfectly.

Malinformants Central Location cassette

Politically-driven punk rock from somewhere in California. The range of song topics on this seven-song cassette seems to all be about rising rent, gentrification, poverty, and issues within the American political system. Those are undeniably things that suck. Musically, this sounds kind of like a street punk band whose vocalist has a similar barking vocal style to that of UNIFORM CHOICE, but with about half the range. There are notes of other sub-genres peppered in within the course of this cassette, including somewhat predictable modern hardcore and melodic pop punk; the latter is especially noticeable when the backing vocalist joins in the chants. A very clean, discernible, slick recording which you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a band’s debut tape.

Motoloaf No Happy Endings LP

This could 100% be an early No Idea Records release, and in fact, I thought it was. Like for realz, though. The cover art alone looks striking like a No Idea release. The sound has all the RADON, HOT WATER MUSIC, CLAIRMEL, TILTWHEEL, GUNMOLL, DON’S EX-GIRLFRIEND, FLUF, etc. similarities, not because it sounds like any of those bands but it vibes in that orbit. What this does have in common is great players and insightful, sarcastic, poignant lyrics, e.g. “We are a race of assholes / We deserve to be erased.” I love the cover art with the lose/lose situation these two beasts find themselves in, and neither is backing down from their mutual destruction. I’ve listened to this all the way through three times, and not only is this on split-colored vinyl, but it also has a lyric sheet to follow along. This is the whole package in one whole package. Oh, they are from Atlanta, GA, so there’s that.

Nightfeeder Live in Saint Etienne LP

Seattle’s NIGHTFEEDER is a beast live, and this French set proves it. Captured in Saint-Étienne, it’s a perfect mix of tight performance and gritty ambiance. Ferocious D-beat punk with venomous vocals, executed like it’s 1986 and 2025 at the same time. For a live set, it sounds full and punchy. It’s the kind of live recording that makes you wish you were there, beer in hand and earplugs forgotten. If you’re into DISCHARGE, POISON IDEA, and the energy of sweaty basements, you’ll want this.

Pet Mosquito Village Idiot LP

Let me start by saying PET MOSQUITO is possibly one of the best band names I’ve seen so far. The vocals in the opening track “Village Idiot” greatly reminded me of Steve Albini in BIG BLACK, and I was immediately hooked. They’ve got a very funky vibe at times with a horn, but also some very classically punk moments. “Is There a Man Around?” brings a more witty and sassy edge, while “2 Flies” is short and sweet. Unique garage punk band definitely worth checking out.

Propad Žrtve Modernega Časa EP

Oozing with DESPISE YOU influence in both sound and artwork, PROPAD’s second release Žrtve Modernega Časa goes to show that powerviolence is alive and well and living in Slovenia. It starts off with a sound collage of Oppenheimer’s iconic “I am become death” speech and news snippets on the Gaza genocide and Russia-Ukraine war layered over slow, sludgy riffs. Then, it’s all crushing guitars, hammering drums, and throat-ripping vocals attacking you from all sides, as you should expect. The last and longest song on the EP begins with the same relentless fury as the majority of songs, but it takes a sharp turn into their dark and gloomy side that you got a taste of at the very start. I must admit, the fact that they chose to end the record with Ulysses’ final message from Fallout: New Vegas convinced me that I am their exact target audience. Well, I am. Sign me up.

The Real Losers Time to Lose LP reissue

The REAL LOSERS, a garage punk three-piece from Leeds, UK, don’t lose their raw and raucous energy in this remixed reissue of their 2003 album Time to Lose, out now on the Portland-based Total Punk label. If you’ve ever blasted TEENGENERATE or the MUMMIES and wished it sounded even more fried, this no-fi wrecking ball might be for you—vocals splatter like static from a busted radio, giving this the feel of a bootleg of the greatest rock show you never saw. This remixed version boosts the low end and gives the instruments more punch; it’s a significant improvement overall, but I think I might actually prefer the original’s shitty charm. The reissue includes the fifteen original tracks plus two bonus cuts, “Tell Me Something” and “Johnny’s Got The Action.” It’s primitive, overdriven garage punk that never lets up—a snotty, swaggering mess in all the right ways.

Scraps On the Edge of the Abyss LP

This French anarchic hardcore band is still going at it, nearly a half-century in. That’s certainly no small feat, and yet with their latest slab of tunes, the energy is still there but the ideas aren’t particularly novel. But fuck, who am I to sit and judge, as someone who’s never kept a band together longer than five years? This is old school, with plenty of piss left in the tank, and that’s something to be celebrated. Still plenty to shout about in this day and age, and it’s good to see the old guard hasn’t chilled out at all. Besides, the dextrous bass is high in the mix, absolutely killing it while the whole band chimes in on the choruses. That’s what you want and that’s what you get.

The Skrewups Dial 9… cassette

This EP kicks off with a really fantastic instrumental surf track in the same vein as a sinister MAN… OR ASTRO-MAN? but quickly evolves into your run-of-the-mill MISFITS-worship, going as far as to cover “Hollywood Babylon.” The band is obviously quite talented, but do we really need more horror punk in the 21st century? It almost hurts to say this, as the vocalist has great range and sustainability, but I was more excited for the opening song than anything else on this slab.