Well-executed UK82-ish hardcore from Croatia’s INDIKATOR B. After switching their lineup since their first release, the band sounds very tight and isn’t just banging these songs out; there is nuance and melody oozing from this EP. Great vocals that aren’t the usual bark, and catchy riffs that will have you going back for a second listen the moment the final track ends. Highly recommended.
Tasteful and melodic Oi! with classically French deathrock undertones. This is a perfect listen for the transition of summer to autumn, right down to the sound of rainfall on the opening instrumental. RÉSILIENCE has a full and muscular sound, including great crunchy riffs, some sinewy guitar leads, and gruff vocals that lead catchy sing-alongs throughout. There are no surprises to be found here, only a reliably sturdy listen for fans of CAMERA SILENS and RIXE.
It’s hard to believe Savage New Times from Istanbul’s DIE IN VAIN came out just last year; the band clearly did their homework, as this sounds like something Riot City would’ve put out 40 years ago. Anyway, this is a great record. Five tracks of familiar-sounding, street-punk-infused Oi! that are filled with catchy guitar hooks and gang vocals that punks and skins alike will find agreeable. Odds are you’ve already rocked this one, but if you haven’t yet, check out “War Machine” and “Gösteri Icin.”
San Francisco’s FENTANYL takes a unique approach to hardcore. Instead of the more commonly heard fuzzy distortion, they opt for a clean, stabbing guitar sound that really does set them apart. On their debut self-titled LP, they pair that DEAD KENNEDYS-inspired treble with rabidly barked, anxiety-riddled lyrics that are direct and to the point. For fans of the members’ stacked resumes, which include SPY, SPIRITUAL CRAMP, and WORLD PEACE.
Freaked-out and fuzzy hardcore punk from Rochester. This tape from LEAKING HEAD is unhinged and wild, featuring eight tracks that make for a chaotically cohesive listen. Citing inspiration from Cleveland legends H100s and GORDON SOLIE MOTHERFUCKERS, this is similar in spirit but far murkier and mutated, which is a good thing as far as I’m concerned. No single track recommendations here; listen to the whole thing to best experience LEAKING HEAD.
One of this year’s best releases—ARMOR from Tallahassee plays modern D-beat with rumbling hardcore vocals on Afraid of What’s to Come; think WARTHOG fronted by the vocalist from T.S. WARSPITE. High praise, I know, but believe me, this EP rips. In addition to their gnarly fusing of styles, the song structures here are stellar. The band utilizes tempo changes to great effect like on opening stomper “En Mass” and my favorite track “Fodder,” which sees the band getting extra raw, almost reminding me of something off of STINGRAY’s Fortress Britain. This one’s a no-brainer, pick up a copy and play it loud.
Fast and angry hardcore punk from Iowa City with a D-beat backbone and catchy hooks. With their sights set on the genocidal war machine in the Middle East, Henry Kissinger, scummy rich kids, and the factory-farming ravaging the Midwest, BOOTCAMP provides plenty to hate (on) here. Each track is a banger, but I recommend the closing title track, “Controlled Burn.” At a whopping one-minute-and-forty-seconds, it’s their longest track and a total scorcher, one you can imagine the knock-off Looney Tunes on the cover dancing to while the industrial farming facility behind them burns to the ground. Great stuff and highly recommended.
RABBIT’s latest EP Bardo is a melting pot of styles; death metal, punk, powerviolence, metallic hardcore, all stewing together to create a sonically powerful and satisfying EP that will appeal to a wide audience, not unlike their most cited influence GULCH. The thrash influence of the Big Four is especially evident on tracks like “Tail Wags Dog” and “Anti-Priest Summons Baphomet,” whose stink-face-inducing riffs and over-the-top vocals would satisfy even the pickiest of metalheads. Extra points for the amazing artwork, a consistent feature of all of RABBIT’s releases so far. Excited to hear what they’ve got coming next.
A hardcore three-piece from Pennsylvania, SCOLERI BROTHERS play songs that have an early ’00s metalcore vibe on their self-titled and self-released cassette. I tried to find out more about these guys, but all the internet spit out when I searched their name was info on the characters from Ghostbusters, so that was a dead end. Overall, the music here is cool, it’s well-played enough, but I’ve never been a fan of this vocal style. Over the years I’ve given bands who have a similar sound a shot and just don’t really get it. But hey, music is subjective and that’s the beauty of it. This isn’t for me, but maybe it’s for you.
Intercontinental Oi! is a comp featuring four different Oi! bands from four different countries putting forth three tracks each. The first and last bands here, RED BRICKS (Germany) and RECKLESS UPSTARTS (Canada), both sound proficient and solid with a skate punk sound that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtrack. They both sound poppy, bouncy, and anthemic, if not slightly forgettable. The UNCOUTH (USA) have more of a ’90s street punk sound, with a sort of sing-song, gruff vocal style that’s also just OK. Finally, there’s AN SLUA (Ireland), my favorite of the bunch. They remind me a little of early CHUBBY & THE GANG and add some cool phaser effects to their guitars here and there. All that said, none of this is really for me, to be honest. It’s all very polished and reminds me of stuff you’d hear played at an early 2000s Warped Tour stop. I’m no hater, but with bands like MESS, BÉTON ARMÉ, and the CHISEL giving the modern sound of Oi! a facelift with a rougher edge, it leaves this corner of the genre sounding a little limp.
Riffy and bouncy hardcore with a metal sheen from NY two-piece COOL BUT RUDE. Citing inspiration from bands like VIAGRA BOYS, DRAIN, and TURNSTILE, something tells me these guys don’t take themselves too seriously, and frankly, it’s refreshing to hear a band that doesn’t try to mug like tough guys playing this stuff. I think it’s what keeps these songs as light and bouncy as they are. In any event, I like it, and while not something I’ll necessarily go back to over and over again, I give them credit for putting out these well-produced and catchy six tracks.
Hot damn, this EP is lean and fuckin’ mean! THOUGHT CONTROL from Jersey (shout out to NJ, all my family is from there) is a wrecking ball of expertly executed, zero-fat hardcore. This thing is chock-full of crunchy guitars, breakneck drumming, and fuzzed-out vocals that are perfectly muddy and distorted. While many would say the crown jewel here is the title track (which does have an amazing guitar intro that sounds like COCKSPARRER’s “Riot Squad” on steroids), my favorite track is “Anti Christ Rock ’N‘ Roll,” a fun-as-hell song that has, you guessed it, loads of rock’n’roll guitar work. It goes without saying, this one is highly recommended.
A decent if not slightly patchy collection of songs from Czech quartet HEVER. On their Bandcamp, they cite ’80s NYHC and bands like CRO-MAGS and DINOSAUR JR. as influences, which all checks out; the riffs are big and the vocals are near-spoken-word most of the time. HEVER definitely has some chops—they play at breakneck speed, and on songs like “Succubus/Incubus” and the title track “Láska, Peniaze, Strach” (“Love, Money, Fear”), they’re at their thrash-y best. Elsewhere they lose me, like the corny backing vocals on “Popol” or the completely out-of-left-field final track “Do Čina,” an out-of-place post-punk deathrock cover that feels like an odd way to end the album. Honestly, if they trimmed this down by a few songs and stuck the landing, I’d be far more generous. Not a bad record, but not something I’ll be revisiting.
Hailing from Albany, New York and heavily influenced by the NBHC scene, CINNAMON plays surprisingly accessible powerviolence infused hardcore. Produced by ORCHID’s Will Killingsworth in his prolific Dead Air Studios, this tape has got some high-ass quality for a demo; there isn’t a blemish to be found. Every element is fully locked in, from the perfectly gravelly vocals to the frenetic drums to the crunchy and thrash-y guitars (especially on opener “Cinntro”). All in all, an impressive first showing—I’d expect to see CINNAMON on some pretty big festival lineups in the not too distant future.
Formed nearly a decade ago in the punk hotbed of Bogotá, Colombia, DEAD HERO is mostly composed of members of SECTA in addition to vocalist Paula Suarez, whose snappy vocals give a refreshing spin to their brand of BLITZ-worship Oi! Collected here are their demos, splits (one with the aforementioned SECTA) and 2017 LP La Vida Continua. Opening with a tastefully executed cover of BLITZ’s “Solar,” DEAD HERO’s collected material show a band committed to and proficient in ’80s British and French Oi!, proving over and over again that they know how to play catchy and anthemic rippers in the vein of mainstays like COCKNEY REJECTS and the BUSINESS. From the catchy singalong chorus on “Nuestra Vida” to the ringing guitar intros of “Por Siempre” and “La Vida Continua” to the sparse post-punk of “La Ley,” DEAD HERO has the sound down to a science. If you’re enjoying the current wave of modern Oi! bands like the CHISEL and MESS, pick this one up.
A very cool demo from Blitar’s HORSEMEN put out on Indonesian-based Darkroom Records. Four tracks of youth crew-style hardcore that at times remind me of INSTED and CHAIN OF STRENGTH. Check out “Reality;” great riffs, great breakdowns, great vocals. Apparently the hardcore scene in Blitar is thriving right now, and a cursory glance shows there’s no shortage of young and angry bands coming together to put on shows and fests—Blitar Hardfest 2024’s lineup is a great list of new bands to check out. It’s always a pleasure to discover these scenes that I would’ve missed out on otherwise (thanks, MRR).
Swedish mangel from the same town as legendary D-beaters SKITSYSTEM and SHITLICKERS (something must be in the water)—BÖSET carries on the tradition of fast and loud raw punk on their new LP Sista Varningen, with twelve politically-charged heaters that will leave fans of the genre with little to be desired. Opening track “Rasera Deras Borg” is a strong start, showcasing the band’s ability to touch on every hallmark of this style, including a nice shift into rock’n’roll at the one-and-a-half-minute mark, a move I’m always a sucker for. Throughout the album BÖSET does a nice job keeping things from getting stale, like on the ripped-from-’82 “Vi är Långt Förbi Sista Varningen” and the neat spoken word breakdown on “E Ni Goa i Hövvet Eller?” Lyrically, the band is pissed about shitty jobs (“Avskaffa Arbetslinjen”) and not buying into excessive consumerism (“Krossa Konsumismen”) amongst other things, and while I don’t speak or understand the language, I can pick up what they’re putting down. Overall, a solid album that keeps Gothenburg’s impressive track record intact.
The brutal mistreatment of Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli government is not something that started in 2024. For decades, the people of Palestine have been on the receiving end of ruthless displacement, and as of October, that displacement accelerated to full-blown genocide. As we now live in the age of social media, these atrocities have been pushed to the forefront of our minds, as they should; these are real people being killed on a daily basis, with the death toll reaching approximately 39,000 with many more likely unaccounted for. It’s difficult to wrap your head around, especially as many of us live thousands of miles away from the conflict, seeing it streaming from our phones alongside our usual daily content. It’s surreal and soul-crushing in equal measure, and ultimately leads to the question: what can be done locally to show support for Palestinians whose lives are being systematically annihilated? Fortunately, I’m proud to say I’ve been able to find humanity and inspiration in the punk scene. From bands speaking out and displaying the Palestinian flag during shows, to printing “From the River to the Sea” in liner notes, it’s no surprise to know that the punk community cares (mostly, there are always shitty exceptions). In addition to the aforementioned instances, over the past ten months there have been a plethora of pro-Palestinian comps released featuring countless bands proudly throwing their support behind the cause. One of the first on my radar was No Genocide, a cassette put together by the DISSIDENTS from Philly and featuring a variety of punks offering something for everyone. Every track here is a heater, my favorites being the vicious “Rabid Dogs” by SCARECROW and RAT CAGE’s excellent cover of the VARUKERS’ “Another Religion Another War.” If the raw punk stuff isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of post-punk, anarcho, and hardcore to be enjoyed as well. Regardless of taste, head over to the Bandcamp and download, donate, share, and support. Thank you to the DISSIDENTS and all of the bands involved here, thank you to all the punks standing up and giving a voice to those who don’t have one, and thank you to anyone who has contributed to the Palestinian cause. Free Gaza, Free Palestine!
The UK’s BAD BREEDING certainly needs no introduction; their fantastic 2022 LP Human Capital became a regular fixture on year-end lists everywhere with its brutal critiques of modern empire, carrying on in the proud anti-capitalist tradition of the entire Crass Records roster. It’s a loud, abrasive, and thought-provoking record that anyone would say is hard to top. So where does a band go from there? In BAD BREEDING’s case, they crank everything up to (pardon the cliche) eleven and blow the whole thing out. Their latest LP Contempt is best described as an immersive experience, like going to see a film or exploring an exhibit in a museum gallery. Featuring album artwork by the legendary Peter Kennard and an accompanying zine featuring writings by ASHENSPIRE’s Alasdair Dunn and environmental journalist Aidan Frere-Smith amongst others, when given your undivided attention, this record fully surrounds you for its 37-minute runtime. While pulling inspiration from the aforementioned Crass Records, BAD BREEDING often goes beyond the usual hardcore punk touchstones and lands somewhere far more desolate and industrial. One of the album’s heaviest songs and one that truly feels like its centerpiece is “Gilded Age/Sanctuary,” a five-and-a-half minute epic that starts off as a full-blown hardcore blast before screeching into an extended intermission, featuring haunting field recordings the band picked up during stints at work sites and walking through town squares for lunch. Disembodied voices and a dark atmosphere break away once halfway through and again in its last minute, returning to a fuzzed-out hardcore dirge that hits like a ton of bricks. This is just one example of BAD BREEDING’s masterful ability to create a mood sonically that matches the mood contextually. When the lyrical content of your music explores the horrors of capitalism, poverty, Western exceptionalism, exploitation, propaganda, imperialism, and corruption this deeply, you’d better have the musical chops to match. Fortunately, this is an area where BAD BREEDING excels. Yet again, expect to see BAD BREEDING on those year end-lists this year, and rightly so; these guys are the real deal and deserve your attention.
Listening to this BAD IDEA LP sent me down a rabbit hole for about an hour after I gave it a spin, as one of the songs in particular reminded me so much of a band whose name I just could not remember—I eventually found them, anyone remember a band called the BEATINGS from the early ’00s? Anyway, BAD IDEA sounds pretty good here, sort of NY proto-punk that dips into early ’80s hardcore, like if the DICTATORS and the MISFITS went out to lunch. “Bad Attitude” has CBGB written all over it, and “Massacre” has a little West Coast vibe going on. They go a little poppy for my taste on “Good to Die,” but otherwise this was an enjoyable spin.
Chicago’s LOST LEGION is a fixture in the punk/Oi! scene here, and for good reason. In what is becoming a more and more crowded scene, these guys excel not only in their live performances, but also on the strength of their recorded output, particularly their latest LP Behind the Concrete Veil. Sonically, the record sounds great, the vocals are gravelly and rough, the bass is nasty and overdriven, the guitars cut like a knife, and the drums are locked in from start to finish. It’s a visceral mix of Oi! and street punk with some deathrock and post-punk sprinkled in, resulting in a sound that can certainly appeal to punks and skins of all shapes and sizes. More importantly than all of that, the songwriting is superb. This is a strongly anti-capitalist record that does a hell of a job intelligently exploring themes of human disconnect, anxiety, and internal struggle in a way that feels a little more thoughtful than your average punk record. At least a quarter of the songs reference losing humanity and further drifting away from the natural; on “War Machine,” vocalist Ian admits “I don’t know what you expect from me / I don’t get to think / You built a war machine.” On “Animals We Used to Be,” there’s a sense of nostalgia for a time before “they clipped our tails and they gave us all new names.” Elsewhere, there’s disdain for cellphones (“Staring Down the Valley”) and meaningless work (“Disposed”), and on the anti-police “Silhouettes in Blue Light,” the band forgoes the usual “fuck the police” rallying cry, and instead explores the trajectory of someone inevitably ending up becoming a cop through familial encouragement and evolution. These are commonly found themes in this genre, but are communicated so cleverly here—I highly recommend reading the lyrics as you listen along. This is a great rock album, but it’s also an intimate and personal record that many of us can probably relate to at the moment. After all, isn’t that what this music is all about?
Following in the footsteps of classic ’80s Italian hardcore acts WRETCHED and NEGAZIONE, this demo from Massachusetts’s RABID FEW is a blistering listen. Great riffs, great leads, and memorable vocals; this lot would fit right in at punk fests like K-Town or Have a Good Laugh. While the guitar work and vocals leave nothing to be desired, the drumming is my favorite part here—it reminds me of BOOTLICKER, just pounding, pounding, pounding right up front in the mix. Get into this shit.
I know you can’t always judge a book by its cover, but let’s be real, it’s usually a good indicator of what you’re getting yourself into. Usually, cool music is accompanied by cool artwork/presentation. It is what it is. I hate to say it, but the cover of this TRAPPED LIKE RATS EP really didn’t give me high hopes. It’s got a nu-metal vibe that I don’t care for. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the music. The band plays pretty standard hardcore that has a lot of guitar noodling, a lot of gruff gang vocals, and is overall unremarkable. That’s all I’ve got. I don’t find pleasure in writing this sort of review, but that’s the job and someone’s gotta do it. I’ll give these guys credit for hating the cops, but beyond that, this one’s a pass.
A labor of love started in 1994 by TOTALITÄR and BRAINBOMBS’ own Lanchy, DRIVER recorded ten tracks in 2000, five of which are featured here on Fuck You. A stripped-down, no-frills affair with a dirty, lo-fi quality, per the sleeve this was inspired by heavy-hitters like the FIX, DISCHARGE, MC5, POISON IDEA, RADIO BIRDMAN, and “distorted rock’n’roll guitars in general.” The final product is just that, a fuzzy slurry of dis-beat-influenced proto-punk. If that sounds weird, trust me, it works. “Junkie Corpse” is a favorite and definitely delivers on the POISON IDEA influence, while “Deform Reform” has some tasty blues licks that are unexpected but certainly welcome. Overall, I hear more IGGY AND THE STOOGES than anything else, and for that I am thankful. A gnarly little record that I can’t recommend enough.
Staking claim to being the first all-female punk group in their city, VIOLETAS VIOLENTAS is a legacy act from the early ’90s who play lo-fi and rudimentary punk on their Ensayo 23 cassette, a collection of five newly recorded songs as well as six older tunes they’ve deemed worthy of recording and releasing. Straightforward tupa-tupa is how I’d describe VIOLETAS VIOLENTAS, and on songs like “Me Estaran Buscando,” “El Bulto,” and “Veneno,” they deliver the goods. They’ve obviously got a formula that works and I love it; there will always be a place in my heart for pure punk like this.
Ventura County’s CERAMIK play by-the-numbers hardcore on their LP A Life So Bleak, banging out eight songs in ten minutes. There’s a little thrash, some blastbeats, and some cool breakdowns that probably make for a fun live set. If you’re into GEL, SPY, or any of the other current crop of hardcore bands making waves at the moment, this will be right up your alley.
Excellent Argentinian punk coming from a thriving scene I’ve been unaware of until the writing of this review. DISTANTE reminds me a lot of TOZCOS, but with a heavier straightedge influence, citing bands like MINOR THREAT and YOUTH OF TODAY as inspiration. The songs hit hard and fast with wall-to-wall riffs and breakneck drumming, but the stars of the show are the bass lines and vocals, both taking these songs to another level. I recommend flipping over to their Bandcamp and listening to “Circunstancias,” one of the best punk songs I’ve heard so far this year, which is saying a lot.
Every now and then (usually once a month or so), the music review gods look down upon me, smile, and say “Eric, here’s a tape to review that you’re really going to fall in love with.” This month, that assignment is RUINED VIRTUE’s demo, a five-track banger that is my new favorite thing. Coming from the same swamp in Sheffield as the magnificent RAT CAGE, RUINED VIRTUE’s demo sounds like WARTHOG, GOLPE, and the rest of modern punk’s finest. They even have a little bit of medieval charm, heard most prominently on standout “Flowers of Flesh & Blood.” If that intro isn’t enough to make you want to suit up in some chainmail and go to battle I don’t know what is. I’ll be eagerly awaiting some wax from these guys, really, truly killer stuff.
Very cool shit from EX-DOM, a four-piece from Bremen, Germany who sing in both Spanish and German and play D-beat-influenced tupa-tupa that sits comfortably next to contemporaries GOLPE and DELETÄR. Even if you’re like me and not bilingual, you’ll still get the picture; this is raw, ass-kicking music that gets the point across in spite of potential language barriers. Everything on here smokes, but “Devastactión” is my favorite. Its screeching feedback and caveman stomp intro leads into a heavy riff-fest with tasty guitar leads guiding the way. Like I said earlier, this shit rules. Two thumbs way up, highly recommended.
As hardcore bands become more and more abundant these days, it’s understandable that some would want to think outside of the box and come up with something to stand out. With that in mind, I applaud MINDLESS from Kent and their EP Let ‘Em Know, which is a nasty slab of aggro hardcore that swings for the fences by way of adding in some Oi! and powerviolence influences that sometimes work and sometimes don’t. Opening track “Business as Usual” is just that, a serviceable bit of UKHC that has a cool breakdown and will please the two-steppers. The title track follows suit, as well as fourth track “Nightmare,” while the closing track “Evil” is a surprisingly upbeat Oi! number that has a heavy BUSINESS influence that would sit comfortably on a setlist by contemporaries the CHISEL. It’s the song “Cold Hell” that throws me for a loop, with a powerviolence influence coming by way of some blastbeats that, to be honest, I don’t love. It may be personal preference more than anything, but I don’t think it adds much to the song and leaves me wishing they had omitted it entirely. Still, four out of five isn’t a bad average by any means—I’d say it’s worth a listen if this is your thing.
Not to be confused with the Perth band of the same name, this TERRITORY is from Philly and on their War for…? cassette, they play crusty D-beat in the vein of DISFEAR and NIGHTFEEDER. I have no complaints and won’t mince words: this shit rocks. Everything is perfectly dialed-in: the squealing distorted riffs, heavy D-beat drums, and menacing shredded vocals. I love it. On top of that, they recently opened for NEUROOT and are donating all proceeds from this tape to Palestinian aid. What more could you ask for? Check out TERRITORY and grab a tape or six.
A solid slab of ’80s-inspired hardcore skate punk inspired by the likes of BLACK FLAG and BAD BRAINS. I couldn’t find too much info on the band, but they are Tokyo-based, had a demo in 2021, and recently released this, their first full-length. There are some great tracks here, my favorite being the surfy “Mentos Coke,” which kind of sounds like the DEAD KENNEDYS in its intro. Overall, I have no complaints; it’s quick, it’s straightforward, and it sounds like the band had a good time recording it.
I’m no expert on or even regular listener to powerviolence, it’s just not my thing. This EP from THROATRIP, however, is something I can get into. It’s pretty accessible for the genre, as the song lengths are slightly longer than usual. They aren’t epics by any means, but they are able to breathe and actually be digested by my unacclimated ears. Otherwise, you get all the trademarks of the style, including blastbeats, breakdowns, tempo changes, and audio clips between songs, including a line from The Breakfast Club that hits hard in this context. Extra points for being a two-piece and also having their drummer on vocal duties. These guys must be exhausted by the end of their live shows. Recommended, check out the track “Convulsions.”
Featuring veterans of the L.A. hardcore scene, BERTHOLD CITY takes every element of straightedge/youth crew and packages it neatly here on A Moment in Time, a collection featuring their first two 7”s, three new songs, a CIRCLE JERKS cover, an INSTED cover, and a comp song. I really don’t have much to say here other than this would be a great entry point for someone interested in getting into this style. They aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but it is a pure expression and representation of the sub-genre. I mean, they’re named after the font used by everyone from SSD to JUDGE; you can tell what you’re going to get based on that alone.
A quick split between the Czech Republic’s JUST WÄR and England’s MAU MAUS. JUST WÄR mostly plays MOTÖRHEAD-worship punk. They’re definitely students of this style, as everything is pristinely placed, from the rock’n’roll riffs and leads to the growled vocals. MAU MAUS are a legacy act originally formed in the early ’80s. They play simple UK82 street punk that is clean and relatively catchy and includes classic gravelly singing and gang vocals. This split is good, but a bit of a head-scratcher. I don’t really understand how these two got paired together but it’s cool; it’s nice to have two different styles rather than two bands that sound identical on a split. Rock on.
In the British classic The Italian Job, Michael Caine’s Charlie Croker exclaims “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” upon seeing the excessive damage inflicted upon a truck that was, well, only supposed to have its bloody doors blown off. It’s a great line from a great scene from a great movie, and London’s DYNAMITE has taken it as the title to their debut EP, an appropriate one for a record as explosive and as British as this. A joint release from two London-based labels (Quality Control HQ and Northern Unrest), DYNAMITE enlists a who’s-who of players from the UKHC scene as well as a guest list featuring members of the FLEX, BIG CHEESE, and HIGH VIS. Featuring five tracks of no-frills, YOUTH OF TODAY-inspired hardcore without an ounce of fat to be heard, you can tell this was put together by a band that knows and loves the genre. On the killer “Dynamite Stomp,” they even claim “In every drop of blood /I will bleed hardcore.” Alright then, highly recommended.
I love discovering bands that were orbiting some of the major players in the punk scene back in the day but never received much recognition—bands you see on old flyers from a CRASS gig but never really hear. LEGION OF PARASITES is one such example, and after doing some research and hearing some of their material, I’m bummed that they weren’t able to take off more than they did. LEGION OF PARASITES were a UK anarcho-punk band active in the mid-to-late ’80s who played as a support act for everyone from CONFLICT to BROKEN BONES. After a whimper of a demo, they pulled themselves together and released this, their first 12” Undesirable Guests, receiving more if not still minimal acclaim. LEGION OF PARASITES have a sound similar to many of the bands on the CRASS label, but stand out for their wild drumming, excellent SUBHUMANS-esque vocal delivery, and surprisingly catchy tunes. Each song here is strong, and as mentioned before, the drumming is out of control. Check out the D-beat on “Party Time” and the galloping bounce on “Eroded Freedom.” These are genuinely good songs and I’m left scratching my head as to why I don’t hear these guys talked about more. Oh well, at least now thanks to General Speech we can all listen to what we’ve been missing.
Here’s another cool artifact, this time from Germany’s 7 INCH BOOTS, a hardcore band active in the late ’80s who played a fairly intense take on the style. Included here is their Tamped Concrete EP on the A-side and their Walkin’ Through demo on the B-side, both impressive and showing a band with a unique sound and style. Rather than a speedier, in-your-face thrash, 7 INCH BOOTS opted to play at a slightly slower pace with some proto-powerviolence and metal mixed in. In addition to their heavier style, the band sang about racism and climate change as well as issues with misogyny, most notably on “Law of the Man,” a takedown of the unbalanced power dynamics between a woman and an abusive man. It’s compelling stuff and leaves you with the impression that 7 INCH BOOTS could have (and maybe should have) been bigger than they were.
An actually good live album of a set from Brooklyn’s REBELMATIC from Fuzz Fest in Morgantown, West Virginia. First thing I’ll mention is that the production on this recording is pristine. Rarely do live shows translate well for me because of poor production, but this sounds good. REBELMATIC plays a familiar mix of high-energy hardcore and hip hop with a classic NYHC feel to it. Each track sounds bouncy and tight, and the crowd banter adds a charming element. It genuinely sounds like this was a fun show to be at. Check out “Pony” and “Blood and Gold.”
SLUG from Ohio plays straightforward, Boston-inspired hardcore, and following their excellent 2022 EP Continuing Growth, they’ve returned with their first LP Ohio. Featuring ten songs continuing their trajectory of meat-and-potatoes hardcore, there’s plenty to dig into here for fans of the style: killer dual vocals, metallic riffs, and plenty of breakdowns for the two-steppers. Check out “Get Ahead,” “Brain Rot,” and my favorite, “An Ulcer,” a catchy one with a great guitar lead. I should mention that Dwid Hellion of INTEGRITY has a guest vocal on the song “Introspection,” a cool full-circle moment for Cleveland hardcore. Highly recommended.
Here’s another banger from the prolific-as-fuck Convulse Records with the BREATH from Tokyo’s 道理なき憎悪 Reasonless Hate EP. Taking inspiration from bands like WARZONE, YOUTH OF TODAY, and the rest of the Revelation Records roster, the BREATH is fully cranked up, with catchy, muscular riffs and distorted, screeching vocals that are totally out of control. Each track here is worth a listen, but “Reasonless Hate” and “Harmful Classification” are standouts that demand to be heard live. With so many bands playing this style of metallic HC right now, something needs to stand out, and boy, does the BREATH stand out. Highly recommended.
A lo-fi and primitive punk artifact from the late ’80s Polish scene, this demo from PRZEJEBANE (“Fucked” in Polish) was allegedly recorded in 1987 and features ten tracks of cut-and-dry punk, with clear influences from the RAMONES, the CLASH, and a little bit of early BAD RELIGION, sometimes inching towards skate punk. Lyrically, from what I found through some internet sleuthing, the band speaks mostly on anarchism and drug use, however I can’t make out if it’s in a positive or negative light. Pretty cool, but not entirely essential stuff. If you want a small taste of some late ’80s punk from Poland, this may be worth your time.
There seems to be no shortage of coldwave/post-punk/deathrock bands at the moment, and frankly, I love it. Go ahead and add Germany’s DEAD YEARS to the list. On Night Thoughts, they play a cool brand of post-punk, sometimes reminding me of a more propulsive HOME FRONT and sometimes reminding me of an Oi! band minus the saxophones and tough-guy gang vocals. Speaking of, the dual vocals are a nice touch and add some depth and nuance to the proceedings. I will say, the record is a little long for my taste, and some of the tunes do blend together about halfway through. This is no dealbreaker; in fact, it’s probably just my social-media-addled attention span that’s the problem. Anyways, the songwriting is solid, and on tracks like “Into the Dark” and “Mind Circle,” DEAD YEARS really take off.
Polish East Coast-style hardcore sung in English—reminds me of WILDSIDE with some occasional powerviolence here and there. Vocally, they cover nearly every style possible with five(!) vocalists. Mileage may vary here, as each track is pretty much dictated by who is singing. Opener “PLHC” and “Girl’s Not Grey” definitely hit. “Rich Boys Toys Purge” and “Whore in Uniform” definitely do not. It seems a little silly to me to have this many vocalists shifting the style so frequently, but hey, they’re doing their thing. Overall not bad, but if you want my honest opinion, losing a couple vocalists and focusing on one style would go a long way for NEGATIVE IMPACT.
Powerhouse hardcore from Portland—DRY SOCKET sounds confident and aggro on their first LP Sorry for Your Loss. An album focusing on grief, internal struggle, and finding your place in the world; you can hear the frustration in vocalist Dani Allen’s voice, which really tends to be the focal point on the album. The delivery is fantastic, sounding feral and desperate in equal measure, my favorite example being “Cultivated Fore.” Sonically, DRY SOCKET opts for a more angular guitar sound rather than the blunt force usually heard in this style. It’s cool and refreshing, making for a very engaging listen. Check out “Equinox” and “Born Again.”
BOG PEOPLE’S long-lost (but recently found and released) self-titled LP makes me think two things: first, thank goodness the fine folks at Iron Lung dusted this off and put it out there for everyone to hear, and second, how many killer LPs have been shelved with no hope of seeing the light of day? Instead of dwelling on the latter, I’m going to focus on the former. Recorded during their heyday back in 2010 and originally abandoned for being “too speedy”(?), BOG PEOPLE laid down twelve tracks of deathrock-infused UK82, sounding like an unholy mix of RUDIMENTARY PENI and CHAOS UK, with moments that remind me of current punk champs ELECTRIC CHAIR. I love the guitars here, they have an almost psychedelic, swirling effect that works so well, most notably on “Constant Torture” and “Illusions.” Highly recommended, this record fits perfectly amongst the current landscape of punk. Maybe in 2010, the world just wasn’t ready for BOG PEOPLE.
Three lean and mean cuts of hardcore à la NEGATIVE APPROACH from SPEED PLANS, who continue in the wake of last year’s excellent Statues of God. Blown-out and grimy, the lo-fi recording definitely works in favor of the proceedings, in particular adding a gnarly sheen to the already gnarly vocals. Fast, catchy, and angry, with song titles like “Shut Up” and “Shut the Fuck Up,” this is all I really want from this style of hardcore.
Combining elements of Japanese, Swedish, and English hardcore, NYC’s SECRETORS play unapologetically raw and ugly on Comparing Missile Size, Vol. 1. Featuring members of WARTHOG and INSTITUTE (among others), SECRETORS have an impressive pedigree and sound fantastic. While only slightly cleaner than their Antidote for Civilization demo, the guitars still sound nasty and the vocals still sound brutal, especially on freakout opener “Real World Data” and the furiously desperate standout “Comparing Missile Size.” At times, this reminds me of STINGRAY’s Fortress Britain in both its sound and its shared sense of paranoia and frustration with where our world is heading in the not too distant future. Overall, an excellent record with nonstop urgency and power; no frills, no gimmicks, no bullshit. Highly recommended.
Hard and fast UK82 from Portland’s CRUCIFIED CLASS, carrying on in the tradition of bands like PARTISANS and the VARUKERS. Each of these tracks is a solid showing sonically, accompanied by lyrics dealing with the struggle of living in a capitalist society that’s in a perpetual state of war. I’ve gotta say, while I dig everything here overall, the vocals are what stand out and carry this EP. There’s a vicious immediacy that really hits, especially on “Trapped” and “System Sickness.” If you’ve worn out your Country Fit for Heroes comps and need something loud and angry to listen to, give this one a spin. Highly recommended.
“I blame society, man…”—a great quote from a great movie (hint: it’s Repo Man) and an appropriate title for this fast as hell EP from, you guessed it, REPO MAN. Heavily influenced by early ’80s US hardcore, I Blame Society provides plenty of great feedback-laden moments to stomp around to, and clocks in at just under seven minutes. In particular, I’ve got to mention the breakdown near the end of “I’m Right,“ the killer drumming on “Go Nowhere,” and the entirety of the RAMONES-ish standout “Leech.” All around, a great listen and worthy of your time. Thanks REPO MAN for the cool EP, and for reminding me to rewatch Repo Man this weekend.
I learned a lot while reading about Chile’s IGNORANTES and their LP Palos Por Que Bogas, Palos Por Que No Bogas, from the ’80s Latino hardcore scene and bands that paved the way for them like SEDICION, MASSACRE 68, and LOS CRUDOS, to the current scene of bands playing raw tupa-tupa punk. It’s all killer and the fanbase is rabid. IGNORANTES play fast and raw street punk, and after watching some live footage it’s easy to see the appeal. Their style translates perfectly on this album, giving a good sense of the energy and anger of their live performances. Check out “Ciao Merda” and “No Me Gustas;” if you’re into straightforward fast and loud street punk, this will be for you.
Brooklyn’s CASH BRIBE plays frenetic NYHC with varying influences coming together to produce a fairly eclectic album that dips into powerviolence (“Creature of Consumption”), moody psychedelia (“Umbra”), and alt-rock (“Escape From New York”). While it does make for a sound interesting enough to hold my attention until the end, there’s a lack of cohesion that feels a little jarring, especially as the band leaps from style to style. Overall, not really my thing, but there is definitely an audience out there for this.
What a treat to get this cassette in my review pile; recently I’ve been on a hardcore kick from bands like GOLPE, QUARANTINE, and G.U.N., and I can safely say if you’re a fan of any of these bands, you’ll dig HARRY CHINASKI. Hailing from the thriving punk scene in Buenos Aires, HARRY CHINASKI plays fast and mean tunes inspired by ’80s hardcore and skate punk. Each and every song is brutish and over before you realize it, and I love the echoing vocal effect, especially on “Holocausto Sanitario.” It suits the music so well and gives the album a menacing vibe that reminds me of FAIRYTALE. I can’t recommend this enough, a total ripper worth your time.
On their debut 12” The Future…Is Now, Chicago’s CORONARY bangs out nine solid cuts of hardcore that have a nice metallic sheen and lots of anger to spare. Sonically, CORONARY successfully incorporates a few different styles here, from the thrash-y “Future Ruin” to manic powerviolence on “Suffer The People.” The standout for me is “Violent Era,” a fun ripper that goes from D-beat to beatdown. For fans of HEAVEN’S GATE and MUNICIPAL WASTE.
Portland street rock’n’rollers DEATH RIDGE BOYS have been kicking around since 2017, which is impressive considering their latest, Too Much Bullshit, sits so comfortably next to the newer crop of Oi! bands like VIOLENT WAY and the CHISEL. In fact, I’d say that if you’re into the CHISEL, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be a fan here. It’s all very anthemic, very catchy, and very sing-along friendly, perfect for a night out with the lads. And while the message is similar to the aforementioned bands, the delivery is a little more lighthearted and upbeat. Checkout “Gunnin’ For You,” which sounds more pub rock than Oi! and most definitely has some of fellow Portlanders the RIFFS in its DNA. If I have to dock points for anything, it’s the times DEATH RIDGE BOYS drift into Irish punk territory à la DROPKICK MURPHYS, like on “Oh Fashy.” I’m no hater, but I’ve never been a fan of the style. In any event, it’s a small qualm with an otherwise solid album.
Vancouver’s PHANE blasts through four cuts of straightforward, UK82-charged punk on their Police System EP, one of which is an UNRULED cover (and the strongest showing in my opinion). Sticking to themes of menial city living and the fookin’ cops, PHANE gleefully sticks up two fingers at the system. I have no complaints, and if you’re a fan of bands like the VARUKERS and G.B.H., you’ll have none either.
On their wild cassette Captured Alive, OVERGROWN THRONE from North Carolina plays raw D-beat with themes of class war, shitty cops, and hating I.C.E.—basically all of the things I want my crust punk to be about. What’s so wild about that? You’ve gotta hear the vocals on this thing. I’m not sure if it’s three or four people sharing vocal duties or one person who’s possessed, but there are multiple styles of singing throughout and it’s truly unique. While I don’t always love each style, I’ve gotta give credit for the creativity and outlandishness on some of these songs, something that sets OVERGROWN THRONE apart from the crowd. Check out “Couchsurfer” and “Victim of My Own Prescription.”
I’m not going to beat around the bush, I love this album. SQUELETTE’s Fin de Partie has so much nuance and substance; it’s dripping with style and replay value. The pleasantly soft and jangly instrumental “Nouveau Depart” kicks things off, and while the comparison was hard to pin down at first, I realized it reminded me of the SMITHS, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. SQUELETTE masterfully weaves acoustic shimmering into their traditional French Oi! style, shown beautifully on tracks “Dans L’Instant“ and “Ronde De Nuit.” Peppered throughout, you’ll also find bits of saxophone and cold synths, both in line with the sort of thing you’d find on ’80s Chaos en France comps. It’s no surprise that it was mixed by Maxime of Chateau Vergogne Studio, who seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to modern Oi! albums. Anyways, bravo SQUELETTE, this shit is magical. For fans of SYNDROME 81 and CAMERA SILENS.
I know you can’t always judge a book by its cover (or its title, for that matter), but in this instance, You Are Beautiful… But This Place Sucks, the split LP by ANARCHY FOR ASSHOLES from Oklahoma City and BEAT UP from Athens, GA, visually and sonically doesn’t do it for me. Side A features the unfortunately named ANARCHY FOR ASSHOLES, whose sound and style have an element of CRASS-influenced anarcho-punk, especially with the shared male/female vocals. Frankly, I wish they’d lean harder into it, because they completely lose me with the weird party vibe on the last two numbers. On the flipside is BEAT UP who are cleaner sonically, leaning more towards ’80s US skate punk with a vocalist who’s got a funky Jello Biafra vibe that somehow mutates into a twangy Nick Cave impression by the final track. It’s politically charged and decently executed, but overall a little generic. All said, I give this one an unenthusiastic “meh.”
Killer LP from Minneapolis punks CITRIC DUMMIES, who sound like an amphetamine-fueled MISFITS. I mean it, the singer is pretty much doing a DANZIG impersonation here. Don’t ask me how, but it works. Throughout fourteen tracks, CITRIC DUMMIES stick to their successful formula of straightforward, rabid punk with an occasional pop of color, like the saxophone on “Drugs in the Snow” and the keyboards on “My True Love is Depression” and “Doing Dope at Chucky Cheese.” Overall I recommend it, especially if you need something to play at your next kegger.
The recipe for BURNT ENVELOPE’s I’m Immature: The Singles Vol. II goes as follows: mix equal parts STOOGES psychedelia with VELVET UNDERGROUND’s White Light/White Heat, add a heaping spoonful of early lo-fi BLACK LIPS, and top with a sprinkle of black humor, and voila, seven “singles” (a.k.a. fourteen tracks) of lo-fi slacker bedroom punk that sounds like it was a lot of fun to record. Get stoned and listen to “The Chameleon Pt 1 and 2” for a weird time.
Straightforward NYHC from alums of MADBALL, SHEER TERROR, and NEGLECT. The GREAT LIE’s music more or less reflects their past projects, so it’s safe to say you know what you’re going to get. Unfortunately, things occasionally veer into nu-metal territory, which I found off-putting. Maybe I’m just not their target demographic, but overall this one didn’t do much for me.
Here’s another instant classic to add to the list of contenders for album of the year: STINGRAY’s Fortress Britain, a caustic, abrasive, and scorched-as-fuck album that sounds absolutely hellish, with brutal vocals and big riffs to match. Comprised of prominent members of the UK punk/hardcore scene, STINGRAY sounds seriously pissed, and presents a takedown of imperialism and British rule, illustrating the decaying landscape of modern life. Sonically, it’s a smoldering cauldron of fury influenced by the likes of EXTREME NOISE TERROR, CRUCIFIX, and NEUROOT, and from its first note, Fortress Britain rips through your speakers and grabs you by the throat. “Burning Swine,” a stomping kick in the teeth, features a metallic breakdown that is as infectious as it is heavy. Title track “Fortress Britain Crumbles” is a revved up D-beat fever dream featuring an excellent bass lead that is massive, dwarfed only by the even bigger lyrics: “Walls of London blown to bedlam / Under the boot of a million desperate.” You can hear the venom in every word, delivered expertly by the demonic narration of Tin Savage. Closer “Inner City” begins with another bass lead, echoing drums, and a build-up that’ll give you goosebumps. Fortress Britain may have influences from the past, but this shit is timeless. If modern life is hell, STINGRAY couldn’t have provided a better soundtrack.
Finnish thrashers FORCED HUMILITY rip it up on Tri-City Werewolves ’23, citing influence from classic ’80s NYHC outfits like OUTBURST and SHEER TERROR. The results sound similar to the UK’s ANTAGONIZM, with harsh vocals, breakneck drums, metal riffing, and searing guitar leads. As a big FORESEEN fan, I’m always excited to hear these guys’ side projects, and FORCED HUMILITY doesn’t disappoint. Check out “Opportunist” and “Ultimate Concern.”
Catchy, hook-filled rock’n’roll from Montreal’s TAXI GIRLS on their Coming Up Roses 12”, featuring five tracks filled with poppy harmonies and muscular reverb-drenched guitars, blending elements of classic ’70s punk with ’90s garage rock. Actually, the more I hear, the more I think this would fit in nicely with the early ’00s Detroit scene alongside DIRTBOMBS and DETROIT COBRAS. Highlights include the surfy “Hands Off” and “Stay With Me,” which reminds me of BLACK LIPS at their sweetest. Highly recommended.
Is there such a thing as too much icy post-punk? The answer is of course “no,” and here we have Sydney, Australia’s GYRATE to add to the list of bands currently excelling in this sort of thing, alongside LATHE OF HEAVEN and SYNDROME 81 (amongst others). GYRATE’s Negative Excess nails the noodling, clinical guitars, vocals more spoken than sung, and an overall vibe that’s slightly off-kilter. It sounds fantastic and comes together brilliantly on “Maze” and “Uniformed Choice.” The band cites LOW LIFE as forebears, and while I wasn’t terribly familiar with them before this came across my pile, I’m always happy to fill in some of the blanks in my musical knowledge, especially in this genre. Anyways, if you ask me, this shit never gets old, highly recommended.
CALORIS IMPACT from Graz, Austria plays modern hardcore that sits comfortably next to BUGGIN, STRESS POSITIONS, and GEL, with a dash of of surf-y rock’n’roll added to the usual two-stepping riffs and breakdowns that works well. The swagger in these songs is refreshing, especially when paired with the vicious, politically-charged vocal delivery. Check out “Arrogance,” it’s a proper rocker.
After being recently introduced to Black Konflik’s output, I’ve become a quick fan. They have a handful of legendary releases from the likes of PARANOID and DEFIANCE and even more obscurities like this collection of demos and compilation tracks by WARSAW, a hardcore punk band from Sapporo, Japan who were active from 1992 to 1993. They went on to switch lead singers and become SHOT GUN, leaving this output in their wake. It’s a raw and lo-fi affair bringing to mind other Japanese hardcore bands like SYSTEMIC DEATH and DEATHSIDE. If fast and nasty hardcore is your thing, check it out, especially their contribution to the Criminal Truth Hate Justice comp, which is included here. Gnarly stuff!
Imagine my disbelief at seeing this come across my review pile; I saw HAVOC play at the Cornerstone music festival almost twenty years ago, and honestly I didn’t realize they were still active. On their new LP Our Rebellion Continues, they sound just as I remember them: CASUALTIES-style street punk with a side of MOTÖRHEAD-style rock’n’roll. Personally, I prefer them when they lean into the Lemmy influence, like on “Who’s to Blame” and the end of title track “Our Rebellion Continues,” where they almost approach a RIFFS vibe. It’s pretty cool shit, and I’m happy to see these dudes still doing their thing twenty years later.
On No Justice, Malaysia’s CONVICTED plays aggressive meat-and-potatoes hardcore, inspired in style and sound by the likes of UKHC legends ARMS RACE and the FLEX. The muffled vocal effect, blastbeats, and interspersed sounds of protests on the streets work well to create an intense and abrasive atmosphere, making the anti-authoritarian lyrics even more poignant and powerful. Angry music for angrier times.
I’ve gotta be real, I didn’t have a great time listening to this album. Unfortunately, OI!L CHANGE, a three-piece from Grand Rapids, Michigan, sound quite bland on their LP Unfinished, which actually seems a little unfinished. These songs all sound like they’re missing something, some flourishes or extra bits or anything to differentiate track to track. The only part I remember standing out was a BLITZ-style guitar intro on “Lovable Losers.” Beyond that, these songs are all unremarkable street punk-lite, with pirate-y vocals and songs about loyalty and being punk. Sorry to say, not my cup of tea.
ENTRY follow up their highly acclaimed 2020 LP Detriment with Exit Interview, a six-track EP recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band themselves, in what would best be described as a modern USHC style. Blending traditional ’80s hardcore punk with some D-beat and a little powerviolence, ENTRY’s sound isn’t terribly dissimilar to labelmates GEL or Baltimore’s JIVEBOMB: scorched vocals, muscular guitar work, and breakneck drumming. Lyrically, vocalist Sara G lets loose on the greedy, profit-driven forces that are damaging people and the environment, namely on final songs “Ashes Fill the Sky” and “Greed Only Grows.” Highly recommended if you like a healthy dose of anti-capitalist sentiment in your hardcore.
I’m sure most punks can remember the genesis of their obsession with the genre; mine was a compilation I got one teenage Christmas featuring the likes of the SAINTS, EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS, and the JAM, amongst others. It defined my taste in music, and here, two decades later, I’m pleased as can be to be writing about Bite My Tongue, an EP from PACK RAT that essentially throws every band on that comp into a blender, resulting in four tracks of bouncy, power-poppy rippers with great hooks and pop sensibility, inspired by the less abrasive, more melodically driven side of ’70s punk. Opening title track “Bite My Tongue” features frontman Patrick McEachnie’s stuttering vocals and reverb-soaked guitar strutting their way through the song before reaching a DAMNED-worthy chorus. “New Kind (Of Love)” sounds like a lost RUDI or UNDERTONES cut with a surf-y lead, and “Parasite City” wraps up with a guitar line that would make Steve Diggle of BUZZCOCKS proud. Closing track “Sleepless,” sung by guitarist Bella, takes a heap of REZILLOS, a dash of X, and a sprinkle of SCIENTISTS to create a sugary sweet power-pop-punk confection. Bite My Tongue is an excellent EP that is a treat for the old-heads and is sure to turn some young punks on to the scene. Highly recommended!
Japan’s SLUDGE have been releasing high-energy metallic hardcore punk cuts since 2011, all of which are conveniently compiled here. Hailing from the southwestern region of Kinan Wakayama, it’s cool to hear this style coming from a non-major city for a change. Raw and violent with plenty of metal riffing and confident punishing vocals, fans of GISM and the other usual suspects of gnarly Japanese crust will love it.
Cardiff’s PERP WALK have done quite well making a name for themselves in a relatively short amount of time, opening for the likes of the CHISEL, FUCKED UP, and CHAIN WHIP. They’re poised to become headliners themselves considering the strength of their debut EP, The Chain of Infection. Playing straight hardcore punk with a sprinkle of garage rock weirdness (think the aforementioned CHAIN WHIP with a dash of TY SEGALL/OH SEES energy), PERP WALK has a fully realized sound that is both politically charged and rabid. Check out “Dogwhistle” and “Moral Compass” to hear what I mean.
I can safely say I had no idea what to expect from Philly’s DISAPPEARANCES based on the unsettling cover of their latest release, Meat Clown. It definitely wasn’t the ’90s-influenced powerviolence/hardcore featured across ten tracks of blastbeats, quick tempo changes, and shrieking vocals. At times, it reminded me of the LOCUST, a band I’ve always had a soft spot for. While not really in my wheelhouse, I enjoyed it.
What a pleasant surprise—this is my first time hearing NURSE from Atlanta, a band that is truly unique and defies genre. Hardcore goth, I guess? Regardless of labels, this shit is awesome. Moody post-punk perfectly meshed with hardcore sensibilities. In addition to the out-of-left-field shredded vocals, they nail the creeping bass lines, clinically cold guitars, and general atmosphere of doom and gloom. I’m struggling to find another band to compare this to, which is a compliment of the highest order. Check out standout “Big Fish,” there’s really nothing quite like it. Highly recommended.
File this one squarely under “tough guy hardcore.” BRIDGE BURNER’s 2022 cassette Grave Mistake is a pretty straightforward listen, featuring all of the hallmarks of the genre: two pissed-off vocalists who want to fight you, stomping mid-tempo breakdowns, and plenty of metal riffing. Complete with hip-hop instrumental opening and closing tracks, as well as the trademark intimidating, hoodie-wearing cartoon characters on the cover, this tape checks all of the beatdown boxes.
Adding to the ever-growing list of killer crossover releases dropped recently, DEAD HEAT’s Endless Torment features five tracks of gnarly thrash that recall the best qualities of “the big four” of ’80s, while sitting comfortably next to modern classics by bands like FUGITIVE, POWER TRIP, and ENFORCED. Title track “Endless Torment” wastes no time in laying down the groundwork of what DEAD HEAT is all about: fast and fun riffs-on-riffs, never-ending drum fills, and inspired touches of authenticity throughout. Lead singer Chris Ramos has a perfectly raspy growl, tearing his way through each track and even stopping to flex his clean vocal ability on “Tears of the Wolf.” It’s a great example of DEAD HEAT’s ability to be over the top without teetering into corny, which can be a difficult feat considering this style can easily become parody. “Smite Thee” is a quick ripper which reminds me a bit of IRON MAIDEN in its intro, while closer “Hard Reset” boasts a moody acoustic intro and some righteous guitar solos, once again being pulled off expertly with just the right amount of cheese without being too cheesy. If all of this whets your appetite, wait until you get a load of “Eyes of the Real,” a truly impressive showing which features, amongst other things, a bell toll, rattlesnake rattles, heavy echoing gang vocals, and a drum intro that sounds like it was recorded in a steel mill. This is the kind of album the metalheads you went to high school with could only dream of. Fantastic stuff and highly recommended.
GUIDING is a duo from Tokyo who play youth crew-style hardcore on their debut Will. Within roughly five minutes, GUIDING lays down four fast and angry stompers that have some solid breakdowns that are tailor-made for two-stepping. No reinventing the wheel here, but the DIY recording quality and Japanese vocals set it apart from the crowd.
Killer demo from ROSE GLASS, featuring various players from Santa Ana and New York. Three cuts of meat-and-potatoes hardcore punk with frantic drums, crunchy guitars, and snotty vocals that kind of remind me of the ANNIHILATED. This tape feels so lived-in, like something that’s been around much longer than a year. Closer “Cold War III” (and the rest of the tape for that matter) could easily be mistaken for an early SST release. Great stuff.
At a glance, I’d have expected Las Vegas’s BELL TOLL to be a little heavier. They have a great name and some cool artwork, but to be honest, I was a little let down by the skate punk style I found here. It’s not bad by any stretch, just a little generic. The vocals remind me a bit of MALLWALKER or BE YOUR OWN PET, and sonically, there are some slight BLACK FLAG and DEAD KENNEDYS vibes, but overall it just doesn’t stick the landing. In time, I could see BELL TOLL carving out a place for themselves, but in this listener’s humble opinion, they need to let these songs cook for a little longer.
STEP TO FREEDOM’s self-titled CD is a non-stop barrage of riff-y metallic crust with brutish and mean vocals. It’s music as intense as you’d expect from a Russian stenchcore band, especially considering the turmoil unfolding over there these past couple of years. Perhaps what’s more impressive than the fiery delivery is how catchy each of these grime-coated songs are, each filled to the brim with hooks that keep the listener’s attention in spite of the long-running track times. Standouts “Bad Karma” and the seven-minute odyssey “Revengeance Altar” are both thrashing headbangers with vicious backing vocals and guitar solos that will (not to be too cliché) melt your face. A powerful listen and highly recommended.
CROSS CONTROL from L.A. plays hard and mostly mid-tempo traditional hardcore on their LP Try and Survive, following in the footsteps of the classics (think BLOOD FOR BLOOD, SLAPSHOT, and CRO-MAGS). While not bringing anything particularly new to the table, fans of the genre will find plenty to sink their teeth into. In addition to some great breakdowns on “Half Right” and “Always the Same,” “Number of Dead” and “Diadem” both boast some majorly catchy vocals, and final track “Everything’s Fucked” veers into straight punk territory reminiscent of MINOR THREAT. Good shit that sounds tailor-made for a hardcore fest.
It can be tempting to write off bands that wear their influences too obviously; more often than not modeling yourself directly after another band’s style and sound can come off as disingenuous and cheap, like a knockoff of a better product, a “Wish” version if you will. On paper, PARANOID’s fusion of perfectly manicured Japanese and Swedish-style D-beat may seem like such an instance, but fortunately for them and more fortunately for us, PARANOID are masters of their craft and draw from their well of influences (VENOM, CELTIC FROST, DISCLOSE, and DISCHARGE) to create something refreshingly effective. S.C.U.M. is a whirlwind EP that goes hard right out of the gate, a vicious, evil take on crusty D-beat punk that is one of the best my ears have heard in a long time. “Shiminteki Fufukujyuu” (“Civil Disobedience”) starts things off with a six-second instrumental flurry before hitting the gas and heading straight to hell. In addition to all the hissing, fuzzed-out guitars, sizzling bass, raw vocals, and thunderous drumming you’d expect in this style, PARANOID adds some great flourishes throughout, like the rockin’ outro here that’s surprising in the best way possible. “Musabetsuna Kutsuu” (“Indiscriminate Pain”) has a couple of breaks that are nearly psychedelic with shrieking backing vocals, screeching guitars, and breakneck solo drum beats. “Jinsei No Kizu” (“Wounds of Life”) and “Sensou Nanimo Oshimazu” (“Sparing No War”) are two more scorchers, with some nasty bass lines in the former and tight, dueling guitar leads in the latter. “Uragiri” (“Betrayal”) is really the only outlier here, ditching the D-beat for a quick 30-second scorched earth grind of blastbeats and gang vocals that’s over before you realize it started. It’s a great set-up for closer “Taikeiteki Kunou” (“Systemic Anguish”), which returns to the rock’n’roll influence found on the first track. Galloping drums and righteous guitar solos wrap things up, and before you know it, you’re sitting in silence ready to take the trip all over again. Considering how long they’ve been active and playing this style of music, PARANOID deserves some serious credit for keeping things this fresh and exciting. It’s true what they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Philly punks DRILL SERGEANT dropped their latest EP Grim New War and it rips; cool thrashy hardcore with rabid vocals reminiscent of FORESEEN and CHAIN WHIP. Each track here packs a nasty punch, but none more than “Cries for Justice,” which features an unexpected shift to powerviolence with blastbeats that are sudden enough to cause whiplash. It also features someone named “the Meat Man” on backing vocals, so you already know it’s gonna be crazy. Highly recommended.
Sacramento’s HOLEHOG and Boston’s B-SIDE (GLOBAL THREAT’s Bryan Lothian) have released a white-hot split LP, each playing their own take on UK82 street punk akin to CLIT 45, the VIRUS, and of course GLOBAL THREAT. Both bands really rip; HOLEHOG are a well-oiled machine with crystal clear production, razor-sharp riffs, and an angry and scornful message: the system blows. Check out “By the Throat,” a D-beat-driven blast of energy with a great breakdown and vocals that had to have left a sore throat. Meanwhile, B-SIDE takes a fuzzier and more raw approach, with songs about the trials of living in American society, from our relentless bombing of other nations and our inability to think in terms beyond black and white. On “Waiting To Talk,” Lothian enlists an unhinged guitar lead and demented vocals to great effect; it gives the song a paranoid and eerie vibe that fits the anti-colonialism message well. Overall, a very solid showing from both bands, but I really have to hand it to HOLEHOG here. Their sound is so dialed-in and so clean, it’s a great take on the style and I’ll be looking forward to hearing more.
Oakland’s GOSH embraces the hate on their latest cassette Pig Skinner—three tracks of violent, anti-cop hardcore that range from slowly lurching to quickly pummeling, with grind and powerviolence influences appearing here and there. All three tracks are impressively diverse, but I prefer the final track “Synthetic,” the thrashiest of the three, which has a cool POWER TRIP vibe. Overall, a solid batch of songs that must be fun as hell to hear live.
My first thoughts upon hearing SPIDER BITE’s The Rainbow and the Dove LP is that this is the sound of a band who’ve been around the block and know exactly what they’re doing. They check all the boxes: proficient playing, songs as tight as springs, and lyrics that are bursting with wit, anger, and humor. As it turns out, I wasn’t wrong. SPIDER BITE is comprised of three scene veterans whose resumes include OUTFIT, CONSTANTINES, and CAREER SUICIDE. Mostly sounding like a cross between BLACK FLAG and any of John Dwyer’s OH SEES incarnations, SPIDER BITE packs a wallop on each song here, complete with classic punk riffs and lyrics so dense you’d be missing out by not reading along. For the most part, they speak on the current social and political climate in Canada, and I’ve gotta say, things are sounding pretty grim (and I live in the States!). From beginning to end, I can’t really find any weak spots, but I can definitely say that my favorite moment here is the title track—a trashy, semi-slowed-down affair à la the STOOGES that skewers the privilege of a nepotism baby in the music scene. With mentions of minute-long saxophone solos and glorious Pitchfork scores, it’s perfectly sarcastic. If you’re a generally annoyed and aging punk like myself, this is the album for you. Highly recommended.
Genre-benders MSPAINT’s LP Post-American is a fitting album for the bonkers times we’re living in, properly capturing the hectic speed and exhaustive nature of the present. Stuffed to the brim with mercurial sounds and ideas, it’s plastic-y and bendy with a sheen of metallic synth. It’s a difficult album to pin down, as every genre I try to attach to it doesn’t quite nail it. Synth-punk? Sort of, but vocally more indebted to hip-hop than punk. Hardcore? At times, yes, but more often it sways into industrial and even techno. It really is a fusion of sounds, and regardless of how you choose to label it, Post-American is a modern and vital album that is lyrically filled with optimism, an interesting juxtaposition to its frantic and at times paranoid sound. Check out “Delete It” and “Titan of Hope.”
Portland’s ALIENATOR delivers the goods on their EP World of Hate, an angry and intense blast of hardcore punk that takes no prisoners. With great riffs and mid-tempo stomping, ALIENATOR is relentless and pummels you into submission on each track here, from the headbanging opener “Senseless Violence,” to the snarling vocals and screeching guitar leads on “I’m Nothing,” right to the end of the last track “Social Disease,” which closes with a slowed-down and vicious pace that dares you to get into the pit. Really though, the crown jewel here is title track “World of Hate,” filled to the brim with vitriol and chants of “Alienate!” and “World of hate!”—it feels like a bit of an anthem for ALIENATOR. Word is their live show is somehow better than this recording (and includes a POISON IDEA cover). Don’t be intimidated, go see them if you can.
The moment the air raid sirens on opening track “Submerged In Water” morph into feedback, you can feel the momentum of FAIRYTALE’s debut LP Shooting Star pushing you into a hurricane of raw hardcore punk that’s easily a contender for best album of the year. FAIRYTALE brings forth an album that is so cohesive and fully realized, it boggles the mind that it’s a debut LP. In the tradition of classics from the likes of MOB 47 and ANTI CIMEX, the guitar playing is heavy and dense with squealing and swirling guitar leads that balance and compliment the unrelenting rhythm section, a full-on D-beat assault that never lets up. What sets FAIRYTALE apart is vocalist Lulu’s sharp and venomous delivery, which on more than one occasion drifts into borderline spoken-word that is perfectly evil. It’s difficult to pick out a single standout track here as each one is dynamic, layered, and frankly catchy as fuck, but if one needed a recommendation, it would be “Possible to Grow,” two minutes of wretched guitars, brutal drumming, and a chorus that will be ringing in your ears for days to come. Do yourself a favor and give this thing a listen if you haven’t already. Highly recommended, it will be appearing in many top-ten lists come year-end and rightfully so; albums this raw don’t come along very often.
San Francisco’s CAGED VIEW has released two volumes of online demos from 2022 together here on one single tape, totaling seven songs of melodic post-hardcore. The band lists a number of heavy bands from the late ’80s and early ’90s as influences, but to my ears, it’s mostly FUGAZI-worship with a few detours here and there, which isn’t a bad thing! “Back Light Reflection” stands out in particular, featuring a feedback-laden opening complete with creeping bass line before the full crunch of guitars and nasally yelping vocals kick in, leading to a chorus that is surprisingly catchy. “Push” is cool as well, with a fairly punky direction that sounds like DAG NASTY and other Revolution Summer bands. Not my usual thing, but I dig it.
Baltimore’s MALLWALKER have compiled their unreleased studio recordings along with a live performance on their Danger cassette, sadly released in unfortunate circumstances as a memorial to their late lead singer Sarah Danger Underhill, and released at her memorial earlier this year. As the band graciously chose to honor her by releasing this tape, those who missed the chance to see them play live will still get to enjoy these stellar songs. MALLWALKER played classic punk with a sneer and a big two fingers up, reminding me of CRASS, SEX PISTOLS, and U.K. SUBS (whose “Tube Disaster” they absolutely crush). Sarah rants and raves with sarcasm and wit, mostly preserving her scathing barbs for the likes of creeps in the punk scene, from emotionally draining partners (“Taker,”“Spell It Out”) to gaslighting perverts (“Hunt You Down”). She even saves some venom for mom and dad on the clever “Parent Trap,” a big eyeroll to all the rules given to you as a youngster living under their roof. For someone who never knew Sarah or saw MALLWALKER play live, it’s easy to see and hear what so many people miss.
This is a cool one: punk from Tel Aviv sung entirely in Hebrew. JARADA plays tough and heavy hardcore songs about the oppressive system they live in, and boy, do they seem pissed. Each and every song here is angrier than the next, and rightfully so! These guys are living in a world of corrupt police, religious extremism, and general apathy towards it all. Sound familiar? Loud, fast, and hard is the name of the game sonically, each song pummeling forward with crunchy riffs and hoarse vocals, and even though I don’t understand the language, I can understand loud and clear what these guys are expressing in songs like “Inertia,” or the excellently titled “Tear Down the Settlements and Sentence Their Leaders.” If you like your music politically minded and desperate, check this out.
Here’s another one to add to the growing number of emerging Oi! bands: BLESSURE from the Basque Country. BLESSURE is refreshingly female-fronted, and plays a post-punk brand of Oi! with wiry guitars, rumbling fuzzed-out bass, and leftist lyrical content (at least that’s what you’d gather from the “A-C-A-B!” chanting chorus on opener “Ils Sont Partout”). BLESSURE keeps it sparse and simple, even cold at times and bordering on deathrock; check the icy synth on “Ça Suffit.” Overall a solid effort, although I can’t help but feel like if they leaned into the deathrock/goth sensibilities more, they could stand out a bit more from the crowd. That said, I’ll be looking forward to hearing what BLESSURE puts out next.
Atlanta punks DINOS BOYS’ 2022 single “Holy War” / “Don’t Mind” gets the vinyl treatment on Crossbar and boy, what a treat! Two straight-outta-’77 tracks that bring to mind any number of CBGBs mainstays. Both sides are super catchy, but A-side “Holy War” is truly an earworm, with a chorus that will be rattling around inside your head for days and an outro that would make the RAMONES bop their heads in approval. Side B is a cover of obscure Japanese power poppers the RAYDIOS’ “Don’t Mind,” and while I can’t speak on the original, this version is like Stiv Bators fronting the HEARTBREAKERS (those guitars!). Highly recommended!
Holy shit, this is a white-hot ripper from Minneapolis’s SURROGATES. If you like some nasty metallic hardcore punk à la WARTHOG, ELECTRIC CHAIR, and FAIRYTALE, you’ll dig this. Lead singer Lulu delivers frantic vocals over crunchy guitars and furious hardcore beats, letting up on the gas exactly zero times throughout the entirety of the cassette. I recommend “Waste” and “Repellent” as standouts, but every track here is worth a listen.
La Vida Es Un Mus never ceases to impress, especially when it comes to the diversity of albums they put out. The latest case in point: BELGRADO’s Intra Apogeum, a stunning eight-song long-player that is so assured in its style that you’d be fooled into thinking you’d heard it before. BELGRADO wears their influences on their sleeve, and in this case, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It’s icy and clinical but catchy, danceable, and full of romance, not unlike Berlin-era BOWIE, NEW ORDER, and most certainly Siouxsie Sioux. Each song’s propulsive auto-drum beat bops along with bouncy synth effects, rubbery bass lines, and vocalist Patrcyja Proniewska’s ethereal voice, all coming together to create a rich and cinematic sound that makes for an unforgettable listen. A year-end top ten album, to be sure.
In 2020, Melbourne, Australia had a particularly rough nine-month COVID lockdown policy that has left PUNTER with plenty to yell about. On their self-titled 12”, the Aussies play charged-up hardcore punk infused with rock’n’roll, and while this MOTÖRHEAD-influenced style of hardcore usually has a sex-and-drugs party vibe, here not so much. Not far beneath the surface of rabid vocals, riffs on riffs, and galloping drumming is a record largely about the systemic assault on lower-class people by a government under the guise of precaution and safety (it should be said that PUNTER is vehemently pro-vaccination). This isn’t a boneheaded diatribe about losing “freedom,” it’s about feeling robbed of your culture and autonomy for the sake of a false sense of security, a feeling that most people (especially young people) can likely relate to. Closing track “A Year’s Silence“ sums it up a little too perfectly with the heartbreaking line “I don’t wanna stream another funeral again.” If you need a cathartic purge of any lingering COVID-induced anger, give this one a spin.
France’s LITOVSK has released a beautifully packaged slice of life on their new self-titled 12″. Playing crisp and clean melodic post-punk with shimmering guitars and nasally vocals, LITOVSK recalls bands like MISSION OF BURMA and the REPLACEMENTS, and would fit quite nicely on a bill with contemporaries MIDDLEMAN. Lyrics range from socio-political themes like nationalism and chauvinism to themes of heartache and longing, most notably on “Riverside,” a sparkling ode to childhood in a poor town where riding mopeds and attending soccer matches distracted from the mundanity of life. Heartfelt and sincere, LITOVSK delivers a satisfyingly introspective listen.
L.A.’s CROCODILES have been a mainstay in the rock’n’roll scene for years now, and they sound tighter and brighter than ever on their latest Upside Down in Heaven. Ten punchy, power-poppy bangers that recall the best of the early days of Stiff Records mixed with a moody shoegaze sheen. Lead single “Degeneration” sounds like Arabia Mountain-era BLACK LIPS tipping their cowboy hats to the WHO, while title track “Upside Down in Heaven” sounds like the Reid brothers adding some color to their palette. And while sticking closely to the revved-up “April Skies” sound, CROCODILES keep things feeling fresh with surprises here and there, like the ripping saxophone on “Surfin the Dead,” or the sterling guitar work on opening track “Love Beyond the Grave” that would make the STROKES proud. Just in time for summer, Upside Down in Heaven is a blast and wouldn’t be out of place bumping from a stereo on the beach with a beer or three.
Angry, fast, and loud, EAT MY FEAR’s New Era is a collection of political punk songs about solidarity, conflict, gentrification, friendship, and community. According to the album’s write-up, it was recorded during the COVID-era lockdowns amidst the displacement of many local DIY spaces in Berlin. You can certainly feel the power and urgency behind these songs, mostly in the vocals which are shredding in near-desperation throughout. Sonically, EAT MY FEAR ranges from straightforward hardcore to skate punk to nearly pop punk, but what carries this album is its venom, its intent, and its message.
Coming in hot after last year’s gnarly debut live tape is London’s ANTAGONIZM with their first EP Freeze Motherfuckerz, a batch of expertly-built UKHC bangers from a group of seasoned players in the current punk scene. While they have a diverse sound brought together by many influences ranging from ’80s NYHC to current UKHC, I prefer the CELTIC FROST-leaning vibes on “Progression?” and “Euthanized.” Truthfully though, if you have an itch for any style of hardcore, this EP will scratch it.
From the depths of Hell(sinki), KILLING FROST has returned with their follow-up to last year’s killer The Declaration of W.W. demo. Blending classic thrash with ’80s US hardcore and adding a healthy amount of dramatic flair, KILLING FROST takes you on a harrowing journey over the eleven-minute run time. Opener “Frozen Dawn” kicks things off with glorious riffs and a brutal vocal delivery from frontman Niko Wilkman before unexpectedly washing over with glorious keys and angelic backing vocals. The juxtaposition of brutish hardcore and gothic wailing make for an exciting listen, which reaches a full realization on “Wilkman’s War II”, a blistering five-minute closer. Beginning as a mid-tempo head-banging grind, the song lurches forward before the return of the gothic organ, more desperate growling from Wilkman, and metal riffing that ascends to the heavens before reaching its payoff, a minute of head-splitting thrash that leaves you begging for more. Highly recommended.
It’s likely you’ve already read a handful of reviews of Only Constant, the excellent debut LP from New Jersey hardcore band GEL that is currently making waves, so I’ll keep it brief. Only Constant is a very angry and very catchy record, but it’s also wildly accessible. It’s easy to see why GEL is having the same sort of moment as SCOWL and TURNSTILE before them. GEL’s songwriting is razor-sharp and full of attitude, and on songs like “Attainable,” “Dicey,” and “The Way Out,” they make the sound of wanting to smash a chair over someone’s head surprisingly danceable. Each song barrels forward relentlessly with the exception of “Calling Card,” a jarring but fitting break in the middle of the album. It’s a sharp U-turn featuring a lo-fi guitar played along to voicemails left by fans who vent about a number of issues, including but not limited to misogyny, shitty coworkers, and their thoughts on the hardcore scene. It’s a clever way for GEL to connect to their fanbase and another example of this album’s surprisingly charming nature. Highly recommended.
Finally, an excuse to dust off the platform boots and denim overalls! New York City’s LOOSEY is here with their Winter Promo ’23 cassette. LOOSEY’s sound falls somewhere between the Australian Sharpie scene where pub-rock bands like COLOURED BALLS and ROSE TATTOO reigned supreme, and the Bovver scene from England which preferred the glammier side of rock’n’roll (checkout the comp Bootboy Discotheque to get down). After the right-on intro “Enter Planet Dust,” LOOSEY treats listeners to three earworms that stomp, shimmy, and howl (thanks to the gloriously gruff vocals of lead singer Fizzy of NEW YORK HOUNDS fame). Check out “There You Were (Alligator Song)” to hear LOOSEY at full-force; beginning with a glam stomp before bulldozing their way into Exile on Main Street-era ROLLING STONES and even BIG STAR territory, it’s pure bar-room boogie for lovers and fighters alike. This is the dawning of LOOSEY music, get into it!
Discovering a great band or album you’ve somehow missed over the years never gets old, especially when it’s a record as killer as this. Underrated hardcore heroes S C.U.M. from Montreal get the reissue treatment for their excellent 1985 LP Born Too Soon…if only I could go back in time and give this to my high-school self. Oh well, better late than never. S.C.U.M. (who bastardized the Montreal Urban Community police name and logo at the time) played hard and confrontational punk similar to J.F.A. and BAD BRAINS, with some cool satirical Jello Biafra-esque vocals. Lyrically, the band hits every touchstone of punk that was as relevant then as it is today: politics, war, skateboarding (although truthfully, I could do without the sort of corny “Pool Hunt”), and of course, hating the police. Ragers like “Go to War,” “Exit Death,” and “So Much Hate” rattle with power and are so well-produced, it really is a shame these guys haven’t received more recognition.
Olympia’s ELECTRIC CHAIR dropped their debut Act of Aggression on Iron Lung, and it has to be said, this band has chosen the perfect name—putting on this record is like getting strapped in and shuffled off this mortal coil. Stuffed to the brim with abrasive metallic punk, ELECTRIC CHAIR plays in the same vein as GERMS and N.O.T.A., with some oddball freakouts sprinkled throughout that remind me of TY SEGALL at his freakiest. Musically, it’s a dense listen; songs vanish as quickly as they appear in a flurry of violent guitars entangled with frenetic bass and drums. Vocalist Dinah Corona’s unhinged warble is mixed so low it becomes like another instrument, adding an evil vibe that permeates throughout the album. Check out “Fatal Disease Pt. II” and “Security Camera” to see what I mean. Overall, an overwhelming but fucking awesome listen.
Three evil crushers from NEGATIVE PRAYER, for fans of GENOCIDE PACT, NECROT, and DISFEAR. “Morbid” is the standout for me here; a flurry of growling D-beat that pumps the brakes a minute-and-a-half in, detouring into a thrash-y chug before grabbing you by the throat and throwing you back into the pits (of Hell). Lyrically, NEGATIVE PRAYER isn’t exactly a ray of sunshine, but who wants that from their crusty death metal anyway?
An interesting single from VACUM, a pioneering post-punk band from Northern Sweden who were active in the late ’70s. After some digging into the band’s discography, I found a lot to love on their earlier releases. VACUM had a cool style, sort of a quirkier WIRE, or even JOY DIVISION with an additional female vocalist. They were active for a few years and seem to have had a small but powerful impact on the punk scene at the time. Years later in 2019, they re-recorded their track “Pang – Du Är Död!” (“Bang – You Are Dead!”) to celebrate the 40-year anniversary of their label Massproduktion. While still maintaining the general vibe of their earlier work, this updated version unfortunately doesn’t work as well. The production is a little too slick and the blaring saxophones during the intro and chorus reminds of third-wave ska, while the verses jerk back to icy post-punk mode, making for a slightly confusing listen. The B-side is an updated demo from 2014 which starts off well but is a bit bland overall. It’s a shame, because VACUM is a band worth looking into—this just isn’t the right place to start. Check out their debut Rädd För Tystnaden 16 Brottstycken Ur 5 Verkligheter for the good shit.
Here are two more crackers from MESS, one of the best to do it in the current crop of Oi! bands gaining popularity. Both sides of this 7” scratch the itch, with “Traidores” and “Excuses” straddling the line of first-wave ’70s punk and classic UK82 and Oi!, influenced by the usual suspects (BUSINESS, BLITZ, 4-SKINS). Throw this on with a beer or spliff for a solid Saturday night.
A nicely-done EP from Switzerland’s REVANCHE, featuring four sturdy Oi! tracks sung in French. No frills here; this is as clean as a freshly shaved dome. Opening track “Poucave” and title track “A Jamais” are a saxophone or two away from being indistinguishable from the source material these guys are working from. For fans of the old school (TROTSKIDS) and the new school (MESS, CASTILLO) of the genre.
Poland’s POSITIVE VIOLENCE play Oi!-influenced, East Coast-style hardcore with some UKHC influences on 2022’s No Such Thing!. Pretty standard fare that unfortunately falls prey to feeling a little generic at times. There are, however, a couple of odd exceptions; POSITIVE VIOLENCE has a penchant for beer and hippies, so much so that each subject gets its own song (the former on “Pearl Among Beers,” the latter on the aptly titled “Hippie Chick”). Curiously enough, each of these tracks trades the tough-guy hardcore act for more of a goofball pop punk thing (which helps explain the equally eccentric album cover). Kind of a bizarre listen, but also an interesting one.
I may be biased, but nothing hits quite like hardcore from the Midwest. Very cool shit from SLUG, an Ohio-based outfit playing lean and mean punk on their EP Continuing Growth. There’s some lurching WARTHOG goodness here—check out “Axe” and “…Tired” to see what I mean. I’ve seen some Hate5Six footage of SLUG and all I can say is that I’m anxiously awaiting a Chicago date.
Fast and furious blasts from HEAVEN’S GATE, a who’s who of thrash/crossover/metal playing thrash/crossover/metal. If you need an idea of HEAVEN’S GATE’s sound, look no further than the impressive resumes of their members—MUNICIPAL WASTE, WARTHOG, CANNIBAL CORPSE, REVERSAL OF MAN. Stuffed with blastbeats, riffs on riffs, sludge-y baselines, and shredded vocals, HEAVEN’S GATE impressively scratches every itch in five songs’ time. Checkout opening track “Smear Crusade” and prepare to have the skin melted off your face like the poor fella on the cover.
Leeds-based thrashers PEST CONTROL have ticked every box on their debut LP Don’t Test the Pest: pristine production by Arthur Rizk, an album cover that will be included in the best metal artwork for years to come, and a release on Quality Control HQ, a legendary label in the making. If any of the aforementioned whets your appetite, you’ll be happy to hear that while you may come for the package, you’ll stay for the tunes. Don’t Test the Pest will satisfy fans of old school thrash (SLAYER), new school thrash (POWER TRIP), and everything in between. Opener “Extermination” begins things with some ominous early METALLICA-inspired drama, leading into “Masquerade Party,” a double-kick-laden pummeling that channels everything there is to love about thrash/crossover: speed, anger, and riffs. Vocalist Leah’s aggro delivery is perfectly suited to the lyrical content; mental anguish, feelings of isolation, and general disdain for any outside forces. Other highlights include “Buggin Out,” which boasts one of the catchiest choruses I’ve heard in a long time, “Don’t Test The Pest,” a fast and furious pummeling with a gnarly guitar solo, and closer “The Great Deceiver,” a grand exit that punctuates the album perfectly. Between this and labelmates FORESEEN’S 2022 LP Untamed Force, it’s never been a better time to be a metalhead.
Upon the release of their 2021 EP Think of the Lie, Edmonton, Canada’s HOME FRONT brought something new to the table in an already diverse modern punk scene: a new wave sound drenched in catchy synth and nods to some of the ’80s greatest. Masterminds Graeme Mackinnon and Clint Frazier delivered songs with hooks that could go toe-to-toe with nearly any one-hit wonder of the era. It comes as no surprise, then, that with their debut LP Games of Power, HOME FRONT has pulled out all of the stops and it pays off in spades. This is a lovingly crafted album full of wall-to-wall hits that not only continues the trajectory HOME FRONT set out on with their debut, but takes it to soaring heights, incorporating nearly every benchmark of the new wave and post-punk eras. Opener “Faded State” and second track “Real Eyes” were wisely the first two tracks available before the album dropped, and give a good idea of where things are heading, but even the perfect pop sparkle of the former and the propulsive post-punk grit of the latter cannot prepare the listener for what’s ahead. Track three (“Nation”) is an Oi!-infused family affair, featuring vocals from Cal of the CHISEL as well as members of RIXE on backing vocal duties. Typically the word “anthemic” feels overused and trite, but here it fits quite nicely. Stuffed to the brim with icy synths and righteous indignation, this one will do well with a live crowd. Highlights elsewhere include “Contact,” a euphoric ode to the end of the world that shimmers like a NEW ORDER single at the end of a John Hughes film, “Crisis,” a Krautrock-y second spin down KRAFTWERK’s Autobahn, and the album’s crown jewel, title track “Games of Power.” It’s a dazzling, beat-laden groove straight out of the Haçienda during peak Madchester. Rarely does a song get an immediate second spin from me, but this one demands it. It cannot be understated: HOME FRONT’s songwriting is superb. They have a sound that is familiar and authentic without teetering into parody, only tasteful homage. Both Ian Curtis and Alan Vega receive heartfelt love letters via “End Transmission” and “Born Killer,” respectively. Both are so deftly put together that you can easily forget it isn’t JOY DIVISION or SUICIDE playing from the speaker. Therein lies the beauty of Games of Power: it lovingly celebrates a genre while pushing it forward into a modern age. HOME FRONT is no throwback, they are the future.
What a pleasant surprise; I’m so glad ZONE INFINIE came into my orbit. Having not heard them before, I was expecting more of an icy post-punk style like fellow Frenchmen BLEAKNESS or SYNDROME 81. Instead, it sounds like a mix of the CLASH and the JAM with a sprinkle of CAMERA SILENS for good measure. I mean seriously, the singer sounds like Strummer or Weller, depending on the song. Checkout the final track “En Plan,” with one of the best hooks I’ve heard in a minute, accompanied by girl group handclaps and clean and crisp guitar leads. Excellent stuff.
From the prolific and diverse Chicago hardcore scene comes STRESS POSITIONS and their 2022 debut cassette Walang Hiya (“No Shame” in Tagalog). Musically, STRESS POSITIONS play fairly straightforward hardcore with lots of fun surprises thrown in—check out the noise at the 40-second mark on “Lust for Pleasure,” or the screeching halfway point of “This Land.” Vocalist Stephanie Brooks has a brutal vocal delivery that oscillates between shredding and shrieking, only slowing down to softer singing on an occasion or two. All of that said, the title track “Walang Hiya” is the standout here. Opening with ringing guitars before blasting off, it’s a three-minute punk odyssey condemning the white Catholic takeover in the Philippines and its destruction of indigenous culture there, specifically in regards to the treatment of women and their right to make choices about their bodies. It’s a bold song and a subject matter that doesn’t seem to be touched on often, at least not this specifically. By the time the repeated chorus of “Ayako sayo!” (“I don’t like you!” in Tagalog) comes along, the cover art depicting a Catholic priest being burnt at the stake by three Indigenous people feels a lot more profound. Highly recommended.
Here’s some cool shit outta New York via Mateo (or “Tormented Imp,” as credited here) of WARTHOG fame. Auto-drum mutant punk is how I’d describe this one; imagine the Gremlins from the movie Gremlins starting a punk band and you’re close. First up is “Perfect Utopia,” which is more or less “Some Kind of Hate” by MISFITS if it were dropped into a vat of toxic sludge. It’s as awesome and weird as it sounds. The rest of the EP follows suit: wicked vocals, catchy riffs, and demented programmed drum beats. “Obsessed” and “Gut the Pig” are both quick and evil bursts that sound like RAMONES songs dressed up in Halloween costumes. “Hell Man 88” changes the pace a bit with a mid-tempo WARTHOG-ish rocker, and “F.U.M.E.S.” wraps things up nicely, taking a quick feedback-filled breather before making a final descent to hell. Originally released in 2021 on cassette and now on vinyl thanks to Toxic State, this is a surprisingly charming EP that is sure to delight all of you mutants listening out there.
JIVEBOMB is in good company on two counts—they’re from Baltimore, where something is clearly in the water (see: TURNSTILE, END IT), and they’re on Flatspot Records, alongside countless other hardcore powerhouses (ZULU, SCOWL, and TRAPPED UNDER ICE, to name a few). On the five-song cassette Primitive Desires, JIVEBOMB delivers a whirlwind five-and-a-half minutes of expertly crafted modern hardcore. Opener “86” is a muscle-bound instrumental stomper that leads into title track “Primitive Desires,” an impressive one-minute blast that is sure to get stuck in your head. “Steel” follows suit, catchy and quick, with vocals that sound like they’re frying to a crisp. “Illusion of Choice” opens with a WARTHOG-worthy “blurgh!” and steamrolls through its 48-second runtime in a flash before closer “Ditz” wraps things up by reiterating what’s so fucking good about JIVEBOMB: they’re so tight and play with such a chaotic but clean style. For fans of any of the aforementioned bands and good music in general.
Hailing from New Bedford MA, DRAGGED is new to me, although I knew the name sounded familiar (they played a gig with CONSERVATIVE MILITARY IMAGE a bit back). From the sound of the opening “blergh!,” I was expecting a WARTHOG or maybe POISON IDEA-style hardcore punk, and while those influences are definitely there, the overall vibe reminds me more of NEGATIVE APPROACH, especially in the vocal department. All of these songs kick ass, but my favorite is “Tough Look.” Its mid-tempo metal chug goes well with the mean vocals and breaks the proceedings up nicely, giving you a moment to bang your head before the remainder of the tape bangs you in the head. Check it out!
After four-ish years, MASTERMIND has decided to call it a day, but not before leaving us with The Masters’ Orders, a love letter to hardcore with nods to NYHC, UKHC, and crossover. MASTERMIND comes from the same school as contemporaries BIG CHEESE and T.S. WARSPITE: gruff, throaty vocals and heavy riffs that bring to mind legends JUDGE and SHEER TERROR. Opener “Collateral Damage” is like a sampler platter of the rest of the album: pummeling double kicks, rubbery bass leads, searing guitar solos, and a menacing vocal delivery that is perfectly over-the-top. MASTERMIND has a lot of gnarly stuff happening, but their ability to change tempo and style will leave your head spinning. The breakdown on “Patience” slows to a zombie-paced sludge before being resurrected by a drum and guitar solo, while “Haunt” starts with a funky little bass line playing along to a toe-tapping beat before hurtling into a mid-tempo chug that changes speed and direction enough times for me to lose count. The overall effect is a little like being on a rollercoaster; it’s jerky and unexpected at times, but always exciting and always a good time. The hardcore scene is losing a real one with MASTERMIND, you’d be wise to catch ‘em if you can!
Quality Control HQ continues its run of excellent releases with LAYBACK’s Sit Down and Layback, a five-song crusher taking cues from the sun-scorched late ’80s West Coast hardcore scene, specifically OC bands like PUSHED ASIDE, INSTED, and HARD STANCE. In fact, LAYBACK’s style is so dialed-in that I half-expected them to be a straightedge band themselves (a quick glance at their Instagram would suggest otherwise). I’ll say less. Go buy this album, drop the needle and do as they say: sit down and lay back. It’s not a bad way to spend a cold winter afternoon.
What can you say, the French love their cold goth post-punk and so do I. From the same label as the excellent SYNDROME 81 is BLEAKNESS with their second LP, Life at a Standstill. While the former plays it straight with the post-punk iciness, BLEAKNESS is far more dramatic, opening the album with a lone piano that gives the proceedings a dramatic flair that permeates throughout the album. The vocals especially stand out; they have a pained warble that feels authentic. While all ten tracks are solid, two stand out above the rest: halfway point “Refuse Their Reality,” a hypnotic spoken word deathrocker that has an evil BAUHAUS vibe, and “19061924,” a beautiful and surprisingly sweeping instrumental that, if pushed, could almost go into MOGWAI or even PELICAN-like territory. I’ve got to say, it really left me wanting more of that sound. I’ll be excited to hear whatever these guys come up with next.
A solid EP from London’s MIDDLEMAN, with four tracks of post-punk heavily influenced by the likes of WIPERS, MISSION OF BURMA, and the REPLACEMENTS. Opener “Train Man” suggests a straightforward, prickly CBGB punk sound, before switching tempo around the one-minute mark to reveal a style closer to early DC emo. “Entropy” pulls the same trick; a straightforward punk track in the vein of WIRE that hits the breaks after a minute and a half to reveal a slowed-down finish that’s hard not to nod along to. Really cool stuff that must sound great live.
Here’s a cool one from MONONEGATIVES out of London (not that London, the Canadian one). “Kill Mono” sort of reminds me of John Dwyer from OSEES playing songs by SUICIDE. It has a repetitive nature often found in this style, but with some great hooks thrown in to keep you interested. Lots of style, lots of swagger, I dig it.
2022 was certainly a memorable year for punk albums, with a number of releases I would consider to be new instant classics. Coming in at the final hour, the ANNIHILATED unleashed Submission to Annihilation, one of the year’s latest and greatest. Full-throated and raw, the ANNIHILATED play a similar strain of D-beat hardcore to BOOTLICKER, with a vocal delivery that has been correctly compared to Damaged-era Rollins. Lyrically, topics cover class warfare (“Divide and Conquer,” “Bootstraps”), widespread apathy (“Normality”), and the hell of substance abuse (“Vice Grip”), themes that are all uniquely modern and unfortunately timeless. Add to that the artwork from drummer Nicky Rat and mixing by Jonah Falco (whose seal of approval is always a sign of quality) and that it’s self-released(!), and it simply cannot be understated: the ANNIHILATED have ticked every box and delivered their own instant classic.
A couple of months ago, I began to notice a buff dude popping up in pictures with some of my favorite bands like the CHISEL and VIOLENT WAY along with the letters “CMI,” and I couldn’t help but wonder “who is this guy, and what the fuck is ‘CMI’?” Well, it didn’t take long for me to find out. “CMI” is CONSERVATIVE MILITARY IMAGE, a Chicago-based band making waves with their one-two punch of EPs, Summer Skinhead and this, their debut Skinhead. Playing a catchy mix of Oi!, hardcore, and street punk, CONSERVATIVE MILITARY IMAGE has cited inspiration from bands as diverse as WARZONE, ROSE TATTOO, and NEW YORK HOUNDS. Lead singer and lyricist Adam is the glue holding this crew together, and while I love his classic tough-guy punk sneer (almost going into Stiv Bators/DEAD BOYS territory at times), the real gold is his lyrics. Clever and direct, proud and loud, Adam is extremely economical with his writing yet leaves plenty to unpack. “Generation Kill” is a great example; a sub-two-minute stomper that tells you everything you need to know about this band’s mentality and manages to slip in an easter egg of a lyric from Boston’s the TROUBLE. It’s a tasteful homage and something CONSERVATIVE MILITARY IMAGE is so good at: respectfully mining inspiration and making something fresh of their own. I’m fortunate enough to be a Chicago native and look forward to catching these guys this year. Fuckin’ Oi! is right!
The first BOOTLICKER material I heard was their fourth EP, 2020’s How to Love Life. As soon as the opening track “It’s Beautiful” started I knew one thing for sure: this was some of the gnarliest drumming I’d heard in a minute. Crunchy, brutal, and unrelenting, like a machine gun ripping through clips of ammunition. That’s all I needed to become a believer. BOOTLICKER is putting out some of the best D-beat hardcore punk at the moment, and this collection of their first four EPs (from 2017–2020) showcases the band’s ascent from their first 6 Track EP towards the aforementioned How to Love Life. To get the full scope of the band’s output, listen to all 37(!) minutes, but as I mentioned, I highly recommend the track “It’s Beautiful” to hear the band at full power.
Here’s a band I’d never heard before, FAUL TECHNICZNY (or “technical foul” for you non-Polish speakers) from Poland. They’ve been kicking around since 2017 and have compiled and released their first three LPs here as Dalej Pójdę Sam. NYHC-inspired fare with gruff vocals, frequent breakdowns, and absolutely no frills. In fact, there’s really no fat anywhere here—every song is very direct with little to no deviance from the formula that they’ve obviously found works for them. Unfortunately, this makes the songs blend together a little from time to time. Overall it’s not for me, but I know a few punks back in my hometown who could get down to this.
Leading us by the hand into a grim vision of the not-too-distant-future is the excellently named T.S. WARSPITE with their first LP Stop the Rot on Quality Control HQ. Following a stellar demo from 2020, the Manchester-based outfit plays a supercharged take on early DC melodic hardcore and modern UKHC; think BAD RELIGION and DAG NASTY but also BIG CHEESE and the FLEX. Singer Marco Abbatiello’s rumbling voice serves as the narrator, taking us through the struggles of getting through the hellscape that is modern society including politics, housing issues, and impending environmental destruction. Both incredibly urgent and scathingly intelligent, we’d be wise to listen to what these guys have to say. Standouts include “Scampia,” “Redemption Arc,” and “Slum Landlord.”
Thanks to TODD KILLINGS & THE CONTRACTS, I’m now aware of the proud Vancouver punk pastime of “fuck bands,” or bands with members swapping instruments and opening for themselves at shows, playing joke songs that were more than occasionally actually very good. You see, at the time, the scene was so small that there weren’t enough bands to play opening slots at shows. Thus, the “fuck band” was born. Inspired by this tradition, (I’ve) Got Your Contract was recorded by Josh and Pat of CHAIN WHIP during COVID lockdown with minimal takes to keep it raw, and it sounds great. You can clearly hear the pent-up energy of two punks having a good time without giving themselves many restraints. Fun and rowdy pogo-punk, for fans of Killed By Death comps and rare punk 45s, this will be a fun discovery for crate diggers in the future.
The sound of the new wave of Oi!—the CHISEL and MESS are leaders of the pack, and this is a perfect snapshot of some of the best of what this genre has to offer. MESS fares excellently on their side with “Don’t Look Back” and “I Don’t Like You,” the former proper BLITZ-worship and the latter a catchy belter with some nice BUZZCOCKS-style guitars. The CHISEL’S contributions are fantastic as always with “Keep it Schtum,” a hard one that reminds me of something off their first EP Deconstructive Surgery, and “Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” their catchiest and most celebratory since “Not the Only One.” Don’t be a square, shave your head and listen to this!
Earnestness isn’t an easy look to pull off, but VIOLENT WAY from Buffalo, NY wears it well. On Bow to None, lead singer Nick Terlecky and the boys encapsulate their world neatly and wrap it in a bow. Lyrically, it’s all about loyalty, respect, and not taking any shit. Sonically, these guys are the real deal and have clearly done their homework. On opener “We Don’t Need You,” VIOLENT WAY channels the spirit of ’82 flawlessly. If you’re into Oi! classics from the likes of COMBAT 84, the LAST RESORT, and TEMPLARS, you will find lots to be happy about here. Standouts include anthemic title track “Bow to None,” “Our Stand” (featuring a cameo from Cal of the CHISEL) ,and instrumental “VWS”. No frills, no fuss, just the good shit.
WATERMELON is a snappy three-piece from Chicago playing one-and-a-half-minute knuckle sandwiches on their 2021 demo cassette. Sonically, there’s a heavy RAMONES influence, but also a dash of EATER and MISFITS. What really stands out are the vocals, a girl-gang chant that reminds me of Holly Golightly and THEE HEADCOATEES. Standouts “Shithead” and “I’m So Happy” both sound like they’ll be on punk comps someday. Good stuff!
Chicago’s SNUFFED play crunchy and mean Midwestern hardcore on their LP Coping Human Waste, released earlier this year on Another City Records. With Andy Nelson of WEEKEND NACHOS and HARMS WAY on recording duties, SNUFFED delivers a nice mix of fast punk and riffy hardcore in the vein of URBAN WASTE and the FLEX, showcased best on tracks “Pesticide” and “Flock.” The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it “If You Resent” is the shortest track here, a traditional one minute as opposed to the rest which clock in at about the two-and-a-half-minute mark. It’s unusual for this style, but it’s refreshing and makes repeated listens essential.
Upstate New York hardcore giants MINDFORCE return with their excellent second LP New Lords on Triple B Records. It’s been four years of heavy touring and headlining festivals since their debut Excalibur, and it shows—MINDFORCE is sharper than ever. The band is a well-oiled machine and frontman Jay Peta’s performance is worth the cost of admission alone. Opener and title track “New Lords” is a shout-along headbanger leading into “Survival is Vengeance,” a no-frills thrashing that showcases Peta’s strong vocals. At the album’s halfway point, the band shows (a little) mercy with epic standout “Thirteen and Mean,” the album’s longest track and what feels like the centerpiece. Awesome mid-tempo muted riffs and white-hot solos lead to a fake-out ending followed by a stomping final thirty seconds. A few rippers later, we arrive at closer “Rotten,” which sees MINDFORCE go out with a bang. Beginning the song with ominous metal-riffing, the band takes us through a whirlwind of different speeds and styles before inviting the listener back to the pit to get their ass kicked one last time. MINDFORCE are masters of high-energy live performances and they’ve successfully captured that same energy on New Lords.
Gay hardcore punk heroes STRONG BOYS from Dublin are back after a six-year hiatus with their just-over-five-minute-long EP Homo on the always wonderful Static Shock label. There is a heavy influence from John Brannon and an early NEGATIVE APPROACH vibe, with barking tough guy vocals and lean/mean guitar and rhythm section. Lyrically, you can hear what STRONG BOYS have to say loud and clear: they are not here to take your shit. Not yours, not the church’s (“Pink Death”), not society’s (“UB2FU,” “Bad Blood”), and most definitely not some creepy shitstain trying to cop a feel at the bar (“Bad Bear”). Great hardcore that isn’t fucking around.
Finnish thrashers FORESEEN have unleashed their highly anticipated new LP Untamed Force. I’m going to get straight to the point: this record is fucking awesome. A truly wild ride that places FORESEEN comfortably next to thrash/crossover contemporaries MUNICIPAL WASTE and POWER TRIP (R.I.P. Riley, to whom the album is partially dedicated), while also bringing to mind the best of the NWOBHM: VENOM, DIAMOND HEAD, and MOTÖRHEAD. Opening track “Soldier’s Grave” sets the tone for the rest of the album with chugging guitars, double kicks, and righteous solos. Vocalist Murko Nummelin’s delivery matches the music almost too perfectly; at times he sounds like he’s foaming at the mouth. Lyrically, you can feel the urgency and fury in every track. By the halfway point, FORESEEN has aimed their sights on those entitled in society on “Birthright,” the pain endured to please the powers that be on “Tolerance of Abuse,” and the despair of drug addiction on “Suffocating Routine.” Then two minutes into “Fetish Oppression,” things take off into an unexpected soaring bridge complete with angelic (or demonic) backing vocals. It’s one of many moments that make this album such a fun listen. FORESEEN is masterful at adding touches throughout that take each song to the next level. Check the organs playing in “Cold Comfort,” the runaway train guitar and bass chug in “Serve Your Purpose,” and the dizzying drums and face-melting intro of “Desensitized.” Title track “Untamed Force” closes the album with the band declaring “Crashing the gate / No time to wait / For someone to do it for us / Storming onwards / A ferocious untamed force,” a firm affirmation that this is FORESEEN’s world and we’re just living in it. Expect this to be on every “best of” list at the end of the year.
Basque Country band ZIKIN (Basque for “dirt”) has released their EP Zementua Armosaten on one of my new favorite labels Mendeku Diskak, and rightfully so, as ZIKIN fits right in alongside labelmates MESS, CASTILLO, and BRUX. Quick, sharp, angry bursts of street punk with a slight tint of deathrock. Standout track “Jodidu” (Basque for “iodize”) is a catchy fist-pumper with a DEAD KENNEDYS-inspired surf guitar lead that seems to appear out of nowhere. A rad EP that makes me look forward to hearing more from ZIKIN.
“Brainfreeze” is a two-minute pummeling from BUGGIN, one of the best hardcore bands from Chicago right now. Simply put, this is hardcore punk that is incredibly accessible. Very catchy, great breakdowns, great riffs. Also, it’s a love song, which is cool as fuck. The B-side is a cover of “Gratitude” from BEASTIE BOYS’ Check Your Head, handled wonderfully as the band flex their mid-tempo muscles. Fresh off of the Darkside of the Moon 2 tour from Triple B and Flatspot Records, BUGGIN are ones to watch. Fingers crossed for a full-length soon.
CUIR (French for “leather”) is a one-man band cruising through eleven two-minute cuts of neo/cyber/future Oi! on the superb Album. These strong (if slightly repetitive) traditional punk songs are elevated with flourishes of synth running through each track. Opening instrumental “Maniac” sets the pace, and standout “Luxure Objectif” sums things up perfectly: a propulsive two-and-a-half minute ode to kinky leather bondage. CUIR mastermind Doug Zilla even sounds a little bit like Tony from the RIFFS, what’s not to love? For fans of CAMERA SILENS and the movie Drive.
VANILLA MUFFINS refer to their brand of upbeat punk as “Sugar Oi!,” drawing from SHAM 69 and the RAMONES in equal measure. On Puke N Vomit’s reissue of their beloved 2003 LP The Drug is Football, you can nearly taste the sweetness. Opener “Brigade Loco” is a love letter to punks in Spain with a catchy sing-along chorus and guitars à la COCK SPARRER, “Pride of the North” is three minutes of perfect pop punk probably worth the price of admission alone, and “Viva El Fulham” is all BUZZCOCKS and the JAM riffs. By the time they reach their take on WALL OF VOODOO’s “Mexican Radio,” they have covered just about every ’70s punk benchmark I can think of. Great, catchy football-worship for anyone with a sweet tooth.
