Reviews

MRR #489 • February 2024

$ollar$ $ollar$ LP

Solo experimental/psych bedroom project recorded during 2020–2021. Raise your hand if you made home recordings during the COVID lockdowns (I am raising my hand). Now keep your hand up if they are worth listening to now (putting my hand down, and I hope most of you are doing the same). $OLLAR$ is proud of his, to the point that there are seven record-plus-merch options for this release available on Bandcamp, including a $300 option that includes a blanket of some sort. Pass. The music itself is a mix of written and improvised bluesy dirges about that era, sounding like a no-fi Homestead Records release or something Lou Barlow would have cooked up in the early ’90s. Slow strumming, slurred vocals, and songs like “Amazon” (it’s about Amazon), “Block Chain” (it’s about cryptocurrency), “Vaccine” (it’s about the Covid-19 vaccine), and “2020 Election Night Eve” (this one’s actually an instrumental, but you get the idea) are too on-the-nose and over with to be interesting. Creating art in times of fear and uncertainty is healthy. This one would have been better kept private.

3-Way Cum 1993–1998 2xLP

Punk has a long, complicated, not to mention fascinating, story with band names. Picking a proper moniker can be career-defining and allow you to sell a couple of shirts. On the other hand, a poor choice is unlikely to get you invited to the cool Insta-friendly hardcore festivals. 3-WAY CUM’s is head-scratching. I have always loved the band, in fact I consider them one of the best Swedish crust bands ever, but I still wonder why they went for this name, fitting for an obnoxious grindcore band but rather awkward for political crust. I am sure they are wondering, too. Does that keep me from wearing their shirt? Fuck no. The band started in 1993 with members of WARCOLLAPSE and SAUNA (who were stylistically very close) at a time when the D-beat and crust waves and the käng revival were seriously taking off in the country. In retrospect, it may seem difficult to find one’s way in this demented maze of DISCHARGE-loving gruff hardcore and locate the best bands of the era, the ones you would spontaneously recommend at your nan’s dinner party. 3-WAY CUM was one of those. The band managed to blend with ease the ’90s dual-vocal crustcore school of EXTREME NOISE TERROR or DISRUPT with the ’80s cavemen käng style of BOMBANFALL or SVART PARAD, and they significantly delivered great records during their five-year run, one LP and five EPs, among which were two splits with DEFORMED CONSCIENCE and ANOTHER OPPRESSIVE SYSTEM. They had that relentlessly savage, heavy, and dirty vibe, with vocalists reminiscent of bears fighting angrily over a pot of honey. A genuinely classic ’90s band, Scandicrust at its very best, and we should be grateful to Phobia for releasing the band’s full discography.

Accusation Accusation demo cassette

ACCUSATION from London’s latest demo. Tracks consist of SSD/STRAIGHT AHEAD or BREAKDOWN/ANTIDOTE-style early period Boston HC and NYHC. Chaotic drum smashing with powerful, in-your-face intensity. No weird effects or polished production thingamajiggies; it’s sonically stripped down to the core because this is fucking hardcore.

Amanita Toxica Amanita Toxica cassette

Latest cassette by AMANITA TOXICA from Chile. The raw punk artwork may not quite do justice to what they sonically represent—the tape consists of an eclectic approach to raw grindcore with some modern hardcore parts to it. A filthy attack of distortion and heaviness reminiscent of the ’90s out-on-a-limb approach of ASSÜCK, RORSCHACH, or LOS CRUDOS.

Andy Place and the Coolheads Feels Like a Dream EP

ANDY PLACE AND THE COOLHEADS have been rocking the Portland, Oregon region for nearly a decade, and their garage power pop sound on this latest EP is refined into three tracks. “Feels Like a Dream” opens things up with bang that channels SWEET. “Contrarian” hits next with an egg-punk energy, and is honestly my favorite song by ANDY PLACE AND THE COOLHEADS to date. The closer “Blackwater Commercial” is a 42-second song that heaps praise upon Portland’s legendary punk dive, Black Water Bar. So I guess this album functions as a solid two-track, and the Black Water gets a cool jingle, too.

Attack Total Total Attack EP

Fun punk/pub rock out of Sweden, which is surprising because this sounds a lot like the bands that  came from the Chicagoland area in the mid-to-late ’90s—very similar to WALKER and WINEPRESS and all of the other Harmless Records groups, probably because each song has these simple little guitar licks that are catchy as hell. Singer reminds me a lot of Joey Ramone mixed with Frankie Stubbs of LEATHERFACE fame. The kind of band I’d love to come across on a pub crawl. Big fan of this EP, and think it’s well worth a spin.

Atturri Atturri LP

Having first been exposed to Euskaran rockers ATTURRI on the fantastic Kaosa Euskal Herrian LP, it’s nice to see a full-length from the Basque bruisers. Short but sweet, with seven tracks of thunderous bass lines, soaring guitars, and righteous anger courtesy of perfectly orchestrated gang vox. Hoping to see more!

Aus Der Sch​ö​ne Schein EP

A new three-song EP from these Berlin-based creatures of the night who have been keeping the shadow-dimmed flames of XMAL DEUTSCHLAND and MALARIA! burning into the third millennium—their stern, goth-adjacent post-punk has all of the coldness and severity of a concrete Eastern Bloc factory floor. Opener “Der Sch​ö​ne Schein” plunges headlong into an abyss of tom-pounded drums, sinister bass rumble, and a tension only heightened by the sharp clips of air raid siren guitar that soon join in, before slipping into borderline funky death-disco choruses without ever breaking their stone-faced (and likely heavily black-eyelinered) facade. Likewise, the swirls of keys shrouding “Zugvögel” could have just as easily been pulled from a campy ’60s horror flick as early ’80s leather-and-lace deathrock, while its strict rhythms and austere German vocals are nothing but deadly serious, and “LSD” percolates along a pendulum-swinging cyclical bass line and an unwavering, bone-rattling beat for nearly three minutes before the vocals finally cut in like echoes in a claustrophobic crypt. Pitch-black perfection.

Billiam Corner Tactics LP

Melbourne simple-to-the-core new wave-y synth punk, filled with mid-paced drums and cheap, soft keyboards all merged with lo-fi submarine telephone vocals that monotone the shit out of this. Featuring a member from DISCO JUNK and COLLECTIVE HARDCORE, it brings a hyperactive vibe to bedroom punk. Goofy synth punk for lovers of simple, funny DIY projects. It lacks fire, it’s so monotonous, but it might be right down your alley. Funny yet boring, if it’s even possible.

Black Dots EP2/EP3 LP

Denver punks at it for over ten years put out an LP with 2021’s EP2 and 2023’s EP3. I reviewed a flexi single of theirs a while ago, which was comprised of the first two tracks of EP2, so I feel like I’ve been here before… heartfelt lyrics with backing melodies chiming in on choruses, pretty straightforward mid-tempo instrumentals: palm-muted chugging, rests for vocals to sail over, and economic guitar riffs. I kind of get a HOT WATER MUSIC vibe. While EP2 might be a little faster and heavier, EP3 slows down and is perhaps even more melancholic, if possible. This isn’t something I seek out, but the songwriting is clever, the band is tight, and the production is clean as can be.  Check out “Tired of Dreaming” for a good sample.

Bleakness Words / Greed 7″

Parisian punks BLEAKNESS have a distinctive aesthetic that has been rocking in the darkness for seven years now. Anthemic, high-energy, but moody and gloomy—D-beat with a post-punk attitude. Both tracks on this 7″ feature heavy, bouncing bass lines, while the gravelly vocal delivery is somewhere beyond singing but not quite hardcore yelling. “Words” is a diatribe on politicians’ speeches and the danger of their lies with some swift guitar licks thrown in along the way, while “Greed” enters with some ripping riffs and lyrics that eviscerate capitalist culture. If you dig fist-in-the-air sing-alongs, then you have got to check this out.

Bug Paralysis LP

This is the debut 12” from BUG out of Victoria, British Columbia. With their earnest and romantic sound, the songs are reminiscent of ’90s grunge and indie with a pinch of deathrock stirred in. Warbled vocals with an obnoxious punk affectation deliver poetic lyrics over eleven tunes that could possibly pass as lost entries from the earlier Sub Pop catalog. It’s the kind of thing that would have found an enthusiastic audience on a property located directly between the Lollapalooza and Warped Tour admission gates. Check out “Heads are Gonna Roll” for one of the finer moments here.

Cash Bribe Escape From New York CD

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.

Cemento Armado Cemento Armado cassette

Chaotic, insanity-driven lo-fi hardcore punk debut issued by CoronaRX and Rock SVB. Deep-diving vibes versing on existentialism and bad luck strike all the way. This project from Buenos Aires features members of FORRA, RUDIX, and more, with social critiques and a deep, wounded feeling. Grieving, raw punk with nods to classic hardcore and even some rudimentary chain punk, with maniac, reverbed, trance-like asylum psycho vocals. Self-recorded and filled with freshened-up D-beat traces, it exudes frustration and anger, filled with a raw spirit. Favorite tracks: “Más de Uno,” “Imprudencia,” and “En Cualquiera.” Personal and defeated, but with an attitude of still fighting to the teeth and a visceral, ranting vibe. They exude a trance pogo state live, recommended for heavy users of lo-fi raw punk. Great ever-ranting drums and solid string sections, filled with a consistent cry of punk guitar. The feeling of being in a humid alley space, waiting for a vicious gig to start. The relentless vocals on behalf of Marta make you eager for more songs to burst out of this great work of visceral punk. One of my current favorite Argentinian formations—active players in an ever-growing scene, playing live constantly and shaping their defiant sound. Get ready…

Checkpoint Drift LP

German label Erste Theke Tonträger delivers this fiery debut LP from Naarm, Australia, featuring members of PINCH POINTS, DR. SURE’S UNUSUAL PRACTICE, GONZO, DRAGNET, CARPET BURN, GUTTER GIRLS, and more. Synth-punk-driven garage madness. Solid grit, multiple and good flipping variations. Including crazy-ass funky vibes, and even cadences near Aussie cumbia (if it even exists?) in passages. Exquisite drums, and the synth and keyboards are excellent here. All tracks are in harmony, and there are some that could be an EP on their own, as in the case of “10th Dimension Advertisement Apocalypse,” which surpasses eleven minutes in length, and “Checkers.” The old lo-fi ’80s tape vibe is well-achieved, and there’s even some nods to the style of Under the Gun associates. Multifaceted, trance-inducing egg-psych almost all the way, especially the track “Circuit Breaker.” Good blasting explosions of Australian garage from a solid super-group delivering new dimensions and sounds. Crunchy, deep-fried, lo-fi feels.

Cloudage Cloudage cassette

Debut EP from Toronto-based CLOUDAGE, a feel-good indie set that will have you hooked straight away or leave you spitting up sugary-sweet melodies, depending on your preference for this type of thing. There are fleeting moments of edginess that help cut the sweetness where the backing vocals chime in, and you may feel compelled to nod along. While acoustic guitar strums mix with electric guitar and bass distortion over upbeat drums, the vocals are clearly the focus here: a barrage of narrative lyrics to pull at your memories of breakups and heartache, hardly stopping for a breath, evening singing through outros with “ooh”s and “la da da”s. There’s an homage to Ad-Rock from the BEASTIE BOYS, “Ad-Rock You’re So H”—and is that meant to be ambiguous? Hard? Heavy? Whatever. The closer “Stay Pure” pokes fun at their style with the line “Let bygones be bygones / Don’t turn pain into poetry / To hold onto in sad songs;” a genuine and self-effacing sentiment that may be the thread throughout this four-song debut.

Confetti Malaise A Thousand Burning Suns LP

If you like synth-heavy coldwave, then let me introduce you to CONFETTI MALAISE from Marseille, France. This initial full-length finds the four-piece band with ten songs that vary in energy from dancefloor swingers to the occasional melodic, emotionally-driven ballads. Hard-hitting bass and ethereal synth and guitar work creates a party atmosphere fit for our present armageddon. There’s something here that reminds me of BLAQK AUDIO, but with an early SOUTHERN DEATH CULT bend. Give this a listen, and I guarantee you’ll be swaying with a Djarum Black in your hand.

Coupe Gorge Silence de Mort LP

Brest-based Oi!-tinged hardcore types COUPE GORGE return five years after their last mini LP, with a full album of a more mature, assured sound. Comprising various alumni from CUIR and SYNDROME 81, they’ve inherited some of the spartan and sparse sound of their other projects but injected more of a hardcore sensibility that shines through. Definitely more hardcore than Oi! (conspicuous lack of saxophones for our friends from La République), but for those who enjoy LIONS LAW or BATTLE RUINS (for example), there’s a lot of fun to be had.

Cromm Fallon Presents the P200 cassette

Las Vegas-based rock’n’roll which seems to have at least started as a solo project. This is the second full-length recording under this moniker, and it doesn’t say in the liner notes if this one is also done entirely by CROMM or if the press photos of the band looking cool means it’s a full band on the recording. Thirteen songs of mostly predictable, by-the-numbers rock’n’roll stuff. The harder stuff is slightly reminiscent of later-era HELLACOPTERS, but there are some straight up harmonica-driven blues standards, as well as an instrumental yacht rock song on here. I dunno, maybe it’s good and a punk review site just isn’t the right place for it?

Crucified Class Trapped EP

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.

Daydream Reaching for Eternity LP

Third full-length by Portland’s hardcore punk fanatics DAYDREAM. And what a beautifully ugly record! After their great self-titled debut and followed by Mystic Operative, DAYDREAM continues to steer away from the conventional hard punk lines and dares to paint their own. More akin to the artsy side of hardcore, Reaching for Eternity is a rollercoaster of moments, bits and pieces of different parts of hardcore punk, like a collage of Dischord Records bands stitched together. No need to choose FAITH or VOID when you can have both!

Dead Familiars Turbinado cassette

With a logo like it’s been carved into a particle board desk at the back of the classroom, DEAD FAMILIARS put their debut six-banger to tape. This Madison, WI four-piece released Turbinado digitally in 2020, until local record shop Kitschy Spirit did a cassette run. This reminds me of BUSH—slack rock fusing with a gruff, buzzy type of thing leading to some pretty middle-of-the-road power pop that one may raise a fist to at the back of the crowd.  At times melancholic, at others aggressive and stompy.  No surprises within, but a solid debut for fans of the genre.

Death Ridge Boys Society Overdose / Turn the Tide 7″

Two tough cuts of pub-bound street rock from some stalwarts of the Portland, Oregon scene. If I’m counting correctly, this is their eighth release, and follows up the Too Much Bullshit LP from last year. “Society Overdose” is a catchy mid-tempo number with a shout-along chorus and lyrics about having your eyes opened to the ills of society through punk. There’s a line that says “Inside my head looks like the cover of Cause For Alarm.” So tough. The flipside slows things down and introduces more melody with an anthemic, straight-ahead rock approach. Another solid showing from some trusty punks.

Dente Canino Dente Canino demo cassette

Imagine what would happen if the Crucificados Pelo Sistema LP, Valtion Vankina LP, and Who the Helpless EP morphed into one and then mutated into some fucked-up thing? Complete devastation of hardcore annihilation. The world is ending and this is the music for it.

Detroit 442 I’m Not Crazy I’m on Drugs CD

The vocals here will make or break your listen. They’re droning, snotty, and repetitive. I kept thinking of English anarcho-punk bands, whose vocals can be a barrier to entry. The guitars have a thin, whiny quality, which seems odd for a band really channeling bawdy bar punk. I kept waiting for them to thicken or turn up. This band initially struck me as a kind of bombastic proto-punk outfit, and they kept making choices which pulled me away from that impression. I don’t know if that contrast was intentional, but for me it defined the listen.

Diall Rut EP

Six cuts of the hard stuff from the UK. Loaded with swirling and ominous riffs, bestial growled vocals, and a powerful stomp, DIALL’s gnarly hardcore is embellished with a smooth and pointed sound on this 7”. It’s got that dark, distorted, dystopian vibe laced with feedback like BIB, HOAX, GLUE, and the like, done pretty well and complemented by the apt production. Solid debut.

Dimension Dimension demo cassette

DIMENSION encapsulates hardcore punk in its purest essence: a raucous, frantic, frenzy propelled by punk guitars, saturated with power chord lashes, pulsing distortion, thunderous percussion, and gritty vocals. Every song has its own hardcore dimension, and they sound like old-fashioned USHC tunes, leaving you wanting more. The demo’s closer “N.G.R.I.” gets stuck to the back of your brain like glue. Not guilty! Hardcore will never die!

Disfear Everyday Slaughter LP reissue

The final installment of a series of DISFEAR reissues serves up a D-beat masterpiece that has been out of print since not long after its release back in 1997. It’s nothing short of a crime against punk that this album has been allowed to collect so much dust, but thankfully Havoc Records, et al. have rectified that grave oversight. Housed in a gatefold sleeve and including a bonus two-song 7” with the first hundred records, Everyday Slaughter sounds just as vital and crushing in 2024 as it did when I first heard it over twenty years ago. This is an undeniable, indisputable classic of the genre and it demands to be played loud. The riffs require it! Of the endless number of Dis-clones that have come and gone in the intervening decades, very very few have come anywhere close to the proficiency and sheer brutality demonstrated here. Look, if you like D-beat as a genre even slightly, then this is required listening. There should be an OG copy behind glass at that goofy-ass museum of punk rock (or whatever) that opened recently in Las Vegas, though I bet there’s not. Do yourself a favor and snag one for yourself before it goes back out of print again.

AI (悪意) / Disturd Walk split 12″

Japanese split effort between decade-long friends. We have DISTURD with some heavy punk, absolute chaos-bringers. Great presence in the solid, harsh vocals, with a dragging feeling of hardcore punk on the crustier side that combines bits of powerviolence as well. Blunt definition of the band, filled with raw punk of a vicious energy. On AI’s side, we have more defined metal crust, crazy guitars, angry drums, and strident, suffering vocals filled with energy. Recommended.

Doc Flippers Human Pork LP

Second full-length from this Leipzig quintet, and it’s quite a confounding one. The eleven songs on Human Pork ping-pong from power pop to cowpunk to post-hardcore to dirge-y downer punk, with little holding things together beyond a mid-fi production and a persistent warble effect that seems to be thrown on pretty much everything. Oddly enough, though, that’s kind of enough to make this feel like a cohesive release. Still, it certainly has its ups and downs. The power pop tracks on here are some of the catchiest I’ve heard this decade—give “Steel Splinters” or “Celine Doom” a spin and try to not sing them to yourself as soon as you turn the record off. And “Human Pork” is one of the best bile-spitting downer punk numbers that I’ve heard since the demise of BLACK PANTIES. On the other hand, I’m absolutely all set on these “early COUNTRY TEASERS meets circusy egg-punk” tracks. On paper it sounds like it might be fine, but nah. And I don’t know that I’ve wanted to unhear a song more than I do “Stiffy Girl.” Woof!

Egzoz Smoking Jacket LP

Simple and effective guitar/drums garage rock band featuring members from the US and Turkey. Stripped-down, flanged-out guitar lines and catchy vocals make this an enjoyable, conceptual romp through Beyoğlu, Turkey. The track “SlightlyDelic” stands out from the rather primitive garage stompers on the record with a fast and funky post-punk approach, complemented by commanding spoken word vocals. Several songs center on themes of late nights in the city’s streets and include sound clips and Turkish lyrics mixed with English that give the record a cool, culture-straddling flair. One of the band’s vocalists, Chris Sollars, recently released a solo project called $OLLAR$, which I mention because this release contains three of those songs in more polished, upbeat versions.

Eyeteeth Negative Reinforcement flexi EP

Brand new EP from UK’s grinding straightedge violence unit EYETEETH. An electrifying blend of fast-paced rhythms, aggressive vocals, and raw energy that epitomizes the essence of straightedge hardcore. Four relentless tracks that go by as fast as they start, and everything in just four minutes. What a beating!?! The unwavering commitment to the straightedge ethos lives on!

Feather You Got Problems / Stupid Girl 7″ reissue

This is some superb power pop that’s all glammed up. In fact, this will transport you directly back to 1976. The A-side actually fades out like they used to do back in the day—imagine the SWEET and the BAY CITY ROLLERS and then throw in some attitude. (In other words, heavy on the SWEET.) Honestly, I even get some little hints of the PARTRIDGE FAMILY. Holy shit, turns out this is a reissue of an older recording and this is actually from 1974 (not 1976). English. Fantastic.

Final Dose Void Inside LP

The first LP from London’s FINAL DOSE. For metalheads, it might be black-metal-influenced hardcore punk. For the punks, it might sound more like modern hardcore-influenced black metal.  Metal and punk have always had inseparable connections and have influenced each other for quite some time, but this one is a rather new approach for listeners of both early DARKTHRONE and surprisingly, SPY or GULCH fans.. Listeners of the latter bands might enjoy it more than the former. Noisy and raw tracks that still have a modern production punch.

Flash Mongrels Good Time Dole Line EP

Ah, the late ’70s, when suddenly everyone wanted to be a punk. These lads from Kingston upon Hull used to also sometimes go by the boring moniker “the GUS WILSON BAND,” and their sound on this 7” of songs recorded in 1978 smacks of classic pub rockin’ punched up with a fashionable punk infusion à la FU2 and the like. The title track, with its electrified R&B groove and “I’d rather be poor and happy” sentiment, is quite good and undeniably catchy. The slightly less spirited “Thoroughly Nice” is a smart and succinct number and the most convincingly “punk” of the three tracks. The bright, kaleidoscopic keys on the power-poppy closer “Hat” end the record on a jubilant note along the lines of the DICKIES’ “Waterslide” or MADNESS’s “House of Fun.” But, by ’79, the group was defunct. While not exactly revolutionary, this short-lived band of Johnny-Rotten-come-latelys managed to get John Peel’s attention during their brief run, and this newly-issued EP provides them with some belated justice.

Gizon Berria Lurran Arnasa EP

One-man projects can be dangerous double-edged swords. If they are meant to reflect perfectly, to mirror the uncompromising artistic vision of one person, they are not without risk. Sure, we all hate it when drummers offer supposedly “good” ideas (as if they knew what they were talking about), or when the singer raises some doubts about your cracking five-minute-long solo, but then when you’re on your own in the studio composing everything, no one is going to warn you if the musical brilliance you just came up with is actually dross. GIZON BERRIA is a one-man band from the Basque Country and, on the one hand, I’m sure the EP achieved what the songwriter aimed at creating, so that it can be said indeed to be a coherent work. On the other hand, I don’t think the elements all work well together. GIZON BERRIA strives to create an occult, dark, creepy and menacing punk sound. It sounds like SLIMY MEMBER and GISM having a date at a witch convention, which could theoretically work—and I gladly admit there are some good riffs on the EP—but it falls a little short. I understand the concept of a hypnotic, pagan, macabre punk sound, but I don’t feel it. It would work better on a longer format with more narrative storytelling moments helping the atmosphere to settle, like the genuinely eerie outro, but on the EP format, it just sounds like a regular modern dark punk band, which I suppose is not the point. This said, it cannot be said to be a bad record, and I can imagine people being curious and even interested.

Gnats Sucker All Thing I’ll Never Say 1988–1991 CD

A retrospective compilation on the Malaysian Black Konflik label, this CD showcases the recorded works of Sapporo City’s GNATS SUCKER. These upbeat Japanese punks took cues from traditional American hardcore and NYHC bands, and sounded a bit like 7 SECONDS at times. Collecting material from the band’s 1991 demo, songs that originally appeared on an old Japanese hardcore compilation, and unreleased tracks, it’s a thorough glimpse at an obscure old school band with great broken English titles (“With Say” is a personal favorite).

Golers Die Now Pay Later LP

I can hear this band blasting in the background of a Vegas tattoo studio. I mean, I guess I get it, but it did not do a lot. The record is pretty monotonous throughout. If you are a big crossover fan, I can see this clicking. The cartoon artwork is cool.

Güiña ¿Qué Justicia? EP

Punk works best when it’s an overwhelming form of self-expression that feels like a sonic explosion even if it’s a tamed, slightly melodic sound at a moderate tempo. It happens on a razor-thin territory when it has to remain true to the core although it needs to lean beyond a bit to become unique and interesting. How ¿Qué Justicia? starts reminds me of the ’90s, when the sound of hardcore/punk got tamed as it entered a dead-end street of better sound quality and melodies. The main motive of the opening track is a silly, hum-like note that is too rounded to scratch, therefore the overwhelming effect of the song is missed. Meanwhile, everything is in place: angry vocals, dead simple song structures, and a good elan. The B-side of this short EP works much better. The tempo turns up and the music becomes more clumsy. The unpolished rage leaks into those songs more effectively, and then it sounds as if they want to perform their angst instead of songs. The interesting contrast is that the B-side demonstrates perfectly what is missing from the A-side, which makes the record itself exciting. Even if punk sounds super visceral, from messing around on your guitar to releasing records, a band has to make dozens of decisions and contemplating these decisions could be as entertaining as shaking your fist at a dirty venue. The reason behind the contrast of this record keeps my thoughts busy. It is convincingly suggested that GÜIÑA has a point to make through their music. Maybe this is why some of the songs have the sloppiness of pogo punk, because the focus is elsewhere. Such records completely lack the ambition to be something big within the global hardcore scene, while simultaneously carrying the ambition of destroying the existing world order. It’s a double “fuck you” that deserves recognition. I will not blast this 7” whenever I can, but the core idea of our beloved subculture is to have many more bands like GÜIÑA. The artwork looks great, and the 7” comes with an equally beautiful insert and lyric sheet.

Gym Tonic Sanitary Situations 12″

A quartet of Berlin-based grown-up punks bring us their second release, and it’s clear from the six tracks on here that they’re having a good time. Do you need to pick up a copy? Depends on how much you love perfectly adequate garage-y synth punk. Imagine something between LOST SOUNDS’ maniacal darkwave and SERVOTRON’s stilted robot rock, maybe mixed with a little contemporary egginess. Honestly, it could be worse. It’s also kind of educational, like a German synth punk THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS!  Did you know you could catch mono from someone’s tears? I certainly didn’t until listening to this record.

Harry Chinaski S/T 10 Shots! cassette

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.

Haveri The End LP

This is one for the Swedish hardcore diehards, for the true followers of the käng cult, for those who worship at the CIMEX altar. HAVERI is completely unknown to me, which is not so surprising, as they were a relatively obscure band from the late ’00s/early ’10s to start with, and their only album, Into the Crypts of…, was released on a Mexican extreme metal label, so the distribution would not have been great in Europe (unless everyone knows the band well but no one told me, and I am going look like an ignoramus, or, god forbid, a poseur writing this review). The studio material on this LP was recorded in 2009, and there are also live songs from 2010 that sound about as good as the studio ones, which does indicate a high level of brute hardcore rawness. Sonically HAVERI was old school and lovingly looked at their glorious elders like early ANTI-CIMEX, early AVSKUM, or DISARM, but with a more distorted sound. I like how spontaneous the whole thing sounds, you can tell the band wanted to go straight to the point without fancy effects. This is fairly well-executed but a little too fuzzy for my taste, as this makes the songs less urgent. The vocals are a genuine strong point, I love the singer’s vocal tone and flow as they have a distinct ’80s vibe. Käng up your life.

Headwinds A.I. cassette

With a few records in their bin, Las Vegas’s HEADWINDS put out A.I.—songs are fun, dirty and have plenty of grit, with great-sounding guitars toned to hollow out yer bowels. There’s a little imperfection on the recording that sounds like a stylus hitting some dust, and is fairly apparent on the opener “Desire” during the longer-than-necessary outro. But they’ve got that desert-pysch thing going on, and used a 1959 reel-to-reel to record on, so I’ll give them a pass!  After a few times through, this really grew on me—the reverb-soaked vocals on the anthemic “Wild & Free” is an instant hit, and deserves a listen. The songs rollick around, kicking up dust, and give the illusion that everything will be okay, especially on the sandy-strummed acoustic closer “Melody” that sweeps beautifully to a finish.

Hellco Hellco LP

Debut release of freewheeling and frequently funny punk featuring Dave from F.O.D. on vocals. There is a mix of styles on this LP, but when they rip, they rip in the best classic hardcore fashion—snotty hollered vocals, buzzing guitar, and fast beats that recall vintage CIRCLE JERKS. What sets HELLCO apart is their willingness to indulge in humor; for instance, “Just Stop Singing Like That” starts with a BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-aping riff with a melodramatic croon before launching into fast punk. It’s weird and unexpected, and they do it again at the next chorus, and then they bring it back in an echo-y goth version for “Just Stop Singing Like That Reprise.” Because the band is tight and the humor lands, it works and reminds me of bands like BIG BOYS and M.D.C. who weren’t afraid to inject some weirdness and inside jokes into their otherwise serious music. Similarly, “Swiss Cheese Brain” moves from atonal hardcore into a cowpunk bridge complete with whistling. Good record with tons of personality.

Highschool Dropouts Highschool Dropouts LP

Black-leather-clad pop punk from the sunny rolling hills of central Tuscany. HIGHSCHOOL DROPOUTS fill their self-titled record out with enough downstroking, palm muting, and “oh-oh-oh-ohhhh”s to satiate any lover of early PARASITES or VINDICTIVES. The timing is impressive and the production is heat. The band put this album out in 2002 and has since broken up and gotten back together a couple of times. The four-piece’s output varies within their discography; they seem to have moved away from the energy that blasts from this slab of vinyl. This is the time capsule that you should start with.

Ignorantes Palos Por Que Bogas, Palos Por Que No Bogas LP

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.

Ivy Creep Demo 24 cassette

Richmond, Virginia has had so many awesome hardcore bands emerging out of there, especially very recently, and IVY CREEP is no exception. This is pounding, evil hardcore to get your fists and veins pumping ferociously. The howling vocals are buried under an avalanche of aggression from the musicians to great effect. 11 PM always puts out winners it seems, and I’m happy to report that IVY CREEP makes the grade with the rest of them. Crank it!

IŁ-62 Opuszczamy Babilon LP

IŁ-62 is a Polish band that has been around for a couple decades now and specializes in creating brutal punk that treads a line between metal and hardcore. Opuszczamy Babilon is not for the faint of heart or the punk rock purists. World music influences combined with psychedelic and anarcho-punk form a sound that is unique. Surges of metallic hardcore rip in without warning, and noisy, experimental instrumentations find their way through the brawl. If I were to compare this album to something, it might be STRUGGLING HARSH IMMORTALS or something equally as heavy and chaotic. There are moments that are reminiscent of stenchcore, but also sounds that call to mind ’90s-era SEPULTURA or even contemporary SOULFLY. This is one of those albums that you can put on and immediately feel the jamming groove as it winds and meanders through hefty riffs and primal feelings, complete with enough sonic variations to keep you intrigued and wanting more.

Corrupt Vision / Jodie Faster split EP

Split release between Orange County’s CORRUPT VISION and France’s JODIE FASTER. CORRUPT VISION plays thrashing, in-your-face fastcore with some ska breakdowns; not necessarily resorting to the crack rocksteady model, but heavier on the fastcore end. JODIE FASTER plays fastcore with clean guitars reminiscent of ’80s Italian band PEGGIO PUNX. Personal preferences aside, this is a great split release where both bands sound different enough while still having a similar quality that doesn’t resort to dark noisiness or heavy sounds. Raging anti-authoritarian speedcore intensity.

Knowso Pulsating Gore LP

This may not be for everyone, but KNOWSO’s blend of jerky post-punk rhythms with spoken lyrics is unique and instantly interesting. It’s almost like the words and music are separate entities: the angular guitars pounding away to the propulsive drums, while the deadpan vocals deliver deranged free-association poetry from endless observation that become near-chants with repetition. If you are willing to receive the Pulsating Gore, it rules—short blasts describing snapshots of life in all its glory, equal parts trivial and grotesque. Singer/guitarist Nathan Ward’s job as a trucker is evident in the journalistic depictions of life in transit; interesting birds, accidents, trucks jackknifing, heavy loads—it’s all here because it all plays a part. “Last of the Punks” documents the decaying landscape with lines like “There’s satisfaction / If you want it” and “America / Land of the Free, Mark of the Beast / Those aren’t track marks / That’s the Mark of the Beast.” It’s a compelling listen, and as disconcerting as it is on first listen, it becomes more and more relatable on repeat. Highly recommended.

Lazer Bullet Spirit Suck Shit EP

Fastcore punk rock outta the Pacific Northwest. Really brilliant work here. The guitar has a little bit of a twang with a natural distortion to it, which gives it a crisper and cleaner sound while maintaining the hardcore energy. Everything is just so near-impossibly fast and never wavers. Super intense energy and incredibly tight. Vocals sound great; high-registered yelps drenched in reverb that really gives it that rock’n’roll edge. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention just how great the drums sound, spot-on and massive. This is a great EP all around. I’d even consider it a very early contender for future “Records of the Year” lists.

Liquid Mike Liquid Mike LP

In just a few short years, Michigander Mike Maple has proven many times over that he has a head for pop. This fourth full-length is strong in a way that lasts, not just because it’s wall-to-wall earworms, but rather that this is songwriting that’s taken the best of power pop and internalized it. It pays to do your homework, but there is nothing unapproachable or academic on display here, just natural and breathlessly good songwriting. Time will prove Maple is right there in lock step with TONY MOLINA as a prolific and earnest writer who manages fancy guitar pop tricks like descending minor chords and non-standard harmonies without being flashy or pretentious. A song like “God Bless the World” proves in under a minute-thirty just what this group is capable of. It’s got punch, it’s got heart, it’s got it all. I’m an immediate and zealous acolyte.

Lone Creep 100 Beers of Music: The First Year CD

Self-proclaimed AARP hardcore! Thrash-inspired one-man punk act out of the Southwest. Biting satire, not only aimed at nationwide issues seen in songs like “Get Shot” and “Corporate Job,” but also on a personal level with tracks like “My Neighbor is a Dickhead” and “I’m in a Foul Mood.” I can definitely relate with those last two. Charisma here is infectious, and his vocals are absolutely built for punk music. Very strong and in-your-face! Lots of attitude and confidence. You can tell this dude just loves having fun, making music, and cultivating his scene at large. I did a little research here and his social media presence is nothing but PMA. Love to see it. The kind of guy you’d love to get a beer with. Well worth a spin, especially for all you old fogies!

Mess Under Attack LP

Unless you’ve been sat under a relatively soundproof rock for the past few years, you’ve already heard of MESS by now; hot off the heels of two unbelievably good 12”s, a split with fellow bruisers the CHISEL, and now their first full-length has dropped into the eager hands of yours truly and all other discerning herbets. This is sheer, unabashed BLITZ-worship, and I love it. From the opener “Stay Strong,” a driving anthemic instrumental which is so indebted to ROSE OF VICTORY that Nidge and Mackie wouldn’t be called mad asking for royalties, this record is packed to the rafters with nostalgia-inducing tunes to spill your beer to. It’s a love letter to mid-tempo UK82, but with enough nous to make it sound fresh in ’24. Marble-gargling vocals, hooks and guitar tone redolent of anything off No Future. Genuinely as near to perfect as can be, vital.

Bomb Out / Miami Death 2 split EP

Split release between BOMB OUT from Berlin and MIAMI DEATH 2 out of Leipzig. The BOMB OUT side consists of a tight, well-produced metalcore/beatdown track with death metal parts reminiscent of AT THE GATES. MIAMI DEATH 2’s side consists of four tracks of gritty hardcore (including a noise track), all under three minutes. You want real short-attention-span hardcore? MIAMI DEATH 2 is your answer.

Mortar Fire & Steel LP

Noisy Polish D-beat crust punk of the metallic form, first started as a solo project by Jay Mortarand then re-recorded with a band, so you can still hear traces of the solo projection. Mid-paced with solid cadences, and you can see the influence of bands like late ’90s FILTH OF MANKIND (who share members with MORTAR). Polish-style metalpunk with their own blend of hardcore and D-beat that goes for somber tones, steady battle sing-alongs, and progressive riffage. You can even hear the ensemble between the first solo effort and then the whole band jumps into the first track, enhancing the project. Interesting work.

Mr. Clit and the Pink Cigarettes The Cutest Hag in the Swamp LP

I’ve been aware of this band for a good chunk of the near decade-and-a-half that they’ve been in existence. They’re based out of Indianapolis, as am I, and for obvious reasons, you can’t help but notice when they pop up on a local bill. Yet this LP, their second or, like, tenth depending on how you’re counting, is the first time I’m actually listening to them. Some combination of their name and general aesthetic, which you might describe as Hot Topic circus troupe chic, had led me to believe this was firmly outside my area of interest. I’d imagined something like a cabaret-adjacent ten-piece that may or may not have a jug player. But, nope, turns out this is just a trio, and they play a mix of primitive garage punk, BABES IN TOYLAND-esque grunge, and budget surf guitar. It’s not bad! It can feel like an unwieldy tangle of influences at times, and the vocal performances can get a little too pronounced, almost like they’re doing a voice—the hard left turn from SHANNON AND THE CLAMS-y punky ’60s pop to cartoony hardcore on the album opener is a good example of both issues. Otherwise, this is a pretty solid release. I might even go so far as to say a track like “Dork Spit” is good.

Nite Sprites No Notes cassette

Punk’s bare bones nature is a good showcase for songwriting. That means NITE SPRITES have plenty of room for their memorable hooks, usually played on the cleaner end of distortion with some solid drumming. Songs like “Closer to the Back” and “The Ocean” begin with and build on some great, driving motifs.  Vocalists Case and Mambo alternate between growls and croons, bringing to mind bands like AGAINST ME! or YOUNG PIONEERS who bought some of the urgency of crust and hardcore to a more sincere punk rock.

Nowaves Immaculate Protection cassette

There’s no denying the influence of UK post-punk and new wave here. Most of what you’ll hear on Immaculate Protection could have come right off the streets of ’70s Manchester. The pop sensibilities are adorned with all the peculiar sounds and sharp, treble-touched guitar of that period. I was happy to see the band muddy some of that shine, though. They occasionally mutate their melodies enough to maintain a dark, uneasy tone. Together with the singer’s almost monotone delivery, NOWAVES keep the revelry and angst flowing.

Nucler Blud Corridor b/w Frown cassette

Bay Area band NUCLER BLUD plays fast, short, no-bullshit hardcore. These two songs clock in at a whopping 1:38 total. This seems to be their second cassette release, which is a split release cassingle by two labels of which I can’t find any existence whatsoever. The band’s first tape was put out by To Live a Lie, and sounds like some full-on DISCLOSE worship. It’s awesome. The two songs on this cassette seem to have moved away from that slightly, but are still pretty ripping. It’s cool that these tapes seem to have been a giveaway at a Gilman Street gig the band was playing.

Outsider Two Song Demo cassette

It’s a confusing thing—I could have sworn that I was not a fan of recordings being overproduced, and that I prefer a recording to be a bit raw and lo-fi if it captures the essence of a band. OUTSIDER might have me reconsidering this stance, however. This may be a new frontrunner for the most lo-fi recording I have ever heard. It’s a shame too, because there are some pretty damn catchy riffs on it, which can be slightly deciphered from the cranked treble on the one guitar you can actually hear. Hell, I couldn’t even tell you for sure if there were drums on the songs or if my brain was just filling in the gaps. If you had told me this was someone’s practice tape of ideas for songs to show potential band members, I would have believed you; that’s closer to what this cassette sounds like than a demo. There’s two songs, it’s hardcore punk, they hate cops, there’s about two-and-a-half minutes of “music” on a forty-five minute tape, but I couldn’t tell you much else about it. I never thought I would be one to gripe about production values. Thanks a lot, OUTSIDER, I have no idea who I am anymore.

Palladists Demo 2023 cassette

Washington, DC’s PALLADISTS concocted a raw and haunting musical experience, fit for a funeral. Their sound blends the ominous atmosphere of goth punk with the gritty energy of deathrock. The band’s vocals are intense and evoke a sense of darkness, perfectly complementing the brooding instrumentals. The demo captures a nostalgic yet refreshing take on the goth punk genre, making PALLADISTS a band to watch in the underground music scene.

Pet Mosquito Live at the Lamplighter CD

A Lamplighter live set is always a good seal of quality for a band, and this one doesn’t disappoint. PET MOSQUITO is loud and brash, presented here at their loudest and brashest— channeling the DICKS and maybe a little HANK WOOD. If that sounds like a lot of snot ‘n’ swagger, then I’m doing my job. It’s still its own thing though, especially when you throw that beautiful sax in the mix. I’m done arguing with people on this matter—more brass and woodwinds in rock’n’roll and punk. It adds an immediate dankness to any rock song, and this band certainly puts that to good use. Definitely don’t sleep on this release if you’re looking to blow out your speakers with excellent snarling punk rock.

Phantasm Conflict Reality EP

PHANTASM crept into existence just over a year ago in the Land Down Under, and has delivered a skull-crushing debut in the form of Conflict Reality. Pissed-off hardcore that doesn’t stop until everything is demolished. The sound is crusty and metallic, and it owes as much to DISORDER as it does to CONFLICT, especially in the vocal delivery which is very very angry and very, very passionate. The lines are very political and straight to the point. Ultra-aggressive vocals, pummeling drumming, crunchy guitars, and crusty bass. What more can you ask for? With seasoned members of HACKER and TÖL, PHANTASM is sure to carve out a worthy place in the scene.

Private Hell Days of Wrath cassette

The latest release from Richmond’s PRIVATE HELL consists of six tracks of dark, metallic hardcore punk attack, sitting right in the middle of the ’80s or ’90s approach but not quite polished enough to be rubbed off as booking agent metal. Reminiscent of the sound of the world of ’90s DIY hardcore rediscovering the ’80s HC style, around LEFT FOR DEAD, the SWARM, or TALK IS POISON. Solid metal-edged riffs rage throughout the tracks without any sacrifice of intensity.

Private Jesus Detector Nobody’s Master Nobody’s Servant LP

This is one that nobody expected: a new record from Bruges’ PRIVATE JESUS DETECTOR. I have always seen the band as part of a scale that can be used to assess the degree of nerdiness of a given punk. If one is cognizant with them, you know there is some solid knowledge of the ’90s crust and D-beat scene involved, and potentially the lovely prospect of a lengthy debate over the merits of SVART PARAD. You could say PRIVATE JESUS DETECTOR are something of a cult band if you are into primitive and raw European hardcore punk influenced by the heaviest brand of UK anarcho-punk and vintage käng hardcore. It is admittedly a small cult. I am always dubious when I am faced with new material from a band that split up 30 years ago (that was even before the SPICE GIRLS’ formation), because you never really know what you are going to get—a lot of old bands reform and record stuff that they would have been ashamed to listen to back when they were still relevant. But you can also be pleasantly surprised, and this Belgian powerhouse falls in the second category. The influences haven’t changed, and PRIVATE JESUS DETECTOR still works with the same basics, namely ANTISECT and ANTI-SYSTEM getting into a school fight with CRUDE SS and DISCARD (don’t worry, they all make peace and listen to EXCREMENT OF WAR by the end), but the sound is cleaner and clearer and it reminds me of how HELLKRUSHER has evolved. The band hasn’t given up on the vintage anarcho politics either, and the song “Serpent’s Game” shows they think critically about “the scene.” On the whole, Nobody’s Master Nobody’s Servant is a pretty good album and it does have a couple of genuinely hard-hitting numbers where the dual vocals work great together (a second singer, Vrokker from CHRONIC DISEASE, has been added for the album, and I’m always a sucker for those). Hopefully it might make people want to check out the earlier material, but I know full well that the ones who will listen to this new album are the ones who are already fans anyway, some of whom will whine that it doesn’t sound like the How Evil Can One Get EP from 1994 as if the band should have been frozen in the ’90s like a punk mammoth. I wish ANTISECT’s reformation sounded something like this LP.

Purpur Spytt Scavenges, Time​-​Travels, and Scrapbooks LP

Charlotte Mermoud (of Leipzig-via-Geneva post-punks the STACHES and MARAUDEUR) has used the PURPUR SPYTT project name for her (mostly) solo efforts since 2016, and true to title, Scavenges, Time​-​Travels, and Scrapbooks collects songs that Mermoud wrote from the start of PURPUR SPYTT to 2023 but only recorded in the last year or two, culled from notebook jottings, phone recordings, and other temporary resting places as a means of clearing the slate. PURPUR SPYTT songs have always been vehicles for Mermoud’s stark, hypnotic bass lines and deadpan, sometimes mundane/sometimes surreal spoken word monologues, with elemental Möbius loop rhythms bumping hips against the likes of ESG, LIZZY MERCIER DESCLOUX, or more recently SNEAKS—aside from a handful of brief field recording/sound collage interludes, it’s all rug-cutting heat. The loping bass groove of “Party Town” twists around cowbell-flecked drum machine beats and blasts of disintegrating synth like DELTA 5 if they’d been on Grand Royal in the ’90s, the rubbery, wound-up bounce of “On a Circle” nails the feeling of claustrophobic anxiety that so many modern DEVO disciples only wish they could hit, and “The Circumstances” (originally written for the STACHES) slinks along a minimal electro-punk wave before breaking into a frenzied freakout of keyboard squeal, drum machine rattle, and needling guitar. No sketchy throwaways or half-baked curios here!

Ratos do Beco Demo 1978 EP

Purported to be Brazil’s very first punk band, RATOS DO BECO never played a formal show in their brief existence from September to December 1978. Legend has it that their open-garage-door rehearsals would draw a crowd of curious onlookers, with motorists pulling over to get a closer look and listen. Founding member Miguel Barella (who would go on to form the excellent new wave outfit AGENTSS) captured one of these practice-cum-gigs on reel-to-reel tape, which all these years later, comprises the four-ish songs on this EP. “Saved from obscurity” releases like this are often propped up by their backstories, and in this case the story is providing a fair amount of propping. Calling it a demo is a bit of a stretch as it truly does sound like a hastily recorded practice, replete with aging tape interference and a snippet of a cover of “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.” So, does the music warrant a 2024 vinyl pressing complete with a sixteen-page booklet of photos and liner notes? Your mileage may be different from mine, but I’d answer that with a resounding “probably!” They sound like a rudimentary version of France’s finest first-wave punks, the DOGS. RATOS DO BECO play some dirty rock’n’roll that has enough snarl and feral energy to be called punk. Unlike so many of their contemporaries, they weren’t aping the SEX PISTOLS or (partial cover aside) the RAMONES. The band members appear to have gone on to have impactful careers in music. This EP portrays a partially developed snapshot of unbridled youth and rebellion in its most gestational form. A charming slice of South American punk history.

Repo Man I Blame Society EP

“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.

Scott O’Brien In the Garage CD

I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting, but it was not faster-paced, catchy pop music. Is SCOTT someone I should know? The answer, at least now, is a resounding “yes.” In addition to the pure pop goodness, there’s definitely some surf and punk elements/influences. I’ll admit to being a bit thrown when a solo artist (as opposed to a “band”) delivers legit punk/power pop. It’s just not what I was expecting. This is awesome on all levels.

Seagulls The Rapture and Resurgens LP

Seven years after their inception, Atlanta-based SEAGULLS put out their first full-length LP. Melodic guitar riffs, gruff vocals, power pop stylings with song titles like “HELLHOLEBOOB” and “A Tale Told by an Idiot” self-effacing the immaturity they play at, while taking on serious personal and social issues and growth. The band reminds me of DILLINGER FOUR, replete with silly sound bites and whole-gang backing vocals. This is out from Say-10, the record and skateboard company out of Richmond, VA that has featured bands like LESS THAN JAKE and ALKALINE TRIO on their decks and puts out hometown bands that could otherwise fit into the Fat Wreck Chords catalog. If any of those names get you excited, this may be for you.

Secretors Comparing Missile Size, Vol. 1 EP

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.

Sentinel Age of Decay LP

This New York band’s intricate and amazingly achieved crossover formula is one that you don’t hear every day, with a very neat recording. Pinches of hardcore punk meeting fine thrash metal with fast-paced riffs and cadences. Special points for those tasty metal guitar solos and for delivering such a relentless force in each song. Featuring members of MINDFORCE, RESTRAINING ORDER, AGE OF APOCALYPSE, and more. For lovers of COC and DEATH SIDE alike (and much more), give it a go!

Shotwell Shotwell LP

Shotwell Street runs through the heart of the Mission District. The infamous Jenn Cobb, one of the original members of the Gilman collective and former MRR shitworker, lived there, as did Tommy Strange of STRAWMAN and a slew of other people crucial to the formative years of the DIY Bay Area sound. The appropriately named SHOTWELL, formed by Jimmy Broutis, Paul Curran, and Aaron Cometbus, started playing renegade shows there back in 1994. Jimmy remains the constant member with a notable rotating crew backing him up over the last 25 years, committed to playing smaller, untraditional DIY venues.  Steve Moriarty of the GITS, who took over for Cometbus on drums back in 1995, returns in this incarnation as a producer and arranger. The eponymous release burns through 21 urgently melodic and politically conscious songs in under 45 minutes. Its scrappy and brutally authentic sound with rough, hazy guitars, steady drums, and lyrics shouted through raw vocal chords is reminiscent of SEXY and RADON. It can be difficult for an album to be both cautionary and optimistic at the same time, but I think that mindset is the impetus for punk creativity—the feeling that shit is fucked up but possibly could be different. At best, we can be the nidus for that change, and at least, we can lean a shoulder against the tide and kick rocks at the castle. This album and Broutis’s unfaltering vision serve simultaneously as both a history lesson and a modern-day survival guide.

Socio La Defekta Promo 2023 cassette

As the title suggests, this is a promo tape that follows their Beach Impediment 7”. Surely the recording quality is more relaxed, almost rehearsal room-style, but this appears in the mixing and rawness of the sound that lacks the robustness of modern studios. It’s not sloppy, although it sounds a bit framelike as the fulfilling power is missing, which could be fun because it shows the sonic backbone of their songs in an unfiltered way (although this makes the tape interesting rather than incredible). Yet this is a daring move, since the focus here is on the quality of the songwriting rather than studio nuances. SOCIO LA DIFEKTA plays hardcore, the international kind. They mix Swedish-sounding D-beat songs with the part weird, part raging chaos of Italian and Spanish hardcore. As a cultural wink, they covered JEZUS AND THE GOSPELFUCKERS. It’s experimenting, a lot of clever action goes on within the song structures, never to the loss of energy, there is a constant rage, and the rawness of the recording makes it more natural.

Soft Shoulder It’s All a Small World After LP

SOFT SHOULDER has been refining their brand of angular, no-kilter post-punk for quite some time. Calling them prolific feels like an understatement…at last peek, there were no less than 34 releases listed on their Discogs page, and a sizable grip of those appear to be lathe-cut 5”s. Incredibly niche. Aptly titled, It’s All a Small World After brings us sixteen tracks of unadulterated worship at the altar of the FALL. There’s just no way around the comparison when the vocalist sounds like a dead ringer for Mark E. Smith. When a group’s sound is so closely aligned with a classic band (essentially homage territory), the question of originality recedes and is replaced by the more immediate concern of execution. After all, aping the FALL is a bit different than trying to sound like the RAMONES (not that many have actually pulled that off very well either, in truth). I’m happy to report that they do in fact pretty much nail it. And, you know, originality may well be a long dead farce at this stage anyway. Worth a spin if you enjoy the modern sounds of URANIUM CLUB, COOL GREENHOUSE, VINTAGE CROP, ’80s UK DIY, or uh, the FALL.

Spleen Spleen demo cassette

Roachleg hits the nail on the head with this demo cassette from SPLEEN. The best I can do to describe SPLEEN’s noise is to say it’s a blend of raw punk and deathrock with heavy emphasis on the rock’n’roll part, and it’s all sung in French. This five-song demo rips through with an apocalyptic urgency while feeding upon darkness and simultaneously mingling enough melodic tones and raucous bop to keep things danceable. Nightmarish themes permeate the lyrics which are delivered in a Peter Murphy of BAUHAUS sort of way, but with a blown-out effect and a bit more caffeination. I really dig the song “Advienne Que Pourra,” which roughly translated means “let the chips fall where they may.”

Stef + The Sleeveens Give My Regards to the Dancing Girls / Small Talk with Jonathan 7″

This is an interesting one to describe. It’s almost like a cut from the ’80s, when new wave and punk had a lot of blurry lines going on. It’s catchy and it’s a little moody and it’s kind of pretty, but it’s also definitely rock’n’roll. And I say “new wave,” but I’m not hearing any of the electronic instruments you’d traditionally associate with new wave. At times, it’s got a little bit of an early U2 feel. Definitely very catchy. Both cuts mention the “chip shop.” Ha, it’s a theme. I really do like this one.

Sugar Tradition More Sugar LP

Wow. This one is a rocker. There is guitar and bass and drums and harmonica and even tambourine. I’m not sure I’ve ever described a record as being heavy, but here it is. This record is heavy. It’s also a catchy and melodic rager. This is contained insanity. If you had told me this was released in 1969, I’d have believed you. It’s totally authentic that way, but not in a Nuggets or Pebbles sort of way, in a heavy sort of way. As the LYRES were to Boston, so are SUGAR TRADITION to Detroit. That’s rad.

Teenage Halloween Till You Return CD

It’s a myth that the water in New York makes the pizza crust the best on Earth. Could we build a similar myth connecting New Jersey’s water leading to painfully (in a good way) earnest emo-indebted punk bands? TEENAGE HALLOWEEN follows in this tradition of music that says what it means, and presents it couched in a belted-out anthemic sound that calls to mind New York neighbor JEFF ROSENSTOCK and the more erudite Jersey-born TITUS ANDRONICUS. The music is exhilarating, custom built for shout-alongs replete with gorgeous, soaring guitar work perfectly exemplified on tracks like “Getting Bitter.” The band in general just seems sort of impossible not to love, unless you’ve got “sourpuss” tattooed across your knuckles or you write “fluent in sarcasm” in your dating app bios. For the rest of us who still see the value in wearing our heart on our sleeves and telling your friends you love them—god bless TEENAGE HALLOWEEN and god bless all of us.

Terre Neuve Condamné EP

Really great modern Oi! out of Belgium that incorporates a lot of hardcore elements as well. Solid guitar gallops and throaty, barking vocals. Speaking of guitar, the utilization of the barre chords adds a whole level of additional heaviness on top of the melodic leads that give off a bit of a pop sensibility. Catchy but brutal. Everything is played tight, and the drums and bass are interlocked real well. I love the bass tone here, it sounds like the strings are melting off the neck with each stroke. Really amplifies the energy as a whole. These dudes just went all out. Lovely work here.

The Burn Vault Ignite LP

Greasy rock’n’roll-infused punk, mostly with lyrics about dead friends, aging punks, shitty cops, shitty landlords, etc. There’s a line in one of the songs about fucking Jeff Ott, which is stupid but it made me chuckle. Like, of all the people they could’ve name-dropped, they bust out Jeff Ott! The last song has a bit of a ska tinge to it and the outro is very, dare I say, epic, in a LEFTÖVER CRACK type of way. Interesting fact: the band name is a tribute to a friend of theirs who passed away from cancer. I thought that was a cool gesture.

The Cult of Lip Fuzz & Feedback Freaks cassette

This cassette compiles all three of CULT OF LIP’s first EPs—Right Now (2015, No Problem Records), Your Feedback (2017, Rare Plant Records), and Sleep Receiver (2018, Rare Plant Records). All of these are individually available from MPLS Ltd, and finally, this compilation on Kitschy Spirit. The music is equal parts psychedelic, noise, and shoegaze, gathering into an industrial-sounding headache betrothed to shimmering, warbled guitar and looping instrumentals; “Fog” off Right Now is a good example. I’m not saying this in a bad way at all, and there are times when everything gels in songs, like “Fray” from Your Feedback, that is dreamy and dark. Ronnie Lee and Hannah Porter achieve all the vocals and instruments on these recordings, except for Sleep Receiver on which the drummer Eric Whalen is credited. This pared-down lineup gives a true focus to their sound, which has progressed since their first release over ten years ago, with Sleep Receiver (the most recent) being my favorite of the three. This cassette comes out in front of their 2023 Marsha LP, perhaps creating some buzz (or fuzz) for the release. I was surprised how much this grew on me: while it droned and wandered at times, the effective songcraft and Hannah’s haunting vocals kept drawing me back.

The Go Don’t Take Her Away EP reissue

Long-lost power pop from the mean streets of Yonkers circa 1980. Looks like this four-song recording was it for the group. A couple of great straightforward rockers and a couple lukewarm crooners (“Tomorrow Night,” “She Gives a Color to Me”).  All is worth it upon hearing “Instant Reaction;” there is a deep honesty in the vocals and you can hear the steam in the room.  They credit Rob Freeman on production duties, who was known at the time for his engineering work with the RAMONES, which adds up. Breakout Records is the shit, I have not met a release of theirs that didn’t slap me around.

The Justice League of America Strange Mono Unsung Gems: My Uncle Geno’s Band cassette

The first installment of the Strange Mono label’s Unsung Gems series, releasing recordings that have been lost to time. The JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA was active from 1979–1983 in Bergen County, NJ. Now, I know what you’re thinking, fellow MRR hardcore punk enthusiast: a long-lost recording from a band a mere hour drive from powerhouse record label Mutha Records from the exact Killed By Death time frame?! What wonders might await us? Well, I was wondering the exact same thing, but alas, the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA was undoubtedly a rock’n’roll act. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Hell, who doesn’t love rock’n’roll? This collection of recordings is a confusing roller coaster to ride on, though—hopping from genre to genre it all feels a bit rudderless. Rock en general, blues rock, reggae, ’70s hard rock, power pop. It plays more like a mixtape than an album by a singular band. None of this is surprising, as I doubt this was ever intended to be a group of recordings played back to back. Moreso, it was likely a band trying to find their sound or whatever people say. Being a bit of an amateur shitty archaeologist myself, It’s always a fun thing to see long-lost recordings unearthed and brought to light. While it may not have scratched the itch I had initially hoped, the songwriting is solid, even if some of it isn’t my thing. The few power-pop-leaning tracks are legitimately cool; “Settled Sons,” “Fifth Amendment,” and “Martyrs For Each Other” are easily my favorites on the tape.

The Last Survivors 2001​–​2016 LP

“Important” is an understatement when describing this band. The LAST SURVIVORS amalgamate the raw energy of UK82 with the ferocity of Scandinavian hardcore, delivering a relentless sonic assault that leaves listeners electrified. Their music pulsates with the unbridled spirit of rebellion, echoing the grit and determination characteristic of their predecessors. This LP collects their 7″s on Crust War, Dan-Doh, and Pogo 77, as well as other rare tracks, fully remastered for vinyl. In the words of Jacky Crust War: “There were some bands we couldn’t ignore. That was the one, the LAST SURVIVORS.”

The Moonjacks Bad Guy Stuff cassette

California is sun-baked into the sound of this full-length. Songs about catching waves, being too high, and skating (sorry, I meant “sk8ing”), all delivered via that sound that hasn’t quite left us since WAVVES, BEST COAST, and FIDLAR seemed ever-present and sponsored by Vans. That all sounds like a preamble to a dunk on these fun-having party punks, but I have a sweet tooth for this kind of sound. It really doesn’t do much to elevate the genre, but it’s earnest guitar pop about hanging with your buds (weed pun) and wasting your youth. That sort of thing never really goes out of style, even if by the end of just 30 minutes the sound gets a bit stale for me.

The Thingz Green Incursion cassette

Wait a second, is that an organ? Kind of? Not really sure, as there is both a keyboard and a theremin. In any event, the combination creates a very ’60s feel to this rock’n’roll record. Take the B52’S and DEVO, then go heavy with the ’60s. Real heavy. These guys know exactly what they’re doing and they do it really well, but there’s a levity that makes you think they maybe don’t take themselves too seriously. Nothing wrong with that. It’s only rock’n’roll, man. The organ/keyboard/theremin combo gives it a garage feel, and the catchiness is contagious. It’s also got an eeriness, but in a fun way, not a scary way. Male/female vocals are always a hit with me and these seem almost purposefully quirky. It all comes together really nicely.

The Wind-Ups Happy Like This LP

The WIND-UPS channel the RAMONES with the grit and noise of that band’s first records. The power chords come with the fuzz and crackle of a demo cassette, but without feeling too contrived. The songs are breezy and fun if you can let your guard down. I never felt like the cacophonous drums or vapid lyrics were too derivative or overdone. Of course they could, in fact, be those things, but I enjoyed this enough not to care.

The Zeros Don’t Push Me Around / Wimp 7″ reissue

It’s pretty wild that this classic record hasn’t been reissued in almost forty years, until now. Originally released on Bomp! in 1977, this debut single from first-wave Southern California punks the ZEROS is blueprint punk at its most iconic. Values of early pressings have made this one a bit elusive for most, so here’s a chance to finally snag an essential.

Tolive Live CD

This band from Kyushu Island was already included on the Downright Vulgarities compilation (also released on Black Konflik Records) that I reviewed a couple of months ago, and unsurprisingly, the band delivers seven new tracks of the traditional ’80s Japanese sound. To be honest, if you told me that TOLIVE used to be active between 1984 and 1987 and that this was a reissue, I would definitely believe you, especially if you caught me at my most gullible. The singer sounds exactly like your typical ’80s Japanese hardcore singer (think GUDON or GISM, obviously), and this confers a delicious vintage feel to the recording, which I suppose is what the band goes for. Musically, this is classically executed Japanese hardcore with those triumphant riffs and characteristic high-energy backing choruses that you can shout along to with clenched fists. The production is quite raw and simple so that it almost has a stripped-down feel, which may not be intentional. In any case, I think TOLIVE would have benefited from a more energetic and refined sound. The cover looks absolutely beautiful, though. I am not the biggest fan of this brand of traditional mid/late ’80s Japanese hardcore, but I am convinced this would appeal to the nerds who are.

Tractorman Tractorman 12″

Mid-’90s Madison, WI was the stage (basement) for co-creators Corinna Greenwood on guitar and vocals (credited as Electra Lass, also of TORMENTULA) and Indra Dunis on drums (credited as Jungle Judy, also of PEAKING LIGHTS, NUMBERS, and DYNASTY) who comprised TRACTORMAN’s main lineup, later adding friend Scott Watson on bass (credited as Bob Casserole). They played house shows and bars between Madison and Milwaukee and eventually put these ten songs down on a four-track in the bank vault turned practice space of peers XEROBOT, and from what I can tell, released the cassette themselves in 1996. The recording is actually pretty good, making audible the drum kit abuse, string-scratching, spiky guitar riffs, gutsy bass, and Corinna’s vocals, coming in equal parts screech and low-end rumble.  Kitschy Spirits’ reissue is loaded with fun stuff—the vinyl plays the same ten songs as the originally cassette all on the A-side with a TRACTORMAN etching on the B-side, there’s a write-up from Corinna and Indra, and a copy of the “Bassist and Singer Wanted for Band” poster that hung on Madison telephone poles. While they only managed to find a bassist, and moved on to different projects shortly thereafter, TRACTORMAN’s raw, unhinged sound (never clocking over a two-minute track) and DIY work ethic give them an air of authentic greatness.

Variation 8 EP

As soon as this EP kicked off, I knew I was going to love it. Fast, sloppy, garbage-grind. Lo-fi and gritty recording makes it sound like it was unearthed from a ’90s time capsule. The treble on the guitars and bass is turned up way high and gives off a classic black metal vibe. Nothing beats the pukey vocals for me. So many modern grind bands hire vocal coaches to “learn” how to scream. What’s up with that? This dude here just goes for it and it sounds a million times better than someone who had to pay to sound brutal. They’re probably a real joy to see live. Really great stuff here, and well worth a pick-up if you’re into this type of trash-grind.

Virvon Varvon Voices cassette

This is a solid tape of punchy garage punk with the faintest whiff of art school cool wavering in its aura. The first track “Voices,” penned by the group’s newest member bassist Cunha, is mournful. driving punk with tinges of aching surf guitar in the leads. It’s the highlight here, a raucous anthem of pain and psychic anguish. The follow-up tracks are strong as well, calling to mind the MARKED MEN and the URINALS in equal measure. This is noisy and contained punk with a spark.

Vivisektio Uusi Normaali LP

VIVISEKTIO has a uniquely fascinating biography. Having formed and operated for a brief three-year period in the early ’80s, the band hailed from the Lapland region of Finland and played most of their gigs north of the Arctic Circle. This fact apparently even inspired a Trivial Pursuit question! Following this initial stint, VIVISEKTIO reformed in 2008 and has been periodically releasing albums ever since. This latest offering bears all the hallmarks of classic Finnish hardcore, bringing to mind KOHU-63 and RATTUS. Most of the thirteen songs are short, fast, and jam-packed with riffs, but tracks like “Sotakuume” mix things up by injecting peace punk rhythms into the formula. Closing out the album, “Uusi Järjestys” is a downtempo cut that veers into post-punk territory with a nod to early KILLING JOKE. Altogether, a powerful release building on a compelling legacy. Highly recommended.

Wageslave Human Terror CD

Crust punk from Fukishima, Japan that delivers classic metallic noise with complexity and texture. While most of the tracks tick all the right microgenre boxes (shredded guttural vocals, low-end riffing, lo-fi distorted everything, frequent guitar leads à la LIFE), songs like “Total End” and “Remote Control” soak in doomy ambiance with short phrases of clean guitars and textual figures that recall atmospheric black metal. These passages take nothing away from the crusty pummeling power of the faster tracks, and in fact make the whole experience even grimmer. “Micro,” “Majority,” and “Fall Down” deliver the no-frills chugging that fans of FRAMTID will appreciate. Expertly-made bad vibes punk.

Wolfbrigade Progression / Regression LP reissue

Before this review, I realized that I had not played WOLFBRIGADE for a very long time. And I am not sure why, because they have become something of a classic band, one of the few Swedish hardcore bands whose popularity transcends the DIY hardcore punk scene (in general, accusations of selling out are never too far away when this happens). It’s a little tragic but, while I do play WOLFPACK regularly, I don’t think I ever really sat down and paid properly attention to Progression/Regression, the band’s first album under their new name, and to be honest, I do feel like a bit of an idiot for it. This album is a hardcore bulldozer—it hits really hard, it sounds mean and unstoppable, as if darkness itself were shattering your bones. The production is massive (more so than on 1999’s Allday Hell), thick and heavy, and there is a feel of relentless unstoppability to the work that leaves one in awe. Intense shit. I am not necessarily the biggest fan of their take on the käng genre, but listening to this again makes me want to ride a bike into the wasteland wearing boots and a bandana. Musically, we’re still heavily in the dark hardcore period of the band when they maximized the late ANTI-CIMEX sound with the addition of a Swedish death metal influence in some guitar leads and in terms of epicness. I almost hear some of POISON IDEA’s rocking darkness at times too, although WOLFBRIGADE is quintessentially Swedish. This is undeniably a real ’00s hardcore classic and it still sounds fearfully powerful. Agipunk and Havoc Records had the sense to offer a new cover because the original was quite dreadful, if quite typical of the ’00’s. A welcome reissue.

Ydinaseeton Pohjola Enää Meille Ei Riitä Kuolema cassette

Buzzing, frantics riffs with Burning Spirits-like melodies blasted onto tight, fast-paced drumming. The record bursts as suddenly as this review, it’s right on. There is no bullshit or lead-up. The singer screams in desperate horror balanced with tired disgust. The record maintains a constant push. It’s dirty, distorted into a mush, and urgent—so it sounds real. So far, so good. My excitement only lowers when I start to pay attention to the songs and then find myself left behind by the record’s busting energy. Even if loud and distorted, the rather mid-tempo, rocking tracks at the middle of the album start to lack the chaotic, absurd mess. It is still hardcore, a solid take, but as the songs lay back, the noise cannot cover the drop in energy. Sliced up to couple 7”s, this might work better, because either the tricks to keep things varied within a massive work are not as effective, or the sound is too homogenous to remain entertaining throughout the whole record. It does not mean the record lacks any potential, although I have to play along with them and hype myself to really enjoy it, instead the other way around when I feel that the record attracts me to its own madness. Still, it’s great that such long-existing bands are putting out full-length albums, and the quality of this release is way above the average. Maybe I have a blind spot for them because there is nothing they should do differently. I hear the dedication and craft, but even after dozens of listening sessions, I still feel my excitement is not shaken. Maybe my expectations were too high? If you are into the style that is discussed here, do yourself a favor and check them out, and I hope you will love it. The cover art is beautiful.