Reviews

Die Slaughterhaus

Ladrones Máquina Caótica EP

Hailing from Atlanta via Puerto Rico, LADRONES have been consistently pumping out electrifying punk rock’n’roll since their 2019 self-titled debut on Slovenly. Following some lineup changes, the band has developed into a wild and energetic garage monster primed to lay waste to anything its path. The three cuts featured on this EP capture a raucous and rowdy vibe that can’t be manufactured. If ANGRY ANGLES had been from Atlanta or CARBONAS spent too much time in Memphis, we may have ended up with something similar to what LADRONES are up to, but they’re not quite that easy to nail down. This record hints at a powerful direction for the band. Can’t wait to see what nastiness they’ll spin up next.

Mongo Mongo EP

About a decade ago, Tina “Boom Boom” Lucchesi from the TRASHWOMEN and her life partner Jonny Cat were a two-piece garage rock tour de force called CYCLOPS, playing short, simple brutal punk songs dressed as, well, cyclopes. MONGO has the same raw energy and a similar aesthetic with songs like “I’m Dumb,” “Mongo,” and the monosyllabic “Ugh,” which has an accompanying video that is as beautifully provisional as the music. This is the kind of release that Slovenly would have put out, but it is equally at home on the legendary Die Slaughterhaus label.

Nag Dead Deer LP

Dark fucked-up doomed sounding punk that’s steeped in early ’80s SoCal HC death rock ’n’ more modern REATARDisms. This sounds like exactly where it comes from, Bloodstains Across Atlanta Georgia, snotty and lean, frantic and apocalyptic. Dead Deer reminds me of a more self-aware RIKK AGNEW solo LP mixed with Blood Visions, or like a hardcore band discovering the second ADVERTS LP. This isn’t epic, though—it’s contained and vicious, and a demonstration that Atlanta punk may be created by different combinations of the same people endlessly but they are very good at what they do! Buy or die, fools.

Pyrex Struck Down / Staying Alive 7″

Two-song hot shit alert from this Brooklyn band. A-side “Struck Down” layers cracked amp post-punk over disco beats that are heavy on the hi-hat. Ultra-ragged vocals rip around sneaky, catchy guitar lines, creating a song that unbelievably ends up melodic and danceable. Then the chorus comes, and the song collapses into screaming noise rock, only to stumble back to its feet and embrace the upbeat rhythm again. Give it a spin—it rules. B-side “Staying Alive” is—you guessed it—a cover of the BEE GEES classic. But this is no Punk Goes Pop novelty, PYREX burns it down and does snow angels in the ashes, organizes a dance battle with two broken legs, and still does the original more justice than necessary for noise punk derelicts. Check it out.

The Sporrs Big Joke EP

The SPORRS furnish their indie pop with a little feedback and yowling, but leave it otherwise undiluted. It’s a nice touch to their dulcet, PIXIES-eque record. Each song has a memorable tune which the band turns out in a thoughtful but not overthought way. Their punk DNA keeps things to-the-point. It’s all supported by some conservative but solid drumming.