HYÖKKÄYS translates to “attack”. And attack they do! This is pure Suomi hardcore worship played by Basque punks. Little is known about this band, which keeps things interesting, and one can solely focus on the music…erm…noise they make. Antigobierno is made up of eleven tracks, two of them are covers of HHH and KAAOS, and this mixture pretty much sums up their sound. Raw, primitive, and to-the-point. Another great gem from the Spanish punk scene.
Damn, I had no idea that this Panama-based band was still going. I was aware that the singer had found employment in HEZ, but naively thought that JUVENTUD PODRIDA had retired. The band released some solid records in the first half of the 2010s, notably the 1989 EP in 2012 that put them on the map. Good on them for not giving up and continuing to fly the raw hardcore punk flag at home. Control/Encierro is classically executed and well coherent with the Discos Enfermos catalog. Mean and fast Scandi-style rabiozo hardcore punk with direct and snotty vocals in Spanish and fuzzed-out distortion on the guitar but, even without taking the vocals into account, it does sound like a non-Swedish band having a go at the genre (the band must have carefully played some crusty Japanese records from Osaka). The production is very energetic and certainly packs a punch. In theory, the vocals, very reminiscent of traditional old school “hardcore en Español” in terms of singing style, should not totally fit with this distorted käng hardcore sound, but they actually do, and it brings a different vibe altogether. I was going to say “fresh,” but that’d be a bit far-fetched. A strong comeback, and I can imagine JUVENTUD PODRIDA to be crushing live.
STRACH hails from Berlin, Germany and plays metallic anarcho hardcore. Elements of stenchcore combine with brutal breakdowns to make this album a pummeling music experience. Heavy music and lyrical content throughout the entirety of this album will stoke the fires of your discontent. Fans of MURDERESS and FATUM take note, this album is a must-have. The song “I Shit on Your Country” pretty much says everything you need to know.
Anarcho-punk project heavily linked with crust and hardcore, from a collective of members that are from Spain and Argentina. Destruyendo y Sembrando was recorded between 2020 and 2021 in both countries mentioned, and features artwork illustrated by Max Vadalá, a graphic artist active in punk subculture mostly in Argentina and Latin America. The album compiles ten tracks about anarchy and the present state of the oppressive system of state domination, the media’s dominance over the population, immigration and anti-terrorism politics, and the everyday struggle against the capitalist status quo. Favorite tracks: “Destruyendo y Sembrando,” with a powerful poetic evocation about monotony and inertia and alienation, and “Urubu,” more aligned with a street punk tempo. Full of passion and heart, enthusiastically recommended for those who believe in and want a better world with no oppression or state violence, and are willing to stand and give the daily fight against government power.
