Reviews

La Agonía De Vivir

Accidente Caníbal LP

Tight, melodic, high-energy release from Madrid, Spain, with vocals reminiscent of Agent M from the early TSUNAMI BOMB 7″ singles that were released by Checkmate Records in the late ’90s. That label was run by Hunter Burgan who plays bass for AFI, and we can argue if his band sold out well before the Black Sails in the Sunset album, but the tight guitar/bass interplay with thunderous drumming reminds me of those early albums. Recorded in Madrid, the album was mastered by Mass Giorgini (COMMON RIDER, SQUIRTGUN) at his Sonic Iguana Studios in Lafayette, Indiana…so maybe that’s where all this ’90s/’00s stuff is coming from. Translating the lyrics from Spanish, the songs take a strong rebellious stance, putting the common in the center and fighting back the corporate cannibals. I have a feeling this is the kind of band that will pack out the infamous Wurlitzer Ballroom in Madrid to sweaty spastic crowds after the pandemic is over.

Viceprez Juger LP

These Lyon-based punks hit several pleasure centers at once. Their sound is scrappy and fierce, with enough rumble and groove to air things out while also seriously delivering on the hooks! Citing fellow French energetic melodic punks YOUTH AVOIDERS, and accurately so, this record also hits almost as hard as modern Oi! purveyors such as CHUBBY & THE GANG and the CHISEL. Each track is fun ‘n’ fierce and you’d have a hard time tracing the DNA from some of the members’ tenure in the much more indie outfit SPORT. Most of the music is gritty and full-force, with some interesting detours such as the menacingly repetitive “Driving Around,” which is also the only track that breaks the three-minute mark. Be sure to try out “Rice,” a poverty food anthem that rings true to a hungry belly and sounds straight from the time machine from 1979. Eleven tracks of no bullshit that’s a hell of a lot of fun. If you want more than that, you’re greedy.

Zero Azúcar Zero Azúcar LP

I’ll say it again. It’s funny as hell to me that I got assigned records from ZERO AZÚCAR and NO SUGAR in the same month. It’s gold. Unlike the NO SUGAR record, this one and I are getting off to a fantastic start. It’s punk, but it’s a little poppy. That said, I would not call it pop punk. Mid-tempo and super catchy, it’s got some sort of organ or synthesizer that they use enough that you notice it, but not so much that it’s a distraction. It gives it a little bit of an early new wave feel. It’s all in Spanish and I speak some Spanish, but not at the level that I understand much of this. But I can say that the vocals are strong and perfect for the music here. Really nicely put together. A complete package. At its core, this is punk rock.