Reviews

Mutant Sounds

Dream Shake Ride the Disease Vol. 34 LP

You ever wonder what it would be like if S.O.D. and LAWNMOWER DETH made a baby? I hadn’t either…until now. Folks, allow me to introduce you to Houston’s DREAM SHAKE. Wild, and wildly irreverent, blasting metalpunk—it’s the punk part of that wordy descriptor that really drives DREAM SHAKE. Twenty-two doses of not giving a fukk and blasting a blast with your friends—I’m going to need to listen to this one a lot more times so I can even begin to get on their wavelength.

Loose Nukes Cult Leaders LP

This one is an old school thrasher out of Texas (and not to be confused with the recent Pittsburgh group of the same name) that falls somewhere between FINAL CONFLICT and Dealing With It-era D.R.I. This band’s style and lyrical themes give me the impression that they don’t give a fuck about anything that came out after 1989, but fuck the last 30 years ’cause this totally rips! It’s like, you don’t think we need another song about MK Ultra, but the subject matter is so punk that once you hear it you’re like “oh fuckin’ hell yeah!” If you love pre-crossover thrashed out hardcore and hate Reagan, you’ve got to check this one out!

Program Dehumanized Progress LP

Man, Texas has produced more than it’s fair share of cool Japanese-style hardcore bands, and PROGRESS is another feather in that very odd cap. The riffage is frequently GAUZE-level frantic, and the tuning is very NIGHTMARE, had there been tons of killer stop-starts in the songwriting. The leads are more Scandi-style one-notes than full-on solos (though there are some blazers as well, viz. “Pleasure For Blood”), and the vocals have more than a trace of Tom G. Warrior in them, which adds a bit of character to separate PROGRESS from their contemporaries. The gorgeous clean and clear production is a huge asset for the band and their style—credit to both the studio and the mastering job. Lyrics are interesting, brushing up against some conspiracy theory stuff Á  la ATROCIOUS MADNESS, but also real world issues like the disappearances of Latinx and Indegenous women in border areas. Killer LP, don’t let this slip under your radar.