Reviews

SPHC

Agravio Que Futuro De La Verga EP

A hasty and harsh chaotic storm of hardcore punk from Mexico City, AGRAVIO wafts forth from the embers of SARCRIFICIO playing more anxiously and less thrashy, like NEGAZIONE, VICTIMAS, ATOXXXICO, or TRAMPA. Some aspects branch out into to post-hardcore punk’n’roll and immediately fall back into hammer-smash mode. This is gnarly, raw, lo-fi, and killer. Unique structures that hold back with explosive experience then let loose with skull-knocking punk rage. Fastcore changes fit perfectly in the classic riffs and beats, as if they were stolen and tossed back, used up without care. There is a feeling of urgency on every track, never quite solved or satisfying a solution. Always left hanging, always waiting for the fall, squinting and checking the sky…what’s more punk than that?

Backlash Punk Is Danger EP

Turns out SELFISH is not the only expert purveyor of Japanese hardcore in Finland. While seemingly less prolific and less travelled than their aforementioned mates, BACKLASH certainly deserves the attention of any well-respected fan of the sound. Expect a powerful production, accentuated by massive group vocal barks and appropriate guitar noodling. BASTARD, DEATH SIDE, JUDGEMENT…you know the shit. Pure rampage with just enough hooks to keep me coming back. I both laugh at and agree with the liner notes: “Fuck the system, Fuck You, Punk is Danger!”

Backlash Danger / (I Hope) Fight 7″

BACKLASH from Finland’s newest 7″ from SPHC. The disc consists of two tracks, with “Danger” a mid-tempo anthem in the vein of post-BASTARD or DEATHSIDE projects such as JUDGEMENT and FORWARD. Having one or two raging tracks per side instead of a release with mostly filler tracks is a really JUDGEMENT-like approach. When it comes to this style and we hear Japanese-style hardcore, most of us think of SELFISH, but BACKLASH is another long-running band doing this style for a while.

Choke Cocoi Choke Cocoi LP

Releasing a full-length album is a significant moment in any band’s trajectory. For CHOKE COCOI, that moment was over twenty years in the making, and the results feel particularly noteworthy. Hailing from Lucena City, Philippines, CHOKE COCOI is one of the few all-women punk bands from their country. They have been a source of inspiration for legions of punks and metalheads across Southeast Asia and beyond. So, at long last we have their debut LP, and it’s a banger. Thirteen cuts of blistering, dark neo-crust with a prominent metallic bent. The band’s years of experience shine through in the precision and deliberateness with which the songs are constructed. I can only presume that these are the crème de la crème. There are lots of twists and turns to be found. Tempos change multiple times in each song—from moshy breakdowns to blastbeats—but this keeps things interesting and never seems gratuitous or contrived. There is a ferocity here that most bands only gesture at, with the vocals in particular delivering a pummeling, relentless aural assault. CHOKE COCOI is somewhat reminiscent of LUDICRA, if they were more punk than metal, or SCHIFOSI if they were more metal than punk. And while they bear resemblance to some of the finer bands of the mid-’00s wave of heavy melodic crust, CHOKE COCOI has clearly forged their own path. In a world where most bands actively imitate others, this is no small feat.  

Crepuscular Dawn The Fire Tomorrow LP

Post-punk of the heavy-to-soft exploration variety, out of Manila. I had to look up the word “crepuscular,” and it’s not remotely what I thought it meant. CREPUSCULAR DAWN has vocals that range from a little bit of DANZIG mixed with Jaz Coleman to a swoon like MORRISSEY. Guitars build and shift dramatically on this album when given the chance. The song “Pilgrim” is my current favorite, with its hook of proverbial wisdom. If you’re into dark post-punk with a tendency towards a heavier vibe, then absolutely check this LP out.

Detësto Atomdöd EP

Raw and rugged hardcore punk from Brazil. This unassuming slab kicks off solid immediately, and then you realize “holy fuck, they are nailing this Scandi-beat style to a D [sic].” Crunchy, distorted, and echoing, DETËSTO scorches on this debut EP. Mid-tempo D-beat mangel, leveled in the dense Vevarsle zones. Heavy and dark with some metallic breakdown moments that serve more as intros than running throughout their classic structure (and, might I add, classic lyrical content). Yes, some things do need repeating to death! Some wild percussion effects occur that sound like glass bottles or windchimes on the crash. Think DISFEAR, WARCOLLAPSE, AVSKUM, or NUCLEAR DEATH TERROR with groove—a detonating five tracks that take no pause. Some of the sickest Sugi cover art I’ve seen as well, using way more negative space than usual. Contemporary D-beat at its finest.

Exithippies Stoned / Stoned Again 7″

Bizarro ’80s electronic dance music on the A-side (Á  la YELLO or AARON CARL). Blown out noise-not-music song-free shit-fi crasher crust on the flip. If you pay attention, then you should expect nothing less from Tokyo’s EXITHIPPIES. And if you are uninitiated…..? Well, then why not start here? At least you get both ends of the spectrum and you’ll never be surprised by another release from these maniacs again. It’s over as soon as it starts, and it’s pretty damn brilliant—boundaries of what we can music need to pushed, and these fukkrs just keep pushing.

Globsters Express Everything LP

This is it—the punkest thing in the magazine this month. Lo-fi, fucked up punk from Hazard, Kentucky, with every single note played full tilt and in the red. Every self-loathing, society-hating, paranoid word of this LP is screamed to the point of brain breaking insanity. At times, they almost share some similarities with crasher crusters trying to reimagine DISCHARGE for 2019, but GLOBSTERS is the sound of pure, unadulterated, unrefined hatred. A cassette version of this came out in 2014 (I’ve never heard it), but apparently this is a different mix and arrangement than the original. What are you waiting for? GLOBSTERS is the wildest flower.

Häpeä Valistuksen Aika On Ohi EP

There is no doubt in my mind that many of you see the words “Finnish” and “hardcore” in the same sentence and automatically know you’re in for a ride. I know I do. Channeling accurately the Finnish classics such as KUOLEMA or TERVEET KÄDET and with a couple of EPs under their belt, HÄPEÄ really makes hardcore the way one would expect: an untamed, brutal and crazed assault. The six tunes on Valistuksen Aika On Ohi really stick with you and are well balanced in all that the genre has to offer. For all the Scandinavian maniacs this is definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Illya Microcosmos LP

Spaced-out psychedelic hardcore from Japan that edits at all the right points. Think PAINTBOX, KRUW meets ABIGAIL, JUDGMENT and some undertones of American West Coast ’80s skate punk, strangely enough. This is an artistic endeavor that I’m having a hard time classifying. Screeching vocals are sung wildly, weaving through entirely guitar-soloed tracks. ILLYA sounds like freedom in its most subversive form, unified within its own community of acceptance; epic without being too grandiose. With all of the dread and helplessness in the world today, Microcosmos revives the spirit of fervent fire. With songs like “Open The Window,” “Burning Heart Burn The World,” “Pebbles,” “Blind Dancer” and “Go Forward Into The…” Microcosmos is a good idea for you if you love Japanese hardcore, taking a deep breath, laughing maniacally in the face of evil, and are trying your damnedest these days to love life.

Iron Bars Iron Bars LP

These St. Louis vets have crafted quite a ripping debut, with a gnarly ’80s USHC vibe and more than a touch of early punk’s crash-and-burn recklessness. CHRONIC SICK, RKL and NIHILISTICS are clear touchstones, but there’s a swagger and wildness in the mix here that’s very DEAD BOYS as well. The clear, venomous vocals are immediately distinctive, as are the wild, nearly over the top guitar leads and solos. The tempo is generally moderate, though the songwriting is so hectic that many songs feel faster than they actually are, and there are some slow burners thrown in as well. This doesn’t have the intentionally retro feel of the early ’00s USHC revival bands—it’s well-written hardcore that shares a timeless quality with bands from an earlier era.

Kürøishi Käärme Sisälläsi, Myrkyttää Maailmahi LP

No need to look past the cover on this one—fans of Burning Spirits, fist-pumping modern D-beat hardcore, and WORLD BURNS TO DEATH might have a new favorite with the third full-length from Finland’s KÜRØISHI. Thundering drums, searing vocals, and guitars that trade epic leads and wildly catchy riffs. The late ’00s were dominated by bands trying to sound this good, and now here comes the early ’20s and KÜRØISHI is here to smoke them all. “Givers Turn Into Takers” is the notable curveball, and should be a classic for years to come. Euro press by Fight, CD in Japan by Break The Records, and the North American platter from SPHC.

No Blues Exploding Hearts / Miranda Rights 7″

Damaged and distorted power pop for no generation at all, and for every member of every generation ever. It’s simple, it’s raw, and the guitars are dominant and come at you from every direction. Two tracks. 100% punk gold.

Osmantikos Survival LP

Crusty hardcore from Malaysia, with furious vocals and clean production. Survival features a dozen grandiose compositions that bring to mind TRAGEDY, the HOLY MOUNTAIN, and COP ON FIRE, as tracks ooze toward a more stenchcore sound. Anthemic passages from dual vocals; all-in-all a full sound from this three piece. Side B opens with some surprisingly upbeat riffs amidst slow gloomy hardcore, similar to GUILLOTINE TERROR or MOONSCAPE. A moody intro-as-intermission midway through the LP, then some more Motörcharged rhythms. With several styles of extreme punk going on, OSMANTIKOS have a lot to offer.

Pesadez Fenomenologia Del Espiritu Agonico: De La Existencia Sordida Al Pendulo De La Nada LP

Atmospheric and dank, PESADEZ plays grim death thrash from deep in the bog-reeking forest. This is an onslaught of gruesome, torrential deathbeat blackened metal with choked, vulture-esque vocals (including underlying early BRUTAL TRUTH vocals) and blistering riffs. Percussion palpitates through in a raw, off-kilter D-beat style, though vibing with POSSESSED, a new death metal band I got into called HAUNTER (on this album’s intro and outro), or SARCAFAGO. From Costa Rica, this record is ripping with a Central American crusty metal tone and nihilistic attitude. There are brief moments of pause to catch your breath at the surface, or a headbanging riff passage, only to be strangled back into its chaotic bile. Part BASTARD PRIEST, part Cracked Cop Skulls; you are definitely going to want to check this debut out. An echoing, horrific charred punk offering in an electrified skull chalice. The longest album title I’ve seen in a while, but for each track, a single word was needed. First listen, and I’m anticipating a top ten for the year. Fresh as guts.

Pi$$er Crushed Down to Paste LP

I’m certainly intrigued when the first track is called “Jazz Wasps.” Holy shit, I haven’t heard anything with horns in a while. And to hear it working in a punk record is wild and surprising. This is like if the poetic rhythm of INSTIGATORS played as hard as SPITE UK or POLICE BASTARD but with saxophones! The bold venture alone is worth acknowledgement, but damn, I’m really moved by this. Fire solos, steady D-beat with slightly snotty, slightly robotic vocals. Chaos ensues! Some tracks are as fast and outrageous as GAUZE, others as heavy and classically-driven as DOOM. As a saxophone player in my youth, I kind of always wanted to trill over hardcore punk or even ambient black metal, and I find PI$$ER hugely inspiring. The horns are complementary to both guitar and bass—not to be ignored, but in no way steer the intention away from punk. This seriously fucking works! And I’m going nowhere near the “S-word.” More like JOHN ZORN playing DISCHARGE, SORE THROAT, or PLEASANT VALLEY CHILDREN. War-siren, dismal alto octave dissidence as fuck. Lyrics about living and learning and gaining those experiences. “Life = Art / Art = Life!,” as it says in the liner notes. Agreed. I’m not going to get into the amazing band connections this group has, that is not the point. This is totally new. A rad project you’ve done here, PI$$ER.

Sarushibai The Melancholy of the Social Outcasts LP

With optimistic fire, SARUSHIBAI plays catchy hardcore like if you mixed TOY DOLLS with the COMES, DEAD KENNEDYS, the STALIN, KURO, and SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN. Everything seems to have a sing-along style to it while being wildly fast. The song titles have me terribly intrigued: “Forest of Lies,” “Full of Lies,” “Bottomless Swamp Side,” “Distorted Landscape,” “Is It Dawn Yet?” This LP is incredibly fun to listen to but seems dripping with intelligence and purpose. Like if SPARKS or T. REX was a punk band, you might get something like SARUSHIBAI. Sometimes sounding like the SAINTS, sometimes sounding like STEELY DAN, SARUSHIBAI always sounds like themselves. Super cool and trippy new direction in hardcore, for you, from Japan.

Skarnio Horrores Da Vida LP

Fierce, metallic crusty hardcore from Brazil (of course). They’ve been tearing it up since 2009 or so and have not mellowed a bit. You could definitely give them the usual comparisons of RATOS DE PORÃO when they started to go a little metal or LOBOTOMIA if they didn’t suck when they got metal, but I’m hearing ANTI CIMEX and a little NO FUCKER as well. It’s all ripping from start to explosive ending and it’s not for a leisurely Sunday afternoon listen, unless you’re having morning tea in Ukraine. Check it out.

Sow Threat Hate & Love LP

SOW THREAT are not a mystery to be puzzled over, they do one thing and they do it better than pretty much any other band on the planet. That one thing? Paying vicious, unrelenting, grinding tribute to the great SORE THROAT. Between the high/low dual vocals, the blown-out, red-lined instrumental attack, the songwriting that switches from dirge to blur in a trice, and the punk-rooted drumming performed at near grindcore speed; this captures everything that made SORE THROAT great. I can’t vouch for their sense of humor, since the lyrics are almost entirely in Japanese, but the adorable cover art certainly indicates that the band doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Previous releases have been bloody good, but this is the greatest so far by a comfortable margin. Best band in the style since the early DEATH DUST EXTRACTOR material, which is damn hard to stand up to. Extra credit for the excellent intro that features a killer and chaotic remix courtesy of EXIT HIPPIES. Tokyo Sound System lives!

Spyroids Paperboy EP

I have been watching a lot of Survival Research Laboratories videos this week and this SPYROIDS record fits right in with that mindset. The music is a throwback to the electronic sounds of the ’80s. The keyboards are cheesy in the best possible way and very peppy. They set an interesting foundation for the madman vocals. His style is aggressive and manic. It’s familiar yet demented. It’s catchy yet annoying. It makes me smile.

Sun Children Sun Bizarre Feverre LP

Listening to this album gave me a bizarre fever! As I clumsily search for words to describe that which defies description, I’m reminded that punk is undeniably the most boundary-smashing, innovative music on planet erf. Bizarre Feverre has a lot going on, but at its core, it’s a raging punk record. The clean guitar tone and speed bring to mind fellow Japanese rockers MILK, but the comparison ends there, with SUN CHILDREN SUN embracing an epic and dense maximalist approach. The introductory track is a full-on orchestral arrangement that leads into a searing prog breakdown. Once the album really gets cranking, it’s slightly less avant-garde, but there’s still something that sounds like laser beams or mouth noises, whistles, chanted group vocals, and funky tempo shifts to keep you on your toes. If this sounds absurd, well, it is, but SUN CHILDREN SUN are nothing to scoff at. Many of the tracks go straight for the jugular, and even at their weirdest, the band keeps it all very musical. Totally eclectic hardcore that I enjoy more with each listen.

Totally Cracked Bala Boi Bíblia EP

This single sounds like a live show—not like a recording of a live show, but like an actual show taking place in your apartment. Guitar dominates the mix, a high end buzzsaw cutting through everything like…well, like a damn buzzsaw. The hardcore is fast (real fast) and never lets up over the course of ten tracks…in ten minutes. Perhaps a one-off project, TOTALLY CRACKED apparently cranked this thing out in an evening about 50 miles outside of São Paulo. The result is hot and raw, and I certainly hope they do it again someday.

Parötid / Zudas Krust split EP

ZUDAS KRUST’s filth-kicking things off with the wrath and gnashing vocals of, well FILTHKICK, ABADDON, and lots of European crust of the early to mid ’90s. This is grotesque, noisy, and blistering muffled D-beat sung in the meter of classic crust hardcore of that era. No-fucks-given aggression, in three passionate tracks. Think ENYZME and FRAMTID contemporarily, with bestial wild force. PARÖTID plays more in the rhythm of DISASTER, with very buoyant loose disruptive bass. Lots of echoing reverb and strange speed changes, sort of weird, but totally intentional and impressive, where one might expect straightforward D-beat the entire way. I really like the way these two play off each other. They are distinctly different, in tone, polish, and speed, but compliment each other. “Humanism” is catchy as fuck! Getting lost in this one. Both bands are recommended, as is the split as a whole.