Jalang / Unsanitary Napkin split LP
Now, this is what I call a judicious split LP, as both bands toured together in Europe during the summer. Sometimes bands sharing records seem to have nothing in common and just look like a mismatched couple sharing the same bed, but there is none of that here: JALANG and UNSANITARY NAPKIN are the perfect couple. Since I very much enjoyed JALANG’s absolutely furious LP released a few years ago, I was eager to see what they had been up to, and, well, they haven’t gone softer, musically or politically. This Melbourne (or Naarm, as the island’s Indigenous people call it) band delivers abrasive käng hardcore with a crust punk edge at times. The band clearly lies on the TOTALITÄR-inspired side of the Scandicore spectrum like INFERNÖH or RAT CAGE (the riffs rock in a catchy way), but the music also displays a sense of anger that I would compare to STATE OF FEAR, and I am also reminded of some of the crusty anarcho-punk bands from the ’90s and ’00s (I love how raspy and pissed the vocals sound). The lyrics are in English and Indonesian and deal with colonialism and feminism, among other topics. On the other side, UNSANITARY NAPKIN from Wellington (or Te Whanganui-a-Tara) await. Lesser-known than their tag-team partner, their All Billionaires Are Bastards album was incredible and an unexpected highlight of 2022 for me, seemingly out of nowhere (well, New Zealand). The band can be said to have a unique take on the otherwise tried and tested fast and angry anarcho-punk recipe. What I particularly enjoy in their music is the atmosphere of uncontrolled, anger-driven dementia. I am reminded of RUDIMENTARY PENI (or indeed, of GODORRHEA) in places, especially with the anguished vocals, the sound of the guitar, and some of the snake-like bass lines. The band would appeal to the modern hardcore crowd in terms of production and songwriting (more polished than on their previous work), but I am personally reminded of raw, fast, and angry ’90s anarcho bands like JOBBYKRUST or PINK TURDS IN SPACE, because I like to pretend I’m old school. I miss the mid-paced numbers of their previous work, but it is still very convincing and enjoyable. The band tackles the same subjects as JALANG and even covers one of their songs (the Australians doing the same on their side of the fence). Bellicose, meaningful, and positive hardcore punk here.