Reviews

For review and radio play consideration:

Please send vinyl (preferred), CD, or cassette releases to MRR, PO Box 3852, Oakland, CA 94609, USA. Maximum Rocknroll wants to review everything that comes out in the world of underground punk rock, hardcore, garage, post-punk, thrash, etc.—no major labels or labels exclusively distributed by major-owned distributors, no reviews of test pressings or promo CDs without final artwork. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!

Slow Mutants Slow Mutants LP

Another album from a group that already broke up, unfortunately. This upstate NY power trio performs deftly-arranged indie rock that at any given moment could bring to mind elements of the BREEDERS, PJ HARVEY, SLEATER-KINNEY, or SAVAGES. Crisp, to-the-point songs with minimal fuss and absolutely no fucking about, and a vocalist with personality. The three members boast a curriculum vitae of accomplished former bands, so it’s no surprise that they know what they’re doing. Add to the equation that this album was recorded by one J. Robbins and the case is closed. Too bad they are no longer around.

Special Interest Trust No Wave: The 2016 Demos LP

As we went to press, news off the wire is that New Orleans’ post-wave glam terrorists SPECIAL INTEREST have hooked up with storied post-punk purveyors Rough Trade to release the highly-rated group’s next full-length! Sorry, just testing out my music-weekly muscles. In anticipation, Disciples’ waxing of SPECIAL INTEREST’s first recordings arrives at the perfect time. Mainly, what these demos show is that SPECIAL INTEREST had it down from the jump—their sound was immediately striking and they have only managed to further hone it into something both freakier and more accessible. But you are not getting mere dregs and toss-offs here, these five-year old recordings more than hold their own. I kinda wish I could’ve seen SPECIAL INTEREST strafe an early 2000s electroclash party on Driggs Ave (Williamsburg, NY, USA), but it’s somehow far more satisfying to imagine them in an abandoned warehouse on the edge of a hidden New Orleans ward, camping coolers of Four Loko sweating as hard as the congregation of disparate strangers made instant friends by righteous noise bondage. These demos could have landed SPECIAL INTEREST anywhere: Wax Trax! in 1985, Industrial in 1979, Troubleman in 2003, Rough Trade in 1981 or 2021.

Stuck Change is Bad LP

STUCK is a Chicago four-piece that produces an angular brand of post-punk in the vein of bands like ARAB ON RADAR or URANIUM CLUB. As a debut record, this LP is sure to make quite the impression on the DIY circuit. It’s ferocious in sound and unrelenting throughout. Despite the record’s often pummeling riffs, there is still an overarching melancholy that is present on every track. Similar to bands like OMNI and PREOCCUPATIONS, frenetic off-kilter grooves are a constant motif for the band. This is a damn fine experiment in post-punk and noise rock. Not one to miss!

Sweet Soul So Far No Further LP

From SoCal or close enough, this band does the alternative rock meets pop punk thing. This reminds me of softer BLINK-182 and ALKALINE TRIO or even SIMPLE PLAN. SIMPLE PLAN comparisons are never good. I’m not getting the pop skills feel of the first two mentioned bands, either. Moving on…

TZN Xenna Róbrege ’85 LP

While the world of punk records continues to get flooded with piles of debatably necessary reissues, it’s important to keep your eyes peeled for material from labels like Warsaw Pact. Dedicated to 1980s Polish punk recordings, the last few years have seen mandatory releases from MOSKWA, RED START, SIEKIERA, the CORPSE, and others, including this screaming 1985 set from the legendary TZN XENNA. Packaged with a gorgeous poster and full-size booklet with lyrics, photos, and information, Róbrege ’85 features a band with a fire in their hearts—even the more melodic tracks like “Aids” are on the edge of collapse, and “Twoja Wojna” has never sounded more fierce. After the first day of the festival, a cassette compilation with DEZERTER, ARMIA, ABSURB, ABBADON, REJESTRACJA, and some of the tracks on this record was available the next day; thankfully Warsaw Pact was able to snag the entire set. An essential release for fans of Eastern European punk, and fans of punk in general. Listen to “Dzieci Z Brudnej Ulicy,” it’s feels like it’s going to fall out of the fucking grooves. This is the real shit.

V/A Seaside Sickness EP

This is an excellent regional punk compilation that documents an under-reported scene, the East Coast of Canada. We can tell it is a small but highly active and creative scene. The 7″ includes exclusive tracks from the ferocious MISANTHROPIC MINDS, the KBD style of ANTIBODIES, the brutal chaos of FRAGMENT, the primitive fun of DARK DIAL, WARSH’s sharp blast of rage, BRAIN POLLUTION SYNDROME’s gutter noise abuse, and the unique genius of the BOOJI BOYS. Absolutely no filler. 

Aghast / Tekken split 12″

Not to be confused with the two splits these bands have released previously, this one-sided 12″ captures the final recordings from two (extremely) prolific French emo/HC bands who were active throughout the ’00s. AGHAST covers the epic and melodic with anguished vocals department, while TEKKEN takes care of the more chaotic and aggressive Euro HC side of things, blasting their way through a breathless “Porque Todo Tiene Fine” to close the record. Seven tracks total, and limited to just 100 copies—because when it means enough, it’s worth putting it to wax.

Balacera Gafas demo cassette

“I already saw how I’m gonna end, dead in a shootout against officers of the law and assault weapons, and if this is my time…well, fuck it!”  This is a rough translation of the movie sample (I guess) that Argentina’s BALACERA uses at the beginning of their demo, an ultra-fun lo-fi affair that mixes a TALES OF TERROR approach to punk, as in the opener “Gafas” and “Confundido,” and straight doom metal, as in the bass riff that slowly builds itself into a full on thrasher in “Busted” that, by the way, sounds like Argentina’s own minimalist art-punkers DIOS being more into VENOM than British post-punk. The tape manipulation of the voice and their eerie use of keyboards all adds up to an extremely original sound with the low production values of the demo. Awesome, get it on cassette.

Brain Peel / Double Suede Banana Split cassette

This cassette features two songs by BRAIN PEEL, two songs by DOUBLE SUEDE, and one song by BRAIN AND DOUBLE which is, as you may have assumed, a combination of both bands, who hail from Philadelphia, PA. DOUBLE SUEDE have something of a modern pop-psych/OH SEES kind of feel to them which comes off really catchy and driving and fun. BRAIN PEEL is more of a mid-tempo garage punk kind of band. The collaborative track is a fun little meandering instrumental number. Cool concept, fun mix of styles between the two bands. My only gripe is that it ends too quickly.

Carbur Action Woman EP

CARBUR is a French band playing garage-y rock’n’roll in a heavy, macho style. You can’t go wrong with covering “Action Woman” and they don’t. It’s a good version. The other three songs have that metal-y hard rock sound that gearheads enjoy. I assume that’s why they are called CARBUR. This 7″ was released in 2019.

Chin-Chin Stop! Your Crying EP reissue

Had CHIN-CHIN hailed from the UK rather than Switzerland, maybe their 1986 Stop! Your Crying EP would have gained more status as one of the high water marks of the C86 sound, alongside the jangling and/or fuzzed-out likes of TALULAH GOSH, the PASTELS, and the SHOP ASSISTANTS—an expanded version of the record even came out the following year on 53rd & 3rd (the label started by David Keegan from the SHOP ASSISTANTS and Stephen Pastel) as one of their few non-Scottish releases, if that isn’t telling. This is pure punky pop perfection, just an unadulterated rush of wild BUZZCOCKS/RAMONES energy with sped-up ’60s girl group harmonies, like the Stiff Records-era GO-GO’S given a full Creation Records treatment. The mid-tempo, horn-spiked “Revolution” swaps CHIN-CHIN’s usual sugar-rush hooks for more of a mod strut, but “Stop! Your Crying” and “Cry in Vain” are both anthemic buzzsaw bangers for the ages. Legit femme-punk godhead.

The Cybermen Cybernetic Surgery EP reissue

I always thought the CYBERMEN’s “You’re To Blame” was a charming enough second-tier second-wave punker perfect for filling out an all mod cons mix (pro tip: slot it next to EXPLODING HEARTS), but what I did not know was that their four-song debut is an even more satisfying slab of earworm. Cheers to Breakout for rescuing this not-cheap circa ’78 record for the rest of us. “Cybernetic Surgery” is way up on that neuromancer tip and has a great balance between fast rocker and weird robot energy. “Where’s New Wave” also crests early but often, another tricky balance struck between wrong-sided garage and mean-muggin’ mod. “Hanging Around” manages to be sullen and threatening and even finds time to phase in and out of existence. Just when you thought these jerks were irredeemable, “I Can’t Help” proves that it was all just an act and these punks have sleeves made of bleeding hearts. A bounty of riches, this single. No band named after Dr. Who’s lamest adversaries has any right to be this killer.

Delirio Delirio CD

DELIRIO’s latest release contains energetic, no-frills, highly energetic bursts of modern-sounding hardcore. Their fast yet sincere-sounding hardcore approach can be comparable to bands like COMEBACK KID or HAVE HEART. Great recording production, yet sounding too polished and boring.

Detoxi First Flesh LP

DETOXI is a band from Ventura, California, formed by members of MAASK and CATHOLIC SPIT, with roots in the Nardcore scene. On this, their first LP, they present us with ten dark rock songs that grow with each listen. DETOXI wears their influences on their sleeve, a mix of English post-punk like the CHAMELEONS with the impetus and tonality of Southern California deathrock—I’m thinking in particular of Rikk Agnew’s color palette. The keyboard sound is awesome and gives a particularly sinister touch to the songs, along with Derek’s deeply distinctive vocals. We are talking about perfectly crafted songs, with inventive and catchy riffs, outstanding basslines, exciting arrangements, and intelligent lyrics that dissect current popular culture issues with a precise scalpel. The opener “Grey Lines” and “Death of a Nation” are impressive. Such a thrill. You can get it on a beautifully designed cassette, CD, or vinyl.

Ed Warner Ruins of Nations LP

Twelve anxious doses that span a crevasse between early ’00s colossal crust and an indescribably awesome hardcore lurch. Makes me think of the NOW DENIAL…or maybe just some modern kids simultaneously harnessing anthemic core and honest intensity. Fans of fast and/or heavy and/or intense hardcore will want to pay attention here, because France’s ED WARNER ticks off literally every box.

Frustrerad The Truth in Lies EP

Motor-charged D-beat from Belgium. Vocals remind me of the less melodic aspects of TURBONEGRO, maybe better to compare to NAILBITER, and the tunes overall of CHARGER, at times Scandinavian Jawbreaker-era ANTI CIMEX with the production of the ANTIMASTER/GIVE UP ALL HOPE split. What FRUSTRERAD do, they do a bit loose and predictably, but they do it well. The EP, which clocks in at just under ten minutes, happens fast, as FRUSTRERAD plays classic kängpunk from start to finish. I feel like I had to play it twice to really appreciate the subtle earnest flow of FRUSTRERAD. Their demo tape seemed to have a little more in the kick pedal but this is a solid vinyl debut, that from here I think can only gain heaviness and a shift into top gear.

Gape Attack 2008–2010 LP

Philadelphia’s FDH Records brings us the total recorded output of Seattle lo-fi synth punkers/DIY new wavers GAPE ATTACK in a limited edition pressing of just 100 copies (looks like some are still available on FDH’s Bandcamp page!). While the overarching genre here is synth-driven post-punk, these guys are otherwise a little all over the map. There are a couple of punker tracks that sound like the SPITS (or their side project SPIDER), a handful of gloomy tracks that sound not unlike the Soviet-era darkwave that MOLCHAT DOMA has been peddling lately, and a couple peppier tracks that sound like early JOY DIVISION backed by Speak & Spell-era DEPECHE MODE. Fortunately their commitment to a DIY aesthetic really ties this all together, and this collection ends up sounding like an ode to the killer 1981 comp The Thing From the Crypt. It’s a very cool record. If you only listen to one track, make it the cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” It is great!

Half Built Homes Southward CD

This is slick-sounding melodic punk that is probably heavily influenced by bands who have done stints on Warped Tour, probably have records on labels like Hopeless, Drive-Thru, and the like, and use the word “emo” to describe their sound. If things like Myspace and Warped Tour still existed, this band would probably be relatively “big,” I imagine.

Hero Dishonest / Ydinperhe split EP

A double-feature EP starring two of the longest-running punk bands in Finland, this split is filthy with raw expression. HERO DISHONEST has been in the game since 1999, and they’ve changed with the times a bit throughout the years, but on this record they sound freshly pissed-off and unpolished in the best way possible. This violent sound pairs well with images of the band making breakfast, relaxing on the couch, and doing household projects in their video for “Pettynyt” (look it up). Less seasoned but just as potent, YDINPERHE comes in sounding like a pack of Finnish firecrackers. On this eighth outing since the band’s start in 2011, they lay out three dizzying tracks that take you from headbanging to hungover in about four minutes. Impressive, and it’s nice to see the infection is still festering strongly in Northern Europe.

Ink Bomb / No Breakfast Goodbye split CD

The packaging on this one is a little obtuse. The only reason I could tell that this is a split release with two bands is that there’s a photo of two (obviously different) bands. No acknowledgement of who wrote which of the six songs (though a quick internet search found that NO BREAKFAST GOODBYE provided the first trio of tracks, and INK BOMB the second, duh!). To make it even more blurry, both bands play a very similar vein of driving, melodic pop punk/hardcore, not too dissimilar from a BLINK-182, or perhaps more old school accurately, a BIG DRILL CAR or ALL. And just to muddy the waters entirely, so far as one can tell from the band photos, INK BOMB has one female in the band, but it would appear that the only female vocals on any of the tracks are on one of the NO BREAKFAST GOODBYE efforts. And there’s no contact information whatsoever on the CD. So, ah, there you have it, really. Despite my bewilderment, the ears dug it all just fine.

Liberty and Justice Pressure LP

Streetrock ain’t dead! In their debut LP, Texan sorts LIBERTY AND JUSTICE have quietly released one of the records of the year. Taking inspiration from classic Oi! like the TEMPLARS and even the 4-SKINS, as well as dabbling in NEGATIVE APPROACH-style hardcore too, it’s actually a lot more expansive than your ten a penny plastic gangsters doing cosplay about the pub. Solidarity and anti-racism is the name of the game here, and collaborations with local ska/cumbia outfit LOS SKARNALES and Houston rapper FAT TONY are both highlights. Sledgehammer vocals and fist-in-the-air anthems all underwritten by a thunderous rhythm section, too. Completely took me by surprise, but undoubtedly a future genre classic.

Lone Wolf Together Alone LP

I was expecting something completely different when I first put this on and I gotta say, I’m really glad it’s not at all what I expected. What I expected was some run-of-the-mill pop punk bordering on “RAMONES-core.” What I got instead was a record that while still catchy, stays as far away from the aforementioned genre as possible. This record reminds me of a more subdued DEAD TO ME. I could easily find this in somewhat regular rotation on my stereo and possibly a contender for one of my favorite albums of the year.

Miley Silence Miley Silence cassette

Crunchy hardcore from Hamburg, Germany that mainly stays in the mid-tempo zone, with straightforward riffs and vocals that alternate between shouting and the scratchiest of scratchy screaming. Definitely enough power and enthusiasm here to drive a circle pit, but not sure if it totally comes across is this rehearsal studio recording. “Hugs Till I Die” is a pretty excellent name for a hardcore song.

Molisma BIA cassette

From the birthplace of democracy comes the latest in hardcore punk violence with MOLISMA. I always think that the place where a band comes from defines the level of aggression that comes through their sound, and being from a place that is in crisis for quite some time makes punk sound even stronger. BIA sounds like early POISON IDEA minus the virtuoso guitar work, with pissed-off vocals similar to DISFEAR and a steady MOB 47 beat. Complete with a disgusting cover by Nicky Rat, this cassette is surely a memorable one. A band on their fourth release that shows no signs of slowing down.

Night Battles Year of No Days LP

Bleak yet bombastic goth-inflected post-punk. Occupying a similar post-hardcore musical and rhythmic void as SHUDDER TO THINK but buried under a mire of chorus and reverb, and with vocals that rely far less on falsetto operatics. Listening to Year of No Days I felt myself sinking into a comforting miasma, awash with recollections of INTERPOL, DEAD AND GONE, FRESH KILLS, and other pale white boys in tight-fitting black button-up shirts.

The Outta Place Prehistoric Recordings LP

This is a reissue of the 1983 demo tape from these New York City garage rock revivalists. Seven of the songs would appear on their first EP. Those are included here along with three others and four live tracks. The thing I enjoy most about the ’80s garage rockers is their sense of fun. They know the genre inside and out, yet it is not by the books. They are willing to kick in their own style. They’re having a good time playing and you’re having a good time listening.

Pigeon Deny All Knowledge of Complicity LP

Berlin post-punk efficiency featuring two members of LIIEK, and sitting in a sweet spot when it comes to the old compare’n’contrast: similar enough to that sibling band to have their enthusiasts keen to sign up, without the resemblance being close to the point where you ask why they’re doing this. PIGEON’s songs are taut and bassline-driven, but also well-produced and full of hooks that soar (can hooks do that? Musicological minds want to know). I think they’re nodding in the direction of UK post-punk’s biggest names, but by accident or design I get a ’90s Dischord vibe, say CIRCUS LUPUS, from several of these songs, or even AT THE DRIVE-IN on Deny All Knowledge of Complicity’s title track. It’ll probably add up to something overly collegiate for a lot of your tastes but is pleasingly bouncy for something so moody, if you follow.

R.M.F.C. / Set-Top Box split EP

Another absolute banger of a punk record from Australia. This time a split record from two Sydney based-bands, both of which have a slightly quirkier style of post-punk that involves crusty drum machines and heavily distorted vocals. The R.M.F.C side is three short songs that speed through their runtime having an absolute blast on the way. Energetic, lively, and totally off the wall. The flipside with SET-TOP BOX is a much more lo-fi-sounding set of tracks that is shrouded in the strange analog sounds of 8-bit drum machines and vintage toy keyboards. Totally awesome release. Cool in every way!

Rotstrotter Rotstrotter LP

Monstrous non-stop D-beat with some motor-charged vibes. For fans of HELLKRUSHER, DISASTER, POLICE BASTARD, WARCOLLAPSE, and DISTRAUGHT. Vocals remind me of DEVOID OF FAITH, the music is as fast as DISGUST, E.N.T, and DISFEAR. ROTSTROTTER isn’t rewriting the book here, but their speed is definitely up there with the most insane of them. The transitions are smooth and the riffs melt together in excellent D-beat harmony. Some solos almost sound like computer gibberish and that’s fucking cool and different. ROTSTROTTER debuts with a powerful LP that grasps you right away. It’s simple, but it is real kängpunk turnt up a few notches in its truest form. You can tell the members of this band are no freshmen to this sound. 100% D-beat hardcore from Denver today that reeks forth like Europe thirty-something years ago.

Sick Burn / These Bastards Burn These Sick Bastards split EP

One of the most obvious and superficial bummers about the COVID era is a lack of punk shows. Hardcore records are cool—I love em—but this was music meant to be experienced in the sweaty, smelly flesh, and few local bands exemplified that more than Sacramento’s SICK BURN and San Francisco’s THESE BASTARDS. This split was in the works before shit shut down, and now I can spin the grooves and get even more amped for my future as a live-show-goer, annoyed with that one dude acting a fool in the pit (because you know that dude is gonna be there…he’s been waiting). Five sub-minute tracks from SICK BURN, more ripping irreverent hardcore injecting Japanese riffs into breakneck USHC. THESE BASTARDS drop three more doses of their bizarre prog-violence on the flip—pure West Bay brutality, intense and dark. I freaking love both of these bands.

Skids Songs From a Haunted Ballroom CD

The SKIDS, for those not in the know, were a punk band forged in Fife, Scotland, in the late ’70s, who were a little bit different, sonically, and whose main claim to fame was that when they broke up in the early ’80s (after three excellent LPs), the guitarist went on to form BIG COUNTRY. The chiming guitars for which they became famous (“guitars that sound like bagpipes”—even though the band claimed they were emulating violins!), very much evident in the SKIDS. I guess they’ve now reformed with the original singer Richard Jobson (Stuart Adamson of BIG COUNTRY committed suicide—suffering from depression—in the early 2000s). This new record is largely a “covers” album, centered around the Kinema Ballroom in their hometown of Dunfermline. The songs pay tribute not only to their early influences (and bands they played with, such as the CLASH, and the ADVERTS), but to the working class (and gang) culture of the times. As well as reworkings of the SEX PISTOLS and MAGAZINE, there’s the ’70s glam of MOTT THE HOOPLE and DAVID ESSEX, the early New Romantic art of ULTRAVOX and the pub rock of NICK LOWE. And, appropriately enough, there’s reworkings of two of the early SKIDS classics—”The Saints Are Coming” and “Into The Valley.” A classic slice of culture from the era, all supercharged with 21st century production, and the songs suitably revved. I have to say, it largely reminded me of what a fucking great song “Complete Control” is!

Stalag 13 Fill in the Silence LP

When I first saw this assignment, I wondered if this was the same STALAG 13 from Oxnard in the mid-’80s. Sure enough. I’ve got to admit to a certain amount of surprise that these guys are still at it. Or maybe they’re at it again? Not sure. Either way, I was surprised. I always found most of that Nardcore stuff a little “samey.” It was never terrible, but I didn’t think anything ever really stood out, at least not for me. If you’re a fan of (Southern) California hardcore, this could be for you. If you like it uptempo and don’t mind a little extracurricular guitar work, this could be for you. I gather that this is a mix of both older and newer songs. I do find it kind of cool that these guys maintain the passion for punk.

Syrgas Hiroshima EP

A furious stench of crust straight from the country of all things hardcore, Sweden. Untamed aggression with the pedal always to the metal, a huge low sound that hits the bowels, some guitar work that could be on an early WOLFPACK record and pissed-off vocals that make it sound like DRILLER KILLER. A straight Swedish crust record with every box checked.

Younger Lovers The San Pedro Sessions EP

A side project for GRAVY TRAIN!!! frontman Brontez Purnell, YOUNGER LOVERS are mid-2000s garage rock at its best. Recorded in a single night, these tracks are rough around the edges, aggressive, and to-the-point, like any garage punk that’s worth its salt should be. There isn’t much more to be said other than this 7″ kicks ass if you’re into some gnarly blues-inspired punk songs.

V/A Welcome to Pittsburgh…Don’t Move Here LP

Damn, this one kills. John Villegas has long been booking shows, running the punkest record store in Pittsburgh, playing in killer bands, and putting out great records including, now, this amazing compilation. Like all the best comps (Process of Elimination, American Youth Report, Cottage Cheese From the Lips of Death, Not So Quiet on the Western Front, etc.) it has that special insular feel, like being suspended in a moment in time. You can practically smell the motor oil and solvents of Babyland or the choking clouds of stale smoke and sticky sweat of the Rock Room or Gooski’s. Sure, there’s three of John’s bands present here, but you go make your own fucking compilation and then you can do what you want. It plays at 45rpm like all good punk records should, and it has one of those nifty zine things with a page for each band. There’s some diversity here with the artfulness of S.L.I.P. or the pseudo-Oi! of NO TIME, but basically, this is hardcore and it’s mean, it’s dirty, and raw. I’d be bananas to try to pick favorites here and I don’t know how John managed to get every band’s best song committed to his project but we’re all stoked he did. As I type this now I’m really feeling LIVING WORLD, PEACE TALKS, RAT-NIP, INVALID, and CHILLER, but in a minute it could easily be SPEED PLANS, LOOSE NUKES, WHITE STAINS, or NECRO HEADS. Every song is a keeper and unique in its own special way, just like that Mr. Rogers guy said. It’s not the whole scene here and there’s great bands like MOWER, EEL, BIG BABY, CONCEALED BLADE, or MEDIUM UGLY not present, but it’s a real nice thick slice of a great punk scene that you should definitely admire from afar and keep your distance.

Alambrada Muerte Preventiva EP

I love debut 7″s. Bands tend to showcase their virtues in a raw and colorful way, like they have so much to prove in just a few minutes. ALAMBRADA is a new Colombian band, straight from Bogotá with members of beloved MURO in their ranks, and this is their first EP, one of the best of the year so far. Eight songs of noisy-as-fuck yet incredibly hooky guitar riffs, a rhythm section that splits your head open with uncompromising determination, and a voice so thick in poisonous spit, it can melt metal. Their sound is so vicious and raw that it can sometimes veer into total chaos, but just this close enough of atonal oblivion. It is actually hard to have a favorite track, but I can tell you to go straight to the double-decker of “Control Total/Un Acto de Lealtad” and you can thank me later. So it goes.

Autoagresion Bajo Control cassette

Argentina is bringing some serious heat to the review section this month, and Buenos Aires’ AUTOAGRESION is some of the hottest—searing fastcore, but with a massive production and vocals that fucking hurt (my throat) to listen to. “Apartadxs” is a perfect equation: intro + explosion = perfection, while just one track (“Policias”) tops the one-minute mark. This is just pure and honest hardcore punk, and probably the best release I’ve heard this month.

Hélène Barbier Regulus LP

Second solo LP from HÉLÈNE BARBIER, formerly of Québecoise trio MOSS LIME and joined here by a cast of collaborators from the Celluloid Lunch family. MOSS LIME’s version of spartan, spectral art-punk wandered through labyrinths similar to the ones constructed by YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS and the RAINCOATS forty years prior, and Regulus largely follows suit—sing-song vocals (in both English and French) with a touch of languid chilliness, stripped-down and unhurried beats, angular single-note guitar twang, pop songs run through post-punk machinery. BARBIER’s lyrical delivery serves the skittish rhythms of tracks like “Get a Grip” and “Regulus” just as much as the bass and drums, with words and phrases drawn out and repeated until the distinctions between language and sound start to break down, while muted swells of keyboard add to the otherworldly fever dream vibe of “Jersey Swap” and “Lightly,” and her gauzy take on “You Little Nothing” by the GORIES is somehow even more bare-bones than the original, with only some brief mangled guitar racket keeping it from completely drifting into the ether. Lovely.

The Beltones Cheap Trinkets LP reissue

I was in Portland during West Coast travels in 2001, the year this album was first released on TKO Records. I ended up at the infamous Satyricon club, a decadent ruckus glory shithole that showcased some of the best punk, grunge, and garage bands of the ’90s and early ’00s. The BELTONES happened to be playing that night, and though a lot of the details are hazy, I remember them striking a strong, memorable chord and leaving an impression in me as being no-nonsense, honest punks. Listening to this reissue confirmed those opaque memories. Bill McFadden’s vocals don’t so much have a range, but rather fluctuate between a gruff growl to a loud shout to accentuate and emphasize. Like a sped-up STIFF LITTLE FINGERS with the politics being more personal, the BELTONES had their own sound, mixing street punk with flavors of Jamaican music, soul, and Oi!, that more than held its own in the punk landscape of the time. With their catalogue being difficult-to-impossible to find on digital platforms and the original vinyl mostly out-of-print, having their capstone album back on vinyl is both a welcoming reminisce and positive optimism of being able to crank these tunes again.

Cage Kicker Parasitic Future cassette

On this release, CAGE KICKER from Berlin plays angry and vicious—yet catchy, pogo-y, and stompy at the same time—’80s USHC/UK82-style punk. Endless circle pits with pogo-ing, I believe Parasitic Future is where the rare, bilateral agreement between the society of circle pitting hardcore and pogo-ing punks occur.

The Cavemen Am I a Monster? / Schizophrenia 7″

An Auckland, New Zealand band that just lays it out there and lets the listener decide if they want what is being offered. In the case of the CAVEMEN, I do. This 7″ has two songs that are so distorted and messy, but also so damn catchy. It’s fast and frantic and it’s great.

Cococoma The Money Will Roll Right In cassette

New release on powerhouse label Primitive Screwhead. For those of you not yet familiar, this is the brand new, all-live tape label run by garage rock dynamo Big Neck Records. Chicago, IL-based COCOCOMA has always been a cool, intriguing band to me, who seemed to walk the tightrope between catchy garage rock and spastic, nasty punk weirdness. On this live cassette recording the band really ramps up the psychedelic/pop aspects of their sound. So many killer, catchy songs on this tape and the sound quality is great. One doesn’t always know what kind of can of worms they’re opening with live releases, but thus far Primitive Screwhead has been doing a fantastic job with releasing cassettes that truly capture what it’s like seeing a band live.

Cutters Chewed Up Fortune EP

Remember a simpler time when you knew fuck-all about punk and just wanted to rage as hard as you could with some of the early records you found out through your friend’s older sibling? This is the feeling you get from Melbourne punks CUTTERS’ EP. They take every early DEAD KENNEDYS album, cut it, chew it up, and spit it out. A fun record for pure hardcore punk lovers. Short, fast, and to-the-point, just like this review!

Dead Meat I’m an Infection EP

I’m not a big fan of record descriptions like “no frills” or “back to roots,” but I think either of those are pretty applicable to this EP. DEAD MEAT pulls inspiration from punk classics like X or the GERMS, and they do it well. True to fashion, none of the four tracks are longer than two minutes; plenty of time to get your aggression in, but not enough to tire you out. Although this record is pretty straightforward and familiar for most, the songs are still catchy and gnarly enough to get your kicks in. Classic punk done right.

Desborde Single 2021 cassette

Hard to describe how much territory DESORBE covers in just two tracks. Starting with a steady punk churn fronted by fierce high-end hardcore vocals, by the end of the first track it feels like you’re listening to an outtake from Panorama (the best record by the CARS)…and then the next cut launches shamelessly into a keyboard-driven hardcore freakout. After the first listen, I was confused. But the same two jammers are on the flip, and after the second listen…? I was in love.

Die Atlantikschwimmer Die Atlantikschwimmer 12″ reissue

After their waxing of DIE ATLANTIKSCHWIMMER’s debut cassette, Static Age reissues the German group’s self-titled follow-up. Originally coming out in 1985 on the legendary Zickzack label, this Atlantic swimmer is even more streamlined than its predecessor. The water this combo wades in resists being roiled, hanging out instead in the placid end of the pool. You’ll find no lack of ponderous bass tones and thudding drum machines, occasionally spiced with pre-modern instruments like accordion. There is an intriguing frozen quality to DIE ATLANTIKSCHWIMMER’s impeccably produced songs; they flirt with pop structures but ultimately remain at a distance from mainstream aesthetics. Call it “Factory on the Rhine.” “Komm Mit Mir” repurposes a song from the debut and imparts the feeling of drifting along a canal as centuries-old buildings loom in the background. There is something undeniably romantic and—forgive this ugly American—European about DIE ATLANTIKSCHWIMMER; yet, the album doesn’t quite satisfy whatever foolish notions this listener harbors about a lost weekend in a far-off city. All deserted streets and darting shadows, the whispered, seductive menace of “Film Mit Überlänge” is closer to my idea of a good time in an unfamiliar locale. Keep the carriage ride, gimme the foot chase.

Emboscada Demo 2020 cassette

Gruesome vocals from Argentina reminiscent of BLAZING EYE, SODOM, ELECTROCUTIONER; things of a gruesome metallic punk nature. I love that the first song is “No!” and the last song is “Nada.” Otherwise, I’m picking up “my head” and “your house;” songs seething in melodic aggression. The construct feels derived from ’80s Latin American hardcore in its diminutive distortion, with some aspects of ’80s US hardcore in the more anthemic upbeats. This contrast, plus the vocals (some femme vocals), the production, and the various tones, all create a unique demo. Long enough to be interesting, short enough to be wanting more.

Endless Bore / Numbskull split cassette

Split cassette of two current Australian bands. ENDLESS BORE from Melbourne plays heavy powerviolence-inspired hardcore with repetitive heady breakdowns. I have reviewed one of this band’s previous cassettes and these songs feel much more involved than the prior release, with a more prominent emphasis on brutality. NUMBSKULL from Sydney meshes well on this split, but they bring a more fastcore approach to the extreme music on this cassette. Unbelievably short songs played at blistering speeds. “Mozart and Beethoven can suck a wet fart / This is hardcore punk, not the fine arts.” Respect, NUMBSKULL, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

False Truce MMXX cassette

Chris Pfeffer has had a hand in some of the best punk Texas has produced in the last two decades—STORM THE TOWER, OBEDIENCE, SEVERED HEAD OF STATE, J CHURCH, CRIATURAS, SIGNAL LOST, the list goes on (and on)—and when civilization closed up shop last year he did what any self-respecting genius would do: he made a record. By himself. Very much a sum of its (his) parts, FALSE TRUCE sounds absolutely like Chris—the guitars take the Mould model to another level, the full-charge D-beat lurch, and honest and blunt delivery of honest and blunt lyrics. Hopefully this project doesn’t fade into a COVID haze, because the world needs FALSE TRUCE.

Hatã Demo 2021 cassette

HATÃ, “hard” in the Guarani language, is the name of this band formed in Barcelona in the middle of the pandemic by people from Paraguay, London, and Colombia. International solidarity manifests itself in beautiful ways when we see migrants from different countries come together to create noise that denounces global injustices and share the experiences of those who seek to destroy the borders that divide us so artificially. It reminds me of the sound of ’90s South American and Mexican hardcore: raw, brutal, with enough room to breathe and wait for the stampede of the next riff. Beautiful and intense. This is their first demo of four songs, and it comes with a fanzine if you want to get it on cassette.