Reviews - MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL

Heaven Stagnant Dream EP

I like the name of this band which must be taken, I suppose, as an ironic comment on not just the state of the world, but also of the US of A, and even of Texas, a place I have never visited but that I imagine to be populated by hard men looking like Steve Austin. What a sight. I had given a listen to HEAVEN’s first steps into the scary world of hardcore with their 2022 EP Starless Moonlight, already on Iron Lung, and if it was too US hardcore-oriented for my liking, it was still a solid record. Two years have passed, and they don’t really sound like the same band (the lineup apparently changed). This new EP is punishing enough, but I am sadly not totally convinced. I like when the band goes for a primitive early crust vibe à la DOOM/ENT, like on “Stagnant Dream” (I love the vocals, reminiscent of Tom Croft’s), but on the whole, the songwriting has that modern stomping tupa-tupa hardcore vibe with mosh parts that is effective and so popular these days but often leaves me unimpressed. It is not a bad record, far from it, but I was hoping for a crustier experience.

Irked Snakes EP

Garage punk band from Northern England. I was drawn to the illegible screaming in the opening track “Snakes,” but found myself a bit bored as the songs went on. I did enjoy the variation in their songs, with the feminist lyrics in “Backstreets,” to the more pop elements of “Move”. The rhythms in the first few opening tracks were intriguing as well. However, I found it difficult to distinguish this band from other garage punk bands, as there was nothing that really jumped out to me.

Katarsi Katarsi LP

It always blows my mind to hear a solo project that sounds more realized than the average fully-outfitted band. Case in point: KATARSI. Born out of desperation and anxiety in Bilbao, Spain, this synth punk project pulls a few threads and weaves them into a vibrant tapestry. Catchy, melodic tunes are subtly infused with a sense of anguish manifesting as a dark undercurrent coursing throughout the album. There is a harkening back to bands of decades past such as the VICIOUS and MIND SPIDERS, but with an eye to the present as well. KATARSI fits neatly into a space between HOME FRONT with a similar tinge of French Oi!, and CUIR who are a bit more direct. All eight tracks here are deftly crafted, hook-laden, and memorable. No small feat for a one-person undertaking. Excellent.

Lost Chikitos Sonido Marabunta LP

I don’t know where to start with this one. This record is weird as hell. I guess I would classify LOST CHIKITOS as an experimental metal band: lo-fi, grim black metal howling mixed with Moog squelches, blastbeats, and tremolo picking. But then, sandwiched in between the blasts, sits an odd instrumental track that sounds like someone pressed the “demo” key on a Casio keyboard. It lasts for like two minutes, and then the blasting and screaming start again. But wait, there is another break for a mellow acoustic guitar sing-along. Then more blasting. It seems like a joke, but these folks pressed it to vinyl, which makes for a pretty elaborate joke. I kind of like it just because of how fucking bonkers it is, so check it out if you like noisecore, electronic experimentation, or abruptly ending parties with your musical selections.

The Manikins Swedish Woods LP

Sweden and garage rock is one of those combinations that always seems to work, and Swedish Woods is another gleaming example that evinces this axiom. The MANIKINS have been churning out high-energy heat since the late ’90s, and upon listening, one may be quick to think of the HIVES, fellow Swedes who formed a few years earlier. And while they would make a great double-bill to be sure, it would probably make more sense for the MANIKINS to play the afterparty—no coordinated suits, and a late night energy that you just want to keep going, sleep be damned. There’s also a little more variety to be found throughout these twelve tracks than what you usually get from their contemporaries. Swedish Woods brings in elements of power pop (“Rosita”), as well as more straightforward rock sounds (“My Last Time,”). It’s the soulful crooning and howling vocal delivery on “I Need To Tell You,” however, that cements this album as a real standout.

Media Puzzle Strategic Living cassette

On their third full-length album, Lismore, Australia’s MEDIA PUZZLE delivers nine tracks full of good-timing garage fuzz. The songs are short, with only one going past the two-minute mark, and feature distorted vocals with hooky-as-can-be lyrics, like on the opener “Garage Sale” with a chorus of “Buckle up down the trail / Take myself to the garage sale.” Underneath these lyrics (that don’t take themselves seriously at all) is a doddering, ghoulish synth, buzzy guitars, and a simple drum machine. The only name I can find associated with this group is Tom Peter, so I’m assuming this is a solo project? Fun, goofy, catchy—great late-summer set of tunes on offer.

Muro Nuevo Dogma LP

MURO is among the most revered hardcore punk bands on the planet. Nuevo Dogma, their highly anticipated third album, is a clear demonstration of why this is the case. Picking up where their devastating 2020 full-length Pacificar left off, Bogota’s finest crank up the heat for these ten scorching tracks. MURO adeptly melds influences from a broad swath of punk subspecies—UK82, Burning Spirits, Italian hardcore—but the sound they’ve developed is all their own. Impelled by anger and passion, these songs are imbued with a visceral fervor rarely captured in a recording studio. Infectious double-picked riffs, thunderous bass, primal drumming, vocals barked with seething anguish…and it goes well beyond the music. The art that adorns the album cover, booklet, and massive posters (yes, posters plural!) conveys a solicitude, a level of detail and commitment to DIY that has become uncommon in 2024. Nuevo Dogma has not been made available for online listening, so you’ll have to buy the record if you want to hear the songs. It’s absolutely worth the effort of procurement. This is easily one of the top releases of the year and an instant classic.

No Relief Destroy Your World 12″

Brighton, UK metallic hardcore band that rips on their second EP, with great, sick breakdowns and steady, fast cadences. Screaming, guttural choruses plus defined main vocals do a great job keeping the tension between sections. Strongly recommended for UKHC lovers. Favorite track: “Throne of Lies.”

Paratonnerre Paratonnerre demo cassette

Garage punk three-piece from France. While I had a bit of trouble distinguishing them from other garage punk bands, something that stood out to me was the droning guitar. I feel that if the guitar had less character and was more like a basic rhythm guitar, then there wouldn’t be anything super intriguing about them. However, there were elements I enjoyed like the lyricism (specifically in “So Broke”) and how they incorporated French into at least one of their tracks. For me, I quite enjoyed the character of the guitar, but it felt a bit “meh” overall.

Peace De Résistance Lullaby for the Debris LP

Moses Brown’s second offering as PEACE DE RÉSISTANCE is a beautiful contradiction—it is both familiar and foreign, unsettling and comforting. The sounds are immediately recognizable, calling to mind the sleazier side of ’70s New York City glam rock, but no contemporaries come to mind. The music feels nocturnal, while the lyrics are the kinds of thoughts that fill your day, working to get by for yet another month. This is all to illustrate that PEACE DE RÉSISTANCE is not easily pinned down, which is part of what makes this record so special. Brown conveys themes to the listener in such a specific and personal manner, and that skill transforms ideas that certainly are far from new territory into feelings both fresh and urgent; being alienated in your own city (“Ain’t What It Used to Be”), trying to get by in a system rigged against most of us (“40 Times the Rent,” “Pay Us More”). Lullaby for the Debris manages to take the strong foundation laid in Brown’s debut Bits and Pieces, and takes his project to new heights.

Pust Pust cassette

Flying straight out the gate, PUST bursts forth with an absolute stomper of a track. “La Faute De La Boîte” is an undeniable punk banger! A self-proclaimed “probably (egg)punk” band from Montreal, which I admittedly don’t hear one bit. The reoccurring “ooh”s alone push PUST much closer to chain than egg on that musical spectrum we all acknowledge as being reality in the modern day. Admittedly, the rest of the songs don’t hold the same intensity as the opening track, but that track alone is worth flipping the tape over and over to get to hear it again and again. The opening build-up into plodding riff is sure to have the listener pogo-ing around their bedroom. I would wager that track could go head-to-head with any hype NYC hardcore punk band over the last grip of years.

Red Cross 1981–1982 No Message LP

Richmond, Virginia’s RED CROSS serves up a potent dose of early ’80s hardcore punk with their album 1981–1982 No Message. Originally intended as their debut LP in 1982, the album was shelved when the band broke up before its release. It later appeared in a very limited cassette run, but this marks its first appearance on vinyl after over 40 years. The fourteen tracks, clocking in at about twenty-five minutes, are a straight-up blast of early hardcore energy, with some songs sounding like they could have been missing tracks from This is Boston, Not L.A. The singer’s voice sometimes carries a bit of a Tesco Vee snarl. The album kicks off strong and fast, but the momentum stutters a bit on Side B. It wraps up with a live track and a humorous radio spot, providing a touch of nostalgia. Members went on to form the mighty WHITE CROSS, making this release an interesting document of Richmond’s hardcore lineage.

The Sleeveens UFOs / Bernadette 7″

The SLEEVEENS kind of blew up the garage punk interworlds when they released their debut album on Dirtnap this year. They came out of the Nashville scene, playing blistering garage punk like the OBLIVIANS with a MARKED MEN precision. They were tapped by I-94 for their Detroit covers series, where bands put an original song on one side of a 45 and a cover on the flipside. Here they turn their energy down a bit for a trippy, hypnotic garage burner called “UFOs” on the A-side. The B-side is their take of the FOUR TOPS classic “Bernadette” in a sped-up, anthemic blast.

The Stress Balls Disappointed cassette

Power-chord-driven gutter punk out of Boston. Laden with noodly guitar leads and strong, charismatic vocals, this album’s lo-fi quality really aids in its efforts. Sounds raw and organic—just a bunch of folks having fun playing punk. Reminds me of something you’d have heard from Hellcat Records in their early years. Nothing too groundbreaking, with the aforementioned vocals doing most of the heavy lifting, but this is a really fun outing, especially if you’re a fan of DIY punk.

The Tinopeners I Want You / I Don’t Wanna Be 7″

This one’s a bit of an oddity, as one side of the 7” seems to be an incomplete track from the band’s only four recordings ever put to tape. Regardless, it’s cool to see this type of archival work in the flow of punk history. Belfast’s the TINOPENERS were short-lived, but “I Don’t Wanna Be” shows they had a solid knack for power pop. It’s hard to really say where they could have gone since they called it quits so young, but this release is worth checking out for punk historians and bop-appreciators alike.

Woodstock ’99 ‘99 Ta Life 12”

For those growing weary of what can easily be perceived as a stagnant era of hardcore punk music, I enthusiastically point you in the direction of WOODSTOCK ‘99, who are simultaneously elevating and delighting in taking the piss out of the genre. This refreshing record starts off with a couple tracks of juicy hardcore sound that’s fairly standard in approach, and from there it becomes increasingly unhinged until we find ourselves lost in the epic schizophrenia of “99 Problems,” and ultimately left at the mercy of the glitching, soundbite-ridden, genre-hopping madness of “Za Rat King.” You’ll start off unassumingly bobbing your head and end up not quite sure what just hit ya. The band’s penchant for hilarious titles remains intact (see the album name, as well as leading contender for song name of the year “Hotter than a Half-Fucked Fox in a Forest Fire”), while their musical restlessness becomes more palpable than ever, and the album’s concise run time leaves me thirsting for the next round. Well played.

Alien Nosejob The Derivative Sounds of… or… A Dog Always Returns to its Vomit LP

Jake Robertson continues to pivot away from the expected, as one of DIY rock’s great shapeshifters under the ALIEN NOSEJOB moniker. While we’ve heard mutant garage punk and AC/DC worship before, Robertson chooses with this full-length to expand the palette into something a bit more lofty, though no less catchy than previous efforts. This album still maintains a feeling of collage rock, taking disparate elements from the past and reconfiguring them into something singular, with a penchant for the joined jangles of ’60s psychedelic pop, Australian garage both then and now, and a faint aura of the New Zealand Dunedin sound. What results is locked in to Robertson’s expanding universe, at times evoking another giant of visionary songwriting, Anton Newcombe. But this is no retro homage to anything, and continues to be a project built on confident melodic work and well-structured guitar pop. Anchored by rolling bass lines and driving rhythm, songs like “The Punisher Was Cool” drill their way in with ease and mess about with an undeniable energy while never forgetting to have fun (no self serious erudite rock scholardom on display). I’ll be the first to admit that I was never an immediate sell on ALIEN NOSEJOB, and this full-length has driven me to go back to see what I was missing. Turns out it was a backlog like an entire solar system.

Beastii Follower CD

As the fall season ushers changing leaves, the need for some surf-witch psychedelic tunes rolls in with the breeze. Everything in this album is enchantingly cohesive and they are probably one of the best new dance-punk acts to come out of Chicago; I even considered attending their record release listening party at the Liars Club. The alchemical structure of Follower is delightful to hear, mixing wistful lyrics, groovy bass, surf-style guitar riffs, steady drums, and a hypnotic keyboard to create a dangerously great sound. My favorite songs include the enjoyably retro “Butch Beach,” get-up-and-twist anthem “Justine,” and the deeply surfable “Spilt Milk.” Self-tagged as Paisley Underground (which desperately needs a revival), I hear some MAZZY STAR on “Sell Out.” BEASTII appreciated many sounds equally among Follower, interspersing the album with slow jams, fast flings, and techno beats. If you like the esoteric band aura mixed with surf-style punk music presented in Follower, I’d prescribe Black Tides by KÓLGA as a follow-up drug to cure the obsessive crate-digging sure to be transmitted by this hauntingly good album.

The Budget Boozers Love You, Hate You CD

Not to judge a record by its cover, but my hopes were not high after judging this record by its cover. The name, the art, self-describing themselves as “real hippie shit for the real punks,” all of it pointed to something I would skip if I came across this album at my local shop. But Love You, Hate You by the BUDGET BOOZERS is the reason that saying about judging and covers exists, I suppose. These ten tracks of glammy, bubblegum garage rock caught me by surprise, more so than perhaps any other album this year. This album rips. There is a fantastic variety of sounds to be found here, with each new tune providing something that can only be described as charming to my ears. There are great string sounds sprinkled on some tracks, tracks that rip in and out in a minute and change, reverb-soaked surf guitar, and that’s all within the A-side alone. While the album ends not with a bang but a whimper as the last two tracks fail to meet the rest of the album’s energy, I will still gladly say I was too quick to judge Love You, Hate You, and will come back to this one again and again.

The Carnival Absoluuttinen Syntymä CD

Yet another band I had never heard about but I am now glad I have: the CARNIVAL from Finland. Discogs tells me they have been going since 1999 and have been very prolific, and yet it doesn’t tell me why it took me more than 20 years to listen to them. I guess my Finnish informers are not that good. I really enjoy this latest album Absoluuttinen Syntymä, and the fact that the CARNIVAL were able to write such a heavy, energetic, powerful work shows that, twenty years on, the passion is still intact indeed. The music proves to be hard to describe as it is very versatile. The first song has you believing that you’ll get a traditional bollocking from a mean and classic Finnish hardcore band that does not take prisoners, which I usually do agree to, but then other songs are doomy, old school FROST-inspired creepy metal, while I can definitely hear a late RUDIMENTARY PENI influence on others (and in the beautiful artwork, clearly). The album conveys a great atmosphere of occult darkness but remains very dynamic, tense, and genuinely rocks. The range of paces and styles is important, but the whole never sounds disconnected or disjointed, it always makes sense. Great deep, pissed vocals in Finnish and a thick, organic production highlight the music’s qualities and moodiness. They are difficult to compare to others, but they remind me of both a more atmospheric KERETIK and a more aggressive AKRASIA. A definite win for me that entices to further explore their discography.

Conflict Resolution Stilborn Year EP

Powerviolence crossover mayhem straight from Arizona that’s politically concerned, merging hardcore punk with primarily thrash metal. Reminiscent of DRI and MUNICIPAL WASTE alike, but with a less metallic or satanic approach, putting the focus on politics and the reality of the US and its miseries. Favorite track: “No Control.”

Death by Steamship Death by Steamship cassette

At first glance, I was admittedly a little confused by a cassette where more than half of the songs were recorded live from various shows, with a few demo songs and a single studio track. After a little research, I understand it quite a bit more. First, a bit of backstory for those not in the know. DEATH BY STEAMSHIP was an artsy post-hardcore band from Seattle, WA from 2008–2014, who released a 7” and an LP (both on Whoa! Boat Records). The band broke up with quite a few new songs written but not properly recorded. This cassette compiles what I presume are the only existing recordings of the band’s unreleased songs. It also includes a few practice demo recordings, the one studio song the band recorded for a compilation, as well as a pretty fun demo version of “Shot Down” by the SONICS. Think of this release as a companion cassette for the DEATH BY STEAMSHIP discography. Some of the live tracks are a bit difficult to digest as the recording quality is rather rough, but such is the nature of live recordings. As something of a completist when it comes to the music made by bands I care about, I can absolutely understand the appeal of such a cassette. If DEATH BY STEAMSHIP is a band that you love, you’d better act fast as only 25 copies of this cassette were made.

Doldrey Only Death is Eternal 12″

Metalheads and punks have always overlapped, and a lot of the best contemporary hardcore and metal borrows from the other genre. Singapore’s DOLDREY showcases the stunning effect that marriage can be on their latest EP. This is, by all intents and purposes, straight up crushing death metal with some thrash flair. But the attitude behind it and the production gives it a crusty speedpunk sheen that makes it irresistible. This handful of tracks are performed beautifully and recorded with serious heft. The vocals are brutal as you like, and of course the band’s got riffs for eons. Dialed in, ferocious, and fun as hell.

Dommer Cemetery Bread / Unless We’re Friends 7″

Brooklyn’s DOMMER out with their debut release of two indie/art-punk tracks. Not much on the Bandcamp page for info, but they appear to be a duo, playing a fairly clean and sparse sound, especially on the A-side’s “Cemetery Bread” that features whimsied synth lines, angular guitar, and a mid-tempo, slappy drum beat; lyrics croon/whine “And the cemetery / Smells like bread”—the context of which may be buried somewhere in the rest of the song. B-side’s “Unless We’re Friends” hits a little harder, with all the aforementioned instrumentation driving faster, softcore moans still intact. I’d need to hear more to decide if I like this.

Eastie Ro!s Eastie Ro!s LP

From Berlin, EASTIE RO!S do a mature take on classic ’77 style. Playing smart and straightforward rock songs sung in German, the band’s tight sound teeters on melancholy and flirts with post-punk without ever going all the way. From catchy tunes like “Du in Meiner Hand” to moodier processions like “Jack Beauregard,” they do a good job balancing somber undertones with an inherent youthful charm. It’s punk for grown-ups that retains plenty of rip and bounce.

Fatal State Ni Un Paso Atras cassette

If you’re a fan of dual vocals, then you should check out FATAL STATE from Portland. Raging hardcore that ranges from punk-flavored to the more metallic side can be found on their Ni Un Paso Atras recording. The opener “Ojo Por Ojo” is a blazing bullet of hardcore punk, while “Preventable Death” is a chance to catch your breath with its slower chugging. Intensely political lyrics are delivered in English and Spanish, but it’s the work of two vocalists that really create the collective voice of resistance energy that this cassette has. FATAL STATE seems to draw from a vast range of punk and hardcore inspiration while shaping it into a sound that is distinctly their own.

Golden Shitters Love Blows EP

A RAMONES-core trio from the banks of Lake Ontario, GOLDEN SHITTERS play your typical SCREECHING WEASEL-styled pop punk. Fun and catchy stuff, and if you dig these kinds of tunes, GOLDEN SHITTERS will be right up your alley. Otherwise, it’s pretty run-of-the-mill bubblegum punk. I bet they’re a lot of fun to see live, though.

Gylt I Will Commit a Holy Crime cassette

Feral hardcore fire starters GYLT throw a hard punch to the nose with their newest EP I Will Commit Holy Crime. Hard to describe but very easy to listen to, GYLT is equal parts thrash and hardcore (but not in a D.R.I. kind of way). More like a way, way darker version of SACRILEGE and with an eerie atmosphere similar to RIGOROUS INSTITUTION, GYLT is very innovative and has a unique sound. Everything in this EP sounds dark and dirty, and a bit unsettling, with ferocious screams directing negativity towards everyone and everything. GYLT shoots to kill!

H8 Mile Spread the Love cassette

Never trust a band who names themselves after 8 Mile. I get these guys are from Detroit, but c’mon…I honestly had high hopes for this because of the cover, but no, I was let down. This isn’t great. The vocals are annoying and the production is flat. There’s also a confusing addition of a keyboard that doesn’t really make any sense for their sound, but hey, whatever works, I guess. I just don’t understand why the vocalist sounds like he’s gargling water and ranting at the top of his lungs at the same time.

Knifven Linköping! LP

A splash of springy Swedish punk. I don’t want to stereotype here, but Sweden has a knack for producing very catchy punk. Of course, other countries have bands with grabby riffs and pop sensibilities, but I just think of Swedish punk as imbued with this stuff right out of the gate, regardless of genre. I mean, several of these songs played in a loop in my head, and this is fairly boilerplate hardcore. All the same, its edges remain agreeably rough and slamdance-ready.

Liquid Lunch Road King cassette

Hyperactive egg-punk that brings to mind PRISON AFFAIR after one too many vodka Red Bulls. Powerful, screeching vocals paired with scorching guitar licks and the occasional synth lead. As is the case with most of these egg bands, there’s a lot of DEVO influence here, but there are moments that have a ’90s Fat Wreck vibe to them, too. Elements of bands like GOOBER PATROL shine through at points—helps differentiate LIQUID LUNCH from the other legion of nerds out there making this kind of music. Good stuff here, and well worth checking out if you’re a fellow egghead.

Mad Parade Re-Launch CD

Foregoing the fashion of the era, old school act MAD PARADE opted to play first-wave-inspired music in Fullerton at the dawn of hardcore! While fast and punchy SoCal bands like the CIRCLE JERKS were on the come-up, these rebels had a sound along the lines of ANGELIC UPSTARTS or COCKSPARRER—a rocking and poppy kind of punk with sing-along choruses and a commercial sensibility. Compiling the group’s 1987 full-length debut A Thousand Words (their best stuff, in my opinion) and the career-spanning History 1982–2017 anthology, this CD has all the MAD PARADE you can handle. Recommended for fans of 999, GENERATION X, and the like.

Manic Splits Manic Splits cassette

Driving rock’n’roll-infused garage punk from somewhere in Ohio. MANIC SPLITS do a damn good job of keeping my attention throughout their nine-song cassette, despite them having a song over five minutes long which delves into some real out-there psychedelia. Nothing here is reinventing the wheel, but they are able to incorporate many different aspects of punk, garage rock, surf, rock’n’roll, etc. without feeling insincere. Through it all, the vocalist lackadaisically barks his words in some COUNTRY TEASERS-type of delivery. I considered making a vocal comparison to VIAGRA BOYS, but for once, making the COUNTRY TEASERS reference seemed like the less offensive choice.

Mantarochen In the Badgers Cave EP

MANTAROCHEN is a darkwave, gothic post-punk band from Germany. I was immediately drawn to their EP solely from the title—In the Badgers Cave, so badass. With the opening track, “Reflection,” you feel as though you’re in another world. Perhaps underwater, swirling in the moody abyss they’ve created. Reminiscent of SELOFAN with distinct bass lines and synths, they are able to create an atmosphere of unrest, leaving you with a haunted feeling. I loved how lost I got in this EP.

Nerverna Hållplats Norr LP

Swedish band that mixes post-punk and post-hardcore, all wrapped in warm synth tones. While the band does an admirable job of crafting distorted bass-heavy dirges, the vocalist steals the shows here with exasperated hollers that drip with desperation and exhaustion. The cumulative effect is moving. The busy synths sounded a little heavy-handed at first, since they are clean tones gleaming through an otherwise noisy mix, but I grew to like the counterpoint between the crawling din and the sparkling keys. Heavy and emotive release that is worth checking out.

Personal Damage Violent Ritual EP

I’ve heard this Los Angeles band called “snotty,” and I would say that describes them pretty well. Snotty American hardcore. Texas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Michigan. If you like American hardcore punk, you aren’t going to find many bands that can equal this record. They recently toured the US and hopefully they’ll be doing it again, so make sure you see them and by all means, buy this record!

Poison Idea We Must Burn 2xLP reissue

Capping off the initial 1980–1993 phase of POISON IDEA’s long and storied existence, We Must Burn was the fifth and final offering from what many consider to be the classic lineup. In partnership with American Leather, TKO has made the album available on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1993, remastered from the tapes and repackaged in a deluxe gatefold jacket. If that weren’t enough, there’s an extra LP featuring studio outtakes from the Religion & Politics 10”, and live tracks from their performance at a gay rights benefit festival that was hosted at the Portland Meadows racetrack in 1992. For my money, the extra material alone makes this worth the price of admission, with some killer covers of DEVO, WIPERS, and G.I.S.M. We Must Burn is itself an incredibly interesting album. Opinions will of course be divided on later-era POISON IDEA, but quality and competence is undeniable. It’s stylistically scattershot, with savage cuts that harken back to their hardcore roots, tracks that would fit comfortably on Feel the Darkness, and some songs that stab out in unexpected territory with blues refrains, some actual singing from Jerry A, and even an attempt at grunge (it was 1993, afterall). That may sound terrible in theory, but in practice it somehow works. I know at least one person for whom this is their favorite POISON IDEA record. Wild. For the completist, this is a no-brainer, and for the curious it’s worth a listen at the very least, ‘cause let’s face it, even at their worst, POISON IDEA was nothing to scoff at…and you know you want to hear their take on alternative rock.

Pure Intention Faults and Fallacies cassette

Chicago three-piece PURE INTENTION brings a high-energy jolt of punk-infused rock with their tape Faults and Fallacies, delivering six tracks that range from one to three minutes while channeling a strong Scando influence. It’s a pretty good time, but the tape loses momentum with “Fallacy,” which meanders a bit and incorporates George-fucking-W. Bush samples that I found more confusing than effective. Despite this, the tape is a spirited listen that made me feel like it would be hella fun to watch them play while throwing back some beers at a dive bar. The standout track, “No Control,” is a pedal-to-the-metal romp with fun gang vocals.

Reticent Street Violence EP

I was extremely willing to write this off based on the cover, because do we really need another bunch of fellas pretending to be knights and singing about waging battle under the banner of the king? And yet, on pressing play, I was really pleasantly surprised! Some hard-as-fuck Oi!/UK82 by way of Bandung, Indonesia. Pissed-off vocals, rapid-fire riffs, and a rumbling bass line rounded off by a drummer hitting the skins like they owe him a tenner. Basically listened to this with a massive grin on my face throughout.

Sad Eyed Beatniks Ten Brocades LP

I happened to put this record on for the first time on a Sunday morning, which worked out well as this is perfect Sunday morning music. Ten Brocades by SAD EYED BEATNIKS is a fantastic bunching of easygoing, slightly whimsical pop psych tunes that could only come out of the San Francisco area. These sunny, lo-fi tunes call to mind the past sounds of WHITE FENCE or the mellower side of the Elephant 6 collective, while also sitting perfectly side by side with a more contemporary reference in APRIL MAGAZINE (was not surprised to find there is some member overlap there). This may be a collection of songs written over the last couple years, but it still feels very cohesive in its flow with songs calmly washing over the listener from start to finish. Press play right when you wake up, and by the time you get to “Passing Melody,” you’ll be ready for its slightly more VELVET UNDERGROUND “I’m Waiting for My Man” street gallop. Great stuff.

Sinister Feeling Sinister Feeling LP

SINISTER FEELING is from Baltimore, Maryland and they play powerviolence, which I don’t usually listen to very frequently. This album, however, grabbed my attention from the start. It sounds gritty and a bit dirty (no offense meant). I guess I am trying to say that they sound like a veteran band that has been doing this through many long road trips in an old van and sleeping on people’s floors for months at a time, and they have distilled the essence of what powerviolence should be and put it into this album in all its glory. I don’t usually listen to powerviolence, but this stands on its own despite any type of categorizing.

Thought Control Sick & Tired of the Talking Heads EP

Hot damn, this EP is lean and fuckin’ mean! THOUGHT CONTROL from Jersey (shout out to NJ, all my family is from there) is a wrecking ball of expertly executed, zero-fat hardcore. This thing is chock-full of crunchy guitars, breakneck drumming, and fuzzed-out vocals that are perfectly muddy and distorted. While many would say the crown jewel here is the title track (which does have an amazing guitar intro that sounds like COCKSPARRER’s “Riot Squad” on steroids), my favorite track is “Anti Christ Rock ’N‘ Roll,” a fun-as-hell song that has, you guessed it, loads of rock’n’roll guitar work. It goes without saying, this one is highly recommended.

Workers Comp Workers Comp LP

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve put on an Ever/Never release and incredulously sat through the first few songs, thinking something along the lines of “what the hell is this shit?,” only to come around by the end of the record, swearing it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. You’d think I would have learned to trust them at this point, but as I put on this album, my first thought was “Jesus—is this a fucking country record!?” And, yeah, it kind of is, but also kind of not really. In any event, it’s maybe one of the best things I’ve ever heard. WORKERS COMP is a trio out of Baltimore/Detroit featuring folks from STAFFERS, DIVORCE HORSE, and DEADBEAT BEAT. They’ve been at it for a couple of years now, releasing a handful of cassettes/EPs of anything-goes singer/songwriter-driven indie rock (in the sense of independent rock’n’roll, rather than what tends to count as indie rock these days), and this release compiles thirteen of those earlier songs on LP. Tracks cover anything from ramshackle, LOU REED-esque balladeering, to punkish slacker rock, to sneering jangle pop, to folksy Americana (at times sounding not unlike the BAND). It’s all over the place! But sharp songwriting and a rough-and-ready approach to recording really ties everything together nicely. It reminds me a lot of what I’ve loved about stuff by DAN MELCHIOR, KNEELING IN PISS, or even labelmate RICHARD PAPIERCUTS. Quite a collection of songs that I absolutely can’t stop listening to!

V/A Propeller Product Prop 4-1 2xLP

Here’s one that I wasn’t expecting to see reissued! The Boston (well, Allston)-based label Propeller Product put out a string of unassailable singles for local post-punk bands over the course of two brief years in the early ’80s, in addition to a 1981 compilation cassette featuring ten acts in the general Propeller orbit. The problem was that the tapes all had a manufacturing defect that made them impossible to play without an overpowering screeching sound, and rumor had it that the masters went missing soon thereafter—the songs would later circulate informally and in varying degrees of audio quality thanks to the internet, but this vinyl edition is the first time that the entire comp has really been properly presented. It’s pretty much wall-to-wall hits: CCCP-TV’s two tracks (“Downtown Address” and “Follow It Through”) are primo geeky, no wave-adjacent skronk in the COME ON/UJ3RK5 ballpark, and PEOPLE IN STORES stalk smoky, late night back alleys with sax-laced slowburners “Cheap Detective” and “Cat and Mouse.” “Something in Your Eyes” and “The Law” from ART YARD go toe-to-toe with Boston heavies MISSION OF BURMA in terms of razor-sharp, anthemic yet dissonant hooks, V;’s “Ich Liebe” is stern, rhythm-driven post-punk that’s more Berlin than Boston (a stark contrast with the simmering, SLITS-ish reggae beat of their other track, “In the Suburbs of the City of Pain”), “No Escape” by WILD STARES strangles a guitar Andy Gill-style while simultaneously bashing a xylophone, and their “China Song” snaps from a driving, minimalist beat to a more stilted and angular stop/start. “Let’s Be Creative” is the only recorded appearance of CHINESE GIRLFRIENDS, flailing from off-kilter DIY pop (think early K Records) to a collapsing art-punk jumble; the similarly one-off “Midge” from WHITE WOMEN is a breathless rush of seesawing, Rough Trade-ready femme-punk. The NEATS would later devolve into bland college/bar rock in the mid-’80s, but at this point in time, they were crafting great, darkly psychedelic garage nuggets in a Paisley Underground-like fashion, evidenced by the DREAM SYNDICATE-esque “Do the Things” and “Another Broken Dream.” Last but not least, DANGEROUS BIRDS’ moody “Catholic Boy” echoes Odyshape-era RAINCOATS by way of early Kim Gordon-helmed SONIC YOUTH, and the band’s keyboardist/guitarist LORI GREEN also contributes three solo cuts of skewed pop that include a totally bizarro cover of GENE PITNEY’s ’60s tearjerker “Town Without Pity.” A crucial document of one of my absolute favorite time/place-centered music scenes—you need this, truly.

Assistert Sjølmord Klimabombe EP

Their name translates to “assisted suicide” in English, and this is their debut 7″ (and a great one at that). The music is hardcore punk, and I stress the punk park of that description. This is modern hardcore punk of the highest order, no frills and a ton of energy. This band doesn’t exactly sound like these bands but they would fit right in with RAT CAGE, SCARECROW, VAASKA, DESTRUCT, and more. If you like those bands, then I think you will like this. It has been a little while since I have really taken notice of a Norwegian band, but this band really brings the punk.

Big Fuckin Skull Sea EP

I legitimately cannot tell if this is supposed to be a complete joke or not. BIG FUCKIN SKULL from Minneapolis have apparently been putting music out since 2000—I dread to imagine what it would be like to do this dogshit for at least 24 years. Musically, lyrically, and aesthetically, it’s MISFITS worship done very poorly. Nothing wrong with a bit of profanity, but there are so many unneeded uses of the work “fuck” that it just gets incredibly annoying. This sounds like a South Park parody of a punk band. Now it’s obviously not supposed to be completely serious and there’s nothing wrong with having fun with it—could you at least make it somewhat enjoyable for the listener though, please? Oh, and the production sucks, too.

Contractions / Savak split 12″

Here’s a split one-sided 12” featuring a pair of similar-sounding indie bands from different continents, France’s CONTRACTIONS and SAVAK who appear to be from New York. Each band offers up two cuts of inoffensive (if forgettable), melodic radio rock. There are some aspects of this record that to me just scream “vanity project,” like putting around ten minutes of music on one side of a 12″ slab of wax, and adorning the remaining side with laser-etched art. It seems like a lot of thought and care went into the packaging, which I can’t characterize as a bad thing, but feels like window dressing. Not to assert that the music is an afterthought, it’s just not as impressive as the presentation. Both groups play mid-tempo, jangly guitar pop with vocalists that sing. CONTRACTIONS have a textured sound with a killer bass tone, are a bit heavier and more atmospheric. There’s a shade of the REPLACEMENTS coloring their two songs, which adds some welcome grit to the equation. SAVAK are jammy in a way that I personally find very off-putting but would probably appeal to a much wider audience than the racket I prefer.

Corker Corker CD

A tidy power-punch eight-track EP for this trio from Baton Rouge. The vocals are raw-throated, earnest shouts like Ryan Young from OFF WITH THEIR HEADS singing for HOT WATER MUSIC. The guitar and bass really shine in the instrumental first minute of the song “To the Good Times” before the vocals kick in. The whole thing has the rough and rushed honesty of an unmastered version of ALKALINE TRIO’s Goddamnit. Two notes: the cover has some cool Picasso-inspired cubist art, and this is not the post-punk band CORKER from Cincinnati.

Deprogrammer Cult Tactics for Manipulation LP

Hailing from the underground music scene of Boston, this fearless foursome of sonic terrorists craft a harrowing debut. Their music is a relentless barrage of guitars, pummeling drums, and angry vocals that seem to emanate from a place of discontent. DEPROGRAMMER CULT’s music is rooted in hardcore but on the noisier side of the spectrum, yet not noisy enough to be called noisecore—more like a less chaotic version of COALESCE or BOTCH. There is a lot of happening beneath the layers of noisy violence; there is always an undercurrent of unbridled energy throwing you curveballs. They seek to unsettle the listener, removing layers of the veneer of normalcy to reveal the harsh realities that lie beneath the surface.

Disturd / Ulcer Warfare split CD

This CD is a dream come true. Literally. It is typically the kind of release that I dearly wish for, like an innocent teen unaware that it is actually in the works. Had I been asked, on a casual occasion like when you’re waiting in line for the toilet at the pub, which current crust bands would I like to see teaming up, DISTURD and ULCER would have probably come up. I was right to buy that lucky crust amulet off that stinky fellow last year. As he promised before passing out, it always pays off, and Kobe’s Hardcore Kitchen got the job done with this Warfare split. This album delivers what it is supposed to do and more in great fashion. DISTURD has grown into this quietly cult and iconic Japanese crust band, survivors of what I would describe as the “Crust War spirit” of the ’90’s and ’00s. They have been going for ages and always epitomized the notion of crust referentiality, meaning that their music and aesthetics heavily and openly rely on and crave to emulate very specific bands. In DISTURD’s case, it’s an undying love for ANTISECT and SDS, whose style of crunchy, heavy, dark metallic punk they nail perfectly. However, Warfare also introduces a different side of the band, as the first two songs are significantly slower, closer to the apocalyptic, atmospheric groove of early AXEGRINDER or MISERY. The vibe is moodier too, and the bleak instrumental intro and outro convey a sense of storytelling and narrativity that fits this old school crust style perfectly. Looking forward to more from this lot. ULCER plays in a similar category, but the band never treads in the fast and furious department, rather focusing on writing mid-paced, filthy metallic crust with a doom metal influence in some of the guitar leads. I like how raw, aggressive, and primitive the band sounds (again, classic UK bands like AXEGRINDER or ANTISECT are relevant points of comparison), and I definitely get a big COITUS influence here, even if this approach is particular to Japanese crust like AXEWIELD (who had two future members of ULCER) or REVÖLT demonstrated in the past. One of the strongest crust records of 2023, and a personal favourite. Now where is that ALEMENT/SWORDWIELDER split I have been also wishing for in my dreams?