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ANISAX is crusty hardcore, some D-beat, some good riffs, even a song that reminds me a bit of the way D.R.I. plays. Most of the time, they are playing music influenced by a lot of classic crust bands. I like this, it reminds me of the 1990s. BAKOUNINE is a good match for this split. Similar in style, but a little more D-beat. Both bands give us some nice hooks that really make this a good listen.
Swedish punk is a bit like crisps. You’ve got so many different flavours that you just cannot taste them all, unless the idea of kebab-flavoured crisps is your thing (in which case, you should probably talk to someone). What I mean is that I had never actually listened to SOCIALSTYRELSEN (who have been going for a long time), and never even heard of BRUTE FORCE TRAUMA, although I like Swedish punk and crisps. It pains me to say, but this split LP leaves me a little cold. SOCIALSTYRELSEN is certainly a powerhouse and their side sounds absolutely relentless, but I had a hard time getting into their ’00s modern dark crust style. I was reminded of AMBULANCE or SCHIFOSI, KONTROVERS at the best of times, but I am seldom in the mood for that sound these days. The band mastered the craft, undeniably, they are tight, ferocious, have the appropriate dark guitar leads and a great vocalist, but I am personally not won over (but I know a lot of people who would be). On the other side, the new band BRUTE FORCE TRAUMA is said to have former members of WOLFPACK and CRUDE SS, so that does make one curious. They go for a more direct and rocking heavy downtuned käng style, aiming for a late CIMEX/WOLFPACK vibe, but they fall a bit short as the recording lacks the threatening ferocity and intensity necessary to really pull it out, and I was left unconvinced by some of the vocals and guitar arrangements. Not a bad record, but not one I would rush to buy.
Hard-charging New York punk. RBNX is a little chunkier and has a slight metal tinge, while CAR BOMB PARADE is slicker and injects considerable grit into the mix (lyrically and musically). Both bands are well-polished, determined, and ready for action—aggressive and honest. Into both sides more the more times I listen.
DISCHARGE-drenched D-beat aficionados CHASM come tearing onto the scene out of Seoul, Korea with this four-track ripper. CHASM is set apart from the general D-beat milieu due in part to the vocal delivery, which is very much of the studded leather-gauntlet-covered fist in the air type. From the opening squeal of feedback to the final drumbeat drop, this demo is brimming with noisy D-beat which never strays from the band presenting their brand, so sans any superfluous sounds, you get just straightforward CHASM. This short sampling is absolutely worth a quick listen, but leaves me hungry and wanting for more.
Council Records in recent years has become a trusted name in underground music. Wherein, whether you like what they release or not, the underlying thread is one of quality craft and toned to a mature listener. TRUE FAITH’s side is a perfect synth rock song akin to HOME FRONT, 1985–1990 CURE, TALK TALK’s “It’s My Life,” FLOCK OF SEAGULLS’ “Space Age Love Song,” or those first few HUMAN LEAGUE LPs. The DEMMERS side is more of a 1981–1983 CURE vibe, starting from the first rhythmic bass through to the very last ringing guitar note. Both songs could easily slide into any mid-’80s mixtape that your art school friend recorded off their college radio station, and I say that in the best, most delightful way possible.
DRINK DEEP’s 7” DD is a no-frills time warp straight into the heart of classic DC hardcore, ripping through eight tracks in just over seven-and-a-half minutes. Recorded live in-studio by a Berlin four-piece in 2023, this EP features members who’ve played in such far-flung bands as REMISSION, the FOG, and PRAISE. Formed just a few years ago, DRINK DEEP nails that classic ’80s-style hardcore vibe with all the grit and sweat you’d expect. Phillippe’s vocals have an urgent, unpolished energy that brings to mind a young Ian MacKaye, and the lyrics feel sincere without slipping into preachiness. It’s not out to change the game, but it’s a solid hit of nostalgia for punks who still swear by the ’80s sound. I liked it. Check out the track “Empathy.”
Brutal Finnish D-beat trio that sounds exhausted with anger, pummeling hate, and pain, giving us vibes of total raw crust punk devastation. Anti-militarism merges with incessant noise, harsh-as-nailbombs drums, and caustic strings. Aggressive, exhaustion-driven, and with a geopolitically-minded stance, ranting against war and the miserable existence on this deadly planet, the eight tracks pass through you as a much-known ghost. Raw, violent, and dissonant, like reality.
What if late ’80s NYHC had been heartfelt and honest and without pretension? What if ’80s NYHC had been made by nerds and emo kids (before emo kids were even a thing)? What if ’80s NYHC had had a sense of humor (BORN AGAINST notwithstanding, of course)? If those things had been so, then ’80s NYHC would have sounded like GO!, but fortunately there was GO! so the answer is yes, this is what (late) ’80s NYHC sounded like. They were but a blip, but somehow managed to crank out a half-dozen (or more?) records between ’89–’91, and their approach to hardcore might sound even more refreshing now than it did then. Mike’s vocals are almost lazy, but it feels like he’s just confidently spitting facts to a backing track of no-bullshit USHC punk…because that’s what is happening. Impact compiles the two EPs (Reactive and What We Build Together) from a reformed GO! that were released in the mid-’00s with a ripping live WFMU set from 2006, and this is the anecdote to oppressive toxic hardcore. “Your power means nothing at all.”
I can’t get enough of D-beat. There is just something very appealing and hypnotic about hearing the same beat over and over again. If you are anything like me, you’ll get excited for the new HEADSPLITTERS. Ten bone-crushing tunes from New York’s deadliest punks. There is a very metallic quality to their songs, most likely due to some BROKEN BONES and ENGLISH DOGS influences. I never minded a little metal in my punk!
HOT EARTH is from ATLANTA (previously Hattiesburg?) and is composed of members of a buncha bands—the promo bills them a “supergroup”—with the one standout of the list being JUDY AND THE JERKS. Well there you go, let’s listen. This is HOT EARTH’s second release and clocks in around five minutes of near-perfect, crusty punk set at a blindingly fast cadence. This small offering is worth everyone’s immediate attention.
Dang, duder! Anyone that knows me can attest to the fact I hold my “dang, duder(s)” for only the most outstanding things. From the cover alone, I could tell this band was into physical fitness, and that dedication to self-help and preservation will always be paramount to a successful band. Musically, you are pulled into a lo-fi garage, which is where I imagine their home gym is located, with instantly hummable and toe tapping tunes not unlike SO COW, or HEAD. I could see this on Goner, Dirtnap, and Rad Girlfriend. Some of the tunes have a charming BUZZCOCKS feel, and others have a charming early BLACK FLAG feel. As the record moves on, it gets a bit more refined and loses some of the rustic feel, but still a very solid record that I will be spinning frequently.
Sometimes you don’t really need much to make kickass music. You don’t need intricate songwriting, a full band of virtuosos, crystal clear production, or lyrics that give Shakespeare a run for his money. I mean, wasn’t this the whole premise of punk rock in its early days? You just need the attitude, style and intent. It really can be as simple as “Here are three chords, go start a band,” and you don’t even need to start a band nowadays. Melbourne’s egg-punk powerhouse BILLIAM knows this by heart and proves it once again in his new no-strings solo affair, NTSC PAL’s first EP Full of Spots. It’s very stripped-down: just synths, drums and vocals, à la the SCREAMERS (duh). Even though we all know that BILLIAM is more than capable of coming up with billiams of sick guitar riffs in a heartbeat, he makes the conscious decision not to by leaving out guitars all together and focusing on simple earworm synth melodies this time around. I don’t know about you, but I think there’s something magical in something so simple and barebones. Though technically not a BILLIAM release, NTSC PAL’s Full of Spots is my favorite entry to the BILLIAM-verse to date.
A tragically beautiful female-fronted EP from this Finnish group. Sounding like a less disparate RAINCOATS or SLITS, the band skirts between art school punk, power pop, and new wave seamlessly. The album continues a tradition of great Scandinavian indie pop similar to Sweden’s MAKTHAVERSKAN or WESTKUS.
This is an upbeat synth punk/egg-punk ripper. Four short songs in about six minutes. If you like this kind of thing, then you just can’t go wrong getting this. They sound like many other similar bands, but this is one of the better releases I’ve heard from this current crop of egg-punk.
Debut seven-song demo of metal-infused hardcore punk from Massachusetts. A very professional-sounding, discernible, slick-recorded demo, which would be high-quality enough for most bands’ official releases. With tempos ranging from plodding dirges to blastbeats, often within the course of the same song, PUSH BACK brings us palpable anger at any speed. Politically-driven songs seemingly mostly about greed, corruption, police, and gender. In my opinion, the regurgitation of OPERATION IVY lyrics as a spoken word part in the first song to get such a point across was a bit of a jarring choice. The band self-identifies as “heavy metal and black metal-infected HC punk.” While there are some noodly guitar leads and some double-kick rumble, I don’t really hear any aspect of black metal, and would say the band’s metal connection is more closely related to the early 2000s phenomenon of describing any sort of fast hardcore punk band as being “thrash.”
Totally unhinged hardcore from Sydney’s RAPID DYE, a band who have been around the block and whose reputation for good live shows proceeds them. Fortunately, their first LP achieves the rare feat of living up to that hype, featuring nine songs in about ten minutes that do a good job capturing the loud and sweaty experience of a punk show, much like the one featured on the cover. Lo-fi vocals, distorted-to-oblivion guitars, and an unhinged rhythm section barrel forward with the energy of a hurricane and draw comparisons to the blunt force of early NYHC. If you can’t catch RAPID DYE live, you could do worse than listening to this.
Eight brief tracks from this Warsaw duo who bang out coldwave-meets-egg-punk cuts that sound like Ian Curtis fronting the CONEHEADS. Lo-fi, reverbed garage punk guitar pushes up against crispy drum machine beats with production that sounds like the band is playing down in the sewer as you are walking on the street above. Vocalist Pawel has a baritone voice that drapes a feeling of darkness over upbeat rhythms, and it balances nicely between catchy and tough. It’s like a cartoon character with a knife in his pocket; forget Garfield, this is Heathcliff music.
Bluesy German band with an underlying scatalogical presentation and theme. Feeling this one for sure; it is zero-fi rock’n’roll done with no bullshit trappings, just youthful abandon. If you like the HEADCOATEES, Sympathy Sessions-era OBLIVIONS, or GORIES, buy this now.
I was hooked immediately with the repeated guitar riff that started out the album. Great punk. I loved the badass, distorted bass in “Sick and Tired,” not to mention their great cover of “My War” by BLACK FLAG, that kept a fast punk tempo throughout which was unique. They were also able to branch out into more melodic, pop-punk-style songs as well. Lastly, I thought the font they used on their album cover was sick as hell. Check these guys out for sure.
Hailing from Hakata, Japan, SLICKS have been at it since 1989, and this 7” is the latest fruit of their long-standing labors and the first new music they’ve released since their 1990s heyday. “I Broke Player” is a snotty number that wears its SEX PISTOLS influence on its sleeve, and “Cherry Roll” on the B-side is a groovier take on the same sound with a lot of thumpin’ bass to bob along to. This triumphant return comes a couple of years after the General Speech and King’s World labels conspired to bring us the Total Filth Collection compilation of the band’s earlier recordings, and should be just as pleasing for budget rock bros and first-wave freaks alike.
One of many incredible Australian acts to make a splash keeps their hot streak going with two mean, sneering cuts of street punk. While “On the Edge” has a confident strut anchored by a dripping meaty bass line, “On the Loose” picks up the pace with a neck-snapping number that showcases their dual-guitar lineup with an earnest, blazing guitar solo. Jackson Reid Briggs’s throaty, booming holler is perfectly suited for this music, somewhat calling to mind the confidence of Chris Shaw (EX-CULT, MEMO PST). This band is operating at a high level with a sound that’s outside of time, referential but fresh and hitting like a hammer. Motor City back-alley rock by way of Melbourne. This single is a perfect entry point to the group whose swaggering, garage-inflected punk already feels classic as it’s being made in front of you.
Whenever a band opts for “Thee” over “The,” the hope is for some proper garage rock, and THEE ROGUE TELSTARS provide exactly that with these two tracks. If THEE HEADCOATS went to space, it would sound something like this. Simultaneously frantic and tight, “To The Moon” bursts with energy from start to finish, while the B-side starts slow and retro, but quickly finds itself back at the same breakneck speed with a tasteful rockabilly sheen slapped on top. The perfect use of the medium, it’s no surprise this hot slab of Canadian wax was put out by Toronto’s Ugly Pop Records.
Excellent fast hardcore from London inspired by the likes of RIPCORD and HERESY. Five tracks of manic drumming, barked vocals, and heavy riffing, similar in style to fellow Londoners STINGRAY, and released on Quality Control HQ (Free Ola!). Extra points for the hard-as-fuck band name. If all of that’s not enough to persuade you to check this one out, give “Bodies” a listen, you will be convinced. Highly recommended.
I bought my car about a decade ago, and the first sticker I threw on the thing was a Backwoods Butcher logo. I marked out quite a bit when this thing slid across my desk because this label can do no wrong, and that’s especially true here with this collection of demo tapes aptly titled “the worst.” That’s a compliment depending on who you’re talking to. Featuring a collection of previously released demos from SKITKATEDRAL, RANCOROUS SLOG, TELEKINETIC DECAPITATION, IGNORANT CORPSE, GAMMA-GERÄT, and CEMETERY FUNGUS, this compilation perfectly encapsulates what one should always expect from a Backwoods Butcher release: a little bit of grind, a little bit of Southern rock, a little tongue-in-cheek, and a lot a bit of DIY. Really great stuff here, and recommended to anyone who likes to drink a warm beer on their rickety front porch.
Eleven songs are on this 45 repress that originally plopped out in 2014. There is a strong LEGENDARY WINGS, BIG DRILL CAR, and DOC HOPPER impression to the songs. I really wish there would have been a lyric sheet instead of a bunch of almost legible writing on a bedroom wall; I’m certain they didn’t get their security deposit back. I heard a bunch of “she” and “her” and the one line I made out clearly on the first pass was “My sex drive’s lacking and she wants to get fucked.” If you like any of the above-mentioned bands, then you will most certainly enjoy this platter as well. I think there are only 50 of the splattered version, so act now while supplies last. Or don’t act now. Free will, baby.
When I listened to this the first time, my immediate first thought was that this sounds a little like NOMEANSNO when they are playing a couple of their RAMONES-influenced songs, and I like it. Lots of textures to the songs, well-played and pleasant to listen and rock out to. They also have a little influence from early 2000s bands like NO HOPE FOR THE KIDS, YOUNG WASTERNERS, or the REGULATIONS (they do a fantastic cover of “Anna’s Eyes”). This is a very good tape if you like melodic hardcore punk rock.
Yew stands out from so much of what I’ve been hearing that it’s hard to formulate a concise response. As someone with a deep and unwaveringly love for peace punk, this album transports me back to a time when I’d listen to Christ – The Album on repeat, wondering why the world was so irredeemably fucked-up. It makes me think of the first time I heard Dick Lucas shout “sub-vert!” and it reminds me of crashing with someone on tour that had like every Crass Records 7” and didn’t mind me staying up and recording them onto cassettes after everyone had passed out. There is something devastatingly poetic about this album that transcends description. Razor-sharp in how it cuts directly into the vein of influence, Yew still retains a character unto itself. Yes, the opening track sounds uncannily familiar to any fan of the MOB, but it’s not purely derivative. Similar to how INSTITUTE evokes CRISIS, or the way STRAW MAN ARMY elicits a nod towards FLUX OF PINK INDIANS, CAN KICKER dives headlong into the wellspring of anarcho-punk, and resurface with a fresh take on ancient anguish.
DENUDE’s debut LP, A Murmuration of Capitalist Bees, delivers eight tracks of mathy post-rock recorded live in the studio with “very few overdubs.” The three-piece, with members from PIGLET, MURDER IN THE RED BARN, FUIGUIRNET, and CREDENTIALS, clearly knows their instruments—the rhythm section drives with bombast and James David’s semi-sung vocals serve the material well. However, the first half of the album feels a bit directionless, leaving me wondering, “Where is this going?” By the second half, the tracks pick up slightly and “Phalanx” is a high point, but overall, the band’s restrained style left me craving more intensity. Fans of bands like SLINT and FARAQUET might appreciate the album’s subtle approach, but it may not fully satisfy those seeking more aggression. The vinyl is limited to 74 copies on clear root beer plastic with black and gold swirls, and 200 copies on black vinyl.
My band played with ERASER when we toured through Philly last spring, and their motorik, electro-damaged meltdowns mentally transported me right back to the first few years of our current millennium—it’s 2001 or 2002, I’m on the second floor of an old, dilapidated former downtown department store where I’ve come to see NUMBERS or ERASE ERRATA, everyone is smoking indoors, and the wood floors are buckling under the weight of people dancing in the light of a few junk store lamps and a half-broken chandelier. It was one of the best sets that I saw all year, and their debut record Hideout fully lives up to that live promise. There’s some wild no wave scrape lurking just beneath the claustrophobic (and especially NUMBERS-esque) robo-punk buzz of “Trans Air Force 2,” while “Dinner Roll” takes the stark, stuttering beat of TUXEDOMOON’s “No Tears” and folds it up into a much more concise and compact form, punctuated with shrill blasts of synth and tangled guitar, and the rolling bass line and flat-affect vocal commands of “Simon Says” are cut through with insistent, needling six-string jabs like a less unruly (but no less thrilling) SCISSOR GIRLS. Some of the best out-sounds out there now.
Punk band with nice whiny, screamy vocals. I was really drawn to their wit and sarcasm present in the lyrics like the line, “I only make 55 bucks an hour” in the track “Nuclear Family,” which in itself is a witty commentary on social norms. I loved the speed they were able to get without being repetitive. I’m not entirely sold on “Wino Rhino,” their kind of country track, as I couldn’t tell if it was done as mockery or if they were trying to do something different. Either way, I loved this album.
Seven tracks of meaty, straightforward DC hardcore with heavy mosh parts and vocals that sound like John Brannon of NEGATIVE APPROACH. Songs like “Counter Culture” and “Click Buy Consume” have to get the elbows flying when played live due to mid-song tempo changes and lyrics that sweat with frustration. The whole thing is like a throwback to an early ’80s 7”, including the grainy cover art, but in a vital and energetic way rather than a nostalgic caricature. If you like your hardcore punk done classic style—fast, tough, and angry—check it out.
Head-splitting hardcore split from Nova Scotia’s MISANTHROPIC MINDS and Oulu’s HÄPEÄ. Both bands absolutely rip, beginning with MISANTHROPIC MINDS on the A-sde. You know in cartoons when two characters get into a fight and become a big ball of dust with an arm swinging here and a leg kicking there? That’s pretty much the vibe from MISANTHROPIC MINDS, a chaotic ball of energy that is fully cranked up start to finish, including the vocals which are absolutely rabid. On the B-side, HÄPEÄ maintains the same frantic energy, while featuring slightly more intelligible vocals and a little bit of breathing room on the excellent “Kello Käy”, the only track on the EP that has a slightly slower tempo, and I must stress slightly. A remarkable single destined for legendary status, and one any respectable collector should add to their stack.
Some seriously intense hardcore here. They seem to be going all out giving some D-beat pogo chaos. Not afraid to play a chaotic and great guitar solo or a slowed-down stomper that in my mind, I envision a big circle pit erupting when they play live. This band from Helsinki really knows how to play some musical chaos. I’m impressed. Only 500 pressed, so I doubt this record stays around that long.
Hard to believe this came out in the 2020s, but here we are. German screamo/indie/math/emo…ultra-chaotic and erratic, alternating between discordant madness and deliberate sonic introspection. Call KŸHL post-something if you like, but I consider them an extremely challenging and fascinating listen. You’re going to hear ’90s DIY basements to be sure, but these sounds feel current, urgent, and now.
NIGHTFREAK’s Midnight in Memphis cassette captures twenty minutes of frenzied, beer-soaked punk’n’roll from this Chicago three-piece, recorded live at the Lamplighter Lounge in Memphis last year. The seven tracks blaze by with vocal-chord-shredding intensity, and while NIGHTFREAK’s energy made me think of bands like the BRONX or ZEKE, their execution is not nearly as tight. As a live recording, it sounds surprisingly decent, and the band’s unhinged spirit comes through loud and clear—way more visceral than on their self-titled album. Recommended for anyone who likes their rock turned up to ten and running on pure adrenaline. If they can channel all this piss and vinegar into their next studio release, I’m all in.
Always great when a release can catch your eye with design and layout alone, and the latest effort by PLASTIC ACT accomplishes just that. Even better when the music delivers to your ears what your eyes knew to be true. This Now! EP is three bouncy and poppy tracks that leave you wanting even more. While these tunes brought to mind any number of late ’70s Boston area obscurities—the FLIES, HOT DATES, SHANE CHAMPAGNE BAND, etc.—these tracks happen to come from our neighbor to the north. Fantastic music for the incoming spring thaw and beyond.
This album illustrates the wise, albeit seldom respected, saying of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” The name of the band, PX-30, is rather enigmatic at first, and the slightly unreadable record cover evokes hip hop or ’90s techno records more than it does hardcore punk. Apparently the phrase PX-30 refers to a model of marker used by graffiti artists (or vandals, as any right-wing dad would claim), which accounts for the visual design. Still, even though it does make sense once you take these details into consideration, I still think it is an odd choice—narrow-minded punks like myself are just not used to such aesthetic freedom, and to make an effort of so much originality is bound to lose me. Fortunately for me, I have friends who are able to welcome new visual ideas and who told me that PX-30 was the dog’s bollocks indeed, and they were very right. This Uppsala power-käng unit has members of the mighty HERÄTYS and KATASTROF and plays (wait for it, wait for it) perfectly-executed, angry and pissed-off Swedish hardcore with cracking riffs, sing-alongs, and they even dare to take a couple of tasteful and fearless strolls outside of D-beat country (they don’t stray too far, though). This LP is the reissue of the band’s demo, but to be honest, it is so good that it is hard to believe this was just a demo to start with. The production has that raw, pummeling feel but manages to highlights the edge of the guitar sound, clear but dirty and overall rocking as fuck. Bloody Swedish punks at it again. Thankfully, you actually do not judge books by their covers and already own this record, but if you don’t and you love TOTALITÄR and INFERNÖH, be prepared to be very favourably impressed, because this rips.
Bizarre and seemingly found at a forgotten antique shop yesterday is this demo of crazy New York metal from 1987, filled with an odd, thrashy vibe and a minor resemblance to OZZY in regard to mental asylum affairs. Frantic, experimental, and decently recorded for that period. With references to grimy situations and dark places, it’s recommended for metal maniacs that search for every bit of ancient metallic sounds and forms. Listen to the screams and high-pitched loud cries and hate it or love it.
SAIDIWAS was a “vegan straightedge band that was influenced by the Revolution Summer DC bands’ politics and violent dancing,” from Northern Sweden from 1995 through 1999. File this under Fans of USA Basement Emocore. If you are a fan of ORDINATION OF AARON, NATIVE NOD, STILL LIFE, CAR VS DRIVER, STRUGGLE, quiet/loud, talk/yell, and then a lot of people yell, and the “someone pulls out a trumpet but thankfully they never play it” type of thing. This is perfect for being a snapshot of the “if you were there” category, but it isn’t a new perspective or missed gem.
Nope. This shit sucks. If you need more info than that, I will do my best solely as a PSA. This deeply stupid Roswell, NM band pulls from influences as disparate as egg-punk and crossover with squiggly synth leads up against blastbeats. Opener “Your Words are Worthless” has demeaning lyrics like “Look at me in the eyes / Your life is worthless / Pretend that I’m your lord and savior,” before ending with, “Look at me, bitch.” That’s not enough reason to avoid? The second track is called “I Put Celery Down in My Pants,” and consists of the title screamed over and over. Okay, one more, but that’s it. The third track is called “Now I Wanna Be Your Retard.” Are we good? Recommended for the trash collector and literally no one else.
With members of PUFFER and BETON ARME, and especially being released on Roachleg, I came into this tape with preconceptions. How delightfully shocked was I, then, to have expectations totally subverted by a collection of songs that don’t bludgeon so much as coax you into their plaintive landscape. The group is evocative of a broad palette of influences, from dream pop to cowpunk, and it all works. I’m always impressed by a band that can explore while still sounding confident, keeping to a center that holds strong regardless of what genre they dip into. There’s no one corner to paint these songs into, and that’s what makes the release so potent. On the outright classically rocking “Rien Ne T’empechêra,” you end up with something akin to THIN LIZZY with Bernard Sumner on guitar. I might be reaching, but that’s the sort of abstract pairing the music conjures. All in all, it’s an immensely satisfying and beguiling grip of tracks from some of Montreal’s top players.
The other day I was chatting with a younger punk about “crust classics’’ and basically trying to enlighten him with learned references to obscure Greek crust, as one normally does. When the conversation veered toward the ’00s, I realized we had very different perspectives. While I saw ’00s “stenchcore revival’’ bands like HELLSHOCK, SANCTUM or AFTER THE BOMBS as modern and contemporary, he saw them as old school acts, as irrevocably ancient as ’80s or ’90s ones (and really, just like anything that happened before he was born). The cycle of (crust) life. STORMCROW epitomised that stenchcore revival sound, and I remember loving them to death and certainly overplaying them to the great distress of my roommates when this came out in 2005. The name comes from a DEVIATED INSTINCT song and the cover was drawn by artist extraordinaire Mid from that very band, so you knew full well where you were wandering when playing Enslaved in Darkness. I still blast this filthy metal crust monster on a regular basis and lip sync on the devastating first number’s grizzly bear vocals. STORMCROW was maybe the heaviest of that short-lived wave of bands, as they had that dirty, doom-laden, organic sludge metal vibe to their sound while still giving the impression that actual cavemen were playing. The Californian metal crust school of the late ’80s/early ’90s and its sonorities could be a point of comparisons (like early MINDROT, A//SOLUTION, or even SKAVEN), as well as BOLT THROWER or 13, but STORMCROW certainly brought something fresh—in a fetid way—to the old school crust game that HELLSHOCK redefined in the ’00s. This LP is an absolute classic that has been known to make crust pants walk by themselves. Play loud.
Nice mixture of atmospheric post-rock and melodic hardcore, bringing to mind an imaginary scenario of Chuck Ragan singing with RUSSIAN CIRCLES. Huge drums and beautifully recorded guitar. Very flowery, slow, and clean on the first track, transitioning into an uptempo punk classic on the B-side. The EP closes on a 30-second guitar loop that sounds like it came from throes of the TOUCH back catalog. Very interesting EP that doesn’t settle on one specific sound. Impressive that this comes from a duo.
Denmark’s THE WAR GOES ON is approaching three decades of existence, a tenure that comes with a degree of maturity that’s evident on their latest full-length, Death Wish. These ten tunes display a neat and powerful post-hardcore sound, and each song is a thoughtful meditation showcasing bleak perspectives on the human condition. The music is harmonious, even catchy at times, but there’s an underlying thread of melancholy that runs throughout the album. This recipe makes for an engaging listen and it’s an undeniably well-composed effort.
Raspy vocals, rambunctious guitars, and a bouncing but tight rhythm section is the basic description of ZIKIN from Lekeito, Spain. Anthemic and melancholic, the Bala Galdua Zure Buru Galduan 12″ blends dark punk and hardcore into a sound that is instantly gripping. The eight songs presented on this 12″ contain rhythm shifts, but primarily stick to a rather quick delivery which keeps the energy high. The jerking beat and stop-on-a-dime of “Labankada Hortza” is testament to the rhythmic skills of ZIKIN. If you like things like CHAIN CULT or CRAN, you’ll absolutely like ZIKIN.
Volumes have been written about Eastern Euro punk, and I feel like I’m going to keep discovering new (old) sounds as long as I’m breathing. This 1990 compilation was reissued last year, and featured one band I knew (TELEX) and seven more that I am fast becoming obsessed with—KRITIKÁ SITUACE, ZELENÍ KANIBALOVÉ, PLEXIZ, SVOBODY SLOVO, S.P.S., AKUTNÍ OTRAVA, and WANASTOWI VJECY. I’ll spare you the tedious band-by-band analysis and just say that literally every track here is a killer, and fans of Czech/Slovak punk will rejoice. A few bands on the more melodic tip and a few slightly more metallic, but everything falls in the realm of dark and stark Iron Curtain punk and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
The chance that you have heard of ANGKARA is slim indeed, unless you live in Malaysia and own a studded jacket and as well as a couple of WOLFPACK shirts. I generally dig the Southeast Asian take on Swedish hardcore and D-beat for its energy and sincerity, and I was therefore easily lured by Bollock Records’ presentation of Dogma mentioning APPARATUS, BRAINCELL, or SKULLCRUSHER. This LP is a reissue of the band’s demo originally released in 2016, in memory of the bass player Pahrol who sadly passed in 2019. ANGKARA is not reinventing the wheel here, and would not have been out of place in the ’90s Swedish hardcore crust scene of Distortion Records. The aforementioned WOLFPACK, late CIMEX, SKITSYSTEM, or even BOMBRAID are the usual culprits, although ANGKARA’s sound is rawer and does not enjoy the same production (DIY or die, right?), but they still hit hard and the heavy käng riffs are there. It took me a couple of songs to get into the vocals though, and I would have wished for a more gruff approach, but I am being picky. A solid effort for completists, I suppose, and an all-around lovely time.
ATERPE’s Konfiantza 7” picture disc is a bit of a curiosity. The band’s third release takes 7 SECONDS’ 1984 hardcore anthem “Trust” and stretches it into something almost unrecognizable—an overproduced ’90s rock sound that feels worlds away from the original’s ferocity. If you didn’t know it was a cover, you probably wouldn’t guess. The song is sung in Euskara, the Basque language, which might be the most interesting thing about it. Earlier ATERPE recordings from Txori Ene leaned faster and more chaotic, so this shift in style might be a surprise for longtime fans. It’s a niche release for collectors of lathe-cut records and fans of obscure reinterpretations, but you might want to sample before committing.
Demo and live tracks compiled into one release from this Chilean noise punk crew. The opening track “Escuelita Daddy Flip” is a disorientating blast of shattered techno that recalls the glitched-out tape HOSPITAL TERRORIZER put out last year. Distorted patterns catch your ear for four or five seconds before mutating into something new and weirder. The four subsequent demo tracks adhere more to recognizable punk framing with relentless tupa-tupa beats, unhinged vocals, and absolute guitar fuzz noise reminiscent of ’80s Japanese hardcore tones. It’s rad. “F.M.H.” features a flanger on bass with a string-bending psych-heavy guitar lead that is still totally punk and raw. Eleven live tracks follow, and the recordings manage to capture what sounds like a frenzied, feral performance with palpable audience excitement. Top-shelf noisy hardcore with personality to spare.
CAUSTIC wastes no time unveiling their brand of ballsy and brazen hardcore on this potent cassette. Over the course of just about six minutes, they channel a range of hall-of-fame shit like Pick Your King-era POISON IDEA, Vicious Circle-era ZERO BOYS, NEGATIVE APPROACH, and BLACK FLAG circa Damaged. Every song scratches the itch, it’s killer, and fingers are crossed that this tape is just the tip.
