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!
High-energy, lo-fi garage punk from the Netherlands that sounds a lot like the SPITS. That’s not a bad thing—the five rockers here (plus one sound collage interlude) have a familiar “crunchy guitar with synth lead” formula, and the songs bounce with infectious melodies and personality. Recommended for switched-on garage freaks.
BEDLAM HOUR’s interpretation of melodic HC/punk is slick and professional-sounding, with all the rough edges smoothed away. In the past, it’s what might have been described as “commercial,” although I don’t know if that still applies. They jettisoned the abrasive, imperfect, and confrontational qualities associated with the genre, but kept some of its musical landmarks (power chords, relative brevity, etc.), polished the distortion, tightened the delivery, and cleaned up the recording. And Win a Billion Dollars! is clean. So clean you could eat off of it (if you choose to).
Minneapolis trio BLOOD COOKIE puts out their fourth LP, The World in Reverse!—it’s dark and brooding indie with noisy instrumentals, like a page out of early SONIC YOUTH with poppier overtones. Jordan and Tom trade off bass, guitar, and vocal duties in this democratic band, keeping songs fresh track to track without losing their cohesive sound that is as endearing as it is fun. With a range from soft, sweeping, and shambolic (“Shelter”) to slap-happy drumming and fast changes (“I Robbed a 7-11”), this has a little something for everyone and will leave you wanting more, even after fifteen tracks. Don’t let the glued-together album art fool you—while they may present as a melancholy college band, this group is tight and well-formed after ten years as BLOOD COOKIE.
CIDADÃO from Chicago keeps it rough and simple. These four rugged, skinhead-style tunes are played raw and prone to boiling over into a hardcore punk-level ferocity. The lyrics are in Spanish, and there’s a baby wearing Doc Martens eating the world while being protected by a snake and an eagle on the cover.
The aptly-titled fourth EP from San Diego’s CLOSEDOWN. Mid-paced, stompy hardcore with growly, aggro vocals and misanthropic lyrics—you know the type. It’s definitely competent, it’s certainly not bad, but these bands kinda come a dime a dozen these days it seems. Not a bad listen or anything, you just won’t really be missing anything in your life by side-stepping this one. Also contains a pretty neat STIFF LITTLE FINGERS cover.
On their debut 12” The Future…Is Now, Chicago’s CORONARY bangs out nine solid cuts of hardcore that have a nice metallic sheen and lots of anger to spare. Sonically, CORONARY successfully incorporates a few different styles here, from the thrash-y “Future Ruin” to manic powerviolence on “Suffer The People.” The standout for me is “Violent Era,” a fun ripper that goes from D-beat to beatdown. For fans of HEAVEN’S GATE and MUNICIPAL WASTE.
A love letter to the late ’70s/early ’80s “it was easy, it was cheap, go and do it” UK DIY renaissance sent on behalf of Jérémie Morin’s DICTAPHONE project, which has spent the last fifteen years or so running roughly parallel to A FRAMES’ robotic, dystopian future clang, the electro/trash garage scuzz of the FEELING OF LOVE, and any number of similar Terminal Boredom fixtures circa 2005–2010. The dozen songs covered here range from dancefloor staples for the trenchcoat-clad (the NORMAL’s “Warm Leatherette”), to noisy, art school dropout hometaper racket (“Don’t Make Another Bass Guitar Mr. Rickenbacker” by DANNY AND THE DRESSMAKERS), to cult classics of bedsit minimal wave (SOLID SPACE’s “Tenth Planet”)—does Xerox Music do much to manipulate its source material into something radically new? Not really, but if your Messthetics CD-Rs have degraded to the point of no return (which is more likely than not), it’s a suitable enough facsimile. A few of the more interesting takes include the sparse and trebly stumble of METROPAK’s “OK Let’s Go” getting a blown-out shitgaze update, trading the wound-up yelps of the original for the sort of monotone echo chamber vocals that BLANK DOGS made bank on, TRONICS’ falling apart primitivist pop anti-anthem “Shark Fucks” being translated in more of a COUNTRY TEASERS fashion (UK DIY a few waves removed), and a relatively faithful spin on the MEKONS-via-TELEVISON PERSONALITIES naivety of the REFLECTIONS’ “Tightrope Walker.” Xerox Music also includes a period-perfect cut-and-paste aesthetic zine, filled with multiple essays in French giving a crash course in the history of UK DIY—I took intro-level French classes in a public Texas high school over twenty years ago, so my actual comprehension of it was spotty at best, but I’m sure there’s plenty of info to be gleaned for those with sharper minds en français.
There’s an interesting balance in Brooklyn’s DISCREET CHARMS’ sound. They embody a sort of workhorse, bar band grit while paying clear homage to artier/university-read post-punk—most notably in the vocals, which I’m sure the group is sick of hearing often evoke a more automaton Paul Banks (that’s not a dig, I swear). The ultra-obscure cover of “Mo” by the PARASITES OF THE WESTERN WORLD shows that this act is in fact interested in showing you their bookshelf, but they convincingly make it their own so that it lies flush alongside their originals. I really respond to this kind of intellectual but primitive punk, and when you can write a dour bop with a hook as strong as that in “Criminals at Heart,” which comes damn close to capturing the same sort of odd magic of Philly’s PHANTASIA, you deserve folks’ attention. I’m definitely interested to hear more!
Does it get cold in Nova Scotia? Are they playing this fast to try and stay warm?? In any case, twenty songs in twenty-one minutes is gonna generate some heat, and there’s no denying it—EXCITED TO DIE’s debut full-length is a scorcher. The songs aren’t just short, they’re also blisteringly fast, harkening back to the classic era of USHC. Think JERRY’S KIDS minus the showboating behind the drum kit. EXCITED TO DIE clearly don’t have time for nuance, and that is working to their advantage. The vocals sound unhinged and scathing, projecting razor-sharp cynicism through a lens of appropriately negative thinking. The rhythm section is steering the ship with an enviable bass tone and tasteful tempo shifts. There’s just enough dirt on the guitar to give it a tube-driven warmth. It’s obvious that this band is building on a foundation of experience, so it comes as no surprise that their pedigree includes names like MUTATED VOID and BOOJI BOYS. I’d be psyched to see EXCITED TO DIE on a bill with the HELL or LAFFING GAS. Clearly they’re not here for a long time, just for a bad time…in the best possible way.
Fuck me, this is mean. GARGARA (apparently meaning “gargle” in English) is from Buenos Aires, and this is their first recording. This all-female three-piece has the impetuous energy that characterizes young bands, who mostly (and rightly) focus on making a racket and shouting angry words instead of pedal boards and tuning. I wasn’t expecting something quite so raw, and on a second listen, I think I actually like what I’m hearing. This is genuinely primal, snotty as hell, sloppy at times, fast punk rock with that typically raging tupa-tupa Latino punk vibe. I am reminded of classic late ’80s Mexican hardcore punk bands like MASSACRE 68, SS 20, or XENOFOBIA, with something of the Medellin sound of DEXKONCIERTO. You could probably see GARGARA in the light of recent bands like IGNORANTES or INYECCION as well, who successfully built on that infectious, pogo-inducing punk sound. The gruff, screamed vocals are very aggressive and almost too extreme, as I sometimes had the impression I was listening to a demented black metal vocalist auditioning for a tribute band to ’89 Mexican hardcore, which at least is quite memorable. The last song, “Nada,” is the gem here, with some melodic(!) backing choruses providing the hook to otherwise pretty basic songwriting. But then, that’s the whole point of the genre. The perfect soundtrack to pogo like you’re sixteen again.
MANUELA IWANSSON fronted TERRIBLE FEELINGS, and Dark Tracks is their first full-length solo presentation. Over a decade ago, I interviewed MANUELA and found them to be honest, thoughtful, and a dark-souled being with predilections for all things creepy. All this comes through on Dark Tracks, with articulate lyrics delivered with their signature vocalizations over ’80s-inspired rock’n’roll. Elements of synth, post-punk, and new wave layered with a country rock vibe means this album is full of swagger and grit. Nordic pop elements arise naturally and develop into infectious melodies. If you were ever a fan of TERRIBLE FEELINGS, then you’ll love this album instantly. However, Dark Tracks proves MANUELA is a creative that can stand alone with strength and talent like a classic desperado.
Hamburg’s KÜKEN (“Cock”) showing up like the neighborhood kid you haven’t seen in a while, and suddenly he’s all grown up and muscular and shit on this third self-titled LP. Their previous efforts have been great, delivering some of the best garage punk of our time, but now they’ve evolved into certified killers, playing top-tier dirty rock’n’roll to rival even the finest moments of classic Rip Off Records and such. The eleven sharp tunes here carry an effortless swagger, and every song is a banger. The band’s signature shambling groove established on tracks like “Stick Meat” from their debut LP turns up polished and perfected on tunes like “Off The Track” and “Goatleather,” flooding my brain with dopamine every time it hits. There’s an obvious RAMONES homage at work in these songs, along with a rare degree of sophisticated juvenility that reminds me of ’90s French punk heroes the SPLASH FOUR, and overall they’re just really in-the-pocket on this shit-hot thumper of a record. It’s a perfect soundtrack for exhibiting poor judgment, risking it all, or just, you know, getting over-excited while driving home from work.
Tour split effort brought to us by Under the Gun, featuring NEW BUCK BILOXI and their lo-fi, messy punk with a very cutting-edge sound, who bring two cold and blunt tracks with some kind of sordid anger that was very much on-point with deranged, mildly distorted guitars, and LOTHARIO, with a heavily effected vocal and strident, deep-fried strings and synth-driven drums on “Doggy.” For “Missing Person,” the ranting is reduced to get us some very danceable garage-y post-punk. Interesting split between friends.
French punks who take the risky approach of throwing different styles at the wall to see what sticks, with surprisingly strong results. The first few tracks have a straight-ahead USHC sound with shouted vocals and chord progressions that sound like early BLACK FLAG. There are hints of other things going on as well though, such as gang vocals on “Sugar” and “Watching You!” that evoke the melodic youth crew of INSTED. Layers of guitars build into alt/psych walls on “Burning Bilderburg” and the ending of “Watching You!,” and “Army of Dolphins” is a flanged-out psych swirl that is as satisfying as it is bewildering among the surrounding hardcore. I am usually wary of bands incorporating too much into their sound to the point that it thins out the overall effect, but MEAT SHIRT does it right and delivers a compelling EP.
The NOSTRILS did not make it past the songs on this eight-track EP, a time capsule that the good folks at Supreme Echo remastered from an old cassette from the lead singer of the band. These guys sound like the REPLACEMENTS with Joey Shithead recording a demo in a Winnipeg barn. Each song is fast, grimy, and reeks of an old tavern where you forgot your debit card. They could have been very comfortably at home on Rip Off Records. Who wouldn’t love a song called “Poverty Soup”?
The first LP by Pittsburgh’s PEACE TALKS consists of nine tracks of politically-driven, raging hardcore punk. Not a pretentious or try-hard approach of fitting into some mold, other than the expression of anger coming from living in modern society. Everything from fast two-beat drumming to blastbeats, yet still sounding like controlled chaos. Maybe the closest vibe to this record might be NYC’s NAUSEA while still having a sound of their own. Full-frontal ferocious attack of turbulent sonic bombardment.
This is a punchy little debut from a French act that does not skimp on big melodies seasoned properly with snark and wit. Organ does a lot of heavy lifting in anchoring four songs to a cool-headed, garage-rock-adjacent feel, and the vocals are wonderfully yelpy and energetic. Overall, this is excellent pogo-worthy pop with a bite. The closer, “La Honte,” is an especially strong note to end on—a great hook and ringing-out guitars with a gloomy aura. Here’s hoping a full-length is fast approaching from this Parisian outfit.
These guys start out strong; I’m always a fan of the male/female competing vocals. It’s faster-paced, but it’s not thrash. It’s too catchy and melodic for that, with a focus on the vocals. (And FYI, I’m not suggesting that thrash can’t be both catchy and melodic, that’s just not generally the focus.) That said, the melodies definitely take me back to early California hardcore and the early ’80s. It’s also got some goth elements sprinkled in there. Ultimately, it’s punk rock that is both original and nicely done. I’m a fan. “Party Animal” is my new theme song. It’s actually not, that was just a joke. Keep on rockin’.
Raw and fast hardcore out of the Pacific Northwest. Seems to be just two dudes writing and recording everything on their own, which is always very impressive to me. Has a real powerviolence feel, and reminds me quite a bit of late-era CHARLES BRONSON and ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN. My only complaint is that this EP is extremely short. I use the term “blink and it’s over” often enough, but that is literally the case here. As soon as the album gets moving, it’s done. I guess that just leaves us wanting more. If that was their intention, then it worked! Now I’m simping for SIMP.
Right off the bat, the guitar and the female vocals remind me of the RIVER CITY TANLINES and the PLASTIC TONES. You won’t mistake this for either of those bands, but the similarities are there. It’s not just the guitar and the vocals that are strong, the whole thing is super tight and catchy as all hell. Sure, it’s punk, but at its core, it’s rock’n’roll. I like the tempo, which is like that extra cup of coffee in the morning, making things perk up just a bit, but not to the point where things are getting crazy. There’s a lot to like here.
Two-piece guitar/drums fast hardcore punk duo. VHS DUST rips through the nine tracks on this short cassette with time enough to incorporate multiple sound clips, as is expected within this realm of brutal music. While I would put it in the “pots n’ pans music” category, I don’t entirely know the correct subsect to describe it, and maybe that’s a good thing! It’s not fastcore, it’s not grindcore, it’s not powerviolence, but it is angry and witty and incredibly entertaining. No internet presence, so no further info available.
The WAR GOES ON is a hardcore punk band from Copenhagen, Denmark that embraces the depressive reality of life and comes out swinging. The WAR GOES ON presents a sound that reminds me of the UNSEEN in their Explode era—anthemic, melodic, but aggro. Emotions related to weariness from years of alienation become distilled into D-beat punk that borrows from street punk and Oi!, but is definitely not either one—more like road crew hardcore that articulates the struggle of survival while surveying the abyss of mental breakdown. Assisted Armageddon is nine songs that are catchy in a way that becomes addictive, and with a total runtime of about eighteen minutes, you’ll want to spin this album on repeat.
Once-forgotten demos recorded by this Spanish quintet in 1985 in hopes of snagging a record deal, but when one never materialized, ATAQUE DE CASPA slipped into the cracks of time, with the band’s members shifting their focus away from music in favor of less precarious pursuits (like finishing their university studies in medicine and engineering). Their meshing of dark but dreamy post-punk with starry-eyed primitive pop was met with renewed interest in the late ’00s/early ’10s, when the likes of VIVIAN GIRLS, VERONICA FALLS, et al. had revived a very similar punky/jangly sound and the abandoned Supongamos por Ejemplo tracks started circulating online amongst younger disciples, eventually leading to ATAQUE DE CASPA reuniting and releasing new music in 2014. The band’s songs were apparently always constructed from the bass line up, and the focus on rhythm—the frenetic yet melodic CURE-ish bass bobbing and weaving in “Nigeria,” or the shambolic disco beats clattering through “Crónica China”—lends a certain urgency to their fairly skeletal proto-C86 template of chiming guitar, soft-focus keys, and vocalist Carmen Álvarez’s unassumingly sweet (but not saccharine) delivery. “Viaje a Egipto” casts a shadow like the best Heather-sung BEAT HAPPENING numbers, with sparse drums and a sing-song, almost playground chant-like melody, while “Lalala” and “La Pesca” hint at the gloomier, less buzzsaw pop side of their Swiss contemporaries CHIN CHIN. ATAQUE DE CASPA is every bit as charming as the aforementioned groups; may these songs never fall back into obscurity.
BLACK UNIFORMS were a Swedish hardcore band during the golden age of such music. With members serving time in MODERAT LIKVIDATION, the BRISTLES, and later in ANTI-CIMEX and DRILLER KILLER, BLACK UNIFORMS seem to have been a bit overlooked in comparison, but this rips. This particular release is a compilation of records from 1986–1990. This is pure, thrashing hardcore with lots of metal influence—even down to the acoustic intros and stuff! Reminds me a lot of F.O.A.D./Trader in Death-era BROKEN BONES at times. Holds up really well in my opinion. Definitely worth a shot if you like your hardcore with a healthy slathering of thrash metal bombast.
This is super catchy pop, with vocals that totally remind me of another band I discovered recently, GOOD LOOKING SON. Ha, there’s a reason for that. It’s the same dude! While the two bands are different, I’d suggest that if you like one, you’ll like the other. If you don’t know either and are a fan of great pop songs that are pleasant but not overly sugary, well, this is worth your while for sure. Seriously, good stuff. I’m starting to like this Feel It label.
The first release by PDX city punkers CUT PIECE is a four-track vicious punk attack with a sense of urgency. Sonically, it’s somewhere along the melodic side of UK82 punk, like CHRON GEN or VICE SQUAD instead of DISCHARGE or the EXPLOITED, yet each track has its own unique musical approach. Instead of relying on naive teenage angst, there’s more complex expressions of anger and frustration. Minimal yet complex post-punk-like guitar licks tangle through the aggressive drive of drums and bass with a catchy, almost sing-along shouting vocal style.
Portland street rock’n’rollers DEATH RIDGE BOYS have been kicking around since 2017, which is impressive considering their latest, Too Much Bullshit, sits so comfortably next to the newer crop of Oi! bands like VIOLENT WAY and the CHISEL. In fact, I’d say that if you’re into the CHISEL, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be a fan here. It’s all very anthemic, very catchy, and very sing-along friendly, perfect for a night out with the lads. And while the message is similar to the aforementioned bands, the delivery is a little more lighthearted and upbeat. Checkout “Gunnin’ For You,” which sounds more pub rock than Oi! and most definitely has some of fellow Portlanders the RIFFS in its DNA. If I have to dock points for anything, it’s the times DEATH RIDGE BOYS drift into Irish punk territory à la DROPKICK MURPHYS, like on “Oh Fashy.” I’m no hater, but I’ve never been a fan of the style. In any event, it’s a small qualm with an otherwise solid album.
Have you ever had to face a charging rhino? Unlikely, I suppose, but listening to EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER’s first serving, entitled More Than a Nightmare, can be said to be the punk equivalent of wrestling such a monster, because you’ll similarly get bruised, trampled, and possibly abducted. However, if you emerge victorious in the fight, the trophy will be a crust album to rock to instead of a horrible stuffed rhino head to hang above your fireplace, looking judgingly at you for eternity. This new Vancouver-based unit took their name from an EXCREMENT OF WAR song, so it gives a pretty solid indication of what to expect. The production is thick, powerful, and makes the band sound like an unstoppable, pummeling, galloping force. EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER reminds me of furious ’00s metallic crustcore bands like NUCLEAR DEATH TERROR or MAN THE CONVEYORS, as well as the more recent EXTINCT/EXIST from Melbourne or Sweden’s PARASIT. The band also adds some blastbeats here, and there are some genuinely thrashing metal moments to headbang to (the description says that some members play in death metal bands too, which makes sense). As an orthodox crustcore fan, I personally don’t think the death metal blastbeats really add anything to the songs, but I guess they work well enough and keep the energy level high, in a MASSGRAVE kind of way. The vocals are hoarse, shouted but not too forced, so that they have more of a Swedish hardcore feel rather than a gruff crust one, which would broaden the band’s appeal, I assume. This is a very solid Scandicrust record and a band I will keep my watchful eyes on.
The rootsy racket of GINO and co. is always welcomed, and here it is as captured at a random show at a VFW in 2022. The band plays hits like “I Don’t Care” and “Baby Doll,” as well as some deeper cuts, all strung together by GINO’s wholesome banter and urging of the audience to hit the dance floor. The recording is raw, but everything comes across pretty clear and it’s a solid set. Good times, rock’n’roll.
These are two bands I have been meaning to check for some time, so to be assigned this split LP for review feels like the perfect opportunity, something I was just destined to do. RECLUSION is from the Basque Country, Lasarte-Oria to be specific, and this is their first vinyl appearance. They play straightforward, pummeling, distorted hardcore punk with a lot of energy and a proper angry vibe, a bit like a date between classic Finnish and Brazilian hardcore at an authentic Spanish raw punk restaurant. The production is similar to a lot of contemporary distorted hardcore bands. I like the furious vocals in Spanish, but there is too much effect for my taste (the same can be said for far too many current bands), and it sounds a little mushy at times. I also think RECLUSION would benefit from a bit of variety in terms of speed and beat to keep the listener alert, as the songs sound a little generic. This is not bad by any means, as their eight songs pack a serious punch. Energetic, rabiozo, and genuine. A good first record. On the flipside, INFEKZIOA, from Barcelona and the Basque Country (the lyrics are in Basque), is an older band formed in 2012, and yet I have never properly listened or paid much attention to them. And what an arse I have been, since I really enjoy them—maybe more correctly, they are really enjoyable. This is radical, primitive, pissed raw punk at its best. Spain has a long tradition of DISCHARGE love, and it is easy to compare INFEKZIOA to bands like DESTRUCCION, FIRMEZA 10, or ’80s pioneers MG15. But I also hear that rough, noise-loving hardcore thrash sound of bands like RAPT, PLASMID, or ASYLUM and early proto-D-beat like UNDERAGE or DIATRIBE, but with a typical raw Spanish vibe like ANTI DOGMATIKSS or HHH. Alright, that’s a lot of name-dropping, but the band is good, and you can tell that they know what they are doing and how to do it. The guitar is very distorted, the bass fuzzy, the singer full of fury and snot, and the drummer beats the shit out of you. Overall, it is really a wonderful time and just simple, fast, raw hardcore music. A good split with one young, promising band and one that has mastered its craft.
Okay you cheeky monkey, I don’t know if that’s a bum on the cover, but this LITTLE ANGELS EP is a sexy slab of ruckus nonetheless. This rocking hardcore ranges from chill mid-tempos to unforgiving brutality in the spirit of fellow Pittsburghians SPEED PLANS, all delivered with the rough and choppy sound of nine tracks crammed onto a 7”. It’s a ripper.
Oh boy! When I heard about this release, I was beyond excited, and rightfully so. Who knew that MINOR THREAT—who obviously need no introduction—had any more unreleased material? Well, these recently rediscovered session outtakes from the landmark Out of Step EP answer that question (…motherfuckers!). Having recently expanded from a quartet to a quintet, “In My Eyes” and “Filler” (along with “Out of Step” on the actual record) are re-recorded here to see how the new lineup sounds on older material. Steve Hansgen is an amazing bass player, and his presence bumps the band up a notch sonically—hearing him shred up the intros to “In My Eyes” and “Filler” is truly sublime to an ’80s hardcore nerd like myself. The twin-axe attack of Lyle Preslar and previous bassist Brian Baker also works wonders for this band; it’s a real shame Hansgen was kicked out not long after (and, of course, that the band dissolved not long after that). This record also features the full version of “Addams Family,” which appeared in an abridged form on the actual record as the outro to “Cashing In” (and the record itself). The prospect of unreleased MINOR THREAT recordings should be enough to spur any hardcore fan into coughing up some bucks for this but, unsurprisingly, the sheer quality of the performances here make this a must-own.
This band is the best kind of weird. Philly three-piece consisting of drums, percussion (photos online show a member playing one of those strap-on marching band tom sets), and bass that delivers a psych blast of crunchy, heavy tunes oozing with experimentation and noise. The drums are ridiculously good, constantly rolling and lurching the songs forward, accompanied by fuzzy bass and overlapping, reverbed vocals that recall a more lysergic LIGHTNING BOLT. “Drowned Out” sounds like a chugging BLACK SABBATH march turned inside out. Check out the beautiful, visionary artwork and sing along to lyrics about the cosmos, consciousness, and other freaky shit. Oh, and Steve Albini recorded it, so it sounds amazing.
Hailing from the Western Mass town of Holyoke, this solid debut album has the mid-tempo gut-punch of the STOOGES and DEAD BOYS—the kind of punk that doesn’t need to speed through the songs or pull some Epi-Fat double bass drum fills and is comfortable pulling back and letting the songwriting and a little attitude bring the message. There’s also a tinge of post-punk here à la WIPERS or HURRY UP.
Portland’s decade-long, Motör-fueled, charged and speedy metalpunk project. Lemmy worshipers with a punk’n’roll grip that gets monotonous quickly, yet is very well-executed. Great recording and guitar and vocal sections. Recommended mostly for Motör-heads.
Twelve-track CD release by SKEPTIC? from Birmingham, Alabama. Politically-driven lyrics with hardcore punk songs somewhere between RUDIMENTARY PENI and NAKED AGGRESSION. Slightly metallic but still nasty-sounding distorted guitars with maniac vocals. Chaotic yet well-written songs about our cruel world.
The SPORRS furnish their indie pop with a little feedback and yowling, but leave it otherwise undiluted. It’s a nice touch to their dulcet, PIXIES-eque record. Each song has a memorable tune which the band turns out in a thoughtful but not overthought way. Their punk DNA keeps things to-the-point. It’s all supported by some conservative but solid drumming.
Your typical run-of-the-mill garage rock here. There’s some decent stuff on this disc, but a lot of it comes off like JACK WHITE trying to ape the NEW YORK DOLLS and RICHARD HELL. I usually love me a good drum machine, but the lack of real drums hinders this album quite a bit. It’s way too clean, robotic, and precise. This is an odd complaint, but this album is a tad too long, almost like being forced to eat an entire bucket of ice cream. The first four scoops are great, but halfway through, you’re choking it down and wondering why you have so much ice cream in the first place—very ironic considering the band name. Vocals are great, snotty and charismatic, and carry most of the album. Lots of potential for STRANGELY ADDICTIVE, I think they just need to adjust their game plan a bit.
TEMPLE from Portland, Oregon is a goth rock band of the finest caliber. Heavy, primal drumming, thunderous bass, and soaring, flanger-distorted guitar come together to form a formidable arrangement, while the vocals have a smooth, rich delivery similar to MORRISSEY. The Submisssion LP is an eight-song album that flows like the river Acheron, dwelling upon emotions of grief, loss, and isolation. However, the strong rocker mentality permeates deeply and creates a sonic environment that is instantly danceable and anthemic. If you’re looking for a way to beat the winter darkness, then look no further than this LP.
I hope we all realize how incredibly lucky we are to have a musician in the world as consistent and prolific as Vinny Earley. Between frequent touring and myriad side projects, he still manages to bring us new material from his long-running solo project annually, thus giving sad sack aging punks like me something to look forward to in this crummy world. The melancholic Nothing’s Secret from 2022 was an almost meditative collection of earworms, and while there are still some excellent weepers on display here such as “Texas Clouds,” Earley also dips a wing in the waters of synth pop and garage punk with the evergreen sentiment of contemporary existential dread, like closer “2 Car Garage.” The genre-hopping isn’t a parlor trick either, and it all comes from Earley’s strong voice as a songwriter. This is a cohesive work from someone who seems to never run out of ideas and whose frequent output strengthens his work rather than dries up the well. In summation: god save Vinny Earley, may his reign last a thousand years.
More psychotic sci-fi punk from the twisted mid-western minds of WHY BOTHER? Like a psychedelic showdown between TIMMY’S ORGANISM and the SPITS, Calling All Goons oscillates between hook-ladden stompers like “Enter Xterminator,” and disquieting somber numbers like “Climbing Out of the Sky,” where the synth adds the bulk of the color. The highlight for me was the odd sock, punk-pop goofiness of “I Wanna Be Like Pete,” with bassist Pamela lending vocals and a slight departure from the quasi-disturbing lyrical content found on songs like “What’s Wrong With Me?”. Apocalyptic themes course through the album like tributaries of toxic ooze, creating a pervasive sense of foreboding that is heightened by the layers of undulating effects and waveform patterns. This offers a nice contrast to the catchy riffs that drive much of the album. Delightfully demonic. For the goons, by the goons.
How often do you get the chance to review a split record between two bands from Vilnius? In fact, depending on how attentive you were during geography class, you may even have to quickly check Wikipedia just to be sure. I don’t know much about the current Lithuanian DIY punk scene, but I am always eager to learn in order to shine at dinner parties, so this split LP comes properly handy. I am usually a little scared upon reading the “grind” tag when it comes to bands’ descriptions, because I am not exactly a grindcore lover, especially if it gets technical, but ATTAKTIX is really good. I was a little skeptical at first hearing the blastbeat moments, but in the end, I think it does not distract because they are not overwhelming. If the grindcore influence is obvious (even in terms of production), ATTAKTIX resides on the metallic käng side of the river. They are heavy with a perfect guitar tone, really tight but still very much hardcore punk which makes them sound wild and angry. I am reminded of the potent, relentless vibe of bands like DRILLER KILLER or WOLFPACK, with added blastbeats and a CELTIC FROST influence in terms of grooviness and vocals, not unlike what AKRASIA is up to. The last song, eerier, is brilliant. It’s a win for me. I must confess that I was afraid STRANGULIATORIUS would be totally out of my comfort zone, but I enjoyed their five songs, even though I suck at death metal. Again (and thank fuck for this), the band does not sound all technical and remains on the punk side, although they undeniably belong to the old school death metal category. They sound primitive and filthy and almost grave-like enough to appeal to lovers of metallic crust like myself, with their dirty guitar sound and gruff, guttural vocals. I can picture STRANGULIATORIUS sharing the stage with TERMINAL FILTH or CANCER SPREADING and definitely making sense. Overall, this is a pretty strong record that can be played in a festive environment, especially if you never want to get invited to your in-laws’ again. Recommended.
German bass-and-drums powerviolence that sounds like a cross between SPAZZ and GODSTOMPER. The songs have enough variety to sound fresh, often moving from blastbeats to heavy breakdowns and back again. You will be rewarded if you speak German because there are plenty of samples from what sounds like news reports, films, and even Alpine folk songs—this is a release full of personality. The vocal stylings are…unique. The lead vocals are traditional multi-syllable-per-second hollered PV fare, but the backing vocals sound like a guttural “OohoOohOoh.” Imagine a drunken Frankenstein’s monster wearing a Tankcrimes hat, and you get the idea. At first, I was like “WTF is this?” but then it actually started to grow on me and rip pretty hard. Caveman-core one-upped? There are plenty of highlights on this compilation of tracks, including a heavy psych groove on “You Only Lobotomize Once” that sounds like prime LIGHTNING BOLT, tongue-in-cheek autotuned vocals on “Kräftemethen,” and filthy jet noise distortion on “Blümeranz.” Check it out from one of the million labels that helped with the release.
A strong offering of death metal from Philadelphia’s CONCRETE CAVEMAN. Some touches of punk-leaning styles like grindcore and powerviolence (especially in the song lengths), but this is definitely a death metal record. I don’t think the production is really good enough for an album of this sort and makes it sound weak at times, but the sharp, tight musicianship does make up for it. Worth a listen if you’re into death metal.
Blown-out, hook-packed ramshackle garage pop from Kiwi DIY lifers (if name-dropping the PORTAGE or NUX VOMICA doesn’t mean anything to you, it should), traipsing through the kaleidoscope world of early Flying Nun as they gleefully kick up dirt all around them. If there’s an obvious comparison for CUTICLES’ freewheeling tumble between melody and noise, it’s Siltbreeze alums TIMES NEW VIKING, who (for better or worse) helped usher in the mid-’00s “shitgaze” blog hype tag with their scuzzy, in-the-red CLEAN daydreams—the slightly out-of-sync, sweet-but-not-too-sweet vocal harmonies from CUTICLES guitarists Matt Plunkett and Lisa Preston, the subterranean warble of keyboards buried under layers of fuzz and distortion, the get in/get out economy of their eccentric two-minute pop songs not overpowering a willingness to also get weirder and more atonal as it strikes their fancy (the collapsing sax-skronk outro of “Helping Out My Dad,” or the ranting, menacing thud of “Democracy or Dictatorship” sounding like the FALL covering the DEAD C’s “Bad Politics”). It’s a bit of a backwards reference, given that CUTICLES are actually from New Zealand, and Lisa Preston in particular has been behind some crucial ’80s NZ deep cuts that I’m sure their Buckeye labelmates studied rather intently, but you’d still be hard-pressed to find a finer example of the form than Major Works.
This collection contains the entire output of Japanese anarcho-crust band DESTRUCTION from Ibaraki. Aside from their name, they also carry a very strong peace punk sound, while being a crustcore calamity at times. Loose and pulverizing. Reminds me of AXIOM, with some melodies of PAINTBOX or BASTARD…it’s like A.P.P.L.E. meets INITIAL STATE. There are upbeat grooves that collapse into grinding, blasting rage, like E.N.S. or LUDICRA with intros by LIBERTY. DESTRUCTION members have gone on to form bands such as UNARM and ATARAXIA. This is definitely worth your attention these days; very unique, passionate, raw, and powerful punk about war, children in war, the working class struggle, and the constant oppression from a controlling class.
Here we have some quirky and lighthearted pop punk out of Hawaii. It’s a friendly kind of rockin’ with just enough weird themes to make it appropriate for Halloween time. Musically, if the likes of MXPX were a little too rough and jarring for you in the ’90s, this should be about your speed. But who am I to hate on these dudes playing fun music in paradise?
The latest release from Paris-based GUIMAUVE. When listening to the intro, I was initially given the impression that I had been assigned some terrible electro-industrial punk record to review for some reason—thankfully, for the sake of my own mental well-being, this was not the case. In reality, this is six tracks (intro notwithstanding) of solid, POISON IDEA-influenced hardcore punk. It’s not too shabby, although it’s probably not something I’d ever feel the need to revisit. Certainly not bad though, and worth a listen if you’re interested.
Every once in a while the universe presents me with a collection of sounds that resonate as if they were made specifically with my tastes in mind. Such is the case with the phenomenal debut LP from this screaming Australian blues-punk unit. The JUDGES obscure their scorching electricity with a smokescreen of soul-stirring riffage to create quite an addictive din. Distortion-laden stomps and jumping, jaded laments pour freely from these ten tight tracks, recalling old favorites and breathing new life into classic cult-rock concepts. If the first couple of jams fail to convince you, jump ahead to “Top Gun,” and that should do it. I hope the dude didn’t really trade his guitar for a bottle of booze as suggested on the cover, because I’m looking forward to seeing how this particularly hot shit evolves.
This lot is from Richmond, home of many a good band, and this is my first contact with them. I am a little torn over this one because I am not sure what KONTAMINATE is really trying to pull off. Technically, raw D-beat hardcore is a style I literally feel at home with, as I have a room in my palace that is exclusively dedicated to the genre. KONTAMINATE strives, as far as I can tell, to locate themselves at the crossroads between snotty American hardcore and ’80s DISCHARGE-influenced hardcore. When they manage to sound like early FINAL CONFLICT or recreate BODY COUNT’s raw angry sound, I think they are great, but there are songs that I feel sound a little disjointed and lacking direction. But then I have never really cared for traditional ’80s US hardcore, so it could be me. One thing KONTAMINATE is undeniably good at is the recreation of an almost perfect raw ’80s hardcore sound, warts and all. Eight songs in about ten minutes, so you know what you are in for. Urgent hardcore worth keeping an eye on.
