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BIG MESS has that hooky sing-along style that manages to melodically link the ’77 sound with Oi! while still sounding fresh. This Copenhagen band brings twelve tracks in twenty-two minutes with not a single dud, blistering relentlessly onward from the first song. This sounds like the full-length album that ONE MAN ARMY could have made right after Rumors and Headlines.
Killer LP from Minneapolis punks CITRIC DUMMIES, who sound like an amphetamine-fueled MISFITS. I mean it, the singer is pretty much doing a DANZIG impersonation here. Don’t ask me how, but it works. Throughout fourteen tracks, CITRIC DUMMIES stick to their successful formula of straightforward, rabid punk with an occasional pop of color, like the saxophone on “Drugs in the Snow” and the keyboards on “My True Love is Depression” and “Doing Dope at Chucky Cheese.” Overall I recommend it, especially if you need something to play at your next kegger.
Hailing from Detroit, DAY RESIDUE channels the feral sound that only the Motor City is capable of. Verging on hardcore, but full of untamed rock’n’roll energy, this cassette is a blast! Six songs that rip so hard it feels like a whirlwind. Gnarly riffs and ferocious drums run rampant through this cassette, while vocals deliver vicious personal diatribes. “Piss Paradise” is a sub-two-minute song that channels punk energy into a guitar-driven basement anthem. I fell in love with this album within the first 30 seconds, and I’m sure you will too.
Intense garage rock rollercoaster that contains the whole discography of this chaotic yet groove-filled project. Intensity-driven screaming vocals plus strident, garage-y guitars are their formula, with very good intros to the songs. It can get repetitive, but I mean, it’s their whole works put together, and it’s an energy diffuser and a great ride altogether. Recommended for garage punks, prepare for the insane amount of 38 tracks.
HYGIENE and Static Shock have each been at it for fifteen years now (time flying, etc.), and this new EP serves as a three-part candle on their shared birthday cake. “15 Minute City” returns to a frequent font of HYGIENE lyrical inspiration (the mundanities of city life and labor under late-stage capitalism) by appropriating recent conspiracy theorist critiques of sustainable urban planning with tongues planted firmly in cheek, riding on a fixed-stare, Chairs Missing WIRE-like rhythm before unfolding into an undeniably melodic and slightly askew gang chorus, while “L.T.N.” is a short, sharp stop/start shock like the URINALS gone UK DIY, and the shambolic punk jangler “Petrol” takes on peak oil with customary peak sarcasm (“Man on the news said not to worry / There’s lots and lots to go around”). Ace sounds for navigating the labyrinthine despair of the daily grind.
INNER CONFLICT is back with their first LP since 2010’s Nachhause, and first release since 2018’s First They Take Manhattan Then They Take Kalk EP. This Köln, Germany-based melodic hardcore group has a lot of music in their larder, having formed in the early ’90s, yet they still present a raw, powerful sound on this recording. They don’t incorporate a double bass pedal—which I’m very happy about—and therefore stay more on the punk side of the dial, while ranging into emotive, tech-y guitar riffs and Jenny’s resonant voice carrying lovely harmonies with male bandmates. You like this type of thing or you don’t, you’ve known the band for years or are just passing by—either way, props given to a group still putting out music 30 years on. Pretty rad.
This is a deliciously maximalist approach to punk that engages and entertains from the first note. Three chords and the truth is great and all, but this scratches a wide range of itches. Sort of a less proggy descendant of CARDIACS, and even reminiscent of the cross-genre collage rock of MR. BUNGLE, especially with the group’s penchant for hooks couched in the herky-jerk and the healthy dollop of surf music woven throughout. The band is cool, confident, and has excess energy that an aging punk like me can only be envious of. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying and boogie-inducing track as the aptly-named “Wiggler,” which rides a juicy bass line through a total funhouse of riffs and is full-to-bursting with melodic tangents. It’s got bite, but it’s also a joyful affair unlike most bands out there getting it done.
Hardcore crust out of Finland. Very thrashy at points. In fact, this feels more like a metal album than a punk one. Not that I’m complaining, I’m a big fan of this release. It was almost a little shocking to see this was recorded within the last year—it honestly feels like this was unearthed from the early ’80s. Very tight recording, and the guitars are absolute fire. Blistering fast galloping that never wavers. Fantastic stuff, and the album art is the icing on the cake. For fans of early METALLICA and ZNOWHITE.
Collecting material from the band’s two previously released cassettes, the new 12” from MONEY features some of the most blatant cocainery I’ve seen on a sleeve since the first GANG GREEN EP. Lo and behold, behind the geeked-out demon on the cover lies a fittingly fast and gnarly eight-track attack. It’s a chaotic sound of blackened metal punk, loaded with distortion, chainsaw guitars, wailing leads, and the singer’s cracked growls and bellows. A solid documentation of this nasty Texas hardcore band, the record is also offered in a limited edition on powder white vinyl, because of course it is.
Right out of the gate, I have to say that I would never have imagined that I’d find myself reviewing a record for MRR that features Mick Jagger on one of the tracks. “Neon” Leon Matthews is one of the true unsung heroes of NYC punk, and his story is truly the stuff of legends. Matthews’ was shredding with members of PURE HELL in Philadelphia in the early ’70s, before relocating to the fabled Chelsea Hotel at the urging of Johnny Thunders. It has been asserted that Matthews was the last person to see Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen together prior to her death. For more info on his remarkable life, check out Neon Leon Fast Track to Hell, his autobiography. Back to the matter at hand, Hozac has compiled all of NEON LEON’s singles from the late ’70s to the mid-’80s. The eight tracks span a range of sounds, from revved-up NEW YORK DOLLS-esque glam, to synth-tastic new wave, and a straight-up killer rendition of “Heart of Stone,” with none other than Mick Jagger contributing backups. It’s a wild ride! The opening cut “Rock’n Roll is Alive” is worth the price of entry on its own, with a phaser-laden drum intro (à la DEAD BOYS), unhinged guitars, and chorus reminding us that “rock’n’roll is alive in New York City!” From what I hear, NEON LEON is based in Germany and still performing. Killer! Snatching this up is a total no-brainer for fans of DEAD BOYS, WAYNE/JAYNE COUNTY, PAGANS, NEW YORK DOLLS, etc. NEON LEON rules!
Chicago art-punk band OVEF OW has been making noise for nearly a decade, and this recent release finds the group using their hallmark sound to create a new wave opera of sorts. Songs are creative representations of the reality of modern life as viewed through the lens of artsy detachment. Sounds that are reminiscent of riot grrrl bands twist together with late new wave to form a dance-worthy soundtrack. Music that creates a party-like atmosphere while lyrically dissecting society through a stream of consciousness is the hallmark of this album.
Dark and dreary from this summer, PARANOID returned with a powerhouse of chamber-echoing Swedish thrash metal, combined with their signature D-beat attack. Ten tracks of ’80s-infused metallic riffs under savage, raspy vocals and dense, punctuated percussion. Mid-paced and catchy, PARANOID is somewhere between CRUCIFIX and NIHILIST. I’m a big fan of DEATH BREATH and BASTARD PRIEST, and PARANOID always delivers, but even more punk. Actually, this might be my favorite recording from them (I have their covers cassette Out Raising Hell LP, and that session’s outtakes LP). It’s clear, harsh, and just moves like a war bison. A tornado of punk metal thrash and a dash of hardcore; breakdowns, anxiety, death, and destruction. If PARANOID has not let you down in the past, this is sure to hit hard as hell.
Energetic synth punk with a progressive garage vibe from Germany, exuding histrionic vocals and a classic garage-y guitar sound that I really dig. Sufficiently soft synths that work great with the string section, where the garage vibes truly flourish. Suggested track: “Bullenschwein.” A good merging of new wave sounds and a less gloomy than usual type of German post-punk closer to rock.
As we move further and further into a digital music world, there’s something very cool to me that cassettes remain a thing. There’s also something somewhat comical about listening to a tape on Bandcamp. Anyway, five cuts here. There was a time when some people might have called this hardcore. Not anymore. It can be faster paced at times, but it’s got a quirky pop thing about it. While it may be difficult to label, it’s not difficult to like. It’s quirky and catchy and very much straightforward. I like that. A lot.
Philly’s QUARANTINE is back and, damn, if they didn’t let up or run out of steam doing the same ultra-basic NEGATIVE APPROACH meets YDI meets MACHINE GUN one-two-one-two USHC formula. They add just enough variety with songs like “Voiceless Survival” to avoid any generic tags. My favorite is still their demo tape which emerged in actual quarantine times, but this record is fierce and short just like a hardcore record should be. “Widespread Terror” is tops. See them live. You won’t regret it.
Debut LP from Portland, Oregon’s RAILING, with a no wave take on grunge. While this hangs on the mothball tailcoats of regional grunge forbearers, it does attempt to create a unique, spacious sound. A lot of these songs start slow with droning, repetitive guitar riffs (that I think could be battered in a little more sludge), oddly bouncy drums, and a fierce female vocalist (who kind of saves the whole wandering ensemble). Midway through most tracks, the tempo ramps up, gets snotty, only to end right when you’re nodding along. I must say, I’m left wanting a little more. A touch faster? More gut to the guitars? But you didn’t ask me, and who the fuck am I? The lyrics are affirming, genuine, and writhe under society’s general control, as in “I’m sick of keeping up / Just to stay down” from “Now.” “Radio” kicks along consistently at a mid-tempo pace and is fairly catchy, so there’s some gems within. Not for me this time through, but I’d try out their next take.
Chicago’s SUBLIMINAL EXCESS finally follow up their raging 2020 demo tape with Witness, and it goes just as hard. Four tracks of uncompromising hardcore brutality—fast speed and aggression mixed with hard and heavy grooves à la BREAKDOWN. This shit gets me pumped, I get a massive kick out of it. When the four tracks are up, they leave you wanting more but, as Witness proves, good things come to those who wait. Highly recommended.
Vinyl issue of Atlanta garage rockers’ debut album from 1992. Classic garage that has more in common with the SONICS or even CARL PERKINS than it does with their contemporaries like NEW BOMB TURKS or DEAD MOON. These sixteen tracks are built around clean strummed guitars with surfy leads and ’50s-style affected rockabilly vocals. If it weren’t for songs about Charles Manson (“I’m Charly, I’m Jesus”) and heroin (“Heron Addict’s Beach Party”), I would have dated this as a much earlier release. The songs are all competently performed—twangy leads and yelpy crooning—and are recommended if you are a rock’n’roll classicist. There’s even a surfy, reverbed instrumental (“Red Roses”) that would fit nicely next to LINK WRAY on an early rock compilation. I like a little more grit to my garage, but this is well-done if the older old school is your jam.
TOZCOS’ latest LP Infernal boldly explores themes of self-perception and the experience of having immigrant backgrounds, particularly as descendants of Mexican immigrants in the US. The punk energy infused with poignant lyrics creates a compelling narrative that reflects the struggles, resilience, and identity of those navigating life in a new cultural landscape. A mixture of the Orange County sound (where the band is from) like ADOLESCENTS and T.S.O.L., and Spanish-speaking punk like ESKORBUTO. TOZCOS’ debut Sueños Deceptivos was an amazing punk record, but Infernal leaps further up the ladder. Infernal not only serves as a musical testament to the punk ethos, but also as a socio-cultural commentary.
There are bands that you feel you have known forever—recent ones, new ones even—because you are already so familiar with what you know they are going to offer, familiar with the anticipation and the need, with the pleasure you expect them to, quite rightfully, provide the masses (by which I mean people who have once considered calling their first-born Käng). VERDICT is such a band. It has members of MEANWHILE, NO SECURITY, WARCOLLAPSE, 3-WAY CUM, TOTALITÄR, and too many other bands, and even though I have never actually met any of them, I still have had more interactions with them through (over)playing and rocking to their records than I have had with some members of my family, which, to be honest, is definitely for the best. VERDICT is a rather new (but experienced in the things of the D) käng hardcore band, and they know exactly what they are doing and how to do it. Had they produced something different, that would have completely taken me aback—something horrendous like ska-punk would have made so little sense that I would have had to quit punk altogether. Alright, what about The Rat Race, then. This is the follow-up to last year’s Time to Resign, and this one has even more punch, fury, and pummeling power than its predecessor. Unoriginal, in a good way, and thoroughly checking all the correct boxes: the drumming is pure and relentless, the riffs’ efficiency is religiously executed in a “Scandicore 101” way, the vocals are angry, direct, and raspy. Think a joyous orgy between NO SECURITY, UNCURBED, and TOTALITÄR. This is the kind of record that makes the world a better place to rock. Thank you Phobia Records. Käng up your life.
Excellent LP from this London band featuring Chris Rowley of HUGGY BEAR on vocals. There is a lived-in world-weariness to this music, a pull between remaining relevant and revolutionary amid a life of overabundance, as evidenced in opening track “Relationship Studies”: “And I see everything on these streets / I suffer from too much to eat.” Mid-tempo, chilly post-punk bass lines meet thick power chords on tracks like “Liberation Tags.” Pulsing with punk energy, the song edges into heavy alt/rock like HUM, with guitars that deliver both crunching crush and beautiful chiming textures. “4:33” is another standout that gallops for the first half before spacing into a swirling psych slow-down that fades into a field recording of bustling, honking street life. Rowley’s vocals sound like an exhausted exhale of frustration that matches the lyrics and downtrodden vibes. “Art of Boxing” suggests a person fed up with the drag of modern life and its constant churning change: “These kids got no boundaries / ‘Cause their folks got no boundaries / It’s not the same around here like it used to be.” It evokes a disconnect with the kids as well as an ironic throwback to the previous generation who undoubtedly said the exact same thing. The cycle continues—youth is a thrill until it’s over and the new crop gets under your skin. This focus on aging and growing makes so much more sense to me than the wallet-chain bands who sing about skateboarding and breakups well past middle age. ADULKT LIFE is vital grown-up punk that is highly recommended.
There is a dragon that I have been chasing away at since I was a wee little shithead. It’s finding a moment that gets me closer to the initial, cautious, and addictive feelings of first contact with grimy, dark hardcore. It’s fleeting, to say the least, until a band like ANTI-MACHINE comes around and dishes it. This is the band’s follow-up to their October 2021 self-titled EP, and like their first recorded offering, it destroys and brings pause. Too Many Eyes is loud, fast, and bleeding in vomit. Who the fuck are these people? The NYC five-piece shares some of the same mechanics as contemporaries 80HD and KINETIC ORBITAL STRIKE, with a feel of early BORN AGAINST. There is a place for some old fart like myself to situate themselves into this, for that I thank the band. Hail ANTI-MACHINE.
The recipe for BURNT ENVELOPE’s I’m Immature: The Singles Vol. II goes as follows: mix equal parts STOOGES psychedelia with VELVET UNDERGROUND’s White Light/White Heat, add a heaping spoonful of early lo-fi BLACK LIPS, and top with a sprinkle of black humor, and voila, seven “singles” (a.k.a. fourteen tracks) of lo-fi slacker bedroom punk that sounds like it was a lot of fun to record. Get stoned and listen to “The Chameleon Pt 1 and 2” for a weird time.
I pretty much knew this would be a home run before I put it on. Portland’s CHERRY CHEEKS’ first LP was a juicy blast of bedroom eggy punk that was catchy as hell. Now a full band, everything that worked before functions on an even higher level. The hooks are heavy, with the synth often taking front and center. The band overall is snappy, offering a jumped-up and mechanically precise sound even as they keep things lo-fi. Then things get even more synth-heavy on Side B with cuts like “Pure Power,” with a bounce that evokes TUBEWAY ARMY with more manic, shouty vocals. It’s good to see a band tweak the formula to keep things interesting for themselves. The penultimate track “DATA” stands out in particular, with its ’80s cyberpunk intro, nimble bass line, and stabbing guitar. It’s a perfect accompaniment to a panic attack. All in all, this band started out really good and is just getting better. Keep an ear out for what comes next.
Budapest’s CRIPPLED FOX’s latest release is a fierce, energetic fastcore explosion. Fast, start/stop, relentless punch of shortcut hardcore tracks. A raw-quality recording that isn’t crap-sounding, but not overly produced either. No lousy parts or boring breakdowns, focusing on fast speedcore intensity at its finest moments.
Incredible album—has a classic DC vibe and sounds a lot like a more sinister FUGAZI. I’m sure they get that a lot. Lots of energy, but also some slow, low, and sludgy moments. Very cool mathy parts; I love how the drummer utilizes the hi-hat as a stopgap in between certain measures. It helps foster a strong dynamic that keeps the orderly chaos moving. The singer is a modern-day Guy Picciotto, which I’d argue is hard to pull off in earnest. It doesn’t come off as cosplay. Very authentic and raw. Over the years, the genre of post-hardcore has evolved away from its original definition, but I think this album brings the style back to its roots. Well worth a spin if you’re into stuff like QUICKSAND, RIVAL SCHOOLS, and Q AND NOT U.
ERIK NERVOUS returns to a solo project for this interesting, self-taught Indiana DIY release that actually rips. Everything was done by ERIK NERVOUS himself, except the mastering—it’s an exquisite mix of new wave, punk rock, and synth punk that really works. Energetic with a sick punch and a very well-achieved sound, heavily recommended for synth punk lovers. Favorite tracks: “Comfortable” and “Third Layer.”
The band describes themselves as “post-COVID,” but they sound almost pre-Y2K to me. Not that I’m complaining, I think many who enjoy late ’90s and early ’00s emo-ish HC will find a lot to like here. The vocals are a gurgle-y growl and the drums often leave a gap between notes, giving the songs the aforementioned expressive emo feel. FLASHES RED switches smoothly from those parts to brief but charged HC thwapping, providing many opportunities for sing-alongs and pointed fingers.
It’s been a hot minute since a true blue, bona fide WTF-is-this LP came down the pike, but the virtually unknown GEE GEE DECORATOR scores top marks in that particular category. Even the story of stumbling upon a copy in the wild—which involves Newark, NJ, the Sopranos, and assorted European actors—seems like a tall tale, but the real question is: does the music deliver the cannolis? Opening up with an expletive-riddled come-on (all the songs are untitled, or maybe someone forgot to pick up the jackets from the printer some 40 years back), GEE GEE DECORATOR is like if PUSSY GALORE was more into Stax than CRAMPS; there’s even clanging metal percussion strewn about these tracks like loose railroad spikes. The GEE GEE perspective is entirely irreverent, as the band seems to sneer at anything and everything, including “musicianship,” within their purview. You can almost hear them laughing off-mic, but that doesn’t mean this album is just a one-shot joke. It does have a peculiar charm to it, and you can tell it was put together with something resembling intention. In that respect, GEE GEE DECORATOR is reminiscent of art-damaged rock savants like ROYAL TRUX. Like the SHAGGS, GEE GEE DECORATOR come off as blissfully unaware of the outside world. It sounds like they locked themselves in a moldy basement studio, gave free rein to the drummer, and had a chemical-fueled blast for 48 hours straight. We can count ourselves fortunate that a vinyl spelunker uncovered this fucked-up little slice of heaven (New Jersey). Bada bonk.
Cold war post-punk from East Berlin featuring two members who would later form the nu-metal-adjacent industrial band RAMMSTEIN in the ’90s, but don’t hold that against them! Pleasures 1985–86 cherry-picks tracks from HAPPY STRAPS’ two cassettes (1985’s What a Pleasure and 1986’s Last Pleasure), and opener “We Live in Paradise” is a bit of a stylistic outlier within the context of the rest of the collection, following a fairly basic and rudimentary first-wave punk template, although the warbling vocals and interjections of space age synth point to some weirder creative impulses clearly at work. The rest of the A-side also skims the band’s first tape, including “Railway Station,” a stuttering post-punk spy theme with co-vocalist Claudia Böhme’s delivery splitting the difference between hiccuping and deadpan, right up there with the best ’80s femme-led Euro art-punk (LILIPUT, HANS-A-PLAST, TRÜMMERFRAUEN, you name it), and “Running Away,” which recalls the dreamy, beauty-in-drone side of SST-era SONIC YOUTH (think EVOL’s “Starpower”) or the less frantic side of MISSION OF BURMA. Last Pleasure is covered on the B-side, with HAPPY STRAPS wandering down darker, unsettling goth corridors—the graveyard-dwelling atmospheric guitar, sinister bass rumble, and guitarist Christian Jaeger’s howling vocals on ”White Bird” all echo early BAUHAUS, while the gnarled, barely minute-long “Tod” (German for “death”) crawls bleary-eyed through some BAD SEEDS wreckage, and the Claudia-sung “Tape Song” plunges into the depths of cavernous bass and a death disco beat. The Tapetopia series that this LP is a part of has been bringing all sorts of gems from East Germany’s cassette underground (like, way underground) to light, and this might be one of the best installments yet.
A re-release of their 1996 demo recording, pressed from the original masters. Classic grindcore from a time before bands started using drum triggers and studio trickery. Vocals sound authentic and real, unlike a lot of today’s grind acts who run their singer through a whole mess of effects and processing. I’m starting to come off like some bitter old man, but it’s refreshing to hear something that isn’t attempting to be a polished product. Noisy, raw, and fast as hell. Blink and it’s over, just the way it should be.
Hailing from Atlanta via Puerto Rico, LADRONES have been consistently pumping out electrifying punk rock’n’roll since their 2019 self-titled debut on Slovenly. Following some lineup changes, the band has developed into a wild and energetic garage monster primed to lay waste to anything its path. The three cuts featured on this EP capture a raucous and rowdy vibe that can’t be manufactured. If ANGRY ANGLES had been from Atlanta or CARBONAS spent too much time in Memphis, we may have ended up with something similar to what LADRONES are up to, but they’re not quite that easy to nail down. This record hints at a powerful direction for the band. Can’t wait to see what nastiness they’ll spin up next.
After a blazing demo (that this reviewer actually had the pleasure of releasing) last year, Leeds-based Harry Townend returns with more from his solo endeavor MOTIVE. It rages even harder than the demo with its five tracks of twisted D-beat mayhem, taking the best aspects from UK and Scandinavian D-beat and molding them together in a frenzied haze. This record is made all the more impressive when you learn Townend was a mere seventeen years old at the time of this record’s writing and recording. Fans of VARUKERS, ANTI-CIMEX, and the like will get a massive kick out of this barnburner.
Fresh Hamburg synth punk project that sure knows how to create an atmosphere with their synth’s dark and cold tweaks. Fast-paced cadences, some tasty riffs, and super-reverbed frantic vocals. Interesting dark and blunt interlude sections are throughout the album, and though the songs may be a bit repetitive in tempo, they compensate with the work on the synth and vocals. Reminded me of DESBORDE in some of the intros between the synth and the drums, and then the whole band comes in, like in “Where Sins Bloom” and “Something We Cannot See.” Recommended for synth punk maniacs.
This full-length is the perfect balance of post-punk and post-hardcore. Angular guitar work that sounds like it could easily be from a WIRE recording, combined with the song structures of FUGAZI. Elements of shoegaze and jazz filter through occasionally, allowing for shifts in tempo and weight. “Demonize” drifts from angst-driven post-hardcore to gloomy post-punk and back again in short order. It’s these interesting and imperceptibly smooth shifts that make this album worth listening to—a song evolves in the time of a single snare hit.
This Swedish band from the late ’80s played fast metal hardcore like ONSLAUGHT or BLACK UNIFORMS, mixed with BLACK SABBATH vocals and paces. This is great, and the production is excellent. Bouncy punk like something off UK/DK, but clearly picking up on some CELTIC FROST attitude. There are even hints of GISM echoes and weirdness. This is like a 4:00 am album and no one is going home or to sleep, if that makes any sense. Also would be good if you are in a bad or sad mood. No-fucks-given Swedish punk rock. With tracks like “Honeymoon with Satan” and “Daily Depression,” you can’t go wrong here.
This is catchy enough that you almost want to call it power pop, but it’s got a lot of heavy guitar work that makes you want to say glam. It’s also very much just straightforward punk. Mid-tempo and steady, it keeps your head bouncing. I like it, but do find the recording a little fuzzy for my liking. And I don’t mind some lead guitar, but I do feel like it’s the kind of thing that needs to be controlled. On a lot of these tracks, they’re not exhibiting that control. And you know I always love backing vocals. Lots of that here. Good stuff when you take that all into account.
REJECTORS was a seminal hardcore band from Seattle that was active from 1981 to 1986. Originally released by Fartz Records in 1982, Thoughts of War is now re-released and remastered by No Plan Records. Thrashy in the vein of West Coast hardcore, complete with angsty, snotty vocals. The 7″ comes with the original 7″ artwork and insert, plus a sticker! A guaranteed mosh record.
Wow. I’m thirty seconds in and I am digging this thing. It’s got a little swampy thing going on, but there’s also some slick guitar work that’s almost surfy that has me doing a funny little shimmy dance. It’s mid-tempo and catchy as all hell. At times, it gets a little eerie and spooky. Other times, it gets a little heavier. Then it gets more straightforward. This is some good shit right here.
After last year’s hit full-length, the new EP from Drew Owen (a.k.a. SICK THOUGHTS) feels like a victory lap, showcasing four strong tunes from a guy who’s been on a snowballing creative roll for a while now. Gracing the cover for the second consecutive release, this time greeting us with a boozy lounge look and a promising wink, he starts this one off by revealing a raging theme for this decade-plus-old project in “Sick Thoughts.” Then we lean back and loosen up a bit with the ’70s switchblade and bandana vibes of the rockin’ “I’m a Hellraiser.” The pace picks up with “Schoolgirls in Chains,” a jittery and jacked-up garage number that almost sounds like it could have been an outtake from JAY REATARD’s Blood Visions LP. And then, just before he leaves the saloon doors swinging behind him, he kicks out the sickeningly sweet “My Heart is Breaking Over You,” an epic, killer, and uncharacteristic power pop ballad that he pulls off with incredible panache. My favorite track on the album, its crooning and keyboards on the outro are especially bonkers. Cheers to another solid ripper, Drew, and maybe just take it easy on those olives a little bit.
The small UK town of Yeovil, Somerset was home to a fairly bustling punk scene in the late ’70s/early ’80s, the most famous exports of which were the anarcho-punk band the MOB and their DIY label All the Madmen. Teenager ANDY STRATTON (né Barker, later of NULL & VOID) also hung around that scene and ended up befriending members of the MOB. At sixteen, he got a wild hair to make a pop record after attending the 1980 Stonehenge Free Festival. So he wrote a couple of tunes, recruited MOB-ster Graham Fallows to play drums, and came out with this 7”, the third release on All the Madmen. At the time, it was pressed in relatively small numbers (maybe 1000) and has since become all but forgotten. Thankfully Sealed, the archival wing of La Vida Es Un Mus, recognized this was a record worth shining some light on and are here with a faithful recreation of that release (plus they’ve added a lyrics insert alongside an interview with ANDY). “I Don’t Know” is a super catchy DIY power pop number that sounds like a mix of Pete Shelley BUZZCOCKS and TEENAGE HEAD. The lyrics are deliriously simple, as is the guitar riff, but it’s underscored by this incredibly energetic bass line that somehow really bumps up the maturity of the songwriting. It’s a pretty incredible track. “Evil Minds” awkwardly welds verses that sound like a new wave ode to “Nights in White Satin” to hooks that sound lifted from some POINTED STICKS song. It’s a little harder to get into, but at the very least it’s interesting. Still, probably worth it for the A-side alone!
This is a really nice vinyl release of this very early Polish post-punk band’s 1980 radio session, plus an acoustic bonus track. It looks like TILT is considered one of the earliest punk bands in Poland, having started in 1979, but this is definitely more new wave/post-punk than peers like DEZERTER. They definitely were right there with cool bands of the day like GANG OF FOUR and WIRE, making me imagine punks tuning in to barely audible BBC radio shows or pirated cassettes floating around. Warsaw Pact has done us all a big favor issuing such an eye-opening historical document. Well worth whatever you have to pay to pick up a copy.
Split between two bands from Osnabrück, Germany. VICIO plays melodic hardcore somewhere between vintage BAD RELIGION and Midwest classics like DIE KREUZEN. The clear winner is “Hass,” with its shouted vocals and a SLAYER-esque mini-riff in the chorus that made my hand involuntarily grip the invisible orange. “Future is Now” somehow meshes system-smashing lyrics and the refrain from NEIL YOUNG’s “Heart of Gold,” complete with backing vocals. And “Eat the Rich” is a rowdy singalong that repeats “You are rich / We are poor / We will eat you, sure.” WIRKSTOFF P sounds remarkably similar and seems to share a vocalist with VICIO. Their side is a touch more melodic, featuring some sung vocals that turn the dial more to skate punk. “Venner Feengesänge und Elfentanz” is a mid-tempo jam with heart-tugging minor chord melodies that wouldn’t be out of place on one of those ’90s Epitaph comps. Check it out If you ever had a cargo shorts era.
I could bet my shirt that this LP will be featured on a lot of top ten lists this year. This album has everything. It looks absolutely brilliant with its Burning Spirits-inspired cover and a clear nod to some classic Japanese hardcore compilations; it has a great title; it has a cracking lineup with four popular hardcore bands. On paper this is a sure win, the kind of record that might become a classic, assuming the quality reaches the inevitably high expectations. When you buy a sixteen-song album with four songs each by DESTRUCT, SCARECROW, DISSEKERAD, and RAT CAGE, you are entitled, as a spoiled materialist, to expect the best of raw hardcore, a “special record.’’ Is it as good as it should be then? I suppose so. It is as good as I expected, but it is not better than I expected and, clearly, such a record can be expected to be better than expected. Do you know what I mean? Alright, let’s start with DESTRUCT, possibly one of the best bands in the US right now. This Richmond band has the craziest hardcore punk drummer around—the man is an octopus and punishes the listener with a pure and relentless D-beat attack seasoned with insane drum rolls, conferring the songs extra energy and a vibe of madness unleashed. I am sure they must tie the bastard to his bed at night so that he doesn’t hit things in his sleep. The music is close to what FRAMTID offers in terms of sheer intensity and anger (and drumming), which is no small compliment. The vocals and many anthemic choruses and riffs point to more traditional Japanese hardcore like BASTARD (the most obvious and redundant comparison), and the blend is brutal and compelling. DESTRUCT is a tough act to follow, and Raleigh’s SCARECROW does their best to keep the aggression level high. They are one of the most solid TOTALITÄR-influenced bands around (and there are many of those), and I like the fact that they don’t try to go for the rocking side of the genre but keep the käng raw, direct, and angry, like INFERNÖH used to do, but with a more blown-out tone (almost crasher hardcore), more so than on the previous EP and with the great pissed female vocals more to the front. On the other side, actual Swedish band DISSEKERAD shoots first and unsurprisingly sounds just like themselves. Classic käng done right with craftsmanship and (a lot of) experience. TOTALITÄR meets NO SECURITY. A walk in the park, not an adventurous one, but one you’d be ready to take every weekend. Finally, RAT CAGE from sunny Sheffield closes the show and offers four songs of…TOTALITÄR-inspired hardcore punk. Fuck me if I saw that coming. They are arguably the hottest band in the genre right now and, contrary to SCARECROW or DISSEKERAD, RAT CAGE goes right for the rocking side of the käng school with nods to SKITKIDS or UNCURBED. It’s a bit much for me at times, but in terms of energy and anthemic songwriting, they certainly deliver, and they do show a bit of variety in these four songs, the last one sounding almost like a pogo punk number, like the CASUALTIES suddenly converting to käng hardcore. It is a strong album, and I believe the format serves the songs well and displays cohesion and coherence between the bands. Let’s just say that it makes sense. Arguably too much TOTALITÄR worship going on, but then that’s what punks crave, I suppose.
ANCIENT FILTH has been churning out top-shelf hardcore punk since 2010, and their latest entry, No More Hiding, finds them their finest form. The album’s eponymously titled opening track sets the stage well, ratcheting up the speed and intensity quickly and succinctly from the totally ripping guitar solo to the full-on hardcore assault that follows. The musicianship is freakishly tight, but doesn’t feel manufactured or inorganic. The drumming is stellar, keeping the listener on their toes with tempos changing on a dime with a commanding exactitude. Blistering guitar riffs tear through the mix and cut in with some truly unhinged leads. Everything about this record is utterly crushing. Topped off with insightful lyrics delivered with characteristically memorable vocal hooks, No More Hiding is essential listening. Hardcore rules.
This cassette from Cintas Taciturnas is a re-release of Finnish band ASPECT NOIR’s full-length originally released as a 12″ by the band in 2021. This cassette contains all the darkwave post-punk that ASPECT NOIR epitomizes and is beautifully printed and packaged. If you like moody, gothic sounds that feel as icy as a grave, then you’ll want to check this out. This eight-song album captures melancholic emotions while maintaining a sense of dignity like a phoenix from the flames. Lina’s vocals are haunting as they sing lyrics with a clarity that makes it impossible to miss the themes. For me, “Mean Again” is a standout song, as the message is something we can all find relatable at times.
The internet says that listening to NUKELICKERS may severely damage one’s auditory receptors, but as usual, the internet tends to blow things out of proportion—if you are a real punk, that should not scare or inconvenience you in the least, more so if you chose to listen to the band knowing full well what you were in for. They’re called NUKELICKERS for a reason, it’s like SHITLICKERS going atomic. NUKELICKERS is truly the death of music, I guess in a good way. I could not stand more than eight minutes of the band, and that would already be considered a prolonged listen, but the three-and-a-half minutes of noise on the first side of the split EP feels exhilarating and liberating after a day at work doing as little as possible. This is actually a Berlin-based solo project aimed at destroying preconceived views of what music is supposed to be like. The drums are far too loud, with the crash cymbal being the real star of the show, the guitar is distorted to the max, and the bass sounds like a drunk plane. There is an element of crude, primal Swedish mangel like SHITLICKERS, obviously, but it goes further (or deeper?), and is certainly sweet on old school noisecore like ASYLUM, BIGADA DO ODIO, or RAPT. Strangely hypnotic. On the other side, BIPOLAR is a band from Greenland. Yes, Greenland. Etah City to be accurate. I don’t think I even knew of a punk band there before BIPOLAR. That’s what makes international punk magical, so magical in fact that BIPOLAR happens to worship at the international church of DISCHARGE like myself. With a font copying DISASTER’s, you already know if you are going to like the band’s four songs. Besides the Brits, DISCLOSE appears to be a solid point of reference, and I am reminded of some ’90s Swedish bands like HARASS or DISHONEST. The music sounds a little sloppy at times, which is fine for the style and confers a proper punk feel. They are not the best at this brand of distorted, orthodox D-beat, but they are certainly good enough for me. This is D-beat for the D-beaten. BIPOLAR is a pretty prolific bunch, and there are more recordings on their Bandcamp if you think you are DIS enough. This modest EP reeks of the true DIY punk spirit, it is a short run so don’t sleep on it if you are a die-hard.
Supreme Echo rifles through the CanCon punk archives again, this time giving flowers to Montréal’s BLUE OIL, widely regarded as Quebec’s first all-female punk band. “Money,” the A-side of their 1982 7”, is the only previously released track here (B-side “Living for the Time” was skipped over), with the remaining eleven tracks drawn from abandoned studio, practice, and live recordings from the group’s original 1981–1983 phase—by the late ’80s, BLUE OIL had re-emerged with a new lineup (including the addition of some very prominent keyboards) and a much more polished, mainstream new wave sound, but the iteration of the band documented here has far more in common with under-the-radar early ’80s contemporaries like Seattle’s VISIBLE TARGETS or Portland’s NEO BOYS. Those psychic parallels are especially apparent on the great “Far Too Much” and “Sardine City,” two minimalist anthems mixing post-garage jangle, gritty pop hooks, and an energized basement punk stomp, while the shrouded vocals and moody, bass-driven rhythm of 1983’s “Stop Complaining” point to an increasing post-punk influence, sounding not dissimilar to Chicago’s DA (or taking it back a little further, a less dramatic SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES). International femme-punk scholars, take heed.
This cassette from Paris’s COLD DECAY is metallic hardcore in the NYHC vein of MADBALL, MERAUDER, or ALL OUT WAR. They may not be MRR-realm bands, but some BOLT THROWER and SEPULTURA fans from the punk world will realize some aspects that they can maybe get down with here more than they want to admit to themselves. Good at what they do, which is in-the-pocket, groovy metalcore, if you’re into that sort of stuff.
New Iron Lung dispatch from Illinois in the form of a four-piece brimming with bratty holy terror. This appears to be the band’s debut EP, with seven tracks that encapsulate a pounding and catchy fervor through the track list. Lyrics are minimal and screamed by Sarah (no last name given) with more heart than most could muster, in a delivery reminiscent of Kirsten Patches. Start with “Confined.” Hopefully more scathing punk rock is coming soon.
