Reviews

For review and radio play consideration:

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

Tilt On the Border Line 12″

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 Warsaw Pact has done us all a big favor issuing such an eye-opening historical document.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.

Vicio / Wirkstoff P split LP

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.

V/A Screaming Death LP

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 No More Hiding LP

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.

Aspect Noir Chaos Reigns cassette

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.

Bipolar / Nukelickers Death by Desperation split EP

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.

Blue Oil Blue Oil LP

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.

Cold Decay Cold Decay cassette

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.

Consensus Madness Madness EP

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.

Crêam Söda Fiction EP

Australian trio that fixates on Japcore and is led by a bassist and singer from Japan. Chaotic sounds from another era, with influence from the mid-’90s crust punk revival and Japanese death hardcore adding a metallic element. Really enjoyed the fry of the string section on this one. The guitar seems like it’s being cooked in a pan, while the recording and vocals are really good but might sound a little bit behind the instrumental mix. Suggested tracks: “Fiction” and “Your Soul” as samples of the plethora of sounds this band can manage. Great unique music for addicts of GAUZE, DEATH SIDE, SYSTEMATIC DEATH, and  the like.

Desenterrados Christine EP

Reuniting members of early ’80s Spanish punk act LARSEN, DESENTERRADOS serves up two different styles on this four-song EP. You get some bouncy, low-budget power pop on the catchy “Christine” and Too Many Fights,” and some sinister and rousing street punk on “Revolución” and the closing “Siempre Lucharemos” for a cool little combination plate.

The Great Lie Vertigo 12″

Straightforward NYHC from alums of MADBALL, SHEER TERROR, and NEGLECT. The GREAT LIE’s music more or less reflects their past projects, so it’s safe to say you know what you’re going to get. Unfortunately, things occasionally veer into nu-metal territory, which I found off-putting. Maybe I’m just not their target demographic, but overall this one didn’t do much for me.

Heavenly Blue 4 Track EP

Four bong-loaders from the foggy shores of Nova Scotia. Bluesy, crunchy rockers with a generous helping of tambourine, with the stand-out track for me being the opener “Push On Through.” The EP doesn’t do a ton after that which holds on too much, and treads in murky stoner rock waters until the last cut. The EP is a bit of a different frequency for a MRR review, but slightly pleasurable nonetheless. This is the band from that aging hippie guy who owns the head shop down the street.

Innocent Bliss Innocent Bliss cassette

The debut release from Berlin’s INNOCENT BLISS is a sampling of hardcore punk with some traces of more post-hardcore-type sounds. Not too much grabs this reviewer’s attention on this demo, but it certainly isn’t a bad effort either. This is eleven-odd minutes of entirely serviceable hardcore—nothing more, nothing less.

The Losers / Rote split EP

Really great split between two bands out of California, albeit in different directions. Makes sense, as both of these groups sound like they’ve come straight from the heyday of Gilman. ROTE brings us some classic melodic hardcore while teetering on the edge of crust. They remind me a bit of LEFTÖVER CRACK with less ska and better vocals. Very authentic, and a lot of fun. If I can be honest, I didn’t expect much from a band called the LOSERS in this day and age, especially since they included a cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World.” But my mind was quickly changed during their first track “The Big Question,” owing to their very charismatic frontman and blistering guitar leads. Classic punk rock right here with a bit of an Oi! tinge. Hey, even the NEIL YOUNG tribute is pretty cool!

Marode Risse LP

Based in Düsseldorf, MARONE hits us with fourteen snappy tracks on their debut LP. This record is a bleak and uncomplicated take on a classic ’90s melodic hardcore approach. With lyrics sung in German, It’s something like an emo cousin to fellow Deutschländers WIZO who had records out on Fat Wreck back in the day, with a similarly polished and upbeat sound but a darker and more organic mood (if you’re into that sort of thing).

The Morlocks Easy Listening for the Underachiever LP reissue

When I was doing college radio at KALX way back in the day, the MORLOCKS were a favorite of Barry St. Vitus. He was heavy into the garage stuff, I thought it was okay. This record is, I believe, from the second iteration of the band and was originally released in 2008. I don’t always like garage rock, but when I do, I like it a little more raw and gritty. I find this one a little too slick and polished for my liking. It’s not terrible, just not my thing exactly. That said, the album title is one of the best things ever.

Nameless Creations Plague Party LP

NAMELESS CREATIONS out of Warsaw, Poland recently emerged from their crypt after a four-year slumber to release the Plague Party album, and I couldn’t be happier. If you like CHRISTIAN DEATH, SHADOW PROJECT, or SEX GANG CHILDREN, then you’ll love this album. Macabre, gloomy, but rockin’ as hell, NAMELESS CREATIONS open this album with the title track “Plague Party” (there’s also a really well-produced video for the song), and continue the goth rock party for another nine songs that meander in a sort of stream-of-consciousness style, but also kick in where it’s needed. This is one of those albums that you’ll drop the needle on and soon find yourself wanting to listen to on repeat. Light some candles, put on your fancy black clothing, and dance along under the moonlight for best results.

Petty Grievances Wizard Tattoo EP

Fast, catchy, and moderately distorted stuff here. Some tracks could have been even shorter. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just want a good riff in small portions. Punk songs can peter out pretty quickly, and I’d respectfully suggest many bands could imply some real editorial restraint and let the riffs speak for themselves. Please pop punks, I urge you: don’t tie yourself in knots repeating a chorus just to play it bass-only or insert the dreaded bridge-to-nowhere. PETTY GRIEVANCES churn out some real earworms, and if they trim some of the slack, it’ll be that much better.

Prevention Split the World EP

This is the fourth release from Springfield, Illinois straightedge hardcore band PREVENTION, and it’s pretty much as generic as it gets. There’s some heavy riffs and drops here that will please the bruised meatheads on the dancefloor, but this slab likely won’t interest any of those outside that specific demographic. If you like your hardcore hard, this may be of some interest to you, but it just bored me.

Red Dons Generations EP

Despite moving to different corners of the US and Europe, members of RED DONS—originally formed in Portland, Oregon in 2006—have continued to put out music throughout the decades. Their name comes from a group of British Intelligence officers working out of Cambridge University circa WWI who were discovered to be Soviet spies, the context of which sets the stage for their long view of political engagement and questioning. As for the music, I find a sound rooted in rock’n’roll, emulating/paying homage to dark-leaning bands like the DAMNED or T.S.O.L., with plenty of space for guitar solos, keys, and some mild crooning and wailing. This four-song EP marks their first release since 2017’s Genocide, and they are still sharp and passionate as ever.  Moody, poignant, enlivened music.

Sarushibai 日陰者の矜持 CD

Hardcore punk band SARUSHIBAI from Gunma Prefecture has released their new album on CD with Malaysia’s Black Konflik Records. From what I gathered, this is so-called “Showa-style Japanese punk,” which finds inspiration from bands such as the STALIN, ABURADAKO, and DEFORMED CHILDREN, but with a wider range of influences, mainly US-based labels like SST and Alternative Tentacles. A good pick for fans of intensity and melody-drenched hardcore.

Smallspeaker Maximum Noise Overdose EP

Holy shit! This woke me up. Featuring Hiroshi from the legendary REGISTATORS plus a regular all-star lineup, this brings back some blackout memories of the ’90s without being some spit-on-the-lens throwback shit. A perfect combo of glass-shard-picked guitar clang over the best “fuck you,” snot-faced vox I’ve heard in some time. SWANKYS, STITCHES, and GEROS for jerks who need those pesky comparisons. All songs are killers. Piss on your dog.

Stigmatism Ignorance in Power LP

Latest LP by NYC/Toronto’s STIGMATISM. Ignorance in Power is Victim in Pain-style straight-ahead, fast hardcore punk with absolutely no bullshit. Straight b2b bangers—recording is on the drier side with no shitty metal parts, no echo on the vocals, and none of the modern pro-core sound. Reminiscent of early ’80s NYHC or Boston HC, yet without any of the reactionary patriotic boomer hardcore dad vibes, reminding the listener to recognize what hardcore was all about. A non-stop, tight energetic outburst of fast, ferocious hardcore punk intensity.

Stingray Fortress Britain LP

Here’s another instant classic to add to the list of contenders for album of the year: STINGRAY’s Fortress Britain, a caustic, abrasive, and scorched-as-fuck album that sounds absolutely hellish, with brutal vocals and big riffs to match. Comprised of prominent members of the UK punk/hardcore scene, STINGRAY sounds seriously pissed, and presents a takedown of imperialism and British rule, illustrating the decaying landscape of modern life. Sonically, it’s a smoldering cauldron of fury influenced by the likes of EXTREME NOISE TERROR, CRUCIFIX, and NEUROOT, and from its first note, Fortress Britain rips through your speakers and grabs you by the throat. “Burning Swine,” a stomping kick in the teeth, features a metallic breakdown that is as infectious as it is heavy. Title track “Fortress Britain Crumbles” is a revved up D-beat fever dream featuring an excellent bass lead that is massive, dwarfed only by the even bigger lyrics: “Walls of London blown to bedlam / Under the boot of a million desperate.” You can hear the venom in every word, delivered expertly by the demonic narration of Tin Savage. Closer “Inner City” begins with another bass lead, echoing drums, and a build-up that’ll give you goosebumps. Fortress Britain may have influences from the past, but this shit is timeless. If modern life is hell, STINGRAY couldn’t have provided a better soundtrack.

Vacant We Wear Our Traumas Well LP

Tough-as-nails hardcore punk courtesy of some stalwarts of the storied Minneapolis scene. VACANT cranks out fourteen tracks of four-chord nastiness that has a slightly metallic, somewhat melodic bent that conjures up the spirit of later-era POISON IDEA. Befitting of their pedigree, VACANT embodies a 2023 take on the kind of ’90s political punk peddled by Profane Existence. Anyone familiar with ASSRASH will instantly recognize Pignose’s distinct vocals. Musically, they build off the foundation of the members other previous efforts such as SCORNED and HELLSPAWN. VACANT isn’t as raw or unhinged as the aforementioned bands, but this makes for a more coherent if less energetic delivery. Given how long these dudes have been at it, I’d say they wear their traumas well indeed.

Vintage Crop Springtime / Mercenary 7″

More fantastic music out of Australia. Poppy post-punk with a little bit of slowcore thrown in. Chill and laid back. The singer sounds a bit like a less energetic Fred Schenider, which might seem like a critique, but it works very well for VINTAGE CROP’s styling. Great use of the synthesizer during “Springtime,” and especially the horns (or what I think are horns) at the end. Fits right into the pocket and gives the track a floral accent. “Mercenary” reminds me a lot of ’90s indie groups like SUPERCHUNK. Very catchy with upbeat guitars that don’t overlap the vocals. Great composition for both tracks. Lots going on, but it doesn’t sound messy or overthought. I initially wondered why this wasn’t released during the spring, only to remember it’s currently spring in Australia. The Earth is crazy, huh!

White Wire Crack Up LP

French noise-rock-adjacent punk that resembles MCLUSKY and labelmates USA NAILS. While this record is a fine, serviceable slab of dissonant guitar rock with precise playing, it lacks the personalities of the aforementioned bands. The songs, mostly running between three and four minutes, run together without making much of an impression. This is the local band that plays for a full hour before the touring headliner. I know if I wound up at their show, I would step outside and work on my Duolingo (got a pretty good streak going), or maybe call my mom. Check it out if you are really dialed into this genre of clever/sarcastic lyrics shouted over mid-tempo rock, but this LP didn’t do it for me.

V/A News From Another Side LP

Records like this are a funny thing to me—I’m not sure what these bands have that brings them together. COLERA is a Brazilian hardcore band that has been around since the late ’70s (I thought it was the early ’80s, but I was wrong). They get seven songs, some new, some not. RAZOR KIDS are from Scotland, I believe they’ve been around for a bit. They get four cuts. Lastly, the ZIPS are a relatively new Portuguese band. They get three tracks. If you know COLERA, you’ll know what to expect. Classic South American hardcore. Fairly catchy, straightforward. It’s what you’d expect from them. I reviewed the RAZOR KIDS late last year on another weird split EP. They deliver four solid cuts of COCK SPARRER-inspired Oi!. And the ZIPS play super-melodic, mid-tempo power pop, and they do it very nicely. Still a head-scratcher as to how these three ended up on the same record, but I’ll take it.

Absolut Hell’s Highest Power LP

The Canadian jawbreaker is back! Ten tracks of pure ANTI-CIMEX worship from their first recording session that was never released. All tracks were recorded with the original line-up in 2013 with Vassil Mester on drums (RIP). The tracks are pummeling and sure to crack your skull! ABSOLUT is an absolute warmachine!

The Ain’t No Mountain High Enough This is Going On LP

From Washington, DC, the AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH plays melodic hardcore in a ’90s vein, with a singer who sounds vaguely like the guy from APOCALYPSE HOBOKEN. If this group’s name doesn’t immediately tip you off to their unabashed goofballery, the Pootie Tang quote in the first song will. Unfortunately, this album suffers from a weak mixing job in which the vocals seem to be competing with the music. Otherwise, it’s some funny, punchy skater-punk for you knuckleheads.

Alex B Kurbis Mondays and Tuesdays CD

Mondays and Tuesdays doesn’t always go full speed ahead—it’s right on the edge of pop punk, emo, and indie rock. I mean, its melodies are engaging and energizing like pop punk, but the arrangements have a pensive, withdrawn feel that might limit the stagediving during shows. More than once, I heard the steady thump-thump-snap of drums that emo and melodic HC utilize so well. Of course, there are some big give-it-your-all chrouses. The band also takes time to slow down and croon enough to keep a toe in the emo camp. Sometimes they’ll throw a few complimentary notes onto the end of a chord to add to the striking, melancholy sound.

Barrage Barrage LP

Latest release from France’s BARRAGE. Non-stop crushing crustcore in the vein of EXTREME NOISE TERROR or DISRUPT, although BARRAGE sticks to hardcore punk roots rather than the crustier realm of the aforementioned bands. Some death and thrash metal phrases can be heard in parts of the album, yet it successfully avoids the modern-sounding extreme metal approach. The D-beat tag does get thrown around, but D-beat masters out there might not call it quite that. Still raging, full-front ferocity of in-your-face sonic bombardment.

Britney Fears Britney Fears cassette

Considering the dark aura of these formidable D-beats, BRITNEY FEARS was an interesting choice of name for this great Greek hardcore group. These ten sharp songs are manic and macabre, with echoed vocals ringing out over melodic raw riffs and hard, machine-like drums. It’s a tough sound with a haunting feel and an overall unique presence, perfect for scantily-clad dancing with knives in your hands on Instagram.

Chronic Disease The Lost Recordings 1992 LP

I was not familiar with CHRONIC DISEASE, but they were a Belgian band active from 1986–1992 who showed up on quite a few gig posters of the day, sharing the stage with the likes of NAUSEA and SPERMBIRDS. The band plays a tight blend of D-beat and near-crossover hardcore with some tasty riffs and intricate, snare-heavy drum fills. The guitar tone sounds like ANTI-CIMEX, with a mix of chorus and distortion, and the bass is frequently dirty as well. When they kick into a song like “Tomorrow Looks Grim,” or standout “Sacrilege,” it’s really good. Precise D-beat mayhem with infinite tech fills and some thrash chugging that is fist-in-the-air great. Where CHRONIC DISEASE loses me is the vocals—they just don’t match the speed and power of the music. The vocalist’s voice is perfect, raspy and haggard,  but I can only imagine him reading the lyrics in a booth while the band rages together in a different room. The energy just does not match. I looked up some live footage to see if it was any better, and it was—ripping and passionate on all fronts. If you’re a history punk and love digging into geographically diverse scenes and time periods, give it a listen. This particular recording didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Class Act Status Game cassette

Really nice mid-tempo sludgy hardcore with arty tendencies. They’re out of Kansas City, MO. I know little about them and couldn’t find out much either. They’re fucked as hell, like some S.H.I.T., NO TREND, and SCAVENGER OF DEATH cocktail all full of syrup and venom. Their opening title track and “Lip Service” are pretty nice, but it’s all really sick in the literal meaning. Die.

Closetalker Destination Isolation LP

Sludgy, slow bass starts off this debut from Minneapolis’s CLOSETALKER; drums give a roundhouse lead-in to eight bars of droning guitars—and I thought I had some heavy, doom metal-flavored punk coming my way!  Instead, what followed was a melancholic guitar lead and some vocals like you’d find on a SWINGIN’ UTTERS record, or think of other mid-to-late ’90s Epitaph/Fat Wreck Chords stuff.  The band’s tight, the mix lets you hear everyone distinctly, and the songs are well-structured. It’s kind of push-around, friends-in-the-living-room music, offering a soundbite from Vin Diesel’s character in Fast Five (a quick search revealed) about people important to your life on the closing track “Honestly Livin’.” While this allusion was a little distracting, at least it came at the end, letting the other songs speak for themselves, like the catchy “J Masochist”—given their guitar leads, I assume these dudes are fans?  One can never be sure. CLOSETALKER may not be breaking any boundaries, but Destination Isolation makes for a solid debut.

Deletär Deletär LP

This full-length LP from Saint-Étienne’s DELETÄR is teeth-ripping hardcore punk in the Swedish style of hardcore à la TOTALITÄR to NO SECURITY, with an epicness in the still yet-to-be-burning-spirits of Chelsea’s guitar leads and a CAMERA SILENS-like triumphant sing-along vocal style at times. Within the tracks of controlled chaos, very well-crafted catchy riffs flow throughout the songs in a fierce, non-stop bombardment attack. Plummeting full-drive drums attack with maniacal yet still catchy vocals that will make you raise the fist and sing along. While referencing the aforementioned bands, the sound is original—they’ve got all the right influences from good bands and still made this sound into their own. My favorite release of the year.

Double Me / Fuck on the Beach split EP

I imagine it’s probably pretty high up on every powerviolence band’s bucketlist to do a split with Tokyo PV legends FUCK ON THE BEACH—Italy’s DOUBLE ME can now cross that one off of said list. DOUBLE ME has them beat in the song ratio (six vs. FUCK ON THE BEACH’s two), but both sides of this slab rip pretty hard. One of FUCK ON THE BEACH’s tunes is quite a raging take on CHAOS UK’s “No Security”—songs both rip hard, but DOUBLE ME’s bass-heavy sound is this reviewer’s favorite. It’s certainly worth the time investment, that time being just over four minutes. Depending on how stupid you are (which, if you like powerviolence, is probably quite a bit), it might even take you longer to read this review than listen to the record.

Forced Humility Tri-City Werewolves ’23 cassette

Finnish thrashers FORCED HUMILITY rip it up on Tri-City Werewolves ’23, citing influence from classic ’80s NYHC outfits like OUTBURST and SHEER TERROR. The results sound similar to the UK’s ANTAGONIZM, with harsh vocals, breakneck drums, metal riffing, and searing guitar leads. As a big FORESEEN fan, I’m always excited to hear these guys’ side projects, and FORCED HUMILITY doesn’t disappoint. Check out “Opportunist” and “Ultimate Concern.”

Golpe Assuefazione Quotidiana EP

D-beat à la Milano. This is classic bass-and-drums crushing punk. Great EP with a strong track list that will give your veins the fix it needs without taking you for an unexpected turn. Must we give comparative band names? You know this story well. The drummer steals the show and is a standout throughout. Don’t believe me? Start with “Teoria en Practica” and work your way back. Lots of merch from these capitalist-hating punkers…buy a shirt from these dudes.

Heavy Discipline Your Scapegoat 12″

I am happy to say that the newest release from Pittsburgh’s HEAVY DISCIPLINE is yet another winner. These guys have been putting out raging SSD-style hardcore for quite some time now, and Your Scapegoat comes three years after the release of their self-titled LP (which was one of my favorites that year). While it’s not quite as fast as that one, it still rages incredibly hard and packs a real mean punch. Another glowing recommendation from me.

Ismatic Guru III cassette

Genre-bending madness at its finest—ISMATIC GURU is here to paint your skull with the trippiest colors of a poised rainbow, and plunge your mind down the most elusive of rabbit’s holes. With this third installment of an ongoing collaboration between John Toohill (a.k.a. SCIENCE MAN) and Bran Schlia (CLUMP), we are treated to a circus of absurdist surreality where  synthesizers warble, writhe, and do battle with undulating guitars and skronking bass. The cadence of the vocals calls to mind the misleadingly casual delivery of Henry Wood, with accelerated paranoia coloring the timbre. The musicianship is impressive, but never flashy or overly indulgent. Post-new wave crashes headlong into post-punk…from the wreckage emerges ISMATIC GURU. The results are dense, disturbing, and ecstatically deranged. Killer stuff. For the freaks, by the freaks.

Lengua Salvaje 2023 Demo cassette

Raw, crusty hardcore three-piece out of Chicago. They’re another one of those trios that does a great job filling in the gaps, sounding absolutely massive with just a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist. Reminds me of all the early grind bands who came to fruition without a bass player but still sounded heavy as hell, much like a more rustic PIG DESTROYER. Vocals are blood-curdling like a banshee in the night. Absolutely intense and unwavering. The lo-fi production pairs perfectly here. I love how the drums come off in the mix—tucked a tad into the back, but when they come alive they’re pummeling. Top-notch stuff here.

Misery The Early Years LP

MISERY is the perfect example of a band most punks know by name, but aren’t necessarily familiar with their full discography. Few bands can claim to have the endurance of MISERY. Active since 1987 (I read they recently practiced after some years of silence), MISERY has survived several decades of punk trends, some of which haven’t aged half as well as Minneapolis’s loudest, through their unshakable loyalty to the old school crust genre. Initially highly influenced by the original crust sound that rose in Britain in the mid/late ’80s (especially AXEGRINDER, AMEBIX, and HELLBASTARD), MISERY went on to create their own sound and epitomize not only what old school crust could and should sound like, but also what dirty vibe and visceral tension it had to convey. With their raw and heavy chugging, apocalyptic, polyphonic stench-crust, MISERY became the ultimate crust band. They outcrust the competition. Where all the bands appeared to split up and give up, not to mention take showers, they remained standing (depending on the amount of special brew, let’s be fair), loyal, faithful to their first love and evolving, growing with it, like a healthy couple. Sure, just like in a relationship, some moments were better than others, but MISERY and crust never went their separate ways. They are crust lifers. Many contemporary crust bands owe a lot more to MISERY than they think, and I am under the impression that they don’t always get the credit they deserve in terms of songwriting, as they showed that you could pen heavy metallic crust songs and be inventive and even (gasp) catchy. And you won’t find a better bass sound in an old school crust band. Early Years gather material released between 1989 and 1996 on the first three EPs of the band (minus the live one), along with the lesser-known two split EPs with ASSRASH and HELLSPAWN. Absolutely essential, not just if you are into the genre, but if you are interested in punk history as a whole. In an epoch when the average lifespan of a new band is 24 months, there aren’t many die-hard bands like MISERY anymore. Agipunk took care of making this flawless, wonderful soundtrack for the end of the world available to the punters, and it is an ideal entry to the band’s world. Don’t be a poser. Get this.

New Berlin State of the Union LP

Following up their 2019 album Magnet, NEW BERLIN’s third full-length continues their exploration of post-indie garage pop. The album’s sonic terrain opens with a nod to raw minimalism, echoing the dissonant spirit of WIRE, then moves quickly into flirtation with the sunnier side of jangle-pop shoegaze. There’s a tip of the hat to honky-tonk country on the third and fourth tracks, before settling into a cleaned up LOU REED-esque groove that prevails for the remaining songs. The trajectory is a bit disorienting, though not incoherent or whiplash-inducing. While not revolutionary, State of the Union makes for great background music with pleasing aesthetics and digestible harmonies. If you want to be challenged by an album, this will not fit the bill, but for a laid-back palette cleanser, it just might.

Poison Tribe Allie Sessions demo cassette

At least the band picked a good name, which is always a nice first impression. POISON TRIBE comes from Denver, and from what I can tell, they are a relatively new band, as Allie Sessions is their second demo tape. Let me warn you that the sound is definitely raw and primal on this recording, which certainly doesn’t bother me (quite the contrary). Let’s just say that it genuinely sounds like a demo, not those fancy demos that get reissued on vinyl—no, the real no-arsing-around kind, warts and all. I have no idea if the people in the band have been active for long in our glorious punk scene (a polite way to inquire about how ancient they are), but I detect a sensible early ’00s political punk feel on this demo, from back when George W. Bush was thought to be the biggest villain the US of A would ever have. I enjoy this tape, more than I thought I would. As mentioned, it conveys the vibe that was so prevalent in North American ’00s crusty political hardcore, not dissimilar to California bands like AGAINST//EMPIRE, DISSYSTEMA, HOLOKAUST, or the mighty ARMISTICE though they started in the ’90s (POISON TRIBE has similar crunchy metallic breaks). For some reason, I am also reminded of a less Eurocrust SILNA WOLA—clearly a compliment in this quarter—but that could be because of the vocals that take a bit of time to get used to. This recording, although cruder than the first one, is a clear improvement in my book, and I am curious to see what POISON TRIBE could achieve with a more cohesive story to tell on an EP.

The Pontiac Stags Nothing cassette

Nothing is a quirky little EP by a Detroit group without a clear sense of identity, but they do have a couple good songs, so that’s something. “Fur Coats From Outer Space” takes the CRAMPS on a pleasant Sunday drive, which is followed by the unmistakable BEAT HAPPENING homage “Higher Power.” “Arctic Eyes” slinks back into the goo goo muck with a decent little mover, but the last song is where a tighter focus would have paid off. It’s called “Down With Acid Punk,” but instead of a snide takedown of, say, Timmy Vulgar, or a savage example of the genre in the manner of many a classic piss-take, it’s just another pretty good garage rocker. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, he said, as he scratched his head.

Radio Siniestra Radio Siniestra cassette

Here’s a femme-fronted darkwave/post-punk group out of Chile, with what appears to be their first release? While I couldn’t find much on the group, they were recorded in Valparaíso, and picked up by the Santiago-based Cintas Taciturnas, while also releasing cassettes on Comidillo out of Berlin, Germany. The Comidillo Bandcamp page has a mystical write-up on the band…or what the band may mean to you as a listener, or something? Opening with “Who are RADIO SINIESTRA? Most can’t tell, unless you’re there.” Not shitting on it here—it’s a darkly painted canvas of an angular, crusty sound, mixed with bright spots of anarchic joy portraying this seven-song cassette.  For avid listeners of MRR Radio, you probably heard the album opener “Sombras Marinales” on Erika’s episode #1883. For fans of anything in those “marginal shadows,” this is a must-listen.