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!
Crazy artwork on the cover of this LP released in February. A decade-long project that’s Chicago-based, frantically energetic and filled with angsty, metallic-infused hardcore that reaches velocity in a second—pit-advocates will endure and like this. Vocals punch low with anger and rapidity. Recommended tracks: “State of Torment” and “Plenty Was Never Enough.” Metallic forms of hardcore punk are alive and well in the Windy City.
How this band’s name is pronounced is my first annoyance. Raleighite band DE()T plays a combination of synth- and guitar-forward punk that seems trapped in a cocaine-fueled babble loop. Maybe there is a thread of an EPOXIES influence? Either way, Think of Your Future is chock-full of convoluted musical ideas on full display, all drifting in a handful of emphatic directions. Think of your worst hangover, now imagine that while being stuck in a really bad karaoke bar on an ’80s night…who is at the wheel?
Some great punk to keep you moving and dancing around. With some slightly slower tempo tracks like “Lineas de Muerte” or “No Nacimos,” you still feel this lightness and energy swirling around you. The standout track to me is “No Soy Yo” because I loved the syncopation of lyrics with the instruments and the dual vocals. I dare you to stay still while listening to these tracks.
EMPIRED kicks off this LP with a catchy little number called “Unite,” and it has the same clean and catchy sound of the best JIMMY EAT WORLD songs. The record’s sequencing is a bit disjointed. Also, just because a band is from SoCal, it doesn’t mean you have to toss in Long Beach ska upstrokes at all, or ever. I feel like this is a trap. A lot of good bands try to overextend themselves and could have used a producer, or a friend, to let them know that it is better to do fewer songs that are great versus putting songs in to fill an LP. By the time you get to “Fences” and “Paradise,” tracks four and five, the songs anneal in a way that brings out more sense of a good band staying in their lane and writing great songs—specifically with the song “Fences,” and bringing in Brenna Red (the LAST GANG) for backups completely catapults the song and band to the familiar late ’90s No Idea Records era of RADON and BITCHIN’, and I even hear some of the MUFFS in her delivery. Overall, this is a great start for a band. This would have made an outstanding four- or five-song EP.
This one is a pass for me. Sugar-free VANILLA MUFFINS with some diet RANCID ska/skate punk thrown in. I don’t want to go in too hard here; the band genuinely seems to have their hearts in the right place and they clearly have a fanbase. It’s earnest and it’s not up its own ass, so I can give points for that. Otherwise, it’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.
Some pre-PIGBAG art-punk here from Cheltenham’s short-lived HARDWARE, and despite the title, it’s not exactly a proper LP, rather a collection of the band’s two self-released 1979 EPs plus two previously unreleased tracks recorded that same year. HARDWARE’s stated influences weren’t exactly uncommon in a late ’70s UK DIY context—dub reggae, the hypnotic pulse of Krautrock, contemporary acts like the FALL who followed a punk-to-post-punk trajectory—but their translation of those inspirations mostly defied the collapsing Messthetics aesthetic, locking into the sort of taut rhythms that would ultimately be carried over to PIGBAG’s brass-blaring funk-punk. The spirit of PERE UBU looms large in the hiccuping vocals and frazzled keyboard textures in “Fire” and “Face the Flag,” while the driving, minimalist punk rush of “Speed Unit” suggests WIRE as guided by Warm Jets/Tiger Mountain-era BRIAN ENO (dig that cracked glam chorus with squealing sax!). The scrapped track “Rainy Taxi” fleshes out the proto-punk/first-wave influences even further, kicking into an almost VOIDOIDS-ish strut, and John Danylyszyn’s wound-up yelps over the percolating art school dance beat of “French Boys in India” strikes an uncanny parallel to what the METHOD ACTORS were doing an ocean away in Athens, Georgia at roughly the same exact moment in time. Makes me wish there actually had been a full HARDWARE LP out there to be uncovered, but this is the next best thing.
IDIOT IKON from Stockholm, Sweden released this ten-song, self-titled album about a year ago, and it really fucking rocks. Using the DISCHARGE D-beat formula but adding in some rock’n’roll guitar noise of the like found on maybe a DEAD BOYS album, the result is a raucous listen. The vocals are of that shredded vocal chord quality which I tend to associate to a blackened context, but in this presentation only makes the wall of noise more robust. Midway through the album, “Aspects of War” kicks in, and its blend of hardcore and rock’n’roll is sure to get your fist pumping in the air. Throughout the album, there are quirky bits of distortion that create strange but interesting instrumentation, as well as intriguing riffs that launch into noisy screaming solos. In all, Idiot Ikon is absolutely worth a spin.
Singapore hardcore project’s debut LP that evokes NYHC with a twist of their own. Singing in English and filled with steady cadences and breakdowns, but also picking up the tempo in resemblance to late ’80s classic hardcore. The string section is strong on this one, with great, intricate Arabesque-like riffage. Voices are sufficient, yet lack a bit of aggression and resolution for those with ragged hearing. Great effort, recommended for crucial hardcore lovers.
NECROPOLITICA from Burgos, Spain plays a thrash-laden, crusty D-beat that is speedy, tidy, and full of noise. The twelve songs that make up Cualquier Ideología Es Una Trampa emerge at an unrelenting pace and scorch through the aural canal as they enter the brain at warp speed. Guttural vocals deliver Spanish lyrics that criticize our contemporary sociopolitical problems. As I listen, I’m frequently reminded of RATOS DE PORÃO, but also of HIATUS and DOOM. Generally speaking, NECROPOLITICA seems to supercharge their crust punk with the speed of thrash metal, and it works.
SYF stands for SIGHT YOUTH FEDERATION, and what they give us here is a demo recording. The music is classic straightedge in the style of bands like YOUTH OF TODAY and SSD. The music sounds pretty good, especially if you’re a fan of YOUTH OF TODAY. Hardcore with some hooks and power. ONWARD is similar but without much of an SSD type of sound, and maybe a bit of 7 SECONDS and CHAIN OF STRENGTH to go along with the big YOUTH OF TODAY influence. This is a good document of the Norwegian straightedge scene starting near the very beginning.
Cool and weird grunge, proto punk-ish, rock-adjacent band that explores darker themes. The album opens with PJ HARVEY-sounding vocals, and builds to create a cool evolution with the introduction of more distorted guitar/bass lines. I loved how playful the guitar lines were throughout; with a kind of talking guitar in “Small Talk” to the more drone-y kind of melodic guitar in “A Dead Man’s Code (Zamama)”, they really found a unique sound that speaks for itself. I also appreciated the kind of darker themes with an enchanting, darker, witchy vibe. I felt like I was under a spell with the vocals in “A Dead Man’s Code (Zamama)”, appropriately transitioning into the next song called “Bitches and Witches” which is equally as spooky.
Picking up where their 2023 debut left off, PREY drops another raging hardcore assault on the senses. Short, fast, and pissed the fuck off. The alternating vocals are working really well on this album. Loathing is tightly wound, coiled like a snake about to strike. They’ve stuffed a lot of content into the tunes, with cool riffs and tempo changes abounding. At times they flirt with powerviolence, so don’t be surprised by blastbeats or breakdowns. If I had to lodge a complaint, I’d say the production is a bit too clean for my tastes, but it’s not getting in the way or altering how crushing the songs are so that’s a very minor quibble. Altogether, a powerful and gnarly showing.
Wow, this is DIY rock’n’roll chaos at its absolute finest! Classic ’80s hardcore fused with the fiercest of D-beat, complete with farty bass and all. Lots of fun breakdowns which I’m sure contribute to some wild moments in the pit. I am absolutely smitten with the vocals here. Pure anger and intensity, sounding unlike anything else at the moment. This looks to be their first release, and if that’s the case, I expect these folks to have a huge year. There’s video of their full set up on YouTube that’s worth seeking out. Otherwise, this is one hell of a tape, and needs to be spun until the reels fall off.
If it wasn’t clear from the title, Toronto three-piece SCOOTER JAY’s 2024 LP Punk Floyd and the Moral Faggots is an album that blends a very well-defined ’70s psychedelic rock sound with power pop sensibilities and undeniable punk attitude. Although the majority of the album is high-energy, it’s not just fast and loose rock’n’roll. There are some tracks that let you breathe, some that make you bob your head, and some that make you dance around your room. Everything sounds structured and ordered purposefully in a way that it doesn’t get boring at any point. Throughout the album, layers upon layers upon layers of sometimes raw and razor-sharp, sometimes acid-laced and surreal guitar tracks take the lead. With the help of tightly locked drums and bass, occasional keys, and expressive yet nonchalant vocals, the album takes its ultimate groovy form. The overall production of the LP sounds very traditionally early psych in some ways, but also novel when it comes to adding new dimensions to its sonic landscape. Though this LP was my introduction to SCOOTER JAY, I’m genuinely and totally blown away!
Late 1980s Japanese fastcore resurrected (thankfully) by the folks at Beach Impediment. I know them from the Enjoy Your Youth… sampler, and was a little surprised to see SCUMBAG get the treatment before realizing the ROCKY & THE SWEDEN connection, but never mind the why and sit with these eight burners. Even when you hear poppy bits on cuts like “F.T.M.U.” and “Money,” they simply can’t get away from the rapid-fire approach, creating a sonic bridge between more “traditional” Japanese hardcore and the younger Tokyo scene that started popping up in the ’90s (think LIE, DXRXYX, BREAKFAST). If you’re expecting a wall of furious hardcore, then look elsewhere, but these SCUMBAG tracks recorded their brief run in 1988–89 are a fantastic time capsule, and I’m thrilled that Beach Impediment cracked it open.
This is black hole hardcore, building on a solid foundation of POISON IDEA riffs with some Swedish influence as well. It’s not exactly metallic, but has that bite, calling to mind contemporaries like the mighty WARTHOG, especially in the vocal performances which snap with a trebly growl. The rhythm section is massive, with as much tupa tupa as you like, as well as lumbering work on the toms that just pulsates with menace. The bass is uncaged with plenty of crunch. These are tightly-constructed songs that demand you to quicken the pace if you want to keep up, a sort of smorgasbord of ideas that all gel into one snarling beast of a package. Really mean, light-extinguishing work from Rome that satisfies with every bite.
Is nu-metal-inspired egg-punk a thing? What if E-TOWN CONCRETE moved to Bloomington and got really into Gulcher Records? Should I put mayonnaise on my peanut butter sandwiches? Pass. Pass. Pass. Honestly, if I had to pick one of these, I guess I’m eating a PB&M sandwich. Eggy punk, or whatever you want to call it, is usually best when it’s pretty self-aware and tongue-in-cheek. The problem here, aside from the initial questions it had me asking, is that SNAREWAVES have opted for irony instead. Or at least I think they opted for irony? Either way, this ain’t it. But Painters Tapes did also put out the WE R TY cassette by TY this year, so I was able to cleanse my palette with that after this one.
Hailing from Andalusia, Spain, this is a clean-cut hardcore act with an almost pop sensibility for moshable tunes. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way in the slightest; there is something infectious about the chops here on display. The recording is crisp, with none of the gauziness or grit that many contemporary hardcore groups employ in the booth. It leaves the songs refreshingly naked in all their mid-tempo lumbering glory, not hiding any of the details. This veers heavy toward the catchy and fun end of the HC dial, whereas most artists seem content to just sound as miserable as possible. It’s nice to hear some playfulness in the genre, not that I feel this act isn’t taking things seriously. The titular closing track has plenty of fire in its belly, it’s just that it’s also a danceable bop. Not a lot of folks can pull off that delicate balance, but I imagine YUGO never has a dull dancefloor. Not with riffs this catchy.
Reissue of a 1991 LP from this London collective that blends reggae, ska, dub, and punk with socio-anarchist lyrics. The band’s sound and lyrics definitely feel of a certain time and place, but the extended jams flow so effortlessly with excellent, fluid playing and production that it’s surprising this didn’t get more attention upon its release. Amid the fat bass lines, a flute snakes around, giving the tracks a laid-back jazzy quality. Take “One Hand,” a six-minute slow ska excursion that would appeal to pot-smoking chill-out types and crust punks alike. “Tottenham Three” opens with a funky dancefloor beat and offers support to three men who were wrongfully accused of murder during a violent clash between citizens and police known as the Broadwater Farm riot. Near the end of the seven-minute plus track, sound clips loop and beats begin to escalate, moving the song from an upbeat protest song to a proto-rave banger. Danceable but still punk as fuck, the AK47’S sole LP could be the release to draw even the most ska-averse punks to the floor. Highly recommended.
Get those ears ready for ATOMIC THROAT, the fierce, noisy crusties from Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, because they’re going to leave you with tinnitus. For the unfamiliar, ATOMIC THROAT is a “no holds barred” noise crust-stench hybrid that owes a lot to legends like DOOM and SORE THROAT, creating a chaotic collision of crushing crust and an intense stench-like atmosphere. They only released a demo and an EP, and Future Crust gathers exactly those tracks. This rips through your ears with relentless fury the way the ’80s bands did.
The BATTLEBEATS, from Bandung, Indonesia, have been around making scummy rock’n’roll-infused, high-energy garage punk for the entirety of this decade, showing no signs of slowing down. The label involved here, Primitive Screwhead, is the live cassette-only subsidiary of long-running garage punk label Big Neck Records. The music on this tape was captured during a live show in 2023. If you are not yet familiar with the band, I would pick up the 7” they did on Big Neck Records first over this tape as your introduction to the band. It isn’t bad by any means, but it is a live recording, which at times makes it feel like the singer is in the room with you yelling right into your ear. Once you digest the charm of the 7”, then move on to this live cassette.
I don’t know if anywhere is a cool place to live right now, but judging from the punk and hardcore that comes out of British Columbia, it must be a miserable place, because the bands coming out of there are mean as spit. BREECH BOYS keep that thread going through down-and-out polka beat hardcore that cuts away every ounce of fat, leaving nothing but blood and muscle. There’s some occasional rock‘n’roll-inspired guitar leads, but otherwise this is pummeling and recorded with the grit knobs all the way up. While a track like “Hands Tied” might not earn the band any points for originality, it more than makes up for it in sheer aggression. To a degree, hardcore’s appeal lies in the production and how it hits the listener (even though we’d probably all agree the live show is the ideal space for the genre), and this band gets that more than right. This is a spare and battering slice of hardcore punk waiting for you to break a tooth on it.
Three songs, two minutes and fifty-nine seconds—this timespan is not the usual for a 7”. Sixth release from these turbocharged punks from Athens, Georgia. CONSEC is on the faster spectrum of hardcore, going as fast as HERESY and as abrasive as KORO. The songs are obviously short, but so much happens that they don’t feel as short as they should. Very dynamic and powerful, the songwriting evokes the ’80s in a very abrasive way, from the speed to the sound, which is very saturated, like it’s being played on a very old tape deck. The homework on the golden era of fast hardcore was done, for sure.
Solid Middle America bar rock from Denver. There was an early ’90s almost-grunge vibe that I couldn’t quite shake (or identify), so I dug in a little and found a connection to the FLUID which helped contextualize the guitar a bit. Aside from that connection, CYCLO SONIC lands like some middle-agers well versed in the classics, so expect to hear elements of ’60s garage burners and early ’80s punk in the mix. And when they hit (like on “I’m Not Sad” with its screaming lead), they’re great, even though the vocals pull my attention from the guitars more often than I’d like. Choice cut: “Alone In The City.”
Rumbling bass, proto-punk song structures, and chilling vocals are just a few hallmarks on DISTANT RELATIVES’ self-titled release. From Chemnitz, Germany, DISTANT RELATIVES play an aggressive form of rock’n’roll that is difficult to categorize. I personally hear things like PATTI SMITH, the GITS, WHITE LUNG, EASTERN SYNDROME, and the ELECTROLYTES, but there is also a big 45 GRAVE influence. Needless to say, DISTANT RELATIVES rocks! The song “Mei Nü” is definitely one of my favorite songs as it rips with a quick punk energy, has a gnarly guitar tone that is snarly and grimy, and brims with a snotty attitude. Meanwhile, it’s hard to resist the swagger within “Done.” If you’re in for an album that meanders, but rests on genuine and unique rock’n’roll, then check this one out.
I refused to listen to this band for a while because I hate their name and I knew I would like the band. I sure had that right. DISTURD give us some top-notch hardcore punk/crust. The music is magnificent, with elements of D-beat, thrash, and crust. If your musical tastes fall anywhere within that spectrum, this is a fantastic album to check out—play it at your next party, because this is some great stuff.
Australian powerviolence legends EXTORTION have once again blessed us with another tough-as-nails, full-throttle fastcore release. Actually, calling it fastcore wouldn’t do it justice. It should also be called tight-core, considering how unbelievably well-performed it is. As you finish the first song, which is just sixteen seconds long, you think to yourself “Whew, that was crazy. Surely it will slow down at some point!” Then guess what? You get sucker-punched into oblivion over and over by fifteen songs in a grand total of eight minutes. Every millisecond of Threats is jam-packed with raw, unadulterated aggression. The kind that you miss the moment you blink. It was one of my favorite releases of 2024 and after giving it about a hundred more listens, I’m happy to say that it absolutely still is.
Excellent ’80s US-inspired punk via Tbilisi, Georgia. FUNERAL MESS is listed as “mysterious punk” and includes members from a slew of good punk bands I was painfully unaware of prior to writing this. Songs range from mid-tempo to breakneck speed, the former of which I actually prefer, especially the rocker vibes of “Stay in Shock” and the melodic closer “Isolation.” Overall, it actually reminds me of a punkier T.S. WARSPITE, especially in the burly vocals. A great tape that is highly recommended.
How do these Aussies keep doing it? More fantastic DEVO-esque rock’n’roll madness from our friends Down Under; synth-laden egg-punk akin to ALIEN NOSEJOB, SNOOPER, and labelmates PRISON AFFAIR. What sets these folks apart from the others are the vocals. The guitarist, bassist, and drummer all share singing duties, and this helps foster a much more diverse-sounding record. Speaking of drums, whoever is behind the kit is a speed demon. Fast and tight as hell! I mistook it for a drum machine at first, but quickly perished the thought when I heard the nuances of the hi-hat hits. Ah, those precious nuances. Great stuff here.
This is an absolute monster of a debut! Pummeling UK82 punk channeled through the explosive energy of Bogotá, INFRA has put together what will certainly be one of the top releases of 2025. I’ve been listening to these tracks over and over for the last couple weeks, and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. Killer vocals, fantastic guitar lines, perfectly tight drumming…it’s pure punk perfection. The bass playing on this record is bordering on actual lunacy. When the guitars cut out towards the end of “Prisión Mental,” and the bassist is going the fuck off? It’s absurd. They close things out with a cover of the SKEPTIX, which makes complete sense. Dig BOG PEOPLE or SAVAGEHEADS? Allow me to introduce your new favorite band. I can’t get past how good this is. (Circle) A+++!
Seven tracks recorded over two years and cut to tape, and while I don’t know if they’re presented chronologically, there was a steady progression of songwriting on display here. About halfway through, I got hooked, and by the end, I was a total convert. LIQUID IMAGES play an aloof, cool-without-effort type of garage-y punk, that calls to mind the VELVET UNDERGROUND or even early STROKES at times. The track “Running Out of Time” reminded me a lot of WARM SODA, which was right around when I got hooked on this tape, and that sound held on throughout the wickedly strong B-side. Tetryon Tapes seems to consistently find killer and varied sounds to put out, and this tape was a great reminder to stay on top of whatever they’re offering. Fantastic stuff.
Fantastic emo-metalcore out of Poland. Very reminiscent of where the punk scene was at in the late ’90s/early ’00s. It’s like a combination of HOT WATER MUSIC, CAVE IN, early RISE AGAINST, and even earlier KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. These kids from Eastern Europe really nailed that East Coast-meets-Gainesville sound. As always with these types of groups, the vocalist is front and center with a range that spans from brutal throat-screaming to melancholy, melodic wailing that would make Guy Picciotto proud. If my research is correct, this EP originally came out in 2018 but was re-released again last year by Refuse Records as a 7”. Doesn’t seem like it’s gotten a lot of attention stateside, so let’s change its fate. Go pick this up right now.
Electronic darkwave band. I loved how their slight tempo changes created unique vibes to each song, while staying cohesive to one another in a darker yet playful way. This album makes you feel like you’re being dragged into another world or realm. The distant sort of vocals layered with repeated bass lines and synths really created a nice electronic gloom. I also really enjoyed the track “Pretender,” which was more upbeat but still felt unique and non-repetitive. Loved these guys.
One of the very first early recordings in their PDX hometown from the Kings of Punk POISON IDEA, who have been a true inspiration regarding ethics in expression and execution of hardcore punk for me. Fast-paced, bone-crushing blasts of hardcore punk fury on each track. Their everlasting legacy of uncompromised hardcore punk with an extreme punk ethos lives through this cathartic live record, released by their own label that was founded back in ’89. A tunnel of time feeling on this album, achieving intimate vibes as it’s a local concert. Pig Champion on guitar and Jerry A. on vocals will reign forever.
After debuting with a four-song EP of spiky, agitated skronk in 1985, the New Zealand art-punk collective ?FOG rechristened themselves as ROBERT and self-released this LP the following year. It’s a primo exercise in sinister, rhythm-driven FALL-esque (Rowche) rumble, with Lindsay Fog’s grinding bass grooves positioned as the stabilized center against scratchy, razor-twang guitar and dryly caustic vocals—the deranged rockabilly beat and motor-mouthed speak/sing of the killer “Handbreak” is an especially Mark E.-coded pairing. “Godwalks” builds up some serious paranoid tension in just over a minute, with its spiralling bass/drums clang and increasingly unhinged vocals repeating lines like “The funniest jokes are the sickest” and “You burn in hell or you’re bored in heaven” to really drive the point home. SWELL MAPS-like sparks fly in the shambolic, lyrically Dadaist “Meatworks,” and “Scream” reappears from the ?FOG 7”, featuring vocals from Sam Swan of Kiwi DIY all-timers LIFE IN THE FRIDGE EXISTS and a bleak, spin-cycle flail right up there with their better-known ’80s NZ post-punk compatriots the GORDONS and NOCTURNAL PROJECTIONS. Totally wired; another top Bunkerpop reissue job.
SEUDO YOUTH from Los Angeles takes no prisoners with Nobody Gets Down Like…, a twelve-track, fifteen-minute explosion of chaotic, noisy hardcore. With members of G.U.N.N., the FREAKEES, ADVOIDS, and PEOPLE’S TEMPLE in the mix, you know this isn’t gonna be a polite listen. The tunes are raw, frenetic bursts of energy, drenched in a wall-of-noise production that buries the reverbed vocals just enough to keep things unhinged. Are they reinventing the genre? Probably not. But does it matter when the energy is this contagious? The kids should go feral for this, and I can already see the bodies flying at their live shows. Check out: “M*A*S*H.”
SLUTBOMB from Cincinnati claims to be “the fastest queercore band in Ohio,” and they’re not lying. Blasts of powerviolence link up with sludgy riffs to form a slow/fast wall-of-death sound that is as much old school thrashy hardcore as it is metal-injected punk. The guitar tones on this recording are some of my recent favorites (see “Blood of Monsters” or “Slippery Elm Bark” for examples), and sound sort of like an angle grinder running underwater. Debra’s vocal barrage is raw and articulate while firing off lyrics critical of all the things creating our contemporary global hellscape. All in all, this eight-song recording is a blast from start to finish while also bringing a fiery and crucial message.
Second full-length from Melbournians SPLIT SYSTEM. Vol. II is all-boxes-checked riff-punk that doesn’t miss a pre-req. BLITZ playing some DEVIL DOGS. It’s street-walkin’ and sleazy. The beers fall out of the sky on “Alone Again” and “End of the Night,” with plenty of swagger left to go around. Give it a go.
I’ve long felt that punk music is a folk tradition. At its most essential, it is tied together as a living history that is accessible to everyone regardless of anything other than love for the music. That is exemplified in this stunning full length, which both rocks and rolls but also feels like a lived-in and educated slab of American music that draws from a rich and deep well (or rather several). If it sounds like I’m hyperbolizing I might be, but I think we’ll look back on this one for a while yet as a brilliant confluence of old and new that sings in its own language. Okay, so how does it sound? It has edges of bedroom punk with a tight rhythmic center (using conventional and electronic drumming), with great expressive guitar playing and a gorgeous pedal steel on most tracks. The music is heavily melodic, showcasing the full-throated and gritty baritone of the main songwriter C.P.N. Hollywell whose lyricism is clever, aching and fiery all in turn. Some songs lean heavily acoustic, particularly the excellent and wistful “Tic Tac Toe,” but this is not merely folk-punk as it will then zig-zag back through a kaleidoscope view of other rock traditions, often with riffs steeped in blues and country but also with some non-pentatonic post-punk structures. In a way, it’s hard to pin down the sound here, and that’s largely what makes it feel like such a bold new thing—all while still having its moments of plainly fuzzed-out, crunching geetar bliss. I don’t always get to effuse about an album, and I certainly have here, but this was handily my favorite release of 2024 (it was on my top ten) and demands your attention. Hopefully everyone will catch onto what makes TWISTED TEENS important and special.
New from British garage auteur BILLY CHILDISH, Step Out! is his fifth release with Chicago Blues outlet the CHATHAM SINGERS, comprised of his wife Julie and longtime collaborators Wolf and Jim. The prolific Mr. CHILDISH is right at home singing hard-nosed, harmonica-strewn stompers like the tough opener of the title track, and from here a smooth succession of numbers both melancholy and jolly unfolds. A punk veteran since the old days, BILLY has aged gracefully into an authentic bluesman while leaving distinct traces of his groovy garage past intact, and it makes for an enticing and accomplished LP. It’s worth picking up for his rough-hewn rendition of “I Just Want to Make Love to You” alone, the best version of the smoky standard since the MEAT PUPPETS. Dig that twang.
Swedish band with a singer from Colombia who paints a bleak picture of South American life as “the land of tropical gothic, of danceable stabbings and gore capitalism.” Straightforward and raw chorus-laden guitar downstrokes are accompanied by classic one-two tupa beats that plow through every track. Start to finish, that simple beat is there the whole time, but it works in its driving primitiveness. There are occasional spidery guitar leads that lend a darkness to the unstoppable punk attack, like on the memorable “El Linaje” and the raging “Morbo y Fascinación.” The shredded vocals match the vibe and deliver “the most macabre tales of blood and abandonment.” This is some expert dark pogo shit for the grimmest punks.
Oh man, I’m a sucker for when the whole band sings, and they hooked me from the first tune. This record has a very No Idea Records feel. Through these songs, you can also feel that these folks like each other and have a lot of fun hanging out. I think they are actual friends. For fans of RAGING NATHANS, GRABASS CHARLESTONS, RADON, a little bit of HOT WATER MUSIC, DEAD BARS, a little DILLINGER FOUR, and so on. You get it.
From the esteemed archivists at Cameleon Records, Asphyxies is a striking collection of tracks focused on three different French bands from Dijon spanning the late ’70s and early ’80s. The first five tracks are from STAND BY, whose “Aristocracy” is so strong a tune that it was selected as the opener for both this record and the label’s more comprehensive Thesaurus, Volume 7 2xLP. The band’s sound is a fantastic take on rockin’ ’77-style punk with a raucous edge, and this brief sampling will leave ears of a certain inclination wanting more. Next up is SUSPECT DEVICES, who blend power pop and new wave elements into a decidedly punky stew. Listen to the sunny “Civilisation” with caution, as it has serious potential to become an unshakable earworm. Finally, a duo of rough-hewn tunes from BOXON deliver straightforward rockin’ with a dark undercurrent in contrast to the more polished approaches of the two previous featured acts. This sharply curated comp is a great listen, impressively confirming suspicions that there’s still amazing stuff lurking beneath the surface that has yet to be culled.
ALEMENT is among the best current North American crust outfits. Howling devastation of the highest order, they’ve been honing their craft for a decade, and 2024’s Banished Sphere lands like the realization of those efforts. Think MISERY and AMEBIX as reference points for sure, but the metallic churn is special—“Surreal Wisdom” as a perfect example, while “Ritual Perdition” owes as much to Metal Blade-era SLAYER as to AMEBIX. Vocals are like a desperate warning and the riffs churn, repetitive pummeling spread out over six apocalyptic movements. This listens like a fully-realized recording (and release), less common in this era of streams and tracks and extremely welcome to these ears.
Not to be confused with M BLANKET, BLANKET OF M plops out a bouncing live album that leaves you with a good understanding of what the band is all about. Although they hail from Tyler, TX, there is a heavy East Coast and WESTON sense to their pop punk that comes off more on the non-live tracks on their Bandcamp page. The slower tunes have a definite RAMONES vibe with a side smile to the MISFITS. I usually hate live punk recordings as they tend to sound horrible, muddy, and the band, overall, is far, far less interesting than in their recorded material, but this stands out. Great crowd sounds with tons of tight friends, a few inside jokes, and probably jumping around and such. I would most certainly go check them out if they ever played within 40 minutes of where I live.
“Slow Violence” starts with a sample of socially engaged writer Rob Nixon explaining the concept of slow violence as the heaviness of a sludged-out riff creeps in and takes over. In essence, CAVING GROUNDS is a hardcore band, but they fire in many directions, and sludge is the main one. It’s all about the atmosphere with CAVING GROUNDS. A bone-crushing blend of fury and riffs for the more adventurous ones out there.
I love just about anything that Billy Childish touches. No lie. I can see how some people may go the opposite way. I just like that sound. If you’re waiting for me to say that this is some sort of an exception, it isn’t. Like most of his stuff, this one’s got a very ’60s garage rock sound to it, starting with the choice of a song to cover. I don’t find the YARDBIRDS cover particularly innovative, but the band certainly is well-suited to cover the song (“For Your Love”). The other two cuts are both impressive retro-rockers. Nicely produced, achieving a nice balance of sounding garage-y, while also sounding produced but not over-produced. Long live garage rock’n’roll.
Experimental post-punk that (if you believe the self-mythologizing Bandcamp bio) was recorded in one day by musicians/academics from the US, France, and Belgium. Consisting of loping bass lines, skittery, jazzy drums, gurgling synths, and baritone vocals that sound like chopped-and-screwed TOM WAITS, the tracks meander with improvisational energy and occasionally touch on beauty amidst the weirdness. “Gently Roll the Tides” opens with plaintive synth chords that crash into one another until it sounds like a moaning animal and becomes oddly moving. “Sweet Summer Sound” churns with a propulsive warped blues sound, as does the sinister, driving bass on “Doctor.” On “Freerange Mycology,” the bass turns funky and has a tangled showdown with a noisy synth. It also features lyrics like “Toenail infection / Spreading to my knees / Creeping up to my eyes / Now I can see.” Far out, man. Your enjoyment of this record is equal to how much freeform studio fuckery you can handle. The musicianship is definitely there, and there is a cohesive feeling to the jams, but some tracks test the patience. Take “Beer Buy Up All Bacteria”—the extended vocal riffing on the title could have been much shorter, and we all would have been okay. Recommended to deep freaks only.
Chaotic, self-proclaimed “end of the world hardcore,” and it sure sounds like it. DISAPPEARANCES go deep into the heart of the issues encompassing mental health in modern society, pulling at the strings of the malaise felt with the world drifting further from balance. With members of +HIRS+ and KILL THE MAN WHO QUESTIONS, to name a few, this is a well-constructed homage to the strain of powerviolence that deals with the deeper subjects in one’s mind. Resembles a modern version of the ’90s emoviolence sound, drawing towards ORCHID or REVERSAL OF MAN, which is deeply rooted in powerviolence.
This album is as dark and hopeless as the miserable times we are inevitably crawling towards. DISASSELN does not strike me as the sort of band you would listen to on your way to the beach on a sunny day, which is fine by me, as spending an afternoon in the sand in uncomfortable trunks surrounded by rude, loud holidaymakers sounds like a Dantean circle of hell. This band hails from Bavaria, Germany, a region that cannot be said to be renowned for its punk bands (although I heard times were changing), and plays modern stenchcore with an indulgence in rotten death metal. This first album Wohin Soll’s Denn Heute Gehen? (where, indeed) is classically executed with that mid-paced D-beat that makes you want to ride the wasteland. I enjoyed it more on a second listen because of its super gruff vocals—mostly in German—reminiscent of a disgruntled, zombified bear, and the overall vibe and groove of a work that I would gladly qualify as “rotten crust metal” (it’s already copyrighted, so don’t bother). I wish they had written some slower, more epic old school crust numbers as well, and the LP sounds a tad redundant at times, but this has largely to do with my moderate love for death metal, and the band does lie more on the stenchcore side of things (probably because they can’t play well enough to play proper metal). I can imagine this lot sharing the stage with TERMINAL FILTH, DOWNWINDER, or the mighty CANCER SPREADING. A solid album for stench lovers.
