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!

Plot The Revenge LP

Philadelphia three-piece PLOT have just released The Revenge, their first full-length recording on MPLS Ltd. This six-track album kicks off with “I Have Your Slattern,” which is a tempo-shifting appetizer to the rest of the album, followed by “Peccadilloes,” an acoustic palate-cleanser of sorts that makes way for the meal of the album. “Bobbit Worm” features howling vocals over clipped and distorted instruments, and just when you think you’ve figured out PLOT, they throw down the darkened noise rock of “Eye Decay.” The gothic bend continues through the plodding, synth-heavy “Walk the Plank,” which decays into the dirty, bass-heavy “Slush Fund.” This album is an engrossing journey through unexpected directions which will leave you wanting more.

Rash Decision Year of the Silence LP

Year of Silence is raging, crossover-style hardcore with thrash metal chugging guitars with pummeling, powerful drums and vocals to sing along with. The album was written during the pandemic, with an ode to health workers who risked their lives, with humorous yet important stuff to say about subjects ranging from anti-fascism to the solidarity of the working class. Easily could’ve been dismissed as some band that sings about eating pizza and partying, but in actuality, they’re singing about a sociopolitical reality more than most DIY hardcore punk bands out there. Unique approach for this style of hardcore.

Rebelión Anarcopunk Sus Limites Cruzar EP

Long-running Bogotá punks REBELIÓN ANARCOPUNK tear through four cuts of full-bore crust with wild abandon. The songs are blazing fast with shouted vocals, shredding guitars, and top-shelf drumming. Although there are some metallic elements—double bass, finger-tapped guitar solos, occasionally guttural vox—this is pure punk in the raw form, and doesn’t actually sound metal in the least. The title track “Sus Limites Cruzar” is my personal favorite with its over-the-top leads, manic caterwauls, and blastbeats. If the energy captured here is any indication, I imagine their live sets to be a true spectacle.

The Satyrs Don’t Be Surprised LP

Sundazed continues in their mission to reissue every small-time ’60s garage band under the sun, like it or not. Here we get a treat of British Invasion-inspired jams not from the Pacific Northwest, but from the town built on quartz, Asheville, North Carolina. Nicely packaged with tons of info, and the sound is decent if you figure how old and crusty these tapes probably were. Shiny boots, blazers, and high-strung guitars are the vibe, and some of it is really hokey, but there’s moments like their rare original single “Don’t Be Surprised / Blue Blue World” or their cover of “I Walk the Line” which can give you a glimpse of the birth of Southern punk that lead to C.O.C. and ANTISEEN, if you close your eyes and imagine real hard. Good stuff.

Saufknast Tränengas EP

Fresh punk project from Hamburg/Kiel. High-pitched female vocals, and strident guitars that contort between power chord sections and soloing from time to time. Garage-y vibes and mixed couplings, but with a hardcore punk drive. The eight tracks reiterate the same formula over and over, which may be a bit exhausting, but altogether it’s a great debut. Determination in the singing and tempos are on-point, with the garage-driven guitars and vocals being the main focus.

Skill Issue Total Doom cassette

Blistering hardcore centered around themes of advocating for human rights and defense against societal abuse. This tape is five minutes of righteous fury, delivered in a throat-ripping roar that steals the show, although the band is tight and plays with a filthy tone that fits perfectly. Opening track “Total Doom” starts the tape out strong with a gay rights archival sound clip that leads into a slow feedback crawl and lyrics like “Always knew it from the start / Hatred heals my burning heart / Slice a bigot in his neck / Total Doom / Fucking mess.” “Pitbull in a Basement” features savage call-and-response vocals and rips hard. You’re telling me they have two raw-as-fuck vocalists in the same band? That’s the best kind of rare. The whole tape is solid, furious hardcore about fighting against intolerance. What’s not to like?

Trenchraid War Mentality cassette

TRENCHRAID is a Motör-charged D-beat band from the left coast of Canada who have just released their first full-length cassette. Twelve songs that pummel the skull with hardline lyrics about ecological disasters, the horrors of war, and endless suffering pull no punches as they come in a quick barrage. Having previously reviewed their four-song demo cassette last year, I can say with absolute certainty that this crew has grown into their aggro sound and fully refined their thematic devices. If you’re like a lot of the punk community and waking up day after day with ever growing rage, then you’ll find a comfortable home in this album. “Is This the End?” and “(Position of) Fuck You” are standout tracks for me, as they contain the highest level of F.O.A.D. mentality. Get this in you, and your indignation will feel fully justified.

Virus You Can’t Ignore It Forever LP

Much like the time passed before this 1984 cassette was released on record, I’m glad I didn’t wait to sit down with this any longer. VIRUS brings a bygone production value and mood I haven’t heard as earnestly since the likes of KULTURKAMPF, The E.P.s of R.P., KARMA SUTRA, or LEGION OF PARASITES, with the somewhat gothic post-punk swaying of SKELETAL FAMILY and TOXIC WASTE, though much more sensitively delivered like contemporaries the MOB, LIBERTY, and OMEGA TRIBE. The writing here is authentic and classic 1984 UK anarcho-punk. Simply poetic and rhythmic, with themes of anti-war, animal liberation, class struggle, and nuclear power and its threats. Floor toms, militant snares, jangling, echoing bass, spoken word moments…from “Oven Overture”: “Handin’ out presents, it’s Christmas day / Well it’s ‘bout fuckin’ time that a turkey had its say!” The earliest forms of anarcho-punk always had that blunt lyrical content, and VIRUS is no exception. This is an excellently remastering of their cassette debut from 40 years ago, and a must-have if anything from SUBDUED or AOA to FLUX OF PINK INDIANS and MOET THE POET is your voice of reason in this cyclically unreasonable world. I’ve rattled off several bands of the era and region but not randomly, as this early VIRUS material sincerely fits right in.

Warsaw Discography 92–93 S.C. Dynamite Go! Go! CD

After being recently introduced to Black Konflik’s output, I’ve become a quick fan. They have a handful of legendary releases from the likes of PARANOID and DEFIANCE and even more obscurities like this collection of demos and compilation tracks by WARSAW, a hardcore punk band from Sapporo, Japan who were active from 1992 to 1993. They went on to switch lead singers and become SHOT GUN, leaving this output in their wake. It’s a raw and lo-fi affair bringing to mind other Japanese hardcore bands like SYSTEMIC DEATH and DEATHSIDE. If fast and nasty hardcore is your thing, check it out, especially their contribution to the Criminal Truth Hate Justice comp, which is included here. Gnarly stuff!

Arsenico Reign of Fear EP

This recording takes me back a little, just enough to feel nostalgic, although I would struggle to pinpoint the cause of this slight but nonetheless real melancholia. It could be because ARSENICO’s style reminds me of the ’00s, a pivotal time for yours truly, back when things felt fresher and receding hairlines were just a distant, albeit dreadful, prospect. This lot come from Sydney and appear to be a new up-and-coming band, as Reign of Death is their first record, and I must say that it does not quite go the distance. Clearly, judging from the title of the songs like “Forced Motherhood” or “White Fears,” the band has something of value to say and deliver, but overall the recording lacks in power and focus. I understand that ARSENICO wants to go for that anarcho crust/thrash vibe (I am reminded of CLUSTERFUX or WORDS THAT BURN or even APPALACHIAN TERROR UNIT), and there are moments, especially when they vigorously beat the D, when it works, and some of the moshing thrash parts are pretty energetic. The dual vocals, however, sound a bit monotonous by the end of the EP, and with the lyrics being quite long, this is not something that you want. This said, I do believe there is some potential, and ARSENICO definitely sounds like they believe in what they do, which is what matters.

Autodestrucción Demo 1988 EP

It’s another demo tape pressed to 7” by the Esos Malditos Punks label, showing a good part of the Mexican hardcore scene that was wild and unique during the late ’80s and early ’90s. AUTODESTRUCCIÓN is another super-tight band. It comes across great because they are raging, with fast-paced, slamming hardcore songs that are furious as hell. Old tape noise gives us what mostly just multiple pedals and editing can accomplish now, but here it is in its rudimentary form. Slight melody creeps in here and there, but it still is an attack tape. The momentum of the tracks does not let me judge the riffs or song structure, but this is a hardcore tape from Mexico 1988, not a painting in a bullshit museum where you are hissed down immediately if you make any noise. This is the loud reality of local craziness. Most of the songs are pretty short, and the longer jams sound very menacing and have the opportunity to transform from a tense mid-tempo to a really hammering rush. When the disco beat came in for a second, they totally got me. If you are interested in early international hardcore where scenes had their own unique sound and bands were forming and not following the borders of hardcore, then this is a great release for you.

Barrows Discord and Society CD

Blown-out D-beat hardcore from Japan with songs about war, society, and “devastated futures.” Their Bandcamp namechecks DISCLOSE, DISCHARGE, and ANTI-CIMEX, so you know what you’re getting here: aggressive, poorly recorded, fast D-beat with shouted vocals. Really, the only surprising thing about this release is that they didn’t name the band DISBARROWS. There is a lot to like here if this genre appeals to you, though—it’s tightly-played, earnest punk with no frills, just speed and volume. The last four tracks sound like boombox demos, recommended if you want your rawness even rawer.

Black Dog Overthrow EP

I cannot say I really like the moniker BLACK DOG as, for some reason, it immediately evokes images of tough metalcore lads who wear beanies and spend a lot of time looking unironically hard. But this BLACK DOG is absolutely amazing, right kick-up-the-arse amazing, the sort of amazing that can resurrect the pair of crust pants you discarded years ago because you do get a bit fat with age. Distracted me had only vaguely heard the first demo and, partially because of the name (I know, I know, the book, the cover and all that), I just did not pay much attention. But this band from Halifax, Canada is the real deal, and I don’t know what they put in the water in Nova Scotia, but the locals always deliver when it comes to jaw-dropping punk music. Unsurprisingly, BLACK DOG is made up of members of ZYGOME and FRAGMENT (Overthrow is not so unlike the latter’s 2016 demo, actually), and they play distorted crasher-style raw hardcore of the highest quality. The sound is not exaggeratedly blown-out like some of their Japanese counterparts, but is rawer with an organic, almost cavernous texture that I really enjoy. Similarly, the guitar still has some crunch and is not completely lost in distortion, and overall you can sense the anger and the intensity amplified by the crusty gruff vocals. I suppose you could file BLACK DOG along contemporary bands like PHYSIQUE, ASPECTS OF WAR, or the newly formed KINETIC ORBITAL STRIKE, but I hear a stronger Swedish influence, albeit by way of FRAMTID arguably (especially in the riffing), and I caught myself thinking about NPG or GIFTGASATTACK and even some classic ’90s käng bands (like SAUNA or something) that would have been left in a Crust War Records marinade overnight. Very aptly executed, and everything you are entitled to expect from the best representatives of the genres. Another great one from the always reliable Halifax punk scene.

Chrome Spiders Kitten’s Whisper cassette

Best known for his stints in the DIRTBOMBS and BANTAM ROOSTER, veteran Detroit garage guy Tom Jackson Potter put together his own group, the CHROME SPIDERS, in the ’00s. Playing smoky, blues-battered rock with a tasteful touch of ’60s swagger, the group released a 7” in 2009 and then, just before calling it quits, recorded this album which is just now finally seeing the light of day. With eight original songs and a faithful rendition of “Jumping Jack Flash,” it’s a smooth and understated garage affair with just the right amount of kick, showcasing the group’s knack for creating hypnotic pools of immersive sound. They’re at their best when they allow themselves room to breathe on expansive tracks like “Outta Time” and “Waydown.” There’s a unique synergy at work across this album, where the band’s effortless dimly-lit bar-rock is circled by surges of glowing electricity, and the resulting cool din is just begging to be accessorized with a stiff drink and a dark pair of sunglasses.

Conceal Demo ’23 cassette

CONCEAL is a new Trier-based band with ex-members of SLON and BRIDGE BURNER. Like a wrecking ball, CONCEAL destroys the hell out of everything with their NYHC-influenced approach, gritty and relentless, just like early MADBALL and AGNOSTIC FRONT. CONCEAL is worth listening to for their authentic and powerful vision of what hardcore should be.

Double Standard Mt. Focus LP

DOUBLE STANDARD from Malta’s latest release consists of unique-sounding political hardcore punk tracks full of thoughtful expressions of injustices of our world, reminiscent of the feeling of ’80s-style recordings of NWOBHM and anarcho-punk that isn’t overtly metallic or modern-sounding. Mt. Focus successfully expresses the complex, subtle feel of the issues facing our societies and ecosystem, not just through their lyrics but through sonic means as well.

Entrapment Tempers Flare EP

A pretty standard slab of heavy hardcore from Australia’s ENTRAPMENT. Can’t say I dig it very much, but if you’re into the more “tough guy” end of the hardcore spectrum, you might dig this. However, this four-track record does very little for this reviewer. Next…

GG King Esoteric Lore LP reissue

Originally released in 2011, GG KING’s seminal album is back in circulation with a freshly remastered pressing, courtesy of State Laughter. Esoteric Lore embodies a pivotal moment in the modern history of Atlanta’s punk scene. Emerging from the ashes of the CARBONAS, singer Greg King’s new endeavor would essentially redefine the city’s iconic sound, in which said group had played an outsized role in establishing in the preceding decade. Rather than continuing on in that vein of desperately gritty power-pop-inspired punk, GG KING were to incorporate influences from a far more broad swath of genres. Esoteric Lore is gloriously messy and experimental, at times motorik, noisy, and angular—only to snap back into a familiar mode of melodicism now cracked and damaged. Gurgling up in the cauldron are nods to 100 FLOWERS, WIRE, NEU!, the FALL, and too many more to mention without completely losing the plot. The album is bookended by unstructured soundscapes, and many of the seventeen tracks have endings that fade out, which makes the whole thing feel hazy, fluid, and experiential. Then there are moments where everything suddenly comes into sharp relief, like the whiplash inducing cover of JOHNNY MOPED’s “Incendiary Device.” While Esoteric Lore may be unresolved, it is just as vital as it was twelve years ago. Taking into account how massively influential GG KING has been to punk in the Southeastern US (and far beyond), it’s hard to think of this album as anything short of a bona fide classic.

The Havoc Our Rebellion Continues LP

Imagine my disbelief at seeing this come across my review pile; I saw HAVOC play at the Cornerstone music festival almost twenty years ago, and honestly I didn’t realize they were still active. On their new LP Our Rebellion Continues, they sound just as I remember them: CASUALTIES-style street punk with a side of MOTÖRHEAD-style rock’n’roll. Personally, I prefer them when they lean into the Lemmy influence, like on “Who’s to Blame” and the end of title track “Our Rebellion Continues,” where they almost approach a RIFFS vibe. It’s pretty cool shit, and I’m happy to see these dudes still doing their thing twenty years later.  

Insane Urge My America cassette

Daammn! I went into this release, the second from this Austin five-piece featuring folks from STUNTED YOUTH and fronted by Stucco head honcho Jake Gulliver (Down South is part of the wider Stucco-verse), expecting more of the same muddy, hardcore-influenced garage punk that we got on their debut, but these dudes have apparently decided it’s time to stop fuckin’ around. All that DEVIL DOGS-y bullshit? Gone! And in its place, you’re getting nine short tracks of pure, unadulterated gremlin-y hardcore. Imagine This is Boston, Not L.A.-era JERRY’S KIDS with the franticness dialed up a few clicks. They still sound like feral punks on the verge of careening out of control, but by going straight-up hardcore and getting a little meaner, they’ve gained some tonal focus that, when paired with a much crisper, trebly production, really helps these tracks cut right into you. I really liked that last cassette, but this is way better.

Kids on Fire The Best of the Worst of Times CD

This is fine. Pop punk played by dudes who look like they should be in MUNICIPAL WASTE. It’s that version of the genre that doesn’t lean too heavily into any specific sub-genre. The songs are well-played and there’s nothing inherently bad about this, it’s just vanilla. There’s nothing that I find particularly memorable about this, nor does it make me want to listen to it again at any point. That’s just me, though. I need something to make me feel any sort of emotion at all. This is just sterile.

The Love Come On and Feel the Love LP

They come out of the gates sounding like the STOOGES and the STROKES, but then I’m thinking, “Wait, this is pop music.” Honestly, on my first go-around, I thought that there was very little garage here. I was thinking it was awesome, but I was also thinking that calling it garage was a stretch. Second time around, I’m hearing it differently. It’s intense in a way that you rarely get with pop music. I said in a review a few months back that there is regular old pop music, and then there’s pop music created by people who didn’t grow up on shit music. Fucking great record.

Meat Joy Meat Joy LP reissue

Learning about Austin’s MEAT JOY was a formative experience for me as a disaffected Texan teen in the early ’00s—a keyhole glimpse into a history of Lone Star punk informed by radical art, subversion, and queerness that didn’t seem possible in the landscape of bland stripmalls and conservative toxicity surrounding me. Part of what made MEAT JOY so punk was their steadfast refusal to be bound by the constraints of the genre (which, when this LP was released in 1984, had already turned into something far too rigid and straight-laced), even openly mocking that concept on “Proud to Be Stupid,” a FLIPPER-esque dirge with sneering lyrics (“I’m better than you because I am tough!”) that gives way to perfectly piss-take “hardcore” breakdowns. That’s about as “conventional” as they get, as tracks like “Slenderella,” “Final Curtain,” and “Godpleaser” put a twanged-out, Southern-fried spin on the asymmetrical post-punk of bands like the RAINCOATS and the AU PAIRS, “Another Pair” veers from ramshackle rhythmic clatter to unadorned doo wop/girl group-inspired harmonizing, the fractured noise freakout “Ich Bin Nur Ein Schauspieler” rides a similar wave as the BUTTHOLE SURFERS (to whom original MEAT JOY drummer Teresa Taylor actually defected before this LP was finished), and the acoustic lesbian love song “My Heart Crawls Off” balances being both emotionally raw and tongue-in-cheek clever. MEAT JOY was keeping Austin weird long before that phrase became a bumper sticker sales pitch, and this record is the proof—it’s just as jarring now as it was when I first heard it years ago.

Natural Fun Natural Fun cassette

NATURAL FUN of Copenhagen reminds me of Retro-Bution-era EXTREME NOISE TERROR with some more metal and hardcore influences such as AUDIO KOLLAPS and SHARPVILLE. This has a heavy crust drive like VISIONS OF WAR, but also brings it down with bitter hardcore fury like SEVERED HEAD OF STATE, and accomplished solos in the style of NIGHTMARE or BASTARD. Vocals have a sort of NYHC attitude, too. NATURAL FUN is not overly flashy, but what they do, they do tightly, especially back to those constant ripping solos. The track “Wind” opens like a mix between THIN LIZZY and HOLY MOUNTAIN or INFEST. The vocals are utterly killer, the more I get into this—sung, but from the back of the throat like a furnace. Their longest song is three-and-a-half minutes. NATURAL FUN puts down what it needs to, wants to, and is out. I think this is their debut (apologies if not), but it’s an impressive one at that.

Piss Shivers Piss Shivers LP

Yet another fantastic import out of Australia. At times, this album sounds like a modern BUZZCOCKS paired with barking vocals akin to Rick Froberg of HOT SNAKES fame. Guitar has a very natural distortion and doesn’t sound like it’s being processed through a bunch of different pedals. I was gobsmacked to learn this band is a two-piece. They really know how to get the most out of their limitations because these recordings sound absolutely massive. I’m aware that there’s studio trickery to fill the gaps, but the overdubbing sounds to be at an absolute minimum. This is rock’n’roll.

Theee Retail Simps Rubble / Jumpin’ Jack Off 7″

Snotty, psychopathic garage punk from Montreal’s THEE RETAIL SIMPS. Good shit, a lot more unruly than I have heard on previous releases from the band. Two tracks that somehow keep all moving parts together, starting with the killer opener “Rumble.” The production is filth of the highest order, and does not veer from the expected sleazy joy that I would expect from the good people at Goodbye Boozy, with “Jumpin’ Jack Off” in honor of Mick’s birthday to finish off the 45.

Silence Burial Preparations cassette

This release from L.A.’s SILENCE is four tracks of raging raw punk in the vein of Victims of Bombraid-era ANTI-CIMEX, with vocals reminiscent of KRIEGSHOG. Well-recorded, all-around great release from these punks. A fierce exploding energy of rage, and a well-articulated approach to the right influences.

Slack Times Carried Away LP

Indie pop band SLACK TIMES comes out with a compilation of their three EPs—Carried Away (2022), At the Blue Melon Rendezvous (2021), and Up Here (2021)—which makes up the order of the album. The opener “Carried Away” sounds like a TOM PETTY impersonation set to some Americana guitars and had me largely confused as to why MRR sent me this one. Nothing screamed punk or punk-adjacent at all. I kept listening, though, and maybe the remaining vocals (“Carried Away” aside) have the whiny, distorted nature of someone like Tom DeLonge singing more gently over the FEELIES—one of the bands they mentioned as an influence. R.E.M. and YO LA TENGO were also referenced, and I can hear the FLAMING LIPS, to boot. I really like jangle-y, poppy punk, but this feels more like pure indie, with the zest of any “punk” flavoring missing. I feel foolish groveling over genres, but that’s the impression I’m left with. All said, a good album that these members clearly poured their hearts into.

Spine Raíces LP

This is the third full-length release from Kansas City’s SPINE, and is perhaps their most ferocious to date. The LP’s opening blast of oppressive feedback should tell you just about all you need to know right off the bat. From start to finish, this is a fast, discordant, angry, and aggressive record. The only letting up from this whirlwind torment comes with its penultimate track “Pure,” which chooses to slowly bludgeon as opposed to attacking rapidly—it is no less effective. This record brings the listener directly inside the damaged minds of its creators, and it is certainly not pretty. This record is yet another win for SPINE, recommended to those with a very strong stomach.

The Toads In the Wilderness LP

While Billy Gardner isn’t busy bringing us notable acts like PARSNIP, CIVIC, and ALIEN NOSEJOB on his Melbourne based Anti-Fade label, he’s hard at work playing in bands such as the LIVING EYES, VERTIGO, and the TOADS. In the Wilderness is the debut from this latest project, and brings us be-jangled garage rock, punchy in-your-face-bass, pure rock’n’roll lead guitar riffs, with some JOHN CALE-esque poetry lines sprinkled in, like on “The Wandering Soul.” This is tambourine-shaking fun, puts a smile on my face, yet doesn’t abandon social issues, like on the opener “Nationalsville” or “Sacred Books and the Damage Done.” Keep your eyes on this lot.

 

Total Nada II EP

Following their self-titled 7” from 2021, II features seven new tunes from Montréal’s TOTAL NADA. With lyrics in Spanish, the bands’ taut hardcore approach is cast in looming post-punky shadows that lend an heir of dread to the spirited music. It’s fiery, battle-cry-laden punk slathered in dark moods that range from jaded dissatisfaction to full-on impending doom. Powerful and pouty, this would make a perfect soundtrack to being trounced by a gothic MMA fighter.

The Wind-Ups Jonathan Says EP

Jake Sprecher, known for a long time running as a side player to JONATHAN RICHMAN, debuted this solo venture back in the quarantine days. Though the lead single pays tribute to the towering figure that is RICHMAN, this isn’t mere hero worship. Sprecher has his own voice and a strong—I mean, strong!—ear for melody and tonality. These fuzzed-out power pop cuts carry some real bite, especially in the snarling and brief “Coffee Cup” and an obscure but slamming cover of “Medusa’s Spell” penned by fellow Chico, CA resident Marty Parker (of ELECTRIC PIE BAND). I’m excited to hear more from Sprecher given this labor of love and fondness, and you should be, too.

Agathocles / Malicious Algorithm split EP

I know that I should know better by this point, but every time I see a new AGATHOCLES split, my first reaction is always “wow, another one?”— I’m sure I’m not alone here. And usually, right before I throw it on, I always assume that this EP will be the one where they start phoning it in; that their side of the slab will be a bit of a bore or lazy or unimaginative or what have you. However, once the record starts spinning, I wonder why I ever doubted them at all. AGATHOCLES always delivers, and such is the case with their new split with California’s MALICIOUS ALGORITHM. AGATHOCLES strays a bit from their classic mincecore styling, opting for a slower, sludgier sound. MALICIOUS ALGORITHM plays brutal, lightning-fast powerviolence, but also with a classic grind influence as the guitars and blastbeats pair exceptionally well together. Both bands sound different enough to make this a quality split.

Asmonumentsfall This Means Fire 12″

The latest release from Tijuana/San Diego’s ASMONUMENTSFALL, with crust scene veterans from OUTLAW BASTARDS and COACCION. In contrast to their previous straighter crustcore approach from previous projects, this record consists of the melodic side of the genre, in the vein of HIS HERO IS GONE/TRAGEDY or early-era ENVY, with the basis of later ANTI-CIMEX/WOLFBRIGADE. Despite the slippery slope approach of this style easily becoming too focused on the prettier and beautiful side of things, This Means Fire successfully captures the complex feeling of despair and anger without forgetting the aggression-driven side of hardcore punk; we still have plenty to be angry about. Fierce energy, not just in a naive teenage angst way nor just simply accepting the fact of our cruel world, but realizing our need to continue to keep up the fight.

Autosabotaje Hastiado cassette

Temuco won’t stop delivering good punk bands. On this occasion, we have a release from Junko Records presenting this anti-system power trio that transmits a classic version of hardcore punk with traces of street punk—it seems to be their 2020 EP and 2022 demo reissued here in a new recording. Favorite track: “Falsa Creencia,” with a mid-paced satanic punk feel, and “Consecuencia” for a critical introspective view into their own punk scene. Filled with raw energy and very well-executed, holding the essence of Chilean punk’s youngster resistance. Very much recommended.

The Bad Shapes The Bad Shapes LP

This can be incredibly catchy, in a sing-along sort of way at times. And with female vocals and background “ooh ooh ooooooh”s, it’s super melodic and right up my alley. Their lyrics are in no way shallow, taking on real issues like a woman’s right to control the destiny of her own body. In terms of musical style, it reminds me of 1977, mostly because it can be super catchy, but it’s also got a grinding guitar that is more like early hardcore. It’s sometimes got a quirkiness that doesn’t always land with me, but overall it’s a great effort. From one of my favorite cities in the world, Berlin, Germany. And they even give us a surprise track in German towards the end of the record!

The Bollweevils Essential CD

Chicago’s BOLLWEEVILS return with a new full-length after a fourteen-year absence, and they haven’t missed a step. A solid outing here. Admittedly, I’ve never been a huge fan of this band—aside from their split with 88 FINGERS LOUIE and their Weevilive album, I’ve been mostly ignorant to their catalog. After giving this one a few spins, it’s got me interested in giving their back catalog another listen. I believe that those already familiar with the band will be more than satisfied with this offering, and those who are new to the band, or like me, kind of ignored them in the past, will be pleasantly surprised by what they hear.

Butchers Dog Age of Inversion EP

Ohio’s BUTCHERS DOG is waging warfare of noisy, clunky guitars with a plummeting drum attack like boiling magma. Crazed vocals squeeze more words into phrases, reminiscent of ’90s hardcore groups like GRIMPLE or NAKED AGGRESSION, which can be hit-or-miss for many of us hardcore punk freaks, but the music is ’80s thrash metal demos or crust axe-grinding the enemy meets raw hardcore punk hell. An explosion of absolute madness and chaotic outburst of energy.

Convicted No Justice cassette

On No Justice, Malaysia’s CONVICTED plays aggressive meat-and-potatoes hardcore, inspired in style and sound by the likes of UKHC legends ARMS RACE and the FLEX. The muffled vocal effect, blastbeats, and interspersed sounds of protests on the streets work well to create an intense and abrasive atmosphere, making the anti-authoritarian lyrics even more poignant and powerful. Angry music for angrier times. 

Exterminating Angel Inherited Future EP

This sounds like a mix between SXE hardcore and late ’90s European grindcore, along with various post-hardcore breakdowns. I don’t want to say it’s deathcore, but it is taking on all forms of darkness and riff crushing—I’m thinking of bands such as MÖRSER, VISION OF DISORDER, CANDIRIA, OBITUARY, or MIND ERASER. Track three, “Sanctuary,” is a multi-tempo onslaught of EXTERMINATING ANGEL’s many strengths. Five tracks of intense, grueling metallic hardcore, each around four minutes in length, on a 12” EP. That’s no slouch for the amount of ideas they have going on. Try not to get into this. But at my age, I’m going nowhere near an EXTERMINATING ANGEL pit. You can just tell how that would go; catch me outside of that. If this is a debut, it’s quite the impressive one.

The Geros Weird Dance + Demo 2014 Remastered CD

Maybe not the snappiest title, but a very descriptive one in the fact that this is the GEROS’ 2021 EP followed by their debut (and much better) 2014 demo. In case you’re not in the know like the many Japanese TEENGENERATE-worshiping collector nerds, this Osaka band has cranked out some quite competent early MAKERS meets the SWANKYS garage punk  with a KBD nod here and there. The newer and slower EP is good in a darker CRAMPS-ish vein, with a heavy metal-loving opener. The much noisier 2014 demo captures what I imagine their live show to be. Raw and loud. It’s all been brought to us by a wonderful CD-only Malaysian label specializing in re-releases of amazing international punk classics, so it could be a little hard to track down. Good luck, punk.

Headcheese Expired LP

There is not much (if anything) to dislike about Expired, the new LP from the Kamloops, B.C. quartet HEADCHEESE. Upon first listen, I needed to stop what I was doing and devote all of my usually non-existent attention to the situation at hand. Each track gets more antagonizing and tightly wound, sounding eerily like VOID if they had been produced by Spot. The band is new to me, but from what little I have gathered, they are bound by family ties between two members, come from a small river town riddled with wildlife, and even opened for D.O.A.?  This tops my year-end list for sure. Keep going HEADCHEESE, you rule.

I Recover Until I Wake LP

It’s surprising how far small changes can go in HC/punk. If I RECOVER’s guitars had a little more bottom, they would be a pretty tight melodic HC outfit. Instead, the guitars sound a little lighter and looser than they could. The expressive drums and anguished, hoarse vocals help give the whole record a pensive, emo-ish feel. The songs are catchy, but the band doesn’t sound too focused on it. As their name suggests, the lyrical content is introspective and sincere.

Johnny Notebook & the 28th Century Mates Johnny Notebook & the 28th Century Mates LP

I’m a fan of punked-out synth rock, and JOHNNY NOTEBOOK & THE 28th CENTURY MATES epitomize the beeps and boops I crave. With head nods to DEVO, 8-bit sounds, and new wave, these Hamburg androids have created an album that keeps me bopping. Futuristic themes merge with retro sounds to create an album that has descended from another dimension of space and time. “Rate Me Rate Me” is incredibly danceable while exploring contemporary society’s fascination with clout, while “Dancefloor Queen” features a tight guitar solo and catchy hook. If you like electro-punk and all-night dance parties, then you have absolutely got to give this a go!

Kinetic Orbital Strike Rotten Lies EP

Fuck me, I have to admit that I really have been blessed this month with the recordings I have been assigned, as they are all right up my alley. I was right to sacrifice three cans of lager and an AMEBIX patch to the Gods of Crust, as my wishes were quickly granted—I hope my prayers for protection against ska and shoegaze also worked. The moniker KINETIC ORBITAL STRIKE apparently refers to a modern military technology, “the hypothetical act of attacking a planetary surface with an inert kinetic projectile from orbit,” and not a ninja move as I initially thought. I was relieved to find the actual definition as Google only pointed me toward World of Warcraft at first, which kinda filled me with a sense of gloom (and sadly not of GLOOM). The name might be a bit of a mouthful, especially around 2:00 am, but this Philadelphia band (with members of the mighty POLLEN or IMPALERS, among many other bands) unleashes that familiar brand of brutal, distorted, noisy discore that we have all grown to love (right?). They sound like the almighty FRAMTID teamed up with COLLAPSE SOCIETY and FEROCIOUS X in order to borrow DISCLOSE’s gears and flair in order to inject more DISCHARGE worship into their Japanese käng tornado, with a spoonful of HORRENDOUS, too. The drummer is on bloody fire on this recording, I have rarely heard such manic rolls and the insane level of intensity takes one’s breath away. They manage to keep that urgent, raw vibe and still sound punishingly heavy (my very angry neighbour banging on the door would not disagree). Angry hardcore at its best, and the self-released version (Phobia Records will take care of the European one) has an ANTISECT-inspired wheat logo on the back which checks yet another one of my romantic boxes. Top-notch hardcore.

Las Mordidas Ex-Voto LP

A worthwhile snapshot of a killer band that snuffed out too soon, Ex-Voto was a long time coming. Composed of ex-members of DC-based firebrands, LAS MORDIDAS burned briefly, but brightly, circa 1993 into 1994. CIRCUS LUPUS had just called it quits, but singer Chris Thomson was already working his lungs in a new group alongside players from BEEFEATER, RAIN, and FIDELITY JONES. Ex-Voto takes LAS MORDIDAS’s demo tape and shuffles it with a few unreleased cuts and vinyl appearances. “Surrounded” is the hit, digging a furious, heavy groove reminiscent of I Against I-era BAD BRAINS as Thomson essays the volatile nature of everyday paranoia. (The glaring absence of ass-kicking B-side, “K.I.T.A.”, is probably due to its Dischordian provenance.) “Bad Man” shows that these dudes could cram a pop hook into a pummeling post-hardcore punch-up. “Not Again,” a heart-pumping punker distinguished by Jon K.’s Dr. Know-inspired fretwork, was LAS MORDIDAS’s side of a split 7” with queercore maniacs MUKILTEO FAIRIES (on Lance Hahn’s great Honey Bear label). “Surprise Goodbye” is another unexpectedly tuneful take on a sort of post-punk/grunge hybrid. “Solar System” starts out LUPUS-like, then gets bitey then beefy then beastly. “Life Preserver,” one of the never-released songs, is practically a commercial alternative radio rocker in the best possible sense; I guess WGNS counts? Ain’t gonna front—it’s nice seeing this one poking out of the stacks.

Let Go We Men cassette

A collection of nine hardcore punk songs recorded throughout an eight-year time frame. Lyrically, these songs are personal, emotional, and somewhat introspective. It could use a better mixing job to level everything out better, but I think with what they had to work with (a digital eight-track), it’s pretty solid. This is about as DIY hardcore as one can get. I’d love to hear a 7” by this band with a solid mixing job. If everything was a bit more muddled down into the back instead of up front and in your face, not only do I think it would add to the mysteriousness of this band, but it would also benefit the style.

Mace Head / Slavery split 7″

Fun split out of the Czech Republic. SLAVERY really teeters on the edge of classic power metal, but is brought back from the brink once the vocals kick in, sounding more like DOOM with throatier vocals. MACE HEAD’s side of the split is much more crusty and lo-fi. Very reminiscent of AUS-ROTTEN with a phaser pedal and a soft spot for industrial music. Vocals are intense as hell, and I’m curious as to how they recorded them. A tad sloppy at times, but I think that’s what makes this a great split. No ego. Raw power. Well worth a spin.

Nohzdyve Nohzdyve cassette

I’m not a fan of the show Black Mirror. I find its bleak outlook and glib social commentary respectively unpleasant and annoying. So, it’s fitting that this Los Angeles act, named for a fake video game in that series’ Bandersnatch installment, similarly rubs me the wrong way. Musically, it’s not the worst. The six short tracks on the cassette are a jazzy spin on the same post-URANIUM CLUB herky-jerky, smart-guy rock you just can’t escape these days. It’s stuff I’m a little tired of, but it’s played competently enough. I could see this having an interesting no wave vibe if it were a little looser or noisier, but a chintzy drum machine keeps it an unpleasantly stiff affair. The main offense here, though, are these vocals. Throughout the release, some absolutely unforgivable lyrics (for example, “Onomatopoeia / Chia Pet supreme / Mary had a little lamb/ life if but a dream”) are delivered in the same cadence and rhyme scheme as a protest chant, as though cleverer words have never been uttered. Just top-tier annoying shit. Maybe give the instrumental “Mii Time” a listen.

Pig City Pig City LP

Super violent hardcore punk from Phoenix, Arizona exuding some kind of GULCH vibes, but with a much crustier soul, bashing non-stop drums that go from powerviolence blastbeating to nonsense straight to sick breakdowns, and demonic echoed vocals. This one is pure fire, blast the speakers and let the demons do the rest ‘til the trance hits. Seven tracks and  eleven minutes of pure mayhem and corrosive trans hardcore punk that will get you. Favorite track: “Bash Back,” with a great breakdown and excellent guitar coupling.