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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!
This promo cassette from Virginia’s SULTRY is three tracks of fast hardcore punk with furious speedcore energy, but also acid-dosed vocals as well as chorus-driven guitars like worn-out wobbly cassette tape sounds—reminiscent of bands on the ’80s Italian HC comps BCT Tapes put out. For true weirdos.
Stomp-and-crash duo from New Orleans, rattling the bolts off the garage door and red-lining their four-track on this wonderfully lo-fi recording. Stella keeps a nasty, splashy beat while taking on most of the catchy, screechy, and shouted vocals, while Roach sings back-up and pushes his guitar through a blown-out amp, performing lead fills between rhythm chords. Each listen draws me closer, and I think the opener “P.L.F.” is a fucking hit: “I’ve got a car, treats me kindly / It’s got wheels and that’s all that I need.” Any chance you’re doing a Northeast tour? Think these two would be a blast live. The Feed My Ego tape I got has the bonus single “Lunch” as the closer, and so does the Blä version, but the XTRO version does not. Each release also swaps around the track order, so you decide? Feed My Ego appears to be the band’s own label, so show some support!
Now this is one for the true lovers of Italian hardcore, those who can pretend to speak Italian because they can half-pronounce the titles of WRETCHED songs and show off at dinner parties by pointing out that NERORGASMO actually rose from the ashes of BLUE VOMIT. Avoid these boring bastards at all costs. UPSIDE can barely be considered a classic band of the amazing Italian hardcore punk scene of the time—I was familiar with the band for their delightfully snotty Nato Per Sofrire EP from 1983, but never took the time to properly listen to the rest of their discography. The aforementioned EP was a perfect example of an Italian take on the vintage UK82 sound, and this demo originally recorded in 1981 is (a little) more versatile, with songs convincingly exhibiting darker overtones and others sounding like furious proto-hardcore. I have to say the production is, well, raw, if not rough or non-existent, so that it will appeal to the aesthetes of old-school hardcore music (those who do not fear bands who could not tune their instruments but still did solos), but it might alienate other audiences. There are some great, catchy songs on the demo, reminiscent of CANI or even NABAT for the punkness and the aforementioned BLUE VOMIT for the eerier and darker influences. I personally love Italian hardcore, so I believe this record is important for two reasons: first, it is a testimony of one of the most powerful hardcore waves in punkstory, and this project matters because it is an archive, something that preserves our collective past because punk belongs to the punks. Second, because I just like, on a very primitive level, raw, snotty punk from Italy. I suppose the first reason makes me sound a bit more clever, though.
Portland, Oregon, garage pop quartet WHISPER HISS recently released the Shake Me Awake cassette, their first proper full-length. Rocking similarly to DC band SLANT 6, and with familiar harmonies that recall sounds from BLONDIE and the EXPLODING HEARTS, it would be silly to not give this tape a try. Poppy as all get-out, Shake Me Awake slides around the rock spectrum with bits that surf and meld with fuzzy-toned edges. “Trouble in the Mansion” feels like a dystopian dream from the ’60s, then “Party Dress” kicks in with a sort of riot grrrl bend. In all, it’s a good time through and through.
First notes in, you can tell there’s something special about this record. Memphis garage punk still hits the hardest, and this band fits right into that lineage. With blown-out vocal delivery and nasty licks that slither in and out like the snakes in a traditional skull tattoo, there’s no bullshit on display here—just real-deal, manic hot-dialed rock’n’roll. The cover of jazz standard “Lover Man” (originally popularized by BILLIE HOLIDAY) is a standout, if only to hear such a beautiful song turn so ugly. The whole album slams with that exhilarating unhinged quality of a band that is tight as hell but can convincingly sound like they’re on the brink of self-destruction, reminiscent at times of MEAT PUPPETS’ first (and my favorite) record, which feels like some sort of country drug mania from hell. But the tunes stay strong, never fully falling apart and just hitting the mark cut after cut. If you like your meat bloody, don’t skip this one.
A brand new label’s debut release, and an all-around cool idea. A compiled mixtape of bands on the label’s radar, all doing unreleased/live/cover songs. Super fun. I always love when labels do things like this, because it is a beautiful way to expose people to a ton of new bands. Featuring tracks by the already-known and beloved RETAIL SIMPS, GG KING, and IBEX CLONE, as well as fifteen others to open your eyes to. Love it. Will certainly be keeping an eye out for what Dot Dash ends up releasing next.
This demo cassette from French punks ALLUSION features four viciously raw, D-beat-heavy hardcore punk tracks on the A-side, with even more abrasive versions of the same program on the B-side. It’s evident from the first thirty seconds of both sides where ALLUSION draws their aggression from. Be ready for pummeling drum breaks, distorted guitar leads, and barking vocals on whichever side you choose to play.
From the moment the EP kicks off, it’s clear that BASUKO is here to make a statement. Much like ELECTRIC CHAIR, their music embraces the rawness that defines US hardcore punk, channeling energy into an electrifying listening experience. A sonic rebellion against the mundane, a call to arms for those seeking an unfiltered musical escape. BASUKO will carve out their own place within the genre.
Enjoyably knockabout Oi!-infused street punk from this band of Boston bruisers. Unfairly compared to DEATH RIDGE BOYS (Oi! for people who hate Oi!) in the accompanying blurb, this release fits nicely within the pantheon of American Oi!, replete with obligatory TEMPLARS-adjacent gruff vocals (without wandering into caricature territory). A surprise French number is also welcome, yet perhaps thankfully lacking the accursed saxophone by which our comrades from La République are inexplicably enamoured.
Under what conditions do folks generally welcome a live release? When it’s by a seminal act with a relatively large back catalog of hits (It’s Alive)? When it’s a particularly exceptional performance (Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963)? When it’s by a beloved band that burned too hot or was shrouded in mystery and folks are clamoring to gain any additional insights (anything from Mark Winter bands)? When it’s aimed at a relatively large audience of sickos (the FUGAZI live series)? What we have here is a four-track 12”—the digital version has two bonus tracks—culled from a 1984 live performance by post-punk group BUNNYDRUMS. Does it meet any of the above conditions? It does not. BUNNYDRUMS, a Philadelphia act that grew out of the ashes of first-wave punk unknowns the BONEHEADS, are at best an interesting footnote in American post-punk history. They existed as part of an odd scene at an awkward time when new wave and post-punk were beginning to coalesce into alternative rock. Insofar as this release does anything, it perhaps provides a decent snapshot of that moment. But, honestly, I would think one of their two studio LPs, 1983’s P•K•D or 1984’s Holy Moly (the former of which is pretty good!), would better serve that purpose. That’s not to say this is bad. I actually quite like the instrumental track that closes out the record—it reminds me a lot of the early OH SEES, when they were at their CRAMPS-iest. I just don’t know who’s asking for this thing. It looks like these guys were big in the Netherlands for some reason-—it’s the only other country that issued their LPs, and this performance took place in Wageningen, so maybe the Dutch. For this label’s sake, I hope so.
This is a funny one for me. From Sweden, these guys deliver a version of melodic punk rock that has guitar elements that remind me of both the STOOGES and SOCIAL DISTORTION, though definitely a little softer. It’s got a very 1977 sound to it. It’s mid-tempo and catchy, and the production is crisp without sounding overproduced. That said, there’s a metal/glam thing in some of the vocals that almost reminds me of hair bands, like POISON. The jury is still out on this one.
CROSS CONTROL from L.A. plays hard and mostly mid-tempo traditional hardcore on their LP Try and Survive, following in the footsteps of the classics (think BLOOD FOR BLOOD, SLAPSHOT, and CRO-MAGS). While not bringing anything particularly new to the table, fans of the genre will find plenty to sink their teeth into. In addition to some great breakdowns on “Half Right” and “Always the Same,” “Number of Dead” and “Diadem” both boast some majorly catchy vocals, and final track “Everything’s Fucked” veers into straight punk territory reminiscent of MINOR THREAT. Good shit that sounds tailor-made for a hardcore fest.
This is the second 1991 demo tape from this obscure Providence thrash metal band. They were doing this style a little late in the game, and I can’t say it’s very interesting. The guitar solos are annoyingly jazzy over some old recycled NUCLEAR ASSAULT riffs. I can’t see that anyone in this band went on to do anything big. It’s pretty mediocre overall. The band name and demo title are pretty dumb. Why is this on vinyl now, and in multiple limited versions, some even signed by the ex-members? What must be a real labor of love from an aging member of a forgotten scene is unfortunately a record I would likely leave on the street. Sorry, guys.
With such a moniker, only a nincompoop could ignore that we are dealing with a D-beat band with a capital D. DISPAIR belongs to the category of D-beat bands that chose to adopt the prefix “dis,” like you-know-who. While I understand and don’t dislike the idea of dis-names during the first D-beat wave of the ’90s (although DISFORNICATE could have gone with something else, I suppose), the practice has clearly lost most of its appeal and charm some twenty-odd years later, and has arguably fallen on the wrong side of referentiality. I mean, why can’t you just pick the name of a DISCLOSE song? Finland’s DISPAIR has been going for a while now, since 2013 apparently, and delivers, well, D-beat raw punk with pissed, low-pitched shouted vocals (the singer also operates in the brilliant KERETIK). If some bands rely on blown-out distortion or a heavy metallic production in this genre, DISPAIR’s The Other Side EP intentionally chooses the (genuine) raw path of the post-DISCHARGE philosophy. I like the simplicity of the compositions, and the guitar sound is actually crunchy despite being too low in the mix. I am not a massive fan of the double-bass drum for the genre though, and at times the music sounds like it is plodding, and you do not want your D-beat to have that vibe—even raw D-beat should sound relentless. I am definitely reminded of a primal HELLKRUSHER or SLANDER, and Swedish bands like DISCOVER or DISPOSE could also be mentioned, but this does not quite work as well as it could here.
I feel like I’ve been a little bored with today’s grindcore scene at large, and was perhaps a little nervous that I was falling out of love with the genre. Enter the UK’s ENDLESS SWARM, reminding me that the style is still alive and kicking. Quintessential powerviolence here; the perfect combination of hardcore punk and blistering metal. SPAZZ-like dueling vocals, heavy riffs, and breakneck drums bouncing between insanely fast blastbeats and groovy breakdowns. Very high-energy and intense as fuck.
EXPOLLUTANTS, a New York-based band, offer an acid journey through space with their psychedelic punk approach. Drawing influences from early SWANS (especially on opener “Failed Earth”), BLACK FLAG (My War-era), BUTTHOLE SURFERS, and RUDIMENTARY PENI, their music is a fusion of high energy and introspective exploration. With the theme centered around interplanetary colonization, their lyrics delve into thought-provoking concepts, taking the listener on a voyage through outer space and the inner mind. The combination of sound and thematic depth creates a truly immersive and memorable trip.
To say “I like this three-track flexi” would be a total understatement, because I fucking love it! Effect pedals randomly turn on and off with harsh feedback, but it’s a welcomed addition to the whirlwind of hardcore fuckery that’s taking place on this disc. Chaotic, noisy, and pissed-off: Smoking Kills sounds like you allowed a crew of drunk, primordial beasts to play a basement show at your house, and now they’re using their instruments to tunnel out. Cathartic as fuck—we all have those days when this disc could be crucial sonic ammunition.
Angry-as-hell four-piece hardcore group from Los Angeles. This is their second EP, following 2021’s Dear Heroes, and this double A-side cassette offers a litany of social and political critiques and downright condemnations. Themes of consumerism, billionaires, racists, homophobes, and sense of place get highlighted and torn apart during this five-song basher. Pretty straightforward HC musically, but I think the lyrics shine through and are really poignant. Lines like “It all leads back to shopping centers, touch screen skies / I’m terrified that we’re in denial / But we love the lie” from “Venetian Hotels” and “I looked up to my cousin / He beat me with a shovel and passed a bit of wisdom / Stop being such a girl” from “Man Up / Down” stand out to me, blending a sense of self into the issues at play. Not something you’re going to put on, snap your fingers to, and have a good time, but rather, it will enliven your sense of rage (if it’s not already at its max). Wake up!
There are only seven songs here and that’s a shame, because this is pretty great. Gruff and scratchy male/female vocals that really compliment each other when sung at the same time, over some decent, almost J CHURCH-sounding stuff. Apparently this has members of CANADIAN RIFLE and THIS IS MY FIST, which would make sense as to why it sounds familiar while not sounding like a rehash. Let’s get some more of this stuff, stat!
Roachleg’s vinyl reissue of early ’10s Floridian crasher crusters HEROINDÖD’s demo. Five tracks of in-your-face mangel thrash meets Kyushu noisecore, crossfaded with ’90s Crust War-style crustcore tracks. Furious, thrashing madness to blow your eardrums out for pleasure. Looks like all crusties did spend loud night in Florida. For fans of COLLAPSE SOCIETY, FRIGORA, FEROCIOUS X, you get the idea.
With winding, menacing riffs and the acerbic vocals of an escaped mental patient turned carnival barker, Michigan’s LOVEBITE is sure to warm hearts and forge lasting friendships with their second demo effort. Driving and distorted, this is some scrappy hardcore scuzz that swings the ol’ chain in a manner similar to GAG, BIB, and other grizzled punk acts of the last decade. It’s a major step up in aggression from their melodic and post-punky The Last Thing You Want to Hear demo from just a few months earlier this year, and the band is tapping into a darker and more pissed-off power now.
Spooky synth punk from Oakland, centered around bass, drums, and sci-fi organ. It’s a mixed bag for me—there are a few great punk jams on here like “What’s on Your Mind?” and “The Mercy of the Law” that blend the gothic keys with gritty melody, sounding like the SPITS riding by a cemetery. “Stranger Walking Through” is the best track here— it’s got dirty, driving bass, vocal attitude, and just the right amount of creepy-crawl organ. NASTY WORLD occasionally reaches a little too far into the nether realms, like on “I Can Have/You Can Have” and “Nasty World.” While the vocals evoke “Cough/Cool” vibes, the organ and theremin trills end up sounding closer to Scooby Doo than post-punk or deathrock intended. There is enough here for me to look forward to their next release though, and I know that I’ll be pulling this tape out in October.
Raw-charged Finnish hardcore punk rock adventure—punk veterans getting into hardcore punk realms and singing in English, excepting one song. Songs verse on WWIII, contemporaneous systemic obedience, the spread of global terror, disconformity, and the Eurocentric consumption of underdeveloped economies, reminding me of the blunt lyricism and sarcasm of the DEAD KENNEDYS. They seem heavily influenced by mid-’80s punk rock, merging D-beat with classic punk cuts and cadences in line with the venerated UK82 sound. Seems they were having fun recording this.
It can be tempting to write off bands that wear their influences too obviously; more often than not modeling yourself directly after another band’s style and sound can come off as disingenuous and cheap, like a knockoff of a better product, a “Wish” version if you will. On paper, PARANOID’s fusion of perfectly manicured Japanese and Swedish-style D-beat may seem like such an instance, but fortunately for them and more fortunately for us, PARANOID are masters of their craft and draw from their well of influences (VENOM, CELTIC FROST, DISCLOSE, and DISCHARGE) to create something refreshingly effective. S.C.U.M. is a whirlwind EP that goes hard right out of the gate, a vicious, evil take on crusty D-beat punk that is one of the best my ears have heard in a long time. “Shiminteki Fufukujyuu” (“Civil Disobedience”) starts things off with a six-second instrumental flurry before hitting the gas and heading straight to hell. In addition to all the hissing, fuzzed-out guitars, sizzling bass, raw vocals, and thunderous drumming you’d expect in this style, PARANOID adds some great flourishes throughout, like the rockin’ outro here that’s surprising in the best way possible. “Musabetsuna Kutsuu” (“Indiscriminate Pain”) has a couple of breaks that are nearly psychedelic with shrieking backing vocals, screeching guitars, and breakneck solo drum beats. “Jinsei No Kizu” (“Wounds of Life”) and “Sensou Nanimo Oshimazu” (“Sparing No War”) are two more scorchers, with some nasty bass lines in the former and tight, dueling guitar leads in the latter. “Uragiri” (“Betrayal”) is really the only outlier here, ditching the D-beat for a quick 30-second scorched earth grind of blastbeats and gang vocals that’s over before you realize it started. It’s a great set-up for closer “Taikeiteki Kunou” (“Systemic Anguish”), which returns to the rock’n’roll influence found on the first track. Galloping drums and righteous guitar solos wrap things up, and before you know it, you’re sitting in silence ready to take the trip all over again. Considering how long they’ve been active and playing this style of music, PARANOID deserves some serious credit for keeping things this fresh and exciting. It’s true what they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
RA!D has the detached, clinical approach to punk fare that I associate with early UK post-punk. SPETTERS plays more conventional HC with a lot more downtempo slogging than usual. A bit of an odd pairing, but the cavernous audio quality seems like the through line. This split made more sense to me when I imagined watching these bands at the same show in an abandoned warehouse.
New single from Madrid-based RATA NEGRA, with a “very sad” (or Bien Triste) take on post-punk or indie-flavored darkwave (or whatever). Beautiful, melancholic vocals from singer Violeta are backed by the mid-tempo pulse of drums, shimmering guitar riffs, bass that hangs right up front in the mix to provide the melody, and a digitized synth line, creeping through the background. I must admit this is my first introduction to the band, and I am excited to look back on their three LPs, though with some quick research, RATA NEGRA has had quite the following, so I’ll assume my ignorance is in the minority. They remind me of the haunting melodies of KOLD FRONT who I reviewed a while ago, but RATA NEGRA has been at it longer, so maybe the comparison works the other way? This is another affirmation that La Vida Es Un Mus can produce little I don’t enjoy. Get your hands on this one.
First of all, I am intrigued by the Kåthe Kollwitz cover art. If this image is representing your music, I’m expecting something wrought with sorrow and the cold exhaustion of struggling to live. So let’s get started! SABOT NOIR of Munich/München plays gnarly blasts of smothered grind-punk. This is ferally fast and raw, with touches of anarcho-punk and dismal crust. Reminds me of ANTISCHISM, ARMISTICE, FLEAS AND LICE, BODY FARM, SCATHA…lots of levels ranging from guttural hardcore to inspiring melodic punk. Most of the lyrics are sung in German, one song is in English, and another is in Spanish. The variety of emotional output here, flowing between outright aggressive attacks, is heartfelt and poignant. Post-hardcore indie rock parts will drastically change to anthemic crust within the same song. Several vocalists drive SABOT NOIR (“Black Clog/Hoof”) along. Seriously, having a black clog as their logo is one of my favorite details about this band. SABOT NOIR has carved out a groove in anarcho sound that is somewhat CAN psychedelic and somewhat PROTESTI destructive—see their track “Wissenschaftsleugnung” leading into “Sabotage” for this comparison.
Originally released in 1982, In Rhythm was the lone record from this short-lived, dubbed-out post-punk group who came up in the same late ’70s/early ’80s Bristol scene as the POP GROUP and MAXIMUM JOY, but in contrast to the fiery scratch and howl of the former and the simmering funk of the latter, SCREAM AND DANCE mostly locked into beat-driven, spiraling rhythms with an aura of mystique that was closer in spirit to the RAINCOATS, if anything. The seven-minute title track builds up a laid-back, minimalist groove that’s almost all percussion (the credits reference bongos, sansa thumb piano, and a naal drum, among other things—definitely not the usual post-punk/funk sources), with doubled-up, sing-song incantations from Amanda Stewart and Ruth George-Jones heightening the trance-like effect, followed by “In Pink and Black,” where the spell of the A-side’s first half is only broken by some increasingly intense vocals that hit almost like impassioned anarcho-punk poetry over the droning instrumental rattle. Two versions of the hyper-kinetic and polyrhythmic “Giacometti” make up the B-side, where SCREAM AND DANCE really manifest that band name—the non-remixed take is up there with MAXIMUM JOY’s “Stretch,” PIGBAG’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag,” and the collective works of 99 Records in the top heap of mutant disco dancefloor starters, total clatter and clang for reflexive body movement, and spectral, echoing chants that gradually break into uncontrolled primal shrieks. It’s truth in advertising!
If you’ve never heard of Denver’s SPELLS before now, that makes two of us. They’ve apparently been at it since 2013, playing alongside a diverse roster of contemporaries that includes both the SPITS and FACE TO FACE, and this LP compiles material from various tapes and 7”’s that they’ve put out over the years. Calling it “vacation rock,” the band offers a sound that’s simultaneously timeless in a classic rock’n’roll sort of way, and also reminiscent of ’90s rock/punk bands like the B-MOVIE RATS at times. More “fun” than “fierce,” it’s bright, garage-y pop rock that consciously keeps a goofy little bit of dirt caked around the edges. Closing on a high note, their dual male/female vocals are put to logical good use on the last track, a reverent cover of X’s “We’re Desperate.” If that sounds like a good time to you, your official summer jams have arrived in the form of this eighteen-song collection.
Six tracks of politically-charged hardcore sung in Spanish from Bilbao’s TERNURA. Sonically, it sounds like something that came out of the US East Coast area in the late ’80s or early ’90’s—mostly hard-hitting tracks with breakdowns, but also melodic at times. An honest expression of the real struggles of daily life.
VICE SQUAD was featured on a compilation, Punk and Disorderly, that was one of my introductions to punk rock. “Last Rockers” will forever remain an important song to me. Some of their first releases remain among my favorites. They were also prolific enough that not everything resonated with me. This release, from 1984, has a power pop base, but also retains some of that eeriness from their early years (think of those “ohh…ohhhhhh” lyrics). So, it’s catchy and melodic and poppy on the one hand, but then also sort of dark. The vocals are almost sweet at times. Whether or not you’re a big VICE SQUAD fan, this one is definitely worth listening to.
Four songs of Argentinian egg-punk, recorded live in the studio with crowd applause added for effect. I would’ve never known this was a live recording were it not advertised as such. The sound quality is excellent, as is the performance—WWW is tighter than a hipster’s refrigerated skinny jeans. Everything is really locked-in, from the precise staccato drumming, to the clean, jangly guitar. Unlike some of their contemporaries, WWW doesn’t rely too heavily on effects, and I believe that is part of what makes their delivery so crisp and snappy. There’s just enough atmosphere around the synth to give the vocals something to counterbalance. The songs are catchy and over before you know it, warranting multiple back-to-back listens. Leaning more towards garage punk than new wave, WWW lands somewhere between PRISON AFFAIR and REAL PEOPLE. Another solid release from Sweet Time Records.
Italian band ASTIO calls Trento (a city in the foothills of the Italian Alps) home, and they create haunting, riff-heavy punk that stomps and pogos. Bocche Stanche is a six-song 12” that would be a welcome addition to almost any record collection. ASTIO uses this release to give a tutorial on how to shred while also creating a groovy enough environment that the inclusion of saxophone is totally welcome! The vocal delivery has a raw but not overly abrasive quality, while the rhythm section is featured pretty forward in the mix and is the total heart of this groove machine.
BLACK AUBERGINE is a unique band. The amalgamation of influences, reminiscent of bands like HOAX, HELLHAMMER, NAUSEA, or even GODFLESH, creates an interesting auditory experience. The diversity in styles adds a dynamic quality to the demo, from the most primitive of hardcore to the darkest electronica, showcasing the band´s versatility and creativity. However, the challenge might lie in maintaining a cohesive identity amidst such genre diversity, which BLACK AUBERGINE achieves! Overall, an interesting compilation of songs that could appeal to fans of experimental and boundary-pushing music.
Hardcore out of Tacoma, with a style that I’ve come to refer to as “blink and you’ll miss It” punk. Six songs in roughly three minutes and change. I’ll be honest, folks. If your band can write a decent twelve-second song, chances are I’ll love you. Like a more modern, polished NEGATIVE APPROACH. Great stuff here.
I can’t put my finger on it but something about this record reminds me of a type of sound that would have been prevalent in the ’90s. It’s a little bit rock’n’roll, it’s a little bit hardcore, it’s a little bit neither of these. The vocalist reminds me of Kirsten from NAKED AGGRESSION at times, and at others sounds like the vocalist of some kind of Orange County ska band. All in all, this has moments where I really like it. For the most part though, it’s just OK. It reminds me of a bar band, mostly.
Quick and solid tape from this Cleveland band that sounds like classic ’80s USHC but reveals layers of weirdness right below the surface. Vocalist Mark has a vocal approach that mixes the unhinged power-slur of John Brannon with the wavering croon of David Yow. It’s pretty great. Once the fast HC battering ram effect wears off a little, subtle details like the fat, fuzzed-out bass and melodic breakdowns weaving through the five short songs become apparent. This is fast hardcore with texture, depth, and personality. Tracks like “Last Man Laughing” and “Can’t Eat a Condo” expertly veer between punk and noise rock lanes, greeting traditionalism with sneering experimentation. Check it out—it’s definitely worth six minutes of your time.
Philly punks DRILL SERGEANT dropped their latest EP Grim New War and it rips; cool thrashy hardcore with rabid vocals reminiscent of FORESEEN and CHAIN WHIP. Each track here packs a nasty punch, but none more than “Cries for Justice,” which features an unexpected shift to powerviolence with blastbeats that are sudden enough to cause whiplash. It also features someone named “the Meat Man” on backing vocals, so you already know it’s gonna be crazy. Highly recommended.
EMISSARIES OF SYN, a band hailing from Conwy, UK. delivers a powerful message through their music, focusing on pressing themes like environmental concerns and human rights issues. Drawing musical influences from crust to grindcore, their sound is intense and hard-hitting, matching the weightiness of the lyrics, like a punker PIG DESTROYER narrating a Black Mirror episode. With a dedication to raising awareness and provoking thought, EMISSARIES OF SYN could potentially resonate strongly with listeners who appreciate both impactful music and socially conscious messages.
A word of warning to anyone who dares give this record by self-described “mysterious” UK act a go: be prepared for a lot. Like, I enjoy garage punk bands, and if they want to throw an organ in the mix, great. Shit-kickin’, V-flickin’, overtly Bri-ish punk that’s boarding on faux punxploitation? I can get on board. I even dig dumb, cartoony novelties—one of my favorite releases of the year is almost exclusively about pubic lice. But as I sat blinking through the initial 30 seconds of this record, slowly realizing that I was getting not just all these things at once, but the maximum amount of each, it made me doubt whether I truly liked any of them individually to begin with. This sounds like a cockney Fred Flintstone fronting some Euro-garage punk act like the RIPPERS or MOJOMATICS, doing what sounds like a set of ARMITAGE SHANKS songs that have had their lyrics re-written to cover topics like being a sexy rock’n’roll frog, what it would take to make it with a sexy frog, and other frog-related shit. If that sounds like something that would be up your alley (or on your lily pad or whatever), well, here’s ten whole songs of it!
Here is a mysterious and minimal hardcore punk face-grater. An extremely lo-fi and mid-tempo demo of excruciating, warbling, abysmal punk and spectral voices haunting from the corners. Tracks include “Death’s Head,” “Death Reversed,” “Covid-19,” and “Futureless.” Bleak as fuck, and does not stick around long to check for a pulse. I can’t help but compare their tone to GISM, with the up-drive of STALIN and the bizarre hypnotic repetition of GAI. A horrible mess happened in Brooklyn last April that sounds like Kyoto in 1982. I’ve listened to this five-minute recording (presented as one take, but I’m not sure) five times now, and I’m increasingly unsettled and intrigued by the terror of GUILLOTINE.
Lifting your band name from a seminal NAPALM DEATH demo is always a good indicator of what you are in for. HATRED SURGE is a now-legendary band that has navigated through several genres, from powerviolence to death metal, always leaning on the extreme, but this review serves to talk about their 2004 demo, where it all began. Despite its limited initial release, Demo 2004 has left an undeniable mark on the world of extreme music. HATRED SURGE’s approach to grinding powerviolence showcases their dedication to pushing the boundaries of sonic extremity. A visceral blend of aggression and precision, characterized by their ability to seamlessly shift from frenetic tempos to crushing breakdowns. The tracks are concise bursts of aggression, rarely extending beyond the 40-second mark, yet packing more intensity into that short span than many bands do in entire albums.
Just in case you missed the crazy little demo from Illinois’ the ID the first time around (you did), it’s back. This is some devilishly juvenile punk that sounds like it’s being played and recorded on Fisher Price equipment by mental hospital escapees. It’s three songs of gloriously haggard KBD action, and the increasingly rabid opener “The Kids at School” alone makes it worth a place in your tape collection, if you can find one.
This is dance-infused garage rock with samples of lots of various instruments. The singer is doing a TOM WAITS kinda thing. I really dislike TOM WAITS. I really dislike this record. They’re from Brazil.
Lethal’s Hardcore Hit Parade is five tracks of noisy, raw, ferocious hardcore punk coming from the underground of NYC filth. Nasty yet aggressive, blistering hardcore, in the vein of the crustier side of UKHC meets the earlier, non-groovy era of NYHC, with urgency and the nihilistic destruction of ’80s Japanese and Swedish HC mentality. Full-blown distorted guitar sounds with pummeling drum beats and explosive breakdowns, along with maniac golem crusher vocals. For fans of VILE GASH, CREEP STARE, the REPOS, etc.
I don’t know who Linda is, but my mistake was listening to this turd of an album. Take the worst of the ’90s RAMONES-wannabe bands, strip them of any wit, charisma, or musical prowess, and that will get you in the ballpark of how excruciating and awful this is. Most of the songs revolve around a singular, repeated lyric. “You’re Wearing a Bandana,” for instance, recites the song title followed by the inquiry “What’re you doing?” over and over. Longest 39 seconds of my life. Another song is called “Too Fat for a Belt.” Insert sad trombone noise here. While the attempt at humor is obvious, the lyrics are just too dumb to actually be funny. It is hard to express the unique and supreme discomfort this album elicits, but please don’t take that as an insinuation that it’s somehow worth checking out as a morbid curiosity. With the planet rapidly becoming a hellish inferno, it’s an affront to humanity’s future that precious (or otherwise) resources were expended to bring this loathsome album into existence.
METEOR POLICE has a weird, foreboding vibe to their grungy rock. Their guitars and lyrics noodle, rock, and crawl with a simultaneous playfulness and darkness. Two songs open with genuinely haunting riffs. The guitar and bass have a unique dynamic I can’t quite describe. The bass is usually playing a bit of a post-hardcore tune while the guitar sprinkles in these off-kilter, slightly bent lines. Every now and then, we hear a familiar HC/punk chord progression. That gave me just enough to orient myself between being thrown off balance again.
Following Nervous Birds! One and Nervous Birds! Too, this is NIGHT COURT’s third full-length release, and first time on vinyl. They are a Vancouver, BC outfit doing some indie-flavored garage punk, with a digital undercurrent as if you’ve got the headphones plugged in halfway. I don’t necessarily mean this is in a bad way—the slightly distorted vocals and synth/guitar phaser play well off one another. A mix of the SHINS and the PIXIES, roughed up with a lo-fi production, might get you close to the NIGHT COURT sound, for whatever the comparison is worth. Only two tracks reach the two-minute mark, so this sixteen-song LP is over pretty fast. Fun, easy, summertime listening. Should we be on the lookout for Humans! Too?
A unique fusion of sounds here from ORTOPEDIA TÉCNICA, out of the Spanish province of Castilló. The majority of these songs are a driving post-punk with stomping beats that flirt with an OI!-type feel, but softer moments like the chill “Mirame” and the wistful “Rosas, Cruces, y un Cenicero” (“Roses, Crosses, and an Ashtray”) add depth to the album. Singing in Spanish, the band has a penchant for clean, anthemic head-bobbers aided by spectacular wailing guitar leads, but my favorite track is the infectious closer “Sociedad Industrial,” with its rousing chorus and warbled hook that eventually descends into a digital madness. Everything here is very well done.
This kills. PAPRIKA has the depravity and spookiness combo down to a razor’s edge. This is blistering, crunchy heat throughout each track of the tour tape. What are they drinking? When can I see them? These four songs bring up more similar ponderings. I would get it just for the “You Tear Me Up” cover (the beat that made DISCHARGE?).
