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ERIK NERVOUS returns to a solo project for this interesting, self-taught Indiana DIY release that actually rips. Everything was done by ERIK NERVOUS himself, except the mastering—it’s an exquisite mix of new wave, punk rock, and synth punk that really works. Energetic with a sick punch and a very well-achieved sound, heavily recommended for synth punk lovers. Favorite tracks: “Comfortable” and “Third Layer.”
The band describes themselves as “post-COVID,” but they sound almost pre-Y2K to me. Not that I’m complaining, I think many who enjoy late ’90s and early ’00s emo-ish HC will find a lot to like here. The vocals are a gurgle-y growl and the drums often leave a gap between notes, giving the songs the aforementioned expressive emo feel. FLASHES RED switches smoothly from those parts to brief but charged HC thwapping, providing many opportunities for sing-alongs and pointed fingers.
It’s been a hot minute since a true blue, bona fide WTF-is-this LP came down the pike, but the virtually unknown GEE GEE DECORATOR scores top marks in that particular category. Even the story of stumbling upon a copy in the wild—which involves Newark, NJ, the Sopranos, and assorted European actors—seems like a tall tale, but the real question is: does the music deliver the cannolis? Opening up with an expletive-riddled come-on (all the songs are untitled, or maybe someone forgot to pick up the jackets from the printer some 40 years back), GEE GEE DECORATOR is like if PUSSY GALORE was more into Stax than CRAMPS; there’s even clanging metal percussion strewn about these tracks like loose railroad spikes. The GEE GEE perspective is entirely irreverent, as the band seems to sneer at anything and everything, including “musicianship,” within their purview. You can almost hear them laughing off-mic, but that doesn’t mean this album is just a one-shot joke. It does have a peculiar charm to it, and you can tell it was put together with something resembling intention. In that respect, GEE GEE DECORATOR is reminiscent of art-damaged rock savants like ROYAL TRUX. Like the SHAGGS, GEE GEE DECORATOR come off as blissfully unaware of the outside world. It sounds like they locked themselves in a moldy basement studio, gave free rein to the drummer, and had a chemical-fueled blast for 48 hours straight. We can count ourselves fortunate that a vinyl spelunker uncovered this fucked-up little slice of heaven (New Jersey). Bada bonk.
Cold war post-punk from East Berlin featuring two members who would later form the nu-metal-adjacent industrial band RAMMSTEIN in the ’90s, but don’t hold that against them! Pleasures 1985–86 cherry-picks tracks from HAPPY STRAPS’ two cassettes (1985’s What a Pleasure and 1986’s Last Pleasure), and opener “We Live in Paradise” is a bit of a stylistic outlier within the context of the rest of the collection, following a fairly basic and rudimentary first-wave punk template, although the warbling vocals and interjections of space age synth point to some weirder creative impulses clearly at work. The rest of the A-side also skims the band’s first tape, including “Railway Station,” a stuttering post-punk spy theme with co-vocalist Claudia Böhme’s delivery splitting the difference between hiccuping and deadpan, right up there with the best ’80s femme-led Euro art-punk (LILIPUT, HANS-A-PLAST, TRÜMMERFRAUEN, you name it), and “Running Away,” which recalls the dreamy, beauty-in-drone side of SST-era SONIC YOUTH (think EVOL’s “Starpower”) or the less frantic side of MISSION OF BURMA. Last Pleasure is covered on the B-side, with HAPPY STRAPS wandering down darker, unsettling goth corridors—the graveyard-dwelling atmospheric guitar, sinister bass rumble, and guitarist Christian Jaeger’s howling vocals on ”White Bird” all echo early BAUHAUS, while the gnarled, barely minute-long “Tod” (German for “death”) crawls bleary-eyed through some BAD SEEDS wreckage, and the Claudia-sung “Tape Song” plunges into the depths of cavernous bass and a death disco beat. The Tapetopia series that this LP is a part of has been bringing all sorts of gems from East Germany’s cassette underground (like, way underground) to light, and this might be one of the best installments yet.
A re-release of their 1996 demo recording, pressed from the original masters. Classic grindcore from a time before bands started using drum triggers and studio trickery. Vocals sound authentic and real, unlike a lot of today’s grind acts who run their singer through a whole mess of effects and processing. I’m starting to come off like some bitter old man, but it’s refreshing to hear something that isn’t attempting to be a polished product. Noisy, raw, and fast as hell. Blink and it’s over, just the way it should be.
Hailing from Atlanta via Puerto Rico, LADRONES have been consistently pumping out electrifying punk rock’n’roll since their 2019 self-titled debut on Slovenly. Following some lineup changes, the band has developed into a wild and energetic garage monster primed to lay waste to anything its path. The three cuts featured on this EP capture a raucous and rowdy vibe that can’t be manufactured. If ANGRY ANGLES had been from Atlanta or CARBONAS spent too much time in Memphis, we may have ended up with something similar to what LADRONES are up to, but they’re not quite that easy to nail down. This record hints at a powerful direction for the band. Can’t wait to see what nastiness they’ll spin up next.
After a blazing demo (that this reviewer actually had the pleasure of releasing) last year, Leeds-based Harry Townend returns with more from his solo endeavor MOTIVE. It rages even harder than the demo with its five tracks of twisted D-beat mayhem, taking the best aspects from UK and Scandinavian D-beat and molding them together in a frenzied haze. This record is made all the more impressive when you learn Townend was a mere seventeen years old at the time of this record’s writing and recording. Fans of VARUKERS, ANTI-CIMEX, and the like will get a massive kick out of this barnburner.
Fresh Hamburg synth punk project that sure knows how to create an atmosphere with their synth’s dark and cold tweaks. Fast-paced cadences, some tasty riffs, and super-reverbed frantic vocals. Interesting dark and blunt interlude sections are throughout the album, and though the songs may be a bit repetitive in tempo, they compensate with the work on the synth and vocals. Reminded me of DESBORDE in some of the intros between the synth and the drums, and then the whole band comes in, like in “Where Sins Bloom” and “Something We Cannot See.” Recommended for synth punk maniacs.
This full-length is the perfect balance of post-punk and post-hardcore. Angular guitar work that sounds like it could easily be from a WIRE recording, combined with the song structures of FUGAZI. Elements of shoegaze and jazz filter through occasionally, allowing for shifts in tempo and weight. “Demonize” drifts from angst-driven post-hardcore to gloomy post-punk and back again in short order. It’s these interesting and imperceptibly smooth shifts that make this album worth listening to—a song evolves in the time of a single snare hit.
This Swedish band from the late ’80s played fast metal hardcore like ONSLAUGHT or BLACK UNIFORMS, mixed with BLACK SABBATH vocals and paces. This is great, and the production is excellent. Bouncy punk like something off UK/DK, but clearly picking up on some CELTIC FROST attitude. There are even hints of GISM echoes and weirdness. This is like a 4:00 am album and no one is going home or to sleep, if that makes any sense. Also would be good if you are in a bad or sad mood. No-fucks-given Swedish punk rock. With tracks like “Honeymoon with Satan” and “Daily Depression,” you can’t go wrong here.
This is catchy enough that you almost want to call it power pop, but it’s got a lot of heavy guitar work that makes you want to say glam. It’s also very much just straightforward punk. Mid-tempo and steady, it keeps your head bouncing. I like it, but do find the recording a little fuzzy for my liking. And I don’t mind some lead guitar, but I do feel like it’s the kind of thing that needs to be controlled. On a lot of these tracks, they’re not exhibiting that control. And you know I always love backing vocals. Lots of that here. Good stuff when you take that all into account.
REJECTORS was a seminal hardcore band from Seattle that was active from 1981 to 1986. Originally released by Fartz Records in 1982, Thoughts of War is now re-released and remastered by No Plan Records. Thrashy in the vein of West Coast hardcore, complete with angsty, snotty vocals. The 7″ comes with the original 7″ artwork and insert, plus a sticker! A guaranteed mosh record.
Wow. I’m thirty seconds in and I am digging this thing. It’s got a little swampy thing going on, but there’s also some slick guitar work that’s almost surfy that has me doing a funny little shimmy dance. It’s mid-tempo and catchy as all hell. At times, it gets a little eerie and spooky. Other times, it gets a little heavier. Then it gets more straightforward. This is some good shit right here.
After last year’s hit full-length, the new EP from Drew Owen (a.k.a. SICK THOUGHTS) feels like a victory lap, showcasing four strong tunes from a guy who’s been on a snowballing creative roll for a while now. Gracing the cover for the second consecutive release, this time greeting us with a boozy lounge look and a promising wink, he starts this one off by revealing a raging theme for this decade-plus-old project in “Sick Thoughts.” Then we lean back and loosen up a bit with the ’70s switchblade and bandana vibes of the rockin’ “I’m a Hellraiser.” The pace picks up with “Schoolgirls in Chains,” a jittery and jacked-up garage number that almost sounds like it could have been an outtake from JAY REATARD’s Blood Visions LP. And then, just before he leaves the saloon doors swinging behind him, he kicks out the sickeningly sweet “My Heart is Breaking Over You,” an epic, killer, and uncharacteristic power pop ballad that he pulls off with incredible panache. My favorite track on the album, its crooning and keyboards on the outro are especially bonkers. Cheers to another solid ripper, Drew, and maybe just take it easy on those olives a little bit.
The small UK town of Yeovil, Somerset was home to a fairly bustling punk scene in the late ’70s/early ’80s, the most famous exports of which were the anarcho-punk band the MOB and their DIY label All the Madmen. Teenager ANDY STRATTON (né Barker, later of NULL & VOID) also hung around that scene and ended up befriending members of the MOB. At sixteen, he got a wild hair to make a pop record after attending the 1980 Stonehenge Free Festival. So he wrote a couple of tunes, recruited MOB-ster Graham Fallows to play drums, and came out with this 7”, the third release on All the Madmen. At the time, it was pressed in relatively small numbers (maybe 1000) and has since become all but forgotten. Thankfully Sealed, the archival wing of La Vida Es Un Mus, recognized this was a record worth shining some light on and are here with a faithful recreation of that release (plus they’ve added a lyrics insert alongside an interview with ANDY). “I Don’t Know” is a super catchy DIY power pop number that sounds like a mix of Pete Shelley BUZZCOCKS and TEENAGE HEAD. The lyrics are deliriously simple, as is the guitar riff, but it’s underscored by this incredibly energetic bass line that somehow really bumps up the maturity of the songwriting. It’s a pretty incredible track. “Evil Minds” awkwardly welds verses that sound like a new wave ode to “Nights in White Satin” to hooks that sound lifted from some POINTED STICKS song. It’s a little harder to get into, but at the very least it’s interesting. Still, probably worth it for the A-side alone!
This is a really nice vinyl release of this very early Polish post-punk band’s 1980 radio session, plus an acoustic bonus track. It looks like TILT is considered one of the earliest punk bands in Poland, having started in 1979, but this is definitely more new wave/post-punk than peers like DEZERTER. They definitely were right there with cool bands of the day like GANG OF FOUR and WIRE, making me imagine punks tuning in to barely audible BBC radio shows or pirated cassettes floating around. Warsaw Pact has done us all a big favor issuing such an eye-opening historical document. Well worth whatever you have to pay to pick up a copy.
Split between two bands from Osnabrück, Germany. VICIO plays melodic hardcore somewhere between vintage BAD RELIGION and Midwest classics like DIE KREUZEN. The clear winner is “Hass,” with its shouted vocals and a SLAYER-esque mini-riff in the chorus that made my hand involuntarily grip the invisible orange. “Future is Now” somehow meshes system-smashing lyrics and the refrain from NEIL YOUNG’s “Heart of Gold,” complete with backing vocals. And “Eat the Rich” is a rowdy singalong that repeats “You are rich / We are poor / We will eat you, sure.” WIRKSTOFF P sounds remarkably similar and seems to share a vocalist with VICIO. Their side is a touch more melodic, featuring some sung vocals that turn the dial more to skate punk. “Venner Feengesänge und Elfentanz” is a mid-tempo jam with heart-tugging minor chord melodies that wouldn’t be out of place on one of those ’90s Epitaph comps. Check it out If you ever had a cargo shorts era.
I could bet my shirt that this LP will be featured on a lot of top ten lists this year. This album has everything. It looks absolutely brilliant with its Burning Spirits-inspired cover and a clear nod to some classic Japanese hardcore compilations; it has a great title; it has a cracking lineup with four popular hardcore bands. On paper this is a sure win, the kind of record that might become a classic, assuming the quality reaches the inevitably high expectations. When you buy a sixteen-song album with four songs each by DESTRUCT, SCARECROW, DISSEKERAD, and RAT CAGE, you are entitled, as a spoiled materialist, to expect the best of raw hardcore, a “special record.’’ Is it as good as it should be then? I suppose so. It is as good as I expected, but it is not better than I expected and, clearly, such a record can be expected to be better than expected. Do you know what I mean? Alright, let’s start with DESTRUCT, possibly one of the best bands in the US right now. This Richmond band has the craziest hardcore punk drummer around—the man is an octopus and punishes the listener with a pure and relentless D-beat attack seasoned with insane drum rolls, conferring the songs extra energy and a vibe of madness unleashed. I am sure they must tie the bastard to his bed at night so that he doesn’t hit things in his sleep. The music is close to what FRAMTID offers in terms of sheer intensity and anger (and drumming), which is no small compliment. The vocals and many anthemic choruses and riffs point to more traditional Japanese hardcore like BASTARD (the most obvious and redundant comparison), and the blend is brutal and compelling. DESTRUCT is a tough act to follow, and Raleigh’s SCARECROW does their best to keep the aggression level high. They are one of the most solid TOTALITÄR-influenced bands around (and there are many of those), and I like the fact that they don’t try to go for the rocking side of the genre but keep the käng raw, direct, and angry, like INFERNÖH used to do, but with a more blown-out tone (almost crasher hardcore), more so than on the previous EP and with the great pissed female vocals more to the front. On the other side, actual Swedish band DISSEKERAD shoots first and unsurprisingly sounds just like themselves. Classic käng done right with craftsmanship and (a lot of) experience. TOTALITÄR meets NO SECURITY. A walk in the park, not an adventurous one, but one you’d be ready to take every weekend. Finally, RAT CAGE from sunny Sheffield closes the show and offers four songs of…TOTALITÄR-inspired hardcore punk. Fuck me if I saw that coming. They are arguably the hottest band in the genre right now and, contrary to SCARECROW or DISSEKERAD, RAT CAGE goes right for the rocking side of the käng school with nods to SKITKIDS or UNCURBED. It’s a bit much for me at times, but in terms of energy and anthemic songwriting, they certainly deliver, and they do show a bit of variety in these four songs, the last one sounding almost like a pogo punk number, like the CASUALTIES suddenly converting to käng hardcore. It is a strong album, and I believe the format serves the songs well and displays cohesion and coherence between the bands. Let’s just say that it makes sense. Arguably too much TOTALITÄR worship going on, but then that’s what punks crave, I suppose.
ANCIENT FILTH has been churning out top-shelf hardcore punk since 2010, and their latest entry, No More Hiding, finds them their finest form. The album’s eponymously titled opening track sets the stage well, ratcheting up the speed and intensity quickly and succinctly from the totally ripping guitar solo to the full-on hardcore assault that follows. The musicianship is freakishly tight, but doesn’t feel manufactured or inorganic. The drumming is stellar, keeping the listener on their toes with tempos changing on a dime with a commanding exactitude. Blistering guitar riffs tear through the mix and cut in with some truly unhinged leads. Everything about this record is utterly crushing. Topped off with insightful lyrics delivered with characteristically memorable vocal hooks, No More Hiding is essential listening. Hardcore rules.
This cassette from Cintas Taciturnas is a re-release of Finnish band ASPECT NOIR’s full-length originally released as a 12″ by the band in 2021. This cassette contains all the darkwave post-punk that ASPECT NOIR epitomizes and is beautifully printed and packaged. If you like moody, gothic sounds that feel as icy as a grave, then you’ll want to check this out. This eight-song album captures melancholic emotions while maintaining a sense of dignity like a phoenix from the flames. Lina’s vocals are haunting as they sing lyrics with a clarity that makes it impossible to miss the themes. For me, “Mean Again” is a standout song, as the message is something we can all find relatable at times.
The internet says that listening to NUKELICKERS may severely damage one’s auditory receptors, but as usual, the internet tends to blow things out of proportion—if you are a real punk, that should not scare or inconvenience you in the least, more so if you chose to listen to the band knowing full well what you were in for. They’re called NUKELICKERS for a reason, it’s like SHITLICKERS going atomic. NUKELICKERS is truly the death of music, I guess in a good way. I could not stand more than eight minutes of the band, and that would already be considered a prolonged listen, but the three-and-a-half minutes of noise on the first side of the split EP feels exhilarating and liberating after a day at work doing as little as possible. This is actually a Berlin-based solo project aimed at destroying preconceived views of what music is supposed to be like. The drums are far too loud, with the crash cymbal being the real star of the show, the guitar is distorted to the max, and the bass sounds like a drunk plane. There is an element of crude, primal Swedish mangel like SHITLICKERS, obviously, but it goes further (or deeper?), and is certainly sweet on old school noisecore like ASYLUM, BIGADA DO ODIO, or RAPT. Strangely hypnotic. On the other side, BIPOLAR is a band from Greenland. Yes, Greenland. Etah City to be accurate. I don’t think I even knew of a punk band there before BIPOLAR. That’s what makes international punk magical, so magical in fact that BIPOLAR happens to worship at the international church of DISCHARGE like myself. With a font copying DISASTER’s, you already know if you are going to like the band’s four songs. Besides the Brits, DISCLOSE appears to be a solid point of reference, and I am reminded of some ’90s Swedish bands like HARASS or DISHONEST. The music sounds a little sloppy at times, which is fine for the style and confers a proper punk feel. They are not the best at this brand of distorted, orthodox D-beat, but they are certainly good enough for me. This is D-beat for the D-beaten. BIPOLAR is a pretty prolific bunch, and there are more recordings on their Bandcamp if you think you are DIS enough. This modest EP reeks of the true DIY punk spirit, it is a short run so don’t sleep on it if you are a die-hard.
Supreme Echo rifles through the CanCon punk archives again, this time giving flowers to Montréal’s BLUE OIL, widely regarded as Quebec’s first all-female punk band. “Money,” the A-side of their 1982 7”, is the only previously released track here (B-side “Living for the Time” was skipped over), with the remaining eleven tracks drawn from abandoned studio, practice, and live recordings from the group’s original 1981–1983 phase—by the late ’80s, BLUE OIL had re-emerged with a new lineup (including the addition of some very prominent keyboards) and a much more polished, mainstream new wave sound, but the iteration of the band documented here has far more in common with under-the-radar early ’80s contemporaries like Seattle’s VISIBLE TARGETS or Portland’s NEO BOYS. Those psychic parallels are especially apparent on the great “Far Too Much” and “Sardine City,” two minimalist anthems mixing post-garage jangle, gritty pop hooks, and an energized basement punk stomp, while the shrouded vocals and moody, bass-driven rhythm of 1983’s “Stop Complaining” point to an increasing post-punk influence, sounding not dissimilar to Chicago’s DA (or taking it back a little further, a less dramatic SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES). International femme-punk scholars, take heed.
This cassette from Paris’s COLD DECAY is metallic hardcore in the NYHC vein of MADBALL, MERAUDER, or ALL OUT WAR. They may not be MRR-realm bands, but some BOLT THROWER and SEPULTURA fans from the punk world will realize some aspects that they can maybe get down with here more than they want to admit to themselves. Good at what they do, which is in-the-pocket, groovy metalcore, if you’re into that sort of stuff.
New Iron Lung dispatch from Illinois in the form of a four-piece brimming with bratty holy terror. This appears to be the band’s debut EP, with seven tracks that encapsulate a pounding and catchy fervor through the track list. Lyrics are minimal and screamed by Sarah (no last name given) with more heart than most could muster, in a delivery reminiscent of Kirsten Patches. Start with “Confined.” Hopefully more scathing punk rock is coming soon.
Australian trio that fixates on Japcore and is led by a bassist and singer from Japan. Chaotic sounds from another era, with influence from the mid-’90s crust punk revival and Japanese death hardcore adding a metallic element. Really enjoyed the fry of the string section on this one. The guitar seems like it’s being cooked in a pan, while the recording and vocals are really good but might sound a little bit behind the instrumental mix. Suggested tracks: “Fiction” and “Your Soul” as samples of the plethora of sounds this band can manage. Great unique music for addicts of GAUZE, DEATH SIDE, SYSTEMATIC DEATH, and the like.
Reuniting members of early ’80s Spanish punk act LARSEN, DESENTERRADOS serves up two different styles on this four-song EP. You get some bouncy, low-budget power pop on the catchy “Christine” and Too Many Fights,” and some sinister and rousing street punk on “Revolución” and the closing “Siempre Lucharemos” for a cool little combination plate.
A shadow this way comes from Dublin. Bleak, apocalyptic crust with an aura of dystopian proportions, following in the footsteps of AMEBIX and MISERY. All songs were written and performed during the pandemic restrictions, really channeling the gloomy times we went through. A record suitable for the nightmare of a modern hell.
Straightforward NYHC from alums of MADBALL, SHEER TERROR, and NEGLECT. The GREAT LIE’s music more or less reflects their past projects, so it’s safe to say you know what you’re going to get. Unfortunately, things occasionally veer into nu-metal territory, which I found off-putting. Maybe I’m just not their target demographic, but overall this one didn’t do much for me.
Four bong-loaders from the foggy shores of Nova Scotia. Bluesy, crunchy rockers with a generous helping of tambourine, with the stand-out track for me being the opener “Push On Through.” The EP doesn’t do a ton after that which holds on too much, and treads in murky stoner rock waters until the last cut. The EP is a bit of a different frequency for a MRR review, but slightly pleasurable nonetheless. This is the band from that aging hippie guy who owns the head shop down the street.
The debut release from Berlin’s INNOCENT BLISS is a sampling of hardcore punk with some traces of more post-hardcore-type sounds. Not too much grabs this reviewer’s attention on this demo, but it certainly isn’t a bad effort either. This is eleven-odd minutes of entirely serviceable hardcore—nothing more, nothing less.
Really great split between two bands out of California, albeit in different directions. Makes sense, as both of these groups sound like they’ve come straight from the heyday of Gilman. ROTE brings us some classic melodic hardcore while teetering on the edge of crust. They remind me a bit of LEFTÖVER CRACK with less ska and better vocals. Very authentic, and a lot of fun. If I can be honest, I didn’t expect much from a band called the LOSERS in this day and age, especially since they included a cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World.” But my mind was quickly changed during their first track “The Big Question,” owing to their very charismatic frontman and blistering guitar leads. Classic punk rock right here with a bit of an Oi! tinge. Hey, even the NEIL YOUNG tribute is pretty cool!
Based in Düsseldorf, MARONE hits us with fourteen snappy tracks on their debut LP. This record is a bleak and uncomplicated take on a classic ’90s melodic hardcore approach. With lyrics sung in German, It’s something like an emo cousin to fellow Deutschländers WIZO who had records out on Fat Wreck back in the day, with a similarly polished and upbeat sound but a darker and more organic mood (if you’re into that sort of thing).
When I was doing college radio at KALX way back in the day, the MORLOCKS were a favorite of Barry St. Vitus. He was heavy into the garage stuff, I thought it was okay. This record is, I believe, from the second iteration of the band and was originally released in 2008. I don’t always like garage rock, but when I do, I like it a little more raw and gritty. I find this one a little too slick and polished for my liking. It’s not terrible, just not my thing exactly. That said, the album title is one of the best things ever.
NAMELESS CREATIONS out of Warsaw, Poland recently emerged from their crypt after a four-year slumber to release the Plague Party album, and I couldn’t be happier. If you like CHRISTIAN DEATH, SHADOW PROJECT, or SEX GANG CHILDREN, then you’ll love this album. Macabre, gloomy, but rockin’ as hell, NAMELESS CREATIONS open this album with the title track “Plague Party” (there’s also a really well-produced video for the song), and continue the goth rock party for another nine songs that meander in a sort of stream-of-consciousness style, but also kick in where it’s needed. This is one of those albums that you’ll drop the needle on and soon find yourself wanting to listen to on repeat. Light some candles, put on your fancy black clothing, and dance along under the moonlight for best results.
Fast, catchy, and moderately distorted stuff here. Some tracks could have been even shorter. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just want a good riff in small portions. Punk songs can peter out pretty quickly, and I’d respectfully suggest many bands could imply some real editorial restraint and let the riffs speak for themselves. Please pop punks, I urge you: don’t tie yourself in knots repeating a chorus just to play it bass-only or insert the dreaded bridge-to-nowhere. PETTY GRIEVANCES churn out some real earworms, and if they trim some of the slack, it’ll be that much better.
This is the fourth release from Springfield, Illinois straightedge hardcore band PREVENTION, and it’s pretty much as generic as it gets. There’s some heavy riffs and drops here that will please the bruised meatheads on the dancefloor, but this slab likely won’t interest any of those outside that specific demographic. If you like your hardcore hard, this may be of some interest to you, but it just bored me.
Despite moving to different corners of the US and Europe, members of RED DONS—originally formed in Portland, Oregon in 2006—have continued to put out music throughout the decades. Their name comes from a group of British Intelligence officers working out of Cambridge University circa WWI who were discovered to be Soviet spies, the context of which sets the stage for their long view of political engagement and questioning. As for the music, I find a sound rooted in rock’n’roll, emulating/paying homage to dark-leaning bands like the DAMNED or T.S.O.L., with plenty of space for guitar solos, keys, and some mild crooning and wailing. This four-song EP marks their first release since 2017’s Genocide, and they are still sharp and passionate as ever. Moody, poignant, enlivened music.
Hardcore punk band SARUSHIBAI from Gunma Prefecture has released their new album on CD with Malaysia’s Black Konflik Records. From what I gathered, this is so-called “Showa-style Japanese punk,” which finds inspiration from bands such as the STALIN, ABURADAKO, and DEFORMED CHILDREN, but with a wider range of influences, mainly US-based labels like SST and Alternative Tentacles. A good pick for fans of intensity and melody-drenched hardcore.
Holy shit! This woke me up. Featuring Hiroshi from the legendary REGISTATORS plus a regular all-star lineup, this brings back some blackout memories of the ’90s without being some spit-on-the-lens throwback shit. A perfect combo of glass-shard-picked guitar clang over the best “fuck you,” snot-faced vox I’ve heard in some time. SWANKYS, STITCHES, and GEROS for jerks who need those pesky comparisons. All songs are killers. Piss on your dog.
Latest LP by NYC/Toronto’s STIGMATISM. Ignorance in Power is Victim in Pain-style straight-ahead, fast hardcore punk with absolutely no bullshit. Straight b2b bangers—recording is on the drier side with no shitty metal parts, no echo on the vocals, and none of the modern pro-core sound. Reminiscent of early ’80s NYHC or Boston HC, yet without any of the reactionary patriotic boomer hardcore dad vibes, reminding the listener to recognize what hardcore was all about. A non-stop, tight energetic outburst of fast, ferocious hardcore punk intensity.
Here’s another instant classic to add to the list of contenders for album of the year: STINGRAY’s Fortress Britain, a caustic, abrasive, and scorched-as-fuck album that sounds absolutely hellish, with brutal vocals and big riffs to match. Comprised of prominent members of the UK punk/hardcore scene, STINGRAY sounds seriously pissed, and presents a takedown of imperialism and British rule, illustrating the decaying landscape of modern life. Sonically, it’s a smoldering cauldron of fury influenced by the likes of EXTREME NOISE TERROR, CRUCIFIX, and NEUROOT, and from its first note, Fortress Britain rips through your speakers and grabs you by the throat. “Burning Swine,” a stomping kick in the teeth, features a metallic breakdown that is as infectious as it is heavy. Title track “Fortress Britain Crumbles” is a revved up D-beat fever dream featuring an excellent bass lead that is massive, dwarfed only by the even bigger lyrics: “Walls of London blown to bedlam / Under the boot of a million desperate.” You can hear the venom in every word, delivered expertly by the demonic narration of Tin Savage. Closer “Inner City” begins with another bass lead, echoing drums, and a build-up that’ll give you goosebumps. Fortress Britain may have influences from the past, but this shit is timeless. If modern life is hell, STINGRAY couldn’t have provided a better soundtrack.
Tough-as-nails hardcore punk courtesy of some stalwarts of the storied Minneapolis scene. VACANT cranks out fourteen tracks of four-chord nastiness that has a slightly metallic, somewhat melodic bent that conjures up the spirit of later-era POISON IDEA. Befitting of their pedigree, VACANT embodies a 2023 take on the kind of ’90s political punk peddled by Profane Existence. Anyone familiar with ASSRASH will instantly recognize Pignose’s distinct vocals. Musically, they build off the foundation of the members other previous efforts such as SCORNED and HELLSPAWN. VACANT isn’t as raw or unhinged as the aforementioned bands, but this makes for a more coherent if less energetic delivery. Given how long these dudes have been at it, I’d say they wear their traumas well indeed.
More fantastic music out of Australia. Poppy post-punk with a little bit of slowcore thrown in. Chill and laid back. The singer sounds a bit like a less energetic Fred Schenider, which might seem like a critique, but it works very well for VINTAGE CROP’s styling. Great use of the synthesizer during “Springtime,” and especially the horns (or what I think are horns) at the end. Fits right into the pocket and gives the track a floral accent. “Mercenary” reminds me a lot of ’90s indie groups like SUPERCHUNK. Very catchy with upbeat guitars that don’t overlap the vocals. Great composition for both tracks. Lots going on, but it doesn’t sound messy or overthought. I initially wondered why this wasn’t released during the spring, only to remember it’s currently spring in Australia. The Earth is crazy, huh!
French noise-rock-adjacent punk that resembles MCLUSKY and labelmates USA NAILS. While this record is a fine, serviceable slab of dissonant guitar rock with precise playing, it lacks the personalities of the aforementioned bands. The songs, mostly running between three and four minutes, run together without making much of an impression. This is the local band that plays for a full hour before the touring headliner. I know if I wound up at their show, I would step outside and work on my Duolingo (got a pretty good streak going), or maybe call my mom. Check it out if you are really dialed into this genre of clever/sarcastic lyrics shouted over mid-tempo rock, but this LP didn’t do it for me.
Records like this are a funny thing to me—I’m not sure what these bands have that brings them together. COLERA is a Brazilian hardcore band that has been around since the late ’70s (I thought it was the early ’80s, but I was wrong). They get seven songs, some new, some not. RAZOR KIDS are from Scotland, I believe they’ve been around for a bit. They get four cuts. Lastly, the ZIPS are a relatively new Portuguese band. They get three tracks. If you know COLERA, you’ll know what to expect. Classic South American hardcore. Fairly catchy, straightforward. It’s what you’d expect from them. I reviewed the RAZOR KIDS late last year on another weird split EP. They deliver four solid cuts of COCK SPARRER-inspired Oi!. And the ZIPS play super-melodic, mid-tempo power pop, and they do it very nicely. Still a head-scratcher as to how these three ended up on the same record, but I’ll take it.
The Canadian jawbreaker is back! Ten tracks of pure ANTI-CIMEX worship from their first recording session that was never released. All tracks were recorded with the original line-up in 2013 with Vassil Mester on drums (RIP). The tracks are pummeling and sure to crack your skull! ABSOLUT is an absolute warmachine!
From Washington, DC, the AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH plays melodic hardcore in a ’90s vein, with a singer who sounds vaguely like the guy from APOCALYPSE HOBOKEN. If this group’s name doesn’t immediately tip you off to their unabashed goofballery, the Pootie Tang quote in the first song will. Unfortunately, this album suffers from a weak mixing job in which the vocals seem to be competing with the music. Otherwise, it’s some funny, punchy skater-punk for you knuckleheads.
Mondays and Tuesdays doesn’t always go full speed ahead—it’s right on the edge of pop punk, emo, and indie rock. I mean, its melodies are engaging and energizing like pop punk, but the arrangements have a pensive, withdrawn feel that might limit the stagediving during shows. More than once, I heard the steady thump-thump-snap of drums that emo and melodic HC utilize so well. Of course, there are some big give-it-your-all chrouses. The band also takes time to slow down and croon enough to keep a toe in the emo camp. Sometimes they’ll throw a few complimentary notes onto the end of a chord to add to the striking, melancholy sound.
Latest release from France’s BARRAGE. Non-stop crushing crustcore in the vein of EXTREME NOISE TERROR or DISRUPT, although BARRAGE sticks to hardcore punk roots rather than the crustier realm of the aforementioned bands. Some death and thrash metal phrases can be heard in parts of the album, yet it successfully avoids the modern-sounding extreme metal approach. The D-beat tag does get thrown around, but D-beat masters out there might not call it quite that. Still raging, full-front ferocity of in-your-face sonic bombardment.
Considering the dark aura of these formidable D-beats, BRITNEY FEARS was an interesting choice of name for this great Greek hardcore group. These ten sharp songs are manic and macabre, with echoed vocals ringing out over melodic raw riffs and hard, machine-like drums. It’s a tough sound with a haunting feel and an overall unique presence, perfect for scantily-clad dancing with knives in your hands on Instagram.
