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!

At Their Mercy Catechism CD

Emerging as a powerhouse, the crossover genre is on the rise again due to excellent acts like POWER TRIP and FORESEEN getting under the spotlight. Scottish band AT THEIR MERCY dynamically blends the best of both worlds: hardcore and thrash metal, but in a way unlike the aforementioned bands. With influences such as CRO-MAGS, SLAYER, or even DISCHARGE, it’s a fusion of relentless aggressive music—they lean more towards the hardcore side, giving it a bouncier edge. Effectively executed, AT THEIR MERCY’s music  has the potential to captivate fans from both the hardcore and metal genres.

Big Clown Beatdown EP

Freaky clown party from this group of Memphis friends that continues their run of short and direct punk bombs. Sometimes fun and sometimes deadly serious, these eight tracks all center around a big, lizard-brain-tickling rock riff and vocalist Lucy’s distinctive and enthusiastic yelps. Every one of them is a hit. We get the instant fun punk jams like future dance classics “Frogman” and “Teeth” (“More sugar, more plaque / Please teeth come back”), hearkening back to BIG CLOWN’s excellent Gonerfest sets. However, these joyous moments are tempered with earnest and impactful songs about issues like consent (“Always Knew”) and water contamination (“I’m Thirsty”). The record is great throughout, but the last line takes the cake: “So when I drink your blood / Don’t beg me for mercy / Motherfucker / I’m thirsty.” These are honestly the only clowns I like.

The Boneheads Single 1978–79 EP

Punky garage rock band the BONEHEADS sloshed around the Philly punk scene in the late ’70s alongside acts like PURE HELL, SIC KIDZ, and the AUTISTICS. Their claims to fame seem to be frequently opening up for a slew of more beloved punk acts—RICHARD HELL AND THE VOIDOIDS, the B-52’S, and the FEELIES to name a few—and eventually evolving into the better known, though still relatively obscure, post-punk band BUNNYDRUMS. They had the intention of releasing this, their one and only record, back in 1979…until the masters disappeared and the songs were lost to time. However, someone recently unearthed a cassette recording of the same sessions, and ferried it over to the good folks over at Good Times Rock ‘n’ Roll Club, which is how this release came to be. So, do we now have some sort of a lost classic on our hands? Not quite. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty good time! There’s four tracks on here, the first three of which are a mix of CRAMPS-y rock’n’roll Americana, straight up surf, and new wave pop. They’re fine. But the final track “Yesterday” is probably worth the price of admission by itself. It sounds like a wild mashup of HUBBLE BUBBLE’s “New Direction” and LOVE’s “7 and 7 Is,” over top of which the vocalist is singing more (better!) new wave pop in the stuffy-nosed style of EDWYN COLLINS. It’s fantastic! The record, pressed to green vinyl, also comes in a stylish silkscreened sleeve. My only complaint is that I wish it had come with some liner notes.

Cammy Cautious and the Wrestlers Cammy Cautious and the Wrestlers cassette

This is really growing on me. It’s a perfect-length cassette of bouncy garage punk from Sydney. I think it will unfortunately get the obvious AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS comparison due to the thick-accented female vocals, but I think this deserves more attention. Sure, it’s got the thudding drums and crunchy guitar, but this almost has some BABES IN TOYLAND or early HOLE moments. Imagine if AMYL and Co. never listened to AC/DC or the COLOURED BALLS and you might get something like this. “Critter” is my fave.

Consec Wheel of Pain LP

The new LP from Athens, Georgia’s CONSEC is twelve tracks of intense, high-energy, noisy hardcore punk fury similar to VOID, Cows and Beer-era DIE KRUEZEN, or Dirty Rotten-era D.R.I.. Pummeling drums and full-speed combustion of energetic controlled chaos. Despite all that, it still has well-crafted songwriting and a unique approach to riffs, making them more interesting than most of their contemporaries. The soundtrack to constant anger and frustration towards our society.

Cryptic Void Physwar//Psywar LP

Brutal death-doom out of Texas. Drums are absolutely incredible here and are all over the place. Recording quality is conducive to this, picking up every little thing the drummer does—almost mind-blowing at points, and really what caught my attention the most. Guitars are heavy as all hell, slow and low at points, and manically fast at others. Vocals are in the traditional death metal styling here, but sound great. All in all, a fantastic record for those who are fans of the genre.

Nate Dionne Fantasy cassette

The hooks alone could have carried this cassette, but NATE adds some effective changes to the mold. The level of distortion and feedback can vary from standard to swallowing the song whole. The closing number switches the drum kit out for a machine. Sometimes the songs transform on the fly: the opening track is rough-and-tumble pop punk until it slows into a sludgy, dreamy pace and becomes a sort of cover or remix of itself. It’s a unique trip through familiar territory.

Electric Eels Spin Age Blasters 2xLP

To say that the ELECTRIC EELS were ahead of their time is at once a statement of the obvious and a vast understatement. Pressing play on the new Spin Age Blasters double LP compilation, I’m struck by the gut feeling that we still haven’t quite caught up to the unintentional proto-punk prodigy of John Morton & co. They created in a way that was shockingly free at a time when even the supposedly uninhibited hippies were largely constrained by popular conventions. This monster 27-track collection is a “best of the best”-style follow-up to 2001’s The Eyeball of Hell, which was the most thorough EELS experience up until this point. This one plays like a connoisseur’s guide to the group, showcasing the finest representations of the band’s greatest hits plucked from previous comps and expertly sequenced to deliver a gourmet spread. To me, the band’s jazzy, ragtag sound computes as a mix of rock as art, art as art, and rock as weapon of provocation to baffle and fascinate in the best way possible, and it’s wild to think that these tunes were captured in 1975. They were ruder than the STOOGES, more flamboyant than the NEW YORK DOLLS, and violently unconcerned with what you thought of them. We’re lucky that this brief and brilliant blaze of original punk glory has been preserved with such meticulous care.

Enemy Maladjusted LP

The title Maladjusted hints at the rebellious spirit of hardcore, as it embodies the raw power and unapologetic energy that defines the genre. Hailing from the vibrant L.A. scene, ENEMY launches into a relentless onslaught of ear-pounding beats, blistering riffs, and vocals that bristle with intensity. The saxophone on opener “Unprecedented/Zero Sum-Game” denotes a certain influence from local legends FEAR, paying homage to the band’s roots while injecting a modern edge. Tracks like “The Freak” showcase their ability to meld melodic hooks with unbridled ferocity, creating an infectious energy that’s hard to resist. For fans of classic USHC, a sonic statement that refuses to be ignored.

Global Despair / Victor Charlie Fuck Qazaq Indie / 20000 split cassette

The bands on this tape are from Kazakhstan, and they are great. It’s two recordings from 2022 and 2023 put on a tape by No Name distro from Ukraine. GLOBAL DESPAIR plays loud and noisy hardcore that has hints of industrial and D-beat, although these are references rather than clueless genre worship. The sound of their recording is filled with mechanical noise played in an echoey cave. I love how the guitar sound turns each riff into a buzzing pulp, and the drumming is not that far from a hammer accurately hitting my brain. It’s a great recording with a non-stop momentum that pushes me through the great noise mist. The lyrics mostly reflect on scene intrigues, which is the only bummer about this release—otherwise, it is great material. VICTOR CHARLIE is a solo project of one of the members from GLOBAL DESPAIR, defined as middle-Asian Burning Spirits hardcore against Russian imperialism. Compared to the other side of the split, it is a much more melodic and less distorted bunch of songs. In general, Burning Spirits is way too epic and melodic for me, and these songs will not change my opinion. The lengthy songs give a lot of room for all the usual elements, especially large-arched solos. They also remind me a bit of MÖTÖRHEAD, although it’s more nasty and less rock’n’roll-ish. The unpolished nature of the recording keeps it interesting though, even for such picky assholes as myself, but VICTOR CHARLIE comes in second on this split. To balance it, their lyrics are heavily political, reflecting on the Russian government’s war criminal tendencies. Even in spite of the uneven strength of the split, this is a truly great release, and hardcore is best when international.

Guiding Will cassette

GUIDING is a duo from Tokyo who play youth crew-style hardcore on their debut Will. Within roughly five minutes, GUIDING lays down four fast and angry stompers that have some solid breakdowns that are tailor-made for two-stepping. No reinventing the wheel here, but the DIY recording quality and Japanese vocals set it apart from the crowd.

Hunger Artist Samsara LP

If Samsara is the cycle of death and rebirth, then that is the story of this album. HUNGER ARTIST consists of Edward Scales, Michael Honch, Tom Messmer, and Carl Silvio, and was formed in Rochester, NY in the mid-’80s. These eight songs were recorded at PCI Recording in 1989, the reels allegedly sitting behind closed doors all this time, just now coming to light on vinyl. The band’s love of DC hardcore, which they grew up on earlier in the decade, shows up in spades on this record—angular rhythms full of rests, followed by crashing drum beats, concise guitar lines screeching over gut-punching bass and strained vocals. From what I can find, they put out the Who Changed? 7” in 1988, contributed to a Flux Records 7” compilation in 1989, recorded the songs that appear on Samsara, and then disappeared. In looking for more on the band, I came across an interview on the Made You a Tape website with Ian MacKaye and Michael Honch, wherein they unearth the 1987 letter that Michael sent Ian, asking him to send tapes of DC bands he couldn’t find in Rochester. It’s an interesting read, and gives a lot of perspective on this record. I can’t find much on the other members, but Michael Honch played in some bands before and after HUNGER ARTIST, including NUNS ON DEATH ROW and POWERLINE in the ’80s and ’90s before taking a musical break, returning in 2011 with ALARMS & CONTROLS and currently NUMBERS STATION, a two-bass instrumental duo. Returning to focus: thank you, Rabbit Rabbit, for rescuing this one-off gem, what else is out there?

Ignorance Poison EP

Helsenki’s IGNORANCE’s latest EP consists of seven tracks of raw hardcore punk similar to the darker, grimy side of ’80s Japanese hardcore, like L.S.D. or GUDON to more contemporary bands such as KRIEGSHOG or even Y2K-era PDX hard punkers RELIGIOUS WAR. Thunder-striking lower frequency bass electrocution with boiling blood drum sounds, noisy guitars with maniac vocals.

Jerry’s Kidz Well Fed Society EP reissue

This is not the Boston band, this is JERRY’S KIDZ from New Mexico, and this is a reissue of their 7” from 1984. Featuring four tracks of standard issue O.G. hardcore, these guys do some tough skate-rocking with clear vocals in a range of tempos. The cadence and foreboding chords of the blazing opener “Marionette” bring the CIRCLE JERKS’ “In My Eyes” to mind, and the introspective sound of “B.R.S.” (apparently meaning “Brandon’s Rest Song, as its slower parts gave the singer a chance to chill a bit between the faster tracks) reminds me just a little bit of the ADOLESCENTS’ “Kids of the Black Hole.” So yeah, this lesser-known artifact fits in alongside some of the best early USHC, and is well-deserving of the reissue.

Loose Lid Loose Lid cassette

Midwest hardcore that’s heavily distorted and poorly recorded, resulting in crazy raw punk. Seems recorded live or at home, which I like. Mad and noisy, filled with crusty vibes close to D-beat but much more chaotic, it seems like something from decades ago. Suggested track: “Unite,” offering us some fresh cuts exuding violence. Really dig the vocals on this messy chunk of hardcore punk. If they were searching for a live vibe, they achieved it. Recommend the use of headphones for this one, or you’ll miss a lot of things—listening first on speakers, I didn’t like it a bit, but then I gave them another chance on headphones and it was way better. Interesting raw darkness impregnated in the songs’ raw energy, delivering extreme sounds comparable to those in glorious ’80s USHC.

Los Invasores Demo 1987 LP

Vinyl treatment for a long-lost demo from Uruguayan punkers LOS INVASORES. Twangy, surf-inflected, and full of spit and piss. The tone of each of these songs will have you asking yourself “did these gents plug straight into the mixing board?”. Maybe…of the fourteen songs on the long-player, start with “Lamentos” and move into “Orguilo.” The tone is like they are using pennies as guitar picks. What!? Buy the vinyl if it’s not sold out.

Moat Cobra DCxPC Live & Dead, Vol. 1 LP

This is a cool idea from label DCxPC: record and release live shows on vinyl, and in MOAT COBRA’S case, back it with a “dead” or studio recorded version on the B-side. MOAT COBRA is an Orlando hardcore band that specializes in sludgy, BOTCH-y riffs and gruff vocals. The live recordings are great—you can clearly hear the guitar textures, nasty bass tones, and feel the overall tightness of the band. “Singularity” has interlocking stoner riffs that would make any RED FANG-loving van-dweller or algebra-core nerd swoon. Ripping track “Soffo Cone” chugs with a fast punk beat that gives way to dueling fretboard equations. The studio recordings reveal guitar subtleties and offer some atmospheric qualities, but since the live recordings are so good, you are essentially hearing five of the songs twice. That’s my only real critique here—Side A and Side B work best as separate listening experiences due to the overlapping tracks. Overall though, it’s a good band and cool idea executed well.

Mononegatives Facsimile EP

Dowd Records issues a limited release (150 copies pressed to yellow vinyl) of this prolific Canadian synth punk act’s 2021 cassette. The A-side features two tracks of clanging post-punk with a touch of post-hardcore at the edges, particularly in the guitar timbres. Imagine a cross between SERVOTRON and JAY REATARD at his most mechanical. Not bad. But this B-side is fantastic! The title cut sounds like DEVO teaming up with A FRAMES to cover one of the more tuneful tracks on WIRE’s 154 or something by GARY NUMAN—just an excellent mix of herky-jerk guitar interwoven with an assembly line rhythm section and soaring synth melodies. Also, the record as a whole just sounds great—it’s crisp in all the right places, the vocals are crystal clear and well-mixed, and the bottom end still really packs a wallop. Really handsome physical release, as well. All in all, no complaints!

Novak’s Kapelle Not Enough Poison / Smile Please 7″ reissue

Pretty surprising to be reviewing a reissue of an Austrian psych/garage record from 1968 in MRR, but hey, punk came from somewhere. That aside, this is really good, reminding me of the OUTSIDERS or Q65. This is their second EP and their first and better one has a song called “Hypodermic Needle” (!) How punk is that? “Not Enough Poison” is pretty swell though, and it looks like this band went on into the ’70s doing interesting-looking stuff. Put down that CONEHEADS record punker, and learn a little history. Prost.

Only Shallow No Way Out But Death cassette

At first read, I was immediately reminded of the MY BLOODY VALENTINE song, and I wondered if there would be a connection. Once ONLY SHALLOW started playing, I was transported to a world of groove and gloom that quickly galloped into a ripped D-Beat hardcore attack. The lines “Drape my organs around a plastic Christmas tree / At the end of life it’s only been me” scathe forth with anguished vocals in “Mistletoe Can Be Deadly.” This is dark deathrock with wild punctuations. I’ve been to Rochester in the winter, and this is the sound of grim dread with warm goth reverberations—“Buffalo 666” would be an additional description. DOOM meets GRIEF meets XYMOX and ROSETTA STONE. The other song themes really emphasize the tape’s title No Way Out But Death. There are some really sick double kick blasts on “No Justice, No Peace.” I love every song title here: very creative, but my favorite track is probably “Welcome to the Hellmouth”: “My heart is filled with spite / For everyone in sight / The texture of worms beneath my feet / Kicking up leaves on wet concrete,” sung sort of like CRO-MAGS and DR. KNOW’s later recordings. I appreciate the visuals, I appreciate the various style expressions of ONLY SHALLOW, I appreciate the upstate NY desperation. Now, at the end of this tape, I think the band name is about a grave and not the MY BLOODY VALENTINE song. P.S.—love a good church bell sample.

Pressure Pin Superficial Feature EP

Montreal duo that will make you dance the pogo to the rhythm of frantic egg-punk, with even more garage-y noise than egg-punkers usually advocate. New wave artsy punk, with the use of a real voice with light effects being a highlight. Favorite track: “A New Movie.” Stop’n’go cadences and exquisite use of synth, relentless drums, and psychic trance guitars that combine beautifully. We have before our eyes an extreme form of egg-punk, where sick rawness in the vocals makes it much more interesting compared to DEVO-infused patients. Honorable mention to the experimental nature of “Limited Movement,” adding new sounds to the eggy situation and upping the scale by introducing power chord changes following the never stopping drums, giving this track the status of “eggy symphony.” Highly recommended for lovers of expanded keyboard sounds used smartly. Resourceful duo, indeed.

Raw Peace No Hope LP

With such a strong record, I can imagine a lot of people will get into RAW PEACE. I had seen the name before but never listened to this Belgian powerhouse, and with such a moniker, I was expecting unabated shitlicking DISCLOSE worship with too much reverb on the vocals. RAW PEACE is clearly a band of their time, as they play a blend of beefy American hardcore (the singer also growls in the long-running band REPROACH) infused with D-beat hardcore. It is an objectively mean-sounding album with a thick production, and it sounds about as ferocious and subtle as a charging boar—listening to the band reminds me of that one time when I was chased by a massive goose on a school trip in 1989. As powerful and effective as No Hope (the band’s second album) is, I don’t love the thing. I enjoy it, and its hardcore intensity and relentlessness makes it quite compelling, but I cannot really love it. RAW PEACE sounds like US hardcore vets trying to play heavy Swedish D-beat. Even if a lot of D-beat tricks are indeed present and executed well enough, it still does not have a proper dis-feel songwriting-wise. And to be honest, this is probably the sound these guys are going for, an American hardcore perspective on dis things and as I said, this will definitely appeal to a wider audience than your average DISCHARGE clone would. This is still very solid and packs a serious punch. If they were actually American (the country where gods are made), I am sure they would be more widely-known.

Rose Glass Demo 2022 cassette

Killer demo from ROSE GLASS, featuring various players from Santa Ana and New York. Three cuts of meat-and-potatoes hardcore punk with frantic drums, crunchy guitars, and snotty vocals that kind of remind me of the ANNIHILATED. This tape feels so lived-in, like something that’s been around much longer than a year. Closer “Cold War III” (and the rest of the tape for that matter) could easily be mistaken for an early SST release. Great stuff.

Silicon Heartbeat MT0001 cassette

Fantastic Great Lakes beach punk from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Real surfy vibes with a hint of horror punk, like a poppy MUMMIES or a rustic EPOXIES/SOVIETTES with deeper, growling vocals. The synth completely drives this band and it’s the immediate focal point of this whole EP. The guitar and bass have tones that mesh insanely well and are locked in sync throughout. Lovely slab here, and pretty solid autumn jams if I may say so myself.

Simbiose / Visions of War split EP

I’ve said it in a previous recent review, and I’d say it again: VISIONS OF WAR keep getting better. From my perspective, the band was on hiatus for some years around 2013, but when I actually look into it, they seem to just put out a quality recording every few years. It is not oversaturated, but this is another split within a year or so, and again, I’m impressed! They just get heavier, tighter, and faster each time. Three tracks, and what can I say, this perfect Euro-crust like it was 25 years ago, yet polished in all directions. SIMBIOSE plays a more technical percussion angle while ripping through with metallic fury. There is a more hypnotic thrash attack going on here and the editing is tight. This is hardcore punk played with experienced skill. Neither side is all-out raw—the overall flavor of the split is brutal crust punk with some harmony but more grinding displeasure. Well-balanced, but clearly differentiated sides. I love this washy ink illustration on the cover. Yes, I believe they are skulls, but not entirely human. Come to think of it, both logos look really well-crafted here, too. Excellent stuff, I need to learn more about SIMBIOSE (Portugal), as VISIONS OF WAR has been my second favorite Belgian punk band for quite some time (see second sentence).

Spells What the Hell is Caution / Some Would Say flexi 7″

SPELLS are back with two new songs for your listening pleasure. The first thing that struck me while listening to this is how well they can craft an enjoyable, listenable song. I really enjoyed their last LP Stimulants & Sedatives, so this is a nice way to follow that up. While both songs are great, the first one (“What the Hell is Caution”) is the winning track here for me. It’s got a quality that melds great melodic punk with an almost ’80s pop rock vibe. Nice work!

Steve Adamyk Band Live cassette

Primitive Screwhead. That name mean anything to you yet? It is the cassette subsidiary label of the mighty Big Neck Records which releases exclusively live cassettes for bands. And that’s what we have here for STEVE ADAMYK BAND, a collection of tracks from a slew of different live shows. The recordings range from crystal clear sound to very acceptable quality, being that it is a mix of different live recordings. STEVE and his band play a blend of pop punk, power pop, and garage rock, all mushed into its own amalgamation. The band has a slew of releases, many of them on Dirtnap, to give you an idea of what they’re all about. It’s super poppy and catchy, and if that’s your thing, jump on this cassette, as they don’t seem to last very long.

S.U.G.A.R. II LP

Wow, this is straightforward, grinding and pounding garage punk from Berlin. It’s got an intensity not often encountered in the melodic punk/power pop world. Sure, it’s catchy and it’s easy to bounce your head along, but the real story here is the energy they bring and the sense of urgency that comes with it. Eight tracks, but that’s all you need for now. At times, they bring me back to Australia and what was going on there in 1978/1979. Other times, they remind me of the STITCHES. Excellent record.

Tatxers Tatxers LP

In the last warm days of summer, I love listening to a record like this. There is a shimmering sadness, like dappled light on a body of water while the sun goes down and you didn’t think you’d need a sweater. These songs have a yearning core to them, melody and longing being the driving themes perfectly suited to the clean guitar tones that drive home lovely, mopey pop songs. With the stabbing guitar of the stunning second track “Labanak,” I realize it might well have just been called “Pamplona Calling.” There are even traces of what we used to call “college rock” in songs like “Iruñea,” with a staccato jangliness I’m always thirsting for. Song to song, though, this isn’t a band retreading old ground, but rather bringing a bright vitality to melodic punk rock with an old-school cool. I feel like there are plenty of bands right now that bring out this feeling of nostalgia for an era that never really existed. Or nostalgia for the now? TATXERS is exactly the kind of band I reach for to rebuke someone telling me they “stopped listening to rock music” a long time ago. The good times are still here (musically anyway), and they’re fleeting as always and full of joy and sadness, just like good rock music should be. A tender little record I’ll be spinning for a long time.

Uzu Uzu LP

UZU draws its members from our global community, but calls Canada their homebase. Darkened punk fuses with lyrics sung in Arabic to create a sound that has an ancientness to it predating recorded history, as if UZU has been watching from the shadows for eons and has chosen now to deliver their message. Occult imagery blurs with contemporary struggles as the descent into the abyss accelerates. If your soul contains a dark patch, then you should definitely give this album a try.

Wristwatch II LP

Following up their 2021 debut, Wisconsin’s WRISTWATCH continues mining the vault of melodic, synth-heavy garage rock. The songs oscillate between straightforward gritty numbers like the opening track “Rules,” and more saccharine indie-inspired tunes such as “Sweet Tooth.” The unavoidable comparison is to the output of Jay Lindsey, particularly Lindsey’s contributions in LOST SOUNDS and as JAY REATARD. It’s so blatant that there are even “once removed” correlations at play. For example, the vocals on many of the songs don’t just sound like JAY REATARD—they sound like JAY REATARD trying to sound like T.V. Smith. The same could be said for the instances in which WRISTWATCH evokes SCREAMERS…they’re actually more evocative of when LOST SOUNDS would ape SCREAMERS. Not to discredit the deftness of songwriting exhibited by the two members of this band, Bobby Hussy and Ty Spatz. There’s clearly a lot of talent and creativity in the mix, even a glimmer of erudition to be found. I’m just left thinking there may be untapped ingenuity lurking just beyond the confines of pastiche.

Zero Boys Don’t Shoot Can’t Breathe / Long Way to Go 7″

Possibly irrelevant now, but their 1981 album Vicious Circle remains a classic and has some of the best hardcore songs ever. I’m generally not a fan of bands that are playing almost 40 fucking years later (that’s rich coming from a dude who is approaching 60), but I really like this one. This isn’t hardcore, but it is punk and it’s good. The A-side is methodical, almost MISSION OF BURMA-like. The B-side isn’t quite as good for me and leans more towards a trashy rock’n’roll number, even kind of funky. Honestly, if it was some other band, I might not like it at all. But the A-side alone is worth it. I’ve got a lot of respect for bands that keep at it but also just don’t keep doing the same thing. Nice job.

À Cran / Ad Vitam split EP

Fun split of two songs apiece for Montreal punkers and Parisien skins. AD VITAM’s half is more North American in its approach to Oi!, with the kind of skeletal, no-frills jangle guitar tone of early TEMPLARS and some straight rockin’ riffs. If you didn’t know the provenance of À CRAN, then the tell-tale skronk of sax haunting the split like Banquo’s ghost will answer your question easily. Fans of SQUELETTE and BROMURE will find plenty to enjoy.

Avskum En Annan Värld Är Möjlig LP

What can one ideally expect from a new AVSKUM album? In 2023, what should a lover of käng and D-beat expect from an established yet humble hardcore band? It’s not like there is any shortage of this specific sound today. Because of the unstoppable march of music streaming worldwide, there are probably more active Scandicore-inspired bands now than ever. A recent study revealed that, in some countries, there are more S-beat bands than there are working hospitals, which is saying a lot about the state of public health services. You could argue that, with the large amount of solid käng bands, the world may not need a new AVSKUM album, and that’s without mentioning that I am seriously running out of storage space for my collection of D-beat records. Besides, haven’t we all often been disappointed with newer records of “hardcore legends”? And yet, it’s not like the band vanished from all radars since the ’80s—in fact, AVSKUM’s output has been quite solid since 1998 (I’d argue that everything they did was quite good, with Punkista being my least favourite). Still, they have not released anything since the ferocious Uppror Underifrån in 2008 which is a long time in punk years. So why should you consider getting En Annan Värld Är Möjlig? Precisely because AVSKUM always sounds exactly like AVSKUM and doesn’t try to be something they are not. Forget your overproduced hardcore or fakely raw bands, AVSKUM still plays direct, DISCHARGE-oriented political käng hardcore with classic, simple but effective riffing and song structures and a rocking heaviness that has come to characterize their approach. They sound even closer to DISCHARGE and orthodox D-beat bands like MEANWHILE. In addition to the band’s tasteful musical classicism, the vocals are what set the band apart for me. Gunnar has always been one of my favourite Swedish hardcore singers, as the tone of his voice and his distinct prosody manage to express raw, spontaneous anger as well as a rough-hewn emotional tunefulness. He is both shouting and singing and has been doing so since the band’s first EP in 1984. This balance between strictly canonical Swedish dis-oriented hardcore and a highly recognizable vocal style is what makes En Annan Värld Är Möjlig predictably great and AVSKUM quietly memorable.

Beef Beef LP

Coming at you straight from the punk rock abattoir that is current-day Cincinnati, BEEF displays flecks of fine gristle amid its marbled fat. Strain the RAMONES out of the SPITS’ playbook, up the DEVO portion, throw in a pinch of spice, and you’re most of the way towards completing this dish. Not much on this LP is gonna last under the heat lamp, but it’ll keep you satisfied. There’s a pleasingly grimey texture to the eight servings offered here—you’ll be grinning like a fool with all that dirt stuck in your teeth. The stakes here are medium, but at least the eggs are relegated to brunch service only.

Bell Toll 23’ Demo cassette

At a glance, I’d have expected Las Vegas’s BELL TOLL to be a little heavier. They have a great name and some cool artwork, but to be honest, I was a little let down by the skate punk style I found here. It’s not bad by any stretch, just a little generic. The vocals remind me a bit of MALLWALKER or BE YOUR OWN PET, and sonically, there are some slight BLACK FLAG and DEAD KENNEDYS vibes, but overall it just doesn’t stick the landing. In time, I could see BELL TOLL carving out a place for themselves, but in this listener’s humble opinion, they need to let these songs cook for a little longer.

Coconut Planters Upset Hopes CD

When I saw the name of this band and the album cover, my initial thought was “oh, a ska band.” I mean the name COCONUT PLANTERS screams upstrokes and “hep-hep”s to me, and the tiki-themed Kaiju on the cover didn’t help matters. I could not have been more wrong. The band actually plays nicely polished punk of the classic Fat Wreck/Hopeless/Fearless variety. While I’m generally not a huge fan of this type of sound, I can appreciate it when it’s presented well. All in all, a pretty solid effort. In fact, the only two skippers for me were the ska-tinged “Reggae For Yankeez“ and the last song, the acoustic ditty “San Antonio’s Fire”.

Cura Ab Sublimation cassette

CURA AB’s love of bouncy rhythms and grooves doesn’t enter full metal territory or pure noise. They actually sound restrained to me, since the songs didn’t go longer or louder than they do. I agree with that choice because I prefer wanting more over being served one last chorus/main riff reprise. There’s still plenty of volume and vitriol, along with some fun curveballs like a guitar lead instrumental and some creative drum work. The sound quality is cleaner than I prefer, but there’s enough bass in the mix to give it HC-grade umph.

Cutre Cutre cassette

CUTRE is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where this tape originally came out in 2020. Thanks to Open Palm Tapes out of Chicago, we now get to grab one in the US. Playing raging hardcore powered by a steamrolling D-beat with speedy fills, it’s a solid set of beefy jams for all you hessian-types. I don’t speak Spanish, but this guy is clearly pissed.

D.T.A.L. Dark Dimensions of War LP

Cult punks D.T.A.L. recorded this LP in 1990, moving away from the classic ripping hardcore roots of their Time to Die debut EP, but it was shelved for 33 years! Now remastered, here is a very synth-heavy Swedish stench album that is leagues more metal. While their earlier material is fantastic, blisteringly fast mangel, Dark Dimensions of War offers a practically symphonic long-composition crust record. D.T.A.L. does no wrong in either lane. Many might find this a bit more contrived in its execution, but that kind of reminds of criticism of RUDIMENTARY PENI—“I don’t like anything after Death Church.” It’s just different. Musicians want to explore different sounds. If the D.T.A.L. EP and this LP were by two separate bands, no one would argue it’s “not as good” as the other. Significantly different. Anyway, think of the rhythmic delivery of ONSLAUGHT or VENOM (except tighter, but who isn’t?), with a lot of interesting synth like AMEBIX, AXEGRINDER, or DEVIATED INSTINCT (flute-like arias at times, and I thought it was on the wrong sped at first), but not lacking the punch of ANTI CIMEX and their own early ’80s impact. Riffs galore within seven songs of long passages and advanced changes. This came out at a good time, with a sound from the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, but holds up against modern war/stench/crust metal bands. Pretty sure we’re getting some sax on Side B here too, but that may be a keyboard. A bleak catastrophic scene of the bombing of Cologne addresses the album’s themes on the cover. Overall, this is just a bigger, badder, more advanced sound from D.T.A.L., and I like both their razor-sharp narrow path and this tank-crushing direction as well. Get this, a dream album that sounds like a dystopian nightmare, for your next DJ night. It provides plenty of time to step away and enjoy your own playlist!

Enzyme Golden Dystopian Age 12″

ENZYME is back with a second full-length album. It is a massive work that is rooted in noise punk, but aims to broaden the soundscape of the genre. Some might treat noise as a one-shot gimmick, but in reality, it’s a rather versatile element found in so much music. ENZYME built songs as they are aware of this, and listened to enough different records to understand how cacophony could be used interestingly. Traditionally, they left the bass almost undistorted, loud and clear so it can drive the songs and lay down the fundamental rhythm. Above that, the guitars go wild, hissing alien sounds, future riffs for demented minds. Electronic influences appear here and there, but if you’ve dug deep enough into the EXIT HIPPIES discography, then you will not hear anything unfamiliar. Yet these unusual influences are adapted in a tasteful way—instead of showcasing bizarre ideas, you get ENZYME’s crafted individual sound, although this originality creates its own dimension which holds back the record from being an ear-threatening sonic attack. But neither is the record dirty or dumb. It dares to be different, packed with ideas that keep me entertained even after multiple spins. Truly a boundary-pushing record.

Famous Mammals Instant Pop Expressionism Now! LP

Two years ago, Amber Sermeño (the WORLD, NAKED ROOMMATE), Stanley Martinez (RAYS, CHILDREN MAYBE LATER, also the WORLD), and Andy Jordan (a.k.a. ANDY HUMAN, also in the WORLD and one million other Bay Area bands) dropped a limited-run cassette as FAMOUS MAMMALS. It was an absolutely fantastic debut from an act that seemed to come out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. I’d assumed it was a throwaway project that just so happened to be great, but no. They’ve apparently spent the interim since that release going deeply method as a troupe of UK DIY musicians. This is no longer a Bay Area act pretending to be a band that grew up in high-rise flats above King’s Road or a council estate in Manchester—this is now that actual band. And the results are exceptional. If I hadn’t known the deal before going in, I’m sure you could convince me this album was assembled by some hitherto unknown, staunchly independent CRASS-like collective wed by a way of doing things rather than a particular output they’re striving for. The eighteen tracks on this record cover such a wide array of sounds and styles: a mix of early FALL discordant clang, “Lady Godiva’s Operation” grimy but gentle meandering, “Don’t Throw Ashtrays at Me!” noisy ambience, warbly They Could Have Been Bigger Than the Beatles dejected yet twee psychedelic rock, and stripped-down, talk-sung ballads that could be a cross between MARINE GIRLS and YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS; it’s hard to imagine this coming from just the three musicians. And while I just rattled off a ton of stuff this sounds like, I want to be clear that this is far from cosplay. The songwriting is so distinct and the execution (including what I would consider the perfect fidelity production) near flawless that you’ll have no doubt this is an original undertaking. Easily the best record I’ve heard all year.

Glaas Cruel Heart, Cold Summer EP

“Cruel Heart, Cold Summer”—could there be a better banger (or name of a banger) of a summer anthem? The track has layers and layers of snot-ridden vitriol bellowing out of brass instruments, and a band shoveling out noise on a reverb loop. It has a little FLIPPER and a little CHROME and makes everything around it on the record kind of fall to the side. Not that the rest of the EP is bad; there is an artful combustion within each song and it carries on throughout. “Crossfire” is proof! And GLAAS is now a new favorite.

Hans-a-Plast 2 LP reissue

All three LPs from early German punks HANS-A-PLAST have recently been brought back into circulation thanks to Tapete, but 1981’s 2 (their second, duh) is their most striking, and I’d argue their best. The band’s self-titled 1979 debut was a relatively trad take on the wind-up punky energy of the BUZZCOCKS, with a streak of wild X-RAY SPEX abandon in vocalist Annette Benjamin’s animated delivery, and just as those groups fractured into new projects on the cusp of post-punk so that they could push into more challenging musical directions, 2 likewise finds HANS-A-PLAST deconstructing some of the rigid first-wave boxes in which they’d placed themselves on the first LP. It might not be immediately apparent when the speedy pogo-punk opener “Spielfilm” kicks in, but it soon will be, from the sax that skronks over the rattling rhythm of “Reicher Vati,” to the punctuated, stop/start jabbing and steadily more unhinged gang vocals in “Humphrey Bogart,” to the loopy KLEENEX-ish post-punk tumble of “Kunde Und Vieh” and “Kurz und Dreckig,” to Annette’s trills, squeals, and general motor-mouth chattering starting to take on character that’s much more Neue Deutsche Welle than Poly Styrene. By 1983’s swan-song Ausradiert LP, the tone had gotten a little darker and more dour—not quite goth, but rubbing elbows with the likes of XMAL DEUTSCHLAND or MALARIA!, and with less of the eccentric spark that made this second album so special. Weird, fun, just the right amount of messy and shambolic; the golden ratio of early ’80s Euro art-punk.

Kiht Fihsto Kiht Fihsto cassette

It took me a couple listens to appreciate this EP. KIHIT FIHSTO melds a bunch of different styles ranging from D-beat to metalcore to skate punk to Kill ‘Em All-era METALLICA. Sometimes when a band draws from different influences, it comes off as more disjointed than it does eclectic. That’s the impression I got on my first run-through here. But the more I re-listened to this album, the more it all clicked into place. They’re just a group of folks looking to have a good time playing rock’n’roll, and that’s all that really matters. To hell with an aesthetic! The guitars sound huge on this and are impressively tight, even if they are just power chords. As a fellow Illinoisan, I always need to give props to a band from Not Chicago.

Longings Dreams in Red LP

It’s been seven years since LONGINGS from Western Massachusetts have released material. Obviously, a bunch of shit has happened and the world is in a darker and more dire position, and all of this is very reflective in Dreams in Red. Opening with the raging, darkened post-punk of “Expensive Graves,” this album only builds into a level of aggression that begins to two-step a fine line between post-punk, hardcore, and post-hardcore. By the midpoint of the album, the squelching, squeals, and general noise level rips through desperately angry songs with earworm lyrical accuracy that will run endlessly in your mind for hours like mini protest chants. There’s a heaviness to this album that is only attained by staring into the decaying void of our present reality and refusing to descend further into it by shouting, screaming, and fighting.

Lost Legion Autoproduktion EP

Nice catchy Oi! out of Chicago, featuring members of FUERZA BRUTA. This appears to be their second demo from pre-COVID times. It’s recorded really well for a demo tape, and the songwriting is top-tier, often reminding me of the 4 SKINS or some of the newer retro-sounding French bands. I listened to some of their recent material and they’re progressing quite well. “Lacquer And Veneer” is my personal favorite here, but I’m not one to dwell on past glories. I’m looking forward to seeing these lads live now.

Mayge Mayge cassette

What excites me about lo-fi music isn’t because I just love it when things sound obscure or chaotic, it takes familiar forms (in this case, new wave-adjacent punk) and brings an impressionist bent to what was otherwise familiar, like looking at a Matisse painting up close and letting it blur into a psychedelic mess. You get the feeling of the song and your mind fills in the blanks. MAYGE uses production as an extension of the songwriting, creating an enjoyable and disorienting EP that sounds anything but familiar. Strange gibbering vocals, melancholy guitar lines, it all works. The covers here are a treat as well, taking an original from TONY MOLINA and morphing it into something barely familiar to fans of the original, likewise with the SCREAMERS’ track “If I Can’t Have What I Want, I Don’t Want Anything.” The originals, however, are what bring me back to this release, biting and squeaking like a little mutant rat gnawing on your eardrums. Sometimes lo-fi production pisses me off, like it’s an affectation. Not the case here by a long shot, so take a listen.

Natural End Natural End cassette

Five traditional hardcore anthems from this Raleigh band. Their sound and energy deliver DIY NYHC energy, like a non-corny MADBALL, with lyrics about life’s injustices and the current state of the US. The band frequently switches from fast punk to mid-tempo, fuzz-bass crawls with a few measures of blastbeats powering the intelligible, shouted vocals. “New American Age” finishes out the tape with, “Anger, rage, hatred, malaise / This is now the new American age,” so, yeah, that checks out. Is NATURAL END especially original? Nah, but this well-produced and energetically performed collection might be just the thing if you like your hardcore with some tough-guy vibes.