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WIPES, hailing from Tokyo, play a tuneful but off-kilter kind of thrashy hardcore punk. This cassette tape (released as a 7″ EP in their native Japan) is wild and unhinged, but still hummable. Not necessarily something to go crazy over, but it’s certainly a worthwhile and enjoyable listen for fellow fans of that classic American-influenced hardcore punk style.
Vast and diverse sound range on a selection of twenty tracks from US and Germany insanely full of proto-punk and pub rock nods—there’s no way a punk rock listener won’t find references and sounds often used later by the most notorious punk bands of the late ’80s and beyond. Frantic lyrics and good tunes, filled with styles that later are the trademark of the different subgenres contained in this relic compilation. Great selection on behalf of Just 4 Fun records from Norrköping, Sweden, active since 1987. Headphones are strongly recommended for listening in order to catch all the details and layers in this one. Suggested tracks: “Black Sheep” by the NIHILISTICS, with their avant-garde hardcore punk from ’83 filled with anger, “Berlin Wall” from the histrionic Germans SUMPFPÄPSTE from ’87, and “High Heel Sex” from LIPSTICK, talking about “real live wires.” For proto-punk enthusiasts, a great archeological work on behalf of this Swedish label. Keep digging!
Really unique sound coming from somewhere vaguely in Italy—A CULTURE OF KILLING brings in elements of goth, post-punk, anarcho, peace punk, and even dub. Vocals come at us with call-and-response male/female parts that harmonize on choruses, keeping us engaged the whole record through. Guitars also call and respond, arpeggiate, jab, and blare into crescendos that has everyone on double-time. Bass does not merely toe the line, and is in fact front and center on a lot of the tracks (check out “Speculations”). I also hear a guiro (I think?), some other odd block percussion, and a xylophone somewhere. The drums provide a rhythm seamlessly transitioning between pared-down, stark post-punk, to groove-centered dub beats that gather the band into a potent force, never devolving into a belabored “jam,” while providing endless fun. A CULTURE OF KILLING mentions ZOUNDS, the CURE, and CRASS as some influences, and while I hear pieces of each, they have truly formed their own breed of punk. This is their third album, and first with Drunken Sailor, and I’m equally excited to listen to their past two LPs as I am to see what is next.
Rolling bass lines and protest-style drum beats combine with jagged guitar work to form songs that are reminiscent of other Crass Record bands, but with something a bit different. Pete Wright, bassist and vocalist for CRASS and ANNIE ANXIETY, assisted with the production and performed backing vocals on the original 1985 Corpus Christi Records release. ALTERNATIVE plays like the distillation of Crass Records; as if all the indignation, thematic content, and musical experimentation were concentrated and then finally released. This album as a whole is an adventurous sonic ride with various sound samples creating introductions and conclusions to songs that shift time and rollick freely through a world of criticism, warnings, and encouraged introspection with the summation being that the real revolution begins with the self.
They may have come up with low-effort (but high impact) joke names, but there’s something serious and even a bit sinister to this angular take on lo-fi punk. While these songs definitely have a bop to them, thanks largely to the rhythm section putting in heavy work, there’s a misanthropy that perfectly puts to rest any worry that punks will ever tire of telling folks to “fuck off.” Like life, this tape is nasty, brutish and short. It probably won’t brighten up your day and there’s nothing mindblowing here, but there’s still plenty to like.
Reissue of this San Diego band’s 1979 KBD “classic”—two tracks that are certainly inept but manage to split the difference between power pop and punk in such a way that they somehow fail to qualify as either. If you’re not a fan of the Killed by Death comps (or ducked out after the first half-dozen), these tracks wound up on entries #007 and #12. I don’t know that I ever registered that both of these were from the same band. Even still, I always thought that they were some of the more forgettable/lamer inclusions, but Discogs prices on the original Lub Dub 7” seem to suggest that other folks are more into them. So, if you’ve been itching to get a copy of these tracks on the same release but haven’t wanted to fork out the big bucks to get an original, Breakout’s got you!
Much like fellow pissed-off punks SAVAGEHEADS, CRUCIFIED CLASS managed to Frankenstein the best from US hardcore and UK82 on this cassette brimming with bile. The pogo-friendly hooks of anything off a Riot City comp, twinned with the unhinged bark and aggression of Stateside hardcore to dizzying effect. A real good time.
Lo-fi punk to make you feel like you’re at a basement gig. It’s chaotic and manic, reminiscent of bands such as GLUE, FRIED E.M., or some Lumpy Records group. There’s nothing new here, but if you like ’80s-sounding recordings, moldy cellars, vintage cassette textures, primitive riffs, raw tunes, and repetitive structures, you’re probably gonna enjoy CRYIN’ HAND. I did.
I have to say I’m a real sucker for this kind of melodic hardcore/pop punk stuff. Given that there is nothing on the sleeve, and these Italians sing in their native tongue (and sound all the better for it), I’ve no idea whatsoever what they’re lilting on about, though they do have a circle-A as the last letter of their band name, which may or may not have some significance!? Regardless, they produce a gloriously structured racket, drawing on the best of early WESTON, first couple of LPs-era PROPAGANDHI, and NOFX when they got Hefe in the band, and suddenly became brilliant. Yes, they’re that good.
Mid-tempo, no-frills punk rock trio from Barcelona. All Spanish-language chanted vocals complete with doubled-up, sing-along style choruses on many of the songs. Repetitive riffs that manage to keep my attention and make the recording sound incredibly timeless. We’re not reinventing the wheel here, because it needs no such reimagining. This is A+ in my book.
Great four-song cassette from a trampler of a band. EXALTARIST is a combined effort from members from other Jacksonville obliterators UNREGISTERED WEAPON and MANIFEST IN FILTH. Lots of black metal-crusted feedback. These tracks all have enough vitriol to keep the lights on in each of the blistering tracks on the cassette. Washed-out cymbals and just murky enough belches throughout each track that burn into each other. Really diggin’ the song “No Gun Ri,” can we ever get more of this?
Man, we love to see a good ol’ split 7″. And this one rips. Two bands from Southern California, L.A.’s FIRESTARTER and the Inland Empire’s MADHOUSE, share the stage on this platter. FIRESTARTER carries on the youth crew (à la UNIFORM CHOICE and INSTED) style of their demo tape that I previously reviewed—they offer three tracks and they all rule. The last two tracks come courtesy of MADHOUSE who, on the other hand, go for unhinged speed and aggression not unlike HERESY or TERRORAIN, and it slays all the same. This is one raging 7″ that you should definitely blast out.
Blistering, lo-fi raw punk the likes of which upstate NY has not seen since NO FUCKER or their subsequent (and my preferred) band HERPES. That isn’t to say they are cut from the exact same cloth or anything. GRAWLIXES isn’t a by-the-numbers recreation of classic D-beat bands. It’s nasty, it’s driving, it’s also quite familiar. Hmm. Oh, perhaps that is because the same six songs were released on a cassette last year, entitled Demonstration 2021. Re-recorded versions of the same songs make up this second demo. No complaints here, as it is truly ripping. Word has it that a 7” is coming out very soon. Will it be the same six songs recorded a third time around? Even if it is, you can bet your life I’m getting a copy as soon as it is available.
Fast and furious blasts from HEAVEN’S GATE, a who’s who of thrash/crossover/metal playing thrash/crossover/metal. If you need an idea of HEAVEN’S GATE’s sound, look no further than the impressive resumes of their members—MUNICIPAL WASTE, WARTHOG, CANNIBAL CORPSE, REVERSAL OF MAN. Stuffed with blastbeats, riffs on riffs, sludge-y baselines, and shredded vocals, HEAVEN’S GATE impressively scratches every itch in five songs’ time. Checkout opening track “Smear Crusade” and prepare to have the skin melted off your face like the poor fella on the cover.
It takes some years to get this kind of patina of confidence on your sound, and it’s been a fair few for this Wisconsin group. There’s almost a mysticism at the core of these songs—the sound is rooted in a somewhat scummed-up version of BEAT HAPPENING or other paragons of what used to be dubbed college rock (BIG DIPPER comes to mind?), but there is an effortless cool to the vocal delivery and unvarnished lyrical approach. Nothing flowery here, just pure attitude that jangles its way through the abyss with great guitar work and a rhythm section that won’t hold back. It’s hard to pin down the sound (as evidenced by the disparate sound of both previously mentioned bands) as it touches on garage, early grunge, and even some touches of cowpunk. The band feels singular in this way, and therefore ascended from the general rock‘n’roll din. Not to say the group doesn’t get down and dirty when it counts—just listen to the manic horniness of “Negra Bordello.” But this is one of those bands that sings songs like they’re sermons. Sermons of the nastiness of ordinary fucking life, sure, but those are the kind we need. So grab a pew and listen up.
At first, I found this quite simple, almost pop, but as it went on I became immersed in the rowdy, dark Oi! grooves. European Oi! and the like are not a specialty for me; I love CAMERA SILENS, I’ve checked out PRISION POSTUMO (not sure I’m even accurate here, but whatever, this reminds me of them), KRONSTADT LPs…I don’t know much. But damn, I really dig this. It’s super catchy and executed very tightly. Of the four total songs, my favorite IENA track is “Luna,” which is actually a cover of LITFIBA, an Italian new wave duo. IENA’s side is perfect. SCALPA’s side is bit heavier, almost like Oi! meets later RUDIMENTARY PENI. SCALPO also does a cover of ROUGH, an Oi! band from Torino, Italy. Overall, this is a great Italian Oi! split. Glad for the introduction!
RATH & THE WISE GUYS deliver three songs of high-energy, dirty rock’n’roll-tinged pop punk that brings to mind kindred spirits like NOBODYS, DWARVES, and even a little bit of ZEKE. KUTOFFS have a more straightforward poppy skate punk style, complete with the good ol’ “ooh”s and “ahh”s and start/stop breaks that are popular in that style of stuff. Both bands are pleasant enough, albeit not without faults, but it’s a live recording so I can’t hold it against them. This has piqued my interest enough to seek out studio recordings from both bands, so I suppose in that respect this split has done its job.
LUNACHICKS vocal energy and a heavy fuzzed-out attack set the framework for a Tennessee two-piece who assault hypocrisy and humanity with the same energy they use to assault riffs (there are a lot of riffs, for the record). The churn has ’90s alt/metal undertones, but even as a likely product of their influences, LITTLE BABY TENDENCIES truly sound like nothing I’ve come across—intense and intent garage sludge presented as metallic punk. Their ability to look in the mirror when addressing grievances is especially refreshing, and I can only assume that the live performances are even better.
Leopard-clad rock’n’roll garage action outta Warsaw, Poland, and that’s pretty cool in itself. Really nothing mind-blowing, but hard and steady sorta like a non-stop “Pushin’ Too Hard”/ “Search And Destroy”/”Slow Death”/”Sonic Reducer” medley wrapped up in brothel creepers. They do a nice T.S.O.L. cover and the singer has a great Dave Vanian-meets-SCREAMING LORD SUTCH voice. I’ll probably never listen to this again, but it’s a real good time for now. Dzięki.
Right out of the gate, NOHZ digs into a devastatingly tough riff that sets the table for what is to come—a flagrant disregard of the safety of your eardrums. This is an altogether brutal affair, with extremely well-crafted songs that feel both fresh and familiar at the same time. Tempos fluctuate from track to track in a way that makes every cut feel like a singular accomplishment, yet does not detract from the effectiveness of the broader sequence of the release. There is a brooding quality to the music that is heightened by the evil as fuck vocal delivery. In that regard, I’m reminded of RASPBERRY BULBS for their wedding of punk and black metal, though NOHZ certainly skews more punk. Song titles like “Brief Lights, Forever in Pain,” and “Sundial Impailers,” should be a pretty clear indication of what we’re working with lyrically. Musically, this release is brimming with hooks and discordantly catchy riffs. It’s an ugly, ugly world and this demo provides a fitting soundtrack for a waltz through the wastelands. NOHZ beckons you to join the blood party…will you accept the invitation?
O.C. RIPPERS have been grinding for a few years now, and these Beachwood, New Jersey boys are coming in hot on their second LP. The opening “Mean Streets” sets the tone for the record with a NEW BOMB TURKS-type rock energy and a vocal delivery that falls somewhere between “Nervous Breakdown”-era Keith Morris and “Search and Destroy” Iggy. From there, it continues down familiar roads of ’90s punk’n’roll paved with sleazy ’70s attitude and it’s a hell of a ride. While a lot of bands who tread this territory these days are content in delivering pastiches, the RIPPERS are writing good tunes, some of which would play pretty smoothly in between classics from the likes of the NEW YORK DOLLS, the HUMPERS, the DEAD BOYS, and ZEKE. The songs shift between smoky and bluesy moods, to shambolic ’60s garagery (see the ethereal organ that appears on “Murder” and “Late Night TV Lover”), to soulful and sinewy electricity seamlessly, all played with unabashed lowbrow finesse. I’m thinking it will sound great on Friday nights with a cigarette lit.
Leeds-based thrashers PEST CONTROL have ticked every box on their debut LP Don’t Test the Pest: pristine production by Arthur Rizk, an album cover that will be included in the best metal artwork for years to come, and a release on Quality Control HQ, a legendary label in the making. If any of the aforementioned whets your appetite, you’ll be happy to hear that while you may come for the package, you’ll stay for the tunes. Don’t Test the Pest will satisfy fans of old school thrash (SLAYER), new school thrash (POWER TRIP), and everything in between. Opener “Extermination” begins things with some ominous early METALLICA-inspired drama, leading into “Masquerade Party,” a double-kick-laden pummeling that channels everything there is to love about thrash/crossover: speed, anger, and riffs. Vocalist Leah’s aggro delivery is perfectly suited to the lyrical content; mental anguish, feelings of isolation, and general disdain for any outside forces. Other highlights include “Buggin Out,” which boasts one of the catchiest choruses I’ve heard in a long time, “Don’t Test The Pest,” a fast and furious pummeling with a gnarly guitar solo, and closer “The Great Deceiver,” a grand exit that punctuates the album perfectly. Between this and labelmates FORESEEN’S 2022 LP Untamed Force, it’s never been a better time to be a metalhead.
Split EPs have always symbolized the idea of collaboration and togetherness (known as the “network of friends” by geriatric punks) inherent to the true punk spirit, without mentioning the opportunity to discover two bands for the price of one. I did not know PUTRID FUTURE and SZKŁO (it means “glass” in Polish) before being offered to review this delightful split, and I have to say that the experience was very pleasant, although I probably should have not played the thing in the morning. I dislike my neighbours, but still. Let’s start with PUTRID FUTURE from Wellington, New Zealand (or Aotearoa, as the band also refer to the country in its Maori name). This three-piece unleashes unabated gruff käng hardcore with a crasher noise influence, especially in some of the drumming and the textured distortion. If PUTRID FUTURE was a topic, it would be what GIFTGASATTACK and PARANOID would talk about at a POLLEN or PHYSIQUE gig (after covering the primordial topic of distortion pedals, obviously). Two solid songs, promising as I think they could do with a bit more power, but a clear progression from their earlier tapes. On the other side, the bollocking continues, increases even, as SZKŁO, from Melbourne (or Naarm, the Aboriginal name) delivers three fast and absolutely furious songs of insanity-driven distorted hardcore thrash. Mean, angry punk music with one song about the weaponization of animals by the police, which is a pretty original topic. If DESTROY! and ’87 NAPALM DEATH hung out with the Osaka crusties in the ’90s and they all caught rabies, the ensuing chaos would sound close to this. This EP was released on Razored Raw, based in Wellington and dedicated to make the world a deafer place, and Feral Dog Records. Looking forward to more loud things from these two bands.
Fast, crusty hardcore/PV from this Lyon, France band. First off, this record sounds amazing. Recorded and mixed by the band, these fourteen songs sound so nasty, so heavy and distorted, that you’ll immediately know if this is for you. RAN’s sound is so good: syncopated drums that frequently lurch into breathless blastbeats, super heavy bass tones, thick guitars that skew dissonant, and screams. While this is a punk record, there is enough chugging and chaos here to appeal to mathcore and death metal fans, too. Every song rips hard, and I especially like “Why Don’t You Stick Your Head Up Your Ass…See If It Fits” for its ridiculous title, and “Funky Crusty Rambling” for the classic ’50s-style rock’n’roll riff that starts it off. Actually, I recommend you just press play and then repeat it as soon as it ends. Highly recommended.
Lyrics that range from political, personal, and social, set to a musical background that is equal parts melodic hardcore, ’80s beach punk, and alternative rock. Vocally, the singer reminds me a bit of Kevin Seconds, a bit of Jeff Pezzati, a bit of Joey Vindictive, all blended together. I don’t know how I feel about this, really. At times it grabs me, but then it just kinda falls flat. This is a “give it a couple more spins” for me before I can truly make a definite verdict on my feelings about this one.
This four-track cassette by Melbourne band ROMANSY kicks off with a hardcore ripper in which the vocal delivery sounds somewhere between barking and vomiting. The instruments are tight with stop/start buzzsaw guitars and drums, but tend to blend to form a sort of harmonious bullet. ROMANSY rips through the second song in 44 seconds, but then they get a little weird with the third song. “Fucking Flower” is my favorite track on this tape. The additional vocal and guitar modulation/distortion makes for a strange but fun sonic environment while the “breakdown” still goes hard. Expect everything by the forth song, “(Introduction To) Fang Lives,” opening with synth and then finally emerging as another hardcore song, but with none of the frills, finishing like a dystopian acid trip of the worst kind.
Starting your album with a RAMONES cover (“I Don’t Wanna Grow Up,” but in Polish it’s “Nie Chcę Znów Dorosłym Być”) was a good choice for these Warsaw punks—it sets the tone for what you’re in for. Their vibe is unapologetically 1977 NYC punk. With ex- and current members of GLUE SNIFFERS and INHALATORS, among others, SATELLITES make good noise. Switching from Polish to English, and stirring in different flavors like rockabilly, keeps the album from getting repetitive. Sixteen tracks of the same 4/4 RAMONES-y stuff would get old, but that’s not the case here.
Fantastic synth-heavy, drum machine punk from across the pond (Valencia, Spain). Diverse flavors in each track—well, as diverse as you can get with punk music. The first half of the album sounds like EPOXIES and GRAVY TRAIN!!! with a hint of ’90s Euro house. The rest are a mixture of classic DEVO and what could be described as a modern-day MUMMIES. I know drum machines aren’t for everyone, but I’m a sucker for them. Really adds to the band’s motif, and I don’t think a real drum set would do the music justice. Judging by their YouTube presence, their live shows look fun as all hell. Hopefully we’ll see them stateside soon enough. Lovely record here. Well worth a spin if you’re into melodic dance punk.
There is definitely noise here, though more punk than noise and more rock than punk. The guitars are a hard rock via grunge variety: blues riffs with the sensuality replaced by sludge. They’re supported by solid and occasionally very left-field drumming. The album seems cut down the middle to me. The first half features a few more awkward FLIPPER-style dirges, while the second spends a lot of time filtering pretty, saccharine tunes through a mesh of early ’90s Sub Pop angst. According to their Bandcamp page, Steve Albini will record their next album, which seems like a good fit.
James Fella and friends have been cranking out SOFT SHOULDER releases in the Arizona desert for close to two decades now (like, a lot of them—I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a lathe operation somewhere that is single-handedly being kept in business by this crew), generally sprouting through various cracks between collapsing improv avant-punk and blown-out no wave antagonism, but the more overtly FALL-indebted turn they’ve taken over the past year or two is by far my favorite incarnation of the project. Smile Building’s Exit opener “Raw Time” is pulled along by a gouging, infinite loop bass line that’s simultaneously filthy and funky, like A FRAMES with a serious GANG OF FOUR fixation, abetted by a spring-loaded disco beat and Fella’s stream-of-Mark E. vocals that sound like they were recorded on an answering machine circa 1987, and “Narrow Yellow Slip” follows a similarly wavering line, with deadpan-shouty lyrical ruminations about PO boxes punctuated by stabbing synth squeals, while “Dual Deck’s Decay” adds some skronking sax and extra-trebly guitar clang to its droning Messthetics-gone-Krautrock outro. Total prole art threat damage.
Scorching new tape from these Charlotte bruisers. I’m a little biased because I have seen this band’s live power many times, but this tape captures the intensity with five UK82 and Oi-inspired tracks of intense, classic hardcore. Imagine ARMS RACE and RIXE playing together, but extra pissed-off. Opening track “Take Your Shot” pummels with a mid-tempo chug and gruff vocals, which lead into a pit-killing breakdown accompanied by haunted house keys that give it a sinister crawl. “Path of Fools” and “Too Hard Livin’” feature abrupt time changes with blasting and furious D-beats driving the anger. The production is great, too—thick, clearly defined, but still completely aggressive. This is tough-as-fuck, mirror-punching, fighting music and totally recommended for your worst days.
From Kamloops, BC comes roaring a biker DISCHARGE-worshiping hoard of miscreants. Some might cry MOTORCHARGE, but labels equal weak minds. Five songs that level you with wailing guitars melting brains, ending with the anthemic if not stereotypical “Charged Rock’N’Roll.” Get this crew on a bill with MÖWER, pronto.
Minneapolis crust punk agents who have achieved fifteen years of intense DIY activity since 2008, with more than ten releases. Elaborated songs with great drums and solid riffs and socio-political content. A ten-track LP with sharp cutting cadences, blending metal punk, crust, and thrash in more than decent dosages, delivering a blunt sound and desolate tunes accompanied by a deep, screaming voice in trance. Suggested tracks: “Grief,” “Vacillation,” and “Disruption.” Punk is protest!
Everything on this comp took me by surprise. Dose after dose of hard-driving punk rock’n’roll, ripping crossover, crunchy pop punk, metallic hardcore brutality…every song fit to shred (to). DISCO ASSAULT, FASTPLANTS, GOOD TOUCH, and TOO MANY VOICES are this reviewer’s faves, joined by cuts from the HACKS, RABID ASSAULT, BING CROSBY, SLASHERS, and SINCE WE WERE KIDS—an LP with nine DIY bands I’ve never heard of is going to perk up my ears every time, but it helps when it’s an LP full of new good bands.
I’m going to make a food analogy here, sorry in advance. Hardcore, like food, is best prepared from the best ingredients and prepared simply with proper seasoning. No fuss in the mixing booth, the right blend of influences and new ideas, and mastered properly. While ANGERBOYS have some of the ingredients right, namely speed, this full-length just doesn’t sound right. For one thing, it’s not mastered properly. I’m not a sound engineer or a snob, but when there are differences between the overall volume from track to track, it’s not a “who gives a fuck” punk ethos, it’s annoying. Combined with the fact that everything here sounds way too upfront, with no room to breathe in the instrumentation, and the vocals isolated and unnatural (not to mention some truly irritating lyricism)—this is just an unpleasant record altogether. Whatever happened to “community not competition,” when you have a song like “Your Band … Sucks!” (yes, punctuated like that). They even reference Bandcamp in said ten-second “fuck you” to other, presumably local, bands. Mirror, meet band, where do you think I listened to this thing?
ASTRID LINDGREN’s songs seem built around their big, anthemic choruses. The build-up can be a restrained verse, a chugging guitar, or even some frantic post-punk bass lines. This record could be described as melodic hardcore, but the delivery feels more somber, more demonstrative than your typical rager. The band knows when to ease off the gas and give us time to recover from each peak. The end result sounds cathartic and urgent.
Completely feral feedbacker thrash meltdown from a Budapest unit making their debut, and whose number appears to include another MRR reviewer (Viktor Vargyai) and someone from NORMS. Anyone already aware how out to lunch that band’s last two LPs sounded, prepare for BALTA to cube that on Rendszerszintű Agybaszás. If one wanted to pinpoint the location where noisepunk of the CONFUSE ilk morphs into noisecore à la SEVEN MINUTES OF NAUSEA, they could try the seven minutes and seven songs on this 7”. Fully life-affirming anti-music.
Two indie-flavored pop punk bands from Brooklyn on a split with two songs from each. The first song from both is a separate take on “Songs About New York,” but don’t be confused, they really, irreverently “fucking hate songs about New York.” Comparing the second tracks, BLACK BLACK is a little heavier and darker, with distorted vocals and a more driving beat on “Work,” while KISSED BY AN ANIMAL has that feel-good, shamble-y guitar and operatic backing “ooooh”s on “I’m So Happy I Don’t Wanna Die.” The album art caught my attention, with the primary colors of a graphic novel depicting a woman giving the so-what hand flip to a drunken, lumpy Muppet (KISSED BY AN ANIMAL), and the lumpy Muppet finally passed out on the bar, wine glass intact, woman gone (BLACK BLACK). I enjoy the jab at how over-romanticized New York City is, but this kind of dark indie-dance thing isn’t quite for me. Are you looking for a snarlier version of the BLACK KEYS? Well then, this could be for you, and both bands have a couple LPs in their catalog if you want more.
This mainstay of New Brunswick’s trash-and-slash rock scene has been kicking it around the island for a good bit. You get three (count ‘em, three) EPs inserted onto one plastic disc, and the songs are a good carry-on of ye olden Rip Off Records sound, or prime-time Goner Records racket, albeit a little cleaned up production-wise. The songs are catchy and dance-worthy as hell, with even a tinge of classic glam on songs like “King Grove,” or ’78 DICKIES speed-pop on “Away.” If you’re like me, you’ll be wondering how you missed out on this for so long. It’s all fun with a capital “PH,” and you should get on the bus real soon because this guy’s going places.
French D-beat punk that sounds a whole lot like MOTÖRHEAD. The production on this record sounds great—thick bass lines, drums straight up front, and clear vocals. A “Road Warrior” clip starts us off, and then it’s ten fast and earnest rockers about goats, Satan, beer, and Satan again. There’s an OZZY clip at the beginning of “Sober is Bullshit,” who is either the best or worst spokesperson for the cause. Gang choruses and some call-and-response vocals give the album a fun, live feel throughout. If this kind of speed-punk/metal mix is your jam, you’ll like this.
Holy shit—this record is a motherfukkr!! You want abuse? The chorus to the opening track “King Heroin” reads: “Bow down, my lord / I am restored.” And then they go fast. This lands like HOAX on a diet of ANTISEEN, and I am terrified.
I had not realized that DISSEKERAD had already been going for ten years. On the surface, bands playing Swedish hardcore—or käng as it is known by nerds—are not unlike haikus: they are always doing the same thing over and over again, and yet some are clearly better than others. Alright, writing haikus usually does not involve playing as loud as possible in order to punish an audience that actually paid for that, but you get the gist. DISSEKERAD is made up of members of AVSKUM, MAKABERT FYND, and obviously TOTALITÄR, as singer Poffen, with his recognizable flow and vocal tone, is also the frontman of the aforementioned cult band, whose popularity has never seemed as important as it is today. Unsurprisingly, the band plays angry and pummeling käng hardcore with mean, hoarse, raspy vocals. The comparison with mid-’90s TOTALITÄR (even without taking the vocals into consideration) is not irrelevant, and I can also hear late ’90s UNCURBED and the ferocious NO SECURITY, too. The production is brilliant, heavy and thick but keeping that direct aggressive hardcore punk sound. Inre Strid does not disappoint and does not surprise. It is probably my favorite DISSEKERAD work and an objectively solid LP. It should be pointed out that the past two or three years have been quite generous in quality Swedish hardcore records, as Inre Strid can attest. As usual, this was released on Phobia Records, a label that could be compared to a delicatessen for käng music.
D.O.V.E. plays that jam-laden style of anarcho-punk that explores riffs as much as societal criticism. Sure, there are portions of this album that are “heavy” and “fast,” but there’s also a lot of instrumental and vocal experimentation. Most of the songs on this album are well over the three-minute mark, without including any sort of outside audio sample. In fact, I don’t believe there are any samples used on this album, which in 2023 is a rarity of its own. If I had to compare D.O.V.E. to something, I’d say something like HONEY BANE, but with more willingness to embrace the jam, or maybe a more chilled-out PERMACULTURE.
Sludge-violence out of Seattle. Not a bad record by any means. Band is tight, and production is on-point. But if you’re recording a hardcore album in 2023, you best bring something unique that makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd. Night People comes off as a formulaic, grind-by-numbers slab. Very reminiscent of a modern CAPITALIST CASUALTIES and MAN IS THE BASTARD, especially with the dual vocals. Drums are easily the most impressive part here, and really drive the energy of each song. Worth a spin if you’re a powerviolence junkie.
Youth crew-ish hardcore complete with the good ol’ gang vocals peppered in here and there. Songs range from fast to mid-tempo and there’s definite heart here, not to mention potential. The thing that kinda turns me off, while at the same time endearing this to me (I know that’s a mind-bender), is the recording quality. For the last handful of years, every time I’ve heard a “demo,” it’s sounded album-quality. This actually sounds like a demo. Like, you can tell the songs are good and with a bit more hammering and polish they could be great, but the recording doesn’t do them any favors. You know what I mean? Don’t get me wrong, though! This is exactly what a “demo” should sound like. Like, why would you go to a fancy studio and record some polished, album-quality recording of four songs to put on a tape that you made 50 copies of or put up as a free download? Fuck that. This is the proper use of the term “demo” and I am for it!
Gritty, grubby, nasty, and mean. GLUER bashes through fifteen songs of misanthropic, mid-tempo punk rock’n’roll. I would’ve guessed this band was from San Francisco rather than Stockholm. This is oozing with bad vibes in the best way possible, not dissimilar to LIFE STINKS or CRIME. Dirgelike but never plodding, GLUER delivers plenty of tough, catchy hooks both vocally and through instrumentation. “Weird Boy,” in particular, is a choice cut with a killer picked-out guitar riff and the howling cadence of the line “Look at that weird boy!”. Few things brighten my day more than some menacing downer punk. Excellent.
Despite having been a big fan of the Perth scene that birthed this band and an avid follower of the label that bears their name, I’ve somehow managed to avoid listening to HELTA SKELTA up to this point. I don’t really have an excuse, just never got around to it. Thankfully, Bad Habit is here with a reissue of their 2011 debut LP to make me feel like a big dummy for prioritizing whatever bullshit I was into back then. This thing smokes! It’s fifteen tracks (the eleven from the original LP, plus four from their 2010 Parasite demo) of blown-out, mid-fi garage punk ramped up to hardcore tempos. The music seems to be equally pulled from a variety of garage-y influences—the raw simplicity of the Back from the Grave comps, the artsy primitivism of LAMPS, and the bouncy, treble-heavy, soulful garage pop of contemporaries ROYAL HEADACHE. But the vocals are 100% hardcore—somewhere between the croaky holler of POISON IDEA and the grunty shout of G.B.H. Just an exceptional record that everyone should have owned since 2011!
Named after a city in Russia, this fairly new outfit from Tours, France debuts with Voices—a new project, but with experienced players from the likes of LOVVE, CRACKHOUSE, and VERBAL RAZORS. This power trio blends old and new influences, creating a moody crust album leaning towards neocrust with the occasional blastbeat (think MASAKARI with a more hardcore edge). Different styles pop up here and there to keep the juices flowing and add some spice to the album. Voices works well as a whole, and the songs go by quite nicely together.
With his debut CD after his “Forget It” single from Fall 2022, HAYES NOBLE brings forth a shoegaze wall of sound. And literally, there’s a lot of shoegazing in his “Forget It” music video, as he swims in a pool fully clothed, wearing black-and-white Chucks. This kid’s seventeen, but has clearly done his homework on the indie/alt/grunge genres, as the songs are tight and engaging. The light-hearted, higher vocal register of BUILT TO SPILL, mixed with J Mascis’s heavy, blurred guitar lines. But HAYES, come on, Head Cleaner? This should really be a cassette release, just saying. All told, a warm and fuzzy good listen.
This one was a fuck of a surprise! I had thought these hard-working lads folded up and stored their Sta-Prest long ago. Upon receiving it, I reached out to former OIL! member Private Skick, now in Australia, for further comment. “Aw, that’s Corporal Boots (lead voxist) carrying on the name with a new lineup and an umlaut(?!)”. Well I guess he dropped the famed German metal accent for this release, but picked up some stellar guests including Phil Templars and Johnny Peebucks for further vocal duties. Sure there’s no “Proud of My Pride,” “Spent My Paycheck at the Pub,” or “Red, White and Boots” here, but this still has the magic and tongue-in-shaven-cheek humor that’s their trademark. “Unify Unity” is the anthem we all need right now to shake off the plague and get back to work, and “Don’t Forget Me Mates” is the new “Built Up, Knocked Down” ballad of the year. So go to the closet, dust off your boots, and give this a whirl. I wonder if they can still do push-ups on stage? Gimme ten, gents.
