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!

Piñén Nicolasa Quintremán EP

This is hardcore, in case the cover art would put you off, although PIÑÉN most likely would not give a flying fuck if you skipped them for such a reason. Hopefully you already knew, since they have been around for ten years and have consistently released incredibly raw and genuine, super fast, vicious hardcore records, performed as a drums/guitar duo without bass, with a subversive message that also makes a lot of sense. Their interview in the last print issue of MRR detailed strict and liberating ideas of DIY punk, focusing on creating something on your own that represents you and your surroundings. They even questioned the point of putting out vinyl if you are not participating in the production. I am happy they changed their mind, but it’s still as DIY as it gets—the physical copies are partly hand-painted by the members, and the cover is probably drawn by them as well. Touch the dried paint and think for a second how such objects in general are manufactured in far-away factories and shipped across the globe via distributors and labels without having any connection with the band. In a way, PIÑÉN reclaims such small gestures that could mean a lot if you pay attention, which is required since they only care to create amazing music and live by their own rules, instead of aiming for artificial popularity. This carefree, solitary game emancipates them, making all their releases special even if they draw influences from early international hardcore bands with sounds reminiscent of the early records of H.H.H. and ANTI-DOGMATIX: constant blasting, thoughtful chaos and anger at high pace. A sound that could be easily redundant, but the quality and shortness of their songs, along with the microdosing of their whole discography keeps me wanting more, even if their records tend to take over my turntable for days. This time, the overall sound is harsher, which makes the record even better. Each hit on the cymbals is shards blasting into your ear, each riff is super tight, hectic, and creative, and those pissed-off vocals push all rightful frustration into my brain. The cover art, EP title, and start and ending tracks all reference Nicolasa Quintremán, a Chilean Pehuenche activist who opposed the construction of Endesa’s Ralco Hydroelectric Plant. Eventually, she was found dead, most likely murdered. She died because she wanted to protect her land. Localism and protecting what is important to you in your surroundings seems to also be important for PIÑÉN, and while playing hardcore/punk is not a matter of life and death, for them it seems to be a channel to release frustration and their message—we should feel lucky that they keep creating such great music. This record is amazing, and long live PIÑÉN. 

Pyrex Pyrex LP

Hard to believe, but an eighth of an inch delayed the release of this debut LP from NYC noiseniks PYREX. It was supposed to drop earlier in the year, but a printing error caused the cover image to be ever-so-slightly off-center. Rather than roll with the punches, the band opted to reprint and delay. Were they being a little too particular? Probably. But if you ask me, they ultimately made the right choice. These matte covers on the reprint look a million times better than the glossy joints that Mr. Total Punk has since been using as distro packing fodder (and, to be fair, the off-center image did look shitty…although, I’m pretty sure the image on my copy is still a hair off). Anyway! This record is some pretty hot shit! Eight tracks of noisy punk very much in the same vein as aggro pummel punks like LAMPS, PAMPERS, and BRANDY. But it’s not all just brute force—there’s some finesse to their playing, particularly in the RIKK AGNEW-esque guitar lines that periodically bleed through the din. It gives the record more of a nihilistic edge that’s not too far from the vibes given off by fellow Total Punkers PREDATOR. Also, the vocalist employs a screaming howl to punctuate verses from time to time, and it’s one of the best I’ve heard since Hart was piercing eardrums with the HUNCHES. Real good stuff!

Rat Cage Savage Visions LP

Do you feel lucky every day to wake up in this beautiful world? Then don’t buy this record. It’s not for you. This is a nuclear blast of hate against a world on fire. Sheffield’s RAT CAGE has been excellent from day one, but this is the most cohesive and apocalyptic the (mostly) solo project has been. The sound will please supercharged freaks who lick Swedish hardcore like a light socket, but the wattage is even brighter than even 2021’s split with NERVOUS SS. There’s been no mellowing with age, and why should there be? Everything is more fucked than ever, but B. Suddaby’s arterial screech and toxic riffs provide a perfect soundtrack—at times I swear this hits like Nick Blinko fronting DISCHARGE. I know, that sounds like hyperbole, but the ferocity and fearlessness to explore the strange dank corners of hardcore cannot be overstated here. A month after this detonation went live, the world had its hottest week in all of human history. Coincidence? I’ll let you listen and decide.

R.O.B.O. Contaminas EP

Contaminas is a quick EP of simple, light, and straightforward punk with some touches of hardcore here and there. Four catchy songs in less than four minutes that retain some of the heritage of its members’ former groups (and cult bands of the ’00s Madrid scene) MULETRAIN, AEROBITCH, and SUDOR. Two-riff songs, a dirty sound, and short lyrics come together for an easily digestible album.

The Shirks Talk to Action: Singles and Unreleased 2008–2013 LP

The SHIRKS played ’90s-style, good-time rock’n’roll a little late in the game, but did it flawlessly. They always reminded me of the PROBLEMATICS, but also the RADIO REELERS, DEVIL DOGS, and maybe Sonoma bands like the BODIES or MODERN ACTION. Actually, I didn’t realize they put out so much material until looking at their Discogs page. Here you get all their classic EPs as well as some unreleased gems, possibly recorded for an LP that never saw the light of day? That’s because like all greats of this genre, they crashed and burned. DC never struck me as a mecca for this kinda music, but here’s twenty prime cuts of proof here. My only complaint is it’s a little long, as every song is almost the same tempo and structure, but I say that with highest compliments, as there’s only one way to do this, so why fuck it up? I’d pick favorites but every song burns. They do a great KIDS cover.

Society Social Flies cassette

Strictly speaking, I am not sure what to think of the name of this band. It is either clever and intriguing enough to entice the curious listener, or just embarrassing, too arty for its own good, and a bit snobbish. But then what do I know, I actually think PINK TURDS IN SPACE is a good name. In any case, I think the moniker works in this particular instance. SOCIETY is a one-man project from Philadelphia (the brain behind it also plays in MESH, thanks Discogs for the support), and Social Flies is its second tape. Like all solo projects, Social Flies has its own cohesive personal dynamics, and utterly reflects with accuracy the creator’s intent and vision. It is often a tricky exercise, and you cannot get away with a bad song by blaming the bass player as one often does. SOCIETY’s music is very lo-fi and purposeful and tends to have an ’80s avant-garde feel, which is something I am always a little suspicious about. It sounds pretty free, rather original even from my perspective. The music has a minimalistic feel and, with some songs openly borrowing those typical tribal beats, I am reminded of anarcho-punk demos from the ’80s from ZOUNDS or the EPILEPTICS, as well as the more experimental and versatile bands like the APOSTLES and the EX or even, indeed, early CHUMBAWAMBA. The primitive sound certainly confers an old-school vibe and, were it not for the vocal delivery and some arrangements pointing to inspired modern American bands like STRAW MAN ARMY (they are listed as influences for good reasons), I could have been tricked into believing that Social Flies is an unreleased All the Madmen tape. However, the cover is hideous, and I cannot see the connection with the carefully crafted, deceptively simple music. Other than that, give SOCIETY a go if you are curious or just open-minded.

Spider Bite The Rainbow and the Dove LP

My first thoughts upon hearing SPIDER BITE’s The Rainbow and the Dove LP is that this is the sound of a band who’ve been around the block and know exactly what they’re doing. They check all the boxes: proficient playing, songs as tight as springs, and lyrics that are bursting with wit, anger, and humor. As it turns out, I wasn’t wrong. SPIDER BITE is comprised of three scene veterans whose resumes include OUTFIT, CONSTANTINES, and CAREER SUICIDE. Mostly sounding like a cross between BLACK FLAG and any of John Dwyer’s OH SEES incarnations, SPIDER BITE packs a wallop on each song here, complete with classic punk riffs and lyrics so dense you’d be missing out by not reading along. For the most part, they speak on the current social and political climate in Canada, and I’ve gotta say, things are sounding pretty grim (and I live in the States!). From beginning to end, I can’t really find any weak spots, but I can definitely say that my favorite moment here is the title track—a trashy, semi-slowed-down affair à la the STOOGES that skewers the privilege of a nepotism baby in the music scene. With mentions of minute-long saxophone solos and glorious Pitchfork scores, it’s perfectly sarcastic. If you’re a generally annoyed and aging punk like myself, this is the album for you. Highly recommended.

VIOLENCIA Viviendo Tiempos Aún Más Oscuros LP

Like the LP’s title suggests, we are “living in even more obscure times,” and VIOLENCIA delivers a soundtrack to accompany such a feeling of malaise. “Introducción a una Serie de Relatos Distópicos,” the intro song, begins with a melancholic weeping guitar that could be featured in any of the LEVIATHAN demos, but it soon erupts into the mid-tempo hardcore grooves that VIOLENCIA loves to stitch up in their songs. It soon escalates into violent, powerviolence-influenced fast hardcore as the second song makes its way through. VIOLENCIA are the bearers of the political banner that Mexican hardcore is known for, and this is a super violent and angry record that matches the times we live in.

What About Now What About Now LP

This isn’t a loud record, except for the vocals. They’re placed right up front, maybe to highlight the lyrics, which continually touch on the theme and narrative of grieving. There are two singers, one with a nasal warble and the other with a more mid-range sound. I think we’re supposed to view the vocalist as a narrator, so this choice threw me off. Everything else has soft quality to it, even when the lyrics are telling god to “fuck right off.” The volume and temperature of guitars stay in the middle of the dial. It felt like a musical accompaniment to a poem.

Youth Youth Youth Sin LP

The sole record from early Toronto hardcore unit YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH, 1983’s Sin, was originally a seven-song EP, and it’s been remastered and re-packaged by Canadian label Blue Fog with nine additional songs to create a comprehensive archival LP. Powered by amazingly tight, rapid-fire drums, the music of the original EP has a sharp clarity and immediacy to it. Infused with the youthful energy advertised by the band’s name, the songs seem to take a lead from groups on the Dischord Records roster of the era, offering an impeccably polished take on classic DC style. Lyrically, it’s very thoughtful and intelligent, sometimes sounding like a precursor to the headiness that BAD RELIGION would be cooking up a few years later. A sophisticated effort all around, this solid debut’s actual worst “sin” might be its overarching maturity. The bonus material, spanning recording sessions from ’83–’84, mostly showcases an earlier, slightly rougher version of the band. The first of these B-side songs, “Made In England,” is outspokenly anti-British. As he wholeheartedly cheers “E-N-G-L-A-N-D sucks!,” I have to imagine that there was some context of the time to this sentiment that I am missing. Jealousy? Anyway, this collection closes out with two final tracks that are more in line with the EP. The bluesy and then blazing “Blue Stain” and spunky “Domination” are a couple of the better tracks on the album, showing promise of a future for the group that was never realized. Fortunately, they found us here on this worthwhile preservation of an important little chunk of Canadian hardcore history.

V/A Four in the Bag EP

Here and Now, Thrash Tapes, and Vanilla Thunder compiled this four-way split EP (with MAXXPOWER, BASTARD COLLECTIVE, SICK BURN, and NO COMPLY), assuring that crust powerviolence is alive and well. Flaming fastcore and powerviolence are all to the front with BASTARD COLLECTIVE’s “In Decline,” the track that works as a bridge between ever-ranting songs on this abrasive, corrosive, and sharp split. Suggested tracks: “Fucking Why?” by SICK BURN, and the thirteen-seconds-long “Home Improvement” from MAXXPOWER.

Angry Adults Dust and Weight EP

Third release from Helsinki trio ANGRY ADULTS. Fun, summertime punk rock, as if they jumped out of the late ’90s Fat Wreck Chords catalog. Uplifting guitar riffs between whiny, slacker-esque vocals and splash-heavy drums keeping a mid-tempo beat. Going nowhere fast, driving the LAGWAGON down Highway 1 in the full sunshine…or some coastal road in Finland. This doesn’t wow me, it’s not trying to change my mind, it’s not genre-bending or new, but after a few listens it’s growing on me, making a whole lot of sense in this sticky summer heat.

Armoured Flu Unit The Mighty Roar LP

Blimey, this is old-school. Well, the record is technically a new release, but the band members are, well, not. As my late friend and mentor, who had been active in the scene since the mid-’80s, used to say, “Let’s just agree that I am an experienced punk and not dwell on the issue that I put on gigs for YOUTH OF TODAY while you still feasted on your own boogies.” I personally love to see how old-timers keep forming new bands, touring, being involved in worthy causes, and delivering relevant political messages. To me it is as important as supporting teenage bands. We all were snotty brats at some point, and we will also all (hopefully) grow older, as punks. Enough cheesiness already. ARMOURED FLU UNIT is from the south of England and have been going for a few years now, made up of people formerly in A.U.K and HAYWIRE (a band I have always loved)—those bands were known for their anarchist political stances, notably on the topic of animal liberation, so it hardly comes as a surprise that The Mighty Roar includes songs tackling an issue that is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago, perhaps even more so with more and more common people seeing the truth behind animal exploitation but with big corporations thriving on animal murder for decades trying to get their capitalist hands on the vegan pound. Lyrically, The Mighty Roar is an angry, honest, direct political charge that is meaningful and contextual (no abstract metaphors about oppression here). Musically, ARMOURED FLU UNIT plays hard-hitting hardcore punk with a metallic edge, mostly inspired by US bands but with a British touch. Classically executed. I enjoy the punkier, catchier mid-paced moments the most here (“Blindsided’’ is ace), but I find the production too clean for my liking. But then, I have been feeding on filthy, distorted hardcore punk for so long that I am probably not the most qualified to comment. They remind me of a cleaner version of ’90s bands like POA or IN THE SHIT, or the more recent CONSTANT STATE OF TERROR. The LP was released on Grow Your Own, a very active DIY anarcho-punk label run by Oscar from ANTHRAX—go for it if you are looking for hard-hitting political hardcore with a clean sound.

Borrowed Man Borrowed Man cassette

BORROWED MAN does six point-blank punk killers on their first tape. After a misleading little garage rock intro, the band rips into speedy, brooding, and gritty pounders in the vein of early DC hardcore like MINOR THREAT and YOUTH BRIGADE. The songs are covered in exasperated shouts that remind me of a young Ian MacKaye, and punctuated in places by these awesome, piercing, spectral guitars. The songs are concise and potent, and it gets pretty wild. On “Circus,” he talks about wanting to kill a clown, and even starts barking a little bit. Where the hell did these guys come from? Oh yeah: Jackson, Mississippi. It’s good, and they’ve got my attention.

Cheetah Chrome & Señor No Yesterday’s Numbers EP

One of the guitarists that shaped punk rock, a cover of the FLAMIN’ GROOVIES, and two DEAD BOYS songs, recorded live in a Galician pub—an EP for mythomaniacs and seekers of those rare and bizarre connections in rock history. There’s little here that adds to CHEETAH CHROME’s extensive career, but it’s still cool to listen to him after all these years, especially “What Love Is” and “Sonic Reducer,” two of the most emblematic tunes of his musical legacy, recorded with an ambient mic during the show, with SEÑOR NO, a veteran rock band from Basque Country, as the backing band. The FLAMIN’ GROOVIES cover was recorded the last day of the tour with Kaki Arkarazo, former KORTATU and NEGU GORRIAK member. A must for all nostalgics.

Drag Pattern Granted Entries EP

This Florida outfit has big, chunky, metal-tinged guitars which sound layered upon layer. There can’t be more than six or seven chords on this entire EP, and they all arrive in grand stadium crust fashion. The vocals are just under, not over, the instruments. The tight drumming stands out, but there’s no fills, frills or flair, just an up-tempo apocalyptic galop. The whole thing is over before you can say “stretch jeans and a SELFISH shirt.”

Fake Lighters Missing the Boat LP

Melodic punk that utilizes upbeat bass lines, the occasional upstroke, and stop/start break parts, with a gang vocal “hey” and “whoa-oh” peppered in here and there. This is the epitome of some dudes getting together and saying “Hey, let’s start a band that sounds like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater,” and I mean that in the best possible way. This is very enjoyable in that it is familiar. These dudes definitely aren’t reinventing any wheels here, but sometimes that’s not a bad thing.

Gummo Complete Discography 2019–2023 cassette

France’s GUMMO brings all kinds of grindcore/powerviolence pain on this compilation of their recorded work. Side A contains their 2019 LP Sheltered Despair, which is hardcore as fuck with droning, grinding bass in your face. The vocals for that album were recorded with various singers from their local punk/hardcore/grind scene, but the cassette A-side also includes a version of the LP re-recorded with their permanent singer, Théo. Their cover of NASUM’s “The Final Sleep” changes up the pace with a slightly slower attack but keeps the gloomy, angry mood unchanged. “Neaderthal Scream” has a chorus worth screaming in traffic or in a public library.  Side B has more of the same with their 2019 split Split the Hard Way, a 2021 single for “Heart Shaped Box” (NIRVANA), the 2021 LP A Fresh Breath on the Neck, reviewed by me in in MRR #465, and three exclusive tracks. One of my favorites on this side is “Fucking Monkey Drummer,” which has a chous that spoke to my soul: “Fucking monkey drummer / He strike like a beast / Even with my earplugs / He destroys my feelings.” In fact, most of the tracks on the split, as well as the NIRVANA cover, introduce a good sense of humor, a refreshing break from the unrelenting hate and depression of their LPs. Altogether, this discography is an hour-and-a-half of unrelentingly fast, brutal, aggressive shit, and a must-have for the discriminating grindcore fan.

Hez Panamaniacs LP

HEZ has been around for ten years now and I have kept checking for their releases, which concluded with a demo, two 7”s and a mini-LP. I liked them, but always saw more potential than what they actually showed. Finally, Panamaniacs arrived, and it is great, overwhelming hardcore. Great riffs and hectic guitar playing varied with effects scattered around tastefully that sound like a malfunctioning computer. A bunch of plays with tempo usually introduce tense, mid-tempo stompers that also include pedal-manipulated guitars, and also a lot of echo/delay on the vocals. It did remind me of the great DESTINO FINAL, and Panamaniacs could be put next to Atrapados. It’s that good, and it’s that different from the current overload of new releases. HEZ also has their references, but finally they have their own form—it’s hard to achieve quality and features which distinguish you from the others. Even if punk was born from a “live fast, die young” ethos, I welcome when bands take their time, remain together, and craft more releases rather than throwing out a couple 7”s, taking a vacation in Europe disguised as a tour, and then breaking up. If you stick together with your friends in a band and focus on writing sicker songs, it will pay off—at least, I am super happy that HEZ did so, and now I can blast Panamaniacs.

JJ and the A’s Show Me EP

The debut EP from Copenhagen/Barcelona punks JJ AND THE A’S consists of six tracks of urgent, fully driven, catchy late ’70s/early ’80s mid-tempo KBD comp-style tracks. Solid vocal harmonies with no-bullshit rock’n’roll guitar riffs. Somewhere along the lines of a gasoline-injected version of X, VICE SQUAD, Static Age-era MISFITS, ZERO BOYS, AGENT ORANGE, or D.I.—trim out all the SoCal boomer bro-punk vibes for a refined modern version of it. A fierce combustion of pure energetic output.

Leche Gas Powered Guillotine cassette

With a number of releases already under their belt, LECHE from Austin, TX returns with a new six-song cassette EP. A band that is rather difficult to pinpoint with a specific sound, LECHE meanders around many subgenres contained within the greater, all-encompassing “punk” umbrella. Best I can come up with is that they are a cowpunk take on Southern rock (maybe mostly due to that wildly long “Freebird”-type guitar solo to end one song, yeesh) with a peppering of noise rock and speed metal, all tied together by the satirical stream-of-consciousness style ramblings of the vocalist—that last part is most prevalent on the song “Premium Suffrage,” written from the perspective of a country club member kicking non-members off the basketball court that has been reserved for his company two-on-two basketball tournament.

Life Expectancy Decline cassette

This is a mechanical, corrosive delivery of ’90s industrial punk metal, like an adolescent era of cyber-thrash with PITCHSHIFTER or MEATHOOK SEED, but played at the pace of GHOUL, LSD, KURO, and ZOUO, and tweaked to CHARRED REMAINS in its final form. Maniacal, gnarly vocals burble under sizzling riffs and mechanical percussion. NIGHTBREED recently had a similar effect, and that shit was blissful lunacy—ELECTROCUTIONER as well, though more guttural and GISM-like. This is a tape that is perhaps even darker than both in its skeleton, adding layers of amorphous calamity, a wash of static punk chaos. This is for the slightly disturbed and raw noise enthusiast, waning and mocking at times, others downright mind-numbing. “Missing Nasty Men” truly reminds me of KURO burning in hell. Digital. Evil. Lifeless raw punk meddling in the UK.

Motorbike Motorbike LP

Not quite what I expected here, prematurely judging it from the primitive biker scrawl of a cover. This Cincinnati band made up of Ohioan and Welsh members who’ve done time in other bands you might know (look it up, lazy) has made the connection between MOTÖRHEAD/ROSE TATTOO-style hard-charging rock’n’roll and the shoegazing Britpop of OASIS/MY BLOODY VALENTINE. No, really. It’s post-punk metal-ish hard rock that leads one (well, me) into visions of a subtler, more introspective MC roaring through the Ohio flatlands, stopping only to talk philosophy at the local coffee mill. The title track, “Throttle,” “Life Is Hell,” and “Pressure Cooker” are tops. Swell. Vrrooooom.

MSPaint Post-American LP

Genre-benders MSPAINT’s LP Post-American is a fitting album for the bonkers times we’re living in, properly capturing the hectic speed and exhaustive nature of the present. Stuffed to the brim with mercurial sounds and ideas, it’s plastic-y and bendy with a sheen of metallic synth. It’s a difficult album to pin down, as every genre I try to attach to it doesn’t quite nail it. Synth-punk? Sort of, but vocally more indebted to hip-hop than punk. Hardcore? At times, yes, but more often it sways into industrial and even techno. It really is a fusion of sounds, and regardless of how you choose to label it, Post-American is a modern and vital album that is lyrically filled with optimism, an interesting juxtaposition to its frantic and at times paranoid sound. Check out “Delete It” and “Titan of Hope.”

Nouveaux Nouveaux LP

If you’re desiring some melancholic, synth-driven post-punk, then maybe give Vancouver’s NOUVEAUX a spin. This full-length draws inspiration from a variety of musical spaces and mixes them into a haunting, brutalist approach to pop. Like a cold, grey monolith, each song builds a heavy foundation upon underground ’80s music scenes. You’ll soon find yourself wanting to vogue while you’re gently reminded of our bleak future.

Øbvious Approach Pre-Rhetoric 2xEP

First release from Grand Rapids, Michigan’s ØBVIOUS APPROACH. Five songs split between two 7” discs, all with really long titles, like the opener “…No, It’s My Face! It’s Like Your Face is Made Up of 1 Million Tiny Versions of My Face,” delivering a moody, poppy blend as if you smashed MXPX and AFI together. Generally, a clean and well-polished recording, with strained-to-crooned vocals over tom-happy drums, breaking way into pick-sliding guitar chugs. Catchy, poppy, melancholic, self-described as “dumbestic punk.” Did these guys grow up listening to the Warped Tour CDs? If you did, and are hungry for more, check out Pre-Rhetoric.

Pharma See EP

Four-piece Detroit four-piece with an EP that exudes a crunchy sound all around—blunt force mayhem hardcore punk and chaotic vibes. Demonic vocals and aggressive drums, creating groovy crust punk filled with guitar pick-ups generating disturbance. Suggested tracks: “End of Days” and “Relax.” Abrasive palm-mutes and raging vocals for blasting your mind, in six tracks averaging out to less than two minutes per song.

Princip You Are Here | פ​ר​י​נ​צ​י​פ – א​ת​ה נ​מ​צ​א כ​א​ן LP

Environment and landscape are concepts that don’t always factor into the listening experience of music. It’s why critics sometimes use words like “cinematic” to describe music, which isn’t exactly something I grab for in listening to this album. The major credit I give to this Israeli band is the ability to create an inner landscape of turmoil and a claustrophobic environment with a more or less rudimentary setup. These songs are intimate, noisy, and fraught with existential stressors and even terror. Conscripted service (a beyond troubling reality in the group’s country) as well as frustration and hopelessness are explored in a direct way both lyrically and musically. Noise and deathrock templates are used and augmented to create something of suffocating and grim value. But environment isn’t everything, there is great use of melody between the interplay of instrumentation (including smartly used organ, saxophone, and the play between bass and guitar) that cuts these songs into the muscles of the heart. It combines a lot of flavors, including no wave influence, especially in singer/songwriter Dean Klein’s guitar and vocal work. The punctuation from track to track is pretty phenomenal, stabs of rhythm and vocal expression helping to wallpaper the rooms of gritty despair. As a whole, it creates a cathartic world that mirrors our own while helping to break through the horror of the day-to-day. An artistically cohesive and impressive album that begs for repeated listening.

Rocky Rocky LP

Raven Mahon (of GRASS WIDOW and GREEN CHILD) and Xanthe Waite (of PRIMO! and TERRY) have paired up as ROCKY, and their debut LP is a work of quiet beauty, a minimalist grid painting of meticulous post-punk brush strokes on a paper-thin pop canvas. Most the album’s nine songs are primarily constructed around the hypnotic drone of a drum machine, stark bass lines pushed to the forefront, and wiry guitar dropping in and out as single-note stabs and knotted melodic counterpoints, nodding to both of their previous/other groups—Raven and Xanthe’s intertwining and overlapping vocal harmonies definitely give those familiar GRASS WIDOW goosebumps—but even more so displaying a very YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS-inspired balance between chilliness and warmth; simplicity and complexity. Things get slightly more raucous (in a deadpan post-punk sort of way) on “Repeater,” one of a handful of tracks to introduce a full drum kit, further accented with subtle synth buzz and even a bit of warbling violin, and the wound-up, off-kilter ’78–’83 art-punk bounce of “Blackout” (one of the best examples of that particular form since those two HOUSEHOLD records from around a decade ago), which only makes the austere and brittle atmosphere of songs like “Contents” and “Nothing Tuesday” hit that much harder. I’d expect nothing less than genius from these two, and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

Romance Seven Inches of… EP

I know. This record cover is absolutely begging you to scroll on by. And I wouldn’t blame you if you did—I certainly let this thing sink to the bottom of my listening pile because of it. But do yourself a favor and listen to these tunes. ROMANCE is a four-piece who formed as part of First Timers, a 2018 Sydney music festival put on by Bryony Beynon (whom you might know from GOOD THROB, BB AND THE BLIPS, or numerous MRR contributions!) to promote representation in music. All bands who participate are playing their first live set together and meet two of the following three requirements: 1) at least one member has never played in a band before; 2) at least one member is a woman, a person of color, an LGBTQI+ or gender non-conforming person; and 3) at least one member is playing an instrument they’ve never played before. With this being vocalist Jane’s first time in a band and Ben’s first go at drums (he’s done non-drumming stuff in DUMBELLS and SHRAPNEL), I believe they meet all three. The band is rounded out with Max from BB AND THE BLIPS on guitar and Greg from DISPLAY HOMES on bass. This is their debut release, which is just seeing the light of day after being recorded back in 2019 and shelved for an extended time due to COVID. Speaking of GOOD THROB, it’s hard not to hear their influence on the six tracks that make up this EP. It’s a similar brand of rhythm-section-forward, garage-y post-punk with a nasty edge, provided in large part by a strong vocal performance seemingly delivered at the edge of sanity (Jane’s really going for it here, taking things to near Dani Filth registers at times—it’s quite impressive!). But whereas GOOD THROB leans post-punk, ROMANCE puts more emphasis on the garage-y side, almost pushing it in a surfy direction, while keeping things keenly focused on punk. Everything just sounds crisp and vital. It’s raw, it’s fun, it’s cool. It’s a great record!

Spewed Brain Spewed Brain cassette

Egg-punk often feels like a reductive term, but SPEWED BRAIN is out to scramble your noggin’, and I gotta say it when the shell fits. Carrying the torch passed down from fellow Hoosiers CONEHEADS and LIQUIDS, SPEWED BRAIN plays the kind of tight, catchy lo-fi punk that is best served on cassette tape. Unlike their forebears, they veer away from worshiping at the altar of DEVO, choosing to inject some good ol’ rock’n’roll into the mix instead, with ‘50s-inspired guitar work and pop sensibilities. The vocals are rapid-fire and snotty, acting almost as an instrument unto themselves. The guitar riffs tend to be the driving force in most songs, but the drumming is certainly nothing to scoff at, with plenty of meticulous rolls and precise hi-hat work. Including the synth, everything rolls up into a nice, gooey, omelet. Fans of the GOBS, CHERRY CHEEKS, and GEE TEE will find something here to sink their decaying teeth into.

Stella Research Committee Killed Alive cassette

After a ten-year or so run, STELLA RESEARCH COMMITTEE treads on with what I am reading as the trio’s seventh and final release/onslaught. Which is very much the experience with Killed Alive…bombarding, repetitive spoken word to a backdrop of dark ambient noise and loops. This band has discovered power electronics and deploys the usual expectations of the genre within each DNA-influenced track. The result comes off like Mark E. Smith fronting an ATARI TEENAGE RIOT cover band. That might be good?   

Steve Adamyk Band Do You Wanna Know / Slip Away 7″

In a sea of power pop with garage muscle, STEVE ADAMYK has always sailed truer than most. Likewise his bandmate Dave Forcier, who plays (and drinks) here with ADAMYK, blasting through classics of the genre (including one from ADAMYK’s earlier band SEDATIVES). I’ve always dug the Drunk Dial series in its simplicity and novelty. Get rockers in a room, get them loaded, and let ‘em rip through covers. The results are always fun, and it’s remarkable how tight this installment is considering the case of Coronas that laid the foundation for the session. The update to “Slip Away” sounds note-perfect to the original, and the version of the KIDS’ “Do You Wanna Know” is a perfect love letter to that late ’70s sound that never grows old. If you’re into this stuff, it’s a great addition to your collection, even if what you get on paper is what you get on your turntable with few surprises.

Tchernobyl Face Au Mur EP

This is the second release from French Oi! band TCHERNOBYL and, as is the case for a lot of the country’s Oi! for the past 40 or so years, it’s a winner! Ruff ‘n’ tuff but packed full of hooks and melodic guitar lines in the grand French Oi! tradition. I dig this slab of sound a hell of a lot! Three tunes of driving punk rock’n’roll done very well. Music to shave heads to.

Weak Pulse The Killing Moves Around the Planet cassette

The latest cassette from Chicago’s WEAK PULSE is eight tracks of ’80s-style USHC somewhere along the veins of VOID, CRUCIFIX, a lo-fi version of MINOR THREAT, and ARTICLES OF FAITH. Raw yet fast sonic texture of full speedcore mayhem. No hesitation, non-stop straight-ahead hardcore. Nasty, gritty output coming from these mutants from Chicago.

V/A Benefit for Prevention Point EP

Great compilation for a great cause. Nice mix of different-sounding bands, ranging from snotty garage rock to grind-influenced hardcore, from catchy to brutal all within fifteen minutes. Each band hails from the same region, so suffice to say Philly has a pretty healthy scene. Lovely stuff here, reminds me of the old compilations of my youth. Well worth a pick-up.

Absolute Truth Where Does It Start? cassette

Some straightedge hardcore now from Chicago’s ABSOLUTE TRUTH. Ultimately, this is some by-the-numbers youth crew stuff. Certainly not bad, but it’s also not too interesting. When this type of hardcore isn’t done perfectly it just kinda puts me to sleep—unfortunately, this release isn’t any different.

Alienator World of Hate EP

Portland’s ALIENATOR delivers the goods on their EP World of Hate, an angry and intense blast of hardcore punk that takes no prisoners. With great riffs and mid-tempo stomping, ALIENATOR is relentless and pummels you into submission on each track here, from the headbanging opener “Senseless Violence,” to the snarling vocals and screeching guitar leads on “I’m Nothing,” right to the end of the last track “Social Disease,” which closes with a slowed-down and vicious pace that dares you to get into the pit. Really though, the crown jewel here is title track “World of Hate,” filled to the brim with vitriol and chants of “Alienate!” and “World of hate!”—it feels like a bit of an anthem for ALIENATOR. Word is their live show is somehow better than this recording (and includes a POISON IDEA cover). Don’t be intimidated, go see them if you can.

Blow Your Brains Out The Big Escape 12″

The latest from the Tōyoko Line area—BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT brings nine tracks of ’80’s/’90s NYHC-rooted metallic hardcore. A rare approach, especially in the crossover/NYHC scene there, is to sing in their own native language, with politically charged lyrics about real life and current societal issues in modern Japan. Heavy, hard-hitting grooves of the aforementioned influences with well-crafted metallic riffage and Godzilla breakdowns that will want you to go Kokkai Gijido and fuck everything up while you’re at it. Artwork by Nicky Rat.

The Blowtops Zero Dance Singles 1998–2009 2xLP

The BLOWTOPS spew forth 27 blasts of industrial-tinged psychobilly, with vocals that sound just like an ELVIS from hell wrestling a microphone away from Lux Interior’s mummified corpse. Demented and fuzzed to oblivian (sic), there is indeed zero here to dance to. I imagine this is what PUSSY GALORE would’ve been like if Jon Spencer was on an actual homicidal rampage during the recording of Dial “M” for Motherfucker—I recently learned that the original title for that album (mysteriously rejected by Caroline Records) was Make Them All Eat Shit Slowly, which I’m convinced is what the BLOWTOPS desire for their listeners. Courtesy of Big Neck Records, Zero Dance compiles all of the band’s singles from an eleven-year span between 1998 and 2009, which is fitting considering that Big Neck’s inaugural release was the BLOWTOPS’ Voodoo Alley EP. The band’s trajectory goes from gnarly and blown-out to more gnarly and more blown-out, trading melody for mechanical noise along the way. Gross, disturbing, and quite possibly brilliant.

Decent Criminal / Direct Hit split EP

Three-song split from DECENT CRIMINAL (Santa Rosa, CA) and DIRECT HIT! (Milwaukee, WI). DIRECT HIT contributes the first song “Wasteland,” starting off with a surf-rock twang strum and someone saying “I feel like I’m skateboarding in this song,” which leads into scratchy, shouted vocals over tom-heavy drums. The song came out of pandemic lockdowns: a vision of a virtual-reality future, wondering “We’re in the wasteland / Are we even alive?” The sound is nasty and in-your-face; a confrontation. I listened back to some previous releases, and while the surf-rock thing appears, Nick Woods’ vocals, mixed with the indie pop swing of the band, makes them sound like GOOD CHARLOTTE, or some other unfortunate iteration of pop punk from that time. Not that I listened back to all their tunes, but it seems “Wasteland” takes a different approach. Speaking of indie/alt rock: DECENT CRIMINAL. “Dream” and “Time” jangle along with a tambourine and some soft “ooh”s and “aah”s and are generally catchy, though admittedly not my bag. If this is your thing, the 7” also comes with a full-length comic book, Beacon, a collaboration of Nick Woods’ dystopian writing and Walker Dubois’ illustrations. Candy pop punk fans apply within.

The Drolls Kick Out the Jammies / I Am a Data Scientist 7″

If you can’t rock, I guess you can try and be funny. If you can’t do either—ask to audition for the DROLLS! You’d fit right in. These two songs, referencing (in title only) MC5 and GUIDED BY VOICES respectively, had me following the run time as I listened. When there’s two songs each under three minutes, that’s kind of brutal. Musically, the tunes are forgettable. Compressed rock music that doesn’t have any heft to it and vocals way up front in the mix so you have to focus on the lyrics. And they’re supposed to be funny, but even in that department this release is limp. A track about being old and wanting to get in your jammies, and the other is about… I dunno, having a boring job? The B-side muses in the chorus, “I am a data scientist / It’s really not as cool as some insist.” Agreed. While this isn’t, like, offensively bad, it just sort of makes me wonder what’s the point? Comedy can be a great tool for tackling the mess of a world we live in. A lot of my favorite bands often get mislabeled with the “comedy band” signifier (most notably the DEAD MILKMEN, whose songs are often funny but go way deeper than just that). These tracks just sort of sit there and exist. They’re easily forgotten, or best yet ignored.

Fantasma Demo 2023 cassette

Educacion Cinica keeps bringing the best in South American-adjacent music, now in the form of the duo FANTASMA, formed by two Brazilians who tried their luck in NY. Filtered through the lens of the excellent Brazilian punk and post-punk scene, FANTASMA creates an incredible mixture of moods and feelings. DIÄT and STRAW MAN ARMY come to mind when thinking of the overall style of songwriting. A demo that goes by fast and leaves you wanting much, much more.

Father Thing Father Thing cassette

Kooky, zany, weirdo hardcore punk from Jackson, MS featuring members of NEUROTYPICALS and BIG CLOWN. FATHER THING blasts through six tracks in just over seven-and-a-half minutes. That’s not a lot of time, and they don’t waste a damn second of it! Switching from spastic, revved-up fastcore to mid-tempo synthesizer squealing breakdowns in the blink of an eye. Okay FATHER, you’ve got my attention. This absolutely rules! Thankfully, the entire demo is available for listen on the label’s Bandcamp page, as the copy I received was indecipherably dubbed and this review would have been much much different if I went solely based on what I heard on my warbly tape. You better believe I have since re-dubbed my cassette off the online tracks, as I plan on getting some serious mileage out of it.

Guardian Singles Feed Me to the Doves LP

Raucous alt-rock or witty, angst-driven post-punk are two of the pigeonholes I might jam the latest full-length by GUARDIAN SINGLES into, but either would be a square peg in a round hole scenario. The garage static and fuzz from previous releases is left behind in favor of articulate songwriting and big bop energy. Lyrically, this album navigates our contemporary universal struggles with poetic appeal. Sonically, this album drifts from backcountry rabble-rousers to soft, drifting, emotionally evocative ballads. With all its variation, articulate writing, and relatable material, this album is easy to keep on repeat.

Hummingbird of Death Full Spectrum Dominance 2005–2008 LP

This is a big slab of fastcore fun for fans of early D.R.I., back when their songs were 35 seconds long. Boise, Idaho’s HUMMINGBIRD OF DEATH manages to squeeze 83 of their early recordings onto this comp. Recorded between 2005 and 2008, these tracks remain relevant, as with “Stupid Bills,” which says “Off to the record store / Where did all my money go?” Ain’t that the truth. The lyrics range from the political (extolling LGBTQIA+ rights, shitting on racism, dissing animal cruelty, etc.) to the personal (loneliness, anger) to the simple joys of rocking out and moshing it up. The track “I Wanna Be a Frog” gets cerebral by posing “Bears are always angry / But frogs are always cool.” And just the title of the song “Fadeouts are for Chumps” made my day. Then there are these oddball tracks that stray from the fastcore formula, such as “Coward.” Clocking in at a massive 4:37, HUMMINGBIRD OF DEATH is suddenly a stoner doom metal band with a firecracker fastcore section sandwiched in the middle. “Frayed Nerve Endings” is an instrumental. “Waste” has a nice, D-beat swagger. “No Child Left Alive” manages a guitar solo in its seven-second runtime. This album is one of my favorites of the year. Raucous, angry, sometimes silly—it has everything.

Inflicter 7 Song Demo cassette

This seven-song demo from the UK’s INFLICTER is raw, fast, raging hardcore punk, not unlike the fast, thrashier hardcore of the HERESY/RIPCORD/STUPIDS late ’80s UKHC tradition. It’s more of a modern yet raw and noisy approach, with breakdowns for the moshers out there.

Kiloff & Debtors Mokry Sen cassette

Trippy. This band, it appears, is actually a collective of various Polish artists from the Szczecin area who all release a lot of material collectively and separately through the Syf label. It’s all a little mysterious, which works in their favor while listening to their Zoom-recorded art-punk jams, sung in their native tongue. There are twenty-three tracks here, many of which are two minutes and under. The spookier, BUTTHOLE SURFERS-style tracks such as “Poeci” and “Po Majowce” are my favorites, but the material ranges from something that could be on a Lumpy Records comp (like “Ponownie”) to the RESIDENTS-inspired “Zebranie.” Maybe there are reviewers more knowledgeable about this group out there, but there’s definitely a long rabbit hole available for one to jump into if they so choose. Dig it. I did.

Leatherface Minx LP reissue

Someone once said that LEATHERFACE was the best British punk band from the ’90s—I think that is an understatement. There’s no other group that sounds like them. Their style is unique and unrepeatable, a race between two ambitious guitarists that wanted to find the definite riff, the weirdest, sharpest, most outstanding guitar lick. Mush is by far their best work, but Minx is probably their second-best, a perfect example of their style: that strange and warm fog of derailed guitars, complex and perfectly executed arrangements, topped with a rugged and deep voice which feels straight out of a sailor’s tavern down on the misty docks of Sunderland. The reissue by Call of the Void is a good chance for the collectors, since it’s not easy to find original LEATHERFACE albums just lying around. A trip across one of the most nostalgic, intelligent, and passionate punk bands that probably ever was.

Left On High The Red Album CD

This recording is awful. The band could potentially be alright, but this recording does them no favors. This sounds like it was recorded in a garage on a laptop with no mixing or overdubs or what have you. The only thing that sounds like it was done halfway decently are the vocals, as they sound marginally better than the rest of what’s going on here. I’m honestly in awe that they thought it was a good idea to spend money on putting this out into the world.