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San Francisco’s FENTANYL takes a unique approach to hardcore. Instead of the more commonly heard fuzzy distortion, they opt for a clean, stabbing guitar sound that really does set them apart. On their debut self-titled LP, they pair that DEAD KENNEDYS-inspired treble with rabidly barked, anxiety-riddled lyrics that are direct and to the point. For fans of the members’ stacked resumes, which include SPY, SPIRITUAL CRAMP, and WORLD PEACE.
Killer split by two great L.A. bands. This is the first that I have heard from GRIMLY FORMING since the band’s ’22 release. They had this song on there called “Killing Spree” that was stupid good. Well, shit! Guess what? It’s on this pressing also! GRIMLY FORMING is in peak form on each of the ten tracks. The band loses zero velocity and is a relentless horror hammer of a band to listen to. Perfect. ROLEX was a band that I had not heard yet, but am going to learn to love a lot! They combine a ratio of CHEETAH CHROME MOTHERFUCKERS and SACCHARINE TRUST in a way that could easily be amongst the glorious SST roster of ’82. “Let’s Get Away With It” is probably one of my favorite songs of the fucking year!! Buy.
GUERRA FINAL emerges from the heart of Texas’s burgeoning punk scene with a raw, electrifying energy that is as raucous as it is intense. Their second EP Purgatorio combines aggressive outbursts with catchy hooks, creating a dynamic and addicting mixture. GUERRA FINAL blends POISON IDEA-like guitar riffs, with frenetic drumming and the songwriting sensibility of Burning Spirits-styled bands. Each track pulsates with a relentless rhythm and undisputed attitude. In a punk landscape often crowded with formulaic bands, GUERRA FINAL stands out as a fresh fix ready to take the genre back to its roots. Keep an eye on these punks—they’re just getting started.
The initial reference to “the Mission” and the fact that the car on the cover has California plates made me think that this dude (or this band) is a San Francisco thing., but it looks like it’s a Cleveland thing. Maybe. It’s all very easy to listen to. Catchy and going along at a very nice tempo, the male/female vocals are almost soothing. It’s perfect for the jangly and poppy backdrop. Reminds me of FROM BUBBLEGUM TO SKY. Really great pop music.
Freaked-out and fuzzy hardcore punk from Rochester. This tape from LEAKING HEAD is unhinged and wild, featuring eight tracks that make for a chaotically cohesive listen. Citing inspiration from Cleveland legends H100s and GORDON SOLIE MOTHERFUCKERS, this is similar in spirit but far murkier and mutated, which is a good thing as far as I’m concerned. No single track recommendations here; listen to the whole thing to best experience LEAKING HEAD.
The label describes them as a mix of classic American and Swedish hardcore—that sounds extremely accurate to me. An intense-sounding record, with excellent recording. It starts off with my favorite song on the album, and it is ripping, Swedish-influenced hardcore and a quality album throughout. If you like bands like MOB 47 or DIE KREUZEN, you will probably like this one a lot.
I’m not even gonna play, I missed seeing NOX NOVACULA this summer at Skull Fest and I’m pretty sore about it. Feed the Fire was released shortly before, and I was hooked on the nine-song album of anthemic deathrock. Feed the Fire has its moments of introspection and downtempo gothic rock, but the majority of the songs are demanding change by any means and contain an energy to match. If you like 45 GRAVE or you keep up with CIERŃ, you’ll like this.
The legendary POISON IDEA from Portland, Oregon sees their fourth studio album, 1992’s Blank Blackout Vacant, reissued by TKO Records and their own label, American Leather Records (again) in this newly remastered and remixed version of the 2020 deluxe reissue. This double-LP gatefold includes an extra LP’s worth of B-sides, rarities, covers, and four songs recorded live on KBOO. The covers include tracks originally by DEAD BOYS, the WHO, and BOOKER T. & THE MG’S. While this doesn’t quite pack the same punch as their earlier releases, it stands above most soundalike bands playing this type of punk/hard rock with metal influences. Recommended for fans of the band and collectors who need every damn version. Check out: “Smack Attack.”
Bello and Medellin, Colombia collective project defending individual and collective freedom. Noisecore crust punks that mark their sound with glances of hardcore and metal, combining two vocals that are ever-ranting and screaming frantically in the most doomy way possible, fast-paced powerviolence drum cadences, and metallic-driven guitars. Suggested track: “El Pogo de los que Sobran.”
After a 2023 debut cassette, RHIZOME returns with another grip of zany new wave absurdity. An Australian solo recording project (unknown if it also is a live band), RHIZOME AND THE FLAVONOIDS have all the ingredients of a kooky, synth heavy, DEVO-esque new wave outfit. The songwriting comes off a bit hard to digest and a little too freeform for the most part, but when there are moments of simplicity within the songs you can get more of a feel for it. I think the best way to make sense of this is that it feels like a new genre of DEVO-jazz, and as someone who doesn’t understand jazz, perhaps that’s where my confusion comes in.
This is the latest and greatest from song factory Ishka Edmeades, also of GEE TEE and TEE VEE REPAIRMANN fame. Edmeades doesn’t break the mold here, but comes packing with two tracks of snappy, hook-laden punk that satisfies your sweet tooth. The tape-saturated sound bolsters these two bangers and makes them sizzle and pop. The riffs are there, hyperactive but dialed-in, with great licks laid on top to seal the deal. If you know what you’re in for, you’re still in for a treat. And if you’re not hip to this sound yet—dive in.
Oddball DC trio offering some sparse and angular art punk. 3 Songs showcases farty bass, simple drums, guitar riffs that go between flowing, lightly distorted leads and staccato jabs—the base ingredients for this type of arty sound, right? The thing setting SENSOR GHOST apart, for me, is the vocals. While playing bass, Mike Andre performs an almost spoken word performance, sneaking in a range of notes from syllable to syllable, creating a textured, spiky landscape that’s going to have the lights on your decibel sensor really dancing. Instruments and vocals pulse throughout the verses, very steadily landing on beat, while choruses get into a syncopated groove with a unique propulsion that I wasn’t expecting, especially apparent on “Crystal Spa.” After some listens, this really grew on me—I get shades of the most experimental DEVO tracks, with a folksy lyrical approach. Mike Andre and Amanda Huron (guitar) are also in PUFF PIECES, and Sam Lavine (drums) plays in LIGHT BEAMS.
Sweden, the country where playing ANTI-CIMEX lulls children to sleep. There is certainly no shortage of hardcore bands up there, and here comes a new contender in the notorious and much contested “fast and furious käng” category. SLAN is from Gothenburg and includes members of the rather good STRUL (in a SKITKIDS way), among other bands that I am not going to pretend I actually know. Their first EP Skiter I Allt released last year was a definite scorcher if you like your Scandicore on the mangel side of things (by which I mean more on the faster, MOB 47 side) if you want to be anal about it, and the boys are back in business with a full-length entitled Ägd. The recipe hasn’t changed much, but the production is a tad rawer and the vocals more upfront. While the EP had a definite ’80s Stockholm feel to my impeccable ears, the LP makes me think of a dirtier version of KRIGSHOT as well because SLAN manages to play that fast, and of Uppsala bands like CUMBRAGE or even of early VICTIMS in the singing style. It is a seriously raging, direct high-energy effort with some class riffing, but I can’t help but find the LP a little long for this style of punk with a playtime of almost twenty-four minutes (and everyone knows we have a twenty-minute attention span these days, if that). At the end of the day, yet another hard-hitting win from Sweden.
The STIFFS were a punky power pop band out of Lancashire, England who put out a handful of damn-near-perfect singles in the late ’70s to early ’80s. As is often the case, there were a bunch of other songs from that early era that were previously unreleased, but luckily Projectile Platters have compiled those demos and rarities together and released them here on this LP. We only get a couple demos (the brilliant “Inside Out” and the lesser “Over the Balcony”), and they are pretty fleshed-out versions of the songs they would ultimately become. The big draw of this compilation, for me at least, is the 1979 radio session; in this stretch we get tight, loud, and energetic versions of “Brookside Riot Squad” and “Kids on the Street,” plus a couple others. These types of collections can often be curiosities at best, but this offering is for more than just the completists or those that are still on the hunt for an original copy of the “Standard English” single. This is an awesome snapshot in time of an early punk band in their prime, doing it better than most did or ever will.
URBAN MISERY kicks off their demo with a slower and distinct bass line that quickly morphs into a super fast-paced classic punk song. It’s hard to choose what stood out to me the most: the wailing screams that seem to hover around you, egging you on, the high energy bass that seems to jump out of the shadows and attack you, or the guitar which seems to act as third vocalist in adding high-pitched tones in an almost call-and-response way in “WTF.” Overall, great fast-tempo punk.
YEMEN is a band that features members of GOUKA, and what we get from them is some Swedish-style D-beat in the vein of ANTI-CIMEX or DISARM. Tough and thick guitar sound with some chaos thrown in just to get it right. Good stuff. Black Konflik continually puts out good crust and D-beat releases, often CD or cassette versions of records. I’m a fan.
Locked in the Basement: Collection 1 is a gritty vinyl compilation that rips through 20 tracks from 20 underground bands in Bethlehem, PA and the surrounding area’s scenes. Born out of the pandemic and fueled by DIY ethos, this project is raw to the bone. The recordings are rough and unapologetic, capturing everything from crust to street punk, post-punk, and grindcore—so don’t expect polish, but get ready for a jolt of unfiltered energy. Standout cuts from ONE SIDED, ALEMENT, CHISELED LILLIES, RA!D, BRAZEN HELL, and PALE FANG tear through the noise, proving this collection isn’t about perfection, it’s about power. Pressed on blood-red vinyl with black splatters, the album also includes a booklet packed with fun stories from the bands’ sessions. Recommended for people who give no shits about recording quality and are interested in checking out what seems to be kind of a cool document of the bands playing in and around this scene since 2020.
Three-band “demo tape comp” from Whitfield, NJ, a small, young scene of bands allegedly surrounded by the elderly in their hometown. Released by Almost Records, which is run by one of the members of NATURE BOYS, these tapes are re-dubbed over secondhand cassettes. The biggest annoyance of the release is that the cassette is very long and there is a ton of dead space on both sides, which could have easily had all the comp tracks on each side. Well, that should be the biggest annoyance. My big gripe is that the glued-down paper label from one of the sides of the tape peeled off while playing and clogged up the guts of my van’s tape deck, causing it to stop working while I was attempting to fast forward through the dead space at the end of one of the sides. No internet presence for any of the bands or for the label, so good luck tracking down a copy for yourself. Onto the music: ANGRY YOUNG MEN live up to their name with the titular track on the compilation. Youthful, energetic, passionate hardcore singing about being young and angry. HEARTCORE rips through the shortest song on the tape. Short, angry, mid-tempo hardcore. NATURE BOYS provide two songs on the comp. Very slick, professionally recorded pop punk. Catchy songs, but I could personally do without the BLINK-182 auto-tuned vocal effects.
The prolific Jake Robertson returns once again with a new slate of fantastic songs via his ALIEN NOSEJOB project, and continues to surprise by pushing into new sounds. This time around, Turns the Colour of Bad Shit offers up ten tracks of classic punk greatness. And what is true in the macro is true in the micro, as the sounds on these tracks even find ways to change and evolve from one to the next. Kicking off with the slow yet propulsive burn of “Bird Strike,” the record then flips right into the pummeling garage punk highlight of “Trapped in Time.” Anyone who loved this year’s fantastic PACK RAT album will be more than happy to toss this record on right after; snotty lyrical delivery coupled with primitive song structures that don’t need any other add-ons to grab your attention. It’s no wonder that Turns the Colour of Bad Shit is being put out by the trifecta of Total Punk in the US, Drunken Sailor in the UK and Anti Fade in Australia.
One of this year’s best releases—ARMOR from Tallahassee plays modern D-beat with rumbling hardcore vocals on Afraid of What’s to Come; think WARTHOG fronted by the vocalist from T.S. WARSPITE. High praise, I know, but believe me, this EP rips. In addition to their gnarly fusing of styles, the song structures here are stellar. The band utilizes tempo changes to great effect like on opening stomper “En Mass” and my favorite track “Fodder,” which sees the band getting extra raw, almost reminding me of something off of STINGRAY’s Fortress Britain. This one’s a no-brainer, pick up a copy and play it loud.
The HEAVY LAG half of this split LP was recorded by Jeff Burke of MARKED MEN and RADIOACTIVITY, which was a perfect choice by the band for their razor-sharp guitars and relentless rhythm section. I can hear some of Burke’s influence on the songs, and that is a total compliment. It’s what you want when you go with a well-traveled, experienced engineer in the studio—you could hear it on the band’s last album (Another Year Closer to Whatever) recorded by the BOUNCING SOULS’ Pete Steinkopf. The BAD CRIME half was recorded in their hometown of Milwaukee. They share the spirit and same endearing, lo-fi “wheels falling off” appeal of fellow Brew City punks MODERN MACHINES.
Noisy garage punk band with whiny screaming. I’m a bit prejudiced because of my love of bats, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album. With each song, you get jolted with a different style of fast and upbeat noise. I can’t decide what my favorite track is. I loved the funky intro into the heavy-ass chaos in “Ideal Specimen,” as well as the build-up in “Bathouse” where you’re just hit with a wall of sound that catapults you through a void.
Fast and angry hardcore punk from Iowa City with a D-beat backbone and catchy hooks. With their sights set on the genocidal war machine in the Middle East, Henry Kissinger, scummy rich kids, and the factory-farming ravaging the Midwest, BOOTCAMP provides plenty to hate (on) here. Each track is a banger, but I recommend the closing title track, “Controlled Burn.” At a whopping one-minute-and-forty-seconds, it’s their longest track and a total scorcher, one you can imagine the knock-off Looney Tunes on the cover dancing to while the industrial farming facility behind them burns to the ground. Great stuff and highly recommended.
This split LP from Chicago’s COMPULSION and WRONG WAR, released by Council Records, features five tracks from each band. WRONG WAR, featuring former members from CURRENT, OTTAWA, and the PHENOMS, delivers energetic and driving songs that incorporate spacious arrangements and interesting guitar work. Their songwriting, paired with Matthias Weeks’ powerful vocals, harkens back to some of those late-’80s/early-’90s Dischord bands while retaining that classic Chicago hardcore drive. This is some great shit. COMPULSION’s side maintains a lot of the energy found in WRONG WAR’s tracks but sacrifices the refinement. Their gritty, mid-tempo hardcore is punctuated by Ebro Virumbrales’ bellowing vocals and an abundance of self-indulgent guitar licks. This side is recommended for fans of BLACK FLAG. Check out: “Profit Net” by WRONG WAR.
Not to be confused with the other proto-Oi! band with the same name, I’ll take these guys. This LP is the band’s whole story from ’78-’80, a time capsule of perfect pints and songs of drama. The sound is all super tight and brolic pub pop with fringe elements of harmonizing guitars in the THIN LIZZY vein. Hard mod for sure, bluesy and at times metal. I think the best-of-the-LP award is obvious when you listen to “Sticky Kisses” and “Next Plane.” Would love to see some live footage of them chopping away. I’ll take another.
If you’re still riding high on the eggy synth punk wave, check out L.A.-based DIODE. Wobbly synths tangle and arpeggiate into warped pop experiments with vocals that remind me of C.C.T.V. While many bands of this ilk tend to include a keyboard line over garage punk, DIODE has a distinct post-punk skeleton, and they aren’t afraid to venture down a dissonant path for a measure or two. Right in the middle lies “Card Dealer,” a beautiful, heart-tugging pop song with Kim Gordon-style vocals and a buzzing hook that burrows deep. Killer song and great record overall.
Simply put, this album is a safety-pinned smörgåsbord of covers, original songs, and leftovers across the decades of DOC HOPPER’s reign, meant to be parsed through and enjoyed. You easily hear the band’s chemistry upon listening, as they create a punk language between themselves, usually an invention of bands who just know what the fuck they’re doing. From start to finish, it includes masterful screeching riffs, thundering bass lines, and excitable drums all starting and stopping along each other’s axis. Lyrically, it’s comprised mostly of hedonistic hail-marys spewed by vocalist Greg Hoffman, best demonstrated in the cover of “Drink, Fight, and Fuck,” by GG ALLIN, definitely making ALLIN proud if he could listen from hell. This release takes you for a joy ride, ranging from “Shirt…Lose It…Now” and its beautiful caterwauling guitar, to “The State of Maine Song,” which ends the party on a calmer note of comradery. Creating alcoholic anthems and punk rock classics since the ’90s, they maintain a similar sound to SINKHOLE, their New England scene peers, and even share drummer Chris Pierce. Overall, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blew is a peak Frankenstein lab creation of punk hardiness through the eras.
The HIGH HEELS are in excellent form on this split. I hadn’t heard of them until this LP, but I like what I hear on this. Nice fuzzy guitars, hard-hitting drums, and warm bass. I was at first dumbfounded by the fact that there were old Hanna-Barbara-era Scooby Doo villains on the cover, but now hearing the music, it makes a lot more sense. Even though I’d say it’s most certainly garage rock, it has a spookier vibe than most when it comes to the vocals, and I think that’s what sets it apart. Good stuff, check it out if you like some fuzz on your guitars.
My initial thought seeing this single was “Wow, a Goodbye Boozy band with songs that run longer than two minutes?” Took me a minute-and-a-half to realize that this isn’t a single at all; the A and B-sides are just two different EPs. More lo-fi, synth-driven egg-punk that we’ve come to expect from this label. However, each song has a different vibe to it. There’s a diverse range of gear used on each track, specifically the different drum machines featured throughout. The GOBS bounce back and forth between sounding like PRISON AFFAIR, ’90s dream pop, and sinister darkwave. Really freshens things up and keeps them from sounding like the hundreds of other egg bands out there right now.
Split effort coming from Italy with seven tracks per project, including a cover on each side, supported by multi-cooperative DIY labels. Motörcharged dis-punkers to the fullest, with superb cover art of a dystopian family couch for this album. MOTRON is more on the metal punk side of Lemmy’s moon, holding a grip of darker, gloomier tones in their charging, doom-thriving bass lines, mid-paced, rock-solid drums, and deep, angry, guttural vocals confronting almost mirrored guitar sections and minor riffage. Suggested track: “Lack of Shame.” HOAX goes for faster-paced cadences and sickened, steadier vocals, with a more distorted approach in the strings but keeping classical rhythms in their charged situation. Suggested track: “On Your Grave.”
Buffalo duo John Toohill (SCIENCE MAN/Swimming Faith Records) and Brandon Schlia (Steak and Cake Records) are back with their fourth cassette release as ISMATIC GURU. It’s their first since being cited by Spin as one of the many bands making up egg-punk’s cresting second wave (BTW, seeing them listed in this context felt like coming across a 1977 NME article covering UK punk’s second wave listing F.U.2. alongside acts like EATER or GENERATION X—like, yes, technically accurate but still kinda way off). Now, this may just be me, but I feel like they’ve toned down the egginess since then. I mean, the squiggly guitar and cartoony bounce are still there, but they seem to be shifting focus to the more experimental or proggier elements of their sound. The five tracks that make up the release are darkly melodic, intricately composed, technically proficient, and, considering the average song length is 1:18, absolutely packed to the brim with ideas. Imagine some mix of SPLLIT, MR. BUNGLE (at their least annoying!), and DON CABALLERO. Also, John’s vocal performance is fuckin’ phenomenal here—dude might be on of the most underrated performers in punk today!
Sound and solid working class hammers from Berlin newcomers KLAVO. This is the first release from the four-piece, and it’s a good one. The band’s musicianship is worth noting, pulling heavily from old pub rockers ROSE TATTOO, as well as COCKSPARRER. “No Good Ones” is a fucking banger of a song.
Italian punks LUCTA recently released Eterna Lotta, which is a boiling cauldron of hardcore that mutates and evolves in chugs and thrashing. The opening song starts with what sounds like an organ, but then guitars merge with it, soon a bootstomper starts to assemble, and then the tempo doubles into lightspeed. I really get into the song “Il Peso Di leri,” or “The Weight of Yesterday,” which is a plodding song that ends with discordance and decaying sounds. I’m reminded of EMPTY VESSELS from Connecticut with the type of hardcore LUCTA plays, but obviously LUCTA sings in Italian. The type of playful hardcore that pushes the limits of the genre and explores atmospheric sounds and abstract rhythms all while being punk as fuck. Having been a band for a while now, LUCTA has only issued a few recordings, so Eterna Lotta is definitely worth checking out.
Philly emo outfit with a teaser EP for their LP To My Chagrin, which has since been released. The three tracks on the A-side all appear on the new LP, while the B-side has some one-off releases and two live tracks. While emo isn’t my taste, I can appreciate the musicianship and recording that are both a little rough, dirty, and loose. I also find James’ voice endearing, rather than cloyingly whiny. It looks like they formed back in 2018, and have been putting out quite a bit of music since, three LPs now and a few singles and EPs—their first recording, from what I can tell, is MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?’s “Jimmy Neutron Theme Song” from the Nickelodeon cartoon (they seemingly lifted their band name from a line in the song). I don’t know if this context is important, but it may paint a picture of the aesthetic they’re going for. If it makes you happy, long live emo?
MERE MORTALS’ hardcore is as straight-laced as it is straightforward: rapid-fire, machine gun blastbeats alternating with floor-stomping downstrokes and gang vocals. There’s a handful of metal moments, but nothing more than that. I can imagine this record being released in the ’90s, when bands like DS-13 and WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? invoked past genres without falling into pastiche. The sound is simple and sweet, like a good quality live recording.
The coarse and creative lo-fi of the Montana-born MORDECAI reemerges for a sixth full-length outing. While the loose abstraction of the cover art on Seeds From the Furthest Vine broadly fits the band’s approach, its stark minimalism is in striking contrast to the music it foretells. Nearly a decade and a half from their inception, the brothers Holt and Elijah Bodish and friend Gavin Swietnicki (in various configurations) are still tending to a fertile garden as they continue to stretch and warp their definition, and these ten tracks present a sprawling landscape of diverse textures. Loaded with artful acoustics, elements of organ, and various types of improvised percussion, they occupy a strange space with their primitive, off-kilter indie sound, sometimes devolving into what comes across more like “sound sculptures” than songs. A rickety roller coaster ensues, from the crude jubilation of the opening “Empty Visions,” to the driving dream pop of “When You Know Them As,” to the sparse and scribbled “Meat on a Stick,” and eventually the shamanic title track, which is decoratively draped across the end of Side A and the start of Side B. “Divine Sea” finds Holt sounding like Lou Reed rambling in his sleep, just before the hopeless nihilism in the folk horror of “Never Get Ahead” kicks in. Ultimately, the two final songs invoke a feeling of the last few minutes before a carnival closes (“Transverse”), and then a feverish accordion serenades some violence behind the closed curtains (“Down in an Alley”). Gorgeous, absurd, and haunting, this stuff really sticks to the psyche.
Four fiery bonus tracks directly from Buffalo, NY, presented as a companion cassette to their LP release on Feral Kid and Big Neck Records. Aggressive, psychotic-psychedelic garage vibes with a steady guide. Persistent egg/synth punkers with a classical grip on punk tweaks. Fast and effective formula. Favorite track: “Let Me Give You Some Advice,” and listen to this if you are into the egg-punk and/or garage-y situation.
Six-song debut demo cassette clocking in at under ten minutes long. This demo could be three times its length and I would still be thirsty for more. Relentless, grimy hardcore punk which is undeniably from Cleveland, Ohio. The “members of” list would surely be too long to navigate, as the band is comprised of a bunch of long running freakers steering this ship. Most notable, to me anyway, is that the vocals are done by the singer from TV DRUGS, and at least one other member is from the oft-overlooked powerhouse KILL THE HIPPIES. Very cool first release. Can’t wait to take my next pig ride.
Second LP from Schaffhausen, Switzerland’s QITSCH. Eleven tracks of wall-of-sound layered synths with phaser and tremolo, vocals soaked in reverb, and fairly unaffected bass and a standard acoustic drum kit, paired with this otherwise very electronic, ambient soundscape. Vast, feedback-laden grooves propel the album forward in mid-tempo stride with an oppressive, grayscale shimmer, often slowing further on songs like “The Smile on Your Lips.” For fans of the more experimental SONIC YOUTH tracks.
The Berlin-based Mangel label has cornered the market when it comes to the sort of tense, calculated throwback post-punk that’s been popping off in Germany and Belgium over the last several years, so they’re a logical landing place for the debut offering from Antwerp’s REHASH. Sternly shouted vocals are split more or less evenly between English and German, and the band’s rhythms are agitated but clockwork-precise, cut through with guitar that writhes and scratches like GANG OF FOUR stripped of their overt funk leanings. Plot a line from Pink Flag-era WIRE’s spartan, propulsive grooves to early ’80s Zickzack brutalism to the post-millennial downer punk of DIÄT to (very) recent Mangel-backed acts like LIIEK and PLEXI STAD, and you’ll land right at REHASH. The standout “Kunsthochschule” strikes with a serrated, EX-like urgency, and even though I don‘t understand a word of German, I’d like to believe that the intersecting vocals have a similarly pointed political bent—the title translates to “Art School,” and speaking as someone who works at one, there’s plenty to critique there. Some of the other four tracks could stand to have a little fat trimmed (see: the jarring tempo downshift in the middle of the four-minute-pushing “King of Weimar”), but when they’re lean, it’s mean.
Now this is a convenient assignment: SIEGE FIRE’s first album The Devastating Cost (a reference to contemporary shipping prices in the States, I believe) might end up in my Top Ten of 2024. If they send me a bribe, they definitely will be in it. This noisy bunch comes from Portland and was originally a studio-only project from Mike (who also lends his talent to the rather great GENOGEIST and DECOMP), having released a tape in 2021 before morphing into a proper band by which you can be deafened with the help of people from LÖCKHEED and NYX DIVISION. The drummer on this LP is on absolute fire, and to be honest, he really has to be, since the main influence behind SIEGE FIRE is the mighty FRAMTID, a band known for its crazy and intense drumming remarkable for its variations, sick drum rolls, and punishing bollocking power. The Portland unit clearly borrows from this rhythmic tradition that goes back to GLOOM, and their heavy reliance on distortion certainly confirms that they shoot for the crasher crust stars. I would locate them somewhere between FRAMTID and D-CLONE with a modern crazy noise-punk twist in their use of fuzz (not unlike the Melbourne scene, notably), and very much in tune with contemporary bands like PHYSIQUE, HORRENDOUS 3D, or KINETIC ORBITAL STRIKE. In such a noisy and brutal subgenre, it can be difficult to maintain the listener’s engaging attention, and I think SIEGE FIRE manages to achieve that for the length of an LP thanks to some welcome mid-paced scorchers showing some sort of reflexivity from the band in terms of songwriting. Another good one on Black Water, from a place that never ceases to amaze.
This meet-cute of Pennsylvania punks puts on a convincing face for metallic hardcore that tinges on crossover and emo, ultimately resulting in a satisfying blend of styles that cohere into something imminently moshable. It nearly resembles the early blackened rock’n’roll of Norway’s KVELERTAK, at least in the emotional pull it has and its frosty twin guitar licks. It’s heavy, but not dangerous. Cuddly and pissed at the same time, and I don’t mean that in a condescending way. Purveyors of metallic hardcore have been broadening the appeal of the niche for years now, and ultimately I think it’s a good thing to have a little goddamn fun when you’re opening up the pit. That said, if you’re looking for the meanest, gnarliest shit, this is not it. But again, I think that’s a good thing. These are solid ragers with a lot of stylistic changeups that put a smile on my face. And the band is gracious enough to include their debut self-titled EP on Side B. The new stuff hits a little harder, which only shows they’re headed in the right direction. Many a windmill kick will be inspired by tracks like “Chained,” which even throws in some nu-metal influence, now that we all realize we can admit we still bop to SLIPKNOT, and even more so the furious closing track “The World Can See,” which brings proper epic pomp to cap things off. This record is a blast.
Applying sore-throated, demonic vocals over some raging basement punk, Williamsburg’s STRAITJACKET gives us five songs of old-fashioned DIY stomping and ripping. Sentiments of anger have always been a popular catalyst for crazy kids starting a band, but sheer weirdness has become just as common. So now, I barely bat an eye when someone inexplicably yells “I love lemon!” over some unplugged electric noodling at the end of “Beyond Repair,” or when I see that they’ve included a song entitled “Taxidermy Vape.” Those are just tropes of 2024 wacky-core.
Total kängpunk ear-annihilation from the absolute country of Sweden! No gimmicks, just plain DISCHARGE-styled hardcore the way that ANTI-CIMEX used to preach. These käng purists learned the lesson well and follow the school of Anarkist Attack (if the name of the band wasn’t already a clue). Recorded at the legendary Sunlight Studios, which helped to put the HM-2w pedal on the map and crafted the crunchiest guitar sound ever through bands like ENTOMBED and DISMEMBER—SVAVELDIOXID used and abused this pedal and unleashed a barrage of chainsaw guitar hardcore on this latest record. Playing this type of sound since 2015 really allowed them to perfect the formula. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it!
The SWANKYS played punk with a wild, untamed style most of the time. They range from their beginnings having some ’77-style punk influence, and then starting to play more hardcore-style while still writing songs with some melody, or just playing ripping hardcore that reminds me slightly of the BRISTLES from Sweden. This says it was mastered at Abbey Road Studios, if I’m reading it correctly. General Speech is doing a great job bringing this kind of thing to us.I have a feeling that this could be sold out by the time anyone reads this.
Rock’n’roll serves those who give themselves to it completely. I know a band of lifers when I hear one, and it’s always exciting. This Sacramento group has been around, and while this grip of tracks doesn’t exactly break new ground for them, it cuts like a knife through the pale flab of pretenders that make up most of contemporary garage. There are more polished R&B affairs stacked next to ferocious and fiercely-paced ragers like the hook-laden “Cake and Ice Cream Too,” plus everything in between. The production really shines, somehow keeping the piss and grit baked into these songs while also shimmying them up mighty pretty. The playing is all top of class, especially the nimble guitar work and full-throated vocal performances. There’s even a damn decent ballad in the mix, the surprisingly tender and bittersweet “For a While.” The standout has to be the bombastic, melodic, and nearly operatic “Cooler Heads.” It swings like an axe all the way to hell and back, ending in true chaotic clatter. There’s not a note out of place on this record, but while that can sometimes read as too sterile, it only serves to bolster the true spirit of rock music and of this band.
UPRIGHT FORMS’ album Blurred Wires showcases a more accessible side of Nick Sakes, the singer/guitarist formerly of DAZZLING KILLMEN, COLOSSAMITE, and XADDAX. The Minneapolis-based trio offers a blend of bass-heavy, dynamic noise rock tracks that are tempered with softer, more indie rock moments, as heard on songs like “Drive at Night,” “Long Shadow,” and “Animositine.” The album walks a line between angular rock aggression and a mellower approach, reminiscent of some of those old Amphetamine Reptile bands in one moment and indie rock bands like the PIXIES in the next. It’s perfect for fans of discordant, energetic rock who have mellowed slightly with time and don’t always need the intensity cranked up. It’s good stuff.
Five tracks of knuckle-dragging, head-bobbing hardcore and noise rock from St. Louis. Big repetitive riffs here, reminiscent of MELVINS, KILLDOZER, or even pre-explosion NIRVANA, with ultra-harsh vocals and a layer of dissonant guitar on top. It sounds like the best, nastiest grunge with the nihilism of HOAX and is recommended for playing as loud as possible.
Two Costa Rican bands displaying their prowess in this latest installment of the prolific DCxPC live series. ALTERCADOS take a melodic approach to their uptempo, bass-driven punk rock. Plunky, with half-sung/half-screamed vocals, they bounce through their set with hints of hard rock and metal. The sound quality is great, but the tones are a bit clashing at times. XPUNKHA is more straightforward and aggressive, turning in an energetic performance that feels more cohesive. That said, these soundboard recordings leave something to be desired—namely, the sensation of being in the crowd. That’s a tall order for any live capture, but I can’t help but get hung up on this snag. It sucks the life out of the songs and leaves me with an impression of what the bands sound like, but no confidence in guessing what a studio recording could yield.
Really fantastic post-punk here. At times, it’s reminiscent of TALKING HEADS after a caffeine binge. Also reminds me a bit of the DEAD MILKMEN if they had gone to art school in Chicago. There’s a little bit of a shoegaze element as well, with lots of pedal usage that drowns everything else out in a fuzz. Nothing I’d consider groundbreaking, but this is a really solid EP and well worth a listen if you’re a fan of dance punk.
