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!

Rowdy Rowdy LP

This is off to a great start with some jangly power pop guitar, matched perfectly with the catchy vocals which include both male and female components, but leaning female for sure. With members of HEX DISPENSERS featured here, the garage influences come as no surprise. But it’s also got a power pop element that is reminiscent of BUSY SIGNALS. Mostly played with a peppy mid-tempo backbeat, they do slow it down here and there, but it never feels like they’re taking their fee off the gas pedal. You wouldn’t ever mistake this for RIVER CITY TANLINES, but it’s got that same honest rock’n’ roll quality. And at its core, this really is unapologetic rock’n’roll.

Savage Beat The Singles: 2018–2022 LP

Solid, self-proclaimed “street boogie” out of Amsterdam. This is the kind of music you can make your mind up on within the first twenty seconds; if you like the first track you hear, you’ll probably like the rest of them. That statement rings even more true here, as this is a collection of singles, so there’s no attempt, or need really, for much dynamism from track to track. This is twelve tracks of high energy, guitar-licks-a-plenty, SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS-inspired rock. Sounds like there is a full-length on the way in 2025, and I’ll be sure to see how they go about creating a cohesive album, but as these individual singles are apparently tough to come by, this gathering is a great holdover until then. Shout out to the great cover of “Paper Dolls,” too.

Second Death Second Death 12″

SECOND DEATH from London plays a tight, airless brand of hardcore that feels claustrophobic. This nine-song, self-titled 12″ explores a variety of personal and interpersonal issues in rapid succession, and with very little time wasted. Most songs are full-on walls of hardcore that open and close before there’s time to catch your breath. Occasionally, I’m reminded of hardcore that came out of New Jersey about a decade ago: ALTERED BOYS, or HEAVY CHAINS. SECOND DEATH, however, seems to somehow tweak the hardcore formula and create even more succinct songs without missing anything.

The Shitdels Where’s Your Head? LP

The SHITDELS, huh? So, like “shit” plus “del,” plural? And they’re from Nashville? A city famous for catering to people whose favorite genre of music is “live,” and whose cool-band exports have always felt like exceptions rather than any rule? Were this a band I came across organically, instead of something the MRR overlords were forcing me to listen to, my review would probably  just be a mental image of the “yeah, that’s gonna be a no from me, dawg” gif. And while I’d be justified in believing as much, I would have been dead wrong. This record fuckin’ kills! The SHITDELS play ’00s-style rough-and-ready garage punk, and this LP, which is actually their third full-length since releasing their debut cassette back in 2017, is twelve tracks that mash together Back from the Grave ravers, Vox Continental-driven party rockers, sentimental Brill Building pop, and even some glammed-up proto-punk. It’s a little punker than SHANNON AND THE CLAMS or the YOLKS but poppier than LES SEXAREENOS. When done right, this is one of my favorite types of music, and these dudes—or I guess these dels made out of shit—they do it right. Scoop it up!

The Stupids Slow on the Uptake LP

Despite this being their eighth album since forming in 1984 (and the first thing they’ve put out since 2009), Ipswich, UK’s STUPIDS sound defiantly youthful and true to their original formula. They’re still generally taking the piss out of everything and rocking pretty recklessly, but they can’t help but show a little bit of musical maturity here and there. Right after a thoughtful and melodic number like “Walnut Pacific,” they rip into the blistering “Wile in the Penile,” as if to say, “just kidding, we’re still complete bastards.”

Two Minute Mile K-Town, 3 AM CD

I love stuff that you can’t easily figure out. TWO MINUTE MILE self-released this CD, and as soon as I started the first track (“Hangin’ Around”), I was hit with some great NEW YORK DOLLS-meets-DICTATORS-style energetic punk’n’roll. This shit is fun. But then a few tracks later, I made it to “Taco Man,” and I couldn’t even make it through the whole song. This shit is not fun. A couple tracks later, and “Joyride” brought back fun, and I realized this is just dumb fun, in the best way. You don’t have to contemplate what “Joyride” is about; it’s about going on a joyride. And that holds for the rest of these tracks. Once you realize the simplicity, it’s the best way to appreciate these tunes. Without knowing anything about the band, you could tell me these tracks were all written when the members were thirteen and that would make sense. Whatever the case, I’m happy to join in on the call-and-response of “Bad Abuela.” Just don’t make me have to listen to “Taco Man” again, okay?

Ultimo Gobierno Camino de 1984 LP

Formed in the year 1984 in Burgos, this angry hardcore punk group was active until 1994, got back to business in 2012, and has kept the ball rolling ever since. To put this band into context, their split with RUIDO DE RABIA came out in 1987 and was considered one of the first crust records to be released out of Spain. This is a band that has been around and knows their way. Their new LP Camino de 1984 is both an Orwellian nod and a reference to their starting year. Seasoned hardcore punk with a middle finger poking at the all-seeing eye that spies on us all. Punk should be what this album portrays: a middle finger to the ruling order.

V/A Against All Odds: Ten Years Horst Klub 2xLP

Absolutely massive compilation celebrating the decade anniversary of Horst Klub in Switzerland. I couldn’t dig up a whole lot of information (and the info I did find was in German), but according to Google Translate, this record highlights some of the venue’s favorite hosted bands from the last ten years. There’s a whole combo-platter of rock’n’roll madness here. Egg-punk, fuzzed-out sludge, goth dance rock, RAMONES-core, D-beat crust, dungeon synth, and even a little bit of European techno! This album is the perfect soundtrack for someone like me who loves it all. Horst Klub has led me to believe that it may be one of the best venues in Europe, if not the world. This is on par with one of those Alternative Tentacles comps like Not So Quiet on the Western Front. Fantastic work to everyone involved!

Already Dead Something Like a War CD

The first track starts off musically similar to a SOCIAL DISTORTION tune, while vocally, it has a street punk Oi! vibe. This is fine USA-styled blue collar Oi! with a little HOT WATER MUSIC and most of the No Idea Records catalog in a blender. I hear some mid-period DWARVES and Dave Hause influence as well. They have been a band for five years and have consistently put out this working class flavor of driving street punk and singing on the downstrokes. The CD has fourteen songs, some are shorter and some are longer. I think that if these folks were forced into a room for three days to write ten songs, throw all ten in the trash, and repeat this until they have written and garbage-binned thirty songs, that the next ten songs we hear could be the kind of record that inspires. That next record could be on a best of the decade(s) list, but this record, even with its memorable chunks, still has the feeling of a reporter talking about observable events, whereas they could be the stroke that makes the spectator take action, or whatever.

Bad Idea USA Home cassette

A solidly pithy five-song cassette from this female-fronted three-piece hailing from Salem, Massachusetts. The vocals will bring to mind guitarist/singer Louise Post of VERUCA SALT or Kim Deal of the AMPS. The ethos of the release might bring to mind mid-’90s alternative rock in the same way the BIG EYES did, and I thought that before the album closed with a great fuzzed-up cover of R.E.M.’s “The One I Love”—but it’s all punk at heart. The steady pound of the bass on the second track “Drive Slow” is reminiscent of Robbie Smartwood’s style on the early OFF WITH THEIR HEADS releases, and this self-released collection of songs would be right at home on Don Giovanni Records.

Birds on a Kill Dawn of the Apocalypse EP

This Florida band describes their sound as “post-punk meets sludge metal,” but I don’t hear that at all. If anything, it’s more like CIRCLE JERKS-inspired early West Coast hardcore with sarcastically delivered vocals, gang choruses, and trebly production. It sounds good, with punchy drums, prominent high-on-the-neck bass lines, and straightforward riffage. “Heavy Seas” expands on the sound some with atonal chords and an extended bridge that rides a bass-heavy groove until fadeout. Lyrically, the songs are either nondescript and personal or very topical. “Mosquito Truck” is about deadly pesticides, and “Cone of Uncertainty,” with the lines, “Governor says I’m gonna die / The national guard’s outside / Time to stand in line / Consume, don’t ask why” and “Laugh as the Yankees flee / Florida man is finally free / Hoard all the D batteries / Prepare for uncertainty” is about, you guessed it, someone’s hot take on the COVID pandemic. My wish for 2025 is that I don’t have to hear another amateurish journal entry set to music (ironic or not) about how you had to wear a mask. Decent release otherwise.

Captain Pigeon Lo-Fi Stereo cassette

Four songs of kooky, spastic, fast-paced, synth-heavy egg-punk from Nashville, TN. The chosen guitar tone is a bit confusing to me. I know that a lot of egg-punk stuff really leans into the warbly chorus effect, but this is quite possibly the most underwater-sounding guitar tone I have ever heard. Songs are cool and danceable and written with a level of pop sensibility that I think helps bands of this ilk really stand out. While I do really dig the four songs on this second CAPTAIN PIGEON cassette, I think I would rather retire from music than lean into a self-proclaimed genre such as “sillycore,” as the band has chosen to do. Limited cassette edition of 25 copies, so get on it to complete your “sillycore” cassette collection.

Chain Circuits Chain Circuits demo cassette

Indonesia’s wild punk tiger with D-beat cadences on e-drums, filthier and nastier than you would think. Hardcore punk rhythms with blunt, rusty chainsaw executioner guitars and vocal sections that resemble classic ’80s USHC in performance and recording quality. Holding an interesting energy and raw punk vibes all around, it accomplishes catharsis and feels authentic, as it should be.

Dead Moon Maybe Baby / Out of Time 7″

Showcasing a live recording from the spring of 1988, this record has two cover songs from a young DEAD MOON on a big-hole 45. Recorded about a year into the band’s storied twenty-plus year career, the A-side features Fred Cole’s warbled croon taking on BUDDY HOLLY’s “Maybe Baby,” and the flipside is a stripped-down rendition of the ROLLING STONES’ “Out of Time.” Pressed on colored vinyl in a disheartening yellow-grey hue, this one is recommended for true MOON-heads only.

Death Kill Overdrive Juicin’ LP

Sugary-sweet pop punk featuring members of LIPSTICK HOMICIDE. I would have never guessed that based on the name alone. Sounds pretty much how you’d expect if you’re familiar with LIPSTICK HOMICIDE and the Iowa punk scene they come from, which includes bands like RATIONAL ANTHEM. It’s like DIGGER for a modern age, while being reminiscent of all those pop punk bands that broke through into the mainstream in the late ’90s like the ATARIS and FENIX TX. This band would be right at home on the Dude, Where’s My Car? soundtrack. Catchy as all hell with some fantastic vocals and harmonies.

Fogbank [Redacted] cassette

The band self-describes as “psychosis-induced hardcore,” and sometimes it’s a good idea to listen to the artist’s mission statement, ya dig? I hear tough hardcore breakdowns, I hear deranged Midwest basement punk, I hear modern squirmy punk, I hear wildly primitive sonic abuse. Taking jerky art-punk freakouts (“Fang”), tough guy mid-tempo stomps (“Mimic Chest”), and off-the-rails ‘core (“Wound,” “Parasite”) and making the whole thing sound cohesive and urgent and demanding is no small feat. These deranged Ohio mutants condense Neanderthal hardcore into balls of distorted USHC fury. This is dirty denim with shoelace belts. This is “lost your job because you forgot you were even supposed to go to work.” This is struggling to leave the fukkn house because you just…can’t.

Gatzara Un Dels Nostres 12″

Right, first off, how many frigging record labels want to release this? Because truth be told, having given this a spin, the idea that there’d be this many scrambling to put it out is raising an eyebrow to say the very least. Some very average attempts at anthemic melodic street punk from Barcelona, but to its credit, it at least bowls along at a rate of knots and couldn’t be accused of being plodding. Just very boring, unfortunately.

Guerrilla Teens I Cyclops / Pride of the Savanna 7″

What if Glenn Danzig’s favorite movie as a kid was Rocky Horror Picture Show? And so his favorite music was the soundtrack to Rocky Horror Picture Show? Like, imagine young Danzig going to every midnight showing of the flick, knowing all the little audience participation parts and gags. Right, so this is what his first band probably would have sounded like. Campy horror punk? If I’ve conjured an exciting image in your head, that’s my bad. The actual product here is far from exciting. The A-side might have been saved by a good chorus since the instrumentation is pretty decent, but instead you just get the word “cyclops” shouted a bunch. I’ll just go back to picturing little Danzig in the theater, singing along with Tim Curry instead.

Horde / Out of Phase split LP

Split record from two East German purveyors of extreme heaviness. Grindcore band HORDE delivers everything I like about the genre: crisp, pummeling drums, bass-heavy, ultra-distorted guitar tones, and the filthiest vocals possible. Like INSECT WARFARE or NASUM, HORDE finds the fine line between hardcore and death metal and blasts it apart until their side is over. The snare work is crazy on all these songs, super-tight with incredible transitions that move from blastbeats to D-beats with ease, and a pounding cadence on “Soziopathy” that has to result in occasional torn drum heads. This is grade A grind with a few sidesteps into brutal death metal, like on the sludgy, gurgling “Zentro.” Total ripper. That’s a tough act to follow, but OUT OF PHASE fucking kills it as well, albeit in a different manner. They bring HIS HERO IS GONE-influenced crust that crushes with a thick, fuzzed-out low end, insane drums (do these bands share a drummer? Seriously some of the best I have heard in a while on both sides), and call-and-response anguished, howling vocals. Tracks like “I” and “IV” have snaky guitar leads that add texture to the chaos and make the whole thing sound even more menacing. This rules; a split release where both sides deserve equal play.

Impact Driver The Hustle and Muscle LP

This album was tough to make it through. Oi! is a genre that has to be well-executed to resonate with me. When it hits, it can be powerful, vital even. Bad Oi! can be downright terrible, not to mention the sketchy, hate-driven garbage. I appreciate the fact that IMPACT DRIVER makes their anti-racist stance very clear, but when they sing about watching the country that they “love” go up in flames, they’ve lost me. Nationalism is lame. The music is oddly repellant, too. The playing is sloppy and the singer tries to cram way too many words into the verses. Something about the production is off as well. I can’t tell if it’s mixed poorly or what, but the vocals are absurdly loud and the snare drum is barely audible. Maybe there is something here for diehard Oi! aficionados, but I cannot abide.

Joker The EP 12″

Never has a label had a name more apt than Quality Control (Free Ola), as very few labels are such an obvious stamp of approval than their co-sign. JOKER is no different, and this EP joins that pantheon. A groove-laden metallic hardcore heater, treading that perfect line between riffs for days and bass lines to make even ya granny buss a two-step. It’ll no doubt shock you to learn they take influences from MERAUDER, BULLDOZE, and LIFE OF AGONY, and their tunes reflect this in the best possible way. Couldn’t be recommended more.

Kidder Ki002 cassette

Second cassette release by Japanese post-punk band KIDDER. The band’s first cassette came out in early 2024, and eight months later, they are back with eight more songs of meandering, angular, somewhat tuneless garage-infused post-punk. The songs go on a wee bit long for as repetitive as they tend to get, but all in all, you mostly get a pretty straightforward garage punk rhythm section and noodly indie rock guitar leads.

La Otra Gente / Ojo de Ajo split cassette

LA OTRA GENTE and OJO DE AJO really build off of each other to create a great punk cassette. The artwork for this cassette greatly reminded me of Sister by SONIC YOUTH, but more whimsical. I loved the loud, yelling punk vocals of LA OTRA GENTE, and how they kept a great variety of tempos throughout that didn’t disappoint. With touches of power punk in “Jirafa Ardiendo” and a heavier and slower guitar riff in “Cemento,” they’re able to cover lots of ground. Similarly, OJO DE AJO also had a variety of musical styles in their half of the cassette. They start off with a cool spoken word style in a sludgier track of “Mentiras de Verdad” but transition to a more grunge-y style as well as a kind of heavier shoegaze and then back to classic punk. Wow. They ended with a bang with super heavy guitar that feels like it’s sweeping the ground like a dense fog, combined with great layered screams. Overall, would recommend this to anyone who wants a taste of good modern punk.

Low Card De La Morte / Summer of Death / Yuppie Gore Filth Gusanos, Rencor, Barbarico split CD

Here’s a three-way split from Japan featuring three thrashing but dissimilar bands. This veers from the respectable, if a bit clean, mince from LOW CARD DE LA MORTE to the party thrash punk of SUMMER OF DEATH. The most lo-fi of the bunch, and by extension my favorite, is the filling of the sandwich: YUPPIE GORE FILTH. They bring a sort of misanthropic NO TREND energy, or even first wave black metal (when bands veered closer to thrash with an evil edge). What you’re basically getting with this comp is a lot of songs done in varying styles of thrashing punk to varying degrees of competency. It’s not much more complicated than that, and it doesn’t have to be.

Middle-Aged Queers / The Raging Nathans DCxPC Live Presents, Vol. 20 split LP

It’s such a bummer to me when bands choose to talk shit about sobriety. At the end of the RAGING NATHANS’ set, they talk about how one of the band members quit drinking six to seven years ago and hasn’t had any fun since. The RAGING NATHANS, even in jest, are perpetuating a stereotype that people who don’t drink are incapable of having fun. I just hate that even our punk subculture succumbs to promoting mainstream culture of pressuring people to drink. Support your friends in recovery and generally don’t be a dick. Anyways, the rest of it is decent, though the recording is a bit muddy. The flipside is pretty different. I love how in-your-face, authentic, and self-aware MIDDLE-AGED QUEERS are. During their live set, they use their platform to engage the audience in a chant for their theme song: “We are the queers / The MIDDLE-AGED QUEERS / We are the queers / Go fuck yourself.” Overall, I’m glad it exists, but I like one side much more than the other. These bands are similar musically, but pretty different when it comes to their lyrics.

Nocne Szczury Jarocin ’80 EP

Documenting a 1980 performance by one of Poland’s first punk bands, this 7” was lovingly prepared, packaged with a booklet of photos and liner notes telling the story of the band in both Polish and English languages. Featuring three poppy tunes with lyrics about being among the few punks to exist in Poland at the time, the musical aptitude here is eighth grade talent show-level, but I’m sure these are fond memories for those who were there.

Ortega Fashionista LP

Self-described “DC hardcore art punk lo-fi sweethearts,” ORTEGA throws a lot of chaotic energy into Fashionista, and there are definitely some fun, aggressive moments throughout. However, whatever the band gets right is overshadowed by their singer’s relentless caterwauling. At times he sounds a bit like that guy from MÅNESKIN, but more often it sounds like he’s just yelling to be heard over the noise in the most grating way possible. I’m all for abrasive vocalists—raspy, screechy, ranty, whatever—but this feels less like an artistic choice and more like the rest of the band had to let him join in because his mom owns the practice space. This would be way better as an instrumental. Check out, “Flicker,” if you’re intrigued.

Phosphore BDX 2024 flexi EP

PHOSPHORE from Bordeaux, France released this three-song flexi as a summary of 2024, and it rips. If you’re unfamiliar with PHOSPHORE, then check out their 2023 self-titled full-length, or imagine hardcore D-beat with a Scandi bent sung in French. Blown-out vocals barking over noisy, loud, punk rock. The BDX 2024 flexi seems even noisier and louder, which only further highlights the themes contained within the songs and the disc’s packaging. With each track being just over the minute mark, these songs were destined for many subsequent repeats. If you like full-speed, cacophonous punk, then you better take a trip with PHOSPHORE.

Public Opinion Painted on Smile LP

Sometimes a debut just comes out self-assured and shit-hot, an introduction to a band that knows what it wants to do and does it with aplomb. That’s what we’ve got on our hands with this group who blends a lot of styles together to great effect. We’ve got hard-driving, blue collar punk rock making nice with emo and pop punk that never loses its edge. These are musicians that have played together in other projects which makes sense—it sounds like a group of players who speak each other’s language, and it lends a lived-in depth to the overall sound. This album is doing its own thing, but it does sit alongside contemporaries like MILITARIE GUN who also don’t balk at bringing hardcore energy to dense melodicism. Each song is super-charged and filled to the brim with hooks, just like I like it. The playing is tight and the vocal performances veer from tender to anthemic throat-shredding, often in the same song. All in, this is a real treat and a confident-as-hell debut.

Renegade Leathers In a Pine Box 12″

I feel like this was supposed to be a horror punk record, but one listen to In a Pine Box and I’m just confused. Portland’s RENEGADE LEATHERS hit like a(n almost) psychobilly/melodic gutterpunk hybrid—not swinging enough for the former and far too casual for the latter. There’s a spooky vibe throughout and the vocal trade-offs are enough to keep this listener engaged, but my engagement is limited to wondering if they’re ever going to put their foot on the gas in this sonic hearse and launch us all off a cliff, or if they’re just content cruising casually in the slow lane. The opener “5625 (The Cemetery Song)” sets the bar at height of confusion, hitting like some kind of BELLRAYS buttrock experiment, and then the harmonica on the closer “Pretty River” clashes with the dark, ominous vocals and kinda kills what would otherwise be the best song on the record. There might be something here, but I’m still looking for it.

Shelter Cat 66 Percent Strength LP

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, LEATHERFACE, and almost-Lookout! bands like ONE MAN RUNNING and M-BLANKET are bands I think of when I listen to this. It is hitting in all the right spots but, for me, I have a difficulty with their song “Toothlessness.” The song “Toothlessness” sounds remarkably similar to a THORNS OF LIFE (Daniel Sea, Blake Schwarzenbach, Aaron Cometbus) song called “New York is Giving Me the Creeps.” I get that there are only so many guitar chords, but this goes further than parallel thinking. The band seems to swipe the changes, the vocal cadence, and even lyrics from the song “New York is Giving Me the Creeps.” Maybe because THORNS OF LIFE didn’t ever officially record anything, it seemed open to grab. But,come on, all three of the people in THORNS OF LIFE were in some of the most known Bay Area bands of the punk scene, ranging from G’RUPS, to CRIMPSHRINE, to JAWBREAKER. Each person in the band has their own Wikipedia and IMDb page, for gosh sakes. This entire record feels a bit dishonest to me. I don’t want to be cruel, but fuck it, something smells funny. I now question every song on this LP, and I can’t un-smell it.

Spicy Meatball Spicy Meatball demo cassette

No luck finding much on SPICY MEATBALL on the internet, although now I know where to find some of the best Italian food in Richmond. Anyway, SPICY MEATBALL plays pretty straightforward hardcore punk without any frills or excess. Not much outside of the ordinary here, although the intro to track three (“Esteemed”) has a sort of plodding ’70s hard rock intro that really works in my opinion. A solid first offering.

Swage Swage cassette

SWAGE is from Athens, Ohio, and they have the ability to switch back and forth between slow, heavy crust and some mid-paced and fast punk that is just downright catchy. This demo is also well-recorded, no lack of sound quality on this one. The production is nothing fancy, but it really lets the music shine through. My favorite song on this demo is also their longest, an epic two-minute-and-twenty-one-seconds song called “Our Means.” I know I am going to be waiting and watching for this band to put out more music and tour. Great demo!

Taxi Girls Rainy / The Lion’s Share 7″

While the record sleeve is a little cheesy in my mind, the music is definitely not. This is catchy stuff delivered at a measured pace. If you’re lucky enough to know STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB, you might draw some similarities here. I’d call it straightforward, grinding power punk’n’roll. And as tough as they might want to appear, the music really is kind of pretty. Let’s hear it for Canada, eh?

Telegenic Pleasure Telegenic Pleasure cassette

Fantastic synth punk out of both Londons (Ontario, Canada and England). While the bulk of this cassette is filled with eggy, sugar rush synth spazzouts, there’s an undercurrent of power pop here that really makes things feel huge. The first track, “Sealed Off,” is perhaps the best example of this, with a melody that just soars from start to finish. That’s not to say this is a power pop record by any stretch, but just to highlight that there is way more depth here than what may be conveyed if you just listen to one track. Some DEVO influence seems inevitable as you listen, but with each track you realize the better comparison is any variety of bands from the We Are Not Devo (U.S. Synth Punk 79–84) compilation, or another lost classic like “Trust in Technology” by ADAPTORS. Dive into the deep end with this one and enjoy.

Venganza Damnatio Memoriae LP

Another ripper from the always reliable Discos Enfermos, VENGANZA plays fiery, fist-pumping Spanish punk on their latest LP. Teodoro Hernández included this on his MRR 2024 Year-End list and notes that there is a touch of Burning Spirits influence, which is a more appropriate description than I could come up with. The soaring guitars, breakneck drumming, and rage-fueled vocals make for a collection of songs that sound as angry as they do hopeful. Notable tracks include “Herederx De La Empresa” and the killer RIP cover at the end of the record. A pure distillation of everything there is to love about punk music, highly recommended.

V/A Speed! Lighting 500 LP

Car-themed compilation that I was certain came straight from the ’90s. The label described this slab as ten bands who “sound nothing alike,” and that got a chuckle out of me. I don’t know about that. They all have the surfy rockabilly meets Steve Albini and David Pajo energy that all of the underground Gen X-ers loved 30 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun listen. I’m not even a car guy, and I am very partial to this theme. It’s pure, classic Americana. You know, before Americana became synonymous with AI-generated Facebook posts, cryptocurrency, and white nationalism. All of the stuff mainstream Gen X-ers love now. Damn, Speed. You got me feeling all nostalgic. You win this race.

The Ape-Ettes No Matter What EP

Setting subtle sonic fires in Canada, the APE-ETTES have released an enjoyably silly four-minute EP. Simply put, it’s an uncomplicated listen and friendly to all. Generally mixed with tight tempos, a guitar follows a wave of nonchalant melody, and vocalist Julie maintains as a conductor in a march of confidence-infused singing. No Matter What is garage pop for those who love sweaters, friendship bracelets, and Wes Anderson films. Picking up in pace on “Backseat” and transitioning to French lyrics on “Tocson,” I appreciate the multilingual approach, perhaps a nod to the Franco-Ontarian base operation from which the band stems. A placid EP, this is a fun release worth a listen.

Blistering Dissonance Blistering Dissonance CD

Skate punk out of Asheville that brings to mind the early years of Fat Wreck, sounding a lot like GOOD RIDDANCE and PENNYWISE. Production is sharp, but there are a lot of sloppy moments where it sounds like the guitar is trying to catch up with the drums and vice versa. Nothing really wrong with that, though. It adds to the punk experience. The vocalist is easily the strongest element of this band, charismatic and loud with a whole heap of range. There’s a decent amount of bitingly clever political content here, as well as a couple charming tongue-in-cheek tracks that popped me quite a bit, specifically the potential IGGY POP homage titled “I Wanna Be a Cat.” The closing track “Killing Machine” has an industrial feel to it and is easily the best song on the album. I’d love to hear more of that style from them. All in all, a fun album, but not one I’d see myself returning to often. The kind of band I’d love to see live whenever they rolled through town, though.

Bzdet MGLA cassette

BZDET is a bedroom project from northwest Poland created by an undisclosed synth-rocker. This ten-track cassette is just the latest in BZDET output, and it’s well worth your listen. Upon pressing play, there’s a dance-ready energy that is difficult to deny. Songs range from the dub of “Ogród” to the hopped-up, guitar-driven punk of “Syreny,” with plenty of synth-heavy, darkened bop in between. BZDET slows things down as the cassette nears its end with the closer “Historia” barely reaching the plodding pace, but carrying with it a heavy emotional weight. In all, the MGLA cassette draws from a host of Polish punk sounds, but also has plenty of familiar noise for the Western ear, which makes for an attention-grabbing and incredibly enjoyable listen.

Celestial Sewer Down in the Sink cassette

Shit-fi no wave from (I think) Olympia, consisting of stridently dissonant guitar tones arm-wrestling over unintelligible yelping vocals. You will know within five seconds if you are in or out, and folks, I’m in. Imagine sitting in traffic with your windows up, and the car to your left is blasting MARS and the car to your right is blasting the DEAD C. Let’s also pretend it’s summer with no AC, just to make it a little more uncomfortable. Through the clatter, patterns occasionally reoccur long enough to become catchy, like on the tracks “Bo Bo” and “Local Sherman.” There is a part in opener “Diagonal Angle” where it sounds like someone is rhythmically tuning and detuning their guitar at a very high volume. Pretty boss anti-riff, if you ask me. I admittedly have a high tolerance for the shrill and skronky, but if you get freaky with noise, check this one out right away.

Clown Sounds Par for the Curse cassette

This is the cassette version of the third album for California-based CLOWN SOUNDS. There is an LP version as well, which apparently has a bunch of liner notes and a zine which allegedly explains the concept of this release, none of which are included with the cassette version. I don’t know, it’s an unpleasant mixture of modern pop punk, blues rock, cowpunk, reggae, rock-en-general, and chicken-based song titles and sound clips? An all-around confusing novelty release. Hopefully the LP version is able to shed some light on the confusing aspects of that which is CLOWN SOUNDS.

Detention Dead Rock ‘N Rollers LP

This is early 1980s hardcore punk from New Jersey, and yes, that is the same art as used on Killed By Death #2—DETENTION is also on that album. New Jersey has always been a hotbed of hardcore punk bands. They are the most densely populated state in the country, so of course they are. DETENTION was there at the beginning of the New Jersey hardcore punk scene, and their sound at times is in the same territory as the ANGRY SAMOANS and fellow New Jersey hardcore punkers T.M.A. This collection has their 7″, their mini-LP, and a few unreleased songs to round it out. The highlight is still their classic song “Dead Rock ‘N Rollers,” and it’s nice to have an official copy that I don’t have to pay $500 for. Limited 100 on clear and 200 on black, so if you want this, you probably should not wait to buy it.

Dizzy Daze Glitchy Masterpiece CD

Glitchy Masterpiece, the debut full-length from Tokyo’s DIZZY DAZE, mixes five new tracks with five remixed or re-recorded favorites, delivering a noisy, ’90s garage rock vibe that sneaks up on you with repeated listens. Drawing clear inspiration from DRIVE LIKE JEHU (though without the late Rick Froberg’s vocal assets), the album really hits its stride for me with songs that muscle-in a bit of ’70s proto-punk, like “Evidence.” Despite the band’s cutesy name, the energy here is gritty and fun, even if it eventually had me itching to revisit the classics that sparked it. Available on CD or cassette for your nostalgic pleasure. Check out “Proto-Being.”

EPHS Frayed Flag cassette

Primitive econo-punk from a Pennsylvanian home recording project that has clearly spent some time trawling for scraps in the adjoining junkyards of Messthetics and KBD—the trifecta of cover songs included here (the PRATS’ “Disco Pope,” “Teenagers” from Fred and Toody Cole’s RATS, and “Living on Nerve Ends” by CLEANERS FROM VENUS) is telling. Spartan as hell, with treble-heavy guitar done early MEKONS/BILLY CHILDISH-style, drums that exist somewhere along the continuum of “cardboard box” to “trash can,” but often just sound like (and might be?) one continuously bashed tambourine, and understated bass that actually does most of the work of keeping these eighteen(!) tracks steady on the rails. Alternate mixes of the last six tracks on Frayed Flag were originally released on a cassette called No Riots from 2018, a period in time where there was no shortage of shambling, dole-line post-punk fetishization from modern upstarts, whether it was the SUBURBAN HOMES stripping the likes of the DESPERATE BICYCLES and SWELL MAPS for parts, or PRIVATE SECTOR generating their own blown-out photocopy of “Disco Pope.” The big difference is that those bands were all UK-based and sounded the part, while EPHS is unmistakably American—the blunt, barked vocals in tracks like “No Way” and “Pointless Machine” are firmly rooted in late ’70s/early ’80s US punk (Dangerhouse, et al), with the ragged, speedy crash of “Mr. E.G.O.” and “Subdivision” working an almost URINALS-ish angle. Not too shabby (beyond the obvious).

Freezeheads / Linda & the Losers split EP

On the A-side, FREEZEHEADS give us two tracks of RAMONES-y pop punking with classic chord progressions and repetitive lyrics, complete with some requisite “I don’t wanna”s. Flip it over, and LINDA & THE LOSERS is more of a noisy, LOLI & THE CHONES-type affair, with its simple snottiness and shouted vocal approach. Beer will no doubt be spilled on copies of this record at house ragers in the near future.

Gossip Collar Spinning Silk for Parasites LP

Classic goth, darkwave, post-punk band. Very ’80s-sounding with great gothic lyrics, like “Why does he have no head?” in the track “Midnight Rider” (possibly a nod to their awesome album cover of a headless spectre holding a candle). I can’t decide on my favorite track, but I think it’s between “Seventeen,” which is reminiscent of the CURE, or “Hiding Place” with its great spooky intro. There’s lots of good, classic, gothic bass at the start of a couple songs, and there’s a good balance of distorted guitar in contrast with more melodic and hypnotizing guitar lines throughout the album. Overall, get your eyeliner and black clothes ready, because you’re going to want to become goth after listening to this.

Impotentie Zonder Titel Deze Keer LP

Expertly-played Oi!/post-punk/deathrock from international punks IMPOTENTIE. For having such heavy and thoughtful lyrics addressing racism and colonialism, the band does a good job of keeping things sonically upbeat and accessible. On “Sloop De Grens,” they manage to pull influence from both the RAMONES and BLITZ, while “Die Staan Daar Nog” features a chugging riff that is as tough as it is infectious. This one can’t be recommended enough, for fans of RIXE, FLASH, and ’80s punk in general.

The Losers Land of Opportunity LP

The LOSERS from San Fran play snarling hardcore punk with a foreboding tone that recalls some of the genre’s founding fathers. These classic-sounding tunes are rough-edged and direct, but given to moments of introspection in that early ’80s SoCal kind of way. With lyrics extolling aggravation towards various societal ills, this is aggressive music for cathartic release, armed with plenty of attitude and some pretty sharp riffs. File under “uncannily authentic O.G. HC.”

Malignant Order This is Mankind? demo cassette

Blazing outta London, this is the first release from MALIGNANT ORDER. Featuring a group of individuals who know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to making hardcore punk music (member resumes include STINGRAY, ARMS RACE, GAME, PERMISSION, OBSTRUCT, list goes on), This is Mankind? does not disappoint, firing away on all cylinders for ten or so minutes and laying a long trail of destruction in its wake. This hefty piece is not one to be slept on.