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!

Bug Central And the Fires Began 10″

Gargling bass starts what quickly presents itself as classic UK anarcho-punk. Sort of reminding me of SPITE, or RIOT/CLONE with a KILLING JOKE rhythm to it. Abrasive while equally encompassing a tide of UK82 and some crust influence, BUG CENTRAL hits a SUBHUMANS groove at times as well. This is dancey and slamming. Boots and bristles with a darker veneer. This is clearly composed by maestros from decades of UK punk rock. “Another Vegan Hipster” is cracking me up. BUG CENTRAL pulls no punches, but packs a catchy wallop. SUICIDAL SUPERMARKET TROLLEYS, PIL, RESTARTS, POLICE BASTARD…it has a lot going on. I want to see this band play with PI$$ER. I wish this was the direction ANTISECT went in. This album is earnest and smart. The title track kind of recalls early ENT with more discernible vocals. BUG CENTRAL is gloomy and bright. The cover art is a full-color British street scene, if you mixed CRASS graphic design with Zdzisław Beksiński. Check this out.

Cataphiles Cataphiles LP

A very dark cloud was above Bremen when goth punks CATAPHILES wrote their debut self-titled LP—a quick listen to it is all it takes to prove that punk with goth leanings is still alive and well. The same energy and melancholy can be found on records by the CURE and CHRISTIAN DEATH, who are obvious references but fitting ones. A punkier edge to deathrock and goth did no harm to their sound and elevated it into new sonic spaces, as did the dual male/female vocals and usage of keyboards for gloomier purposes. CATAPHILES will surely stand out in the goth punk scene.

Celebrity Handshake Final Education LP

Attention, weirdos. Portland, Maine’s CELEBRITY HANDSHAKE has released the newest in a long line of shattered, no-fi blues-noise records. Read their other MRR reviews to see how divisive this band can be (and it’s not hard to hear why) with their room-clearing take on art-punk. They sound like a blues band falling down the stairs, every player clinging on to their last strangled pattern. The vocalist is the grouch behind you in line who talks to himself about how long everything takes these days, and how back in his day, kids had respect, etc. Imagine the energy of HARRY PUSSY mixed with U.S. MAPLE mixed with your uncle, and you get the idea. That’s not to say it’s terrible (well, it is terrible, but I think that’s the point); the spoken non-sequitur lyrics like “A dictator without a mustache? / That’s no dictator” and “Take your lunch to work / Flush it down the toilet / You can eat next week / Blame it on the cigarette snake,” sputtered out against the band all trying to solo at the same time, is interesting. If you’re into heavy skronk, check it out. If you like it, you’re in for a treat, because they have released a whole bunch of this stuff.

Cotärd Delirio EP

I have to say, I did not have a clue about either Cotard’s syndrome (some sort of neuropsychiatric condition involving the delusional fear of losing limbs, something like that) nor CÖTARD, the band, before this review. Needless to say that I much prefer the latter, as the aforementioned syndrome did frighten me quite a bit after reading about it online and I spent the night checking whether my limbs were still in place…but then, that is generally what happens when I Google medical conditions (I once thought I had caught the bubonic plague). Let’s stick to punk, shall we? CÖTARD is from San Luis de Potosi in Mexico and Delirio is their first proper vinyl output after two tapes and one CD. The umlaut on the “’o” does suggest that they are not insensitive to Scandinavian music, which does not exactly come as a surprise, since they play relentless, gruff, and hairy crustcore. This is exactly the sort of band that makes me wonder why and how I had not heard of them before, as they are right up my street (figuratively speaking, I looked and they are not actually up the street, sadly). On the bright side, it is very pleasant to be surprised. CÖTARD plays absolutely crushing Scandicrust with hoarse, desperate-sounding vocals in Spanish. I suppose the comparison with a metal-free NAPALM RAID makes sense, as they do share a similar unrelenting fury, not unlike Portland’s DÖDLAGE, either. If you need a more poetic image, let’s say the band sounds like a blown-out version of classic Swedish crustcore, like an electrocuted 3-WAY CUM or SKITSYSTEM, or maybe like SVAVELDIOXID covering DISRUPT while being chased by starving hyenas wearing sunglasses. This is Scandicrust at its most intense—the recipe is classic but the dish, well-executed, is perfect. This EP is a significant improvement upon their previous works and hopefully it will find its way to Europe (to be more accurate, in my mailbox).

Damak Crisis of Faith cassette

A wild ride of a debut full-length release by this trio from Austin, TX. Not the style I initially expected, seeing as it was released by the label that put out the newest records by LIQUIDS and ERIK NERVOUS. DAMAK does their own thing, a jangly, driving, poppy take on modern post-punk. Really catchy songs, beautiful instrumental interludes, unconventional rock instruments like flute, cello, and autoharp peppered through the recording—this is sure to get quite a few more plays on my stereo. Very much looking forward to what DAMAK does next.

En Love Fled EP

Brutal powerviolence from Columbus, OH’s EN LOVE. Clocking in at under ten minutes, the Fled EP is a mosh classic. In what seems to be specifically crafted for the pit, this slab flows perfectly for anyone who is looking to dance their ass off. The EP kicks in slow and low, but immediately jumps into the action. No guitar solos, drums set deep into the pocket, just one homogeneous pile of fervent intensity. Very reminiscent of CLOUD RAT and other modern PV bands. I don’t know if this was on purpose, but the drums are blown out like crazy and it adds so much depth and vigor to an already massive recording. Good stuff here, recommended to anyone who loves newer grind.

Feral / Judy and the Jerks Free Violence split cassette

I’m assuming everyone’s familiar with JUDY AND THE JERKS at this point. They’ve been around since 2017, making a blend of deliriously infectious hardcore that’s somehow both a straight homage to classic American scenes and distinctly contemporary. If it weren’t for them and Earth Girl (the label putting out this cassette), I doubt anyone would think of Hattiesburg, MS as being a punk town (it’s still wild to me how fertile that scene seems to be). Their side of this split is more of what you’ve come to expect from this act. That being said, the production here is much crunchier and more immediate than anything I’ve heard on their past releases. So, these five mainly sub-one-minute rippers really pack a wallop. FERAL shares 50% of its members with JUDY AND THE JERKS, who’re also maybe Atlanta-based now, so it’s not surprising that their side bears a lot in common with JUDY AND THE JERKS’ sound. But FERAL is a little less straightforward. The guitar and vocals on these four tracks are often bathed in effects that give their sound more of a psychedelic sheen. Reminds me a bit of the weird hardcore we got in the early 2010s from acts like GUTTER GODS. Both sides are great—definitely worth your time!

Ghidrah Invincible Deluxe LP reissue

Blessing GHIDRAH’s ’96 CD with a vinyl release, this record commemorates the 25th anniversary of the veteran New Zealand band’s debut. With a sharp new remastering courtesy of Dead Air Studios, this slab showcases 21 blasts of rowdy hardcore that are punctuated by random TV, movie, and video game sound bites. That structure was typical for powerviolence albums in the 1990s, and while the music here touches on that style with a few healthy blastbeats, there are other flavors at play that are hard to ignore. This is more of a primal and expressive sort of chaos in the vein of SUN CHILDREN SUN, complete with a good bit of brass cacophony. It’s a heavy, heavy racket that goes into a range of moods. There’s also a baked-in sense of strangeness that makes me think of the BUTTHOLE SURFERS, and the song “Can’t Undo” with its yearning indie melody and spoken-word overlays reminded me of the closing “Tugena” on the DEAD MILKMEN’s Big Lizard LP. An unlikely stew, but it’s a raw and original document that deserves the celebration.

Haren Demo 2022 cassette

HAREN is a three-piece band from Murcia, Spain, and their demo tape is (also) released by Educacion Cíncia from Buenos Aires. A quick note on current tape labels such as Educacion Cíncia: they keep punk fresh. It is impossible to keep up with how many random bands there are with streamable records, yet for those whom a physical release is still important, tape labels have become more handy than ever. It gets better when they are focused on a local scene and function as a platform for the bands to show off. Tapes are cheap and small, ship easily, still look alright and allow a lot of mastering bullshit. What better format, right? I also dig the fanzine-esque promo that is written by the label of this release. But back to HAREN: They play street punk/Oi!, but uptempo and with enough dirt that it swings into the UK82 sound with a significant amount of melodies. Don’t expect blazing energy, it’s much more rudimentary and therefore predictable. But how many variations are there for power chords? While the songs do not offer anything extraordinary, HAREN does not slip into becoming background music. There is an elusive determination behind their playing that demands attention and feeds their simple melodies to my brain. It’s capital-letter punk music—if you played it for a mohawk owner, they would start to move. The guitars play dense-to-bouncy and mid-tempo, and the vocals add a bit of a hymn-like feel to each track. This is a decent tape, proving that punk is still accessible and showing how putting yourself into your music can improve your songs no matter how simple they are.

Home Front Games of Power LP

Upon the release of their 2021 EP Think of the Lie, Edmonton, Canada’s HOME FRONT brought something new to the table in an already diverse modern punk scene: a new wave sound drenched in catchy synth and nods to some of the ’80s greatest. Masterminds Graeme Mackinnon and Clint Frazier delivered songs with hooks that could go toe-to-toe with nearly any one-hit wonder of the era. It comes as no surprise, then, that with their debut LP Games of Power, HOME FRONT has pulled out all of the stops and it pays off in spades. This is a lovingly crafted album full of wall-to-wall hits that not only continues the trajectory HOME FRONT set out on with their debut, but takes it to soaring heights, incorporating nearly every benchmark of the new wave and post-punk eras. Opener “Faded State” and second track “Real Eyes” were wisely the first two tracks available before the album dropped, and give a good idea of where things are heading, but even the perfect pop sparkle of the former and the propulsive post-punk grit of the latter cannot prepare the listener for what’s ahead. Track three (“Nation”) is an Oi!-infused family affair, featuring vocals from Cal of the CHISEL as well as members of RIXE on backing vocal duties. Typically the word “anthemic” feels overused and trite, but here it fits quite nicely. Stuffed to the brim with icy synths and righteous indignation, this one will do well with a live crowd. Highlights elsewhere include “Contact,” a euphoric ode to the end of the world that shimmers like a NEW ORDER single at the end of a John Hughes film, “Crisis,” a Krautrock-y second spin down KRAFTWERK’s Autobahn, and the album’s crown jewel, title track “Games of Power.” It’s a dazzling, beat-laden groove straight out of the Haçienda during peak Madchester. Rarely does a song get an immediate second spin from me, but this one demands it. It cannot be understated: HOME FRONT’s songwriting is superb. They have a sound that is familiar and authentic without teetering into parody, only tasteful homage. Both Ian Curtis and Alan Vega receive heartfelt love letters via “End Transmission” and “Born Killer,” respectively. Both are so deftly put together that you can easily forget it isn’t JOY DIVISION or SUICIDE playing from the speaker. Therein lies the beauty of Games of Power: it lovingly celebrates a genre while pushing it forward into a modern age. HOME FRONT is no throwback, they are the future.

Komplex Viny Suita Pro Nové Konce EP

KOMPLEX VINY is a band from the Czech Republic that plays some killer crust punk tunes. The powerful vocals are backed with furious but complex riffs and smashing drums. This is one of those 7″ records you can spend hours listening to over and over again. Each song is unique, so KOMPLEX VINY avoids the trap of writing songs that all sound somewhat similar, and the sound is something totally exclusive to these rockers. If I had to compare KOMPLEX VINY to other sounds, I’d hazard to say it’s all of the best global crust noises distilled into a palatable but commanding recording. There are familiar riffs and fills, but KOMPLEX VINY also manages to reshuffle certain elements to create a very refreshing presentation. The song “Dno za Dnem” even manages to fit a bit of Oi! into it without going full gang vocals. Overall, I highly recommend this one!

LDMA / The Seeker split EP

France versus Italy, in a ring called powerviolence. LMDA delivers a brutal ham-slapping of vicious modern powerviolence almost stepping into grindcore territory, complete with all the tropes of the genre: movie samples, INFEST vocals, start/stop motions, everything one can expect. The SEEKER takes a more chaotic approach but also goes heavy on the trope usage. Powerviolence the way it’s supposed to be, rooted in hardcore punk, not just breakdowns followed by blasts.

Machiavellian Art Indoctrination Sounds LP

From the midriff of England, MACHIAVELLIAN ART resembles FLIPPER and TODD trapped in outer space, with their faces rapidly purpling and someone’s voice box changing so he sounds like he’s fronting some HOAX kinda mysterious hardcore band. Must be tons of reverb up there too, because you can’t make out much of what Benjamin Thomas is hollering about, but you hear most of it several times over. Indoctrination Sounds, arriving nearly four years after the band’s sole previous release (a six-song tape, which you get with the digital version of this LP), is nasty noise rock with sax and freeform jam segments, but also—because you may have heard music which answers to that description before—a stamp of individuality. Goth basslines and black metal guitar tones lurk, then reach out to grab your ankle, and the title track almost ends up in RIGOROUS INSTITUTION territory. There’s some SNOB and VILE SECT folks in the band, and I have no idea if that’ll push you into investigating (though it should) or makes for especially helpful sonic pointers, but whatever leads you to this release is good by me.

Night Vision The After LP

The musical “Intro” of this release sounds like the opening credits for the cheesiest ’80s slasher film, and then the thrash starts. This French band clearly loves the ’80s, because of the occasional samples and weird synth interludes between tracks. They vacillate between hardcore and thrash effortlessly. “Shower,” in particular, is reminiscent of early SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. Other tracks feel more like D.R.I. and fellow Europeans CRIPPLED FOX. Lots of great thrash coming out of Europe lately. Every track is tight, fast, and  clocks in under two minutes, perfect to skate or slam to.

Psychrophore Why Should We Care? LP

Melodic punk from this Lille, France band that really doesn’t do it for me. The band is tight enough, as mostly uninspired three-chord punk goes, but the vocals are distracting, and the lyrics are sincere and simplistic to the point of amateurishness. Imagine a husky-voiced, femme Axl Rose fronting TILT. The vocal delivery is just not a fit. The lyrics rhyme so precisely that I stopped reading them out of secondhand embarrassment. For example: “There was this boy / He wasn’t interested in school / He didn’t care about what was deemed cool / He didn’t mind being taken for a fool / All he wanted was to play music on his stool.” That’s some rough-draft songwriting there. I will say that the tracks were self-recorded, and the production sounds great; nice and thick. But this is something I will not listen to again.

Pus Pus II LP

A dark Peruvian chamber under a tomb is where we descend with this LP. Raw, distorted, fast-paced, dark blackened hardcore punk that will drive you mad. You can tell they are looking toward chaos and blackened deathrock and punk. A hellish voice echoing from an abyss, chanting deep, desperate screams in a gloomy hardcore atmosphere. Heavily recommend seeing the band live, tearing everything apart. Savage, dark realms from the grave from one of the Latin American bands that has managed to synthesize their own true sound of deathrock and blackened punk. Suggested tracks: “Fosa Común,” “Danza Sombría,” and “Noche.” One of my current projects (EMBOSCADA) did a split with these crazy people, and we are now cursed. A modern must-listen for MOROI and NOSFERATU followers, and seekers of darker sounds in hardcore punk.

Rabid Delusion Rabid Delusion demo cassette

This shit sounds so unbelievably wild, I don’t even know where to start. Blown-out hardcore with ramshackle crust vibes that are masked by the absolutely bombastic recording. I’m not even sure if there’s a guitar (except for the solos), the bass sounds like…I don’t fukkn know man, but not a normal bass…and the vocals land somewhere between GRUMPIES and NAUSEA. Total sonic overload is exactly what DIY punk needs and that’s exactly what Ohio’s RABID DELUSION delivers. Really want to hear where this band goes next.

Rekäl Part One cassette

I’m speechless, a little confused, though I’m surely smiling; let me explain…any fans of ’50s sci-fi paperbacks and sludge metal? Look no further than Providence, Rhode Island’s REKÄL, who have pulled every lyric from Philip K. Dick’s “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” short story, and put it to mid-tempo, greasy, and distorted sludge punk (though it sounds pretty metal to me). I can’t say this will be hailed as a favorite of mine, but as someone who does enjoy the ’50s sci-fi thing, filled with stories of Martian expeditions, rayguns, and people getting left in space, I like what’s happening on this cassette. Liner notes read “all music by E. J. Dick”—a coincidence? A dramatic name change? A relation? Color me curious. Part Two coming soon.

Restos Fósiles Transparente LP

Slick, catchy, melodic emo punk from Buenos Aires that immediately reminded me a little of TUESDAY or something of that ilk. A bit more clean and pretty than I prefer, but there’s something about this that makes me want to listen more. I can’t tell if it’s because I slightly enjoy it, or if it’s because it reminds me of something specific and it’s bothering me that I can’t figure it out.

Sarin Reaper Sarin Reaper demo cassette

Four tracks of unhinged-sounding D-beat with a little of the wailing vocals and guitar I associate with crust and black metal. The band places the emphasis on delivery with the instruments melting into a wave of feedback and fuzz. The song titles and lyrics reference an infamous sexual assailant and anti-Jewish violence. In general, I dislike when bands flirt with this kind of imagery in such a morally ambiguous way.

Sørdïd Sørdïd demo cassette

From 2011–2013, I spent an exorbitant amount of time going to NYC gigs that featured offensively raw hardcore punk. Bands like BORTGANG, ZATSUON, and PERDITION were an average night out, so to say I like SØRDÏD would be a total understatement. This demo sounds and feels like a subway train disaster, which is exactly how I’d expect it and want it. The guitar has that sound of having dumped a bowl of Rice Krispies and angry locusts into the monitors, while the rhythm section keeps the entire project from thrashing itself apart with heavy bass delivery and annihilating beats. The opening track “Blankhead” features a guitar solo that is relatively clean, but also incredibly grimy. The final track of this demo, “Idle Hope,” closes with a sound sample that could easily be ripped from a CRAZY SPIRIT track, and puts a heavy exclamation point on the statement SØRDÏD makes with this demo.

Speed Plans Statues of God LP

It’s always cool when bands can go super old-school without sounding like a wishy-washy imitation, and Pittsburgh’s mighty SPEED PLANS hit that description right on the noggin with whiplash-inducing results. These sixteen tornados of meaty hardcore are strewn with restless guitars and captured with a basement sound that makes this killer LP worthy of a spot right behind your favorite O.G. ’80s records. Commanding tracks like “Jesus Christ” and “Make Them Watch” are an instant win, and this type of authentic fury only gets better with every spin.

Swab Big City LP

Melbourne is a hot hub of hardcore punk nowadays—SWAB and their label, Hardcore Victim, are living proof of it. The band has just released their first album after a demo and an EP. Their latest work is a really fun record: thirteen songs in fifteen minutes of straightforward, direct, abrasive punk with no pretensions, artistic approaches, or pseudo-metaphysical lyrics. What could you expect of songs like “Hippies Still Exist (And I Hate Them),” “Pills in My Mouth,” or “A Real Punk”? They sound like a kid erupting in a childish tantrum, urgent but carefree, with a sloppy vibe but precise execution. No bullshit, just quality hardcore punk.

Why Bother? There are Such Things cassette

The latest in a slew of releases by Mason City, Iowa’s WHY BOTHER?, There Are Such Things is a cassette collection of songs from previous small-batch cassette/lathe releases, as well as five new tracks specific to this tape. The A-side, filled with the more straightforward new songs, is the beauty of this tape to me, with the B-side getting a little too artsy/avant-garde for this knucklehead’s tastes. All in all, it’s a very cool collection and shows the versatility of this somewhat uncategorizable band. They continue to toe the intersection of post-punk, synth punk, garage rock, art-punk, and whatever other sub-genres you care to throw at them. Dare I say, WHY BOTHER? trying to categorize them? An incredibly interesting and prolific modern band that deserves your attention. Hop to it and give this a listen!

Zone Infinie Atomisés LP

What a pleasant surprise; I’m so glad ZONE INFINIE came into my orbit. Having not heard them before, I was expecting more of an icy post-punk style like fellow Frenchmen BLEAKNESS or SYNDROME 81. Instead, it sounds like a mix of the CLASH and the JAM with a sprinkle of CAMERA SILENS for good measure. I mean seriously, the singer sounds like Strummer or Weller, depending on the song. Checkout the final track “En Plan,” with one of the best hooks I’ve heard in a minute, accompanied by girl group handclaps and clean and crisp guitar leads. Excellent stuff.

V/A Between the Coasts cassette

Heck yeah, this tape shreds! As you might guess from the title, Between the Coasts is a compilation of bands from the Midwest area of the ol’ US of A. Just when it seems like the big-city bands get all the glory, a release like this pops up to remind us that hardcore punk is alive and thriving in less obvious places. Featuring twelve bands contributing a single track each, this comp is chock full of stone-cold rippers. Highlights include vital cuts from RABIES BB, BIG LAUGH, WEAK PULSE, and ZHOOP. There’s a smattering of more eclectic numbers to keep things fresh, but front to back, there ain’t a dull moment to be found. Do yourself a favor and check this one out. 

Ättestor / Zero Again The Ä to Z of Ignorance, Indifference and Apathy EP

Brighton’s ÄTTESTOR made me feel anxious from the start—self-described ADHD-beat punks deliver straight-for-the-throat hardcore punk with a decidedly erratic bent that will make you clench your fists unconsciously. On the flip, ZERO AGAIN from Bristol goes heavier, goes darker, and paints a bleak sonic picture over their two tracks. The chorus riff in “Damaged Goods” is a should-be classic, and the entire song seems to set the tone for the unleashing of fury that fills the final 30 seconds. Not only is there no filler on this split, there’s barely time to take a fukkn breath.

Be All End All A Further Life flexi EP

This four-song flexi EP is the newest release from Florida’s BE ALL END ALL. This release goes in hard and unrelenting, a mix of whirlwind fastcore and bludgeoning heavy hardcore—a mix that proves to be very potent, with roaring, hoarse shouting on top of the chaos, along with some guttural death growling in spots as well. An incredibly vicious and abrasive release that comes highly recommended.

Bulbulators Nie Nie Nie LP

Long-running Polish label Enigmatic is back on the scene after a fourteen-year hiatus from 2005 to 2019. Curiously, they chose to resurrect the BULBULATORS’ second full-length album from 2002, and reissue it on vinyl. Free of any nostalgic ties to this release, I struggle to get my head around why this needed to be dredged back up. That said, after a few spins, I admit that some of the songs have started to grow on me. There is a certain charm to the way they blatantly ape first-wave punk like the VIBRATORS or RAMONES. And while the BULBULATORS don’t actually sound much like either of those bands, it is clear that they genuinely embraced the spirit of ’77. I have a feeling that this album may, for some, inspire a glue-sniffin’ trip down the gutter of memory lane. For my part, I’ll stick with my worn-out copy of Pure Mania.

Cinderblock Breathe the Fire LP

CINDERBLOCK was an early ’90s hardcore band from Buffalo, NY whose members would go on to bands like EARTH CRISIS, SNAPCASE, TERROR, etc. Unlike the more metallic sounds of those bands, this collection of songs is much more melodic-leaning. These songs were originally written back in the early ’90s but recorded fairly recently, giving a fresh outlook to a throwback sound. I find myself going back for repeated listens, although I could see this not appealing to everyone.

Crime of Passing 2017–2020 cassette

Welcome to the synth/noise-laden post-punk world of CRIME OF PASSING; a combination of members from the DRIN and the SERFS. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, CRIME OF PASSING occasionally calls to mind fellow Ohioan MY DEAD IS DEAD. The amount of synth packed into this cassette is deep: drone tones, electronic drums, and harmonious keyboard runs. The song “Eleventh Hour” manages to squeeze in some saxophone, which only encourages the feeling of bummed-out gloom. “Dancing Prick” has a very CURE-ish riff and vocal delivery, if you’re into that. Towards the end of the cassette, “Don’t Turn” kicks off with a lo-fi drum machine beat that initially reminded me of HE SAID, but when the vocals kick in, it’s an ireful delivery more reminiscent of SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES. If you’re a fan of dark-spectrumed post-punk with a barrage of electronic instruments, then I highly recommend this cassette.

Crüel Night / Disdain Alászállás split LP

A filthy, filthy split coming from Hungary with two bleak bands. CRÜEL NIGHT opens hostilities with a B-movie-esque intro to set a dystopic tone for this split effort. Their side tells a story of suicide, so a heavy, hard-hitting, darkened crust approach ridden with blastbeats was taken. The interludes that live between the songs evolve into a more industrial space and even touch on dungeon synth. DISDAIN goes for a more raw approach, following the legacy of English crust like EXTREME NOISE TERROR or DOOM. The interlude usage continues on their side as well, painting another picture of horror and giving this split a narrative to follow.

Dead Low Not for Sale EP

Four blasts of mid-paced street rock’n’roll with a melodic undercurrent. Did this band time travel from the ’90s? It’s like they were drinking at a pub with the WRETCHED ONES and fell into a wormhole that dumped them out onto a grimy modern-day Massachusetts sidewalk. One thing’s for sure, DEAD LOW won’t be accused of breaking new ground. The guitarist’s flirtation with metal is a trifle unnerving and the production is overwrought, but they do pack a punch with solid musicianship and anthemic shout-along choruses. If you ever felt like the TEMPLARS were too stripped-down, this might be worth a spin.

End Forest E.N.D. LP

I like a record that demands a dedicated listen, and E.N.D. does exactly that. A project featuring more than 20 artists, END FOREST creates crushing, sample-drenched soundscapes and patiently delivers meticulously crafted otherworldly hardcore. NEUROSIS and SWANS influences are evident (MORNE and THEMA ELEVEN, as well), but hear the horns on “Ulsce Dudh” and know you’re listening to something entirely different. As a project and a concept, END FOREST is commanding…but as an album? Fucking spiritual.

Fatal Wound Fatal Wound demo cassette

Mean-as-fuck brutal hardcore that rules. If you like CITY HUNTER, or GAOLED’s excellent demo from last year, get on this. Most of the tracks are blistering fast punk with distorted bass and full-throated roaring vocals. There are enough dynamic shifts to keep it fresh, like the occasional thrashy divebomb solos and the creepy-crawl pummeling of “Senseless Slaughter.” In addition to some of the metallic guitarwork, FATAL WOUND takes some underground metal cues with the grim artwork and hard-ass photocopied Gothic font on the back. Check out the track names: “Pathetic Worm,” “Merciless Despair,” and the best, “Skinned for Sport.” Fuckin’ “Skinned for Sport.” What a stone-cold Grim Reaper title! If you are having a bad day, give it power and make it terrible with this absolute ripper of a demo.

Final Dose World Prisoner / Void Inside flexi 7″

World Prisoner feels like a final scream, an agonic yell from a post-apocalyptic, dying world. The guitars form a devastating wall of sound that kind of numbs you, like a steamroller rolling over you. I think they’ve listened to a lot of LEBENDEN TOTEN, because FINAL DOSE has some of that anguished anger in their music too, which they like to call “blackened hardcore.” I can’t really understand the second track, an electronic elevator song that doesn’t really do much for me. An interesting band to keep on your radar.

Greyhound Scorched Earth cassette

Is it hard for anyone else out there to relax? With the doomy vibes weighing heavy in all the same ways (climate in crisis, bloated military spending, killer cops, bigotry and violence), it takes a lot to get me to take a deep breath of relief. But that’s exactly what I got out of this stunning full-length of crisp, ripping hardcore from this Oakland group. There’s a distinct Bay Area grit to these eleven cuts, captured perfectly in the band’s rehearsal space and mixed/mastered/released by themselves. It hits hard as nails—there’s heft in the low end and clarity in the guitars, something other home recorders could take some notes on. On top of that, the songs bleed with passion and cut through the crowded HC landscape with ingenious guitar work that consistently caught me off guard. On top of all that, all the band’s proceeds (including T-shirt sales) go toward G.L.I.T.S., so while the world may be a miserable place, GREYHOUND is out there doing the good work. Real deal.

Gurs Tierra Quemada EP

Tierra Quemada is the impeccable debut of this quartet from Euskal Herria, born from the politicized underground of Bilbao. Four songs of muscular post-punk, with well-sharpened guitars and a very rich melodic quality, delivered in a very energetic fashion. Lyrics are political but full of rapturous, poetic images. For fans of Spanish bands like LA TRINIDAD or BIZNAGA. “Cien Cuchillas” is a great gateway to this band with a very promising future.

Heavy Mother This Time Around LP

This Bloomington outfit features an original member of the GIZMOS and some of the COWBOYS and, if I understand the weird write-up correctly, is a resurrected old band from the ’70s. It’s pretty close to some of the GIZMOS in sound, but leaning more towards the SEEDS and SONICS’ (whom they cover) garage with maybe a little NEW YORK DOLLS or HEARTBREAKERS thrown in, like on “Don’t Talk To Me.” Drinking corn liquor in a field and heading to a roadhouse is the vibe here, and that’s not a bad thing at all. Skip the hangover and pick this up instead.

ICD10 Faith in Institutions LP

Big movers from a few different nooks of the Philadelphia punk scene make up ICD10 on Faith in Institutions, their debut album following a self-released 2020 tape. Feels like this has flown under the radar a little, if anything, with the main POISON RUÏN dude and ex-SHEER MAG and DEVIL MASTER heads among the five members, but I’m going to chalk it up to Sorry State releasing the album two days before Christmas, because this is pretty ripping hardcore for rockers that splits the difference between heads-down charge and swirly psychedelic skygazing. ICD10 would be a pretty solid modern-classic HC band à la, say, MURO if they’d eschewed the hefty reverb on the vocals and other trippy FX, but those elements add a whole new dimension, with the guitarists going especially hog-wild for four minutes on LP closer “Can’t See Out.”

Kalle Hygien The Raft LP

I can tell you with close to 100% certainty that if I didn’t have an obligation to listen to this record, I wouldn’t have. Even if I somehow made it past this MEAN JEANS-ass record cover, I’m positive I would have shut it off within a few seconds of the jokey PET SHOP BOYS-meets-SLEAFORD MODS opener “The Raft.” This just isn’t the kind of shit I’m looking for when digging into any record, let alone one that purports to be punk. But we’re here to give this thing a fair shake, so let’s soldier on. KALLE HYGIEN appears to be the solo project of Kalle Jansson, whom you may know from the Swedish garage rock act the MANIKINS. This is the first LP from the project after a handful of EPs of aggro drum machine punk. But don’t go into this expecting more of the same! Aside from “Dope Him Up,” a cool rinky-dink dum-dum electro-punk number, this record bears little resemblance to his earlier releases. It actually sounds more like the GORILLAZ or an early BECK album. The winky rapping on “Snake in My Garden” has some punk bite to it, but it’s impossible not to imagine Damon Albarn yawning out that chorus. And the production on “Surprise Party”—one of the record’s highlights—really reminds me of the DUST BROTHERS maximalism you’d find on Odelay. Other tracks touch on chintzy ’90s neo-exotica or budget Red Mecca experimentation. Most of the tracks, even the ones I really dislike, are compositionally impressive, even catchy. They’re just not very punk. Probably worth checking out—I really did enjoy bits of it—but I wouldn’t blame you if you bail partway through.

Los Yndeseables Escapa del Control / Asquerosa Sociedad 7″

Raw mid-’80s electro-punk solo project from Kimba Vilis, who was simultaneously the drummer for Peruvian RAMONES disciples LEUSEMIA and Dangerhouse-ish punks DELIRIOS KRÓNIKOS, although the lo-fi industrial rattle he offered up as LOS YNDESEABLES couldn’t be further from visions of leather jackets and sniffing glue. LOS YNDESEABLES’ home-recorded 1985 demo is regarded as one of the first artifacts of Peruvian DIY but was never actually released until Buh put it on vinyl earlier this year, and this 7” completes the history lesson with two songs from the demo that were re-recorded in a studio later in 1985 for the landmark Vol. 2 tape comp. Both tracks are five-minute-plus creepy crawls through the same grimy electro-underworld occupied by fellow freaks like CHROME, SPK, CABARET VOLTAIRE, the NORMAL, etc., with menacing vocals, trebly no wave guitar strangulation, bass lines that would be eminently danceable if they weren’t so murky, warbling blurts of synth, and the monotonous tick of a rhythm machine—they could have easily come out on a label like Industrial or Mute or M Squared in the ’80s, while LOS YNDESEABLES were forging their own post-punk underground in Peru without the benefit of physical media. Really cool to see this rescued from the abyss of time.

Lost Legion Bridging Electricity 10″

Three brawny bruisers of the harder end of Oi!-influenced hardcore here, with luminaries from FUERZA BRUTA, among others. Gravel-gargling vocals and a sound that suggests ARMS RACE having a go at (saxophone-less) French Oi!—add a leftfield GO-GO’S cover into the mix, and you have a very promising first release.

Memory Ward Memory Ward cassette

Phoenix’s MEMORY WARD really leaves a mark with this cracking debut tape. Filled with blown-out agile and angular riffage, and pounding, primitive drums, this is some red-hot noisy hardcore. The warped thrashing partially buries the vocals that are bellowed, gnashed, and dripped through a broken bullhorn, resulting in a raw and caustic sound that’s reminiscent of Virginia rippers BLACK BUTTON at their nastiest. Great stuff, I’ll be looking out for more.

Neurotypicals Something in the Attic cassette

This Jackson, MS act ends this cassette, their second release after their July 2022 demo, with two covers—the NERVES’ “Paper Dolls” and WIPERS’ “Mystery.” I don’t think either track works particularly well (I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a WIPERS cover), but it should give you a rough sense of what these folks are going for on the rest of the cassette. And I think it mainly works! Most of the six originals, although played much faster than either of the bands they’re covering, do kind of blend Sage’s straightforward, oddball melodic punk with the more overt pop of the NERVES. It ends up sounding a bit like a more fucked MARKED MEN, thanks in part to a tinny boombox production and some loose overdubs. I dig it! They do throw you one curveball, though. “Janie Says” is this weird semi-reinterpretation of the VELVET UNDERGROUND’s “Sweet Jane” mixed with the similarly named JANE’S ADDICTION track—an odd woozy ballad that runs for over four minutes smack dab in the middle of a bunch of sub-two-minute scorchers. At the very least, I guess it’s interesting.

Official Hooligans 29 Years Wasted CD

This is some prime ’90s (the new ’70s) CT lo-fi trash dug up from the muck. They had another song from their legit first release included on a foggy-lensed, look-back ’90s comp, thus the new interest. I could totally see them on a bill with the SPITES or BASEBALL FURIES. “Percocet” is charming as hell, but a recorded “Sex Bomb” cover is unnecessary. Definitely worth a spin.

Prison Affair Demo III EP

Barcelona’s egg-punk referents PRISON AFFAIR released this four-track EP (their killer third demo) on Under the Gun Records from East L.A. in September 2022—deep, psychotic bass lines plus the most heavily dubbed synth mayhem. On the first track “Big Bottom Baby,” you get the feeling of descending into the prison of an internet tube. Addictive eggy, thrashy synth trances are here, with steady, monotonous vocals jumping through the fast-paced melodies, achieving complexity and implying layers in their sound as they mix theme songs with crazy catchy tracks. This gives them the title of the current kings of the eggy situation. Suggested tracks: “Big Bottom Baby” and “Nice Guys.”

Psyop Permanent Underclass cassette

PSYOP plays USHC while folding in the usual pairings: a thrash metal riff here, a beatdown interlude there, and of course, some brief, grindcore/Cookie Monster woofing from the vocalist. The songs sound good, in no small part because of the drummer, who fires off all the standard beats and rhythms seamlessly. The lyrics tilt more towards the political than the nihilistic. For fans of vegan potlucks and union drives.

Repo Fam Venus Fly cassette

This feels a little bit over my head, to be completely honest. It is my opinion that for songs of any genre of music to be memorable, there must be a “hook” of some sort to keep the listener engaged. The definition of a “hook,” in my mind, is incredibly loose, as you can find them in the grimiest of punk music, the most intense of extreme music—they exist truly everywhere. The REPO FAM songs on this cassette almost feel as if any sort of “hook”’ has been intentionally taken out of them, and yet I am still feeling inclined to refer to this as pop music. I’m having a bit of an existential crisis over here about it. Can pop music exist without any semblance of pop sensibility? I don’t know that I have the answer to this question. Listen to these eight songs of avant-garde New York City music yourself and see if you can help me understand.

Rumor Kontrol Here are the Facts cassette

I can candidly say that this release will not be for everyone, but I absolutely love what I will affectionately dub “bedroom punk”—hardcore drum machine madness from RUMOR KONTROL’s maiden voyage, Here are the Facts. DIY as all hell. Fast and gritty guitar that sounds like it’s being played from an old practice amp. I don’t want to mince words, I mean this as a compliment. Although I champion all things lo-fi and DIY, I didn’t notice the bass until much later in the album; my only complaint is that it should be a little louder in the mix. But other than that, this is pure rock’n’roll rawness right here. No ego bullshit, straight to the point.