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ROLLSPORTGRUPPE have a nice bounce to their pretty trad rock. Or maybe it’s mod? The guitars have a dash of distortion and, with the drums, create some driving but uniquely restrained rock’n’roll. The vocals are pleasing yet hoarse and urgent. Don’t get me wrong, this is no snooze-fest, my foot was tapping the whole time. But the band holds back and lets the rhythms, stops, and starts do the work. The whole thing has a soft, almost whimsical tone.
Reviewing a record feels a little like dissecting a body at times—well, without the nasty smells and the graceless medical gown you tragically cannot sew patches onto. You first have to gently lay the record on the table and, before proceeding to the actual listening, you have to check and analyze, with medical precision, the visible clues of a given punk subgenre and its signifiers. This particular band is called SEPSIS, a nasty word for infection. They use a hairy font and the EP’s cover displays a gloomy Lovecraftian humanoid creature, drawn in an old-school death metal style, holding in its tentacled paw what looks like an agonizing human head. So yeah, not a skacore band. SEPSIS is from Melbourne/Naarm, and The Divide was released on Hardcore Victim, a brilliant label dealing in quality crasher hardcore noise crust punk. With such scientific observations in mind, I can claim, before even putting the record on the turntable that, congratulations, it is a crust record! And I love a good old-school crust record—no, I crave good old-school metallic crust records, and this band precisely belongs to that school of thought. SEPSIS is an all-female band that works on the classic “DOOM revisiting ANTI-CIMEX in a cave” template, with a revival stenchcore toolbox borrowed from AFTER THE BOMBS and a vibe not dissimilar to that of ARMISTICE. The recording could do with a bit more power, but it is dark, aggressive, and groovy enough to reach a solid level on the international scale of crustness. The shouted vocals are angry but comprehensible (to an extent, we’re not dealing with pop punk here) with an ’00s feel maybe, the guitar has that perfect crunch, and even the creature on the cover feels like a mate after these four songs. Now give us an LP. Ace.
Parma, Italy won’t stop surprising us with their garage punk releases, like their fellow residents DADAR (more egg-punk, but still on the same wavelength). On this occasion, we have SHITTY LIFE delivering a frantic, fast-paced garage punk seven-track EP, full of energy, histrionic high-pitched guitars, and consonant screaming vocals very much singing along with the band’s overall rhythm. Reverb and tone changes are on-point, with a good non-stop drumming. Tune your chitarrino for this one. Favorite track: “In the Corner,” the one instrumental song, as it gives me a new wave feeling somehow related to skating and roaming the streets with friends; solid good.
Since 2017 or so, SIAL has put out great record after great record, each one summoning more rage mixed through burning, buzzing psychedelic noise. The Singaporean band’s recent EP Sangkar brings more groove and swagger than I have noticed on their past releases. Case in point: the ripping opener “Tali” that is a can of deep bass drums, long, delayed reverb and…what is that? A tambourine? This record continues on with aural infectiousness. The track “Sia Sia” is ripping end to end with a hand-clapping break in the middle of the song. Perfect and just off the D-beaten path enough to bring a different perspective.
The Aussie one-man, Drew Owen-like multi-band force returns with his egg-punk power pop project TEE VEE REPAIRMANN. In case you’re ignorant or just don’t care about supportive plastic footwear, this is Ishka Edmeades, who does the genre-crossing neo-garage-meets-hardcore projects RESEARCH REACTOR CORPORATION and GEE TEE, among other popular combos. It’s pretty damn catchy, and old spiky punks might find themselves nodding along as they grumble. Besides the contemporary Mark Cone-ish correlation, this could be juxtaposed as a DEVO meets MIRRORS (CLE) meets the ONLY ONES being played in the mall scene in Valley Girl. “Time To Kill,” “Drowning,” and “Get Outta Here” are tops. It’s selling out as we speak, so don’t be a geek or embrace your inner one. Snag a copy today.
The four members of YFORY converged in Berlin from disparate corners of the world (and from a veritable A-list of hot-shot contemporary punk groups like GOOD THROB, DIÄT, BARCELONA, etc. etc.), with various ’78–’83 Rough Trade singles and the collective works of DATBLYGU serving as the lingua franca for their debut EP. Bryony’s vocals (delivered primarily in Welsh, with occasional lapses into English) skip from KLEENEX’d trills and shrieks to deadpan talky monologues, guitar parts are economical and almost more jangly than jabbing, and the drums and bass wind around in calculated, unhurried concentric circle rhythms—the result is a quartet of smart, spiky post-punk/whiplash pop bops right in step with post-millennial heirs to the ELASTICA throne like PRIMETIME or CHILD’S POSE, and it’s a real delight.
Punks of a certain age, have you ever wondered what it would sound like if the vocalist from FILTH and members of ANTI-PRODUCT and AUS-ROTTEN met as teenagers and recorded a demo in their parents’ basement? Well, 51 Fight! has provided you with the answer. I’m not sure how much this fast-paced, grimy re-release adds to the annals of crust punk outrage but, for this reviewer, it was a trip to simpler, easier times.
Cool to see VISIONS OF WAR are still around—I was organizing my records this weekend and put on their split with OLHO DE GATO. I haven’t heard anything from them in a decade! Anyway, they retain a guttural crust vocal delivery with clean rhythmic D-beat hardcore à la later ANTI-CIMEX. Chords are bright and the tones are dense and dark, which creates balance and contrast that is aggressive and smoothly irreverent. Vevarsle at its finest; dirgelike, heavy, metallic, and crust as ever. This side totally rages. ARROGÄNT follows with an even heavier death-beat, with echoing vocals and an industrial punk pace. Percussion palpitates and bitterness seethes. Dual vocals complement one another, similar to FLEAS AND LICE meets MEATHOOK SEED. This looser and more raw and chaotic side suits the split so both sides are unique but equally sinister. I want it!
First LP from Nashville, Tennessee’s BARRICADED SUSPECTS. All five songs from Winning, their 2020 EP, are scattered throughout this twenty-one-song album of relentless hardcore. The songs are fast and quick (only one track hits the two-minute mark), but they flow together so you barely stop nodding along from one to the next. This would be the kind of thing you’d hear at your local all-ages venue, giving a new generation of minors their first ringing ears. It’s grating but never droning, and you can pick out most of the lyrics over blisteringly fast drums and guitars; nobody gets a break here. I really like the humor in “Something You Already Know”: “The grass is green / The sky is blue / Don’t eat yellow snow.” But more and more we need common sense reminders these days…impressive set of work from this group.
Hot new tape from BODY CAM. Their flexi from a couple years ago was pretty great, and here they’re grimier and sharper than before. It’s three songs of whipping hardcore with rocking riffs and a dirty, distorted sound. The warped groove of “R.T.S.” is the winner for me here, but the whole thing rips. I’ll be looking out for more of this.
Rhodehouse record brings us the vinyl debut from this Calgary quartet. These folks primarily play a mix of scratchy (nearly twee) clean-guitar punk and drum-forward, bombastic synth rock (think of the less surfy moments from Touch and Go-era MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?). They also manage to slip in some straight-up ’70s hard rock digressions from time to time, which may sound like an odd choice, but it kinda works. Musically, I think this record is cool. Lyrically, I have some notes. The two tracks on this 7” take aim at the corporate office world—a subject certainly worthy of derision—but the observations they’re making don’t feel very fresh. Like, a lot of what they’re complaining about isn’t that far off from the kinds of things covered in Office Space nearly a quarter of a century ago. I mean, a lot of that commentary still applies, but the corporate world has grown much more ghoulish in many respects, opening up new hells of worker alienation that I wish they were able to tap into instead. I think if these lyrics were harder to decipher, I wouldn’t have minded it so much. But they seem to be going for a bit of a URANIUM CLUB clever-rock vibe, so they’re right there front and center. I think URANIUM CLUB manages to skirt being annoying by keeping things abstract, but since BRAIN BENT is clearly trying to say something, they don’t have that luxury.
Noisy, angular, effects-laden art rock. This falls on the indie side of post-punk, with jangly guitars and overdriven vocals layered between blankets of swirling phasers, tape loop echoes, and (I presume) emissions from the eponymous chorus pedal. This is the sound of knobs being turned. There is an undercurrent of no wave influence, so if you don’t find a band like DNA annoying, then CHORUS PEDAL will almost certainly pique your interest. The songs are fairly repetitive by design and contain sensible hooks and enough charisma to prevent them from being totally inaccessible. Not dissimilar to the INTELLIGENCE or the COOL GREENHOUSE.
Instantly likable collection of post-punk-seasoned indie rock tunes from UK-born, TX-based DAN MELCHIOR. Songs like “Going Outside” and “Watching TV” conjure the carefully-written but loose energy of PARQUET COURTS or TERRY with strummed guitars, PIXIES-style surf licks (like on “The Right Influencer”), and the occasional warbly synth note. The only issue is that the pleasant music and wry, clever lyrics can fade into background music if you are looking for something more energetic. The whole affair is pretty low-key and relaxed, but that could be your perfect Sunday morning jam. Twenty-one songs is a lot though, and with some of them nearly crossing the seven-minute mark, like the repetitive “Incel Country,” the same effect could have been achieved in half the time. Maybe listen to one side at a time, but recommended for smarty-pants indie rockers.
Obscure hardcore spawned in the lands of Chile. DESAMPARO delivers a spastic and frantic brand of hardcore with metallic leanings, with an emphasis on a sinister atmosphere. Like a crustier version of the sound that DEVIL MASTER crafted, with warmer tones. The urgency in the vocals and relentless riffing create a parallel with the bands they used as references. Not for the faint of heart.
Third release from Vancouver, BC’s DIVORCER, who “formed in late 2016 in a booth at Duffin’s Donuts,” according to their Bandcamp page. Pretty, slow-tempo pop/punk filled with sugary harmonies, backed by slippery bass and lead lines. That said, the distortion pedal gets a stomp here and there to give texture to these pop-heavy ballads. I think of jabby, single-note guitars influenced by SLEATER-KINNEY mixed with the breathiness and candor of DUM DUM GIRLS. Their lyrics aren’t diluted by pop trappings however, as “Bug” (my favorite of the four-song EP) is a metaphysical haunting (“You woke up in a box / I woke up as a bug / This world’s not meant for us”) that only gets weirder as you go…just listen to it.
Life on the Line is on a short list of essential records…but this is EDDIE & THE HOT RODS in 2023, folks. First-wave punk veterans who do indeed have one hell of a legacy to guard, but I give this LP a solid shrug. Good, solid, mainstream pub rock—not bad at all but far from essential.
One of these Dutch punkers must have pals at the pressing plant, as this is their fifth vinyl EP in barely three years. In case you haven’t been listening, this is a two-man band featuring former members of SCOUNDRELS and WASTE, and their sound is a less punk and more garage version of those bands. Yes, there’s tons of fuzz and it’s very Dutch in sound. Reading their Bandcamp page, they’re really good at tooting their own collective horns with over the top self masturbatory praise like “These tracks pretty much sound like they were culled from a killer, semi-psychedelic score for an imaginary 1970 low-budget exploitation biker movie.” No, for real! None of this is bad at all, and I find myself primarily intrigued with the closing, mostly instrumental (minus dog barks and growls) “Fuzz Dogs” with it’s “Rock’n’Roll High School” Nick Knox drumbeat over some really nice early CRAMPS-meets-SUICIDE fuzz. Check it.
Seven lumbering German punk stomps with clean and damaged guitars and infectious shouted vocals—closest (admittedly lazy) comparison is KICKER. But German. To hear them lose control when they speed up is to hear what punk sounds like when there are no guardrails.
Perth punks GAFFER dropped their debut demo back in mid-2020 then seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. Considering the times, I just assumed it was another COVID casualty. Bummer! I was really into what they were putting out—a blend of ’77 punk and early ’80s UK hardcore with just a smidge of post-punk at the edges, fronted by a plainspoken but charismatic vocalist. Fortunately, they’ve re-emerged just as unexpectedly as they disappeared and are finally back to deliver on the promise of that debut. They’ve resurrected a good chunk of the tracks from that demo here, added a few more to flesh this out to a twelve-song LP, and polished everything up just enough. The record has a nice trebly, mid-fi production that manages to make everything sound crisp rather than thin and really helps drill these tunes straight into your dumb head. It’s a solid LP. Give it a listen if you like cool stuff or if you’ve ever wondered what PREDATOR would sound like if they traded their love of the ADOLESCENTS for GBH and swapped out their nihilism for a little bit of class consciousness.
This demo cassette by HORRENDOUS CUTTHROAT SYSTEM is four songs (about one minute each) that push the limits between noise and hardcore. This two-person operation emits a powerful blast that is full of rage and menace while still remaining fun to listen to. Like D-beat dis-rocker noise that worships HANATARASH while shotgunning beers over lines of cheap speed. This shit rips and I want more.
With a band called after a disease (the second one this month, probably a sign from the gods of punk that I should go to the doctor for a checkup soon), a slimy green font dripping onto a severed human head (or is it a head inside a head?), and ‘’I think’’ carved on the forehead, I initially thought that INFLUENZA was going to be some sort of raw and noisy gruff hardcore punk affair, especially since they are from Tampere. But I was wrong. I did not expect them to be, but INFLUENZA is very much influenced by early US hardcore, or maybe more accurately, I would compare them to those ’80s Italian bands that were influenced by US hardcore (not unlike SHOTGUN SOLUTION?), as the band has that similar wild vibe—I suppose POISON IDEA was also very much on their mind when they wrote the seven songs making up this mini album. There are some well-crafted, crawly, mid-paced numbers on this one and some proper rocking guitar leads, while the snotty singer is clearly committed and the lyrics have that sarcastic political tone that you expect from this style. Not the kind of sound I necessarily listen to often, but I did enjoy it, and with a total length of about seventeen minutes, the energy and dynamics are always present. Apparently INFLUENZA started out as more of a typical distorted hardcore punk band with reverb-heavy vocals, but the change might be for the best.
Here’s something worth sinking your teeth into! Driving electro/synth punk utilizing a drum machine with tons of attitude. LOST SOUNDS pops into mind as a stylistic reference, but KLINT isn’t as guitar-forward, nor are they flirting with new wave in quite the same way. The vocals are overdriven and at times end up sounding robotic. In fact, it’s all vaguely robotic and suitably low-fidelity. The song “Noiseless” sounds like the SPITS if they were more obsessed with DEVO than the RAMONES. Fans of the PRODIGY or ATARI TEENAGE RIOT may find this appealing.
I typically love short and quick hardcore albums, but there’s something about this one that feels a tad empty and unsatisfying. The momentum is affected by dead air and sudden tempo changes, and it kills the energy midway through. These types of transitions work well on full-lengths, but for an EP that’s barely hitting the seven minute mark, there isn’t a lot of room to stretch your wings. I’d love to hear what an LP from these folks sounds like—feels like it’d fit their aesthetic a little better and give the building parts more time to breathe. Regardless, there’s some good stuff here. Very reminiscent of early CEREMONY. The drums sound great on this and are probably what’s causing me to long for more of their intensity.
The LO YO YO splintered off from the UK musical collective FAMILY FODDER in 1984, upholding their parent group’s tendencies toward post-punk experimentation but de-emphasizing FAMILY FODDER’s detours into quirky, effervescent new wave (think “Savoir Faire”/“Debbie Harry”) in order to wander down more dub-adjacent side streets. “Bad Intentions” opens their 1985 LP Extra Weapons by carving out a bass-driven, stiff funk groove with DELTA 5/AU PAIRS parallels that are further underscored by vocalist Joey Stack’s no-nonsense delivery, while “All the Atrocities” sets an “Earthbeat”-era SLITS punky reggae rhythm to highly pointed, practically CRASS-worthy anti-colonial/anti-religious lyrics, and the Afrobeat-inspired “Learning to Fly” is overlaid with warbling synth and the subtle scratch of RAINCOATS-esque violin. “Cache-Cache” into “You Never Know” is a the unbeatable one-two punch of the LP, with the former’s airy male/female vocal trade-off and percolating beat colored in by understated keys and sax representing the LO YO YO’s stab at sprightly UK DIY pop à la TWELVE CUBIC FEET, and the latter’s loping, bouncy dub-punk rhythms and anthemic vocals evoking the more experimental ’80s anarcho-femme faction (ANDROIDS OF MU, HONEY BANE’s “Guilty” single, etc.). Not an easy band to pin down and that’s a positive thing; free your mind.
A fuzzed-out crusty punk punch to the stomach. MARRED is an ultra-brutal punk machine. A barrage of songs comes at you like gunfire, they don’t even give you time to breathe. For fans of pure aggression!
Originally released in 1982 as a 12” EP, Snap!! Records has done a great service by reissuing Ataque Preventivo De La URSS as part of their ongoing Revival series. Although POLANSKY Y EL ARDOR was part of the second wave of punk to emerge from Madrid’s bustling scene, their sound is firmly rooted in 1977. The title track is an infectious ditty with a distinctive double-picked guitar line and sing-along chorus. Not far afield from the VIBRATORS or BUZZCOCKS, I’m reminded most of the utterly fantastic Finnish band 013. “Y No Usa Laca” is a killer tune as well and exhibits POLANSKY Y EL ARDOR’s use of a saxophone, which comes to prominence on the somewhat dour B-side cut, “Chantaje Emocional.” Beyond being a fascinating document illuminating a corner of Spanish punk history, this reissue also provides an excellent opportunity to get your hands on an underappreciated gem.
Twelve-track LP originally released in 1981 by Felix Alanis’s label Smoke Seven Records, reissued by Puke N Vomit. Classic hardcore punk from Southern California (Simi Valley), reminiscent of early BAD RELIGION with new wave hints. Rocky guitars with some interesting riffs, amateurish bass, sufficient drumming, deep vocals, and anthemic songs on this one—classic early USHC formula, but with a softer touch. Probably a great band to have seen live back in the day, and although lacking precision, this recording is full of the amateur passion so important for punk. This time vault discovery reissued captures the essence of an era, but for my taste, it lacks distortion and speed. Suggested tracks: “Satan’s Son” and “Jesus Loves You.”
Discovering a great band or album you’ve somehow missed over the years never gets old, especially when it’s a record as killer as this. Underrated hardcore heroes S C.U.M. from Montreal get the reissue treatment for their excellent 1985 LP Born Too Soon…if only I could go back in time and give this to my high-school self. Oh well, better late than never. S.C.U.M. (who bastardized the Montreal Urban Community police name and logo at the time) played hard and confrontational punk similar to J.F.A. and BAD BRAINS, with some cool satirical Jello Biafra-esque vocals. Lyrically, the band hits every touchstone of punk that was as relevant then as it is today: politics, war, skateboarding (although truthfully, I could do without the sort of corny “Pool Hunt”), and of course, hating the police. Ragers like “Go to War,” “Exit Death,” and “So Much Hate” rattle with power and are so well-produced, it really is a shame these guys haven’t received more recognition.
Avast ye landlubbers and hoist the mainsail, because here comes a 12” of seemingly entirely nautical-themed street punk(?)—while it doesn’t semantically make sense, it turns out that it also doesn’t make for very good music, either! It’s extraordinarily generic; I could see it nestling gently at 4:00 pm on the Breton leg of La Tour Warped or whatever, but I’m not even sure the band themselves would be able to recognise these tunes if they heard them in the wild. One for skateboard owners.
Five songs that have a vibe like ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT minus the horns, meets SMUGGLERS at a TURBONEGRO show. Really well-done rock’n’roll-tinged punk. This stuff is really hit-or-miss a lot of the time, as it’s either a really bad rehash of something from decades before or really fresh sounding. Luckily, this falls in the latter category, and while it does have the feel of the aforementioned bands, it is something all its own.
Crashing cymbals, guttural and nearly blackened-style vocals, gnarly hardcore breakdowns, and impossibly swift rhythm shifts make TERMINAL FILTH the current masters of international-style hardcore/stenchcore. This full-length is jammed with some heavy-hitting material! The band calls Berlin home, but they recently played in Portland, Oregon, so I’m hoping to see some more US dates develop. For me, this is worth seeing live. If you’re in the mood for heavy, metallic crust, then definitely check out TERMINAL FILTH and grab one of these LPs.
A relic from ‘79 gets the reissue treatment from Feel It. Who the hell are the TOMS? From what I have gathered, this project is from an older Jersey guy, Tom Marolda—songwriter, composer, performer, movie soundtrack writer, etc. Not finding much on any other musicians involved in the project. This is really sweet music, cloying in fact. Like consuming a box of glazed donuts, I can feel my teeth hurting after the long march of heavy-duty power popness that makes up the 24 tracks on this LP. There are moments to be had for sure, but in the end, the production is squeaky clean and the songs way too repetitive. This might be for some, but I need more sharp edges.
Impossibly scarce OZ DIY artifact brought back to life! The four songs on this 1980 EP from Canberra’s the VACANT LOT legitimately sound like the product of four different bands—I’d love to see some sort of Myers-Briggs-type punk personality test based on one’s preferred selection from Living Underground. I’m in the group clustered around “She’s Really Dead,” an exercise in stark, FALL-ish rhythm and repetition with a hypnotic, endlessly spiraling bass line, off-center disco beats, layers of fucked-up keyboard buzz, and desperate, keening vocals laced with more than a touch of PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED. “Multinationals” is a rabid synth punk scorcher, like DOW JONES AND THE INDUSTRIALS gone murder punk, and “Tatslotto Night” is even nastier, just sheer unadulterated KBD snot and snarl. Oddest of all (the record’s INFJ?) is “Milk the Land of Its Honey,” which sets up Factory Records expectations (like, major, major early WAKE vibes) before completely shattering them with Nuggets’d-out ’60s garage/psych keys that could have been lifted from the SEEDS. Pick your king!
First of all, we are welcomed by a psychotic bunch of noise effects with fuzz, reverb, and an electronic blenderization from hell and a chaos from doomsday in their intro. Asbury Park, NJ metallic punk agents AXXE CRAZY is not fooling around. Ten-track cassette of metallic punk mayhem fused with D-beat and crusty vibes, but also thrash metal references and even some powerviolence. You can almost see the visceral thread left behind in each song and the cathartic feel in their demonic vocals, which are filled with anger, despair, and hate. Frenzied cadences and high-pitched guitars, plus engulfing, crazy bass lines. Suggested tracks: “Feast in the Sight of the Minds Eye” and “Pocket Full of Emeralds, Head Full of Lead.” Absolute ripper.
I’m no Finnish hardcore expert (I barely know my RATTUS from my KAOSS), but this shit rules. Each one of the ten short tracks is a total shredder: fast—like really fast—pounding drums, heavy dissonant guitars, and raspy, hyperspeed vocals that use every second to scream a desperate message. “OK HK” relentlessly blasts out and invigorates everything in me that loves hardcore. “Maa Palaa” opens with atonal strumming that is immediately backed with furious punk that sounds awesome. “Pohjalaiset Sikamafiat” takes a short, contemplative breather in the bridge that allows the band to stretch out for a few seconds before returning to rage mode. It actually makes you realize how intense and fast the rest of the record is. “Ruumiinpolttaja” starts with a blastbeat before the one-syllable-per-snare-hit vocals enter, sounding for a second like vintage NAPALM DEATH in its ferocity. Check out this record right now.
Here’s a split of two Aussie post-punk bands fighting the good fight. DR. SURE’S UNUSUAL PRACTICE starts the A-side with their wiry, buzzy guitars, haunted house synths, call-and-response vocals, and metronome-tight drums. “Great Pacific Garbage Island” brings the tension of our human impact to home, with the line “As the great Pacific garbage island moves in on Hawaii, you’re on my mind.” You’ve probably heard at least something from this lot, they’ve released a lot and are a big name in Melbourne, rightly so! I hadn’t heard anything from BENCH PRESS, but I can see why this “split 7″ between friends” makes sense, as they too are politically engaged in a world that needs youth advocacy. “What you are doing is all wrapped up in politics” is the opening line of “More Than That,” and they do not relent. Excited to check out BENCH PRESS’s two LPs. The anger on these tracks reminds me of contemporaries MINI SKIRT, but with a more minimal structure. I also read that this is the first record Fellaheen, home of bands like PAVEMENT and BEASTIE BOYS, has put out since the late ’90s, so that might give you an idea of the worth within. Enjoy.
For the first time, the Play to Win EP from 2019 gets a proper vinyl release, courtesy of War On Reality. CELL delivers a feral hardcore kick to the groin with Play to Win. The seven tracks go through you like a steamroller. A perfect display of modern stompy hardcore right here.
Beaming in nightmares from space (a.k.a. Chicago) is CENOBITE, whose sci-fi hardcore evokes a visionary heftiness that calls to mind—hear me out—TIMEGHOUL, if they veered more punk than death metal. I rarely think of world-building outside of fiction, but there is a sort of mythological aspect to this demo due to its inventiveness and bleed-over into tinges of deathrock and industrial-adjacent noise that distorts (mutates?) the DNA of what would otherwise be a straight-ahead hardcore project in terms of energy output. This pummels, but it’s goddamn weird, too. The overall production tends to deprioritize the low end without neutralizing the weight of the riffs. The guitar is cranked through all kinds of cyberware that aids the overall dystopian paradise vibe. All in all, this is a ferocious and thrilling new project—one of the best demos I’ve heard in a while. Check it out, jack in, and blast off.
The three humans behind the mid-2010s Oakland noisy avant-punk group WET DRAG have all since relocated to Olympia, WA and recently rekindled the project as DEBT RAG—apparently the Bay Area isn’t the only thing they’ve left behind, as they’ve completely ditched guitar on their debut LP Lost to the Fantasy, weaving layers of seasick synth, sharp blurts of trumpet, and all sorts of clattering percussion (full-force cowbell!) into some of the ample negative space newly liberated from six-string oppression. Everyone contributes vocals, with lines overlapping and intersecting in an almost anti-call-and-response just as often as they coalesce into sardonic gang-chants (the collective statement behind “Barf on USA” is brilliantly direct and self-explanatory), drums are reduced to the barest minimum (one tom and one cymbal) and pounded out in sparse, tranced-out patterns, and calculated, ping-ponging bass forms the primary structure for DEBT RAG to build up their sideways art-skronk collages. How many other bands in our modern day and age are capable of triggering thoughts within me of NOH MERCY, DANNY AND THE PARKINS SISTERS, or Y PANTS, let alone all of the above within the span of a single song?! The answer is zero. DEBT RAG for president, barf on USA.
Olympia’s ELECTRIC CHAIR dropped their debut Act of Aggression on Iron Lung, and it has to be said, this band has chosen the perfect name—putting on this record is like getting strapped in and shuffled off this mortal coil. Stuffed to the brim with abrasive metallic punk, ELECTRIC CHAIR plays in the same vein as GERMS and N.O.T.A., with some oddball freakouts sprinkled throughout that remind me of TY SEGALL at his freakiest. Musically, it’s a dense listen; songs vanish as quickly as they appear in a flurry of violent guitars entangled with frenetic bass and drums. Vocalist Dinah Corona’s unhinged warble is mixed so low it becomes like another instrument, adding an evil vibe that permeates throughout the album. Check out “Fatal Disease Pt. II” and “Security Camera” to see what I mean. Overall, an overwhelming but fucking awesome listen.
I read somewhere that a song that starts with a good drumbeat sticks in your mind like gum on your shoe. That’s what happens with FOIL’s demo—three songs of fast and dirty hardcore punk with changes of rhythm and an urgent feeling to the whole composition. The bass sounds thick and the guitars are sometimes like sci-fi noises, throbbing here and there. Kansas City, Peruvian coke, police hatred, and depression, an explosive combination for a punk record. Love the artwork.
Female-fronted band from Germany with some great screaming vocals, solid drums, and interesting guitar sounds with rocky solos blending metal and hardcore in the ’00s-style way with some sort of progressive rock. Sludgy cadences mixed with classic hardcore cuts that go by the vocals. Released by Contraszt Records from Köln, Germany, Compendium is a collection of their work between 2008 and 2020, though their last recordings in 2020 were separate from their past releases, so you seem to be hearing different pieces and different styles from time to time, losing the album’s flow. It’s interesting enough to hear metal-infused hardcore from the last two decades, Guitar-driven riffing, heavy drumming, and powerful vocals, with members of EAVES, PERTH EXPRESS, and TRAINWRECK, among others. Suggested tracks: “Spirit Crusher” and “IHYSM.”
On the heels of their debut album from last year, HEAVY MOTHER drops a hefty slab of scuzzy rock’n’roll that just oozes with mojo. Three originals and three covers spread across twenty-six minutes of rowdy, raunchy garage punk featuring a bona fide all-star cast. Their lead vocalist, Eddie Flowers, was in the GIZMOS, for fuck’s sake! There’s a guest appearance by Craig Bell of ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS! We’re talking a Midwestern proto-punk hall of fame here, not to mention that half the members were in the COWBOYS. I’m often disappointed by these groups that sound so good on paper, yet HEAVY MOTHER exceeds expectations by exacting the sonic punishment their pedigree dictates: perfectly trashy, obnoxious, loud rock’n’roll. From the brilliantly depraved opening track “Friday Night (Blackout!),” to the phenomenal rendition of the VELVET UNDERGROUND’s “Foggy Notion,” HEAVY MOTHER is firing on all cylinders. An indefectibly stripped-down production gives Comical Uncertainty a ’60s-inspired haze, fueled by reverb. Toss DEAD MOON and ELECTRIC EELS into the cauldron along with the aforementioned bands and you’ll get a whiff of what HEAVY MOTHER is cooking up. Spicy!
Let’s not beat around the lousy, unkempt bush—this is one of the best releases I’ve listened to in a while! ITCHY AND THE NITS, a new-ish trio out of Sydney, pair Raffaelli-era DONNAS worship with Pink Flag minimalism, as though the MUMMIES’ brand of budget rock was too opulent since it failed to trim the fat on traditional song structures. There’s no excess here. The average track length hovers right at 1:20, and the album employs exactly one extremely locked-in drumbeat. It gives the impression that these girls aren’t here to fuck around…despite the fact that most of the seven tracks on this cassette are about someone having crabs or whatever. What’s wild is that it never even feels like a gimmick. It comes off more like they set out to write some songs, and this is just what they happened to have on their minds. Nothing but good dumb fun for scabby dumb punks! Bozos need not apply.
Real nice and vital reissue (from the reissue kings Puke N Vomit Records) of this excellent 2005 compilation of songs by these essential Swiss KBD punkers. You get the “on every comp and good mixtape,” pogo-crushing hits “I Feel Like a Tram” and “No Desire” from their one-and-only back in the day 7” single. The other tracks are culled from an unreleased second EP session and various cassette tapes. They’re extremely English in sound, with a BUZZCOCKS, the BOYS, or poppier DAMNED numbered vibe crossed with some more UK DIY or even anarcho moments. Not quite as punk as fellow Swiss peers the NASAL BOYS, but most tracks are essential except maybe the pseudo-reggae “Endless Peace” or questionable JOHN LENNON “Cold Turkey” cover. It’s even available on splatter vomit tie-dye dayglo vinyl that you can slap on your punky bedroom wall. Good stuff.
Fuck me, this is a rough one. I don’t recommend blasting this at your next family reunion (unless you actually want to be repudiated, in which case definitely go for it). LIVER VALUES are from Germany (Blind Anger was recorded in Ludwigsburg, so I’m guessing they must be from the Stuttgart area) and I’m not completely sure about what they are trying to do, apart from making a lot of noise. The production, if you can call it that, is rough indeed. I do like the very primal raw vibe of the recording, but because of the lack of hooks and breathing space in the songs, it just leaves the listener exhausted. In terms of songwriting, LIVER VALUES’ dark hardcore tends to go in all directions, too many in my opinion, and I think a more focused approach would help. I do like the distorted D-beat moments, I think they work well especially with the drums being very forward in the mix, and I can hear a lovely DISORDER/CHAOS UK influence too, but on the whole, the slower hardcore parts and some transitions lose me and it is all too harsh and flat to really make sense.
MODEL CITIZEN is composed of members of DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS and the DEXATEENS. Apparently this LP marks the groups first release in years, like since the late ’90s or something crazy. Some of these tracks have a STRAWBERRY ZOTS feel, really pop-oriented with a ton of organ. I think I’m good, maybe the band’s namesake song is kinda OK? This is like being trapped in a truckstop bar, get me out of here!
Something tells me that between them, the members of NEW DAWN own every pressing of every record Porcell played on—even the YOUNG REPUBLICANS 7”. I kid (well, about the YOUNG REPUBLICANS record, at least). Seriously though, there’s some heavy YOUTH OF TODAY/JUDGE influence here. While they may not be breaking any new ground with their sound, it’s not stale by any means, and being that they only give the listener seven songs here, it’s over before it gets the chance to dry up.
Hectic drums, powerful bass, and a sloppy, provocative voice with the violent urge of a televangelist on speed. It seems like the drummer is trying not to repeat the same beat twice, and the result is an atmosphere of anxiety and muffled howling, like a chemical hangover the morning after a party that got out of hand. Hardcore punk in the vein of the Lumpy Records catalog, but more aggro.
Bleed City was released as a promo tape before the LP Buyer’s Remorse comes out on Iron Lung Records. With a label like that releasing the band, you can already get a sense of where this is going. Harsh, bleak, and unfiltered aggression of hardcore as it was back in the day, with bands like INFEST or NEGATIVE APPROACH as a template. “No feel-good anthems here, just the downward spiral of a dark and bleak trip,” as stated on their Bandcamp. A couple of surprises on Side B in the form of a RUDIMENTARY PENI cover and a remix by Andrew Nolan from ENDLESS BLOCKADE, COLUMN OF HEAVEN, and INTENSIVE CARE fame. Excited for the LP to come out.
