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!

Derrumbando Defensas Sistema Criminal LP

All-female metal/hardcore band from Temuco, Chile that assembled around 2009, with three previous releases. Released in April 2022, this seven-track LP (with a great cover art by Subhuman Illustrations from Colombia) has some sick lyrics full of hatred and aggression and a sense of revenge and justice, touching on topics such as feminist struggles and resistance, and Latin American issues from colonialism to ethnocide to nature’s destruction at the hands of big foreign companies. Anti-system, anti-state, anti-speciesism, anti-fascism, and anti-nationalism positions (what else could you dream for on an LP?) combine beautifully with distorted metal strings and deep and suffering vocals with some sweet gutturals. Metallic hardcore cadences are included along with sounds suggesting outer space and mental metal chambers alike. Suggested tracks: “Latinoamérica” has some great lyrics summarizing all of the problems of this area that has been injured for too long, transmitting a helpful yet painful message which any Latin American is going to identify with. “Devastación” is a sludgy metal hardcore instrumental with screams and doomsday space sounds, working as a break between songs with lyrics. “No Me Representas” is a great anti-nationalist anthem against the Chilean state and its repression and corruption. Highly recommended project, it’s been a good surprise.

Dream Shake Ride the Disease Vol. 34 LP

You ever wonder what it would be like if S.O.D. and LAWNMOWER DETH made a baby? I hadn’t either…until now. Folks, allow me to introduce you to Houston’s DREAM SHAKE. Wild, and wildly irreverent, blasting metalpunk—it’s the punk part of that wordy descriptor that really drives DREAM SHAKE. Twenty-two doses of not giving a fukk and blasting a blast with your friends—I’m going to need to listen to this one a lot more times so I can even begin to get on their wavelength.

Ervin Berlin Junior’s Got Brain Damage / Last Time 7″ reissue

A psych-punk obscurity from Florida at the dawn of the ’80s, fished out and reissued. The A-side is a chunky-riffed caveman boogie about a drug-addled youth who liquefied his lobes on ‘ludes and dust. The B-side is lyrically loose, acting mostly as spotlight for the guitarist’s high, widdly-widdly fuzz-face solos.

Freak Genes Hologram LP

Having formed in 2016, this is FREAK GENES’ fifth LP, on which we find eclectic synth punk from the duo of Charlie Murphy and Andrew Anderson. These dudes have played in a bunch of bands (RED CORDS, HIPSHAKES, HOLIDAY GHOST, and PROTO IDIOT), none of which I’ve listened to, but all that is to say that they seem to have a plethora of creative output. This is one of those bands that has created their own universe, and plays by the rules of their creation: there may not be gravity, there may be hover-cars with cassette decks, and there’s definitely something in the drinking water. I looked up footage of live shows, and I was really hoping for some DEVO-style showmanship with matching outfits and dance moves, but sadly, this was not the case. Just saying, I think y’all could pull it off. If synth punk is your thing, this will surely scratch the itch.

Frisk Stalker LP

Loud, raw, uncompromising. Stalker is the debut LP from Leeds, England’s FRISK. This record melds early angry hardcore acts like NEGATIVE APPROACH and DISCHARGE with more contemporary noises from the likes of HOAX to create a twisted, bludgeoning sound that is all its own. The vocals growl and howl over the harsh and noisy instrumental passages. This is the perfect record for a murderous killing spree. An unnerving, unsettling listen that comes highly recommended for those with the stomach for it.

Going Off Destroy EP

Hardcore that’s short, kinda metal-ish, and somewhat directionless. What I mean by that is that there are a handful of songs here that just kind of end right when they seem like they should kick in to where the song really gets going. There are breakdowns in odd places. I don’t know, man—the whole thing sounds like a bunch of unfinished INTEGRITY songs to me.

Hägöl 진공 EP

Effective mix of pop and savage hardcore from this Adelaide band. Featuring distorted bass, drums, and crystal-clear keyboards, the songs are immediate ear candy while still retaining a punk edge. The band effortlessly switches from pop-leaning femme gang vocals to raw hardcore hollers, all under classic rock’n’roll keys. The lyrical themes cover inequality, nationalism, colonialism (the band makes a point that the EP was recorded on stolen Aboriginal land), and personal thoughts on homelife. The Korean-language track “Goyangi” has the line (through a translator on my part), “the best of the best is a Cuddle Sandwich Skeleton cat sleeping in my arms forever.” I can get down with that. Serious and catchy, cute not cutesy; this was a treat.

Icons of Filth Not on Her Majesty’s Service LP reissue

In my late teen years, I had a friend who was obsessed with ICONS OF FILTH. I was relatively new to anarcho-punk at the time, so I was given digital files, mixtapes, and even loaned a 7″ for about a week. Needless to say, Not on Her Majesty’s Service became a sort of beacon, guiding my tastes to more sonic extremes. Originally a cassette release, it’s now reissued (for the second time) on vinyl with a previously unpublished photo of the band. ICONS OF FILTH were comrades of CRASS and CONFLICT, but their sound is strongly in the UK82 spectrum with noise-level guitar distortion, heavy drumming, and an unwavering hardcore ethos. Don’t expect artsy anarcho/peace punk, but rather something more like CHAOS UK or GBH.

Konventio Konventio cassette

Eight songs of blazing, frenetic hardcore punk from Finland. KONVENTIO aren’t trying to blend genres or reinvent anything here. Rather, they lock in on a tried and true recipe passed down from forebearers like KAAOS and RIISTETYT and just rip. That’s not to say that KONVENTIO is unoriginal—their sound is quite distinct—but they are able to capture the spirit of what made the aforementioned bands so great. The guitars punch through with killer tone and some tasteful rock’n’roll solos. The drums seem as if they’re on the precipice of falling apart, like the drummer isn’t in full control of the chaos they are unleashing. This adds a nice touch of character. The raging vocals are a highlight and really keep things moving. This is a solid first release!

The Loons Cry Cry Cry EP

The LOONS, led by Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine, present four cover songs on this EP. As is to be expected, the songs are expertly and authentically performed. Included are songs by the UNRELATED SEGMENTS, the SECOND HELPING, 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS, and the BUSH. Another fun release in Back to Beat’s Moody Garage series.

Misery Whip Misery Whip cassette

Heavy powerviolence/hardcore from Portland, Maine’s MISERY WHIP, not to be confused with the death metal band of the same name from Portland, Oregon (wait, what’s going on here?). This eight-song cassette has both previously released singles “Misery Whip” and “Dissent,” the latter having a really brutal breakdown that screams “You are a piece of shit!” Check out the absolutely ferocious “Empty Words” for a good sample of the band. This reminds me of G.L.O.S.S. but darker in its lyrics and imagery. Accept the whip, take a listen.

Motosierras Nene de Barna EP

Alright mates, I’m not going to mince my words here, this is truly complete and utter shite. Four dads who clearly are old enough to know better writing plodding, mewling, anodyne bollocks for the benefit of absolutely no one. Where they get the sheer brass neck to try and compare this to the RAMONES or MOTÖRHEAD is beyond yours truly, because the only thing I can even begin to suggest they have in common is that they all own guitars. Avoid this like diphtheria.

Newtown Neurotics Beggars Can Be Choosers LP reissue

The opening of “Wake Up” reminds me a lot of THATCHER ON ACID, but then the sounds shift into a guitar-forward production that sounds like a slightly downtuned UNDERTONES or even BUZZCOCKS. A heavy infusion of pop, but with a fully punk rock delivery. Lead singer and guitarist Steve Drewett wears his anarcho-syndicalist badge proudly with lyrics about working class problems and the failings of our public education systems. “Get Up and Fight” is a resistance song that outlines methods of struggle that are as equally crucial now as when the song was originally written. In all, this disc plays like a really pissed-off BILLY BRAGG or JOE STRUMMER.

Organized Chaos Still Having Fun LP

I don’t know what to think about this one. I love and have a lot of respect for what Sealed Records put out. The label makes popular classic anarcho-punk records (from the ICONOCLAST, ZOUNDS, or RUDIMENTARY PENI) finally available again to the grateful punters, giving lesser-known/underrated but absolutely brilliant and crucial ’80s bands like TOXIC WASTE or KARMA SUTRA the reissue treatment at the same time. Clearly a work of passion and good taste I really relate to. But I was a little surprised to see this ORGANIZED CHAOS album. Not that the band is bad—they did play enjoyable enough political, snotty UK punk that makes you want to drink cheap cider and spike your hair (assuming you have any), but they can hardly be said to be as classic or memorable as the rest of the label’s catalogue, although they may have been very relevant in their area at the time (would that make them a ‘’local classic” band’’?). They sound like a mix of ACTIVES, LUNATIC FRINGE, and STUPID HUMANS (the band had a connection with Bluurg Records, actually), if you need points of comparison. If you are a massive fan of British anarcho-punk and undeterred by sloppiness in punk music in general, you should buy the thing, and the amount of work put into the huge booklet is worth supporting in any case, as Still Having Fun is as much a piece of our collective history as it is a record. However, if you are not a completist or an undiscerning fan like myself, I don’t think ORGANIZED CHAOS will impress you much. There are some decent sing-along numbers like ‘’H-bomb Wars,’’ but on the whole it is pretty typical and generic, neither really tuneful enough to be really memorable nor energetic and furious enough to really stand out. I want to like this more than I do.

Perros Plaga Rechazo cassette

I had no idea what to expect going into this release. The cover’s aesthetic suggested something somber and self-serious—maybe metal, or worse, metalcore—and the cassette title, which translates to “rejection,” gave me a very late ’90s vibe, really increasing my concern that this was going to be metalcore. On the other hand, “Plague Dogs,” the English translation of their name, gives off more of a shit-kickin’, V-flickin’ street punk vibe. Turns out neither impression was accurate. Not exactly, at least. This trio from Zapopan (a large city on the edge of the even larger Guadalajara), plays something in between melodic hardcore and post-hardcore, and this ten-song cassette appears to be their official debut. The music isn’t a million miles away from early HOT WATER MUSIC or LEATHERFACE—you know, stuff that’s not quite hardcore, not quite pop punk, but definitely bobbing in the wake of DC’s Revolution Summer. These songs are lower-fi than either of those acts, giving the recording a punker sheen, and, while it would be a stretch to say this is street punk, you’re getting that same sort of energy from the tuneless gang vocal shout-alongs. It’s not bad, and it’s a pleasant enough listen. But, aside from a few head-scratching detours they take in the opening track—some weird ANIMAL COLLECTIVE coos and space rock guitar flourishes—there isn’t a whole lot here that really makes the release stand out.

Power Flower Electric Drug Fuck Up EP

Hungarian synth punk that is equal parts fun and gross. These five tracks double-dribble with punk energy, errant sine waves, and unintelligible vocals. The title track sounds like CHERRY CHEEKS layered with an ’80s War on Drugs PSA sound collage. “Get Off My Ass!” captures the catchy joy of the SPITS with rougher vocals, and “N.SZ.K.O.” has some serious pop hooks under the hood, like a bubblegum hit played at 78 RPM. “Whippit” delivers POWER FLOWER’s version of a ballad with noisy chimes, battling electronics, and a rubber ball bass line. I accidentally did a whippit a few days ago—I’m not into inhalants, but I love whipped cream. Be careful when sucking on that can! This is a cool rip through crunchy synth land with infectious results.

Public Acid Easy Weapons LP reissue

The debut LP from North Carolina’s PUBLIC ACID is getting some well-deserved love from the dependable La Vida Es Un Mus label. Originally released in a limited run of 300 copies in 2018, this is a welcome reissue of a straight banger that showcases the band’s twisted take on brutal Japanese hardcore and the speedy, primal poisonings of Italian bands like WRETCHED. It’s a corroded carnival of feedback, buzzsaw guitars, scathing rapid-fire drum beats, and distorted echo vocals, chewing the ears from start to finish. The intense fun doesn’t let up, and when it’s done, I’m instantly compelled to play it again—the mark of a classic.

Skinman Skinman cassette

Always keep an ear perked for what’s happening in Hattiesburg. There’s been heaps of top-tier punk coming out of there for ages, and this ferocious quintet is no exception. This band hits hard with a grim touch that almost calls to mind DARKTHRONE’s more recent bizarro ’80s output. That’s not to say this is True Mississippi Black Metal, it’s fully its own brand of frenzied hardcore, but it’s coming from a far left field that makes it crushing and crucial. Don’t miss it.

Spore Rabid Intent cassette

Here comes a new band from Richmond, a town that has had a lot of solid hardcore bands for the past few years (something in the water, I suppose). I am not sure I totally get the recent floral obsession in American punk bands but a compilation with POLLEN, ALLERGY, FLOWER, and SPORE would be ace. Maybe as a benefit for a local garden centre? I had never heard of SPORE before this review, and Rabid Intent is a lovely little ripper and, impressively, the band’s first endeavour into the studio. My favourite thing about SPORE is the supremely angry, harsh, and powerful crusty-sounding female vocals. Fuck me. I am a massive sucker for female-fronted käng-flavoured hardcore, and these songs sound like you are being grabbed by the collar and shouted at for twelve minutes straight, which in real life would be pretty traumatizing but is exactly what you want from a furious hardcore punk band. It would not be wrong to claim that käng hardcore is SPORE’s primary source of inspiration (especially the modern TOTALITÄR-inspired bands and PARANOID as well), but I am hearing a lot of American hardcore as well, especially with the numerous tempo changes and the breaks, so that Rabid Intent often sounds like a US hardcore band having a go at Swedish hardcore rather than the opposite, which seems to be what a lot of bands, like the excellent AXE RASH, try to go for these days. The distorted guitar sound gives the material an additional aggressive edge and some nice textures, too. On the whole, this is a relentless recording with a lot of energy, although there may be a little too many changes in the songwriting for my taste (and too much reverb). I do believe the band has a lot of potential and is very promising, and we will be hearing about them in the future.

Sweet Reaper Microdose EP

Lovely little four-song slab from Ventura, California’s SWEET REAPER. Energetic, vocal-driven power pop with such a clean guitar tone that you’d think they were playing from an original 1950s Telecaster. Vocals are very melodic, and bring to mind MARKED MEN, RADIOACTIVITY, and a slew of other Dirtnap bands. Helps warm the bones on these chilly winter nights. Great stuff.

T.S. Warspite Stop the Rot LP

Leading us by the hand into a grim vision of the not-too-distant-future is the excellently named T.S. WARSPITE with their first LP Stop the Rot on Quality Control HQ. Following a stellar demo from 2020, the Manchester-based outfit plays a supercharged take on early DC melodic hardcore and modern UKHC; think BAD RELIGION and DAG NASTY but also BIG CHEESE and the FLEX. Singer Marco Abbatiello’s rumbling voice serves as the narrator, taking us through the struggles of getting through the hellscape that is modern society including politics, housing issues, and impending environmental destruction. Both incredibly urgent and scathingly intelligent, we’d be wise to listen to what these guys have to say. Standouts include “Scampia,” “Redemption Arc,” and “Slum Landlord.”

Warrior Tribes The Con cassette

A posthumous cassette of the now-defunct WARRIOR TRIBES. Fifteen tracks of relentless, no-frills hardcore punk recorded in 2017. Enough hooks to keep your attention without getting too showy. WARRIOR TRIBES wear their Chicago roots on their sleeve with a sound that could easily be compared to ARTICLES OF FAITH. Maybe throw in a dash of BATTALION OF SAINTS, but with a gruff, lower register vocalist. Repetitive, fast, and snappy riffs that never get boring, with the occasional mid-tempo, flange-heavy dirge tossed in for good measure. This is a real success and it’s a shame to hear that the tribe has fallen. I would have very much liked to have seen this band.

Auto Hardcore 2022 demo cassette

The title of this demo tape from Singapore’s AUTO says all you need to know—this is fast, raw, uncompromising hardcore fucking punk rock. Hardcore 2022 contains seven songs in almost as many minutes. Clearly influenced by the classic American and European hardcore bands, AUTO does a stellar job at bringing that same aggression to 2022. Initially self-released in the beginning of the year, La Vida Es Un Mus has given this rager a wider release…so what are you waiting for?

Berosszulás / Parasite Dreams split LP

Split LP from two Central European bands hailing from Budapest and Vienna. BEROSSZULÁS (“toxic deterioration”) plays rolling pogo-beat punk that always reminded me of KURO mixed with a lot of hooks that are rather familiar from early hardcore nervous-teenager breakdowns—their songs are both buzzing and stomping. They are not falling apart anywhere at all; rather, they create and maintain a great tension that is varied with witty stretched-out solos, screaming string bends, and well-placed changes which result in a playful bounce. It’s music to shake your fist and lose your mind. Sonically, everything is identifiable—the base of the music might be reminiscent of basement raw black metal elements but it is not a cacophonic sonic warfare, you can hear the bass drawing its own territory with unusual ideas, and the few-note guitar riffs are neither drowning in overdrive, although they do not spare distortion. The whole record has a great momentum, it’s pushed all the way through by the anger of the band. BEROSSZULÁS passes through different styles and tastefully collects from each what they like to hear the most, yet it does not turn them into a showcase of unmatching gimmicks. What are they, then? A great hardcore band. On the other hand, PARASITE DREAMS from Vienna are closer to the already mentioned raw black metal that is basically a punk sort of aesthetic. In their songs, the “sounds coming from next door” effect (which blocks the in-your-face power of the tracks) and the noticeably different recording quality compared to the other side of the record both break the cohesion of the split. They put more effort into creating an atmosphere, building it with intros, outros, and extended tracks where the guitar keeps playing while the drums rest. Mostly mid-tempo, sometimes even slower, each song is built from a catchy primitive riff and very minimalist drums. The vocals change between distant screams and monotone speak-singing. It’s interesting when they turn to a rather atmospheric sound that does not recall tree-hugging metal but vicious post-punk. The big dilemma here is how much a different mixing would butcher their core idea. On the other hand, they are determined to have everything as they imagined and that should be respected. In this current age, attention is at stake, so listening to PARASITE DREAMS could be a good challenge to train your focus, because when attention is paid they are pretty entertaining, but they also easily slip into being background noise. Without the usual dilemma of splits, this is a great record—if you like ugly, nasty hardcore, then check it out.

Blatant Dissent 1985–1986 LP

As a teenager growing up in the Midwest during the first half of the 1990s, it’s perhaps unsurprising that I enjoyed the rock band TAR. TAR was a kind of emblematic middle-of-America noise rock band—they constructed their guitars from aluminum and they put out records on labels like Touch and Go and Amphetamine Reptile. But unlike, say, COWS or LAUGHING HYENAS, TAR was actually kind of a straight-ahead band, playing a sort of glum, deceptively hook-filled mid-tempo rock music. They even pulled a neat trick by having their final album, 1995’s Over and Out, be their finest work. But before TAR, most of the members learned their trade in the post-hardcore group BLATANT DISSENT. This collection LP pulls together two different recording sessions that resulted in a couple 7”s and the Hold the Fat album, and includes unreleased versions of some tracks. The first side was recorded with famed engineer Iain Burgess, who recorded many classic T&G sides, while the ’86 side is the early work of one Steve Albini, who also remastered this material from the original tapes. What’s interesting is that a lot of the 1985 material isn’t that different from the sonic trademarks of Washington, DC’s concurrent Revolution Summer scene. Even the lyrical concerns, often addressing their fellow punks, echo these sentiments. Hell, “Undermine” is practically a straightedge anthem. “Is There a Fear?” channels NAKED RAYGUN like they were born to it, while “My Hands Are Tied” opens with a PINK FLOYD-like acoustic bit before erupting into a tuneful swift kick that isn’t far removed from a late ’90s “melodic hardcore” band. “Eleven Days” shows how the band is able to give shape to the bleak, colorless days that dot the Midwestern calendar year. “How Can I Lose?” and “Status Quo” are highlights, all nervous energy and killer hooks. For obvious reasons, the 1986 sessions reveal a far tighter and more powerful band. By this point, BLATANT DISSENT had locked down its sound and it was only a matter of time until they would craft their aluminum guitars and solidify the sound of TAR.

C0mputer Masturbation Ritual cassette

I’m going to make up a new subgenre: Outsider Tech Death. If you can imagine kids weaned on SLIPKNOT and SYSTEM OF A DOWN who create a DIY metalcore band…that’s what we’re looking at with Florida’s C0MPUTER. It doesn’t make sense, but in the same way that JANE and SYSTRAL didn’t make sense in 1998, maybe the punks just need to grow into these sounds. Maybe the future is Outsider Tech Death. Maybe the future is C0MPUTER.

Delivery Forever Giving Handshakes LP

Melbourne, Australia five-piece that plays in a comfortable place between garage and indie. With all five members contributing to vocals, these songs keep you guessing. “Wear It Well,” and generally the female-sung tracks, remind me of contemporaries AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS, and are scrappier than the male-led songs, which have a more breezy, indie flavor. Lots of trebly guitar riffs on these longer-format songs, with plenty of instrumental breaks between verses featuring carnival keyboard lines. “Baader Meinhof” has a music video on their Bandcamp site, if you want to see these Aussies in action. It took me a few listens, but I think there’s a lot of fun stuff here.

Dustpan Out of My Mind LP+CD

Blistering collection of 30-second-long fastcore/crust blasts from Chiba’s DUSTPAN. I’ve come across some doses of their brand of mania before (the band has been kicking around since the early 2000s), but Out of My Mind is next-level; FLASH GORDON-caliber fury with LIFE assault and production. Might be tough to snag this one outside of Japan, but it’s well worth the effort.

Earth Mother Fucker IVF CD

Live recordings are a tough sell in the best of circumstances. I tend to avoid them, even with bands that I love. I do not love EARTH MOTHER FUCKER. They’ve apparently been around since the late ’80s, though this was my first time hearing them. IVF is a seven-song live set of bog standard angular noise rock. The bulk of the songs appear to come from the band’s early era. Maybe they sounded more inspired then. Their signature track is titled “I Fuck Therefore I Am.” Cool. This is like hearing JESUS LIZARD overdose on Ambien and boredom. Snooze.

Ella Se Peló Resiliencia cassette

ELLA SE PELÓ shifts musical gears throughout this record, usually at a manic pace. It’s not that thrash metal riffs, post-HC noise, or melodic hardcore are so different from one another, but the frequency with which they’re rotated here left me spinning. It felt like I was listening to a sampler of 30-second-long songs by different bands. Luckily, each of those bands was quite good. ELLA SE PELÓ is incredibly tight and executes all those riffs, breakdowns, and instrumentals with skill. Each part, however different, sounds great, if a bit brief. I would have preferred to stay with one or two styles the whole time, or for longer stretches.

Frvits Stupid Era EP

A fluctuating debut EP from a Canadian four-piece that brings together what sounds like (and comes off as) unfinished song after unfinished song. This is rough, I can’t grasp any of it without pondering what the amount or type of substances consumed to produce this body of work could possibly have been. Each song becomes progressively more annoying throughout the six songs, with the climax at the end with “Your Shopping Cart Misses You.” Blag Dahlia is somewhere on this EP, but I could not make him out on any track. Bad apples.

Graven Image Studio Sessions: ’82-’83 LP

It’s a great day when I get to hear an unknown (to me) 1980s USHC band, especially from the South, in an age when dug-up material that’s better off unheard is spewed all over the internet daily like rancid old discharge (not the band). I immediately recognized “My World” from my well-worn-out copy of  the Party or Go Home comp. Everything else here is new to me, not being from Richmond, VA, where they reigned for a good year or so (a long time in teen ’80s hardcore years). They have a lot in common with bands from the era like WHITE CROSS, NO ROCK STARS, or HONOR ROLE—GRAVEN IMAGE’s half of a ’82 split tape with the latter called Your Skull is My Bowl! (best title) is included here. You also get their Kicked Out of the Scene EP, as well as some unheard gems from each session. Shit. If you’re really feeling it, the band has a live set on their own page for your listening pleasure, and there’s a really good article out there on the tragic demise and death of their singer Dwayne Curd if you search for it. Thanks once again to Beach Impediment for the education and just for bringin’ it.

Hank Wood and the Hammerheads You Could Have It / I’d Rather Be With Me 7″

Vinyl reissue of their limited 2019 tour cassingle (which, if you’re keeping score, was issued thrice for a total edition of 560 copies). And it’s quite the upgrade! Despite the waning popularity of the 7”, I gotta imagine this would still be the preferred format over a two-song tape. Plus, this art looks great blown up, and you’re getting a hilariously unnecessary lyric sheet! This initially came out between 2018’s self-titled LP and 2020’s Use Me EP, and it definitely sounds like it. HANK’s still rapping, but he’s getting further away from the early ’70s JAMES BROWN-aping of that LP and closer to that Anthony Kiedis patter you got on the EP. “You Could Have It,” with its motorik, loud/quiet groove and searing but tuneful guitars, sounds like a more profane and anti-social EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING. It’s great! “I’d Rather Be With Me” sounds like it could have plucked off their 2018 LP, except it’s got this odd, atmospheric, almost indie rock guitar running through it. It reminds me a little of MODEST MOUSE’s “Float On”…which I don’t think I mean as a negative. In any case, HANK WOOD AND THE HAMMERHEADS are one of the most important acts of the past decade, and this release is accordingly essential.

Hysteric Polemix Hysteric Polemix demo cassette

Noisy without being noise music, overtly political without being preachy, Brooklyn’s HYSTERIC POLEMIX’s demo cassette reminds me of CRASS’s Penis Envy as filtered through post-punk. Danceable bass lines abound on this recording while the flanged guitar soars around. “Urtication” and “Saturn Square Uranus” are both sung in Portuguese, which seemingly increases the impassioned vocalizations.

Ivy Green I’m Sure We’re Gonna Make It (Wap Shoo Wap) / Pak ‘m Beet 7″

IVY GREEN was a bunch of teenage punks from the Netherlands. The A-side was written by their singer in 1972 when he was fourteen years old. He got the band together a few years later, forming one of the first Dutch punk bands. “I’m Sure We’re Gonna Make It (Wap Shoo Wap)” was originally released as a one-sided single in 1978. It’s a snarly, attitude-filled joyride. This reissue has a second side—“Pak ‘m Beet” is a wild song on 45 for the first time, and the only one the band ever sang in their native language. This is worth it for that alone, but both songs are fantastic. You need this reissue.

Keretik Tomorrow’s Worst Enemy cassette

This eight-track cassette is filled with twenty-three minutes of gloomy metalpunk from Helsinki, Finland. Heavy metal-infused punk with sludgy cadences and deep smoky vibes—the vocals are anger-filled and sickly crazy, the guitar riffage is mental, and the bass lines resemble a consistent hammer. All of these aspects combine efficiently to create a vibe of their own, a great effort that achieves a unique sound for the band. ”Vannoharha” and “Pirulukee Pyhää Kirjaa” are my suggested tracks, the first one for its crazy drums and “predator hunt experience” sound, and for the sick bass lines in the latter. Helsinki’s metalpunk is alive and well.

Lexicon Devoid of Light 12″

I would recommend blasting this one on a Monday morning—which is exactly what I am doing now, perhaps against my better judgement—as, not only will it wake you up efficiently if abruptly, but it will allow you to mentally pogo your way to Christmas and make the week more bearable. Iron Lung has been very busy in 2022 with no less than 27 new releases (which is more than the average number of baths a French person takes in a year), and LEXICON’s LP would be my favourite of the bunch. This Seattle band is seriously ferocious and relentless. The most immediately striking things about this work lie in the contagious energy of the songs, and the level of distortion which one would rightly associate with classic Kyushu noise punk or modern crasher hardcore—saying that LEXICON’s sound is close to ZYANOSE covering GAI in D-CLONE’s practice space is not irrelevant. However, in terms of songwriting and structures, I think LEXICON is significantly closer to USHC than they are to an Osaka distortion fest, especially since the music is crust-free (perhaps bands like NERVESKADE or SEX DWARF should come into the equation). I suppose Devoid of Light would probably appeal to all hardcore crowds, and the implacable intensity and furiousness make up for the work’s relative shortness and lack of really catchy hooks (I’m being picky here). I love the vocals as I think they convey seething anger very well, and they remind me of Jorge’s from the CASUALTIES, which I am sure is not what LEXICON’s singer was going for but there you go. A solid ear-splitting hardcore release with brilliant punk-as-fuck artwork, too. Europe soon?

Mala Vista Ruthless & Toothless LP

I don’t know about the rest of you, but power pop has always struck me as one of the most “dangerous” forms of music—even more so than hardcore and the like. Something about a bunch of tatted-up dudes having the confidence to play sugary-sweet rock’n’roll has one hell of an edge. Lovely album from this NYC quartet. Very reminiscent of EXPLODING HEARTS and EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS, especially with the vocals. They’re not reinventing the wheel here, but the songs are catchy as all hell and the guitars sound great with crisp, soaring riffs. Makes me nostalgic for my younger years, wandering the streets of Chicago after a couple drinks.

Neocons EP cassette

Industrial dance punk from L.A. Skittery tech beats, slogan lyrics, chirping synths, and news clips about war and societal collapse put this somewhere between a DIY MINISTRY and a less brutal L.O.T.I.O.N. These five churning tracks would work on a club floor or a punk dive equally well, and sound like a call-back to the ’80s Wax Trax! sound with their earnest lyrics and everything-to-the-front production. The lyric and delivery of “Who’s laughing now? / That’s what I thought” from “Perleche” would fit a vintage NINE INCH NAILS song. It’s a very particular era and sound to base your band around, but NEOCONS do it well. Check it out if you’re pissed but still wanna dance.

Phil & the Tiles Health/Body EP

Of course PHIL & THE TILES are from Naarm (so-called “Melbourne”). The debut EP from this six-piece(!!) is like a Stars on 45-style romp through the city’s 21st century musical underground, from jaunty janglers like TERRY and PRIMO!, to smart-assed neo-FALL twang (the SHIFTERS, most obviously), to TOTAL CONTROL/CONSTANT MONGREL downer punk…the TILES are young enough to cite teenage show-going experiences seeing bands like EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING as formative influences, and their mashup of ragged garage and pointed post-punk definitely feels like a Gen Z throwback to that particular moment in time (like, 2006–2010). “Health/Body” starts out with some jabbing, single-note guitar over a tumbling tom-heavy rhythm before bursting into a frantic synth punk stomp with dueling male/female vocals like an Aussie ANGRY ANGLES, while the janky keyboard buzz and shambolic motorik groove of “Elixir” is clearly chasing after the UV RACE. On the B-side, “Nun’s Dream” is a modern OZ DIY reboot of the unabashed pop songs that Brix Smith brought to the mid-’80s FALL table (think “Cruiser’s Creek,” “2×4,” “Shoulder Pads,” etc.), and “Trepanation” could almost be an early Flying Nun band gone goth, with steady tambourine shake, gauzy, dissolving synth, chorused-out guitar, and lyrics wallowing in depths of human misery that would put the SMITHS to shame (“I want to vomit so I don’t have to cry anymore”). I can only imagine how much ground they’ll cover if they follow this thing up with a full LP…

Sooks Demo 22 cassette

Punk from Perth? Sign me up, always! This is righteous and rage-filled, with densely-penned and poetic lyrics delivered masterfully by vocalist Ange. There is an intimacy only harder driven home by the fearsome playing, especially on tracks like “Integrity” with perfect turns of phrase like “I’m a chronic committer, but I want to quit you.” While everything feels incredibly personal, there is a political fire in this band’s belly as well, serving rallying cries for bodily autonomy and against neoliberalism, crypto, and the climate crisis, while always tying it back to the heart. Overall, this cassette feels like an above-average, sophisticated exploration of big world ideas through a small and focused lens. The results are dizzyingly good.

Stiphnoyds Afraid of the Russians EP reissue

A limited-run reissue of these first-wave Portland punkers’ sole release. Produced by Greg Sage, you can definitely hear the WIPERS influence in the thick, fuzzy guitar tone and power chord-charged songs. Ramalama riffs and rants about Russia, it should be an instant grab for the KBD collectors out there.

Todd Killings & the Contracts (I’ve) Got Your Contract EP

Thanks to TODD KILLINGS & THE CONTRACTS, I’m now aware of the proud Vancouver punk pastime of “fuck bands,” or bands with members swapping instruments and opening for themselves at shows, playing joke songs that were more than occasionally actually very good. You see, at the time, the scene was so small that there weren’t enough bands to play opening slots at shows. Thus, the “fuck band” was born. Inspired by this tradition, (I’ve) Got Your Contract was recorded by Josh and Pat of CHAIN WHIP during COVID lockdown with minimal takes to keep it raw, and it sounds great. You can clearly hear the pent-up energy of two punks having a good time without giving themselves many restraints. Fun and rowdy pogo-punk, for fans of Killed By Death comps and rare punk 45s, this will be a fun discovery for crate diggers in the future.

Utopie Seconde Figure 12″

Had the pleasure of booking a show for UTOPIE a while ago in this tiny vegan restaurant, and they completely tore the place apart. Such a powerful band that delivers both in a live setting and on wax. The best way to describe the sound that this French powerhouse makes is “cold punk.” The mix perfectly encapsulates what this band is capable of. A cold night walk home comes to mind when listening to these tracks, a mixture of post-punk, dark punk, and even a bit of Oi!  Includes a great adaptation of “Ghost Town” by the SPECIALS, here renamed “Ville Fantôme.” A must for late-night trips.

Worshiper To Binge and Purge in LA cassette

This one is heavy for all of the right and all of the wrong reasons. Active in the 2000s, Philadelphia’s WORSHIPER created a misanthropic cacophony that would make fans of UNSANE, 16, and BUZZOV•EN swoon, and offer a wake-up jab to fans of UOA, SLEEPING BODY, and other pillars of ’90s DIY discordance. Fronted by Mike Parry’s vocals that sound like rusty razor blades desperately trying to saw through stone walls, their controlled chaos translates to the recorded medium in a way that makes it clear you’re only getting a small taste of how massive and overwhelming the live experience must have been. But while the sounds are heavy, the context is devastating. After years of struggle that contributed to the dissolution of the band, To Binge and Purge in LA was given a new life by friends of Mike’s after his relapse and overdose in 2021. A six-song tribute to a friend, to a band. A six-song release dedicated to a release from pain and benefiting people still fighting through it. Without the context, WORSHIPER’s posthumous release comes highly recommended. But when you take everything in, it feels cathartic and necessary.

Acid Children Perverts Lobotomy demo cassette

What the fuck is going on with Roachleg Records? It feels as if the label has a secret laboratory where they hold each of their bands in a dirty basement where they have been conditioned or animated to play such amazing punk music, and then sometimes vanish as fast as they have appeared. Either they have a great scouting agent, or they have created a scene where bands with the craziest ideas and obvious love for obscure punk can be free and fuck everything up. ACID CHILDREN fits perfectly into this scene. Lo-fi freak sound, drums mimicking when two metal sheets are slapped together by drunk kids, the not-always-on-rhythm beats mixing well with the rusty-sounding guitars, and the rest of the sound based on constant collapsing, as if the different parts were thrown together and still merged perfectly. When fast, when slow, the pace connects to the people—it has that human element I always look for; it always feels natural, and within such an environment we can witness the ups and downs of a psychedelic trip. Those fucked-up solos, the bit of black metal-ish tone in the vocals, the chaotic fast parts, the melting-apart breaks. This is great thrashing freak music. Each song is over two minutes, which is something I am always picky about, but here the four songs rather sound like eight different ones—that much shit is happening, or that is how easy it is to listen to. Super interested in whether they will continue and make more greater, stranger records. If not, then in twenty years, Roachleg will be this cult classic label having their tapes going for triple-digit prices. Be smart, get their tapes now.

Äni(X)Väx Schock und Drama LP

I wanted so badly to like this. On paper, ÄNI(X)VÄX (which is apparently code for “animal vaccination”) are legendary. Birthed from the fertile mid-’80s German punk scene, stories abound of post-gig punks-versus-police street fights, and something referred to as the “Odeon Pizza Battle of 1988.” Sick! Despite appearances on a handful of comps, they were unable to release any records during their five-year lifespan. That gives them mystique. One of their guitar players is named Fast Gonzo! What’s not to like!? Cue the first song…of the thirteen tracks on Schock und Drama, six are studio recordings and seven are live takes from various shows. Obviously, the sound quality is not going to be the best on some of the live tunes. That’s not the issue. What it really boils down to is that the songs are just not that interesting. It’s your basic four-chord, mid-tempo boilerplate punk. Sloppy but lacking chaos, the tracks overstay their welcome by being too repetitive. The vocalist has an uninspired sing-the-riff delivery that doesn’t hold my attention the way that the pictures and stories of the band do. To be fair, nothing here is egregious or even bad, but the mediocrity makes the disappointment somehow worse. ÄNI(X)VÄX, as represented here, just doesn’t compare to the heavyweights of the era. If you are interested in Deutschpunk, check out VORKRIEGSJUGEND’s excellent 1983 EP Heute Spass, Morgen Tod, INFERNO’s The Son of God EP from ’85, or the Let’s Have More Fun compilation on which ÄNI(X)VÄX appears. As a historical document, Schock und Drama is quite fascinating. I’m glad that it exists. It’s just a shame that the music falls short.