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!

Compilations Powerless 12″

A four-song project that features a different guest vocalist for each song. The songs are very ’90s Southern California-inspired, along the lines of the stuff that was coming out on Dr. Strange in the mid-’90s. In fact, two of the songs feature vocals from Ken Conte of IMPLANTS/BROWN LOBSTER TANK and Jeff Caudill of GAMEFACE, both of whom released records on Dr. Strange. The other two feature vocals by Francis Garcia of POP UNKNOWN/FOURTH GRADE NOTHING and Robby Cronholm of TAXES/CRUMB, and Stella Maxwell of CRUISERWEIGHT, respectively. Three of the songs are original compositions. The fourth is a TOM PETTY cover. All in all, it’s a neat idea, and if you are a fan of any of the vocalists that appear on this record, you’d definitely wanna give it a listen, although I’m not sure how often one would go back for repeat listens.

Doctor Explosión Superioridad Moral LP

First record in over a decade from Spain’s DOCTOR EXPLOSIÓN. Great collection of songs here that bring to mind KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES melded with the MAMAS & THE PAPAS. This may sound like a weird concoction, but it works well. What you get here is a combination of the raw energy of a ’70s garage rock band and the bittersweet sentimentalism of golden-age oldies radio. Very partial to the vocals here, which sound like they’re coming from the deepest depths of an AM receiver in an old station wagon. Guitar work is incredible with licks for days. Great summer jams for those hot days where you sit around and do nothing but drink beer and sweat your ass off.

The Drin Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom LP

Moody post-(pretentious)-punk from Cincinnati, but it’s not as bad as you’d think. The usual required deadpan vocals are accompanied by a bit of Australian VENOM P. STINGER/KIM SALMON musical leanings leaking through along, with the usual JOY DIVISION/WIRE/FALL influence. Some songs have almost a spooky RESIDENTS vibe, and there’s a little classic Ohio ELECTRIC EELS and PERE UBU in there somewhere. Nice. The heavier songs like “Peaceful, Easy, Feeling” are my faves here, and I could write something about beautifully textured musical landscapes or some such bullshit, but basically it’s a nice bleak winter day kinda listen but nothing to kill yourself over though. Lol.

Eel Men Archetype / West Green Pirate 7″

Second 7” from this four-piece out of London. I wasn’t really able to turn up anything about the band, so I can’t tell you much about the players here or any other projects they’ve been involved in. In any case, they play pretty straightforward ’60s-influenced garage/psych pop. “Archetype” is a reverb-heavy number that sounds not unlike the slickest song you’d find in the STRAIGHT ARROWS catalog, except something about it sounds a little more intentional, like it’s been written by a pop band cosplaying as a garage band. It’s really giving me SUPERGRASS-channeling-BUZZCOCKS vibes. Same could be said of “West Green Pirate,” probably the better of the two tracks, which goes for more of a Piper at the Gates of Dawn sound and throws in a hook built around a “Be My Baby” drumbeat. I really don’t know what to think about this record. On the one hand, I want to say it’s really good—these are well-written songs that tick a lot of the same boxes a genuinely cool record would. But at the same time, something about it just left me cold. Like, I can easily imagine a world where one of these tracks appears in a Honda commercial. But that’s probably more on me than it is these dudes. So, give it a listen! Hopefully, you won’t have my same hang-ups.

Gatsu Generación Atormentada Tratando De Surgir Unidos cassette

Directly from the La Florida neighborhood in Santiago, Chile, we hear a loud message of positivity and great inner force being cast by this band. A solid project giving the most intense experience with inspiring lyrics, backed by a merge between classic ’90s East Coast hardcore and intense fastcore with crossover nods, great powerful drums, and thrashy, high-pitched guitar. Solid sound and lyrical performance and flow, the vocal carrier of a high-energy, never-stop-fighting vital force. The enduring urge to mosh comes right away. Classic breakdowns ending in even faster string cadences are carriers of inner strength, pumping you up—you can tell they are all good friends and didn’t just click to do this band. Self-overcoming and personal growth is encouraged, as GATSU stands for guts, exuding determination, bravery, and self-knowledge. More than an interesting project and format, not seen as often as it should be nowadays. Suggested tracks: “El Mensaje” and “El Desafío.”

Hourglass Atomic Clock LP

Atomic Clock packs a lot into each song. They sound well-rehearsed, but I’m not sure such a busy sound is a good fit for hardcore. Often, they’re playing dissonant, jazzy chords at a stop/start pace before a pummeling doom or sludge metal chorus. The songs feel very deliberate and arranged, a real contrast to hardcore’s stripped-down M.O. The vocals are mixed right up front, which ensures you’ll hear the similarly elaborate lyrics. The band sounds eager to push the genre’s constraints. Whether that’s good or bad is up to the listener.

Larsen ¡No! EP reissue

I love a niche, boutique reissue label precisely for bringing me nuggets like this early ’80s power surge of militant Spanish punk. A bit of an overlooked artifact, and it’s not earth-shifting material, but this is pretty ferocious stuff that manages to stay catchy. The vocals have interesting character, veering somewhere between theatrical snottiness and political vitriol. Also, the bass tone is great, much brighter and more present in the way records from this time often get right. “Vomitas Sangre” is definitely the standout here and scratches an itch for something truly unhinged. The rest is worth hearing, but there aren’t really any revelations to be found in this brief historical document.

Mass Separation Semarak Api EP

There are bands that your granny may definitely enjoy if you include them on her birthday playlist, like the UNDERTONES for example, or maybe your terrible high school pop punk band because she’s too kind to hurt your feelings. Kuala Lumpur’s MASS SEPARATION is not one such band. I had not heard of them in ages and thought that they were no longer active, but I was fortunately wrong. Incidentally, MASS SEPARATION was the first band from Malaysia I came across back in the ’00s through their split with ATROCIOUS MADNESS, so their name clearly has a positive connotation for me. The Semarak Api EP includes six songs, three of which were actually recorded in 2007 and remastered for this release. If you are not familiar with the band, MASS SEPARATION plays—and indeed have played since 1996—noisy grinding thrashcore with a punk attitude and lyrics in Malay and English. It is a little out of my perimeter and there are probably too many tempo changes for my tastes, but I am into the harsh, aggressive vocal style and the political nature of the band. Not totally my kind of raw noise, but I can tell that they know what they are doing, that they are doing it properly, and that they are for real. In it for life. This EP was released on Bollocks Records, a new local label run by, well, the singer of the BOLLOCKS.

No Comply East Coast Powerviolence LP

Holy shit, this fucking shreds. This 42-song collection gathers tracks from the Florida band’s storied history. Like GODSTOMPER, this is bass-heavy powerviolence with noise interludes, threatening samples, and absolutely unhinged shrieking vocals. I don’t have a lyric sheet, but the songs have a meanness to them that can’t really be translated anyway. The production varies a little from track to track due to the different source materials, but all the tracks sound thick, blown-out, and filthy. Some of the songs venture into near grind/noisecore with brief bursts of screech, while others stretch out into doomy breakdowns, and we even get a few STIKKY and SPAZZ covers. “The Noise Set (9 Songs)” is like a Whitman’s Sampler of the band with furious PV, emoviolence passages, and jazzy bass. It all rules, and if you like powerviolence, consider this essential.

Ordinance Ordinance demo cassette

Crushing raw punk done right. Hailing from the thriving hotbed of hardcore that is Richmond, Virginia, ORDINANCE plows through four songs in under seven minutes. Buzzsaw guitars blanket the entire production in a cocoon of harsh static, while the drummer pounds out pulsing D-beats. The slight delay on the shouted vocals allows for a touch of depth, tying it all together. This fits right in with fellow Richmond rockers FUTURE TERROR  and SPORE, with an injection of Swedish influence for good measure. I imagine ORDINANCE being raised on a steady diet of the SHITLICKERS, CRUDE S.S., and MOB 47, with Scandinavian jawbreakers served as dessert. My favorite track, “Hatestrung,” disrupts the formula with a tempo change that gets mean and stompy, but make no mistake, this demo is an ax-swinging ripper. Noise > music!

Plastic Tones Power Pop Testament LP

I fell in love with this female-fronted Finnish band years ago after reviewing a single of theirs—I remember thinking that they reminded me of someone when I reviewed that record. I still think that’s true, but I also still haven’t solved the mystery. It bugs the fuck out of me. Nine perfect cuts that are seemingly equal parts pop, punk, and new wave. All are super catchy and the vocals are just plain pretty. Despite the pretty vocals, there’s an underlying eeriness in all of their songs. Highest recommendation.

Positive Violence No Such Thing! CD

Poland’s POSITIVE VIOLENCE play Oi!-influenced, East Coast-style hardcore with some UKHC influences on 2022’s No Such Thing!. Pretty standard fare that unfortunately falls prey to feeling a little generic at times. There are, however, a couple of odd exceptions; POSITIVE VIOLENCE has a penchant for beer and hippies, so much so that each subject gets its own song (the former on “Pearl Among Beers,” the latter on the aptly titled “Hippie Chick”). Curiously enough, each of these tracks trades the tough-guy hardcore act for more of a goofball pop punk thing (which helps explain the equally eccentric album cover). Kind of a bizarre listen, but also an interesting one.

The Remote Controls The Remote Controls CD

Self-titled debut from this Indiana power trio. They pretty much have that early SCREECHING WEASELS/QUEERS pop punk snot down pat. As a fan of said genre for 30-plus years now, there’s definitely nothing new here, but they attack the genre with enough verve and gusto to make it sound fresh enough.

Rudimentary Peni Cacophony LP reissue

To review a classic record is a difficult task. Ideally, a serious reviewer should pretend to be unfamiliar with the work before writing about it in order to be somewhat objective and maybe offer something fresh. The risk of being in awe before a canonical record and therefore unable or unwilling to think critically about it is also serious. After all, there must have been dozens of reviews about Cacophony in the past 35 years, and most people already know about the record. Why bother when I could just binge-watch a mediocre series that I will inevitably forget about? Originally released in 1988, Cacophony is one of RUDIMENTARY PENI’s most famous recordings and some people rate it as the band’s best work, but I am not one of them. The band’s uniquely deranged, bizarre sound, magnificent creepy aesthetics, their reluctance to play live, and the mystery surrounding them have clearly created a legend, and few bands can claim to be as cult as PENI. There is no doubt that reissuing Cacophony is a brilliant idea and a necessity, as it is a classic album that just should be available. More than a collection of songs, it has to be listened to as a gothic trip, if not a descent, into the life, psyche, and oeuvre of Lovecraft, an uncanny world governed by fear, madness and eeriness. It is as strange as it is particular, unlike any other punk albums. To be honest, I like Death Church much better, and I think Cacophony makes more sense if you take PENI’s previous output into account, as it is a clear departure from conventional punk songwriting, if not from the classical definition of punk itself. Taken individually, the 30 songs that made up the LP are not particularly meaningful—it is only as a cohesive whole, as a full narrative, that they create deep meaning. Musically, Cacophony is hard to describe. Polyphonic, versatile, dark, free, macabre, insanity-driven, undead, strangely sensual, anguished and tortured, creative asylum punk rock. It is great, essential even, but I am still struggling to know if I love it or if I am just fascinated. Whatever the answer, we should all thank Sealed Records.

Shattered Dreams In Bremen March 1993 CD

Under-the-radar, high-energy hardcore from Bremen’s SHATTERED DREAMS, who left us with just one (killer) EP before disbanding, not long after the show captured on this disc. Metal-tinged hardcore punk with an excellent recording that reminds me more than a little of RKL’s Double Live in Berlin—this disc is a winner as an introduction or a posthumous document. Top cuts: “Feel the Change” and the more melodic “Into the Dark.”

Shitstorm Demonic Alien EP

This EP checks the boxes. There is all the snarl and sass that one would expect from such a band that is SHITSTORM. There is some PRISON AFFAIR for sure, laced with vocals that could easily be coming from B.A.’s offspring. The tracks are all fast and just kinda furious, with the sloppy lyrics being the only point of discord throughout the listen. The party ends with the slow-moving tank of a track “Get It Right.” Hell yeah! Let Missouri continue to be the depository of this satisfying filth. I can feel the septic Midwest bubbling away.

Slug Continuing Growth LP

I may be biased, but nothing hits quite like hardcore from the Midwest. Very cool shit from SLUG, an Ohio-based outfit playing lean and mean punk on their EP Continuing Growth. There’s some lurching WARTHOG goodness here—check out “Axe” and “…Tired” to see what I mean. I’ve seen some Hate5Six footage of SLUG and all I can say is that I’m anxiously awaiting a Chicago date.

Snailbones Tinnitus Alrightus LP

Three session musicians from Portland get together with vague ideas of forming a band. One dude is really keen on starting a NIRVANA tribute act. He’s “nailed” his Kurt impression and thinks it would be funny to name the band DUMB, but then put in much smaller letters “a NIRVANA Tribute Act.” The other two are considerate friends—they pretend to mull the idea over, but gently encourage everyone to keep thinking. Ultimately, they decide they should try their hand at doing originals. Stuff that sounds like a mix of their favorite bands—X, L7, MISFITS, DEVO, and, sure, even NIRVANA. It doesn’t matter that they’ve never written songs before, they’ll figure that out along the way and have a ton of fun in the process…or at least that’s how I imagine the SNAILBONES story goes. That would at least explain how this LP of slick-as-shit-sounding, cringe-inducing grunge-punk came to be. Does not explain how it ended up with this title, though. Yikes! To be fair, it does genuinely sound like they’re having a good time, and that’s not nothing. Still, this was a tough one to get through.

Snuki Demo 001 cassette

Six rage-filled songs of plodding, fuzzed-out, nasty hardcore punk. Shockingly memorable despite these songs being completely devoid of anything standardly deemed “catchy.” SNUKI sounds like they would be very appreciated by the lovers of CULT RITUAL and other popular mysterious guy HC bands from a handful of years ago, but it’s certainly not on that same powerhouse level. It is a bold claim numbering your very first demo with multiple zeros in front of the one. I expect at least 99 more demos from SNUKI, or I want it known that I am now officially on record as being pissed about it.

Stereo Joy 10 Minutes With Stereo Joy cassette

Hitting more like a bedroom than garage, this solo project brings some nimble and nifty punk with enough genre experimentation to really craft something you can sink your teeth into in the promised ten-minute runtime. With surf excursions such as the aptly-named “Whirlpool,” as well as the more shambolic, apocalyptically grunge-tinged opener “Mind Imperfection,” this tape really showcases a broad range of what Joey Roest-Aleman can do. This is all while maintaining a cohesive sound of wet (like, drenched) and agile guitars, clear and punchy bass, and strange disaffected vocal delivery. The one gripe, and it’s biased, is the computerized drums. I get it, finding a drummer is every punk’s nightmare sometimes, but I’d love for this project to find one. It would really seal the deal.

Unarmed World of Shit EP

It boggles my mind that this four-song 7” opus was originally recorded in 1998. For over twenty years, it was sitting on a shelf somewhere, aging, waiting to be unfurled. The instrumentation forms a Neolithic-styled D-beat assault, while the guttural vocal delivery blends and balances to form a brutal wall of blasting crust. UNARMED forms a sound that is so dense and heavy that it’s difficult to make a comparison, except maybe to say it’s monolithic. This edges heavily into the extreme category and occasionally crosses the metal border with indifference. “World of Shit” grinds along with a quick guitar sizzle towards the end, but is then followed with the very Motör-inspired “Your Dream.” UNARMED seems to focus more on heavy delivery than technique while occasionally allowing their refined technical skills rise to the surface. This is also one of those EPs that does the thing where the band buries their most skillful songwriting on the backside. Honestly, I could listen to this one on repeat a lot, and never find it tiring.

The Vaxxines Suits EP

Rising out of the ashes of the PATHOGENS comes this catchy-as-hell band with mainstays of the East Bay punk scene on board. There may be no Jesse Luscious or Cinder Block present, but the patented Gilman-style male/female trade-off vocals and catchy (but not wimpy) pop punkedness made famous by BLATZ and TILT carry on. “I Wanna Be In Quarantine” is definitely their best shot for a hit here, but I much prefer “Drink Beer And Destroy.” Go figure. Keep it up.

Welt Star Ich Hasse Blumen cassette

Here is an international collaboration featuring the brains behind DIODE, BOBBY WOULD, and VAGUESS. Needless to say, I was thrilled to dive into this German (by way of L.A.) punk that is moody and fun all at once. The drums absolutely bop, there’s a tasteful amount of synth, and the guitar and bass interlock like some kind of all-angles double helix in a way that hits from the heart and not the head—this isn’t some erudite post-punk, but something much more populist and propulsive. It’s a total blast to hear these musical minds intersect, and though by all reports it could be a while until we hear more from this project (if ever again), I will be anxiously waiting. “Cool” feels like a meaningless word these days, but if anything is cool, it’s this. Tell me “Monstertruck” doesn’t have you shouting along and I’ll tell you to check your pulse.

Wipes W.F.O. cassette

WIPES, hailing from Tokyo, play a tuneful but off-kilter kind of thrashy hardcore punk. This cassette tape (released as a 7″ EP in their native Japan) is wild and unhinged, but still hummable. Not necessarily something to go crazy over, but it’s certainly a worthwhile and enjoyable listen for fellow fans of that classic American-influenced hardcore punk style.

V/A The Inmates are Running the Asylum: Best of K.B.D. Punk 1978–1988 CD

Vast and diverse sound range on a selection of twenty tracks from US and Germany insanely full of proto-punk and pub rock nods—there’s no way a punk rock listener won’t find references and sounds often used later by the most notorious punk bands of the late ’80s and beyond. Frantic lyrics and good tunes, filled with styles that later are the trademark of the different subgenres contained in this relic compilation. Great selection on behalf of Just 4 Fun records from Norrköping, Sweden, active since 1987. Headphones are strongly recommended for listening in order to catch all the details and layers in this one. Suggested tracks: “Black Sheep” by the NIHILISTICS, with their avant-garde hardcore punk from ’83 filled with anger, “Berlin Wall” from the histrionic Germans SUMPFPÄPSTE from ’87, and “High Heel Sex” from LIPSTICK, talking about “real live wires.” For proto-punk enthusiasts, a great archeological work on behalf of this Swedish label. Keep digging!

A Culture of Killing Dissipation of Clouds, The Barrier LP

Really unique sound coming from somewhere vaguely in Italy—A CULTURE OF KILLING brings in elements of goth, post-punk, anarcho, peace punk, and even dub. Vocals come at us with call-and-response male/female parts that harmonize on choruses, keeping us engaged the whole record through. Guitars also call and respond, arpeggiate, jab, and blare into crescendos that has everyone on double-time. Bass does not merely toe the line, and is in fact front and center on a lot of the tracks (check out “Speculations”). I also hear a guiro (I think?), some other odd block percussion, and a xylophone somewhere. The drums provide a rhythm seamlessly transitioning between pared-down, stark post-punk, to groove-centered dub beats that gather the band into a potent force, never devolving into a belabored “jam,” while providing endless fun. A CULTURE OF KILLING mentions ZOUNDS, the CURE, and CRASS as some influences, and while I hear pieces of each, they have truly formed their own breed of punk. This is their third album, and first with Drunken Sailor, and I’m equally excited to listen to their past two LPs as I am to see what is next.

Alternative If They Treat You Like Shit, Act Like Manure LP reissue

Rolling bass lines and protest-style drum beats combine with jagged guitar work to form songs that are reminiscent of other Crass Record bands, but with something a bit different. Pete Wright, bassist and vocalist for CRASS and ANNIE ANXIETY, assisted with the production and performed backing vocals on the original 1985 Corpus Christi Records release. ALTERNATIVE plays like the distillation of Crass Records; as if all the indignation, thematic content, and musical experimentation were concentrated and then finally released. This album as a whole is an adventurous sonic ride with various sound samples creating introductions and conclusions to songs that shift time and rollick freely through a world of criticism, warnings, and encouraged introspection with the summation being that the real revolution begins with the self.

Brian Disease Brian Disease cassette

They may have come up with low-effort (but high impact) joke names, but there’s something serious and even a bit sinister to this angular take on lo-fi punk. While these songs definitely have a bop to them, thanks largely to the rhythm section putting in heavy work, there’s a misanthropy that perfectly puts to rest any worry that punks will ever tire of telling folks to “fuck off.” Like life, this tape is nasty, brutish and short. It probably won’t brighten up your day and there’s nothing mindblowing here, but there’s still plenty to like.

The Cardiac Kidz Get Out​ /​ Find Yourself a Way 7″ reissue

Reissue of this San Diego band’s 1979 KBD “classic”—two tracks that are certainly inept but manage to split the difference between power pop and punk in such a way that they somehow fail to qualify as either. If you’re not a fan of the Killed by Death comps (or ducked out after the first half-dozen), these tracks wound up on entries #007 and #12. I don’t know that I ever registered that both of these were from the same band. Even still, I always thought that they were some of the more forgettable/lamer inclusions, but Discogs prices on the original Lub Dub 7” seem to suggest that other folks are more into them. So, if you’ve been itching to get a copy of these tracks on the same release but haven’t wanted to fork out the big bucks to get an original, Breakout’s got you!

Crucified Class Promo Tape ’23 cassette

Much like fellow pissed-off punks SAVAGEHEADS, CRUCIFIED CLASS managed to Frankenstein the best from US hardcore and UK82 on this cassette brimming with bile. The pogo-friendly hooks of anything off a Riot City comp, twinned with the unhinged bark and aggression of Stateside hardcore to dizzying effect. A real good time.

Cryin’ Hand Laugh Now… cassette

Lo-fi punk to make you feel like you’re at a basement gig. It’s chaotic and manic, reminiscent of bands such as GLUE, FRIED E.M., or some Lumpy Records group. There’s nothing new here, but if you like ’80s-sounding recordings, moldy cellars, vintage cassette textures, primitive riffs, raw tunes, and repetitive structures, you’re probably gonna enjoy CRYIN’ HAND. I did.

Dischordia Andrà Tutto Bene CD

I have to say I’m a real sucker for this kind of melodic hardcore/pop punk stuff. Given that there is nothing on the sleeve, and these Italians sing in their native tongue (and sound all the better for it), I’ve no idea whatsoever what they’re lilting on about, though they do have a circle-A as the last letter of their band name, which may or may not have some significance!? Regardless, they produce a gloriously structured racket, drawing on the best of early WESTON, first couple of LPs-era PROPAGANDHI, and NOFX when they got Hefe in the band, and suddenly became brilliant. Yes, they’re that good.

Disolvente Disolvente cassette

Mid-tempo, no-frills punk rock trio from Barcelona. All Spanish-language chanted vocals complete with doubled-up, sing-along style choruses on many of the songs. Repetitive riffs that manage to keep my attention and make the recording sound incredibly timeless. We’re not reinventing the wheel here, because it needs no such reimagining. This is A+ in my book.

Exaltrist Demonstration of Violence ’22 cassette

Great four-song cassette from a trampler of a band. EXALTARIST is a combined effort from members from other Jacksonville obliterators UNREGISTERED WEAPON and MANIFEST IN FILTH. Lots of black metal-crusted feedback. These tracks all have enough vitriol to keep the lights on in each of the blistering tracks on the cassette. Washed-out cymbals and just murky enough belches throughout each track that burn into each other. Really diggin’ the song “No Gun Ri,” can we ever get more of this?

Firestarter / Madhouse split EP

Man, we love to see a good ol’ split 7″. And this one rips. Two bands from Southern California, L.A.’s FIRESTARTER and the Inland Empire’s MADHOUSE, share the stage on this platter. FIRESTARTER carries on the youth crew (à la UNIFORM CHOICE and INSTED) style of their demo tape that I previously reviewed—they offer three tracks and they all rule. The last two tracks come courtesy of MADHOUSE who, on the other hand, go for unhinged speed and aggression not unlike HERESY or TERRORAIN, and it slays all the same. This is one raging 7″ that you should definitely blast out.

Grawlixes Demonstration 2022 cassette

Blistering, lo-fi raw punk the likes of which upstate NY has not seen since NO FUCKER or their subsequent (and my preferred) band HERPES. That isn’t to say they are cut from the exact same cloth or anything. GRAWLIXES isn’t a by-the-numbers recreation of classic D-beat bands. It’s nasty, it’s driving, it’s also quite familiar. Hmm. Oh, perhaps that is because the same six songs were released on a cassette last year, entitled Demonstration 2021. Re-recorded versions of the same songs make up this second demo. No complaints here, as it is truly ripping. Word has it that a 7” is coming out very soon. Will it be the same six songs recorded a third time around? Even if it is, you can bet your life I’m getting a copy as soon as it is available.

Heaven’s Gate Heaven’s Gate 12″

Fast and furious blasts from HEAVEN’S GATE, a who’s who of thrash/crossover/metal playing thrash/crossover/metal. If you need an idea of HEAVEN’S GATE’s sound, look no further than the impressive resumes of their members—MUNICIPAL WASTE, WARTHOG, CANNIBAL CORPSE, REVERSAL OF MAN. Stuffed with blastbeats, riffs on riffs, sludge-y baselines, and shredded vocals, HEAVEN’S GATE impressively scratches every itch in five songs’ time. Checkout opening track “Smear Crusade” and prepare to have the skin melted off your face like the poor fella on the cover.

Hue Blanc’s Joyless Ones Hue Blanc’s Joyless Ones LP

It takes some years to get this kind of patina of confidence on your sound, and it’s been a fair few for this Wisconsin group. There’s almost a mysticism at the core of these songs—the sound is rooted in a somewhat scummed-up version of BEAT HAPPENING or other paragons of what used to be dubbed college rock (BIG DIPPER comes to mind?), but there is an effortless cool to the vocal delivery and unvarnished lyrical approach. Nothing flowery here, just pure attitude that jangles its way through the abyss with great guitar work and a rhythm section that won’t hold back. It’s hard to pin down the sound (as evidenced by the disparate sound of both previously mentioned bands) as it touches on garage, early grunge, and even some touches of cowpunk. The band feels singular in this way, and therefore ascended from the general rock‘n’roll din. Not to say the group doesn’t get down and dirty when it counts—just listen to the manic horniness of “Negra Bordello.” But this is one of those bands that sings songs like they’re sermons. Sermons of the nastiness of ordinary fucking life, sure, but those are the kind we need. So grab a pew and listen up.

Iena / Scalpo split EP

At first, I found this quite simple, almost pop, but as it went on I became immersed in the rowdy, dark Oi! grooves. European Oi! and the like are not a specialty for me; I love CAMERA SILENS, I’ve checked out PRISION POSTUMO (not sure I’m even accurate here, but whatever, this reminds me of them), KRONSTADT LPs…I don’t know much. But damn, I really dig this. It’s super catchy and executed very tightly. Of the four total songs, my favorite IENA track is “Luna,” which is actually a cover of LITFIBA, an Italian new wave duo. IENA’s side is perfect. SCALPA’s side is bit heavier, almost like Oi! meets later RUDIMENTARY PENI. SCALPO also does a cover of ROUGH, an Oi! band from Torino, Italy. Overall, this is a great Italian Oi! split. Glad for the introduction!

The Kutoffs / Rath & the Wise Guys DCxPC Live Presents, Vol. 10 EP

RATH & THE WISE GUYS deliver three songs of high-energy, dirty rock’n’roll-tinged pop punk that brings to mind kindred spirits like NOBODYS, DWARVES, and even a little bit of ZEKE. KUTOFFS have a more straightforward poppy skate punk style, complete with the good ol’ “ooh”s and “ahh”s and start/stop breaks that are popular in that style of stuff. Both bands are pleasant enough, albeit not without faults, but it’s a live recording so I can’t hold it against them. This has piqued my interest enough to seek out studio recordings from both bands, so I suppose in that respect this split has done its job.

Little Baby Tendencies Bad Things cassette

LUNACHICKS vocal energy and a heavy fuzzed-out attack set the framework for a Tennessee two-piece who assault hypocrisy and humanity with the same energy they use to assault riffs (there are a lot of riffs, for the record). The churn has ’90s alt/metal undertones, but even as a likely product of their influences, LITTLE BABY TENDENCIES truly sound like nothing I’ve come across—intense and intent garage sludge presented as metallic punk. Their ability to look in the mirror when addressing grievances is especially refreshing, and I can only assume that the live performances are even better.

Moron’s Morons High-Tension Situation LP

Leopard-clad rock’n’roll garage action outta Warsaw, Poland, and that’s pretty cool in itself. Really nothing mind-blowing, but hard and steady sorta like a non-stop “Pushin’ Too Hard”/ “Search And Destroy”/”Slow Death”/”Sonic Reducer” medley wrapped up in brothel creepers. They do a nice T.S.O.L. cover and the singer has a great Dave Vanian-meets-SCREAMING LORD SUTCH voice. I’ll probably never listen to this again, but it’s a real good time for now. Dzięki.

Nohz Nohz demo cassette

Right out of the gate, NOHZ digs into a devastatingly tough riff that sets the table for what is to come—a flagrant disregard of the safety of your eardrums. This is an altogether brutal affair, with extremely well-crafted songs that feel both fresh and familiar at the same time. Tempos fluctuate from track to track in a way that makes every cut feel like a singular accomplishment, yet does not detract from the effectiveness of the broader sequence of the release. There is a brooding quality to the music that is heightened by the evil as fuck vocal delivery. In that regard, I’m reminded of RASPBERRY BULBS for their wedding of punk and black metal, though NOHZ certainly skews more punk. Song titles like “Brief Lights, Forever in Pain,” and “Sundial Impailers,” should be a pretty clear indication of what we’re working with lyrically. Musically, this release is brimming with hooks and discordantly catchy riffs. It’s an ugly, ugly world and this demo provides a fitting soundtrack for a waltz through the wastelands. NOHZ beckons you to join the blood party…will you accept the invitation?    

O.C. Rippers Happy Hours Air Travel Club LP

O.C. RIPPERS have been grinding for a few years now, and these Beachwood, New Jersey boys are coming in hot on their second LP. The opening “Mean Streets” sets the tone for the record with a NEW BOMB TURKS-type rock energy and a vocal delivery that falls somewhere between “Nervous Breakdown”-era Keith Morris and “Search and Destroy” Iggy. From there, it continues down familiar roads of ’90s punk’n’roll paved with sleazy ’70s attitude and it’s a hell of a ride. While a lot of bands who tread this territory these days are content in delivering pastiches, the RIPPERS are writing good tunes, some of which would play pretty smoothly in between classics from the likes of the NEW YORK DOLLS, the HUMPERS, the DEAD BOYS, and ZEKE. The songs shift between smoky and bluesy moods, to shambolic ’60s garagery (see the ethereal organ that appears on “Murder” and “Late Night TV Lover”), to soulful and sinewy electricity seamlessly, all played with unabashed lowbrow finesse. I’m thinking it will sound great on Friday nights with a cigarette lit.

Pest Control Don’t Test the Pest LP

Leeds-based thrashers PEST CONTROL have ticked every box on their debut LP Don’t Test the Pest: pristine production by Arthur Rizk, an album cover that will be included in the best metal artwork for years to come, and a release on Quality Control HQ, a legendary label in the making. If any of the aforementioned whets your appetite, you’ll be happy to hear that while you may come for the package, you’ll stay for the tunes. Don’t Test the Pest will satisfy fans of old school thrash (SLAYER), new school thrash (POWER TRIP), and everything in between. Opener “Extermination” begins things with some ominous early METALLICA-inspired drama, leading into “Masquerade Party,” a double-kick-laden pummeling that channels everything there is to love about thrash/crossover: speed, anger, and riffs. Vocalist Leah’s aggro delivery is perfectly suited to the lyrical content; mental anguish, feelings of isolation, and general disdain for any outside forces. Other highlights include “Buggin Out,” which boasts one of the catchiest choruses I’ve heard in a long time, “Don’t Test The Pest,” a fast and furious pummeling with a gnarly guitar solo, and closer “The Great Deceiver,” a grand exit that punctuates the album perfectly. Between this and labelmates FORESEEN’S 2022 LP Untamed Force, it’s never been a better time to be a metalhead.

Putrid Future / Szk​ł​o split EP

Split EPs have always symbolized the idea of collaboration and togetherness (known as the “network of friends” by geriatric punks) inherent to the true punk spirit, without mentioning the opportunity to discover two bands for the price of one. I did not know PUTRID FUTURE and SZKŁO (it means “glass” in Polish) before being offered to review this delightful split, and I have to say that the experience was very pleasant, although I probably should have not played the thing in the morning. I dislike my neighbours, but still. Let’s start with PUTRID FUTURE from Wellington, New Zealand (or Aotearoa, as the band also refer to the country in its Maori name). This three-piece unleashes unabated gruff käng hardcore with a crasher noise influence, especially in some of the drumming and the textured distortion. If PUTRID FUTURE was a topic, it would be what GIFTGASATTACK and PARANOID would talk about at a POLLEN or PHYSIQUE gig (after covering the primordial topic of distortion pedals, obviously). Two solid songs, promising as I think they could do with a bit more power, but a clear progression from their earlier tapes. On the other side, the bollocking continues, increases even, as SZKŁO, from Melbourne (or Naarm, the Aboriginal name) delivers three fast and absolutely furious songs of insanity-driven distorted hardcore thrash. Mean, angry punk music with one song about the weaponization of animals by the police, which is a pretty original topic. If DESTROY! and ’87 NAPALM DEATH hung out with the Osaka crusties in the ’90s and they all caught rabies, the ensuing chaos would sound close to this. This EP was released on Razored Raw, based in Wellington and dedicated to make the world a deafer place, and Feral Dog Records. Looking forward to more loud things from these two bands.

RAN Atrabil​ä​r LP

Fast, crusty hardcore/PV from this Lyon, France band. First off, this record sounds amazing. Recorded and mixed by the band, these fourteen songs sound so nasty, so heavy and distorted, that you’ll immediately know if this is for you. RAN’s sound is so good: syncopated drums that frequently lurch into breathless blastbeats, super heavy bass tones, thick guitars that skew dissonant, and screams. While this is a punk record, there is enough chugging and chaos here to appeal to mathcore and death metal fans, too. Every song rips hard, and I especially like “Why Don’t You Stick Your Head Up Your Ass…See If It Fits” for its ridiculous title, and “Funky Crusty Rambling” for the classic ’50s-style rock’n’roll riff that starts it off. Actually, I recommend you just press play and then repeat it as soon as it ends. Highly recommended.

Red Die Number Nine American Dream CD

Lyrics that range from political, personal, and social, set to a musical background that is equal parts melodic hardcore, ’80s beach punk, and alternative rock. Vocally, the singer reminds me a bit of Kevin Seconds, a bit of Jeff Pezzati, a bit of Joey Vindictive, all blended together. I don’t know how I feel about this, really. At times it grabs me, but then it just kinda falls flat. This is a “give it a couple more spins” for me before I can truly make a definite verdict on my feelings about this one.

Romansy Doves of Peace and War cassette

This four-track cassette by Melbourne band ROMANSY kicks off with a hardcore ripper in which the vocal delivery sounds somewhere between barking and vomiting. The instruments are tight with stop/start buzzsaw guitars and drums, but tend to blend to form a sort of harmonious bullet. ROMANSY rips through the second song in 44 seconds, but then they get a little weird with the third song. “Fucking Flower” is my favorite track on this tape. The additional vocal and guitar modulation/distortion makes for a strange but fun sonic environment while the “breakdown” still goes hard. Expect everything by the forth song, “(Introduction To) Fang Lives,” opening with synth and then finally emerging as another hardcore song, but with none of the frills, finishing like a dystopian acid trip of the worst kind.

Satellites AkuPUNKtura LP

Starting your album with a RAMONES cover (“I Don’t Wanna Grow Up,” but in Polish it’s “Nie Chcę Znów Dorosłym Być”) was a good choice for these Warsaw punks—it sets the tone for what you’re in for. Their vibe is unapologetically 1977 NYC punk. With ex- and current members of GLUE SNIFFERS and INHALATORS, among others, SATELLITES make good noise. Switching from Polish to English, and stirring in different flavors like rockabilly, keeps the album from getting repetitive. Sixteen tracks of the same 4/4 RAMONES-y stuff would get old, but that’s not the case here.