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!

Niis Must Be… 2xEP

NIIS?! Never heard of them. This Los Angeles band seems to be getting around quite a bit and this came out a year ago, so my loss. This may be a crappy comparison, but they feel like a harder, faster HOLE, BABES IN TOYLAND, or DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, crossed with some classic ’80s mainstays like the DEAD KENNEDYS, BAGS, or GERMS (they cover “Media Blitz” online). They have a big internet presence with multiple videos and write-ups, and their singer’s voice destroys and she has good taste in leather gear, so I say you should take a minute from the nothing you’re doing and listen to this. “Big Zoo” kills. Good night.

Padkarosda Sötét Végek LP

Posthumous release from probably the widest-known recent Hungarian band in DIY punk. As I know PADKAROSDA broke up and most of the members continued in a similar vein (but different enough in nuances) with a band called SÜLLYEDŐ VILÁG, it therefore has surprised me they still have new releases. They were one of the most consistent bands on the local Budapest scene—summarizing in a mean way, they wrote one really good song and played it a few dozen times. Construing my meanness, they went the rare extra mile, which is figuring out a signature sound. If you think about it, one of the key elements in great bands is that you are able to identify them even on a blind listen. So it turns out that it’s not the song which is the same, but rather their idea and craft is consistent. Speaking about the music, PADKAROSDA plays Eastern Bloc-flavored post-punk, which does not shy away from grabbing little bits from early European hardcore, either. On Sötét Végek (“Dark Ends”), they tame and stretch their songs, using tight mid-tempo rhythms and giving a generous amount of space for drums and bass while the guitars sometimes just assist for the evil-sounding and a bit dramatic vocals. When the guitars work then, they swirl as a vortex that sucks civilizations into an abyss. They remind me of CROW PEOPLE, because here as well, the atmosphere is the heaviest and there is just enough role for the guitars to snake through each song and get a good grab on the listener, instead spreading out in the whole sound spectrum. Based on records like this, I am not surprised PADKAROSDA was able to step out from the unknown mass of the local scene—they deserve this recognition, and if you are into super gloomy post-punk that is still very punk, you deserve this record, too.

People’s Temple 8 Track Demo cassette

Not to be confused with the Michigan psych rock band by the same name, Brooklyn’s PEOPLE’S TEMPLE pairs their acid with anarchy. This is a killer first outing. Here we find fast, dialed-in hardcore with riffs a-plenty. Featuring members of GLUE and GUNN, this calls to mind West Coast USHC like BATTALION OF SAINTS and CHRIST ON PARADE, with a touch of early POISON IDEA thrown in for good measure. Roachleg never fails to deliver the goods, and this cassette is certainly no exception. Pounding like a hangover headache, PEOPLE’S TEMPLE never really lets up, even as they modulate their tempo from track to track. These are well-constructed, memorable songs, with “Human Livestock” being a standout. Keep an eye on these freaks!

Rat’s Eyes Ростоталконтроль LP

I’ve mused here before about the perceived sub-genre of “Futurecore,” and Moscow’s RATS EYES take that concept to a whole new level. Not only does this record sonically follow in the chaotic dystopian footsteps of bands like S.H.I.T., these guys go as far as calling themselves “future punks” and even present this album as if it was recorded 1000 years from now. Talk about committing to a theme. That being said, the music itself is super solid, a tight and kind of candied form of this particular breed of swirling and menacing hardcore that retains its charm for the entirety of the ten songs. It’s a fully realized album and a great spin that I think will age quite well as it creeps towards its true release date in 3022.

Rot Organic CD

Oh, this rips: 25 tracks of blistering crust grind from São Paulo. Dual vocals, totally guttural death and clearly sung Portuguese with killer conviction. This is very much for fans of the most crucial NASUM, early BRUTAL TRUTH, EXCRUCIATING TERROR, MORSER, early PHOBIA…this really takes me back to ’90s gigs where you can see no light and you hear 5,000 decibels at once (yes, I realize that would shatter the solar system). Super tight non-stop blasts that have several groove breaks for brief moments, mid-tempo beats, then back to over-the-top clobbering. ROT has this sound down so well. As the CD goes on, the vocal tradeoff is more like later E.N.T. or DEATH TOLL 80K. And, well, certainly current NAPALM DEATH, it may even rival them! Through a punk lens. And thankfully, this is not gore cartoonishness in content at all: political, apolitical, social (unrest), anti-fascist, cerebral. Some of the guitar tones on “Under Black Clouds” are downright sinister. Terrorize your best grind memories with this one. Since 1991, almost all of ROT releases have been an EP or split. Absolutely brutal album, like ROT does this shit effortlessly!

Shux Chonks Missing cassette

SHUX’s “(I Don’t Wanna) Indoor Toilet” was one of the gold nuggets panned out from the sediment of Lumpy Records’ 2017 Horrendous New Wave LP comp, a neo-Red Snerts rhythm-machine-propelled weirdo flip-out with bratty femme vocals taking Big Plumbing to task—it resurfaced on a demo the following year with three more originals and a cover of DEVO’s “Goo Goo Itch,” but that was the last we’d heard from SHUX until now. Chonks Missing was recorded with a human drummer in 2019 and apparently intended for a 7” release that never came to pass, with fleshed-out, full-band takes on the non-DEVO demo material and two raging new tracks (“Milk Sick” and “Split Merengue”) that hit more of a Yes L.A./Dangerhouse target than anything Mothersbaugh-indebted. Vocalist Cara Murphy-Smith hiccups KLEENEX-by-way-of-Su-Tissue-style over a deliriously ping-ponging bass line in “Not a Not Nazi” (“I’m not saying you’re a Nazi / But you’re not a not Nazi,” what a line), while the feral Midwestern punk snot of “Wolfman’s Eyeballs” is like a St. Louis response to what CB RADIO GORGEOUS has been up to recently a few hours north in Chicago, and “No No Tony” snakes along in a rhythmic rumble of mounting desperation. Only 25 copies of this exist, don’t sleep.

Spodee Boy Neon Lights EP

Goodbye Boozy teams up with Nashville’s Conner Cummins (SNOOPER, BODY CAM) once again to bring you another SPODEE BOY 7”. If you’ve been following along thus far, you should already know that this would be good. And I’m not here to dispel you of that belief—it’s excellent! If you’ve not been following along, this is a great place to start! I feel like Conner is really starting to come into his own as a songwriter. The four tracks on this EP are still heavily indebted to the COUNTRY TEASERS, FLIPPER, and STICKMEN WITH RAY GUNS, but it’s starting to feel less like a straight homage and more like something distinctly SPODEE BOY. For my money, “The Plan” is the hit of the record, but the title of the EP seems to suggest otherwise. In any case, just go ahead and listen to the whole thing because there are no duds. Limited to 300 copies, and, surprisingly, there appear to be a few left. Snatch ‘em up, y’all!

Squire The Young Idea / It’s Getting Better 7″ reissue

Originally released in 1984 as a fan club-only type thing, I’m guessing most anybody reading this has never heard these two cuts. Hell, I’m not sure I’m even familiar with the band. Listening to the A-side, with its sharp, somewhat stilted lead guitar lick, you’ll find your body sort of contorting to the music. It’s got a mod feel to it, but it’s also reminiscent of catchy ’60s pop music. The B-side continues with the same, though it probably leans even more ’60s pop than the A-side. Whatever you want to call it, this really is nicely done. And it’s a piece of history. You kids should know your history.

Tooth Paint Digital Sex cassette

This is a side project from Henry, the bassist of Germany’s post-punk band L‘APPEL DU VIDE. Henry is a very talented young fella, capable of producing high quality synth punk that lives comfortably outside of time—these five songs can be placed next to the ’80s defining classics, raunchy electroclash, or ’00s no wave. The tunes are catchy as hell, incredibly well-constructed and irredeemably fun. The closing track “Digital Sex” may be my own new personal anthem. Get the cassette now!

Uncross Demo 2022 CD

Coming straight out of Salt Lake City, Utah’s UNCROSS offers three tracks in ten minutes on this demo, which was released in April 2022. Extra points for having the lyrics on the page,  starting off with “Descend Into Decrepitude” (“Lies cannot save you / Hate will not heal you / God cannot hear you…”). With distorted strings and sludgy cadences, the first minute-and-a-half of this song sorts of works as an intro to the demo. After that, the vocals enter, with remembrances of crust metal and doom. It totally makes you feel like descending, and after that starts picking a rhythm inviting you to a doomy pit. Very cathartic. For the second song “Amplified Self-Loathing,” the strings are mental and ill, and follows the lyrical work: depression is a constant, as is self-loathing and hatred scattered towards humanity. This track is a little bit less accomplished, but it has some dark introspective force going to your own soul. The last track is “DYI” (“Doing Yourself In”). This reviewer does not condone nor encourage suicide, but this band might as well. My personal favorite track is “Descend Into Decrepitude,” as it gets the desired atmosphere and may convince you to enter into a rhythmic trance. For lovers of sludge and doom, and reaching the core of depression; a great first effort for UNCROSS.

Viceprez Juger LP

These Lyon-based punks hit several pleasure centers at once. Their sound is scrappy and fierce, with enough rumble and groove to air things out while also seriously delivering on the hooks! Citing fellow French energetic melodic punks YOUTH AVOIDERS, and accurately so, this record also hits almost as hard as modern Oi! purveyors such as CHUBBY & THE GANG and the CHISEL. Each track is fun ‘n’ fierce and you’d have a hard time tracing the DNA from some of the members’ tenure in the much more indie outfit SPORT. Most of the music is gritty and full-force, with some interesting detours such as the menacingly repetitive “Driving Around,” which is also the only track that breaks the three-minute mark. Be sure to try out “Rice,” a poverty food anthem that rings true to a hungry belly and sounds straight from the time machine from 1979. Eleven tracks of no bullshit that’s a hell of a lot of fun. If you want more than that, you’re greedy.

Warning? Unattainable demo cassette

Established in 2019, WARNING? is a gritty and snotty skate punk band from the Bay Area. Not that much info on this band can be found, which makes you think of how it was back in the glory days of USHC. The four songs on this demo go by as fast as possible but they manage to get in your head. A good debut, now let’s see what comes next!

Zikin Zementua Armosaten 12″

Basque Country band ZIKIN (Basque for “dirt”) has released their EP Zementua Armosaten on one of my new favorite labels Mendeku Diskak, and rightfully so, as ZIKIN fits right in alongside labelmates MESS, CASTILLO, and BRUX. Quick, sharp, angry bursts of street punk with a slight tint of deathrock. Standout track “Jodidu” (Basque for “iodize”) is a catchy fist-pumper with a DEAD KENNEDYS-inspired surf guitar lead that seems to appear out of nowhere. A rad EP that makes me look forward to hearing more from ZIKIN.

V/A Paris on Oi! LP

A compilation by some of the leading lights in “La Ville-Lumière,” aimed at capturing a snapshot of its particularly vibrant and thriving Oi! scene following the pandemic. A noble cause, and one that I back, because it really is a cracker. BROMURE, SQUELETTE, and CRAN will all be familiar to those keeping an eye on the scene, but uncovering treats like RECIDIVE and CONTUSION is always a treat. Fair warning, it is French Oi!, so please don’t be startled by liberal applications of saxophone, but it’s a price worth paying for a dip into one of the better scenes in Euro-land.

Agentss Agentss 12″

A reissue of the two EPs from this São Paulo, Brazil new wave synth group. Folks may be familiar with this band from opening the Não Wave comp of Brazilian post-punk that came out in 2005, which, along with the Sexual Life of the Savages comp, really introduced me to this whole scene (the latter specifically to the amazing AS MERCENÁRIAS). AGENTSS were apparently the first synth band in Brazil, forming after their lead singer/keyboardist Kodiak Bachine visited America and discovered records by, among others, the CURE, GARY NUMAN, and KRAFTWERK, groups whose influence is obvious on the four songs here. The guitars are drenched in chorus and delay, the synth zooms and glides through the soundscape, and the mood is more robotic and nervy than somber or dramatic. Short but landmark, it would make a good deep-cut DJ bin-filler for your goth bar set.

Bad Image Bad Image cassette

This is the second self-titled release by Phoenix, Arizona’s BAD IMAGE. Playing a classic style of hardcore punk with a nice little slavering of UK82 in the mix, this is a super solid release exuding with venomous anger in the vocal department. A particular standout on this tape is the stomping “Energy,” but all four tracks on here rip considerably well. Looking forward to hearing more from BAD IMAGE in the future.

Buggin Brainfreeze / Gratitude flexi 7″

“Brainfreeze” is a two-minute pummeling from BUGGIN, one of the best hardcore bands from Chicago right now. Simply put, this is hardcore punk that is incredibly accessible. Very catchy, great breakdowns, great riffs. Also, it’s a love song, which is cool as fuck. The B-side is a cover of “Gratitude” from BEASTIE BOYS’ Check Your Head, handled wonderfully as the band flex their mid-tempo muscles.  Fresh off of the Darkside of the Moon 2 tour from Triple B and Flatspot Records, BUGGIN are ones to watch. Fingers crossed for a full-length soon.

Clusterfux Blood cassette

I previously received a cassette collection by CLUSTERFUX which compiled the band’s 7”s and tons of unreleased songs—I remember at the time feeling like it was a bit lackluster and somewhat all over the place. If I were a more pompous individual, I might suggest that my review pointing out the gripes I had with the previous cassette inspired CLUSTERFUX to focus on the genre they really wanted to be playing on Blood, their newest release. This cassette couldn’t be more different from how the earlier tape came across. We’re talking straightforward, no-bullshit, crossover/thrash metal. A short and sweet six-song cassette, which I think works well for a band of this genre, rather than the overwhelming nature of a collection cassette. Hell, even listening to a record like Crossover by D.R.I. feels like a bit of a marathon if you ask me—by the end of it, I’m always left wondering why they didn’t cut the album off with the stomper “No Religion.” Anyway, you get none of that with this cassette. If you’re into later-era crossover D.R.I. albums, CLUSTERFUX now sounds like a mixture of that and any ’80s classic thrash-metal band who were not memorable enough to make it into any iteration of the Big Four.

The Comets The Comets LP

An archival release showcasing the entirety of short-lived central Florida act the COMETS’ recorded output, this record features ten spunky numbers spanning a period from 1981–1983. Acolytes of the British mod scene and fronted by the English-born Mich Shields, the COMETS excelled in crafting spirited and slightly off-kilter rock jams that fit right in with some of the brightest US power pop of the era. While sticking to the shiny and simple framework established by bands like the JAM, the songs carry a whiff of the working class rock of their early ’80s Philly contemporaries the A’S and mirror the sharp songwriting of the CARPETTES, culminating in a striking and addictive sound. Upbeat, soulful, and polished, this cool collection of tracks offers a range of hit-worthy hooks and memorable melodies. “Living the Answer” starts with an unexpected speedy chord pairing that reads like a blending of the iconic Twilight Zone and Munsters TV themes before springing into its hopeful and anthemic jaunt. “Foot of the Stair” shares the sparse urgency of the CURE’s “Jumping Someone Else’s Train.” “Everybody Loves a Hero” opens with the saccharine guitar shamble that would become a signature style of DINOSAUR JR. a few years later. The A-side of the band’s final 1983 single, “Big Business Jokes” pairs a frantic BUZZCOCKS-style jitter with its brief yet dramatic chorus punchline. All of these tunes resonate as thoughtfully-composed bursts of gleaming and easily digestible rock’n’roll romance; music that is well-worthy of the rescuing it’s been provided by this comprehensive discography LP. It’s an essential for shelves of a certain nature.

Drakulas Shame / Three Sisters 7″

What we have here is the tenth entrant in a series of 7”s where Portland label Drunk Dial invites a band to drop by the studio, drink to excess, then record an original track and a classic cover. How is this different from a typical recording session? Not sure! I listened to a handful of these, and none of them seemed overly loose or sloppy. I mean, that’s probably for the best, but then what’s the point of this concept? Anyway! Here we’re getting a couple of tracks from Austin band DRAKÜLAS, made up of folks from the RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS and RISE AGAINST. The original is a gothic pop punk number similar to the stuff fellow Texans HEX DISPENSERS were putting out back in the day, but a little slower and less catchy. It’s not great. But, hey, at least this cover is solid! They’ve picked “Three Sisters” from oddball new wave punkers the JIM CARROLL BAND. They play it straight, which is the right move, but they give it a punchier production and take the vocals in a glammier direction. It’s pretty cool!

Exxxon Diesel Tape cassette

EXXXON is back with a third tape of fossil-fueled fury. This one kicks off with “Mavverick,” which pays homage to MINOR THREAT’s “No Reason” with its thumping bass intro and recurring “you say you hate me” lyric. Next up is the brief, head-bobbing blow-out “Connoco,” followed by the bratty, stomping closer “Chevrron.” While this one’s a little more driving and less funky then their previous efforts, their simple and smart shit-fi recipe remains pretty much the same. They’re going to run out of gas company names eventually, right? They’re already using ones I’ve never heard of, but then again, I’m not really a big gas station buff. I am a fan of uncompromising punk art, however, and that’s what this is.

Feed Stimuli cassette

I guess it was bound to happen, but someone finally smashed the two plastic dinosaurs of NWI-style home studio synth punk and good ol’ fashioned ’80s hardcore. The results couldn’t be more fun or sensibly pissed-off. The bulk of the HC sound comes from the broken-glass vocals that send home the blunt force of tracks like “Numb.” Everything here drives forward, with a cool clean tone to the guitars and satisfying swerve to the synth. Everything congeals in a sound that’s truly disorienting at first, with brainy-but-dumb guitar leads and great riffs that make your teeth throb. The overall impact feels subtle at first, but this is some dank basement rage cage shit, not to mention the dizzying effect of almost every track title/chorus being the same cadence of growling three syllables. Pow pow pow. Almost every cut. I’d definitely slam to it, and I’m amazed I haven’t heard more imitators. Not yet anyway, but they’ll come. Check out “Tooth Decay,” you won’t even notice you’re getting bruised when you’re having such a good time.

Food Fight Shenanigans EP

A French band on a Spanish label! Why can’t the whole world get along that well? Track one gets started with a super catchy power pop number that’s super melodic, but almost has a little herky-jerkiness going on. It’s a fine start and leaves me wanting to hear more. They slow things down a tad on track two, but it remains very catchy, with an almost CARS-like lead guitar. Track three is another power pop cut with vocals that remind me of MADNESS, despite the fact that it is not at all a ska sound. And they round it out with one that continues very much in the same spirit of the others. Overall, four strong songs that are quite easy to listen to. More than bouncing my head, this one has me shimmying my shoulders. It’s a subtle but important difference.

The Harlequins Time LP

And now for something completely different, here are a dozen tracks of psych-y indie rock/pop from Cincinnati, OH. Any of these songs could sneak onto your hometown classic rock station or the soundtrack of a Zach Braff movie. The fuzzy, reverb-y guitars, dreamy, ’60s harmonized vocals, and trippy instrumental passages would make our parents/grandparents rack their brains for where they heard this band before. As an example, the track “Daydream” features BEACH BOYS-style “ooh”s, and check out these lyrics: “I walk through a dream / Half-a-stride / Awake so it seems / Eyes are wide open / Aren’t they?” Far out.

Irish Handcuffs Transitions LP

Catchy melodic punk from Germany with personal lyrics about love, loss, and life, melding different aspects of bands like SAMIAM, NO USE FOR A NAME, and ALKALINE TRIO into a nice package that is totally their own. I’m of the firm belief that everything has been done to death, so to hear a band like this that doesn’t make me write it off as a carbon copy of something from a bygone era and make me reach for the original is refreshing. Well done.

Ismatic Guru II cassette

Treble-punk meets synthwave on this short and fun tape. Imagine the top-of-the-neck guitar lines of CONEHEADS with the bright and bouncy keys of CHERRY CHEEKS and you’ll get the idea. The bio describes the vocals as “goblin ELVIS,” and I can’t do better than that. Every song is a perfect bouncy rocker with interlocking guitar and keyboard elements that are catchy and danceable, with a warm bass (or maybe organ?) sound that is mixed perfectly. The last song is called “Hey, Little Fucker,” which is an A+ title. If you’re on team egg, check this one out.

Leatherface Cherry Knowle LP reissue

Full disclosure here, I love this band. Now, that said, I do not particularly love this album. It was, in fact, the first LEATHERFACE album I heard, and as such it will always have a certain place in my heart, but for me it’s probably somewhere in the middle as far as my personal rankings of their albums go. That’s not to say that it’s not a strong album. In fact, as my gateway to the band, it was strong enough to make me go see them several times, which then led to my eventual love of the band. Song-wise, there are some great ones here. I think it was initially the production of the album that didn’t win me over immediately, but now it’s endearing. I’m glad that it’s finally been reissued, as it is a great record, and the only one I actually no longer have a copy of. Pretty sure it sold out fairly quickly though, so it’s off to the internet I go to find a copy for a ridiculous price!!!!!

Martha Please Don’t Take Me Back / My Heart is a Drummer 7″

This 7” single came in advance of MARTHA’s fourth studio album Please Don’t Take Me Back, which was released at the end of October. The group has written a lot of music since their first release in 2012, and between their old family (I assume) photos for album covers and their syrupy indie sound, they have definitely made a “thing” for themselves. “Please Don’t Take Me Back,” sung by one of the male vocalists, reminds of some newer ARCTIC MONKEYS that’s made its way through alt-radio stations countrywide—and while I don’t necessarily mean that as a compliment, the song is great in a lot of ways: it starts with simple palm-muted strumming, bouncy drums, and iconic over-pronounced British vocals that build into a heavier chorus with plenty of harmonies and catchy hooks. “My Heart is a Drummer” (which I don’t see on Please Don’t Take Me Back) has a more enjoyable structure, with a fast drum breakdown during the chorus shouts of “In the place where my heart is a drummer / In the place where my heart is drummer.” I also find the female vocals (occupying the second half of the song) a little less grating and the lyrics less formulaic. Everything about this works, sounds great, and has that air of nostalgia (just look at the cover) that is so popular amongst a world gone wrong, but you have to really like sappy indie to enjoy this, and for me, these two songs were about my limit.

Nasty Facts Drive My Car 12″ reissue

Teenage punky power pop perfection! While too many KBD slabs have been elevated to “essential” status by virtue of little more than their scum stats, this is a legitimate ripper, and a really important one at that. NASTY FACTS first came together as four grade school Brooklyn tweens playing covers in 1975, an origin story that would probably be enough in and of itself to cement their legend, but bassist/vocalist KB Boyce was also Black and queer, commanding space in a scene that has generally been synonymous with lovelorn white men fixating on women as lyrical subjects/objects of unrequited desire. The band tears through the three tracks on their one-and-done 1981 single with the wound-up melodic velocity of the BUZZCOCKS (bobbing bass, blazing guitar, restless drumming), with KB’s vocals exuding effortlessly cool teen nonchalance on the unassailable A-side “Drive My Car”—the line “I’d rather dance than read a book” in one verse precedes “I’d love to hit you with my car / Don’t ever look at me that way” in the next(!), with some SHANGRI-LAS’ “Leader of the Pack”-style car crash sound effects thrown in to really underscore that sentiment. The B-side (“Gotta Get to You/Crazy ‘Bout You”) is killer, too; a double-trouble dose of fierce, anthemic bubblegum punk right up there with the likes of SCREAMING SNEAKERS and the MNM’S (if you know, you know). Such a crucial record in so many ways. 

Oog Bogo The Beat Sessions cassette

When this act dropped their Plastic LP earlier this year, I was not a fan. It seemed like yet another herky-jerky solo affair in an already overcrowded field, and the record struck me as being superficially wacky or out-there (an impression I think I got from its record cover). But maybe most significantly, the album’s production just kinda left me cold. The guitars sounded thin, squishy, and percussive—at times, almost like they’d been programmed on an SNES—and the vocals were too forward in the mix, really breaking the illusion that these songs were being played by a band. So, I hastily filed this away as being fine but not for me. Now, look, we all make mistakes. If you’re unfamiliar with the Beat Sessions series, the deal with them is that sound engineer Mike Kriebel invites a band to drop by his Golden Beat studio in Los Angeles for a one-day, high-quality, live-ish recording session that he then releases as a cassette (it’s essentially a modern-day Peel session). For this twelfth installment, OOG BOGO (a.k.a. Kevin Boog from MEATBODIES) is joined by a handful of folks to more or less re-record that entire LP in a looser, live setting. Seriously! Seven of the eleven LP tracks are represented here, along with three quarters of their 2020 EP and a KLEENEX cover (“DC10”). And this just worked for me this time…like, a lot! The songs are faster, and the production is much more immediate—this thing really beats the hell out of you like you’re in the room with the band. What’s wild is that pretty much all the parties involved in the LP’s recording (at least TY SEGALL and Mike Kriebel) are also present here, perhaps in slightly different roles. In any case, hearing these songs in a new context allowed me to appreciate them for what they are—well-written, intricately constructed, genuinely out-there bangers that are equal parts psychedelic pop, SPITS-y downstroke punk (particularly in their dum-dum harmonies), and whatever you want to call Here Come the Warm Jets or the A-side of DAVID BOWIE’s Low. Revisiting the LP, I still think some of my original complaints are warranted, but I’m willing to admit that I was wrong—it’s an excellent album. Still, this collection of tunes is nevertheless an improvement over that. Stellar stuff!

Persona Free Your Mind! 12″

Free Your Mind!, the latest release from NYC’s PERSONA, consists of seven tracks of anarcho-punk-infused, thrashy fast hardcore punk fury. Fierce combustion with the intensity of maniac drums and noisy, textured analog-sounding recording, a damaging, in-your-face explosion. Reminiscent of anarcho-punk bands going outside of their musical boundaries and fusing the fury of fast USHC such as HERESY/RIPCORD and DAN, or the intuitive New Mexico/East Bay fury of GRIMPLE. We’ve been pogoing for the last decade-plus with the Toxic State catalog, and perhaps it’s time for more circle pits and stage dives.

Pyhät Nuket Kuoleman Sotatanssi LP reissue

PYHÄT NUKET was formed by Finnish punks Lasse Aaltonen and Juha Nabb while their main outfit, the legendary RIISTETYT, was taking a break, and after this short-lived project was finished, most of the musicians went on to NUKET. PYHÄT NUKET was far from their main gig, delving more and more into goth and new wave territory, but you can just call it post-punk—catchy and bright anthems for the goth that resides inside each punk. Kuoleman Sotatanssi has now reached a cult classic status in the underground scene and has seen a reissue courtesy of Svart Records.

Remedy Feelin’ Demo 2022 cassette

Low-fidelity, rudimentary rock’n’roll. Singer’s going for some kind of Colin McFaull-meets-Angry Anderson snotty bar rock vibe while the band plods through grimy would-be jams that sound like they are, quite literally, coming from your drunk neighbor’s garage. Which is, of course, the charm of REMEDY FEELIN’, because that’s exactly what they’re going for. When they hit the multiple vocals on “Sleepless Summer,” I’m reminded of SF greats FANTASY (which will mean little to most readers, but if you know, then you definitely know)—like glam without any of the chops or any of the….well, without any of the glam. Weird, right?

Savageheads Service to Your Country LP

As my dear friends in the Guinness marketing department will oft remind me, good things come to those who wait, and this is a very good thing indeed. Coming hot off the heels of their solitary release eight(!) years ago, a SAVAGEHEADS full-length finally lands, and fuck me sideways lads, it’s a total bloody belter. Thirteen tracks of raging UK82-in-‘22 pogo joy and the perfect soundtrack for cheap cider and solvent abuse. Snotty, amphetamine-rapid riffs, sneered vocals sticking two fingers up to every establishment of which you can think, and pounding drums that feel like the heartbeat of an anxiety attack. People will compare this to yer ABRASIVE WHEELS, yer SKEPTIX, yer PARTISANS, etc., but this is just a really fucking good record and one you should nick your nan’s pension to get…it’s just that good.

Sawchuk Modern Love LP

Active for around eleven years so far, this is the first full-length release for Detroit’s SAWCHUK. Modern Love straddles the line between fast hardcore punk and the more heavy, more groovy variety of hardcore—whichever mode it is in at any given moment, it is consistent in its negative energy. This record displays a wide array of different emotions, very few of them of a positive nature. Modern Love is a very dour listening experience, but in the best way.

Thee Dirty Rats Humans Out LP

We’re in desperate need for a new wave of garage that doesn’t feel like an echo of an echo of the past. There have obviously been great garage rock duos that loom large over the scene, and THEE DIRTY RATS feel in step with the tradition, but the use of cigar box guitar that truly sounds like shit (not a compliment in this case) and distant and muddy drums makes most of the affair feel hollow. One high point that actually uses the crappy sound to an almost motorik effect is the uncharacteristically effective “Headache.” I could hang if the rest of this LP sounded the same, a blood rush of nearly industrial rock that touches base with SUICIDE and NEU! more so than anything from the garage canon. Likewise, the following track “Plastic Veins,” with its JESUS AND MARY CHAIN bubblegum goth aura, satisfies by doing something not altogether new but with a steely confidence and bummer vibe that I just want more of. Like any subgenre, the formula works best when used against itself, and I wish this Brazilian two-piece took that more to heart.

The Trouble Seekers The Trouble Seekers LP

What a pleasant surprise. The TROUBLE SEEKERS are Kevin McGovern from the PROSTITUTES and Hillary Burdon from the PANDORAS. On their first album, they deliver a superb set of songs with great elegance, melodic sense, and humor, mixing the classic Southern California punk sound of the ’80s, synths à la SCREAMERS or NERVOUS GENDER paired with a punchy drum machine, and some classic rock attitude. Imagine the McDonald brothers collaborating with Lawrence from DENIM—that’s the closest thing I could come up with to describe the very personal sound of this project.  Listen to “Out of Order” and thank me later.

Vomitatrix Vomitatrix cassette

I am not well-versed in noisecore, but from what I remember of seeing BASTARD NOISE, MERZBOW, and SEX MOB (featuring JOHN ZORN), VOMITATRIX aligns with their sonic insanity. However, VOMITATRIX adds more carefree, psychedelic guts to their music. This is chaotic but with formation. Disturbing and unhinged but not without consciousness. I think VOMITATRIX would be a thrill to see live. From Jupiter, FL—I’m feeling more like from Jupiter the planet. Some of the song titles are more disturbing than the maniacal structures (think A.C.). This is “free death,” in the musical genre sense. Like JOHN ZORN, what do you do with yourself when an audience standing there expects you to “play”?

War Effort War Effort cassette

Rumor has it that WAR EFFORT started as an experiment: get into the studio and try to record an EP in a single day. Maybe we’re hearing the end result, maybe not, but I sure do love the myth-making intention. And what do we have here? Blistering and pure D-beat from a band that offers a brutal execution; an in-your-face sound that lives up to the phrase “first idea is the best idea.” This sounds fresh, free, and unabashed.

Whippets Kick EP

Did anyone else expect SNAPCASE’s “Caboose” to start playing after the opening drum lick on this EP? For your sake, I hope not! Anyway, we’ve got a new 7” from Goodbye Boozy, this time it’s the debut vinyl release from the Madison, WI-based act WHIPPETS. The project began as a recording outlet for Bobby Hussy (he seems to have started developing ideas for it as far back as 2013), but he’s since fleshed things out into a full band by adding frequent collaborator Tyler Spatz (the HUSSY, CAVE CURSE) on bass and Riley Heninger on drums. Broadly speaking, I guess the band plays post-punk, but from track to track the amount of “punk” or “post-” you get will vary. Three of the four tracks on this EP tread a lot of the same ground JAY REATARD laid with Blood Visions—tight, dynamic, start/stop songs that are as indebted to garage punk as they are gothic rock or any of its derivations—whereas “Cure” is more mechanical post-punk in the vein of A FRAMES. To top it all off, Bobby’s doing his best imitation of early-BIRTHDAY PARTY Nick Cave—to the point of caricature, though, so it’s more in TV GHOST territory. I don’t think any of these songs have quite as much character as ones put out by the aforementioned acts, but they’re definitely not bad. You should give it a spin!

Your Pest Band Reflecting Board LP

Sometimes bands get it right with their album title. Reflecting Board is spot-on for this collection of introspective punky power pop tunes. It is mood music for when staying home and lounging seems like the right option. The album contains seven tracks that were released in Japan in 2021, now available on vinyl.

Ä.I.D.S. The Road to Nuclear Holocaust 12″

My dad’s dog is really quite extraordinary—my dad actually thinks the said dog is Nobel Prize material, but he’s always been a little hyperbolic. The little bastard has the sharpest ear in the animal realm. Even if you softly whisper words like “cake” or “walk” to someone else’s ear, the furry tornado will rush toward you and glare miserably. I am endowed with the same power when it comes to DISCHARGE. I can effortlessly hear random people in another room discussing the band and, while I try not to bother them, a part of me wishes that I would be more like my dad’s dog and just run to them. So when I heard about Ä.I.D.S., a Swedish project blending the classic D-Takt sound with power electronics, I was very curious, and upon reading the epic romantic description provided by La Vida Es Un Mus, the well-established and prolific label releasing it, I was determined to love The Road to Nuclear Holocaust (a very common road in D-beat mythology). I don’t necessarily dislike original takes on the discore genre—I love THISCLOSE and their silly but respectful tribute to the obsession with DISCHARGE, and even the insane Truth of Arize LP (harsh noise + DOOM-styled cave-crust) gets some playing time. But this one does not do anything for me. There are classic DISCHARGE riffs and a couple of decent ideas but on the whole it just sounds like a bored punk arsing around with a synth during the COVID lockdown convinced that Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing would sound alright with more solos and played through a ’90s kid’s electronic toy. I wanted to love this but ended up disappointed.

[Ass][Ass][Ins] Underneath cassette

Instantly addictive, high-energy punk. SPITS-caliber paired with SOVIETTES-level hooks, all given the business with guitar leads sharing the spotlight with sharp, urgent vocals. Check “I’m Not Paying Rent” and know that you’ll be hearing from Canada’s [ASS][ASS][INS] again—great stuff!

The Berzerkers For Love / Rest Yer Bones 7″

Two straight-up, hard-rockin’ tunes from Orange County. Both songs feature wailing guitars and snarling vocals recovering from the trials and tribulations of the year 2021. The way the singer pronounces “head” in “For Love” makes it occasionally sound like “hair,” making me repeatedly chuckle at the lyric “head on straight.” I always found the phrase “Rest Yer Bones” a bit corny. Does anyone say that anymore? I’ll stick with the A-side.

Binge Kings 25-Song Demo cassette

BINGE KINGS announce their arrival with a 25-song collection of shit-fi garage punk tunes consisting of tinny guitar, drums, and snotty shouted vocals. Upon further listening, I think the drums are just one snare drum. It might actually be a bucket. In addition to the songs, there are seven skit tracks taken from movies, mostly centered around beer. The talent on display here is lacking—primitive power chord progressions with simple snare pounds could be great, but the songwriting is never that interesting. The vocals are by far the best part, and the confident full-throated yell works well over the high-tone practice amp aesthetic. It sounds like they were going for CARBONAS-style straight-ahead punk, but you gotta have the songs, man. “Windsor” stands out as a rough little gem with a melody that shines through the fuzz like the best LIQUIDS tracks. I know demos can be rough around the edges; the rawness and spontaneity are often an exciting statement of purpose. This one was a bit of a slog to get through.

Chronophage Chronophage LP

CHRONOPHAGE is a band that slowly wooed me. I’ll fully admit I wasn’t open to embrace their first two releases What is the Mystery of Love? and Prolog For Tomorrow—something about the lo-fi production of the first didn’t light up my enthusiasm for the second, and I couldn’t break through it. But it was Th’ Pig Kiss’d Album that was the skeleton key that opened up everything for me. I love having my mind changed by a band, especially if they’re not being pushed on my plate. I could tell there was some true songwriting happening in this band, unhindered by aesthetic tropes or genre. This new LP is another progressive step, with influences I can only hint at. There are sounds that are familiar to the ear and on the tip of my tongue, but I’ll avoid embarrassment by incorrectly guessing. Written and recorded as the pandemic waged on in uncertainty, the songs seem to reflect the dismal nature of the outside world, and the warm light and strength found in the internal worlds of friendship and love. The production and arrangement of the first three songs suggest fighting through some sort of dense depressive fog, the songs floating in a milky pool of feeling, melodies, and verses, but without any resolution. That’s when “Summer to Fall” kicks in with that instantaneously hooky descending bassline, twanging bites of power pop guitar, the keyboards humbly humming harmony underneath while the vocal ascends with that simple but resonantly tender line “You woke me up at midnight / To tell me you were scared.” The structure of it gives you one perfect hit of dopamine and excitement after another—a trickling sunshower of piano, a clashing call-and-response bridge, back to the undeniable chorus, with a spoken word closer coda. It’s a completely Perfect Pop Song. “Black Cloud” is a similarly strong statement, skeletonized with doomsday jangle and sweetened with synth string stabs, lyrics that sound like viewing scenes of desolation and desperation from a car window, moving through it but never away from it. From this point on the record, the murkiness found on the A-side dissipates, and the closers “Burst the Shell” (a slow-burning blue beauty) and “Fear Agony” (a sharp-tipped rocker with an ecstatically messy fuzzy climax of a guitar solo) conclude the record like you have (or it has) woken from a dream with total clarity. CHRONOPHAGE is one of the few bands currently going for whom I’m excited to see how they grow creatively and sonically. Their music is imagining a better brighter world while still fighting the dysfunctional and doomed one we still reside in.

Cuir Album LP

CUIR (French for “leather”) is a one-man band cruising through eleven two-minute cuts of neo/cyber/future Oi! on the superb Album. These strong (if slightly repetitive) traditional punk songs are elevated with flourishes of synth running through each track. Opening instrumental “Maniac” sets the pace, and standout “Luxure Objectif” sums things up perfectly: a propulsive two-and-a-half minute ode to kinky leather bondage. CUIR mastermind Doug Zilla even sounds a little bit like Tony from the RIFFS, what’s not to love? For fans of CAMERA SILENS and the movie Drive.

Cutters Australian War Crimes EP

This release from Melbourne’s CUTTERS consists of six tracks of hardcore punk reminiscent of early “No Parasan”-era FUCKED UP, with songs about the bleakness and emptiness of modern society and a title track in reaction to war crimes committed by Australian SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan. Without resorting to gothy post-punk or anarcho-punk aesthetics, CUTTERS manage to sonically mirror the very dark realities of our world, with rage coming from the daily disgust and depressive nature of self-claimed proud nations and their patriotic cultures. which seems to be a relatable reality many face around the world.

Dead Stare II cassette

Eight tracks of old school punk goodness, coming from that school of hardcore that wasn’t yet an exercise in how fast you could play and occasionally featured guitar solos. Some tracks even have hints of British Oi! The two covers they do, by the SPITS (“Bring”) and NECROS (“Reject”), tell a lot about the overall vibe of DEAD STARE. The vocals are too distorted to make out, which is too bad, because they’re enthusiastic about something. I just can’t tell what. Riffy and melodic.

Eskizo Abandonar la Esperanza cassette

ESKIZO is a great D-beat band from Georgia in the American South. The band’s been around since 2015, refining a very heavy and particular rendition of DISCHARGE-worship that is aggressive, vindictive, and yet really fun. Most tracks are in Spanish, but that shouldn’t be any kind of barrier to enjoy the mean sounds of ESKIZO. I really dig “Inestabilidad,” a mix between early DARKTHRONE and MG 15. Get the cassette.