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WATERMELON is a snappy three-piece from Chicago playing one-and-a-half-minute knuckle sandwiches on their 2021 demo cassette. Sonically, there’s a heavy RAMONES influence, but also a dash of EATER and MISFITS. What really stands out are the vocals, a girl-gang chant that reminds me of Holly Golightly and THEE HEADCOATEES. Standouts “Shithead” and “I’m So Happy” both sound like they’ll be on punk comps someday. Good stuff!
Not too fast, not too loud punk rawk in what sounds like a very crappy bar (not a complaint). The singer gives us a raspy yowl and a Jello warble while playing US ’76–79-style riffs with most of the flair scooped out. Much like cover song records, I just don’t think live albums are necessary. This one does not capture the qualities which make the band’s demo and other releases a lot of fun.
Irish fockin’ Oi! Enough said! This EP has everything you can ask for in an Oi! record: memorable hooks, melodic “feel-good” guitar licks, and a steady groove. What sets this band apart is their political views, particularly when it comes to veganism, which is an integral part of punk (or it should be). As someone who cares about animal rights, it’s really appealing when a band comes up with such views. Also, these four lads add a bit of post-punk influences here and there, making it even more special. Remember to eat your veggies!
Music to crush your enemies to. ARMA X from Madrid, Spain crafted a record of pummelling heavy hardcore/beatdown. With Xs Sharpied proudly on their hands, the band produces only the hardest riffing and throws an ungodly amount of dive bombs your way in between. And, unlike many heavy HxC records, Violento Ritual doesn’t overstay its welcome, containing eight songs in under twenty minutes. This is an LP that is bound to crush all the weak who attempt to take it on—not one for the faint of heart.
Undoubtedly one of the more interesting records I’ve had the pleasure of taking a look at. Barcelona’s HATÂ have an interesting merge of NWOBHC, of course in the vein of bands such as the FLEX and, at points, even PAYDAY, with Spanish lyrics. There is a blatant rawer and slower aspect to the music however, acting somewhat as an homage to UK82, but more specifically other more modern Colombian acts, with elements of UZI expressed at points. While I certainly admire the diverse fusion here, particularly the ode to some of my favourite bands, HATÃ’s approach ultimately felt somewhat lackluster, as hardly any of the tunes failed to truly make an impact. Catalan band BAIXA PERMANENT instantaneously makes much more of an impact from the start of their side, with a take on hardcore paying tribute again to modern Spanish-language hardcore bands, but with the addition of mosh sequences of early/mid-’80s NYHC with drum parts from the likes of KRAUT, and of course early Boston hardcore. Again, such a take is indeed intriguing, and perhaps this could be accomplished, but some of the riffs didn’t feel as iconic as they could’ve been—to an extent, this and the musicianship is what holds both bands back from fully flourishing. While it was a somewhat amusing listen, I feel there could be far more development and impact in the tunes from both bands.
Second LP from Chicago’s indie/garage/queercore group BEV RAGE & THE DRINKS, led by the larger-than-life drag queen BEV RAGE. These tracks are fun, poppy, fast, and fervently personal—the soundtrack of a party that’s rowdy yet responsible (“Drink Water”), brash yet sensitive (“Younger Lover”). Besides BEV’s persona in the spotlight, I think the synth and keys add a lot to the band’s otherwise obvious indie sound, my favorite example of which is the closer track “Mist Connection,” which is almost haunting. Toss back a couple shots between your glasses of water and have a good time with this.
A remastered, partially re-recorded version of Michigan grindcore trio CLOUD RAT’s debut album. If you’re familiar with them, then you heard this when it first came out over a decade ago. The record itself is great; the guitar swapping between relentlessly brutal and beautifully elegant riffs. The drums embody the classic grind element, while the vocals are non-stop barbarity from the moment you hit play. There’s a reason why this band is one of the top players in the game today. I just don’t think I understand the point of reworking the album—I personally think the original release still sounds better. If you’re a grind fan who appreciates ever-evolving production, then you’ll love this.
I can’t lie: aesthetically, I was dead-set on hating this. Another garage duo, and outfits calling back to the go-go era and Brando’s The Wild One get-up that so many rocker dudes can’t hang up in the closet. But yeah, okay, sure, that’s just the record jacket. And my mom always taught me…you know. Truthfully, this album is a pleasure. Great crackling and cavernous production that gives some edge to its sprawling harmonies and baroquely early ’60s pop structures. These two Danes clearly have no interest in leaving the past where it is, and while those types of outright recreations can often feel like forgeries, you just can’t call a good song bad. And these are good goddamn songs. Written with intention and educated ears, played to hip-swinging perfection. There’s even a sort of NANCY SINATRA by way of ’60s spy spoof soundtrack number (“Until You’re Mine”) that just works. I’m almost irritated, but ultimately just happy to see someone out there pulling off this sound without sounding precious.
This is CRIME LIGHT’s debut five-song cassette. Each cut brings a very classic meat-and-potatoes hardcore sound with a touch of metal riff seasonings. The overall feel of the group and the samples they use throughout this tape brings to mind early INCENDIARY and HIS HERO IS GONE. The eponymous ending track adds a new layer of vocal harmonizing to the mix which is a satisfying left turn. Keep it coming. I wanna see them play now.
Well-executed lo-fi egg-punk directly from Parma, Italy. DADAR’s fourth album sounds really balanced, with the right amount of loop effects and synth lines that follow the rhythm of the song, and manages to deliver a really good sound. Also, the vocals are a lil’ bit dubbed, accomplishing that garage feeling egg-punk should evoke. Suggested tracks: “Rewiring,” “Sound of Sirens,” and the last track of this album, “112.” Reminds me of WWW, cyberpunk friends from Argentina. If you like synth sounds and eggy garage punk, this is an excellent album for you. If you wish to hear emerging bands from other countries that aren’t the US or UK playing fine egg-punk, this is your choice for a starting place (at least in Europe).
“Questionably hardcore” is how DADDY’S BOY describe themselves. Maybe it’s not as much questionable, but more they’re playing a kind of hardcore that’s left of the current center. The music on here isn’t invested in having the big breakdown payoff for the crowd killers or trying in vain to keep up with what’s fashionable. Being yourself is hard enough and good enough, and the band unquestionably does that. DADDY’S BOY whips up weighty, scrambled layers of noise, the songs built on back-and-forth movements of tension and release. The bass gives the music some ballast, as the guitar and drums are pulling their leashes in chaotic directions. The vocals are under threat of being buried beneath the fray and I wish they took up a little more space, as the lyrics are stronger and more lucid than most right now—lived-in screeds against work, capital, cops, and all the other failing systems crumbling at the moment.
Formed in 1976, EATER was there in the early days of this thing called punk. They were the kids on the block (with ages ranging from fourteen to seventeen) who managed to gain the respect of the DAMNED and the BUZZCOCKS to such a degree that both of those bands opened for them at various gigs. In their day, however, they were considered average, even “run-of-the-mill”—but here is why that conception is not entirely correct, and why this reissue is such a critical piece of ephemera. Reason one: I wish at the average age of EATER I was in a band of peers capable of creating such a passionate and refined piece of sonic history. Number two, I don’t know if it’s the age of the band or if it’s the hindsight of time, but EATER sounds far ahead of their time, as if EATER’s youth gave them the ability to play with greater intensity and an authentic fuck-all attitude compared to their contemparies, and these characteristics and attitudes allowed them to accept and even accentuate the rawness of their art, thus creating a work that is so far ahead of its time that I could play this EP for someone and they’d guess it was a recent recording. I would even hazard to say EATER is more articulate and culturally relevant than some of the stuff that goes around saying it’s punk rock nowadays. “Outside View” is a rhythm-heavy romp of pogo-able, pop-tinged lyrics about the struggles of being working class. Chunky bass guitar lines with quick runs abound on both tracks, the guitar work is often light and jangly with a slight delay or decay giving it a mild ambient effect, the drums are kept snappy with quick fills, and the vocals have a sound that is only achieved by having more passion than Johnny Rotten and having breathed in more mill soot. This is one of those discs you flip over and over endlessly as both songs are completely infectious
Many songs on Brand New Catastrophe seem out-of-tune at first, but soon roll out a complementary riff and presto! It’s an earworm! It’s a gimmick, but a good one. Unfortunately, other gimmicks age poorly: I think the vox-thru-a-megaphone move peaked by 2002, and just because you can overlay a riff with a keyboard mimic (think My Brain Hurts-era SCREECHING WEASEL) doesn’t mean you should. But sometimes all these extra bells and whistles provide a nice kick, like an espresso shot in your coffee, which is good enough for me.
Short and ferocious, Peruvian Coke is a wall of reverb and distortion-drenched spleen and spit. KCMO’s FOIL has been kicking around for a few years, and the band has released a handful of demos and cassettes, some through the band’s lead screamer Jame Mendenhall’s Dirtbag Distro. All three tracks on this are very solid and bring Grown Up Fucked Up-era RETARDS to mind a bit. I need more.
Now Sweden, you are just being unfair; you are taking the piss. Seriously. Of course, käng hardcore was born from your womb, so it makes sense that your progeny would master the style. But still. A study from the World Hardcore Agency recently revealed that the ratio of D-takt/käng bands per capita in Sweden was as high as two in major towns, meaning that each Stockholm or Malmö inhabitant plays in at least two Scandicore bands (one of which has to start with the prefix “dis’’ by law; what an odd country, right?). For comparison, we in France have one D-beat band for ten million. I had never heard of GEFYR from Hudiksvall, which is almost insulting since I am a massive sucker for that style, but it appears there are just too many ace bands in Sweden to keep track of. GEFYR’s album, released on Gothenburg’s Flyktsoda, is a pummeling, furious slice of käng with a perfect production for the genre. It has relentless power while keeping a certain hardcore rawness. What a massive kick up the arse. The band is heavily influenced by classics like TOTALITÄR and NO SECURITY, and INFERNOH or PROFOSS also come to mind if you need a modern point of comparison. How could GEFYR fly under my omnipotent radar? The thing was mixed by Jan, engineer at D-Takt Studio and an actual dis-legend—pretty much to Swedish D-beat what Cristiano Ronaldo is to hair products—so it makes sense that it sounds so good.
HHH should not need an introduction; their fastcore approach in the late ’80s put them on the map with INDIGESTI, LÄRM, HERESY…all the bands that people started aping relentlessly a decade later (for good reason). Riffs border on blur-core (“Ai Otro Lado De Las Ramblas” in particular) and they just sound so fukkn weird and unhinged all the damn time. Everyone talks about Intelectual Punks (and for good reason), but this 27-song LP might be the pinnacle of their signature breakneck thrashing hardcore. On the one hand, it seems weird to see a parade of reissues of records that are not that hard to come by and have been reissued in the last decade (this one got the treatment back in 2014), but then I drop the needle on A Por Ellos… for the first time in a long time and I’m reminded how much people need to hear this shit. So keep pumping out versions, keep reimagining ways to introduce people to the classics, keep the fire on and keep the fire hot. I just hope that these later versions are ending up in new hands (and ears) instead of a bunch old heads buying burner copies…
Swirling, bass-forward hardcore out of San Francisco, this brief but intense release by HOGG foregoes blistering speed for driving, circle-pit rhythms. “Stuck” brings some D-beat, and the closing track “Steep” is the longest, most complex, and most interesting in terms of pacing and mood. Overall, it’s a strange mix of head-scratching lyrics, odd audio samples, and gritty punk.
The latest release from Sacramento, California’s HOLEHOG is a rip-roaring blast of punk chaos—a marked influence from UK82 and early street punk with a touch of crust and D-beat makes for an intense listening experience. This platter drips with rage and frustration aimed squarely at the modern world (the dystopian reality, if you will) that we all have to live in and that we all have to survive in. This LP from HOLEHOG is a direct middle finger to the hellscape we currently occupy.
Apocalyptic nightmare soundscapes from the mighty INTENSIVE CARE. Expanding further beyond hardcore into beat-driven industrial noise, this collection features a cohesive vocabulary of crumbling electronics, loops, and distorted vocals that sound genuinely unnerving. I stopped taking notes after the woozy swirl of the third track because it all flows so perfectly together, with the closest reference point being BASTARD NOISE with steady rhythms. When the vocals hit, usually as a distorted blast, they offer such a release from the bubbling tension that they hit hard. Some standout passages (although seriously, just listen to the whole thing in sequence) are the eerie strings and pounding of “Closure” that sound like the best parts of the HAXAN CLOAK and the BODY, and a dread-inducing knocking sound that emerges from the audio miasma of “Visible Distance.” This is innovative, menacing noise built from the charred bones of hardcore.
With most of the records in the DEAD MOON universe (including the WEEDS/LOLLIPOP SHOPPE, ZIPPER, the RATS, and the RANGE RATS) currently in print or easy to track down, it was high time for a KING BEE reissue. This was the band Fred Cole started just as he started to hear rumblings of this “punk rock” thing that was sounding very familiar to what he had done in the ’60s garage days. Enlisting bass player Mark Sten and drummer Pat Conner, KING BEE quickly came together, opened for the RAMONES at their first Portland gig, put out a three-song 7” on Fred’s Whizeagle Records, and then promptly broke up in 1978. Famously, Fred’s frustrations with keeping a band together would eventually lead to him teaching Toody how to play bass and forming the RATS. But KING BEE had much more up their recorded sleeve than just that 7”, and the remaining twenty songs on this LP were culled from scrapped sessions and live gigs. Musically, KING BEE bridges the gaps between the garage of the WEEDS, the hard rock of ZIPPER, and where the RATS would eventually end up. KING BEE is also notable for being the first band Fred played guitar in, after just being lead vocalist or playing bass in his previous groups, and his raw right-hand rhythm and picked open-chord style already sounds in place here. Songs like “Suicide Mission” have a more funky swamp groove, like if CCR ended up as an obscurity on a Pebbles comp. “Carolina” and “When I Was 21” are almost archetypal DEAD MOON songs ten years early, full of Fred’s lyrical world-weariness. “Castaway” is a perfect moody psych slowburner and with some bigger ’70s-type production “Hot Pistol” would’ve been a world-class denim vest hard-rocker like AC/DC or something. Overall, this is an interesting record in how you can kinda hear Fred figuring out what would eventually become DEAD MOON. Now that we’ve got KING BEE taken care of, I beg on bended knee, please someone reissue Toody’s solo 7” with “Coming on Strong”!
Crucial release from this Portland band that melds the perfect combination of POISON IDEA and early FUCKED UP to kick major ass. This record shreds from start to finish and adds unusual elements that keep it fresh the whole time. It is straight-up exciting. Opener “Modern Fatigue” starts with a goddamn full church choir that matches the epic, grandiose nature of the songwriting and riffs with divine power. Sounding like a gimmick at first, LONG KNIFE brings back the choir amidst the blitz-fast hardcore to awesome effect. The energy never slows from that moment and often uses intricate crossover riffing, time changes, and full-cheese thrash solos on songs like “Blue Rose” and “The Curse.” The thing is, it rules instead of feeling corny or overproduced. Take “Scum” for instance: Castlevania organs underpin the punk and later solo like there is a bat-winged candelabra on the guitar amp. It sounds like MURDER CITY DEVILS meets, forgive me, GHOST, but it rules. Essential, innovative hardcore that never lets up. If you don’t like this, your idea of punk may differ from mine.
What a frigging racket…and that’s a good thing to me, baby! A celebration of 25 years in existence, this record is a fun little excursion down memory lane for those familiar with MONSTER SQUAD. Street punk with hardcore tinges played at breakneck speed, sticking around just long enough to not become irritating. Songs taking on Nazis and celebrating brotherhood and unity, it’s all good gear. A fun time for under fifteen minutes.
This trio from London gets me thinking of the JAM right away, without actually sounding like the JAM—something about the cadence of the vocals. It’s super catchy and melodic, which is always a plus for me. And the second track has me thinking about the BUZZCOCKS, which is where most of the remaining tracks end up with me. This is definitely on the pop side of the punk spectrum, but in the end I’d call it power pop. (Don’t ask me to explain the difference between power pop and pop punk, but there is a difference.) Anyway, the record is well-done and these guys are talented and can sing. This won’t be for all you punks, but it will be for some of you. And it is for me.
Fabulous. Growing up in San Francisco, the MUTANTS were a band known to me by name and legend long before I actually heard them or saw them live. At nine years old, my friend’s big brother had flyers of CRIME, AVENGERS, VS., and the MUTANTS on his wall that I would stare at endlessly, sucked in by the garish, disturbing black-and-white images which were better than any cartoon show. While not being my favorite of the pioneer SF punk bands, you have to hand it to the MUTANTS for putting in so much work for that early scene and for just being so much fun! Shit, they even organized that whole Napa State Hospital show with the CRAMPS. This collection of outtakes, remixes, and live tracks is hands down the best MUTANTS release I’ve heard. While I’ve held onto my ancient copy of Fun Terminal, if not just for the cover photos of the long-gone sleazy arcade, the mixes of those songs on that record were always too clean for me. The songs are great though, and it’s criminal that they didn’t make it as big as the GO-GO’S or OINGO BOINGO (tell me “Love Song” isn’t top-ten worthy), but it’s still lacking the seedy grittiness needed for my repeated listenings. There’s lots of amazing pics inside here (would have loved more), as well as tales of their art-school-turned-punk progression into local greatness. There’s no “New Drug” here, but there’s ones you’ve probably never heard before that are just as good or better. So ingest whatever mind-altering chemicals you have, slap this on, and dance! Also make sure to see the Emerald Cities movie if you get the chance. You won’t be sorry.
Modern-sounding garage rock with an indie twist from the Midwest. Swimming in the same stream as fellow Indianians APACHE DROPOUT and the COWBOYS, NAMEN NAMEN pulls from a broader stylistic range than the former, while being less imaginative than the latter. Fans of TY SEGALL and AUDACITY will find something here to sink their teeth into. The first cut, “The Horrors of Spider Island,” really shines, showcasing the group’s prowess with impressive guitar licks and layered vocal melodies. Unfortunately, the high production value is working against the band’s energy. Maybe record at a shittier studio next time? It’s a matter of taste, but I want music from a garage that’s grimy, dangerous, and on the verge of collapse. All the broken glass here has been too carefully swept up.
I wanted to like this album. I mean, I really wanted to like this album. No Love Lost and Angry Songs are in my personal music archives for a reason. I gotta say though, I did not care for this album. “Ain’t Gonna Let Em” is a decent song, and there are moments on the album that reminded me of things like TOM ROBINSON BAND, CHUMBAWAMBA, and even early BOWIE. However, there are not many “angry songs” on this album, and instead a bunch of hippy-dippy songs. I’m serious, like “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”-type stuff. This is absolutely not my bag of grass.
You might be surprised to learn that Indianapolis has a pretty thriving punk scene. It certainly caught me off guard, and I’ve been living here since 2019. Had you asked me back then, I would have told you that Bloomington (not quite an hour away) was the more happening punk town. I’m pretty sure I would have been right, too. But there were a handful of bands in Indy starting up around that time, including PAT AND THE PISSERS, and slowly but surely a scene seems to have sprung up around them. All of a sudden, tons of new local bands are filling up bills, packing out venues, and actually enticing cool out-of-town acts to swing through. The scene skews hardcore, and PAT AND THE PISSERS are predominantly a hardcore band. But if you give this release a listen (and you should!), you’ll find that it’s not all that straightforward. The twelve songs on this cassette are a hodgepodge of hardcore sounds—I’m hearing snatches of early SoCal hardcore, I Against I BAD BRAINS, and, like, late ’80s Revalation Records—and brattier punk. On the hardcore end of things, you get songs like “Out of Style,” which sounds like a mash-up of CIRCLE JERKS and JUDGE, or “Konner,” which could have been pulled off LAFFING GAS’s last LP. While on the punker side, you get tracks like “Outsourcing”, which is more of a straightforward start/stop sneering punk affair (with sporadic hair metal leads!), or “Working Wage,” which sounds like a less sing-songy SAINTS, with its bratty talk-sung vocals. I think things could be tightened up a bit here and there, and these disparate sounds could be woven together a little more seamlessly, but overall I think these are pretty cool tunes. Excited to see what they do next!
These two Missouri bands make it hard to pick a favorite on this sharp, short split tape. On the A-side, PROTON from the city of Columbia unleashes their brutal brand of D-beat hardcore. A lo-fi bludgeoning that cranks the speed and ferocity of the traditional DISCHARGE formula up to “holy shit” levels, it’s raw, but not noise, keeping it squarely in punk territory and never crossing into metal, which is kinda perfect. These three pounding jams make a great appetizer for indulging in their scorching Imminent Collapse EP from earlier this year and 2021’s Men Behind the Sun cassette. Next is Kansas City’s TOTAL SHAM, and god, do they rule. Refreshing like an ice-cold 22oz of Olde English, I tell ya. Just a pure early hardcore sound, like Group Sex-era CIRCLE JERKS spiked with Pick Your King-era POISON IDEA and delivered with a palpable practice spot ambiance. Their tunes on this tape are addictive little rippers that get my head bobbing involuntarily every time, and their full length Life as a Total Sham cassette is an instant classic, offering nine more killer songs where these came from. This is all some of the coolest stuff I’ve heard in a while, and if you’ve caught me spazzing out behind the wheel of my car lately, these bands are the likely culprits.
Sometimes the most genuinely out-there sounds are made at the hands of musicians who think they’re playing it straight—Syoichi Miyazawa, the creative force behind Tokyo’s the RABBITS, apparently had little contact with the vibrant underground punk and experimental scenes surrounding him in late ’70s/early ’80s Japan, starting out as an acoustic singer/songwriter before his vision independently evolved into the warped, jagged free-punk mindfuck on display here. Outside of a handful of flexi appearances, this is the first RABBITS material on vinyl, collecting tracks from two self-released cassettes (1983’s X1(X) and 1984’s Winter Songs) recorded with a cast of collaborators that Miyazawa tried to mold according to his exacting, freaky aesthetic. If there’s connections to be drawn between the RABBITS’ caustic art-splatter and various noisenik antecedents, it’s not because Miyazawa was in any way influenced by or even aware of any them, which only makes the resulting racket even more surreal—“Bāchan No Bājin de Ittemiyou” is a fiery meltdown of desperate wails, looping, cavernous bass, and sheet metal guitar clang slathered in blown-speaker fuzz, crawling through the debris left behind by Japanese no wave practitioners like FRICTION and PABLO PICASSO; the menacing post-punk grind and anguished, echoing vocals of “Bye Bye” and “Yasai” twist into distorted funhouse mirror reflections of PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED’s Metal Box; “Seiteki Ningen” is a pounding, frayed-nerve industrial punk nightmare that could unsettle early CHROME. I wouldn’t bother listening to other punk bands either if I was producing something this wild…
Split EPs are a funny thing to me. I’m always trying to figure out how or why someone decided that the two bands should be on the same record. Holds true for this one. Both bands deliver two winners each, but I’m scratching my head trying to figure out why they’re on the same record. RANDY SAVAGES (UK) bring us two rockers that are heavy on the power pop and on the rock’n’roll. Mid-tempo and super catchy, I immediately thought of the REDUCERS, a band I listened to back in the ’80s/’90s. RAZOR KIDS (Portugal) also bring it, with two very different cuts. Musically, track one sounds like it could have been a long-lost RAMONES cut. The competing male/female vocals transform it into something completely different. And their second cut has a herky-jerkiness that reminds me of KLEENEX. Two very different songs. And two very different bands, but I’m not going to complain when someone gives me a 7” record that has four winners on it.
Fucking great noisy, classic Melbourne-style punk that could easily be a bonus track on the Flowers in the Dustbin comp. Equal parts SUICIDE SQUAD, GASH, VICTIMS, and modern contemporaries like AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS. Fucked-up and mean. Every song is great except for the slightly unnecessary remix of the killer opener “Death Admin Machine.” Buy immediately.
Chicago’s SNUFFED play crunchy and mean Midwestern hardcore on their LP Coping Human Waste, released earlier this year on Another City Records. With Andy Nelson of WEEKEND NACHOS and HARMS WAY on recording duties, SNUFFED delivers a nice mix of fast punk and riffy hardcore in the vein of URBAN WASTE and the FLEX, showcased best on tracks “Pesticide” and “Flock.” The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it “If You Resent” is the shortest track here, a traditional one minute as opposed to the rest which clock in at about the two-and-a-half-minute mark. It’s unusual for this style, but it’s refreshing and makes repeated listens essential.
Think American hardcore that’s trying to harness the snarky political wit that made the ’80s timeless. Not saying it works (also not saying it doesn’t), but the gruff melodic vocals and in-your-face riffs take me to a place I haven’t been for a while. If M.O.T.O. made a Southern Californian hardcore record, it might sound like STREET DIAMONDS.
This Los Angeles act has been kicking around for over a decade at this point, and this LP is their ninth release. Really strong aesthetic on these guys’ releases, by the way! Each features some fairly minimalist collage art surrounded by a thick black band with the group and release names written in white script. Makes for a very striking Bandcamp page! Anyway, this is the first I’ve heard of them. They bill themselves as a funk band, which—look, I get it. But on a scale with the METERS on one end and, like, FRANZ FERDINAND on the other, these dudes will have you considering an extension of that scale. To be fair, there is some funk in the mix. Of the sixteen songs on the record, you’re getting some MINUTEMEN here or some CONTORTIONS there, but for the most part I’d describe this as math rock. Very 2002-ish! It’s not bad, I just wish the tunes were as remarkable as these record covers.
UNIT 731 is a fairly new band from the Budapest scene—this release is their second, following a demo made two years ago. They play no-fuss fast hardcore with enough distortion and zero bullshit, although it is not easy to pin them to a certain style. TOTALITÄR might be the closest reference with the on-point riffs, but UNIT 731 is not rushed to neckbreak speed, remaining urgent in a more human way. Their music has the capability to do so, yet it is not blasting out from the speakers, rather inviting the listener in. It is sort of rootless hardcore, not inventive but lacking any recycled influences. I guess it has to do with their lyrics and how they are performed, since those reach beyond the few dramatic lines screamed at the top of the singer’s lungs and rather introduce a more analytic approach, although they could get lost in translation and then you’d only hear a constant gruff shouting that could even remind you of aggro, street-punk-influenced hardcore vocals. Yet for me, the lyrical content conflicts with the simple music, but the opposite elements also support each other since both feel thoughtful. This might sound alarming, but they are not a smart-ass hardcore band, rather a daring one that does not aim for anything beyond expressing their current state of mind. Does contemporary punk need to be a public stunt, does it need to maximize its core feature? If so, then these Hungarian kids do not go with the mainstream. Neither do hyped bands who do not impress me as much. Meanwhile, I consider UNIT 731 to be a great band who wrote an awesome record and would not be out of line from most contemporary hardcore releases. The whole world might not need to listen to UNIT 731, but if each scene had at least one band like them, then international punk would be better.
VERRAT is pissed-off at the state of things. The world is falling apart, the populace is in despair, and these Austrian crust punks spend about a third of their album yelling at us about it in English and the rest in their native German tongue. This is certainly a standout recent album in the genre. The whole band operates like a furious machine, taking just enough influence from black metal guitars and death metal vocals to make their own aggressive crust punk sound. The vocalist, Emil, puts up fierce competition against the guitars and both end up winning. There is no weak point or rest break on this album as it blasts straight at you for just over half an hour before letting us reflect in terror during the meditative and desperate instrumental outro. “Jahre Dunkler Verse” and “A Toxic Whole” are tracks that especially stand out. It can be hard to tell if this album is meant to be a wake-up call or just a declaration that there’s no hope left. It will likely take more than a few listens for the listener to make their own determination.
Reissuing the debut EP from 1970s oddballs WASTELAND, this 7” digs up a trio of forgotten pop curiosities. The opening “Ono,” a quirky and jerky number in the spirit of the BUZZCOCKS, is the punkiest of the lot, with a sound not unlike that of “Ride The Wild”-era DESCENDENTS. “Bombsite Baby” is a mellow tune that mixes the jangling sensibilities of the TELEVISION PERSONALITIES with the rocking flourish of EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS. Finally, “Radio Nation Burns” caps off the record with five minutes of bluesy, folky, and artsy weirdo rock. It’s a noble effort of preservation on behalf of the good people at Breakout Records, but this one’s best suited for those who are thirsty for every last drop of ‘77-adjacent hydration.
Debut release from Koblenz, Germany from the duo Simon and Dominik, known as WEDDING SONGS. While they hail from thousands of miles away, this music is enchanted by some American West twang and mystique, with lots of spoken word and bluesy/country licks, spooked up by post-punk dreariness. It’s as if JOHN CALE made a country deathrock group with the BLASTERS as the backing band. This 2021 release has been followed by their debut LP this year, Hard to Find, which I look forward to hearing. Over all, this is a unique take on the genre, worth the three-song listen.
This modest demo tape proves that D-beat raw punk has become, since the unstoppable rise of free music streaming and social media, an actual artistic language spoken liberally worldwide. One could probably communicate with other fellow punks everywhere with just a simple combination of DISCLOSE song titles and pictures of studded jackets—a solid basis for intercultural exchanges. YILAN is from Budapest and this tape is their first recording. The band describes themselves as a “D-beat raw punk terrorist organization/power trio,’’ which makes me thinks that they are probably the smallest terrorist organization ever recorded. They would still be able to terrorize my mum, I suppose. It will not baffle anyone to learn that YILAN plays, well, D-beat raw punk, with an adequate level of distortion, some dissonant mid-paced numbers to keep things interesting, and a SHITLICKERS cover just to make sure the listener really gets what they are going for. What makes them stand out is the very harsh and hoarse, aggressive female vocals, not unlike EXCREMENT OF WAR or HOMOMILITIA’s. The tape will satisfy those in need of raw dis-core, but will certainly leave cold those that are not (the fools!). I am curious to see what YILAN will offer next. The tape was released on Szégyen Kazetták, which translates to “cassettes of shame,” and seeing that they put out a band called PISS CRYSTALS, I salute the choice.
Sydney larrikins Billy (from RESEARCH REACTOR CORP.) and Ishka (from SATANIC TOGAS or TEE-VEE REPAIRMAN or SET-TOP BOX or every other band in Sydney) virtually team up with JJ from Olympia, WA’s the GOBS to bring you four tracks of the fucked punk you’d expect from this lot. With Billy on vocals, it’s gonna be hard for this thing to not sound like RESEARCH REACTOR CORP., but this stuff is faster, more full-on, and slightly less cartoony…for the most part. The first three tracks are drum machine punk takes on the REATARDS or PERSUADERS. It’s really good shit—some of my favorite tunes these dudes have cranked out, particularly “Projection.” Then there’s “MS-DOS,” which is the same type of stuff, but in more of a rubber band-y Sega Genesis (or, for the non-US world, Mega Drive)-rock vein. It’s borderline too silly, but I love these dudes too much to be that bothered by it. Cool record! Apparently, an LP is just over the horizon, to, so be on the lookout for that!
More proof that the line between country and punk is much thinner than you’d think. Originally released in 2020, this 2018 live recording of Richmond’s own ANN BERETTA features live, acoustic renditions of their typically electric originals. It’s popped back up on our radar because DCxPC Live recently gave this album a limited vinyl release. Much like other country-adjacent punk bands such as DRAG THE RIVER and TWO COW GARAGE, these songs are a fine mix of debauchery and sentimentalism. The heavy use of a pedal steel and fiddle pushes the tender vibe while helping fill the gap that’s been left from going acoustic. Strong vocals, very reminiscent of Ben Nichols from LUCERO—very gruff but melodic at the same time. Personally, I enjoy these versions way more than their traditional punk songs. Really adds to a stronger dynamic and makes it much more interesting.
From the sunny shores of a Spanish paradise comes a cruel and pounding noise. BALCANES wear their love for early-era SWANS and SCRATCH ACID on their sleeves, and it comes together in a way that makes it difficult for me to put down my headphones. Throughout Gloria Eterna’s nine tracks, the band combines bass-driven repetition and guitar loops along with harsh and ambient noise, layering the LP into a dark, sludgy stew. Standout tracks “Futuro @!&*#,” “Ciudad Campamento,” and “La Paz No Durara” show the range of sonic exploits that are in the band’s arson. All of the material comes off very real and genuine throughout the record, closing with “Bona Nit,” a piano-and-sax piece that could hold hands and kiss with Obey-era BRAINBOMBS. Live footage of the band that I found online gets my corroded arteries humming. Great record, get it.
Debut album from Portland, OR’s BLISTER, offering ten tracks of tilt-a-whirl death punk. With one hand on the keys and the other clutching the fork in the outlet, the synth player sets the background for this stomp-around, mid-tempo death stroll, while guitars and drums plod beneath salty, sassy vocals that contextualize some life-disparaging moodiness. This reminds me of the FLESH EATERS, but without the horns. “Burnside Burnout” is a great song, and I can only imagine is an ode to the crusty ones that skate and lurk beneath the bridge.
What it says on the tin. Gender critique over blastbeats followed by a faithful rendition of a punk rock standard. Personally, I think covers are best reserved for live shows. However, this version is fine, but omitting the rapid-fire bass notes during the bridge’s opening? Really?! The aforementioned blastbeats sound best when played to the verge of pure noise, so when the band appears to ease off the pedal, I believe something is lost. Maybe it’s the production’s fault? I recommend using much crappier equipment and burying the result in your backyard for a few weeks.
In the UKHC scene, it is more than common to be at any show and hear an exchange between a 19-year-old and 23-year-old saying “we should start a band that sounds like UNDERDOG meets…SHEER TERROR”. However, it is practically almost never when a group of kids get together wanting to start, and I quote drummer Bobby Cole, “a NEOS-worship band”…until now. To say this demon absolutely floored me would be an understatement—I was nothing less than bewildered, in fact astounded, by the sheer musicianship and originality projected from this demo. While Bobby (the ANNIHILATED, ANTAGONIZM, MOTIVE) writes almost all the songs, each member of the band contributes equally in their own way to creating this absolute Magnum opus, sounding as if HERESY or RIPCORD had been listening to nothing but Hassibah Gets the Martian Brain Squeeze and YOUTH KORPS’ Demo ‘82 rather than SS DECONTROL. Mark McCutchan’s vocals here provide a fiery adolescence completing the general vibe of this band, just four angry, pissed kids, with Ben Hills (LAST AFFRONT, VILE SPIRIT) playing the riffs phenomenally at a raucous speed, while bassist Xav (NEGATIVE FRAME) keeps it steady throughout. This is probably my favourite release of the year, so please, do go and give it a listen.
A fantastic split between two Australian punk bands. MINI SKIRT is up first with a very bass-driven style. The vocals come off monotone at times, but there’s something I really like about them. They feel authentic and sincere, especially on “Bag of Bones,” which appears to be a love song. Feels similar to Frankie Stubbs of LEATHERFACE. MINI SKIRT can be a little repetitive at times, but again, it works for them. C.O.F.F.I.N has a very different dynamic. Guitar-driven tracks with a vocalist that could be described as a punk rock MEAT LOAF. Very theatrical, especially when the piano lead comes in on “Under Your Wing.” This split works because the bands sound different enough to keep it fresh, but similar enough that you’ll be happy with both sides if you dig this sound.
I reviewed the last DRIN release, and when the opportunity came up to review this one, I was interested in hearing what this mysterious project has come up with next. Down River in the Distance cranks up the murk and expands the bleak, dubby spaciousness. The drums take a big step forward in the mix, the bass providing more of a felt frequency. The prettier strummed chords and more melancholy minors are replaced with fuzz-fracked brittle guitars that crackle as if coming from a shortwave radio. It’s psychedelic, but with a color palette that’s only swirling with muddy grays.
A hefty hunk of Mexican street punk here from the fellas in EXCLUDED on their fourth release, a pleasingly quixotic mix of Oi! and hardcore both in English and Spanish. It took me a while to get fully into this, and while they don’t quite grab me in the way that their contemporaries and compatriots MESS do, for a take on the genre it’s a lot of fun. Gang vox, ramshackle riffs that feel like they could derail at any point, and drums that sound like someone knocking the absolute shite out of some bin lids, it’s an enjoyable way to spend your time.
Debut vinyl release from this Oakland duo made up of Hannah D’Amato (FAKE FRUIT) and Rob I. Miller (BLUES LAWYER). FLEX TMG pairs the hectic, dubbed-out avant disco of Y Records or the dancier side of the New York no wave scene with vocal melodies more reminiscent of the dance-pop of that same era. Each of the six tracks on the 12” are supported by an ESG-like groove assembled from lo-fi drum machines, various hand percussion, and rubbery, ass-rattling bass lines. Depending on the track, guitar gets layered in as meandering ambience, chicken scratch funk, or even acid jazz psychedelia. But it’s Hannah’s vocal performance here that sells this for me. On the opening track “Burn This Town,” you’re getting a half MAXIMUM JOY post-punk yelp, half an almost CRYSTAL WATERS hypnotic, sing-songy rap—it just sounds effortless and cool but approachable at the same time. Then other tracks find her doing more of an airy “Heart of Glass” thing…less approachable, but still very cool! It’s borderline magical, though, when she organically blends those three styles, as she does on the song “Ghost.” I’ve listened to this track dozens of times at this point, and it hasn’t lost any of its luster. That little yell that she gives out right after the mini-hook “felt like a ghost in that city” is probably my favorite moment on any record this year. It’s already such an upbeat song, but something about it really makes me feel alive. Just an exceptional track on a great record!
With inverted crosses on the Ks and a logo that has three skulls (two goat skulls and a human one that is being stabbed), an alert listener like myself can guess that this band called FUKKER is probably not arsing around with fancy melodies or ambitious songwriting (or even with tuning for all I know). I must say, I was not familiar with this Australian lot. Contrary to what the aesthetics hint at, FUKKER is not an evil metal-punk band, but a rather classic käng hardcore one, with a well-balanced, fuzzy, distorted sound and shouted vocals with a bit too much echo for my taste (a trap that too many hardcore bands fall into these days). I suppose they don’t intend to create anything new here, but it is done well enough and it reminds me a lot of the Japanese take on the Swedish hardcore sound, not unlike a hungover CONTRAST ATTITUDE covering SHITLICKERS and DISARM or something, but the closest comparison would be early GIFTGASATTACK. This six-song demo was originally released on tape in 2019 but this is the vinyl version of it released on two Australian labels that specialize in raw and noisy hardcore, Televised Suicide Records (BOOTLICKER, ODIO, DISEASE, KOSZMAR, etc.) and Fuzzed Atrocities. Did I mention that FUKKER covers NO FUCKER? Cheeky bastards.
