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!

The Social Lies Fuck the Scene / Kink Boy 7″

The social media-sphere kinda melted a bit when this record dropped…maybe because it’s so fucking hot. In less than three minutes of music recorded two decades ago, two Black kids from Alabama shoved a huge “fuck you” boot up the pretentious ass of (hardcore) punk by simply being themselves. The songs are simple, tough as shit, equal parts furious ’90s East Bay hardcore and LIMP WRIST—it’s not so much that they’re pissed, it’s that the SOCIAL LIES feel real. Not every “lost” recording from decades past needs to be unearthed and released…this one did.

Systema Sobrevivir demo cassette

This is the demo debut for Bogotá’s SYSTEMA. You can get it on cassette with some really cool artwork. These guys talk business and get to the point. They get mean, brutal, and raw while perfectly creating dynamics inside each song in order to release the right amount of aggression for those moshpit-inducing violent attacks we love. They remind me of the rough sound of ’80s Italian hardcore and the primitive scorched earth approach of ’90s Mexican and South American punk. This is a beautiful and fulfilling aesthetic experience. We need a full-length now.

Tony Bluetile The EPs of TB CD

This mashup is almost too clever for its own good. The inestimable Mr. B is taking the vocals of various legendary punk (and the like) songs, and adding them to a bunch of ’60s/’70s music. More or less. So, the first two tracks are the vocals of CRASS’ “Do They Owe Us a Living” and “Shaved Women” put to some minimalist electronic music. Which actually works, and is interesting…in that the basic drive and beat and passion of those two particular songs remains intact. There’s then a couple of CIRCLE JERKS efforts put to some upbeat ’60s sounds, and then, so far as I can tell, IGGY POP’s vocal of “Lust For Life” with a ’70s brass-heavy funk backdrop, and then, I’m guessing, that same funk band’s vocal of some sort or other, over “Lust For Life.” Then there’s a similar treatment with BLACK FLAG. First there’s HENRY ROLLINS’ spoken word “Family Man” over some ’70s groovy freeform sound, followed by that same ’70s band (I’m presuming) singing over a BLACK FLAG instrumental track. Polished off with BLACK SABBATH’s “War Pigs” vocals over some other funky sounds. Kind of interesting, kind of too clever by half, and some of it lost on me, cos I don’t recognize either the non-punk backing tracks, or the non-punk singing, over the punk backing track.

Venganza La Fiera EP

Another heavy-hitting Spanish hardcore punk record courtesy of Discos Enfermos, this time from Saragossa. Picking up where their Tu Patria LP left off, VENGANZA delivers the goods with La Fiera, a four-song EP that displays all the great qualities about Spanish punk: the anthemic quality, the fury, the rawness. A solid punk record for any fan of VAASKA and Spanish punk in general.

V/A Paul Henry’s Benefit Compilation cassette

Twenty-six-song cassette compilation benefiting Paul Henry’s, an art gallery and performance space in Hammond, IN that’s played an important role in nurturing the NWI punk scene. The cassette features tracks from a bunch of NWI bands and some other like-minded weirdos. You can expect plenty of the egg-punk/DEVO-core you’ve come to associate with the area, but there’s also some more straightforward punk, ripping hardcore, shoegaze, power pop, and more. Not all the tracks are great, but all the bands are interesting at the very least, and the variety is nice enough in of itself to make for a compelling listen. The physical cassette, which is housed in a handsome cardboard outer box with artwork from LIQUIDS’ Mat Willams, will only set you back $10. That’s less than 40 cents a track! Definitely worth it, especially when you consider how influential the NWI scene has been to punk in general these past five years or so! Highlights include tracks from LIQUIDS, RESEARCH REACTOR CORP., previously unreleased stuff from C.C.T.V. and BIG ZIT(!), and a song called “Jesus Christ Super Hard” by a band called WATERWORKS. Label says tapes will be available until people stop buying them, so go grab one!

80HD Demo 2021 cassette

Do you have trouble with your attention span and love songs that average one minute in length? 80HD is the band for you! Just like the band name suggests, this new band from New York is a constantly shifting punk beast of spastic proportions. This ultra-violent demo features six songs of blistering fast hardcore in the vein of RIPCORD that go by as fast as they play. Just like a cup of coffee (or twenty!) in the morning!

Assault & Battery The Complete Session, May 1981 LP

One of the earliest documents of the legendary D.C. hardcore scene, The Complete Session, May 1981 is the first ever legit release of ASSAULT & BATTERY’s only studio recording. Featuring members that would go on to play in bands like GOVERNMENT ISSUE, ARTIFICIAL PEACE, and MARGINAL MAN, these guys helped to sculpt the style that would come to define that era. The songs are short and savage, showcasing some primeval examples of the ripping and stomping D.C. sound, and it’s pretty great. This record includes songs that were previously only available via bootleg along with some outtakes and instrumentals that have never been released until now, all transferred from the original 4-track master. It’s “missing link” hardcore from a crucial time, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Bad Kiss III EP

Four lo-fi punk tracks that sound like they were recorded in a bedroom in one day with a single mic. Basically, it’s awesome, inspiringly authentic, and true energy in all the right ways. It got me more stoked on music and life than all the other ultra-produced too cool for school stuff that’s posing around today.

Cell Rot Slowly Falls Apart 12″

Releasing a record this deadly in 2021 when (most) punks haven’t seen a live hardcore show in a year is…well, kinda mean. Crushingly heavy California hardcore, CELL ROT moshes as aggressively as they blast, with a dark undertone that makes you feel like you’re listening to something dirty. But you’re not. You’re listening to something joyful…it’s just the joy that comes when you realize that you will never win. Never. If you thought the Violent Spirals LP was devastating (it was), wait until you hear what it sounds like when CELL ROT Slowly Falls Apart. 

Cheap Meat Let’s Eat! cassette

All-killer/no-filler four-song debut from this quartet. Each two-minute track is a pile-up of great, knotty riffs and pummeling yet nimble rhythms. Top this winning formula with spiky, sardonic vocals that address both serious and frivolous subjects with a refreshingly jaundiced eye and you’ve got an EP better than most of the utter worthlessness committed to wax these days. CHEAP MEAT: less filling, tastes fucking great.

Choke It’s Hard to Talk Shit With No Fucking Teeth cassette

This is insane, clobbering, grinding hardcore chock full of samples and breakdowns. Crucially intimidating HXC from Oakland killing it on the blasts and mic. Recalling MERAUDER, KRUELTY, NEGLECT, DMIZE, OUT OF LINE, and INFEST…slam your head to this whirlwind of thrash and anthemic powerviolence. The rage really comes forth in “Blue Lives Don’t Mean Shit” (true) and “Talk Shit, Get Hit.” They even got Greta Thunberg’s infamous maddening distraught public statement on here, and covers of APARTMENT 213 and MADBALL! I don’t always go in for this style of hardcore, but holy shit, is this great. Rhythms are harsh as hell, surprising change-ups, inspired lyrics, and the message is clear. Various vocalists guest-spot on this tape. “You Suffer and React” (the song by the band) style jams on here with the five-second “You Failed, Now Die.” Yes, super fucking clear; like I said. And some slower beatdowns like “Why Should I Fear Death When I’m Already Dead Inside?” Valid. CHOKE sounds like a truly dedicated family member of hardcore. CHOKE will get a hold of your neck and mind. This is a fantastic tape for the assertion of contemporary punk grind and hardcore music.

Contempt Contempt LP

Do bootboys get the blues? A question that has eluded cropheaded philosophers for millennia, and CONTEMPT is here to offer some evidence in favour. Eschewing traditional Oi! fare of good-time lager-soaked bonhomie or explicit threats of steel-toecap-to-skull interfacing, it’s a more nuanced, cerebral take on the genre. This is also reflected in the tunes, soaring guitars, and dare I even suggest it, metal influences, showing a broader horizon than your usual Oi! records. That being said, it does retain the sort of grit and menace you’d associate, and a decent sprinkling of actual “Oi!”s to placate old farts like myself.

The Dumpies Flamed Out EP

These guys fall in the “they’re really nice people” category of music. Pretty unoriginal pop punk and garage from what looks like record collector types. I guess this series of records requires bands to record while fucked up. Whose brilliant idea was that?! If you’re not the GERMS, why would I care? Three uninspired originals and a cover. Why? It looks like they’re able to schlep this act all over the world and somebody’s watching so don’t listen to me. Zzzzzz.

Erik Nervous Bugs!! LP

ERIK dropped the BETA BLOCKERS for this LP; he’s going solo and the results are marvelous.  Eleven tracks of DEVO-worshipping, synth-laden Midwest garage rock which sometimes veers into absolute hardcore mayhem. Songs are fast, hooks are catchy, riffs are sick, guitar solos are quick and frantic, with a vital impulse to push things to the extreme which is very alluring and fun. This kind of sound’s been on a revival kick of sorts lately, I haven’t been that interested in it to be honest, but ERIK NERVOUS delivers. Just listen to the chaotic opener “Our Hungry Fruit,” ERIK never lets up the intensity throughout the record. This was released on cassette last year but now you can get it on red, white, or black vinyl. Be stiff!

Eyes and Flys Anxiety Tools / God’s Management 7″

Seeing as this is their fourth 7″ in just over twelve months, EYES AND FLYS have certainly kept busy during the past year. And while I respect their work ethic, these guys’ music hasn’t quite hit the target for yours truly. EYES AND FLYS walk a strange borderland between partly-sunny near-goth and overcast garage-strum (a place called Buffalo, actually). Forsaking the punkier direction of the preceding singles, there’s an implied darkness and gloominess to these tunes, but it never settles into something truly compelling. The songcraft is definitely there, as you’ve got acoustic guitars and extra percussion jingles and jangles, but it remains on the other side of the river, just waving at me and there’s no thought of attempting a crossing. The B-side is some sort of heartland rock instrumental that wouldn’t be out of place on anything from a TOM PETTY record to a ’90s indie-emo platter on Caulfield Records. On the insert, in addition to the nice old-school touch of a phone number for contact, there is the inscription: “Getting by two songs at a time.” It’s a nice sentiment, but I think it’s time to make an album where this material might congeal into something worthy of its ambition.

Fixed Lens Fixed Lens cassette

Already (and justifiably) fawned over, the debut from Berlin’s FIXED LENS absolutely nails their dark goth energy, and they own the vibe instead of trying to create it. Maybe it’s looking back and reimagining with punk hindsight, but this duo makes a now-timeless sound feel brand new. I was weaned on this shit, and it’s great to hear something that doesn’t feel (at all) like a rehash. Dominant synths, barked vocals, haunting guitars, hard driving dancefloor beats that urge the tempo instead of forcing it. A powerful smash, especially as a debut.

Fugitive Bubble No Outside cassette

Second release from this Olympia band, and second to be issued by the Stucco label’s cassette-only imprint Impotent Fetus. It appears they’ve been whittled down to a three-piece since their debut, with the bassist taking over primary vocal duties, but I think it’s resulted in a net positive for the band. Where their last release sounded like a cartoony take on WARM BODIES (not a bad thing!), the six tracks on this cassette find them tempering some of that egginess with a little post-punk flair and ending up with a more distinct product. The vocals are more restrained and sing-songy, though still pretty monotone, and they’ve been double-tracked and reverbed, calling to mind LITHICS or later NOTS records. The guitar is a little cleaner and drenched in surf levels of reverb, but the band is still playing the same quick, nervy hardcore punk. It’s a familiar collection of sounds, but it feels like a novel assemblage. Cool stuff!

Hangman’s Beautiful Daughters Smashed Full of Wonder LP

Smashed Full of Wonder collects the complete recordings of London’s HANGMAN’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS, who represented the platonic ideal of the ’80s psychedelic garage revival as well as anyone from the era—if a static image of any random group of humans sporting teardrop Vox guitars and mop-top fringes against an op art background was capable of producing a sound, this would be it, and the fifteen tracks here are certainly caught between a Girls in the Garage rock and a Paisley Underground place. On the wilder side, “Out of My Head” paints a day-glo picture of a Grace Slick-fronted PANDORAS, the fuzzed-out stomp of “Pushing Me Too Far” delivers on the promise of the SEEDS nod in its title, and “Don’t Ask My Name (Just Call Me Jack)” is a frantic twelve-string jangle rave-up made for scuffing up one’s ankle boots. That particular trip gets mellowed out by the likes of the swirling psych-lite slowburner “Love is Blue” and the C86-to-the-max “Something About Today” and “Call Her Name,” with the latter pair being especially apt reminders that Dan Treacy of the TELEVISION PERSONALITIES was first responsible for making some of these songs available to the record-buying public (and don’t the kids just love it).

Limbs Bin Burnt White Elephant CD

After almost five minutes of ambiance and field recordings from the opening track, LIMBS BIN destroys in the way that only they (he) can. Twenty-five sub-sixty-second bursts of harsh noise and manipulated sound punctuated by samples and (audio) violence, all sewn together as one harrowing dose of sonic punishment with a couple of (merciful) interludes. Some folks know what they’re getting into with a new LIMBS BIN release…I advise the rest of you to strap in.

Paul Messis Win or Lose / Please Don’t Tell Why 7″

Somewhere between the 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS and the ANIMALS, this single is deeply rooted in ’60s psychedelic rock. The A-side is a jangly, lo-fi California-style rock track that combines tremolo guitars with distorted synths. The B-side is a lighter acoustic ballad that easily could be a cut by the BYRDS or BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD. If you’re looking for some ’60s nostalgia, you won’t find anything that emulates that sound better than this.

The Mind Open Up the Window and Leave Your Body LP

This is the second album by Cleveland’s the MIND, a band capable of crafting beautifully gloomy gems of songs: vaporous, uncanny, and with all the hidden qualities of a Man Ray photograph. Their sound is really peculiar, it lives in the exact confluence of ’80s post-punk and early dream pop. The music feels like a monolith casting a shadow over a poppy field.  There is a dark psychedelic edge to the songs, reminding me of Chicagoans DA! or really early SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES. The band seems to really be hitting you straight from the unconscious with each song, and this is an LP that deserves to be played really loud late at night. A pleasant surprise.

Needles//Pins Needles//Pins LP

There is a lot going on here. To say this is just a punk record is doing a disservice to all those involved here, but to say this is a rock record isn’t a fair assessment either. Melodic and catchy are words that I’d freely use to describe this, and while there are hooks abound here, it’s got just enough grit to keep it honest. If this record isn’t in heavy rotation on rock stations across their native Canada, that’s a crime. Truly.

The Pulls The Damnedest Thing LP

This is the 20th anniversary re-release of this band’s debut album. From Pennsylvania, this trio cranks out some good buzzsaw pop punk. Similar to early BLINK-182, early ATARIS, or even SCREECHING WEASEL without the snotty vocals. Short songs with decent hooks over basic music. Solid full-length that deserves more attention this second time around.

Reglement Reglement LP

This was a little hard for me to get through. REGLEMENT is a two-person synth industrial punk band from France. Their music is a throwback in its primitiveness of beats and synth sounds. I feel like if my French was better (or even existent?), this would be more interesting, as the songs are focused around the consistent barrage of one member’s loud vocal tracks all sung/spoken with the same tone and inflection. While I love some primitive ’80s and ’90s electro punk, this goes on for far too long. If you purchase it online you can get the whole record sans vocals tacked on for nothing. Maybe more interesting? I do not have the energy. Early NINE INCH NAILS, STEREO TOTAL, NERVOUS GENDER, and a smidgen of METAL URBAIN. There, some very kind comparisons for those who care.

Scene Killers Rev It Up 12″

The debut EP from Nottingham, England’s SCENE KILLERS is a total ripper. Members of the CRIMINALS, the HIP PRIESTS, and TV CRIME come together here like a punk rock Voltron to bring us six songs of total punk rock’n’roll badassery. The kind of record that makes you wanna brown-bag a 40 and cruise around town at night smashing shit. There’s even a cover of the REPLACEMENTS’ “Color Me Impressed,” which is especially fun to listen to with singer Jesse Luscious’ trademark vocal stylings that give the song a nice little kick in the ass. I’ll be counting the minutes until these fellas are able to come stateside for what will undoubtedly be a hell of a live show! An extra tidbit for all you nerds out there: the record comes in a bunch of cool colors.

The Sinema / TV Generation DCxPC Live Presents, Volume 2 split EP

Second edition of this live series modeled after the ’90s VML singles. TV GENERATION offers three hefty doses of snotty adult punk; mid-paced, snarky stomps that include a song about Uncle Lou’s—the Florida venue set to receive the proceeds from the sale of this single—and a DAMNED cover. Appropriately sloppy (it’s a live series, kids!), and even the cover somehow has the same “dragging the grown-ups through the mud” pace. On the flip, the SINEMA starts their whirling metalcore track with a mosh call: “I’m alright! / Up all night! / Do you wanna fight? / Fuck the alt-right!” and I’m at least paying attention. One wild, noodle-riff-centric track that delves a bit too far into commercial alt-metal (for my taste) with the quiet sing-y bits…but redeems (slightly) with the sign-off: “Cowboys can suck my cock! / Fuck the alt-right! / I fucked up!”

Soft Shoulder Formerly on Fluorescent Paper LP

Latest LP from this Sonoran noise rock recording project, who have apparently been going at it for around fifteen years now. This LP is made up of fourteen tracks, most of which clock in under two minutes, and touches on noisy post-punk, dance-y synth punk, and no wave. In its best moments it sounds a little like the A FRAMES with a late ’90s JON SPENCER production—in its worst, it sounds like the FAINT. I don’t know if I’ll be dipping back into this one, but the time I spent with it was enjoyable enough.

Step Forward Demos 1989-1990 LP

STEP FORWARD was the first “proper” straightedge band to come out of Sweden (I say “proper” because SVART PARAD had their foot in it as well, but never were established as a sXe band). Although very short-lived, they had a major role to play in Swedish hardcore and paved the way for REFUSED and FINAL EXIT. Their only two existing demos are finally being repressed with remastered sound, and with liner notes from Dennis Lyxzen along with a bunch of unseen photos. The members went on to form and play in impactful bands like FINAL EXIT, INTERNATIONAL NOISE CONSPIRACY, E.T.A., and REGULATIONS. The cover pictures four kids sitting on the front of a porch. First thoughts? MINOR THREAT. And yes…this has MINOR THREAT written all over it, from the cover to the vocal style to the sound, but an angrier and sometimes faster version. This record proves that Sweden isn’t just D-beat!

Strangelight Adult Themes LP

This thing is hot, front to back, like if you thought there was going to be a track in the middle of the B-side that let up, you’d be wrong. Its straight WIPERS/HOT SNAKES love but with a little bit of a heavier, hardcore feel. That’s not to say that it is lacking in hooks or catchy riffs, but the rougher/angrier vocals and darker feel to the rhythm section give a little more weight to the driving, downstroke guitar attack. The only downside is that unfortunate effect on the snare drum (slap echo?) that’s hard to unhear once you’ve noticed it.

Tetanus Tetanus cassette

Sonically schizophrenic and riddled with digital fuckery, this tape from TETANUS was created in the wake of a couple other Charlotte bands that succumbed to the lockdown restraints of COVID-19. Bullhorned shouty vocals cover all six noisy tracks, including the sped-up rendition of the MENTALLY ILL’s KBD classic “Gacy’s Place” that closes it out. Chalk it up as one of the more pleasant repercussions of the pandemic.

Three Second Kiss Everyday-Everyman LP

A reissue of the second long-player by this Bologna, Italy trio. Tightly-wound and jagged post-rock heavy on palm mutes and unexpected turns, not unlike FARAQUET or any of the great math rock bands from Louisville, like RODAN or JUNE OF 44. Great production by Iain Burgess on this one, too, turning each instrument into a weapon. Great stuff.

Waste The Lost Tapes: Oudenbosch HC 1981-1983, Vol.1 EP

Any self-respecting Dutch punk aficionado will be aware of WASTE’s History Repeats EP, but it easily may have slipped under the radar of fans of NITWITZ or FRITES MODERN. These five tracks dredged from the archive are rehearsal/live quality, and the fidelity reflects that, but the songs are good and the spirit is lively enough to make this worthwhile in my view. WASTE’s style is a cool blend of melody and aggression, really lifting up the FRITES MODERN comparison for me. Borderline hardcore but nowhere near the speed or density of BGK or GEPØPEL. I have zero graphic design skills so I’m not saying I’m capable of making better cover art than this, but like…maybe ask a friend or something? Simple layouts can be cool but blown-out and pixelated cover art in 2021? Shame. Cool record, though.

The Zeros In the Spotlight / Nowhere to Run 7″

The ZEROS have been at it since the mid/late ’70s. That’s over 40 years. That blows my mind. Most bands that fall into that category aren’t what they used to be. There’s an energy to really good punk rock that comes from its youth. That doesn’t mean they can’t create excellent music; it just means you shouldn’t expect it to have the sense of urgency that comes with youth and being new. I’d say these guys get that. These are well-crafted songs that are played well and great to listen to, but they’re not trying to create fake youthful rage. With harmonicas and a fair amount of lead guitar work, there’s a certain Americana feel to the first track. The B-side is more straightforward punk rock that reminds me of the LAZY COWGIRLS. This is good shit.

V/A Fuselage cassette

Austin indie/post-punk project with a ten-song cassette featuring “guest” vocals from their friends…it’s a good concept, and the result is something that sounds more like a comp than a “release.” From the dreary indie shoegaze of “Needle” (ft. MIND SPIDERS’ guitarist) to the dark “Absolved” (I’ve lost my faith in God) and the angular post-punk of “I Chase Cars” (ft. WARP’s Tika Hall). Throw in a couple of instrumentals, and a poem set to music (“Early Morning Cigarette”) and I’m going to want to spend some time with this one. Also—I stayed in the drummer’s mom’s house like twenty years ago…punk is weird, y’all.

The Ar-Kaics Live in the Shit LP

This is a live recording captured from a February 2020 show in their hometown of Richmond, VA, right before live music shut down. The frantic intensity of the performance comes out and smacks you with a quick pace as each song rushes in right after the next in a perfect garage punk cadence. It’s a tight, quick set and all the slightly off notes and tuning only add to the authentic energy of it. There’s a good mix of old and newer songs with an excellent unreleased new track, “Outsider.” An excellent addition to their growing catalogue.

Beex The Early Years: 1979–1982 LP

As its title implies, this LP is a collection of ten early tracks from foundational Richmond punks BEEX, who formed in ’77 and have existed in various states of activity since then, even after original vocalist Christine Gibson passed away in 2007 following a fight with cancer. The group’s first two singles are already established KBD/Bloodstains classics (US division) and they’re presented in full here, along with some previously unreleased and equally killer studio material from those recording sessions, which is honestly the real sell. Gibson’s voice was BEEX’s secret weapon, a slightly raspy melodic snarl that gave some much-needed color to the band’s otherwise fairly straightforward late ’70s approach—”(My Heart Goes) Beat Beat” wanders along the tougher outer edges of power pop (think the SHIVVERS if they’d carried switchblades in their back pockets), the fiery “He Obliterates Me” sounds like a more rock’n’roll, CBGB-spawned version of the AVENGERS, and her increasingly desperate wails in “Guyana” push it beyond dozens of the era’s similarly inspired punk responses to the Jonestown massacre. A worthy history lesson, so study up. 

Castillo Faded Memories 12″

I greet each new Mendeku Diskak with a fervour matched only by a kid knowing they’ve got a pair of Copa Mundials wrapped neath the auld tannenbaum on Crimbo morn; they simply do not miss. This 12″ from CASTILLO is another in a long list of belters. Another sensational project from Alex Zambrano, the mastermind behind COMBAT FORCE and REPEAT OFFENDER, dancing merrily between sheer lumpen heft and melodic riffs you can imagine a binman whistling. It’s got hints of the ROYAL HOUNDS, the vocals especially sounded like you’ve spilled their pint, as well as RIXE and MESS, too; it’s a stomper from start to finish. Please sir, I want some more.

Cemented Minds Colostrum 10″

There is no doubt that hardcore punk is a very malleable genre and bands can slowly venture into other sub-genres as time moves along. Loads of hardcore bands slow down on the aggression and tune into their emotions overtime. Hailing from France, CEMENTED MINDS have within their ranks hardcore punk musicians from bands like AMANDA WOODWARD, NINE ELEVEN, and AUSSITOT MORT, but on this project they went into a post-punk mode. Colostrum is their five-song debut, a collage of post-punk melancholia that still retains much of the hardcore energy and can very well please any fan of the aforementioned bands and post-punks alike.

Clusterfux The 7″s cassette

Compilation cassette compiling all recorded CLUSTERFUX tracks from 2004—2007. Two recording sessions that became sides of three split 7″s with some leftover tracks all included here. CLUSTERFUX seem mostly like a thrashcore band, but some of the unexpected genres I hear when I listen to this makes it feel as if the band is somewhat living up to their name. There’s some crossover metal riffs, some rip-roaring thrash metal solos, vocals going back and forth from sounding akin to DRI to sounding like they’re recorded for a crust punk band, and even sounding oddly screamo-inspired at times. Unexpectedly, I think some of the songs on the “You” side of this cassette rip harder than everything contained on the “Fuck” side, which is surprising since that side is all the tracks that didn’t make the cut on the band’s vinyl releases. A few of those songs sound more straightforward crossover thrash, which seems to suit the band the strongest.

The Critics The Critics LP

All I knew about this band going in was they were an early ’80s new wave band out of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. And my initial reaction was, “Cool! I love Aussie bands…but you don’t usually see them coming out of Newcastle. Wonder if there was some sort of scene there—better check!” That’s when I came across maybe the most endearing site I’ve ever seen on the internet. And it actually had some good info on this band! Turns out they existed from 1980—1983, and in that stretch they released two singles and recorded this LP. However, the LP was shelved in 1982 for unknown reasons, only to be uncovered in the last couple years and released here for the first time. Quite the story! But what about the record? Well, it’s certainly new wave…but it’s also never not odd (maybe the first track aside). The vocalist sounds like Mark Mothersbaugh doing an impression of Richard Hell, the guitar tone sounds like early IRON MAIDEN, and the vaguely post-punk atmosphere and the lyrical content remind me of the ADVERTS or the WIPERS. On top of all that, some tracks pair TALKING HEADS funk with hair metal solos, and others feature full-on glam histrionics. To get a good sense of its strangeness, give the seven-minute, multi-part epic “Alien” a listen—it’s worth it!

Deficit Staggering Toward False Light cassette

This is a one-man-band solo project for the drummer of Virginia Beach’s STREET WEAPON. You wouldn’t guess it at all with the non-bedroom project beefy production and big gruff sound. I’m feeling a lot of BLOOD PRESSURE and DIRECT CONTROL here, as well as some classic Midwest-by-way-of-D.C. bald-noggin roar. “Uphill” and “Fear of Nothing” are my faves here. I’m looking forward to the live full-band version of this. Cool.

Disable / Löckheed split EP

Who wants blistering D-beat kängpunk for disfukker? DISABLE kicks things off with grueling, distorted, mid-tempo hardcore punk. A classic style with slightly reverberated vocals à la GLORIOUS?, DISCLOSE, et al. Pace quickens and riffs thicken by the second track, a snare-pummeling composition called “Enola.” The bass here is a ghost-ridden chopper cycle of fire and mayhem. An awesome three tracks from DISABLE, who switch it up subtly and keep you mesmerized in raw, chainsawing fury for six solid and distortion pedal-immersed minutes. LÖCKHEED follows suit with a slightly more Vevarsle/Scandi-beat style, with the feeling of DISCARD, WARCOLLAPSE, or DISFEAR. Vocals are harsher, solos are higher and more dive-bombing. This heavy madness is the perfect compliment to Side A. I want to describe track two on their side as well, as things really climax with “Pill Mill.” Both sides share a parabolic structure but bring a unique offering of this classic style. The last track “Black Wings of War” takes the register even eerier, ending the entire EP with unsettling ominous death-beat. Mastered with the finely-tuned ear-slaughtering of Jack Control at Enormous Door. Strongly recommended for this gross world/your life.

Exek Good Thing They Ripped Up the Carpet LP

Archly romantic DIY pop shuffling, built from combination analogue and digital rhythms; distracted and/or stoned-sounding synth parts; textures and layers which read dub through the same lens as, say, YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS once did…this album from EXEK out of Melbourne is apparently half brand new shit (Side A) and half comp/split tracks (B), but it all flows with a lumpy singularity, a jumble with mumbling. The PHEROMOANS from England have a loosely similar line in post-punk/minimal synth low-key chaos, although EXEK doesn’t really go in for social satire in the same way. (They do have a song titled “The Theme From Judge Judy” though, which is something.) Recall their previous album, 2019’s Some Beautiful Species Left, being more linear on average than this, but EXEK does “spacey and weird” pretty well however they tweak their basic template.

Free Fall Nothing CD

A six-track debut effort from this Florida trio. They attack the old punk with an energetic, snotty attitude. Some fine lead guitar work, makes them sound not too dissimilar to early DEAD KENNEDYS with the FU’S guitarist, as they’re transitioning to STRAW DOGS. I guess that’s a very 20th century analogy, but what the fuck, that’s why they invented the information super highway, so you can look this stuff up.

Han Gan The Time Past cassette

Current D.C.-area folks playing ’90s-style D.C.-area post-hardcore with hints of Chicago-style noise rock from the same era. Four songs that give you the heavier, more punk feel of bands like SOULSIDE with the aesthetic of later ’90s stuff like SMART WENT CRAZY or Q AND NOT U. The second track is the best example, where jagged hardcore and staccato vocals mix with spacey synth parts and heavily treated drums. Would love to hear a studio full-length.

Hooks & Bones (Presenting) The Hook cassette

There’s a lot going on here. Brutal mosh metal beatdown hardcore drops out of the middle of a crossover thrash riff…and then the melodic singalongs in “SD 9.3″ seem to come out of nowhere. Kinda like the solos in “Postman on Fire.” And then we’re back to a Milano Mosh for “Bucks & Bullets.” And so goes most of (Presenting) The Hook—’80s NY thrash, ’00s NYHC, dogpiles and spin kicks, old school metalcore, and sooo many crew backing vocals—and it all slays. Only five tracks, but there’s more action on this tape than on most double-LPs.

Impede Digital Hell cassette

IMPEDE from Australia plunks down five slabs of grizzly and haunting punk on this debut cassette EP. The band draws from a diverse pool of influences, and they’re all a bit on the dark side. If the title of opener “Melissa” doesn’t give its source of inspiration away, the high-pitched wail near the end of the song likely will. Shadows of Japanese and Italian hardcore are all over the tracks, and the intro to “The Swarm” goes straight into black metal. Check out the atmospheric evil of “Super Computer” for a taste of how interesting this tape really is.

Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters Waiting in a Corner LP

There isn’t much better than a really good Aussie punk record. It’s equal parts boozy grit, hazy dreariness, and urban beach angst. JACKSON REID BRIGGS & THE HEATERS have some of that going for them, minus the really forgettable band name. There’s a little SAINTS “Know Your Product” bigness of sound, a hint of RADIO BIRDMAN’s guitar theatrics, and a touch of the beautiful melancholy of “This Week” by CELIBATE RIFLES. Unfortunately, this is like the PAT BOONE version of all that, lacking the subversive kick and weirdness of all their possible influences. There’s no character or desperation here, nor even an accent present. There’s some moments like the aptly named “Feel It” where they almost get it, but it’s just not enough. They have a fuck-ton of releases and there is no lack of writing on them via the internet. I imagine you’re either a fan or not by this point. I’d sadly be in the latter group here.

Kaputt Movement Now / Another War Talk 7″

This Scottish sextet put out a pretty decent LP a few years back and this new single condenses all the good things about that album into an easily-digested, bite-sized nugget. KAPUTT composes manic music that has a sense of purpose. “Movement Now” is like SUBURBAN LAWNS sporting a CRASS sleeveless to the beach and now all the surfers wanna burn down the system. As counterpoints move in tandem—girl-guy vocals dodge guitar-sax licks—there’s more than a hint of ESSENTIAL LOGIC to “Another War Talk.” This release bodes well for future KAPUTT.