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!

Last Night DerniÁ¨re Nuit LP

A short record from French punks LAST NIGHT, Dernière Nuit is absolutely dripping with attitude. It’s off-kilter in a post-punk kind of way, aggressively in-your-face, and disgustingly thick. Vocals spit ferociously, leaving you hanging off every word. The only complaint is that the record doesn’t last longer. This is an LP that begs to be blared on the loudspeakers. An LP to annoy the house next door; hell, maybe the whole neighborhood. If you haven’t gotten a chance to spin this record, I implore you to ask yourself “where the fuck did I go wrong in life?” before hastily rectifying the situation.

Neighborhood Brats Confines of Life LP

Their first album since Claw Marks (one of the best albums in 2018) came out finds the band only getting more diverse in sound and higher in impact and energy. George Rager’s guitar and Jenny Angelillo’s voice are a brutal one-two punch through twelve tracks that will get a pit circling while covering topics of capitalism and housing, misogyny and sexism, commercialism and labeling. I’ve heard they are an insanely intense live show and I’m hoping they get to play some venues stateside soon.

Peste Negra Orquest(a) Los Rebrotes cassette

Argentinian cassette domination continues with this bizarre dose of freak wave and/or synth punk from the PESTE NEGRA ORQUEST(A). Harnessing the primitive melodic punk of early ’80s Latin America and injecting healthy doses of space sounds, they create a vibe on Los Rebrotes that makes these ears yearn for (more) punk that makes you move instead of punks rehashing second-rate darkwave. By the time I got to the middle of this tape, I couldn’t even think straight—it’s that good…and no matter how I tried, I wasn’t able to make it loud enough. Because I just wanted more.

Sarushibai The Melancholy of the Social Outcasts LP

With optimistic fire, SARUSHIBAI plays catchy hardcore like if you mixed TOY DOLLS with the COMES, DEAD KENNEDYS, the STALIN, KURO, and SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN. Everything seems to have a sing-along style to it while being wildly fast. The song titles have me terribly intrigued: “Forest of Lies,” “Full of Lies,” “Bottomless Swamp Side,” “Distorted Landscape,” “Is It Dawn Yet?” This LP is incredibly fun to listen to but seems dripping with intelligence and purpose. Like if SPARKS or T. REX was a punk band, you might get something like SARUSHIBAI. Sometimes sounding like the SAINTS, sometimes sounding like STEELY DAN, SARUSHIBAI always sounds like themselves. Super cool and trippy new direction in hardcore, for you, from Japan.

Shitload Unplugged cassette

Consistently pushing the inanity of noisecore to new limits, New Orleans act SHITLOAD may have outdone themselves. But before you look at a list of the (acoustic) instruments used to create this cacophony and turn away, I would like to offer this advice: just give it a chance. Yeah, the kazoo in between bursts is a little much (OK— it’s a lot much), but hearing everything piled on top of everything else is the same kind of complete sensory overload that makes walls of harsh noise so…comforting. This time it’s in the context (or spirit) of raw powerviolence through shit-fi, and the chaotic monotony works. I know that Bobby Paranoize, SHITLOAD’s sole member, is having a go at us here and that this was released in an edition of ten copies…but I’m going to hold onto mine. Even though, as the artist states: “This is a bunch of ridiculous bullshit.”

Six Sundays Rasputin Goes to Hell CD

These old chaps describe themselves as “dad-punk,” which is perhaps a nod to their age (and familial status), but they’re definitely not staid. By the sounds of this effort (ten tracks, all but two of the songs clocking in at  two minutes or less), it’s not so much that they’re fast, or necessarily hard, but more a harkening to the glory days (for some) of the mid-to-late ’70s. Kind of like somewhere halfway between the HEARTBREAKERS and SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS, in both speed and attack. And pretty catchy with it, too.

Tunic Exhaling LP

Discography collection, or close enough to it for the sake of argument, from this Winnipeg trio. TUNIC plays—has played—various iterations of noise rock over the six years covered by Exhaling, which begins with the band’s three newest songs: “Fade Out” has me thinking of a Deathwish Records version of SWIZ, for better or worse. The scrabbly, jerky guitar style of their earlier releases, such as the Disappointment 7″, are agreeable enough, but TUNIC seems to have really hit their stride on 2019 album Complexion, with its big UNSANE-like walls of noise. There’s a whole new LP due this autumn and I’d be satisfied with a bit more of that and not too much concern about “progression,” whatever that is.

Upper Hand Iron City Hardcore 1988-89 LP

Excellent capture of Pennsylvania’s UPPER HAND’s last show, where they absolutely leveled a club called Sonic Temple in 1989. Off-the-fucking-rails East Coast hardcore that is way harder than most bands dared to be at the close of the Reagan era, this recording sounds amazing and helps make up for the fact that they never had any proper releases during their short existence. A record clearly released by fans (and one that will likely gain the band some new ones—like me), including a full-size zine with band history, and tons of flyers to accompany a ripping set that ends (appropriately) with FAITH, BAD BRAINS, and AF covers. There are only a few of these kicking around, highly recommended.

Words a Game Words a Game LP

This is a remastered reissue of the band’s only release. Originally a nine-song CD put out back in 1995, the era is pretty hard to mistake. Fall-on-the-floor emo in the INDIAN SUMMER/NATIVE NOD vein that still owed a lot of its sound to NATION OF ULYSSES. These songs aren’t bad, some are a little long, but you could take three of them and have a really good 7″. The problem is that the style of music is so reliant on a sense of urgency and place, that without a nostalgic connection or the ability to be there 25 years ago it falls flat. Again, not bad at all, take a chance on it, you may connect. It’s a very cool release for people who knew of the band or possibly are fans of their other stuff, as four of the five members went on to play in OWLTIAN MIA, with one of those also playing in the wildly underrated CANDYLAND CARCRASH.

Zorn Hardcore Zorn EP

No, this is not a new JOHN ZORN hardcore record! This is ZORN the ultra-Satanic metalpunk outfit from Philadelphia, and they are here to take your soul. After their self-titled EP, they unleashed four hymns to the horned one in a bastard metalpunk spawn of chorus-drenched guitars and devilish madman screams. To make it easier, you can put them in the same bag as homies DEVIL MASTER (ZORN’s singer is the main character in the “Black Flame Candle”). Lay down your souls to ZORN’s rock’n’roll!

V/A Demolition Derby Vol. 2 LP

A collection of raging rock-punk that includes the always great HIP PRIESTS, the DRIPPERS, BLACK GREMLIN, STACY CROWNE, GRINDHOUSE, and the EMPIRE STRIKE. Two tracks by each band in the vein of later TURBONEGRO, HELLACOPTERS, and MOTÖRHEAD. Euro bands on this Italian label’s comp.

Ataac Peligro de Muerte cassette

D-beat attack (pun intended) from Benidorm and Alicante, Spain. This was originally released in 2016, and this reissue on cassette is from September of last year. People from bands like PUNKO UK, TOKKŌTAI, and PEQUEÑA ORUGA MECÁNICA take part in this album, with eleven songs worth of visceral ruminations of the 21st century global violent psyche. The prison system, the absurdity of life, and the murderous desire of the capitalist system get all their due with the proper street punk rawness and D-beatness it deserves. Crispy guitars, shouty vocals, throbbing bass, pummeling drums, the works. Highly recommended.

Béton Armé Au Bord Du Gouffre EP

More great Oi! from the fine city of Montreal; not sure what they’re putting on their chips over there (cheese curds and gravy aside) but there’s been a steady stream of brilliant Oi! records which have been in near constant rotation for yours truly. It’s Oi! sung in French so certain parallels are naturally drawn with scene stalwarts RIXE, but I’d say this has more of a classic French feel, fans of the Chaos En France series will enjoy this thoroughly. And how fucking nice is it to hear some actual “Oi!”s in the chorus again? Fewer camo shorts and more “Oi!s” please, cheers.

Call in Dead / 2Amature DCxPC Live Presents, Volume 1 split EP

Two COVID-era live streaming performances put to wax. CALL IN DEAD starts their set with a shout out: “What is up, Facebook Live?!” and dropped into a mosh intro…then some gnarly hardcore delivered in stutters and slams. Growly death metal vocals and yo-yo hardcore shouts..and one ska intro. 2AMATURE is snottier—more punk and less hardcore. Like a raw, dirty version of a catchy punk band, but with wild (and excellent) East Bay Ray guitars. 

Christmas Bride Dark Romance of a Midnight Wanderer cassette

Davey Hart is this one-man band from Chicago, writing epic songs that don’t so much fit in any predefined genre as much as they make their own. The base seems to be a pop punk homage to ’90s Nitro/EpiFat bands with some theatrics Á  la QUEEN or SPARKS, and a touch of new wave, hair metal, and WEIRD AL. He makes this all fit without any sense of irony and with an earnestness that repudiates the humor.

Combat & Ruler The Loco-Motion / Action 7″

Third single from Tokyo band RULER (featuring members of TEENGENERATE, RAYDIOS, FIRESTARTER, etc.). This go-round they’ve recruited vocalist COMBAT, who’s apparently the drummer from the KANNANA SPEED CATS (she gets top billing on the 7″, which makes me think I should know who she is, but…I don’t). The A-side is a cover of the LITTLE EVA classic (written by Goffin/King), and the B-side is an original. It’s my favorite release of theirs thus far. This trashy—but not too trashy—take on “The Loco-Motion” is fantastic, and the original reminds me of what I loved about these folks’ previous projects. Give it a listen!

Dregs Built to Rot EP

Back in the ’90s there was a NYC squat band called the DREGS, a reference to the bottom of a beer. This here is ferocious sXe hardcore from Vienna reminding me in vocals of EXCREMENT OF WAR, in downtrodden darkness the NYC DREGS, in sheer power NO STATIK. These vocals are something so raw and ugly and furious. The breakdowns cannot be fucked with. The circle mosh moments are intense. The EP in summation is a brutal powerhouse of sXe HC rage. This is almost more intimidating than SLANT, of recent listening, and if it were a full-length it might very well be. Get this if you think you’re pissed-off. You’ll see you’re not as pissed-off as DREGS.

El Sancho How to Kill a Zombie EP

Three songs of mid-tempo melodic punk. I believe that everyone contributes vocals here as there is an obvious distinction between the vocalist on the first two songs, the vocalist on the third song, and the backing vocals. All in all, this is catchy enough; the main issue I have with this release is that it is a lathe-cut 7″. While I appreciate the fact that you’re going ahead with committing to put these songs to a physical format, I’ll never understand the lathe-cut gimmick. For the most part they’re expensive to produce, most times they are limited to only a handful of copies, and they don’t sound that great. I’m just nitpicking here at this point. Anyhow, this is limited to 25 copies, so I’d suggest trying to get one quickly if that interests you.

Fatherfigures Any Time Now…And High Time Too 2xCD

I have to say, this is fucking great. Which of course, doesn’t tell you anything. Well, other than I really like it. A lot. FATHERFIGURES are a new (though out of the ashes of FLIES ON YOU) quartet from the UK who gleefully take the “post-punk” moniker (think the likes of GANG OF FOUR, COCTEAU TWINS, early CURE, SISTERS OF MERCY, later period WIRE) and kick it around the park. Dark, sparse, poppy, brooding, melodic. All of that and more. It even comes with a bonus CD with remixes of half of the fourteen tracks on the actual CD, and it’s even more sparse, and dubby, and reverby, and makes the sounds sound even more like Metal Box-era PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED. If any of this makes sense to you, dear reader, then you’ll understand just how excellent this is. Indeed.

Fotomatic Bipolarity / Take a Ride 7″

This 7″ is so amazing. Two songs of minimalist post-punk with a phenomenal female singer. It’s hard to believe this is not from the late ’70s. Catchy as hell and great lyrics, too. “I’m so lost in time and space / Can’t find a place.” The B-side “Take a Ride” is one of those instant classic songs. The first time you hear it you can’t believe you haven’t heard it before. Then you want to play it for all your friends. Fantastic.

Goodbye World At Death’s Door LP

Twelve minutes of disgustingly hard thrashcore from the Youth Attack roster’s latest round of musical chairs: this bunch of middle-aged ’90s HC clingers-on and two slightly younger dudes appear to have made one of the genre’s high points of the ’20s to date. This isn’t to implicitly snark at newjack whippersnappers or some shit, just to note that GOODBYE WORLD is one brutal unit in word, deed, and aesthetic. Aaron Aspinwall, of the REPOS etc., kills it on vocals, although I suspect Mark McCoy to be the main lyricist here as they read like a more mass shooter-y continuation of his general vibe in FAILURES. (Not sure I’d call At Death’s Door a suicide concept album exactly, but most of its fifteen songs read like coded threats to some unnamed foe.) James Trejo’s bass sounds like I’d imagine being drowned in pickling vinegar feels and intermittent blasts of uber-metal soloing functions as light relief, at least in the context of this violently great record. I know it’s easy to roll eyes at the Youth Attack schtick but honestly, if you like hardcore punk this one is just undeniable.

Hellish View Reaper’s Hand EP

Once you put on this EP, you hear bombs dropping and sirens going off! You get the familiar feeling that you know what is coming. This is a good premonition if you are into DIS- bands. Starting off with a mid-paced song and soon erupting into a DISCLOSE-worship fest, this one is a no brainer. DISCHARGE, DISCLOSE, DISCARD. That’s all you need to know!

Hung Ups Panic Attack EP

This is what I think of when I hear the term “pop punk.” Melodic, snotty, simple. A lot of bands that do this style miss the mark for me a lot of the time; fortunately, this is not one of those times. Think SCREECHING WEASEL, the NOBODYS, etc. and you’re on the right track. Five songs on a 7″? Cool. Blag Dahlia once said “I’m not going to Salt Lake City;” well, I found something worth going for.

Life Once Flourished Here / Roäc split LP

ROÄC plays loose, grizzly crust reminiscent of MISERY, DEVIATED INSTINCT meets HIS HERO IS GONE, themes of desolation, despair, and a stark realization of darker days ahead. The pace remains gloomy and macabre almost throughout their side, harkening the ’90s finest metallic crust on the more composed and tight, less chaotic side; WINTER, the metric delivery of GODFLESH, the double bass pedal of BOLT THROWER…. but hotdamn, when they gallop off at a DEATH STRIKE pace, ROÄC rips. There’s a lot to offer on this side from the twelve-string acoustic guitar and tambourine to the pulverizing, more EFFIGY/AXEWIELD riff-driven tracks. You’re getting a lot for half of a split. LIFE ONCE FLOURISHED HERE delivers one track, “Land That God Forgot,” a sonic landscape of JACK ROSE-esque primitive guitar on the side of ALARIC or ATRIARCH. A melancholy and harmonic slightly prog or Krautrock escape under socio-political spoken word. Feeling a message and mood of AXIOM and BLACK KRONSTADT here as well, as the intro grows into a discordant hardcore attack. I think this is an important split LP for the eco-conscious free-spirit cruster—an ally to love and peace. Neither side disappoints.

Löss Tape 2019 cassette

More often than not, when I read “Swedish hardcore band,” I tend to think that it will either be TOTALITÄR-inspired kängpunk band or a more metallic ANTI-CIMEX-meets-WOLFPACK hybrid. Not the case with LÖSS, as they break that Swedish hardcore mold. They play simple and straight to-the-point, pissed-off GBG hardcore punk. Nothing more to add, so go get this one if you like the more primitive angry stuff. A band to keep an eye on!

Mesh Mesh cassette

Everything about this cassette is absolutely spot-on! A wonderful-sounding, self-recorded five-song tape from Philadelphia, PA. Super catchy, memorable, driving post-punk with just enough artiness peppered in to allow the band the ability to make the tape and sleeve look super cool. If I’m not mistaken, this seems to be a band born out of the smoldering ashes of underrated Philly powerhouse MINT, of whom I was an unbelievably big fan. Gotta have more! These five songs will only hold me over for so long!

Morbo ¿A Quién Le Echamos La Culpa? LP

Twelve tracks of spirited and garage-y mid-paced punking from these Peruvian veterans. Following in the footsteps of legendary ’60s Peru rockers LOS SAICOS, MORBO has been playing their own unique brand of primal and direct music for over twenty years. The songs here encompass a range of different styles, with a lot of first- and second-wave flavor and some interesting surprises along the way. From the nihilistic dirge of “Poema de un Libro Escolar,” to the Spaghetti Western cowpunk vibes of “El Loco,” and even a weirdo synth track at the end, it’s a fun ride. Whenever I hear the great opening track “Aquí No Hay Nadie,” I can’t help but imagine that it’s being played by a band of angry, Spanish-speaking rat Muppets, but that probably says more about me than it does the record.

Niner Niner Destructo LP

Some poppy rocking indie stuff from Bakersfield going on here. I’m hearing a mix of SUPERCHUNK, MCRACKINS, and HOT SNAKES. A little garage recklessness in this sonic mess, but it’s somehow tuneful! Good heavy production too. Digging this a lot!

Ovens van Ondank Ovens van Ondank LP

Live 1983 recording from this below-below-the-radar Dutch group, who have otherwise been relegated to the demo-only dustbins of Euro post-punk history. I don’t usually go too hard for live records, but there’s not exactly an abundance of OVENS VAN ONDANK releases out there, and the sound quality of this set is surprisingly solid—if your tastes in DIY art-punk skew toward the unpolished and the off-center (as they should), the warts-and-all live translations of these eleven tracks will most likely only be an asset. Like their local Utrecht contemporaries COÏTUS INT., OVENS VAN ONDANK had that bleak, early ’80s Manchester-patented pallor of post-industrial decay, with a sound centered around driving, naked basslines, stern-yet-anguished vocals (in dual Dutch/English), and in this case, some of the most prominent use of accordion in a post-punk context this side of DIE ATLANTIKSCHWIMMER. Sure, the extra-moody “Paradijs” and “Vluchten in Waanzin” are about a Robert Smith backcomb away from proper goth, but even one close listen to the collapsing, almost No Wave rhythms of “Hout en IJzer” should reveal something much cooler and genuinely weirder at play here.

Pencildive Grown-Ups CD

One of the reasons I appreciate reviewing the ol’ tactile items (I know, I know, very 20th century of me), is that every now and again, you get a fantastic package like this one. A beautifully stripped-down and elegant fold-out CD sleeve encases this debut full-length, which perfectly matches—sonically—the packaging. Minimalist (without being lo-fi, or garage) instrumentation—just drums, bass, guitar, and the one female vocal, from the trio. They produce, nevertheless, a propulsive dynamic range, from goth to indie to punk, I guess whatever that means. Kind of like if FUGAZI (or fIREHOSE) were fronted by a female singer/songwriter/guitarist, and covered some of the poppier tunes that came out on the likes of K Records and Kill Rock Stars twenty years ago.

Ramona Una Banda De La Provincia De Sevilla LP

The label describes RAMONA as a lo-fi bubblegum garage band. That about explains it. They are extra peppy with very simple beats that make you smile. Sometimes less is more. You don’t need to overdo it to have a fun time. RAMONA seems to be enjoying life and now I am too.

Silakbo Silakbo CD

While the foundation of opening track “Southpaw” is a drum machine hi-hat with a thick metal chug, it launches into a fiery D-beat and I’m thinking PAILHEAD’s “I Refuse,” and that sets the stage: SILAKBO drags you back to the 1980s, but they’re dragging sXe hardcore into the industrial techno clubs with you…and they’re feeding all the thugs and club kids a diet of anarcho-punk activism. A solo project that shines a light on injustice, a band that speaks from the heart of the Filipinx diaspora in California and the rest of the world, a killer hardcore band that offers their material with fucking purpose that surrounds the band like a shield. This first release is hopefully a harbinger—listen to the dark determination of “World of Death” and think about the sonic possibilities, especially when combined with the purity of mission and honest determination that fills every moment of this release.

Slow Mutants Slow Mutants LP

Another album from a group that already broke up, unfortunately. This upstate NY power trio performs deftly-arranged indie rock that at any given moment could bring to mind elements of the BREEDERS, PJ HARVEY, SLEATER-KINNEY, or SAVAGES. Crisp, to-the-point songs with minimal fuss and absolutely no fucking about, and a vocalist with personality. The three members boast a curriculum vitae of accomplished former bands, so it’s no surprise that they know what they’re doing. Add to the equation that this album was recorded by one J. Robbins and the case is closed. Too bad they are no longer around.

Special Interest Trust No Wave: The 2016 Demos LP

As we went to press, news off the wire is that New Orleans’ post-wave glam terrorists SPECIAL INTEREST have hooked up with storied post-punk purveyors Rough Trade to release the highly-rated group’s next full-length! Sorry, just testing out my music-weekly muscles. In anticipation, Disciples’ waxing of SPECIAL INTEREST’s first recordings arrives at the perfect time. Mainly, what these demos show is that SPECIAL INTEREST had it down from the jump—their sound was immediately striking and they have only managed to further hone it into something both freakier and more accessible. But you are not getting mere dregs and toss-offs here, these five-year old recordings more than hold their own. I kinda wish I could’ve seen SPECIAL INTEREST strafe an early 2000s electroclash party on Driggs Ave (Williamsburg, NY, USA), but it’s somehow far more satisfying to imagine them in an abandoned warehouse on the edge of a hidden New Orleans ward, camping coolers of Four Loko sweating as hard as the congregation of disparate strangers made instant friends by righteous noise bondage. These demos could have landed SPECIAL INTEREST anywhere: Wax Trax! in 1985, Industrial in 1979, Troubleman in 2003, Rough Trade in 1981 or 2021.

Stuck Change is Bad LP

STUCK is a Chicago four-piece that produces an angular brand of post-punk in the vein of bands like ARAB ON RADAR or URANIUM CLUB. As a debut record, this LP is sure to make quite the impression on the DIY circuit. It’s ferocious in sound and unrelenting throughout. Despite the record’s often pummeling riffs, there is still an overarching melancholy that is present on every track. Similar to bands like OMNI and PREOCCUPATIONS, frenetic off-kilter grooves are a constant motif for the band. This is a damn fine experiment in post-punk and noise rock. Not one to miss!

Sweet Soul So Far No Further LP

From SoCal or close enough, this band does the alternative rock meets pop punk thing. This reminds me of softer BLINK-182 and ALKALINE TRIO or even SIMPLE PLAN. SIMPLE PLAN comparisons are never good. I’m not getting the pop skills feel of the first two mentioned bands, either. Moving on…

TZN Xenna Róbrege ’85 LP

While the world of punk records continues to get flooded with piles of debatably necessary reissues, it’s important to keep your eyes peeled for material from labels like Warsaw Pact. Dedicated to 1980s Polish punk recordings, the last few years have seen mandatory releases from MOSKWA, RED START, SIEKIERA, the CORPSE, and others, including this screaming 1985 set from the legendary TZN XENNA. Packaged with a gorgeous poster and full-size booklet with lyrics, photos, and information, Róbrege ’85 features a band with a fire in their hearts—even the more melodic tracks like “Aids” are on the edge of collapse, and “Twoja Wojna” has never sounded more fierce. After the first day of the festival, a cassette compilation with DEZERTER, ARMIA, ABSURB, ABBADON, REJESTRACJA, and some of the tracks on this record was available the next day; thankfully Warsaw Pact was able to snag the entire set. An essential release for fans of Eastern European punk, and fans of punk in general. Listen to “Dzieci Z Brudnej Ulicy,” it’s feels like it’s going to fall out of the fucking grooves. This is the real shit.

V/A Seaside Sickness EP

This is an excellent regional punk compilation that documents an under-reported scene, the East Coast of Canada. We can tell it is a small but highly active and creative scene. The 7″ includes exclusive tracks from the ferocious MISANTHROPIC MINDS, the KBD style of ANTIBODIES, the brutal chaos of FRAGMENT, the primitive fun of DARK DIAL, WARSH’s sharp blast of rage, BRAIN POLLUTION SYNDROME’s gutter noise abuse, and the unique genius of the BOOJI BOYS. Absolutely no filler. 

Aghast / Tekken split 12″

Not to be confused with the two splits these bands have released previously, this one-sided 12″ captures the final recordings from two (extremely) prolific French emo/HC bands who were active throughout the ’00s. AGHAST covers the epic and melodic with anguished vocals department, while TEKKEN takes care of the more chaotic and aggressive Euro HC side of things, blasting their way through a breathless “Porque Todo Tiene Fine” to close the record. Seven tracks total, and limited to just 100 copies—because when it means enough, it’s worth putting it to wax.

Balacera Gafas demo cassette

“I already saw how I’m gonna end, dead in a shootout against officers of the law and assault weapons, and if this is my time…well, fuck it!”  This is a rough translation of the movie sample (I guess) that Argentina’s BALACERA uses at the beginning of their demo, an ultra-fun lo-fi affair that mixes a TALES OF TERROR approach to punk, as in the opener “Gafas” and “Confundido,” and straight doom metal, as in the bass riff that slowly builds itself into a full on thrasher in “Busted” that, by the way, sounds like Argentina’s own minimalist art-punkers DIOS being more into VENOM than British post-punk. The tape manipulation of the voice and their eerie use of keyboards all adds up to an extremely original sound with the low production values of the demo. Awesome, get it on cassette.

Brain Peel / Double Suede Banana Split cassette

This cassette features two songs by BRAIN PEEL, two songs by DOUBLE SUEDE, and one song by BRAIN AND DOUBLE which is, as you may have assumed, a combination of both bands, who hail from Philadelphia, PA. DOUBLE SUEDE have something of a modern pop-psych/OH SEES kind of feel to them which comes off really catchy and driving and fun. BRAIN PEEL is more of a mid-tempo garage punk kind of band. The collaborative track is a fun little meandering instrumental number. Cool concept, fun mix of styles between the two bands. My only gripe is that it ends too quickly.

Carbur Action Woman EP

CARBUR is a French band playing garage-y rock’n’roll in a heavy, macho style. You can’t go wrong with covering “Action Woman” and they don’t. It’s a good version. The other three songs have that metal-y hard rock sound that gearheads enjoy. I assume that’s why they are called CARBUR. This 7″ was released in 2019.

Chin-Chin Stop! Your Crying EP reissue

Had CHIN-CHIN hailed from the UK rather than Switzerland, maybe their 1986 Stop! Your Crying EP would have gained more status as one of the high water marks of the C86 sound, alongside the jangling and/or fuzzed-out likes of TALULAH GOSH, the PASTELS, and the SHOP ASSISTANTS—an expanded version of the record even came out the following year on 53rd & 3rd (the label started by David Keegan from the SHOP ASSISTANTS and Stephen Pastel) as one of their few non-Scottish releases, if that isn’t telling. This is pure punky pop perfection, just an unadulterated rush of wild BUZZCOCKS/RAMONES energy with sped-up ’60s girl group harmonies, like the Stiff Records-era GO-GO’S given a full Creation Records treatment. The mid-tempo, horn-spiked “Revolution” swaps CHIN-CHIN’s usual sugar-rush hooks for more of a mod strut, but “Stop! Your Crying” and “Cry in Vain” are both anthemic buzzsaw bangers for the ages. Legit femme-punk godhead.

The Cybermen Cybernetic Surgery EP reissue

I always thought the CYBERMEN’s “You’re To Blame” was a charming enough second-tier second-wave punker perfect for filling out an all mod cons mix (pro tip: slot it next to EXPLODING HEARTS), but what I did not know was that their four-song debut is an even more satisfying slab of earworm. Cheers to Breakout for rescuing this not-cheap circa ’78 record for the rest of us. “Cybernetic Surgery” is way up on that neuromancer tip and has a great balance between fast rocker and weird robot energy. “Where’s New Wave” also crests early but often, another tricky balance struck between wrong-sided garage and mean-muggin’ mod. “Hanging Around” manages to be sullen and threatening and even finds time to phase in and out of existence. Just when you thought these jerks were irredeemable, “I Can’t Help” proves that it was all just an act and these punks have sleeves made of bleeding hearts. A bounty of riches, this single. No band named after Dr. Who’s lamest adversaries has any right to be this killer.

Delirio Delirio CD

DELIRIO’s latest release contains energetic, no-frills, highly energetic bursts of modern-sounding hardcore. Their fast yet sincere-sounding hardcore approach can be comparable to bands like COMEBACK KID or HAVE HEART. Great recording production, yet sounding too polished and boring.

Detoxi First Flesh LP

DETOXI is a band from Ventura, California, formed by members of MAASK and CATHOLIC SPIT, with roots in the Nardcore scene. On this, their first LP, they present us with ten dark rock songs that grow with each listen. DETOXI wears their influences on their sleeve, a mix of English post-punk like the CHAMELEONS with the impetus and tonality of Southern California deathrock—I’m thinking in particular of Rikk Agnew’s color palette. The keyboard sound is awesome and gives a particularly sinister touch to the songs, along with Derek’s deeply distinctive vocals. We are talking about perfectly crafted songs, with inventive and catchy riffs, outstanding basslines, exciting arrangements, and intelligent lyrics that dissect current popular culture issues with a precise scalpel. The opener “Grey Lines” and “Death of a Nation” are impressive. Such a thrill. You can get it on a beautifully designed cassette, CD, or vinyl.

Ed Warner Ruins of Nations LP

Twelve anxious doses that span a crevasse between early ’00s colossal crust and an indescribably awesome hardcore lurch. Makes me think of the NOW DENIAL…or maybe just some modern kids simultaneously harnessing anthemic core and honest intensity. Fans of fast and/or heavy and/or intense hardcore will want to pay attention here, because France’s ED WARNER ticks off literally every box.

Frustrerad The Truth in Lies EP

Motor-charged D-beat from Belgium. Vocals remind me of the less melodic aspects of TURBONEGRO, maybe better to compare to NAILBITER, and the tunes overall of CHARGER, at times Scandinavian Jawbreaker-era ANTI CIMEX with the production of the ANTIMASTER/GIVE UP ALL HOPE split. What FRUSTRERAD do, they do a bit loose and predictably, but they do it well. The EP, which clocks in at just under ten minutes, happens fast, as FRUSTRERAD plays classic kängpunk from start to finish. I feel like I had to play it twice to really appreciate the subtle earnest flow of FRUSTRERAD. Their demo tape seemed to have a little more in the kick pedal but this is a solid vinyl debut, that from here I think can only gain heaviness and a shift into top gear.

Gape Attack 2008–2010 LP

Philadelphia’s FDH Records brings us the total recorded output of Seattle lo-fi synth punkers/DIY new wavers GAPE ATTACK in a limited edition pressing of just 100 copies (looks like some are still available on FDH’s Bandcamp page!). While the overarching genre here is synth-driven post-punk, these guys are otherwise a little all over the map. There are a couple of punker tracks that sound like the SPITS (or their side project SPIDER), a handful of gloomy tracks that sound not unlike the Soviet-era darkwave that MOLCHAT DOMA has been peddling lately, and a couple peppier tracks that sound like early JOY DIVISION backed by Speak & Spell-era DEPECHE MODE. Fortunately their commitment to a DIY aesthetic really ties this all together, and this collection ends up sounding like an ode to the killer 1981 comp The Thing From the Crypt. It’s a very cool record. If you only listen to one track, make it the cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” It is great!

Half Built Homes Southward CD

This is slick-sounding melodic punk that is probably heavily influenced by bands who have done stints on Warped Tour, probably have records on labels like Hopeless, Drive-Thru, and the like, and use the word “emo” to describe their sound. If things like Myspace and Warped Tour still existed, this band would probably be relatively “big,” I imagine.