Reviews

MRR #504 • May 2025

Alambre De Púas Total Disorder cassette

This Chilean two-member project plays chaotic, mid-tempo, beat-driven and frantically executed crusty raw hardcore punk, featuring distinctive vocals that take a continuous distorted, angry stance, plus rusty chainsaw guitars and tupa-tupa drums all the way with a tight, steady grip. Both sides together make for less than 23 minutes of purely distorted ranting, and it was recorded in the mythical TARANTULA studio in CDMX during their 2022 tour across México, with the goal to record all their songs in the moment, achieving a more aggressive sound and slightly faster cadences. This comes courtesy of Educación Cínica, and constitutes a key piece of raw punk highly recommended for those who crave beat-driven punk aggression.

Amazing Transparent Man Print is Dead (20th Anniversary Edition) LP

Recorded at Sonic Iguana Studios, which is prolly best known for SCREECHING WEASEL, BOLLWEEVILS, SQUIRTGUN, and so on and on. This is the 20th anniversary edition of this LP, so it just goes to show that someone is still interested. This is a fine record in the vein of BLINK-182 and such. I read on the band’s Bandcamp page that the original CD, released in 2005, was a “North Star for early 2000s pop punk” enthusiasts. I somehow missed it when it came out, but now we all have an opportunity to grab a piece of history or whatever. The CD cover looks like The Catcher in the Rye, whereas this LP (20th Anniversary Edition) doesn’t so much.

Autogramm Randy (Don’t Screw Up) / Jenny’s in a Sleep World 7″

Holy shit, Batman. I can’t hide the fact that I love both new wave and power pop, and the two often travel in tandem. That’s the case here, and this is fantastic. Super catchy and just loveable. Two cuts and one is a DIODES cover. Any band smart enough to cover the DIODES is already on my good side. The fact that they cover a little bit of a lesser-known cut and that it’s super cool is honestly just gravy for me. This record is a must, and the band should be on your radar.

Bombardement Dans La Fournaise LP

When I put this on, I was expecting some very good D-beat punk and I got that, but there is so much more to this than just another D-beat record. It would have been fine with me if it had been that, because this band does it so well. This started off with an almost New Wave of British Heavy Metal intro. After that, it has an absolutely ripping D-beat song. Over the course of the album, I also get a POISON IDEA vibe, as well as BROKEN BONES and all the current best of the D-beat scene. They throw in some nice thrash parts as well. This is a great record, and it has the longest pick slide I have ever heard—enough said.

Burning Chrome Running to Escape EP

When one wants to relax on Sundays, there are as many options as there are personalities. Some people do gardening, others do Sailor Moon cosplay, some even do both, at the same time. The people in BURNING CHROME from Minneapolis play triumphant traditional Burning Spirits Japanese hardcore with gusto and an obvious love for the subgenre. For all I know, they also do gardening and cosplay, but I cannot tell just by this record. What I find particularly enjoyable with this EP is how urgent and unpolished it sounds, hardly surprising seeing that it was recorded on an eight-track. What you get is experienced punks (the resumes are well abundant) having a glorious go (you can tell they love what they do here) at the classic recipe invented by DEATH SIDE or LIP CREAM, but with a trashier vibe not unlike DOG SOLDIER or BURIAL. You’ve got the epic guitar leads, the fast riffs, and a singer that, while relying on the gruff vocal style inherent to Japanese hardcore, sounds like he’s vomiting on you, which, as an ENT fan, is (just) fine by me, but might deter some listeners. A fun record.

Camellia Sinensis Tout Prendre EP

Straight up, the four-second reggaeton beat in the breakdown of the title track might be the single best hardcore thing you’re going to hear this month. I went back and listened (repeatedly) because it simply doesn’t make sense…until it does. And when it does, you’re fukkd. It’s not just the opening cut though, Lille rippers CAMELLIA SINENSIS are masters of the breakdown, and there’s something about the way the snare cracks when they slow it down that makes those breakdowns…extra. The guitar lead in the “Chute” breakdown, literally every damn riff on the record, the S.H.I.T. vibes in the closer “Mesure”—start to finish, this record is an absolute killer, and a massive leap from their already excellent demo from a couple of years ago. Highly recommended.

Demonattack Demonattack cassette

Solid if slightly average punk from Stockholm, with some deathrock and Oi! flourishes and a slightly out-of-place three-minute synth track closing things out. I wasn’t blown away on first listen, but it grew on me a bit during the second. Not a bad tape overall, but if they made this a 7” with their strongest tracks “Demonattack” and “Ditt Nya Värdelösa Liv” on the A-side and that moody synth track on the B-side, I’d be more likely to snag a copy.

Der Moderne Man Jugend Forscht (Singles, EPs & Demos 1980–1983) 2xLP

Excellent collection of singles and stray tracks from this Hannover, Germany band. Post-punk energy that vibrates with wiry guitar lines and the bounciest bass ever collides into catchy anthems that recall GANG OF FOUR at times. The band crosses genres into melodic new wave (“Der Sandman” evokes U2 with the echoey guitar strum) and even incorporates two-tone ska rhythms on “Baggersee.” It looks like they still occasionally play live, so here’s hoping DER MODERNE MAN records again someday, because this is grade-A material.

EKGs EKGs cassette

Damn, these guys are pissed. Like, really pissed. I’ll tread carefully with this review, because I wouldn’t want to make enemies with Pittsburgh’s EKGS. Neither should you. Their 2025 self-titled cassette is an explosive display of uncontrollable rage condensed into twelve minutes of hearing damage. Relentless drums that are hell-bent on drawing blood, nasty guitar riffs drenched in ear-piercing feedback, growling bass with enough horsepower to back everything up, and one of my absolute favorite vocal performances in recent memory…this album truly has everything I want out of a hardcore release. But you know what it lacks? Anger-management. Nope, not a smidge of it to be found. This tape managed to amaze and intimidate me the way CHARLES BRONSON’s Youth Attack! did, inarguably changing the trajectory of my taste for pissed-off music. What else could I ever want?

Gloat Mirth cassette

This is a totally ripping introduction for this band. Raw and immediate, GLOAT reminds me of LAFFING GAS or FRIED EGG. Hard nods to Midwest USHC refracted through a modern lens. Fast and aggressive parts whiplash into catchy downshifts to mid-tempo with hooks! The vocals are delivered in a manner that has me questioning the emotional stability of the singer. Savage guitar tone, machine-tight drums, what’s not to love? Proceeds go to the Lajee Center, a community-based grassroots cultural center that supports Palestinians in their ongoing struggle for justice. Don’t be a dummy, get this tape!

Heavy Möther II Heavy Möther II LP

Members of the GIZMOS, RETAIL SIMPS, ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS, and more combine to, well, combine their love of countless underground rock sounds. The choice of cover tunes included in the album perfectly illustrates the oeuvre this crew tapped into— TROGGS, RANDY NEWMAN, VELVET UNDERGROUND—with their rendition of “Foggy Notion” representing both a physical centerpiece and a metaphysical one. All this is not meant to detract from the original tunes offered here, which do fit in perfectly along the others. Songs like “Window in the Door,” “Couchlock,” and “Red Blue Green” incorporate even more subterranean sounds of the ’60s and ’70s. This record is a celebration of effortless cool done effortlessly well.

Hot Tubs Time Machine Fifty Shades of Marcus / No Thanks, Google Maps 7″

The Melbourne/Naarm duo of Daniel and Marcus (also of LUXURY TAX) makes up HOT TUBS TIME MACHINE, and they dropped this 7” showcasing “Fifty Shades of Marcus” along with “No Thanks, Google Maps,” already released on their 2021 self-titled debut cassette. These two songs follow suit with the band’s lo-fi sound: vocals, synth, drum machine, and bass. The style is slow and spacious, with screwball, stream-of-consciousness lyrics that are forefront in the mix. The bass does some grooving, but otherwise this isn’t music you’d move to—the synth matches the angular spirit of the spoken word vocalist, and the percussion is rarely more than a kick drum and a hand-clap. I really like the comedy aspect of this project, particularly the Live at the Pinnacle recording I listened to, but I feel like the studio recording leaves a little to be desired: too sparse and not enough of the personality comes through. That said, I’m not writing these guys off. Daniel and Marcus released “a treasure trove of scattered recordings from 2020 to present” on their 2024 Food & Ruins cassette, which has much more of a full band vibe, building on their synth-y spoken word origins. Check ’em out and you decide!

Instigators The Best of Instigators: Auckland Ska Punk 1981​–1982 LP

Compiling two classic 45s and rare live recordings, this collection from seminal 1980s New Zealand ska-punkers the INSTIGATORS paints a thorough picture of that particular place and time. Fronted by fiery nightingale Sonya Waters, this Auckland outfit was one of the hottest live acts of their era, and tracks like “Hope She’s Alright” have a surprisingly fresh sound for something recorded over 40 years ago. With upbeat, synth-laden ska jams peppered with cool dub meditations, it’s fully steeped in fun, old school style. Fans of the SELECTER, MADNESS, or the BODYSNATCHERS probably won’t mind this a bit.

Killer Couture Everything is Normal CD

Sacramento rivetheads KILLER COUTURE answer the question “What if Mick Gordon played guitar for SKINNY PUPPY?” with their 2024 album Everything is Normal. Extra down-tuned guitars, heavily processed vocals, harsh drum machine beats, cold synths, and a good amount of miscellaneous noise—from what I assume is a filthy garage full of rusty power tools—show that they’ve been carefully studying the works of their influences from various eras of industrial music. Although it’s modern in the way that it’s all put together, it feels like the sum of Hot Wired Monstertrux, with its stylistic nods to the giants of the genre. Al Jourgensen would be proud.

Last Bias The Sea Hates a Coward LP

Dang, duder! The Sea Hates a Coward is a time machine of sound and character that has transported me back to the mid-1990s, in a good way. From the first song “I’m Not Down,” I was back in a basement, sweating through the fabric of a double extra-large T-shirt (because everyone wore clothes too big for their spongy body back then). Think of CARBOMB, ASSFACTOR 4, MOHINDER, MUKILTEO FAIRIES, the YAH MOS, and so on when the needle drops. These songs blend melody and disorder in equal parts while still making this musically fresh and relevant. I couldn’t be happier for this release, and you should not be happier, too.

Malestat Que Arda Todo LP

MALESTAT wants to see everything burn! Que Arda Todo is the debut from this punk’n’roll band from Maresme, Spain. The riffs come at you like a freight train, very rock’n’roll-driven, almost as if channeling THIN LIZZY, and the vocals scream with pure disgust, making for a frantic but somehow catchy concoction, like a collision you can’t look away from. Twenty-four minutes of energetic racket and lifted middle fingers, but always very slick and fun. Reminds me of a more raw version of ANNIHILATION TIME. If you like your punk sprinkled with some rock’n’oll attitude, then MALESTAT is the band for you.

Pisse Dubai LP

If you are unfamiliar with PISSE, well, here’s a quick rundown.Out of Wittichenau, Germany, PISSE started as Germany’s darlings of garage punk over a decade ago. Time, side projects, and collaborations have mutated their sound into some of the best punk to exist in our current time, with their Dubai LP bringing in elements of art-punk, world music, no wave, and an absolutely unhinged aesthetic. Within the first three songs of this ten-track album, you’ll be treated to samba-like rhythms, bouncing synth punk, and demented circus melodies. All that is just the beginning, as I’m pretty sure there are ping pong balls and silverware used as percussion instruments. The lyrics are all in German but are rich with various forms of humor, while the vocals range from punk shouts to something resembling Vincent Price at karaoke. This is absolutely punk for those that embrace the weird within punk, so if you like things like CRAZY SPIRIT, ALLUSION, the COLTRANES, or A FRAMES, then this is for you. Personally, I can’t get enough of this one.

Private Lives Salt of the Earth LP

Another winner. This is just pure, driven, female-fronted power pop. Actually, not just power pop, also pure pop. It’s also sort of plodding at times. Whatever you want to call it, it’s super-catchy and the vocals (and the lyrics) are both pretty and strong. It even gets a little garage-y at times. I’m really enjoying this. The catchiest songs (“Dealer’s Choice,” “I Get Around”) almost have you swinging your head around—not bouncing it around, but throwing it around.

Realm of Terror Beneath the Soil demo cassette

Now this is one I am really happy to write about. As the self-appointed head of the international crust conspiracy (to be fair, our goals are vague, but we do want to prohibit soap) and “a bit of a nerd,” as my mum would say, I actually already own a REALM OF TERROR EP. Needless to say, they haven’t turned into an indie rock band since Accelerated Extinction, and still play pure, old school cavemen crust armed with a primitive production and a singer that probably feeds on tires and dead opossums. Beneath the Soil will delight the most loyal fans of filthy crust whose vision of perfect music would be a blend of early DOOM and HIATUS, ABRAHAM CROSS and ASOCIAL TERROR FABRICATION. Not the coolest kids in class. This humble but passionate and aptly-executed take on a very specific retro sound is released on Guttural Warfare from Michigan, and there are only 55(!) copies, so you know what to do or not to do.

Rusko Holiday in the Russia LP

Collecting tracks from Russian three-piece RUSKO, this album showcases twenty cleaned-up live recordings from 1992. There’s some youthful innovation to these rough and expressive tunes, and you can tell that these kids were pushing for a bit more complexity than typical for teenage punk. Bashing and brooding with high-pitched nasal vocal wailing, their style was considerably unconventional, even if a bit grating.

Smear Campaign I See You cassette

Two-bass, no guitar powerviolence assault that sounds a lot like (you guessed it) MAN IS THE BASTARD. You won’t hear any complaints from me on that! SMEAR CAMPAIGN belts out twenty-four tracks in seventeen minutes that will have you sweatin’ to the oldies like the spastic freak your school guidance counselor was worried you would become. Unlike MITB, they don’t wade into any protracted sludge parts or noise interludes. They do incorporate samples between songs to break things up a bit. The NEGATIVE APPROACH clip had me rolling! SMEAR CAMPAIGN aren’t taking themselves too seriously and appear to have a lot to share about their home state of Colorado. Blastbeats and tempo changes abound. Good stuff.

Suburban Resistance Time Flies: The Best of Suburban Resistance Vol. 1 LP

Self-proclaimed “melodic punk rock”—this must be what we’re calling pop punk these days? Reminds me of George Carlin’s bit about using different, gentler words to describe situations that make us uncomfortable. Anyways, the first half of this slab is the aforementioned straight-up pop punk akin to bands like BOWLING FOR SOUP and GOB. The second half has this derivative MISFITS/AFI quality. It does a great disservice pairing these tracks with the bubblegum punk from the earlier history of the band, because the sudden jump in subject matter and tone comes off as a tad hokey. I will give the singer their due, though. Assuming this album is in chronological order, you can hear their progression and growth as a vocalist. They’re really killing it on the last couple of tracks.

Suicidas Éxitos y Fracasos LP

Punk, but more melodic because the singer can actually sing. I loved the dual vocals sprinkled throughout, which ranged from more angry screaming in “Cuerda Floja” to more catchy pop or rock-oriented in “Vértigo” or “La Ventana De Atrás.” I feel like they were able to have fun being playful, with nice bass grooves/movement, while still maintaining energy and emotion.

The Courettes The Soul of​.​.​. The Fabulous Courettes LP

The COURETTES serve up a polished, retro vibe on The Soul of… The Fabulous Courettes, blending ’60s-inspired garage rock with a nod to that big, Phil Spector-style wall of sound. The album has a definite CRYSTALS feel, with La La Brooks herself popping up on “California” and “Run Run Runaway.” While the band keeps it minimal as a two-piece live, the album is fleshed out with a full band and a carefully produced sound that doesn’t overly rely on too many layers of reverb, giving them a bit more of a punch than some of the other retro acts out there, like the RAVEONETTES or DUM DUM GIRLS. It’s fun and it has just enough modern sensibility to keep it from feeling completely stale, but when does homage stop honoring the past and start getting stuck in it?

Total Con Who Needs the Peace Corps? EP

Highly anticipated vinyl debut from the UK’s TOTAL CON, the brainchild of Bobby Cole of the ANNIHILATED and ANTAGONIZM amongst other things. To get directly to the point, Who Needs the Peace Corps? absolutely smokes and will certainly be remembered as one of the year’s great releases. A breathlessly pure expression of hardcore aggression that is as authentic as a punk record can be in 2025, it acts as both an aggro diatribe against corporate and capitalist exploitation and a love letter to the genre’s greats, following in the footsteps of bands like KORO, BATTALION OF SAINTS, and URBAN WASTE. Highlights include the breakdown on “You Don’t Exist,” the frantic guitar work on “Death to Capitalist Hardcore,” and the million-mile-an-hour vocal delivery on “Repugnant Slime.” Each song maintains a manic level of intensity that is wrapped in perfectly lo-fi production that makes it sound about 40 years old. While there isn’t enough column space to dig much more into each of the nine tracks here, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the band’s take on the DOORS’ “Riders on the Storm,” a cover that has no right to work as well as it does. When put into the context of a hardcore punk song, the lyrics hit with a much higher intensity, giving the philosophical, romantic, and violent nature of Jim Morrison’s admittedly overplayed hit a breath of fresh air. It’s a surprising way to end and worth the price of admission alone. Very recommended and an album of the year contender, to be sure.

TY WE R TY cassette

Are your shoes all torn up? Is there a constant feel of grit beneath your feet? Between your teeth? Did your bike chain fall off? This may be the soundtrack of your week. From the same label that brought us FREAK ACTIVITY, who I recently reviewed, as well as EASERS who have made quite a splash, Detroit’s Painters Tapes hashes out another lo-fi release, this time from TY (pronounced T-Y). With a bit of mucus in the back of their throats, TY presents this debut, compiling previous demos onto this cassette that would make DEVO and ALIEN NOSEJOB fans alike reach for their boombox volume knobs. From eggy tracks like “Nematode” that jitter and shout, to rock’n’roll reachers like “Hot Rod Baby” that prove out MC5’s legacy (or gives it a slanty jab?), there’s plenty of fun to be had! Only two tracks push past the two-minute mark, still leaving room for rock-driven solos, bass-grumbling rests, and catchy hooks like “Be what you want to be / What you say is who I’ll be” from “Oh No.” Great debut.

Firecamp / Typewriter split cassette

Two bands sharing a split who are two unique sides of the same coin: hardcore punk. TYPEWRITER from San Luis Obispo, California opens up the pit with their vicious, old school hardcore-influenced tunes, in the same vein as CIRCLE JERKS with a bit of a GERMS snarl thrown in there. On FIRECAMP’s turn, they go for a gloomier approach to their hardcore, following the wobbly footsteps of  RUDIMENTARY PENI, almost getting into deathrock territory. A great showcase of two bands with a promising future ahead of them.

V/A Idle Edsel’s New York Dolls Tribute, Vol. 1 LP

A friend of mine in high school said that if your band covers another band, your version needs to either improve on the original, or add something that makes it your own, and that always stuck with me. Now I suppose a tribute album is something distinctly separate from just a bunch of covers, but I can’t escape the musings of that high school kid while listening to this NEW YORK DOLLS tribute. Yes, these are for sure competent covers, and the bands involved presumably like-to-love the source material. But beyond curiosity, or perhaps a completist’s mad desire, there’s really nothing new or interesting to discover here. None of these songs are better than the originals (obviously), and none of them really do anything to make their version memorable. Again, these are perfectly serviceable versions of amazing songs, but ten out of ten times, I’m opting for the RUNDGREN-produced masterpiece.

Violet Ray This is Skate Rock! CD

Cleveland, OH quartet giving homage to classic new wave-y skate rock on this all-skateboard concept album, which happens to be their first full-length work. Chilling the tempo, marinating the crunchiness, and exuding new wave skateboard vibes in the early ’80s punk rock vein, it’s fresh and achieves the feeling of being in an era lost in time. Versing on many legendary skateboarders such as Jeff Phillips, mentioning skate-related injuries and spots, but also remembrances of Animal Chin, Dogtown and such, creating a great atmosphere. Reminded me of classic ’80s skate rock bands with a soft spot for punk rock skating sessions from teenage years. Recommended for old school skate rock connoisseurs.

Whiphouse Sleep / Dementia 7″

Deathrock/gothic rock group from Atlanta. “Sleep” feels like walking through a cemetery with an old friend; haunting yet familiar. “Dementia” is slightly faster tempo, and feels more rock-oriented with a kind of kooky guitar riff during the verse. Really enjoyed these guys.