Reviews

MRR #506 • July 2025

Abolition Abolition demo cassette

Gotta love it when a band clocks in with a demo that is a completely realized batch of tunes. That’s exactly what ABOLITION offers up for us here. Four-chord Parisian street punk that attacks like a psychotic mutant with liberty spikes. Striking the balance between hardcore punk and UK82 with catchy, gritty tunes they burst out of the gate as a well conditioned unit. Fans of SAVAGEHEADS should take note, along with anyone who sank their teeth into the INFRA full-length from earlier this year or the 2024 THATCHER’S SNATCH EP. So many groups that attempt this sound fall embarrassingly short, which makes it that much more exciting when a band like ABOLITION pops up. I’m excited to see where they’ll go from here. Yet another great release from the fine folks at Mendeku Diskak.

Alf The Demo LP

Remember Alf? He’s back! In punk form. Back in 2023, these Perth punkers, whom you may know from acts like BIKINI COPS, GHOULIES, and PARANOIAS, dropped their demo cassette, a split release with Goodbye Boozy and what I would guess is their own label, Optimal Tapes and Records. What we have here is the limited vinyl pressing of that demo. For anyone familiar with PARANOIAS (and if you’re not, get on it—their EP from a couple years back was fantastic!), the guitar work across these eight tracks should sound familiar. It maybe lacks that act’s concrete slicing timbre, and the tempos here are closer to typical garage punk territory, but it still sounds like some Dangerhouse act picked up a DEAD KENNEDYS-esque penchant for twangy licks. The vocals are both buried in the mix and very loosely multi-tracked, so I have no idea what they’re on about. But it sort of sounds like Sean from the SPITS singing through BUCK BILOXI’s head. It’s all mushed together with the perfect slapdash production, but it also sounds super thin at times. But, hey, that’s a demo for you! Worth picking up if you come across a copy.

Bibione Paprikatraumbrötchen 10″

The first two records from Czech trio BIBIONE pulled from spiky late ’70s/early ’80s Euro femme-punk and the stripped-down spark of ’90s riot grrrl with plenty of rough-around-the-edges charm, and while this new six-song offering still largely reflects those influences, it also twists the kaleidoscope to bring more sharp lines and angles into focus. ”No Friends Just Customers” is BIBIONE at their most locked-in, with clean, pointillist guitar and taut rhythms vaguely reminiscent of SHOPPING or TRASH KIT, with “Tired” throwing in some judicious cowbell clattering for extra art-punk asymmetricality. “Steve Jobless” hits closer to the noisy/shouty UK wave of riot grrrl (more HUGGY BEAR than BIKINI KILL), the relatively sprawling (meaning barely over three minutes long) “Bambini di Traga” puts a modern post-punk spin on AUTOCLAVE’s knotted, off-kilter pop abstraction, and “Jazz” and “Rats in the Attic” take things in a darker direction, with bone-dry beats, snaking bass, and skronking sax like some band that would have played with XMAL DEUTSCHLAND or MALARIA! in a decaying Berlin warehouse circa 1982, although the (English) lyrics for the latter track are decidedly less serious—something about Swiss cheese and holes?

Burning Kross III EP

BURNING KROSS has elements of Swedish hardcore similar to bands like WOFLPACK/WOLFBRIGADE. They also have a bit of UK  hardcore punk thrown in, like the VARUKERS, DISASTER, etc., and lyrics that are similar to the anarcho scene. Beyond that, this is a really well-recorded EP that allows the power of the music to shine while the vocals are clear and defined. A very good record.

Chumhuffer Slaughterhouse Five EP

I’m often reluctant to hear anything that comes out of NYC these days, because all too often the band is reaching for the lowest rung or overextending themselves for their art. However, CHUMHUFFER is bustin’ out of the gates with a perfectly crafted and accessible five-tune EP. I did a little research on CHUMHUFFER, and found to my delight that the band stole a copy of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five novel from a huge chain store and remarkably used the themes of the book as the architecture for this EP. In other words, CHUMHUFFER, like Vonnegut, is plain spoken and incendiary with their self-reflection and observations on current affairs. This EP has East Coast AVAIL/SILENT MAJORITY elements while adding a little bit of the NYC oddball phrasing. Overall, I think this is a great EP that combines enough melody and hardcore to be much more than a one-time spinner.

Cult Mind Infected LP

Rowdy and rabid punk from San Jose’s CULT MIND. Rumbling bass and thrashy guitars accompany vocals that certainly call to mind Jerry A. I can’t think of better comparisons than the one’s on CULT MIND’s Bandcamp, which include WASTED YOUTH, STRUNG UP, and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, the latter of which definitely comes through in spirit. There’s nothing remarkably innovative going on here, but that wouldn’t stop this from being an enjoyable listen while ripping a bowl.

Ex Parents Failure EP

Rooted in ’90s basement shits, with a modern ferocity that will straighten you up in mere seconds. Check “Reaper” and hear past decades meeting modern one-two-one-two stomps, and then there are the guitar melodies just kinda floating over the whole thing…repeat listens reveal additional layers. On the one hand, EX PARENTS are no frills, no bullshit, and the listener seems welcome to leave it there should they choose to do so. There’s a lot more though, and deep listening is recommended. This four-song EP sounds absolutely fukkn timeless to these ancient ears, and Council Records continues to be a standard bearer in modern DIY hardcore with foundation in the…well, in the foundation of US DIY hardcore.

Hacked Apart Hacked Apart LP

Grindcore is a bit like Marmite, innit? You either love it, own 100 AGATHOCLES split EPs, know the medical terms of a lot of disgusting diseases, and are able to decipher the messiest and hairiest band fonts, or you absolutely hate it and leave the venue as soon as you hear the first blastbeats. I am somewhere in the middle (for Marmite as well). I can really enjoy some old school primitive grindcore (the punkiest side of the spectrum) if the time is right, but I cannot stand technical grindcore (which I associate with metalheads). You guessed it, HACKED APART is a grindcore band, from Canada, and this is their first LP. The artwork says it all, I suppose—this is filthy extreme music, and thanks fuck for that. We are deep in primitive and raw grindcore territory here and it is bloody brilliant. Thrashing riffs, all sorts of fast beats, hoarse bear-like vocals, and a production overall highlighting the Neanderthal brutality of the music. This is the old school of WARSORE or ROT. They remind me of MASSGRAVE because they have that manic crust vibe at times. A full album of grindcore can sound a bit long, but this is quality.

Iron Gaze Exordium 12″

A thick, cursed debut EP from Malaysia chewing through doom, crust, and black metal like tearing off a festering bandage. IRON GAZE sounds terminal—dragging riffs, cavernous production, and vocals rising from a pit. Exordium is bleak and atmospheric metallic hardcore, with enough nihilistic weight to turn your speakers into ash.

Nine-Eleven Fuck You Bomb Me cassette

Unlike fentanyl, drum and bass duos—not to be confused with drum’n’bass—never go out of style. With their unapologetically angry and straightforward breed of powerviolence, NINE ELEVEN sneaks up on you in a dark alley and beats the shit out of you to prove a point: it is possible to convey ungodly aggression with such a compact lineup. All six songs on this six-minute EP are structured around a freight train of a bass that crushes everything in its path, and ruthless drums that repeatedly slam you on the head with the pingiest snare ever. But it’s the pissed-off dual vocals and the occasional mindless goregrind gutturals that seals the deal for me. Fuck You Bomb Me is a great debut that I was listening to daily way before it ended up in my review bin, and it looks like it will stay that way in the foreseeable future.

On the Block Ride or Die cassette

Sophomore cassette release out of Asheville, NC. Three songs of bare-bones, stripped-down punk rock. In a day and age where every rock’n’roll-infused punk band is flying the Oi! banner, ON THE BLOCK is actually a lot closer to sounding like an authentic band of that style. Simplistic riffs, catchy guitar licks played over top, repetitive choruses. I stand by my assessment of “closer,” as ON THE BLOCK is still sonically a very modern band. I have yet to see a contemporary self-proclaimed Oi! band really lean into shitty-sounding recordings and bordering on novelty music, let alone fully stomping one big boot over that line into parody territory, but I will keep waiting for the day!

Poor Impulse Control Tourist Trap EP

Solid hardcore effort from this quartet of skinheads. These folks fancy themselves as an Oi! act, but it comes off a bit more youth crew to me—sounds a lot more like GORILLA BISCUITS and YOUTH OF TODAY than it does ANGELIC UPSTARTS and the like. Very heavy, powerful gang vocals laden throughout. The singer, while unique, has a RAY CAPPO edge to him as well, especially during the spoken word parts where their Northeastern US accent is in full effect. This one flies by; I was shocked when it was finished, but was all too happy to start it up again.

Psychic Pigs Psychic Pigs LP

From the jump, this slab was produced by Jonah Falco, so you already know it sounds fantastic. From there, you take in the music and find yourself treated to ten tracks of high-energy, garage-y rock in the lineage of BAD SPORTS or MEAN JEANS. These tracks come at you fast, and while it may take a couple listens for them to start to leave an impression, it’s definitely advised to flip the wax back to Side A and let these tracks start to take root in your head. With most tracks lasting around two minutes, it can be easy to miss a lot of good stuff happening here—the slick guitar lead on the title track that keeps ripping even when the chorus comes back in, the layers of pummeling drum fills throughout “Stranded in Bullshit City,” and the appropriately organ-like guitar lead-in on “Love Bite” are all great little moments deserving of their time. Ground doesn’t necessarily have to be broken for an album to bend your knees a little bit. Sometimes you just want something you can crank way up, and drown everything else out.

Qiik Qiik II cassette

Second demo by Honolulu punks QIIK. And quick they are! Short bursts of intensity, with each song dripping with anger and frustration, propelled by snotty, in-your-face vocals. There’s a sense of urgency in every second, making it clear that QIIK isn’t here to make friends. Fast-paced, no-frills punk in the tradition of the USHC originators that doesn’t pull any punches, this new demo hits the mark perfectly.

Los Revolucionaros / Same River Twice split LP

A pairing of two neocrust acts from separate continents. Czechia’s SAME RIVER TWICE kick things off with a scathing batch of tunes that oscillate between anguished D-beat with harmonizing guitars and a style formerly known as emotional hardcore. Trade-off screamed vocals, clean guitar interludes, and tempo changes reign across four longer-form tracks that remind me of ENVY in the more epic moments. Mexico’s LOS REVOLUCIONAROS are a good pairing, pushing further into post-hardcore, nay, screamo terrain. The raw production gives an added bite that makes their cuts more intense. The guitar work here is reminiscent of EKKAIA, brutal with a shimmering beauty. A potent unification of fury and melancholia on both accounts.

Science Man Monarch Joy LP

Another home run for John Toohill and co. on SCIENCE MAN’s latest LP, Monarch Joy, a collection of nine well-crafted and slightly offbeat hardcore tracks. Never so far-out musically as to lose a casual listener but just quirked-up enough lyrically to stand out from the multitude of hardcore bands currently on the circuit, the album is incredibly dense and moves at a breakneck pace. While best ingested in one sitting (preferably alongside its video companion piece put together by Toohill and visual collaborator Lindsay Tripp), if I had to recommend specific tracks, I’d go with the one-two punch of “Puzzle Hoax” and “Lesser Species” on the backside of the record. Don’t sleep on this one.

Sex Scenes Everything Makes Me Sick LP

What made the songs for me was the lyricism. The true punk anger and wit of lyrics like “It only gets harder / The harder I try,” in combination with the fast-tempo distorted guitar, really makes a classically punk sound (you can’t go wrong). They touch on a bit of a more HC nature in some breakdowns with some slower tempos, but overall, they just make you want to get up and jump around like an animal.

Sick Dogs Sick Dogs LP

As if the lovechild of AC/DC and the NEW YORK DOLLS released an album on BYO Records in the mid-’90s. I’m absolutely blown away by the fact that this is a duo. I know with this being a studio recording that things can be layered, tracked, and such and such, but the energy is palpable and very high-level for this being just two dudes. And speaking of, the production on this is incredible. Fantastic mastering work here, with everything sounding huge. The LP is topped off with an OPERATION IVY cover done in their own styling, and it wraps things up nicely. Would love to see how these guys sound live. In the meantime, I’ll keep this album spinning.

Sistema Obsoleto Esmagado Pela Engrenagem Capitalista EP

SISTEMA OBSOLETO is a D-beat band from Macedonia, whose lyrics are in Portuguese, and their sound is inspired by ANTI-CIMEX. On the five-track Esmagado Pela Engrenagem Capitalista EP, SISTEMA OBSOLETO blasts through with impossibly swift rhythm shifts while buzzsaw guitars and rage-filled vocals conspire to create a whirlwind of hardcore punk. “Alucinação Consensual” picks up at the midpoint of this 7″ and is an absolute specimen of D-beat with screaming guitars, pummeling drums, and chugging bass. The closer “Ideias Venenosas” is a bit more mid-paced with its slight Motör-swagger, but the vocals and harsh instrumentation drive it into an anguish-ridden, blackened opus that clocks in at over three minutes and is the longest song on the EP. The whole disc is only around eight minutes in length, so you’ll definitely be replaying it, and is available through Neon Taste Records.

Dirty Wombs / Sludge split EP

Both bands rock pretty hard. DIRTY WOMBS have a blazing guitar solo to start this off. The production is thick like a POISON IDEA record. That’s not a terrible comparison, either. SLUDGE is from Japan, they also have good production and their songs benefit from it. I put this on and I immediately knew this band was from Japan. The phrasing is very distinct-sounding to me. If you are into hard rock with a little hardcore thrown in, this might be of interest to you.

Tassottis Dolor y Niebla EP

A solid serving of workmanlike Euro Oi! Gang vocal “whoa”s? We’ve got ‘em. Slightly too polished guitar tone? Bucketloads. Slightly bizarre saxophone solo? Just a bit, mate. This is very much one of those If You Like This Sort of Thing releases—absolutely nothing bad here, don’t get me wrong, but there are tens of releases that do exactly this, and perhaps I am after something a bit less meat-and-potatoes.

Teo Wise Fermo o Sparo! LP

There’s an Italian concept called “sprezzatura,” which refers to the art of making something difficult look effortless. While it’s mainly used referring to one’s visual style, it’s the perfect encapsulation of all aspects of this TEO WISE record. This collection of Italian punk, with a spaghetti Western veneer and power pop sensibilities, is the freshest thing you will hear all year. From the instrumental title track into the brilliant early highlight “Confusionale,” to the glammy pop of “M’ama non M’ama” (which is wonderfully reminiscent of the stellar ’70s Italian nugget “Shy Wa Wa” by SHY WA WA), to the eggy attitude of “Non Importa,” this record feels so nonchalant while also sounding so singular and masterfully crafted. A continuous barrage of adjectives and praise could be added here, along with pondering the parallels this record evokes in the listener compared to hearing ADRIANO CELENTANO’s “Prisencolinensinainciusol” for the first time, but truly one just needs to hear this to get it. If anything cooler this year comes along, I would be stunned.

The Gamits Endorsed by You LP reissue

I have a group of pals, and once a year we meet somewhere for five days and we make an album of songs. In May 2010, we went to a Denver, CO recording studio and two things happened: I have never written a better song than I did on that trip (the song is called “God Killed My Grandma”), and secondly, the guy that was recording us said he was in a band called GAMBITS that I might enjoy. I went home to look for the GAMBITS and I never found anything about the band or even a band with that name, so after spending something like eleven hours a week on the internet for nearly fifteen years searching for the GAMBITS, I gave up and I stopped looking. Until today! As I was doing research on the band the GAMITS, I realized that fifteen years ago, I heard a “B” in the name of the guy’s band (and there is no “B”)! I’ve been chasing a shadow, and now I get to check out his band as though it was May 2010, only ten years after it originally came out rather than twenty-five years after it was initially released. From the first track “15 Minutes,” this record sets a high-energy pace with tight, heavy guitars while still leaving room for the bass and drums to come through very nicely. This could easily fit in with the ERGS, DOC HOPPER, HOUSE BOAT, DIRT BIKE ANNIE, the HUNTINGTONS, and folks of that ilk. The lyrics are smart, clever, and biting from time to time. If any of the above bands I mentioned tickle you, then you shouldn’t sleep on this twenty-five year anniversary edition. I am over the moon that I can finally bring this GAMITS ship to port. The fifteen-year search is over. Full circle, brother. Full circle.

The Matthew Teardrop Orchestra The Matthew Teardrop Orchestra cassette

Six songs, and five of the six are over four minutes long. Jesus, this is going to be tortuous. Cut number one, “I Always Think About Dying,” is a slow, depressing tale, as one might expect. It’s almost a parody of itself. Ballad-like. Three minutes in and I get the message. Why do we need the last two minutes? Kidding aside, I do think that MATTHEW has a way of sharing his pain in a very personal way. Just hearing him sing is sort of depressing, but it’s backed by rather catchy and occasionally upbeat guitar, bass, and drums (and harmonica). Interesting combo. In the end, I actually really do like it, in a BAUHAUS kind of way. I’d also say that my favorite cut is the only one that was under three minutes.

The Vacant Lot Creaures of the Night EP

A change of pace for the mighty Iron Lung Label, this 7” resurrects material from Australian first-wavers the VACANT LOT. Citing the BUZZCOCKS, MAGAZINE, and WIRE as influences, their four-song Living Underground EP was the band’s sole release from their initial late ’70s run. Vocalist George Howson has rebuilt the band here with a strong new lineup including ALIEN NOSEJOB-er Jake Robertson in order to properly document some previously unrecorded songs from their original tenure. With poetic lyrics and an emboldened sound, the revamped LOT pairs an energetic earnestness with fluid angularity, like a cocktail of the SWELL MAPS mixed with the SHAPES—an interesting and worthwhile post/punk spin.