Reviews

MRR #510 • November 2025

Added Dimensions Jane From Preoccupied America LP

Richmond, Virginia consistently churns out great bands of all stripes, and ADDED DIMENSIONS are certainly no exception. Discordant garage with danceable grooves and unexpected harmonic layers. Art-tarnished if not fully damaged, the SWELL MAPS reference is fitting. They don’t sound much like GRASS WIDOW or VIVIAN GIRLS, though both of those bands spring to mind. Catchy and streamlined without being simplistic or saccharine. Out of the fertile bed of minimalism flowers a vine yielding complex fruit. Citric, sweet, with a touch of bitterness…remarkable and delectable. I dig it more with each listen.

Big Laugh Days of Disarray LP

Possible swan song from this Milwaukee hardcore band, and it’s a ripper. This 12” EP contains four tracks of complex punk, mixing big riffs, metallic palm-muted chugging, and layers of intricate sonic variations that keep each moment exciting like a blend of INSIDE OUT’s attitude with FUCKED UP’s compositional intricacy. The whole record is great, but “Vacation” stands out with its blend of aggression and textural minor-key fuzz. Check this one out, and let’s cross our fingers that it’s not the last from BIG LAUGH.

Crude Image Crude Image cassette

New London-based hardcore punk project from Lindsay Corstorphine of VIOLIN. CRUDE IMAGE cites inspiration from a few corners of the world, but the Midwest influence is most prominent. All of the instruments are quick, muscular, and tight, and the vocalist sounds like they popped a few blood vessels laying these tracks down. A real pressure cooker of a record, For fans of INMATES and the HELL.

Disolvente Guerra cassette

Some mid-tempo headnodders from Barcelona’s DISOLVENTE. Nothing too complicated here; this is very much your meat-and-patatas bravas UK82-flavoured street punk. It does chug along at a decent pace, but is nothing that’ll stay with me beyond the end of the record. I’m sure they are a laugh live, at the least.

El Sancho Roll Right Over You LP

Oh my golly! A punk band from Hawaii! EL SANCHO, I wasn’t expecting something so transportive to my teenage years. This emulates PROPAGANDHI with lyrics defining personal politics, wrapped in subtle humor. I think this record is a perfect jumping-off point for kids that are drawn to punk and underground music. EL SANCHO’s Roll Right Over You LP is budding with sing-along choruses and lyrical depth that float this record substantially above many other records in the same sound pool. Drawing sonically from the DWARVES and the HARD-ONS, this makes for a great, well-rounded LP. For me, this record should have had four or five fewer songs that could be used as a follow-up EP in a few months, but that’s just me.

Empired Strikes Back CD

What if TEXAS IS THE REASON was a radio pop-rock band from Southern California? That’s the vibe I’m getting here, for better and worse. On the positive side, elements of when pop punk goes hard into the pop realm (think the melodic work bands like BROADWAY CALLS have made their bread and butter) are deftly executed and mixed with ’90s post-hardcore. When the needle is more on the post-hardcore/punk-adjacent side as opposed to the alternative/radio rock end of the spectrum, the record works best and goes at all cylinders. A couple quasi-corny radio rock and ska-ish moments would simply make the songs better by not being there. Lyrically, these guys seem to be fairly punk in their thinking, which I appreciate, but I wish the EVERCLEAR or cod reggae  moments were cut to give the good elements more time to shine.

Fake Unamerikan EP

Debut release from the four-piece Memphis group FAKE. This definitely lies on the outer fringes of MRR coverage: a little garage-y, a little poppy, a little hokey, with clean guitars and a fairly low BPM. With all its quirks and silly asides, this reminds me of PAUL LEARY’s Born Stupid album. This certainly isn’t offensive or annoying, it’s just there, like a misfit cousin no one invited, but who just keeps showing up. Maybe this fake music is your thing. Give it a chance?

Game Show Models Sunk cassette

A quick collection of delightfully lo-fi and charmingly blown-out RAMONES-inspired buzzsaws. You can hear a lot of other sounds in these four tracks, from JAY REATARD to GEE TEE to SICK THOUGHTS, but the overall package of sounds helps this gem stand out. With three of the four tracks clocking in at less than two minutes, GAME SHOW MODELS aren’t here to ponder and pontificate. The guitars sound fantastic and make an amazing racket, while the vocals dare you to pick them out of the mess, like trying to stab an ice cube with a plastic fork, which simply adds to the replay value here.

La Isla Electronica No Digas Nunca EP

Following their 2024 demo, Portland, Oregon’s LA ISLA ELECTRONICA is out with their debut EP. Spanish, femme-fronted vocals over a synth-heavy darkwave type of thing—moody, poignant, haunting, with a steady-as-can-be dance beat. Like RIKI, but with a little more edge. I’m all in for this one.

Misere Misere 12″

MISERE is a new band out of Berlin who recently released their inaugural recording. Their self-titled 12″ is etched with seven tracks of gloom-laden post-punk that frequently borrows from proto-goth. Groove-riding bass lines, angular guitars, and shuffled, mid-paced drumming makes MISERE easily danceable for all the party bats out there. If you like XMAL DEUTSCHLAND, then absolutely check out MISERE.

No Peeling Can I Pet That Dog? EP

Short and sweet, hyperfocused, chaotic egg-punk. I loved how much was happening in every track; there were so many layers and things going on, I felt almost overwhelmed, but also not at all. They had a couple more melodic and lighthearted tracks as well, which caused a good balance. Overall, so much fun, I would recommend them if you need an extra shot of energy.

Petrograd A.B.C. LP reissue

Benchmark LP from some extremely prolific and melodic Luxembourger anarcho-punks. A.B.C. was released in 2000 (the only PETROGRAD release I previously knew except for the ACTIVE MINDS split), and it is a master class in infectious, intense, and accessible punk. You’re going to hear LEATHERFACE, EA80, hints of the things that made ’80s BAD RELIGION so timeless, and the roots of emo/indie through a political punk filter (most notably on the B-side). The vocals are the focal point even if they aren’t the highlight; it’s the embodiment of an “earnest” and honest delivery and it makes you want to listen to everything else with a concentrated ear. There’s a reason why thirteen labels were involved in the initial release, and a damn good reason why Sabotage reissued the record a quarter-century later…it’s a fucking masterpiece.

Hyper Minds / Pizza Stains split EP

It’s a little freak show on wax, with an A-side showcasing some Rip-Off Records-style garage spiked with the shadowy psych of the SCIENTISTS courtesy of L.A.’s HYPER MINDS. The PIZZA STAINS out of San Gabriel Valley occupy the B-side with two tracks of bass-heavy and bare-bones RAMONES-y rocking, no brains required. While not directly demonic, these sounds are sufficiently twisted for ass-shake-inducing Halloween party bumpage.

Psych-War Psychotic Warmonger LP

Yoooo, this record fucking smokes! Scandinavian-style crust coming straight from the city of brotherly punk. An absolute Philadelphia skull-basher! Muscular riffs accompanied by searing guitar solos and pummeling drums. The menacing vox pull everything together with gravelly precision. I hear some elements of CRUDE SS, WOLFPACK, and ACURSED, beyond the more obvious influences. Unabashedly rockin’, there’s a nice Motörcharge on tracks like “Screams at the Sky” and “Criminal Mission.” Throughout the eleven cuts, the shredding solos burn with a heat that risks melting the wax right off yer turntable. Undeniably sick artwork completes the package, placing it easily among the top releases of 2025. Never mind the brain cell battle, this is brain cell warfare!

Roach Squad Roach Squad LP

The gruff-throated singer Hugo Mudie (the SAINTE CATHERINES) joins forces with two members of the mighty LEATHERFACE, including Frank Stubbs, to craft more great melodic punk with dive bar conviction and grit. If you’re a fan of this particular thread of punk for songwriters, and I very much am, there’s a treasure trove here for you to dive into. Collectively, their sound is big and beaty, and the hooks are undeniable. Stubbs, thankfully, contributes his timeless voice to “I Wonder,” and while I applaud that this band mostly sounds like a group of musicians not trying to recreate their past glories, I can’t help but greet his presence like an old friend. But this isn’t some vanity project to relive the past. These players are here for keeps, and this is a flag planted confidently in the ground to announce a new chapter for everyone involved.

Sensor Ghost Irritation on Demand LP

Art-punk from DC that mixes angular post-punk rhythms with nasally vocals, like ERASE ERRATA meets THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS. Lyrics like “Back then we were the uncouth cream of the crop / Screaming on the stage / Boppin’ around like an unkept cadre of lollipops,” from “Lamentations of the Scene,” are bouncy and catchy, and notably less serious than what I usually associate with a Dischord release. The vocals ride a fine line between quirky and off-putting, but if you spend some time with the tracks, they start to make sense in their own weird little orbit. The LP was recorded with Ian MacKaye and Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios, so you know it sounds incredible. Most striking is the feeling of genuine oddball fun SENSOR GHOST seems to be having. They are probably not a band for everyone, but the energy is contagious if you give it a chance.

The Lousekateers DCxPC Live, Volume 37 LP

Live recording of a set played by this NY pop punk band in Troy, NY early this year. I’d put their sound somewhere between TILT and the MUFFS, with a penchant for more intricate rock’n’roll guitar/bass arrangements more indicative of the latter but a propulsive ’90s pop punk edge easily ascribed to the former. The recording is clear and crisp, the band is playing pretty tight, and the singer seems pretty engaged with the crowd and her lyrics. An easy listen that underlines a quirk I’ve noticed several times where pop punk bands have a pronounced edge live they tend to hide on record. Good stuff.

Scrotum Clamp / The Scuts I*A*N / Miss Information split EP

Fun split from across the pond, with both bands showcasing their own flavor of street punk while sounding different enough to keep things interesting. SCROTUM CLAMP plays a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek Fat Wreck style of pop punk akin to GOOBER PATROL and FRENZAL RHOMB. The SCUTS sound as if they could have come from an early A-F Records comp sandwiched between THOUGHT RIOT and the CODE; melodic hardcore with lyrics drenched in politics. “Miss Information” is sung from the perspective of a right-wing bigot, and I’ll be honest here—if it wasn’t for the song title, I may have missed the irony. However, this is a really great split EP and is well worth a couple spins.

Traidora Una Mujer Trans Sin País LP

A trans woman without a county. TRAIDORA’s Una Mujer Trans Sin País is an exploration of the isolation and displacement faced by trans women, particularly those without a homeland, both physically and emotionally. The album’s title speaks directly to the experience of being a trans woman who doesn’t fit within the confines of traditional gender or national boundaries. Opening with “Grito Ausente,” TRAIDORA introduces a sonic picture that is both unsettling and intimate. The themes of alienation are clear, with tracks like “Disforia Eterna” and “Ella” addressing the absence of space for trans identities in a world that insists on conformity. The music is a vicious hardcore punk assault sung in Spanish (Eva Leblanc is originally from Venezuela) that borders on faster hardcore acts like DROPDEAD. Una Mujer Trans Sin País is both a personal and political statement, a soundtrack for anyone who has ever felt displaced or unwelcome for who they are. TRAIDORA’s journey of resistance is one of both internal and external struggle, as the project challenges the borders that seek to limit. This album is a cathartic scream for belonging, a reminder that, even without a country, one should still carve out a space to exist. This is the main goal of punk: to liberate the mind and body!

Tramadol Crucifixion EP

Blistering second release from West Yorkshire’s TRAMADOL, whose muscular brand of D-beat takes cues from the best of Scandinavian and British hardcore. At any given moment on Crucifixion, you can hear echoes of ANTI-CIMEX, TOTALITÄR, MOTÖRHEAD, and of course DISCHARGE. Raw but in a refined sort of way (listen and that’ll make sense), the production here sounds great. The bass is springy, the drums pop, and there’s a particularly bright tone to the guitars that just really fuckin’ hits, especially on the title track. If any of the aforementioned bands are your cup of tea, this one’s a no-brainer.

Unarmed Unarmed cassette

For some unfathomable reason, I completely missed out on this tape released about a year ago on Phobia Records in spite of my usually infallible and reputable crust detector (just imagine a punk version of Jiminy Cricket yelling in my ears whenever it spots a trace of crust music). I have of course long been familiar with Sweden’s UNARMED, pretty much the epitome of the typical ’90s Eurocrust style—or rather perhaps an era-defining take on the genre. UNARMED does exactly what you’d expect a common crust band to do between 1994 and 1999: old school raw cavemen hardcore music inspired by DOOM, 3-WAY CUM, HIATUS, or WARCOLLAPSE, done with Swedish taste and a bear behind the microphone. They are certainly not reinventing the wheel, and a full discography with no less than 28 songs will be hard for most to take unless you are as monomaniacal as I am. I love these kinds of projects because they play a crucial role in archiving and recollecting our collective history, to save it from oblivion, for posterity. UNARMED was never the most high-profile, the most talented, or the most remarkable among the legions of D-beat and crust bands during the ’90s, but I personally really enjoy the primitive and hyperbolic gruffness of their sound. This is for the real crust die-hards.

Visual Learner Greg LP

Debut full-length from this Minneapolis quartet that at its core has the working-class realism of the ARRIVALS and AMERICAN STEEL. Lyrics that are equally dead serious and tongue-in-cheek; angsty and optimistic. There is an element of urgency and that almost slightly out-of-control feeling as they crash through the ten tracks in a short twenty-six minutes, particularly on the track “Cure-All” when bassist Morgan Purcell takes over vocals. The mastering by MARKED MEN’s Jeff Burke adds to the punch. Also telling is the young band getting an invite to play the Recess Romp this year at the Sardine. The band is relatively new but has the feel of well-worn sounds from earlier times, particularly the first few albums from fellow Minneapolitans HÜSKER DÜ and the REPLACEMENTS.

Whipping Boy Dysillusion: A Muru Muru Remix LP

The Dysillusion LP issued by Blackhouse Records is an intriguing reissue/remix of WHIPPING BOY’s 1984 seminal album Muru Muru. If you’re unfamiliar with WHIPPING BOY, that’s okay because they were a niche band in Southern California during a time when bands were ubiquitous. Muru Muru was originally recorded by the DEAD KENNEDYS’ Klaus Flouride while Dysillusion is remixed by Grammy winner Joe Chiccarelli and remastered by John Golden, each having extensive histories working with noisy post-hardcore mega-acts like the MELVINS and SONIC YOUTH, respectively. In reality, Dysillusion is a refined reworking of Muru Muru with a better instrument-to-vocal balance. WHIPPING BOY still shines through with their hauntingly dark take on hardcore/post-hardcore. Their riff-layered, abstract take on the heavy music of their day remains fresh, with Eugene Robinson’s vocals coming through with a soft but fervent croon. Dysillusion is absolutely worth checking out, especially tracks like the gothic “Myster Magi” and the bluesy closer “Junkman,” and if you’re a mega music history nerd, then you’ll probably find the original recorded banter between the band and Klaus amusing.