Reviews

MRR #511 • December 2025

Bahia de Kotxinos Bahia Kotxinos LP

This is a strange piece of ephemera; a long-abandoned debut by Euskara band BAHIA DE KOTXINOS, who by all accounts were a leading light in an active scene and had a record ready to go that was left on the shelf, gathering Basque dust for the next 30 years. Now lovingly remastered and released into the world, it’s a peculiar document of a very specific scene. It has the taut, frantic energy of yer DEVOs, yer WIREs, yer ADVERTS of the world. However, it also has the sort of wacky, clever-dick stylings of a kind of proto-egg-punk too, which is unfortunate. It’s certainly a lot more interesting than I was anticipating, and well worth your time, albeit three whole decades later than you should have enjoyed it.

Bootcamp Time’s Up LP

Who doesn’t like a great hardcore record that makes one punch a hole through a wall? Strap on your boots, because it’s time to slam with Iowa City’s BOOTCAMP. Proper USHC delivered in an intense manner, sounding fresh but remaining true to the classic tropes. You will find them on the same record store shelf as ARMOR and some of the 11 PM releases. Time’s Up, go listen to this! Now!

Erosion Invasive Species LP

The perceived amount of bands can often feel staggering in the internet age, and as much as you try to keep in tune with new releases, it feels like an impossible task that even a mythological hero would fail to complete. I normally feel comfortable among crust-related bands, so if even I have never heard of EROSION, I am not lost as far as what they are trying to achieve is concerned. In fact, besides MASSGRAVE, I have to admit that I don’t know any of the bands the members of EROSION have been or currently are involved in. Who said the world was small? If EROSION includes a Swedish-flavoured dark metallic crust influence, I would not put them fully in the crust category. A lot is happening on their second LP Invasive Species, sometimes too much so for my basic brain, as this Vancouver act also incorporates elements of extreme metal (black or death) into their behemoth recipe that borders on blackened crust. The record is punishing, heavy, and mean, no doubt about it, and will appeal to metalheads and fans of modern crust alike. The label Mechanized Apparatus Revolt rightly compares them to MARTYRDÖD, but they are more versatile and diverse. I would also add käng-driven metal bands like ADRESTIA adopting a blackened HIS HERO IS GONE approach (assuming that makes sense). It’s a little too technical at times, and sometimes I have the impression that the band wants to do too many things in their songs. However, the sound is great and crushing, definitely an intense listen.

Gnats Gnats demo cassette

First demo from Florida-based, self-proclaimed bubblegum rock band. It’s a little confusing reviewing a band’s first release, which is a year-and-a-half old, when the band has dropped two releases since, but we happily write about what is assigned to us. Six tracks of lo-fi drum machine music with a keyboard seemingly set to emulate the sound of a swarm of bugs, hence the band’s name. That’s a funny idea and all, but not all ideas seem worth following through to fruition. This just comes off sounding like someone is badly playing a slide whistle over all of the songs, some of which actually seem well-crafted and have a fair amount of pop sensibility to them. The final song, “Serial Mom,” is really cool and driving right up until the point that the swarm of slide whistles comes in. Don’t get me wrong, I love a stupid-sounding synth, but this reoccurring aspect through all six songs is just too commanding and makes the songs hopefully forgettable.

Gruntwork Violence in the Workplace cassette

Noise-addled, shit-fi punk that just might drive ya to the brink of homicidal rage if you’re listening too close in proximity to your place of employment. Four snappy, over-before-you-know-it jammers that kick harder than your grandpappy’s shotgun, this whole affair will take up less than five minutes of your precious time. For fans of HOAX, FRIED EGG, long stretches of unemployment, etc.

Ignorantes Las Promesas Que Te Hacemos Te Las Puedes Meter Por El Cul 7″

Chilean punks IGNORANTES usually deal in scorched, blown-out, hyper-abrasive recordings—the kind of raw tupa-tupa punk that is so harsh it feels like it’s stripping paint. But this two-song 7″ is a bit of a curveball, serving up super lo-fi but almost poppy Oi! with plasticky keyboards that give it an odd sweetness. While digging through their catalog for this review, the release that grabbed me most was No Hemos Inventado Nada, Ni Nos Interesa Hacerlo, even though the recording quality is so brutal it made my ears bleed. By contrast, this 7″ is lighter and bouncier. Side A’s “Adiós Camarada” even carries a hint of that CURE “Boys Don’t Cry” tune, which gives the whole thing an oddly familiar flavor. I respect the swing into new territory, even if it doesn’t fully land for me.

Liquid Cross Don’t Think cassette

In reading the Bandcamp description for this release, three things feel undeniable—the SAINTS, the WIPERS, and the Pacific Northwest. I might add RADIO BIRDMAN here as well to round out what the listener might expect. These songs have a palpable desperation to them that really draws the listener in and along. The image of a fresh smelling pine tree enshrouded in a dense fog makes sense here as well; you can sense the presence of melody, but you can’t easily see it through the wonderful sonic din. These tracks are timeless DIY.

Making Friends as Adults New Road CD

I’m never sure what’s going to happen when an acoustic guitar starts off a record, but dang, it’s in and out fast. Pulling from BRAID, DISCOUNT, LEMURA, POHGOH, FIFTH HOUR HERO, and so on, these are catchy songs delivered in a thoughtful, melodic way that can bring early ALKALINE TRIO to mind. Although MAKING FRIENDS AS ADULTS pulls from these bands, they also are clearly carving their own path. There are eleven songs on here and I think they maybe could have gone with eight or nine, but overall, this CD is a great listen. One bit of advice for MAKING FRIENDS AS ADULTS would be to not do it. I’m in my fifties, and at a certain point, you know enough people and making friends is overrated and tiresome.

Mask Appeal Slice & Slice EP

Debut release from Los Angeles-based MASK APPEAL. With members from DETROIT COBRAS, OOZELLES, and the STARLITE DESPERATION to name a few, this lot is well steeped in a noisy, industrial death wail akin to the BIRTHDAY PARTY. The bass is way up front in the mix, propelling this creature forward, with big, hall-reverb drums, and both set the stage for a writhing, shimmering guitar and howling vocals that inspire a morbid fascination. A tragic poem recited to an anxious pulse. Thank you to whatever forces of good and evil brought these three together, MASKED APPEAL truly rules.

Okres Demo ’85 / Jarocin ’85 LP

Pulled from obscurity and into your stack of questionable records, this archival LP remembers OKRES out of Ostrów Wielkopolski, Greater Poland. The first half of the album features the band’s demo recordings from 1985, and the second portion brings us another blast from the past of the legendary Jarocin music festival of that same year. It’s fast and loose first wave hardcore driven by pure energy—“Liban Nie Żyje” has a wicked swarming guitar attack like Government Issue’s “Sheer Terror.” There’s nine crude tunes from the demo and nine from the festival, but Bandcamp only teases four songs, so if you want to hear the whole thing, you’ll have to pony up.

Kolpeka / Revert split 12″

Perfectly executed split 12” showcasing two bands from the Basque Country, a region whose punk and Oi! scene Mendeku Diskak has pretty much put on the map. On the A-side is REVERT, whose tooth-chipping stompers take cues from early Boston hardcore. REVERT’s vocals are particularly rough and pissed, taking these songs up a notch or two on the aggro-meter. KOLPEKA follows up on the B-side, and while they retain some of the East Coast brutishness of their fellow countrymen, they have a little more spring in their step. I’ve read from a couple of sources that KOLPEKA are avid skateboarders, so maybe that explains the slight uptick in energy. Regardless of its source, their speediness compliments the more mid-tempo pace of REVERT nicely, making for a well-rounded split. Top it all off with the killer artwork this is wrapped in, and Mendeku Diskak once again proves why they’re one of the best in the game.

Rude Television I Want to Believe EP

Another entry in the egg-punk universe: bouncy synths, wiry guitars, playful neon energy. RUDE TELEVISION executes it well, though the formula feels reused, with the record´s explosive highlight being “Artificial Paint.” A fun, energetic listen—enjoyable, but not essential.

Otro capítulo del universo egg-punk: sintes saltarines, guitarras procesadas y ese pulso juguetón que define el estilo. RUDE TELEVISION lo hace bien, aunque la fórmula se siente reutilizada, siendo el punto álgido del disco su track “Artificial Paint.” Un disco simpático, energético y disfrutable, aunque no esencial.

Speed Week Weak Speed 12″

With players from the excellent Australian bands the BRAKES and SPLIT SYSTEM comes a snarling slab of punk with conviction. SPEED WEEK presents here with an assured confidence and maturity that perfectly tempers their wild-eyed energy. Reminiscent of more mainstream acts like SHAME or FONTAINES D.C. but with a wiry cool, this band sounds poised for bigger and better things without the fear of losing their edge. It’s well-read, high-energy punk rock that doesn’t miss a step. Impressive as so few new acts are.

Subversive Intent Subversive Intent demo cassette

A solid debut from San Diego’s newest hardcore outfit SUBVERSIVE INTENT. Plenty of speed and leads on top of leads call to mind SoCal legends BATTALION OF SAINTS. Better than average production pushes this one past usual demo fare, making it more than worth a listen. Check out “Payaso” and “Weathervane.”

Sympathy Flowers Dreams of Lurking Fear LP

Dreams of Lurking Fear is the first full-length by Oakland, CA dark punk band SYMPATHY FLOWERS. However, Dreams of Lurking Fear is an expansion of last year’s Through the Veil cassette (which was SYMPATHY FLOWERS inaugural release), with most of the cassette tracks being reworked with a better density and richness for the LP. There’s something in SYMPATHY FLOWERS’ sound that reminds me of the below-the-radar punk that cemented my relationship to our illustrious genre in my teen years. Maybe it’s the driving rhythms blended with the quick shift guitar riffs, or maybe it’s the poetic-but-direct lyrics that are defiant while deviant. Whatever it is, Dreams of Lurking Fear scratches an itch I didn’t even know I had.

The Action Party The Action Party CD

The ACTION PARTY is a tepid rock’n’roll band. Maybe you could say this is like a flaccid JONESES and stuff like that. I’m betting their shows are a rocking good time, maybe. I’m not sure this was quite the right place to send this for review. This is fine, well-produced rock’n’roll that might fit in better on a “Best of the ‘90s” college/alternative rock CD.I guess the one positive thing I can say is that I dozed off a couple times while listening to this, so if you are a little sleep-deprived, then this is the CD for you.

The Dick Spikie Ultra Punk 4Cycle Vol. 1 EP

Three fantastic Japanese Oi! tracks that will bring you to your feet to pogo with the best of them. Much like the BUSINESS and BLITZ, this trio of D-beat classics are equal parts catchy and rowdy as hell. “Restriction & Freedom” is the cream of this crop, an earworm that led me to spinning the A-side quite a few times. On the B-side, we have a song called “You’re a Bastard” that features some of my favorite lyrics of the year. Here’s a taste: “You’re a bastard / Wipe your arse yourself.” Fair enough. For my money, Japanese Oi! has always sounded the most authentic, and this is no different. Grab this slab today!

Frente Norte / The Old Breed split EP

Broadly fine split between two Midwestern street punk-y types. My heart initially sank when I saw the cover and bore witness to not one but two fellas wearing the kind of daft flat cap only seen in Peaky Blinders, or on a Victorian chimney sweep or a fight at Cheltenham races, which is usually the sign of the worst kind plodding, midtempo, faux Oi! shite that makes me wish for an inner ear infection, but I was mostly pleasantly surprised. FRENTE NORTE, the stronger side of the split for sure, comes across like a janglier, more pop-oriented FUERZA BRUTA. OLD BREED’s side is boring as fuck but not offensive; can always use that side of the split as a coaster or something.

The Pages Ordinary Love / I’m a Bullet 7″

From Portugal, these guys remind me of the TRANZMITORS, if only because they bring a sound rooted in mod and power pop. The music is straightforward and mid-tempo. The vocals are soft and almost whispery at times, just sort of calming. The B-side is particularly catchy and a total toe-tapper/head-bouncer. This is definitely worth checking out.

Spares / Treasure Pains split 12″

Alright, I’ve griped about this before, so I wanna get it out of the way first—please stop halving split albums between two different Bandcamp accounts. It defeats the purpose of said split! I know it’s all together on the record, but the vast majority of people will be listening online. Keep it together, folks! SPARES play classic post-hardcore and remind me a bit of RUSSIAN CIRCLES (with vocals), and THRICE. TREASURE PAINS are in the same realm and have more of a dissonant edge like RIVAL SCHOOLS and HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. Production for both bands is crisp and loud as hell. Really solid stuff here. I’d go as far as saying it’s worth bouncing between two Bandcamps.

TTTTurbo Modern Music cassette

Someday people who write great pop songs won’t be so scared of themselves, obscuring their catchiness with lo-fi tricks and budget ethos. But in the meantime, it’s still lovely to spend time with a tape like this that sounds like California underwater with the good vibes still intact. The bouncy bass lines walking up and down the throbbing synths and half-muttered bedroom vocals can’t hide forever that these are bangin’ pop songs. I hear you, TTTTURBO, and I know what you’re up to. You can throw an egg on top while you’re at it. Sounds great like an artifact from the future.

Uzu À Qui La Liberté? لمن الحرية ؟ LP

Symphony of Destruction has quite the knack for bringing us bands that push the boundaries of punk. Case in point: UZU returns with their second full-length, building out their deathrock gloom ship for further exploration. Based in Montréal, the group is an international outfit with ties to Algeria and Colombia, delivering their lyrics in Arabic. To the latter point, the vocal delivery is one of the elements that sets UZU apart, with an inflection falling somewhere between Jello Biafra and Rozz Williams. While CHRISTIAN DEATH is certainly a jumping-off point, UZU charts a path of their own, much like fellow Canucks HOME FRONT and ULTRA RAZZIA (with whom they share members) have. Inspiration is more a point of departure than an anchor. À Qui La Liberté? is a bold, forceful album. Don’t sleep on this one.

Why Bother? Case Studies LP

Prolific punks WHY BOTHER? are back with another LP on the heels of an EP released earlier this year. While the former relied heavily on a synthesized version of ’80s-inspired Midwestern punk, Case Studies sees the band, yet again, charting fresh ground, but I’m not so sure that’s such a good thing. Make no mistake, every few songs, there is a song that rips. They shine on tracks like “I Take Back,” “There She Was,” or the album closer “Galaxy Eyes,” where they effortlessly combine heavy ’70s psych melodies with SPITS-style lo-fi goodness, and vocals that call to mind early GUIDED BY VOICES. Unfortunately, the rest of the record felt boring and longwinded. Songs often drift in and out of ambient and instrumental explorations that would best be saved for a Friday jam session rather than on a recording. Repeated listens could change my mind, but I’m not sure I have the attention span to reach for this one again.

Xray Xeroxx Social Media Made Me Hate My Friends cassette

Short and sweet four-song cassette EP by an incredibly active Los Angeles-based solo project. This is the third cassette release by XRAY XEROXX (two EPs and a full-length), all of which came out this damn year! Juvenile, upbeat, poppy, garage-infused RAMONES-core filled with both self-deprecation and societal deprecation. There sure is a lot to hate in this world, but I do not hate XRAY XEROXX. Looking forward to the three releases this project is due to shit out throughout 2026.