Reviews

MRR #512 • January 2026

Abism Barbie Terminator EP

Right before the first time I heard ABISM’s new 7”, I’d just finished jamming a live boot of the VELVET UNDERGROUND, and I was amazed by the freedom of the faded guitar pokes and messing around, demonstrating how bravely primitive and self-conscious they were (and which I guess is the essence of rock’n’roll, to be a confident dilettante). This feeling probably stuck with me when “Barbie Terminator” kicked in with its cacophonic guitar scraping and burst of pumping beats that meticulously, or by instinct, are set to a tempo that grabs attention and moves bodies. Then by the second song, the fuzzed guitars started playing notes that are weird, not too technically difficult but remarkable when paired with confidence and taste, because fuck it—some of us do mess around with such ideas at odd hours of the day under odd circumstances and wonder whether it is okay to include them even in radikal punk songs. ABISM’s new record is a straight “fuck you” to those thoughts, because this sounds great and it fits a hardcore song. Only four rudimental hardcore tracks reflecting the universal frame of many signature scenes’ sound, with a wink to those roots that make the record sound simple and original, and which combined recall dozens of the best bands without referencing any of them. This balance is the challenge of sounding original nowadays after everybody has heard everything and still ever-wanting more of this raw power. Another highly confident “fuck you” is the riff of “Fly Away”…you have a four-song 7”, and you dedicate a significant amount of time to summon LENNY KRAVITZ in the subconscious of your listeners? That is bold. But even the realization of this bizarre thing is not able to keep me from loving this record. I love the non-stop pogo beat and tight groove that delivers all the weird and cool guitar sounds, and the best raspy voice (familiar from the amazing GARRAPATA).

Atol Atol Atol Dron Dron Dron LP

ATOL ATOL ATOL’s 2023 LP Koniec Sosu Tysiąca Wysp completely threw me for a loop—taut, twin-vocal Polish art-punk with a minor DOG FACED HERMANS fixation? I might as well be Pavlov’s dog. Follow-up Dron Dron Dron is just as mind-warping, centering the band’s anxious electronic textures and snap-tight rhythms like an alternate-timeline Hardcore-era DEVO that wound up on Ron Johnson Records alongside the EX and BIG FLAME. Opener “Neon” is a perfect example of the band’s controlled chaos, locking straight into a staccato, mechanical groove with skittering guitar, a bass line bouncing everywhere like an errant rubber Superball, and doubled-up chants from vocalists Łukasz and Agata, all of which could be panic-inducing (or just irritating) in lesser hands, but it’s completely hypnotic here. Likewise, the densely knotted skronk of “Blok” might easily tip into prog-punk territory were it not for some wild, collapsing drum breakdowns, but when the frenetic call-and-response in “Płytki Sen” hits against some incessantly buzzing synth and treble-maxed guitar cutting in like the quickest of knife flicks, there’s no question that ATOL ATOL ATOL’s true objective is putting the damage back in “art-damaged,” and they’re killing it.

Blood Cannery Olympic Blood cassette

If you’re in the mood for something challenging, BLOOD CANNERY’s latest concept album about a man facing (possibly supernatural) beasts on the early American frontier might be exactly what you’re searching for. “Olympic Blood” sounds like a LIGHTNING BOLT-versus-KYUSS showdown with super-fuzzed, whammy-heavy guitar shreds placed against hyperactive drums and muffled vocals. The lyrical tales of curses, attacking brutes, and violence sometimes evokes aesthetically coherent heavy punk experimentation, and sometimes skews toward “Faaaar out, man!” stoner excess, but it’s always enjoyable. Check it out for a conceptual romp through blood, dirt, and heavy riffs.

Cheap Fix Re-Animator Blues / French Song 7″

This is CHEAP FIX’s debut 7”. Garage punkers from your dad’s days. They all play in a bunch of different bands (TRAINWRECK, ENDURO, DECEMBER BOYS) and join together on this 7” for two songs sans bass guitar. This is workin’ class, “done with the day job,” fuzzy, bluesy shit from the constant maestros in class, Goodbye Boozy. Could be Mark Arm’s cousin singing.

Contrast Attitude Discharge Your Noise LP

Although they have been around for more than 25 years, Discharge Your Noise is only CONTRAST ATTITUDE’s second album. Needless to say, I preordered what promised to be an exercise in intensity and ferocity as soon as possible—the limited version of course, out of excitement. It would be far-fetched to claim that these Mie punks have drastically changed their sound (a new drummer, Daigo from DECEIVING SOCIETY or RADIOACTIVE, did join them, though), but I have to confess that I was a little disappointed when I first played the vinyl. Of course, the high-level energy and relentless hardcore aggression, trademarks of the band’s sound, are still there, but the guitar is not as distorted, if perhaps heavier, and I suppose on this LP, CONTRAST ATTITUDE cannot really be described as the crust monster they once were. As a result, probably because I was expecting that typical “wall of noise” bollocking like it was still 2009, I was, well, disenchanted for a bit. Listening to the LP again for this review, I realize that it is, in fact, a solid work that, once I accepted change, I was more than able to enjoy thoroughly and play air guitar to when no one is looking. The music is still as fast and punishing, the vocals as anguished and extreme, the unstoppable D-beat noize has not disappeared, but a lot of the arrangements (and generally the songwriting and the production) point to more traditional Japanese hardcore to my ears. The band even experiments with paces a little with the very punky “Feeling of the Freedom” and the heavier and slower “Disclose Naked Myself.” I feel Discharge Your Noise is in between both styles, and while it won’t alienate the traditional CONTRAST ATTITUDE fans, it may actually appeal to other people who don’t necessarily wear DISCLOSE pajamas (unlike me). A good record that I still wish was a little crustier.

Dark Thoughts Highway to the End LP

Six years after their last record, Philadelphia’s DARK THOUGHTS have reemerged as dialed-in as ever on this brand new slab. The tunes are tight and concise, never overstaying their welcome and always getting the point across within their brief duration. Applying the poppy and speedy formula of classic SCREECHING WEASEL and RAMONES to maximum effect, the songs hit hard with relatability, realism, and hope. They’re what I wished every band sounded like when I was sixteen. “Please Don’t Be Lonesome” is the perfect reassuring follow-up to the previous album’s heartbreaking “With You,” with which I positively tortured myself at the time of its release. Or is “Sweet Success” the real happy ending? Either way, I’m glad the story isn’t over.

Flux Peace is a Lie LP

Ten pogo-inducing corkers from Belgium’s latest and greatest FLUX, a band that has done their homework and sounds as authentic as anything from the UK in 1982. Speed, anger, and just the right amount of snot make this a thoroughly enjoyable listen; by the halfway point of “Punk Retaliation,” you’ll be pumping your fist and spilling your beer along to the proceedings. For fans of SAVAGEHEADS, VAXINE, and the MASSACRED.

Havana Syndrome Kill Your Brain cassette

Demented synth punkers HAVANA SYNDROME are back with a quickness after dropping a demo tape in July. Look at the cover art: a brain mainlined into a computer monitor displaying a punk whose face is being eaten by his own brain! Cool. This should give you an idea of what you’re in for. It’s aggressive, it’s fast, and the synths give the songs life through a vein of electro insanity. On songs like “Wrapped Boots” and “Mind Control,” the vocalist yelps and hollers like a wounded animal around pulsing guitar and synth lines. It would be easy to compare them to bands like RESEARCH REACTOR CORPORATION, but it kicks way more ass. Think LUMPY & THE DUMPERS imprinting onto members of the LOCUST. Pick this up and kill your brain.

Lamictal Lamictal cassette

OC punk slop from the future. This is a solo project from Alex Colettogents, who is associated with seizure-core spazzers GNARLES MANSON and X-ACTO. Coming out of this eight-song tape, there is some vertigo and nausea that will take a moment to wear off. Once it does, I can say that there is slight intrigue, egg-punk on 78, dysphonia, a cacophony of eight tracks all barely clocking in at six retching minutes. Is he alone in this chaos? In the end, “Can’t Stand My Dreams” is worthy of note.

Melkus Discografia Due LP

Leipzig’s MELKUS has a distinct sound of their own that really enchanted me. Fast and furious sequences that smoothly transition into melodic passages, dark and mysterious garage sounds that get better and better with each layer, and catchy hooks peeking around every corner…it’s one of those albums where every part flows perfectly into the next. While guitar and bass with gloriously filthy tones lock into each other to form amazing riffs, punchy drums not only accompany them but also add another layer of that explosive energy. Charismatic vocals are definitely the cherry on top of this beautiful rock’n’roll cake, along with the momentary bursts of ear-candy from miscellaneous instruments like saxophone, organ, and synths. The dark and gritty production style of this LP complements the band’s sound flawlessly, too. I really like this one, and I’m already looking forward to their next release.

No Idols The Fall EP

Excellent hardcore punk from Baltimore’s NO IDOLS, a band composed of members of ANGEL DU$T, BIB and TRUTH CULT. Muscular and tough as hell, NO IDOLS draw from Feel the Darkness-era POISON IDEA, with catchy leads and heavy riffs galore. You can hear the pedigree behind these songs; they feel a little more complete and pulled together than your usual hardcore fare. One of 2025’s best 7”s.

Plastika Sijamski Blizanac LP

PLASTIKA is from Croatia and plays raw, hardcore punk, and Sijamski Blizanac is their ten-track full-length that delivers a noisy pummeling. Think KRIMEWATCH but faster, and oh yeah, the lyrics aren’t in English, but not knowing the words in their native language really doesn’t matter with how tight tracks like “Nervoza” and “Kaj Sad” are. PLASTIKA has a rare authenticity in their energy which makes their delivery of primitive hardcore that much more enjoyable of a listening experience.

Saints of Lorain Before We Were Saints cassette

Gonna do my best to break this somewhat confusing one down and hope that I’ve got my facts straight. SAINTS OF LORAIN are from Cleveland, OH and put out a digital demo in 2023. This is the second release by the band, a “collection” of songs which were written by the members’ former band AL & THE COHOLICS (the collection featuring a grand total of six songs). AL & THE COHOLICS formed in 1999, and when the drummer died in 2014, his brother apparently promised to keep the music alive. Fast forward to the present and the brother is the drummer of this band, and the songs that would have been lost to time are now documented. What an absolutely lovely sentiment. Never would I ever have thought that the actions of members of a long-running drunk punk/street punk/pirate-punk band would hit on sentimentality as strong as this. Musically, this is complicated, uptempo slap bass street punk. If you like songs about being drunk, being addicted to drugs, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, or sex, or you were around for the heyday of AL & THE COHOLICS, then I’m sure you’re gonna have a great time with this tape.

Small Doses Rodeo EP

Pretty nifty record here with plenty of nuances, combining pieces of orgcore (melodic vocals paired with power-chord-driven punk songs à la BAD RELIGION and LAGWAGON) with post-hardcore (dissonant chords, slower tempos, and throaty screams that reminds me a lot of POLAR BEAR CLUB if they had embraced more of the Dischord style). I guess you can call this post-orgcore (although I’m not even sure if that term is in vogue anymore). Well-crafted tracks that do a great job telling a narrative—both musically and lyrically—that never once gets boring. Great work here. As far as punk goes, this is as perfect of an EP as you’ll get.

Snörkler Hot Dignity Dog and Other Future Classics cassette

Spastic egg-punk is what y’all might call SNÖLKER nowadays, but it was called Very Small Records-esqe back before that term was around. It has all the perfect elements of FALSE SACRAMENT, SCHLONG, NONMEANSNO, or VICTIMS FAMILY, with keyboards for all the sulphur egginess you can handle. Four tunes that clock in under nine minutes, all plopped onto a cassette tape. The coughing on the tune “Vape Man” is perfect. Also, I think I’m hearing a flute layered in here. What the fuck is this gorgeous tidal wave of gross perfection called, you ask? I guess it’s called SNÖRKLER.

TV Casualties Orphanage Fire CD

Self-proclaimed “Canola Hardcore,” whatever the hell that means. This sounds like a band that you saw on the Warped Tour when you were thirteen years old whose name you can’t remember. The EP is self-produced and self-released which is commendable, but the songs are generic and unmemorable. You could put it on in the background and no one will be offended, but no one’s going to ask you who it is, either.

V/A Right on Time Re:imagined LP

I try to refrain from using the phrase “I’m sorry” when writing about music (in real life, I may not apologize enough). But in this case, I can’t conceive of any other way to rationalize how I feel about what I’m duty-bound to say. Right on Time Re:imagined is easily the worst release I’ve had to suffer through listening to in a long, long time. Each and every song is bad, some extraordinarily so. What we have here are six versions of the same song, interpreted by different artists in distinct genres spanning the gamut from “Sexy Stoner Rock’n’Roll” to “Emo Pop Punk” and “Heavenly Metal.” There’s even an “Unplugged Hardcore” rendition that is more egregious than whatever you’re imagining. The song that is the basis for such wide and varied explication is a by-the-numbers youth crew ditty called “Right on Time.” As a stand-alone track, it’s a decent slice of impassioned straightedge hardcore, with a message that offers genuine positivity in the face of adversity. And herein lies the source of my initial plea for forgiveness…this whole project is inspired by a member of the band RIGHT ON TIME’s battle against cancer, and is an ode to the support they received from friends in the darkest moments of that experience. Profits from this release support a Dutch foundation, No Guts No Glory, that is dedicated to making the music-related wishes of cancer patients come true. Truly a fantastic cause, and one that I do not wish to denigrate just because I don’t like the music involved. If you dig sXe hardcore and have broad enough interests, this may be right up your alley. In any case, there’s a worthy cause attached to this that makes my snarky take on the tunes irrelevant. Fuck cancer!

Zlodzieje Rowerow Każdy Inny Wszyscy Równi EP

Melodic yet confrontational punk rock from Poland, rooted in DIY ethics and social awareness. ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW delivers mid-tempo anthems with heartfelt vocals and strong choruses, balancing aggression and melody with ease. The lyrics emphasize equality and solidarity, making this EP both politically charged and emotionally resonant. 

Punk rock melódico y combativo desde Polonia, con una fuerte base DIY y conciencia social. ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW presentan himnos de medio tiempo con coros sólidos y voces cargadas de emoción, equilibrando agresión y melodía con naturalidad. Las letras giran en torno a la igualdad y la solidaridad, logrando un EP tan político como emotivo.