HYÖKKÄYS translates to “attack”. And attack they do! This is pure Suomi hardcore worship played by Basque punks. Little is known about this band, which keeps things interesting, and one can solely focus on the music…erm…noise they make. Antigobierno is made up of eleven tracks, two of them are covers of HHH and KAAOS, and this mixture pretty much sums up their sound. Raw, primitive, and to-the-point. Another great gem from the Spanish punk scene.
Damn, I had no idea that this Panama-based band was still going. I was aware that the singer had found employment in HEZ, but naively thought that JUVENTUD PODRIDA had retired. The band released some solid records in the first half of the 2010s, notably the 1989 EP in 2012 that put them on the map. Good on them for not giving up and continuing to fly the raw hardcore punk flag at home. Control/Encierro is classically executed and well coherent with the Discos Enfermos catalog. Mean and fast Scandi-style rabiozo hardcore punk with direct and snotty vocals in Spanish and fuzzed-out distortion on the guitar but, even without taking the vocals into account, it does sound like a non-Swedish band having a go at the genre (the band must have carefully played some crusty Japanese records from Osaka). The production is very energetic and certainly packs a punch. In theory, the vocals, very reminiscent of traditional old school “hardcore en Español” in terms of singing style, should not totally fit with this distorted käng hardcore sound, but they actually do, and it brings a different vibe altogether. I was going to say “fresh,” but that’d be a bit far-fetched. A strong comeback, and I can imagine JUVENTUD PODRIDA to be crushing live.
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.
These are two bands I have been meaning to check for some time, so to be assigned this split LP for review feels like the perfect opportunity, something I was just destined to do. RECLUSION is from the Basque Country, Lasarte-Oria to be specific, and this is their first vinyl appearance. They play straightforward, pummeling, distorted hardcore punk with a lot of energy and a proper angry vibe, a bit like a date between classic Finnish and Brazilian hardcore at an authentic Spanish raw punk restaurant. The production is similar to a lot of contemporary distorted hardcore bands. I like the furious vocals in Spanish, but there is too much effect for my taste (the same can be said for far too many current bands), and it sounds a little mushy at times. I also think RECLUSION would benefit from a bit of variety in terms of speed and beat to keep the listener alert, as the songs sound a little generic. This is not bad by any means, as their eight songs pack a serious punch. Energetic, rabiozo, and genuine. A good first record. On the flipside, INFEKZIOA, from Barcelona and the Basque Country (the lyrics are in Basque), is an older band formed in 2012, and yet I have never properly listened or paid much attention to them. And what an arse I have been, since I really enjoy them—maybe more correctly, they are really enjoyable. This is radical, primitive, pissed raw punk at its best. Spain has a long tradition of DISCHARGE love, and it is easy to compare INFEKZIOA to bands like DESTRUCCION, FIRMEZA 10, or ’80s pioneers MG15. But I also hear that rough, noise-loving hardcore thrash sound of bands like RAPT, PLASMID, or ASYLUM and early proto-D-beat like UNDERAGE or DIATRIBE, but with a typical raw Spanish vibe like ANTI DOGMATIKSS or HHH. Alright, that’s a lot of name-dropping, but the band is good, and you can tell that they know what they are doing and how to do it. The guitar is very distorted, the bass fuzzy, the singer full of fury and snot, and the drummer beats the shit out of you. Overall, it is really a wonderful time and just simple, fast, raw hardcore music. A good split with one young, promising band and one that has mastered its craft.
STRACH hails from Berlin, Germany and plays metallic anarcho hardcore. Elements of stenchcore combine with brutal breakdowns to make this album a pummeling music experience. Heavy music and lyrical content throughout the entirety of this album will stoke the fires of your discontent. Fans of MURDERESS and FATUM take note, this album is a must-have. The song “I Shit on Your Country” pretty much says everything you need to know.
Anarcho-punk project heavily linked with crust and hardcore, from a collective of members that are from Spain and Argentina. Destruyendo y Sembrando was recorded between 2020 and 2021 in both countries mentioned, and features artwork illustrated by Max Vadalá, a graphic artist active in punk subculture mostly in Argentina and Latin America. The album compiles ten tracks about anarchy and the present state of the oppressive system of state domination, the media’s dominance over the population, immigration and anti-terrorism politics, and the everyday struggle against the capitalist status quo. Favorite tracks: “Destruyendo y Sembrando,” with a powerful poetic evocation about monotony and inertia and alienation, and “Urubu,” more aligned with a street punk tempo. Full of passion and heart, enthusiastically recommended for those who believe in and want a better world with no oppression or state violence, and are willing to stand and give the daily fight against government power.
