Reviews

Plastic Wound

Banda Des Femer Herència Enverinada 12″

It’s the first time I get assigned a band singing in Menorcan Catalan, which is a specific type of Catalan from the Balearic Islands, and if the language is new to me, the music certainly is not, because BANDA DES FEMER play good old raw, käng-influenced hardcore punk that takes no prisoners and gets straight to the point. What sets this LP apart might be the peculiar production that keeps things deceptively simple and primitive—it doesn’t go for any deafening “wall of noise” or anything fancy, but just old school D-beat punk for the punks (a noble cause indeed). The band clearly displays self-awareness about the genre and their own technical prowess, which I find quite refreshing. I like the upfront vocals that are still intelligible, and there are some welcome mid-paced moments and even a couple of sing-alongs. There are strong hints of ’90s D-beat and some songs would have been at home on a Distortion Records compilation in 1994. The music also reminds me of DHK for its spontaneity and its radicalism, not synonymous with extremity here but of core value. Simple, fast, and loud political hardcore punk that loves DISCHARGE lovers. However, I think the record should have been longer, as seven songs in fourteen minutes is a little short for an album (although the three members do not live in the same town, so practicing has to be an issue), but these are fourteen good minutes.

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.

Glitter Tortura Mental EP

GLITTER’s Tortura Mental lives up to its name with a suffocating, feedback-drenched hardcore attack that feels designed to erode rather than energize. The production is deliberately claustrophobic—guitars smear into a toxic haze while the drums pound like they’re trapped in a concrete box. There’s a raw, almost sadistic repetition in the structures, hammering the same phrases until they lose shape and become pure pressure. Vocals cut through as distorted commands, more texture than language. It’s not about hooks or memorability; it’s about impact and abrasion sustained past comfort. Tortura Mental doesn’t invite you in, it locks the door behind you and lets the walls close.

Tortura Mental de GLITTER hace honor a su nombre con un ataque hardcore sofocante y saturado de feedback, diseñado más para erosionar que para energizar. La producción es claustrofóbica: las guitarras se deshacen en una neblina tóxica mientras la batería golpea como encerrada en cemento. Hay una repetición casi sádica que martilla ideas hasta volverlas pura presión. Las voces atraviesan como órdenes distorsionadas. No hay ganchos ni concesiones: solo impacto sostenido. El EP no invita a entrar; te encierra y deja que las paredes se acerquen.