Reviews

Uterzine

Cardenales Antipunkpop cassette

Stylistically minimal feminist punk from Madrid that mixes the sounds of classic street punk anthems with indie pop melodies, like HONEY BANE meets CHIN CHIN. The Spanish lyrics poetically explore political themes via dark but hopeful personal sketches, occasionally delivered by call-and-response vocals. Moody bass lines and clean guitars on tracks like “Sangre” and “Fin del Mundo” evoke a post-punk atmosphere, but CARDENALES do fast punk just as well on “Golpe tras Golpe.” Equally interesting is Uterzine, who released the tape and look like a solid resource for anarcho-feminist writing and music, particularly in Spain.

Endora y Sus Vicios Son Mis Normas LP

Post-punk feel with more intense, punky vocals. I loved how angry and fierce the vocals were throughout, which paired nicely with the more punchy and choppy guitar (like in “Guerra al Desencanto”); it really just comes at you and taunts you relentlessly. They didn’t lose intensity throughout the album though, like with “Vecino,” where they upped the tempo to a more classically punk speed that really keeps you on your toes. They really know when certain parts are needed; they know when to have only vocals and drums versus everything together, they don’t overdo anything.

Voces de Ultratumba Demo + Live Session cassette

VOCES DE ULTRATUMBA were the first all-female Galician punk band, an important stepping stone for a male-dominated scene. After recording a demo, some lineup changes occurred and, finally, the band changed their name to LA TRAICION. Buried since the ’80s, this demo was not forgotten and now sees the light of day. Side A is a rehearsal recording, while Side B is a live recording at the legendary Kremlin. Hauntingly beautiful and hauntingly disturbing, VOCES DE ULTRATUMBA perfectly encapsulates Spanish post-punk. Each song has its own mood and its own atmosphere, a quality that makes listening to this demo a gloomy journey into the unknown. The recording quality just adds another layer of discomfort, the good kind of discomfort, the one you would expect from an obscure ’80s post-punk release. A sinister recording that still feels in place with the current state of the world.