Reviews

Zaragoza Desorden

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.

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.

Do It Your Hell Restos Del Kaos EP

The cover features a punk zombie with S.O.B., CARCASS GRINDER, P.L.F., and DENAK patches on its decaying jacket. For any grindcore aficionado, these are some essential influences for a band to have. These dudes don’t joke around! It  sounds as brutal as a freight train going through a crowded mall. Vicious crust-infused grindcore from Madrid with members of a ton of great bands, but especially DENAK, a classic grindcore outfit that started in 1994. Extreme music for extreme people.

Gatzara Un Dels Nostres 12″

Right, first off, how many frigging record labels want to release this? Because truth be told, having given this a spin, the idea that there’d be this many scrambling to put it out is raising an eyebrow to say the very least. Some very average attempts at anthemic melodic street punk from Barcelona, but to its credit, it at least bowls along at a rate of knots and couldn’t be accused of being plodding. Just very boring, unfortunately.

Gatzara S.N. LP

Barcelona tends to produce interesting bands, so I was psyched to check out GATZARA. Not quite what I was expecting—melodic, anthemic punk rock with group chorus chants and post-punk undertones. Musicianship on this release is at the fore, backed by a pristine production that highlights interlacing guitar harmonies. The album is catchy in a ’90s mall punk way with raspy sing-along parts and a “whoa-oh-oh” sensibility. Heartfelt to be sure, if somewhat stylistically dated.

Hilerri Herio Usaia LP

Brutal Spanish guitar-free D-beat. There’s a dark and sinister energy that their sound creates, even though (or specifically because) I am constantly yearning for that guitar. My mind is reaching for the empty space, and there’s nothing there. Because it’s empty. Because there’s no guitar. The songs are absolute shredders—erratic, no-bullshit, shit-fi D-beat mania punctuated by mid-tempo slogs like the title track. The songs are killers, the production and presentation are flawless. HILERRI is evil as fukk and they’ve got me hooked…and still I want those six strings.

Regimiento Spansul Sorpresas en el Barro EP

A short-lived unit out of early 1980s Valencia, REGIMIENTO SPANSUL left only the four tracks on this 7” behind as evidence of their rowdy little run. The sounds here range from spirited first-wave inspiration (“Haciendo Surf en Marte”) to prickly and groovy post-punk (“La Ejecución”). If you’ve been itching for some catchy and obscure Spanish nuggets, pick up this EP and consider yourself scratched.

Troners Troners LP

Hailing from Catalonia, TRONERS come crashing outta the gates on this self-titled debut LP. Speeding, whirlwind chaos with plenty of attitude, inspired by the likes of D.R.I. (there’s a cover of “A Coffin” sung in their native language), HERESY, and HHH. This record is super solid and I’m sure it would make their influences proud. This one is at its best when it’s at its speediest, which luckily is very often. Full of aggression and spirit, I really enjoyed this one!

V/A Somos El Peligro Social: Un Homenaje a Ultimo Resorte LP

Seminal early ’80s act ULTIMO RESORT left a lasting impact on not just their home turf of Barcelona, but on Spanish punk as a whole, which would explain the wide scope of groups united in homage on this sprawling tribute album. During their original run spanning from 1979 to 1984, the band channeled numerous styles, ranging from speedy hardcore to anthemic UK82, and the lineup of groups covering them here is equally diverse. Everybody from the ass-kicking DISTHROAT to technopunk experimenters ECM showed up to drop a track and pay respect. There are 24 tracks in total, packaged with a poster in this fitting follow-up to the retrospective LP that came out in 2023.