Zero Bars Life and Hell cassette
Toronto three-piece ZERO BARS cranked out six songs of tight punk rock’n’roll on their Life and Hell cassette, with most clocking in under the two-minute mark but landing with plenty of bite. The first few tracks show up like a slightly less feral DEAN DIRG or MARKED MEN, all forward motion and sweaty basement show vibes. Then they flip the script with “Prove It”—taking a jab at the high cost of seeing these legacy punk acts—and “House Arrest,” both of which flirt with harmonics and channel a post-punk-adjacent feel. Things wrap up with a legit cover of the CRUCIFUCKS’ “Mountain Song” that sticks the landing. The audio sounds great and the playing is rock solid. The tape left me wanting more. Check out “Nervous Wire.”