V/A Florida Underground Fest, Volume Two LP

At first, I thought this was a showcase of Christian punk. Turns out, it’s a compilation of live acts from Florida Underground Fest 5, and features a hearty mix of pop punk, ska, and metal. It’s not rough enough around the edges for my personal tastes, and there is too much silly onstage banter for me. It reminds me of watching a small local fest where you catch two or three bands that really have their shit together, and the other ones are bands you’ll probably never hear again. Even the “metal” songs are silly and soft, lacking any real edge or intensity. FLAGMAN sounds like a pop punk version of SYSTEM OF A DOWN (interpret that how you will), and CHILLED MONKEY BRAINS do a cover of the “The Trooper” by IRON MAIDEN that is as dumb as their band name. The GILLIAN CARTER tune kind of rips if you’re into that heavy screamo noise thing. I am not, but it’s the cream of the crop here. I’m still not convinced this isn’t a Christian punk comp.

• Reviewer Sir Bobos
• Label DCxPC
• Issue MRR #513 • February 2026