Reviews

For review and radio play consideration:

Please send one copy of vinyl (preferred), CD, or cassette releases to MRR, PO Box 3852, Oakland, CA 94609, USA.

Maximum Rocknroll wants to review everything that comes out in the world of underground punk rock, hardcore, garage, post-punk, thrash, etc. No major labels or labels exclusively distributed by major-owned distributors, no reviews of test pressings or promo CDs without final artwork. We reserve the right to reject releases on the basis of content. Music without vocals or drums will not be considered. All music submitted for review must have been released (or reissued) within the last two years. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!

Alambre De Púas Que Mierda Esperan de Mi? cassette

Chilean twosome ALAMBRE DE PUAS are the sonic equivalent of  barbed wire scraping on your eardrums. Their fourth EP Qué Mierda Esperan de Mí? is a disgustingly aggressive punk opus filled with political frustration. ALAMBRE DE PÚAS stay true to their roots with fast, distorted guitar riffs, explosive drums, and the rawest vocals known to man, just like they have accustomed us. Lyrically, the album tackles themes of nihilistic disillusionment, resistance, and inner struggles, with tracks like “Cállate” and “Y Que Me Importa a Mi?” standing out as anthems of nihilism. Punk driven by frantic mid-tempo beats that repeat and repeat on top of buzzing, brain-stomping guitars. Overall, a declaration of individuality, proving ALAMBRE DE PÚAS remain a force in punk. The artwork by member vocalist/guitarist Wati Bakan has a life of its own and further adds to the sonic violence and gritty aura.

Another Fucking Problem Sunburnt Earth cassette

This one feels like (sounds like) a time machine dragging me back to pre-stadium-crust melodic, political D-beat bands from the turn of the century. ANOTHER FUCKING PROBLEM aren’t rehashing the past, though—check the middle of the title track to see (hear) a band using their own influences to influence a proven formula, and then hear them form brutal metallic breakdowns in “Never Knew Their Names” to know that they’re taking the listener out of a comfort zone. Blistering, bombastic hardcore with sinister femme vocals and a predilection for molding the sonic process to their own needs.

Barcode Barcode cassette

Murfreesboro, Tennessee solo garage punk project. This is the debut release from BARCODE, which consists of four tracks of impossibly lo-fi recording quality. This tape is really interesting and the project seems like it could be very cool, but the lack of any sort of production makes it difficult to digest. Certain frequencies come through so harshly, mostly on the canned drums, that it becomes a bit of a chore to focus on and decipher, and I’m someone who loves when recordings are endearingly shitty. According to the label, all the tracks used on the four-track recording for this demo were recorded as voice memos on a phone. Perhaps that begins to explain why I have listened to it four times already and still can’t fully wrap my head around what I’m listening to. That isn’t to say that the songs are bad. Far from it, actually! The songwriting is pretty interesting, garage punk with drum machine dance beats and egg-punk chorus pedal twangy guitars. The vocals are delivered bizarrely lackadaisically, again perhaps due in part to the recording method. All in all it sounds like an egg-punk lo-lo-lo-fi bedroom pop project. I can’t wait for the recording setup to be upgraded in the slightest amount so that I can fully tell what BARCODE sounds like.

Chaos Trzy LP

This is an unearthed and smartly-packaged demo from a late ’90s Polish hardcore band. There is a late ’70s crunch to these tracks that don’t necessarily fit in line with what we typically think of ’80s hardcore (at least in the States). But this is a cool document, a snapshot of a regional scene I frankly knew little about. The remastering is well-done, giving a nice saturated sound throughout that elevates what’s there for a more contemporary-leaning ear. Nothing here is going to blow you away, but I’m always going to be excited by archival work like this. I’m grateful for a living punk history, a stream of time you can cup your hands into and drink deeply wherein every band holds a level of importance. No matter how small or underrated, so many bands were there laying it all down. That matters.

Cruelster Make Them Wonder Why LP

This is a great hardcore record. Hailing from the same Cleveland minds behind PERVERTS AGAIN and KNOWSO, CRUELSTER delivers straight-ahead ’80s Midwest-style hardcore with 4/4 rhythms and shouted vocals. The band is so tight, playing precise power chord punk like the best of them, classic and simple as the RAMONES but somehow completely distinct in attitude. CRUELSTER is also fun and has hooks for days. There are numerous sound clips amongst the blasts that never get old, and even some melodic gang vocal choruses that are as catchy as pop punk without being cloying. As weird as it sounds, tracks like “Jerks” and “Now I’m Terrestrial” give pub-chorus POGUES vibes, while still retaining full-tilt hardcore aggression. Check this out and leave it on repeat for weeks.

Death Side The Will Never Die 2xLP

If 2025 feels oppressively bleak and hope seems like a distant illusion, at least we have The Will Never Die. There have been a few iterations of this collection of singles, splits, and comp tracks tracing back to the late ‘90s, but La Vida Es Un Mus has assembled the definitive version here, gracing us with 40 cuts of crucial Burning Spirits hardcore across two LPs. Thoughtfully packaged in a gatefold sleeve and including a twelve-page booklet chock-full of band pics and fliers, this is like a (wasted) dream come true for pretentious non-collectors who want to jam some of the most blazing hardcore to ever be committed to wax without having to pay out the ass for rare records from Japan. For those uninitiated, DEATH SIDE is arguably the quintessential Burning Spirits hardcore band, with their debut EP Satisfy the Instinct serving as the genre’s seminal release. Infusing Japanese punk with NWOBHM guitar leads and accelerated tempos, the resulting sound is the embodiment of impassioned anger and self-empowerment. To call this epic would be a massive understatement. Mandatory punk shit here.

Deletär / Skizophrenia split EP

Two bands, two attitudes—this split comes out swinging. From France, SKIZOPHRENIA delivers snarling, crunchy hardcore with just enough melody to stick in your head but not soften the blow, though the vocals may sound annoying for some. “Needless” and “Stereotype” hit with laser-focus. On the flip, DELETÄR goes sharper and meaner: “La Balance et le Glaive” slices tension, “Funambule” barks with menace. The vinyl package (silkscreened sleeve, limited color press on red only available at live gigs) is DIY venom in physical form.

Dragnet Dragnet Reigns! LP

Third LP from Melbourne/Naarm-based DRAGNET. Sticking with their self-referential album titling (2019’s All Rise For Dragnet, 2023’s The Accession), we are presented with Dragnet Reigns! This six-piece fills every sonic space with peanut-butter-smooth bass, frantic yet precise drums, and gangly guitar riffs often as call-and-response with a jittery, eardrum-stabbing synth, all under the hypnosis of Jack Cherry’s (VINTAGE CROP) vocal conducting. Did I mention sax? Yeah, that’s in there too. All very of-the-moment Melbourne. This album marks a change-up, with Kailey Dick and Lisa Rashleigh (DELIVERY, SOURSOB) taking over for Meaghan Weiley and Alicia Nolan. Along with Tom Wooddruff (GONZO), this group is certainly filled out with heavy-hitters from (perhaps) Australia’s most prolific city. While they mostly deliver beat-driven, structured songs, I really enjoy the theme-divergent “Heroic Dose” that has single notes/beats/trills played by each instrument, one by one, under spoken word manifesto-poetry. Give this one a rip.

Filth-Kin Druid Gutter Crusters cassette

When I get assigned a release on Phobia Records, I always get ready for some heavy, dark, punishing, pummeling musical bollocking, and it is more often than not a pleasant, if exhausting, experience that I love to repeat. And let’s not beat around the bush here: Sweden’s FILTH-KIN is crust as fuck. On the one hand, they do play gruff, heavy old school crust that abides by the sacred guidelines, but on the other, they are also different in that they include a dirty, organic-sounding, almost psychedelic stoner influence to their cavemen music. The band is made up of members of WARCOLLAPSE, a long-running, well-established crust band that was always openly into weed and wrote some longer songs suiting that hobby. I suppose FILTH-KIN is a project meant to illustrate perfectly the basis of “stoner crust” (or perhaps “crust for stoners”) if it were a genre. As mentioned, the band uses a lot of WARCOLLAPSE’s old tricks (to my delight), but it sounds dirtier and I am also reminded of more groovy metallic bands like DEPRESSOR, DAZD, or ALEHAMMER. And for your discomfort, FILTH-KIN also adds weird interludes to create an atmosphere of unease and dementia and basically makes you feel like that weed might be too strong after all. Heavy, primitive, dark, rocking cavecrust with a penchant for the herb. I’m into it.

The Grimly Pleased I’d Be Delighted EP

I’m very pleased with this GRIMLY PLEASED four-song banger. This is sing-along-able, bouncy, simple, not changing any minds or breaking down any doors, and doing it all perfectly and loosely. This has elements of SICKO, the FEELIES, and the BANANAS while still retaining a sound of their own. Now I really want to go and check out everything I’ve missed from them.

Knee Knee cassette

The first four tracks from Brisbane’s KNEE. Gnarly and dark-edged, this is tough, mid-paced garage punk that infuses the spirits of the MISFITS with the stoner metal stomp of ZIG-ZAGS for a smooth, ripping ride. Definitely crank it.

Lavender Jets Junk Room Melodies LP

Very cool stuff here. Imagine SUPERCHUNK and DINOSAUR JR. energy with David Johansen at the helm—fuzzy punk with a snotty vocalist. The album is laid out well and ebbs and flows between high-energy anthems and low-key ballads. Speaking of production, this sounds like it was unearthed from the ’70s, and I mean that in the best way possible. Everything is leveled-out perfectly and is clean as can be. Distortion is crisp and natural, paired strongly with a tight rhythm section. Solid work, JETS.

The Manky Melters Carry On CD

I confess that I have very few reference points here—the MANKY MELTERS self-describe as “Celtic folk-punk,” and that seems about as good a summation as I could offer for these French rockers. I hear WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY, but that might be the violin and the vocals as much as the songs themselves…file this under “not my thing,” but I’ll be fukkd if I don’t find myself humming these tunes (especially “Dirty Drunk”) more than I ever would have expected. There are a couple of country/rock tracks (“Heat of the Moment,” in particular) that offer a welcome respite; fans of accordions and anthems will rejoice here. Every song sounds like a protest, and I can get behind that shit.

Neypa Neypa cassette

If you like furious, absolute rage-fueled hardcore, then you’ve got to check out NEYPA from Greece. Even the instrumental opener of their self-titled cassette sounds pissed-off. This three-piece tears through eight songs with the virtuosity of warriors and an impossibly dense delivery. Warp-speed guitars, intriguing breakdowns, and intense vocals make NEYPA a true hardcore unit. The song “ΦΩΤΙΑ ΣΤΑ ΣΑΛΟΝΙΑ ΣΑΣ” goes crazy and has a cool doom-inspired riff in the middle—seriously, just go check NEYPA out.

Paint Fumes Crime of Love / Try Me 7″

Absolutely fantastic slab, kicking off with “Crime of Love” which sounds like all of the best parts of FIDLAR and MASKED INTRUDER smashed together. “Try Me” is a classic doo-wop romp with raw, screaming vocals and a blistering guitar solo halfway through, reminding me a bit of BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY! This is a very strong outing and I would highly recommend it.

Peripetija Zar Nisi Besan LP

Fairly standard politically-minded straightedge hardcore from Serbia’s PERIPETIJA. Everything here is done well enough, and there’s a clear penchant for Boston HC in particular, as evidenced by the NO TOLERANCE cover. From what I understand, this is four tracks from a demo, six new ones, and that cover. Not bad, but not particularly life-changing.

Refrigerated Nurses Democracy’s Hands: Cooking the Chili 1991–1992 2xLP

Touted as “Northern Arizona’s first punk and hardcore band,” REFRIGERATED NURSES recorded two demos in the early 1990s, and here they are, forever preserved on red, black, and splattered white vinyl. The band had a bristling and speedy hardcore approach not too dissimilar from that of UK fastcore icons HERESY and CONCRETE SOX, powered by youthful enthusiasm and played with an unpolished DIY spirit. Of all the “high school band memories”-type releases out there, this one has the best song by far to reference chili-making as a metaphor for painful teenage angst.

S.G.A.T.V. Collected Recordings 2020–2023 cassette

Complete discography cassette of a solo new wave project from Frauenfeld, Switzerland. Killer songwriting, mostly driven by synth and drum machine. Stylistically S.G.A.T.V. is all over the map. Spastic, eggy punk riffs, catchy dreamy synth pop, danceable club music licks somehow tastefully crafted into driving synth-heavy disco punk songs. Is that a damn thing? Well, it is now thanks to S.G.A.T.V. There’s a slow progression to these songs that reads like storyline-driven songwriting. It adds an epic feeling to these songs, as if they were written to be in some sort of new wave freaker musical. Apparently this discography cassette was released for this solo recording project to do a two-week Euro tour as a full six-piece band. Holy hell, I would absolutely have loved to see how these songs were recreated live. The fine folks over at Chrüsimüsi Records really pulled out all the stops with this release. In my thirty-some years of listening to music on cassettes, I have never seen one with printing in this manner. Black-and-white artwork printed on both sides of the shell of the tape itself in a way that I can’t quite tell how it was done. Intriguing and awesome, which are also adjectives I would use to describe S.G.A.T.V.

Sickness of Greed All That’s Before Us cassette

Some people like to muse about the meaning of life, sometimes because they believe chin-stroking makes them look profound or because they have just listened to too much emo music (the punk equivalent of being fanatically into French existentialist authors). I have no idea if SICKNESS OF GREED thinks hard about the meaning of life, but they certainly nailed the meaning of LIFE. The name of this Austin band comes from a song from the Tokyo crust masters, so it already provides the listener with heavy clues as to what to expect (or to fear, if you still listen to too much emocore). They also nicked the COLLAPSE SOCIETY logo for their banner in case you’re a bit slow. All That’s Before Us is the band’s first recording, and it showcases emphatically what they crave to achieve. The Japanese crust influence can be felt (BATTLE OF DISARM comes to mind), but can’t be said to prevail on these eleven songs. I am getting a big ’90s cavecrust vibe here, classics like ’92 DISRUPT and HIATUS or Tom Croft-era DOOM have been sent invites, and so have more confidential orchestras like SARCASM or SAUNA and some ’00s heroes like NUCLEAR DEATH TERROR or VISIONS OF WAR. This tape feels like an epic crust birthday party: you already know how much fun you’re gonna have and it doesn’t matter if it’s the same as last year’s. My only criticism has to do with some drumming parts that don’t really go well with the flow or sound a little offbeat. But then it’s a crust demo tape, so who expects seamlessness? Definitely up my alley.

Total Vacation Balloons cassette

California’s TOTAL VACATION packs up eleven short and sweet, full-throttle hardcore punk gems in their latest release, Balloons. It’s not one of those records that takes itself too seriously and that’s exactly why I love it. “Tough-guy hardcore” is good and all, but I think we need more of what TOTAL VACATION is bringing to the table: songs that are fun yet still grounded in the realities of the world. I personally love drum-dominated recordings, and this surely is one of them. It doesn’t mean that it has anything lacking, though. The riffs and songwriting are incredibly fun and the energy of the vocals is just perfect for the sound. The muffled, lo-fi nature of the recording and occasional sloppiness definitely add to the raw energy of the record, too. If you are a fan of the JUDY AND THE JERKS and have been in the search of something to scratch that itch, definitely check out Balloons.

Unfortunates Ritual CD

A screeching sound that leaves one with anxiety can be heard, followed by reverb-drenched tribal drumming with ethereal words being spoken through the winds. “A Machi’s Premonition” sets the tone for the Ritual about to ensue. Machi is the shaman of the Mapuche people, an indigenous group living in south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. UNFORTUNATES create post-punk leaning towards deathrock, not that distant from what French band BLEAKNESS does so well, but with very spiritual themes. Catchy, bleak, cold and captivating, this EP puts a fresh, eerie twist on deathrock. With haunting, reverb-heavy vocals and a driving, bass-forward sound, they channel the spirit of classic goth and post-punk bands while adding a spiritual edge.

Weepcar So You Keep Your Eyes Closed at the End cassette

Five tracks of metallic hardcore from Tulsa, OK. WEEPCAR pulls from metallic hardcore bands like INTEGRITY and BLOODLET with some Gravity Records-style interlocking guitar work for a mix of brutality and introspection. WEEPCAR is strongest when the sound incorporates light skramz influences, like on “I Cannot Abide.” The minor-key guitar leads coupled with lyrics like “Twelve hours on the factory floor / The best paycheck I could’ve ever hoped for / It has me making the bombs that are dropped on kids / This is how I pay my bills” capture frustration and despair, ending with “I cannot abide / The hunger, the horror / I cannot abide / The slaughter, the lies.” The full-throated vocal delivery and chug-a-lug riffing might be a line in the sand for some MRR readers, but the upfront production and strong playing make for a good tape if you like capital-H hardcore.

Your Pest Band Blaze By Me LP

Putting out music since 2008, these Japanese heavy-hitters keep after it with the new LP Blaze By Me. This is their seventh full-length, amongst a sea of singles, EPs, splits, and comps. Chunky guitars, poppy drums, and vocals with enough grit to lure in any listener opposed to “catchy” music, and that’s exactly what this is: catchy music, in the best way possible. “Don’t Stop the Music,” for example, is heartfelt, angsty, uses the title as an anthemic chorus hook, and…has a glam rock solo? Pretty sick. From some brief listens back, it’s no surprise that their songs used to be a little louder, faster, and more chaotic, but what we find here still packs plenty of punch, teeth-gnashing, and venom. “They’re Talking About” is a prime example of the songwriting mastery at work—MÖTLEY CRÜE guitars with the disenfranchised vocals from punk realms like WIRE, WIPERS, or HÜSKER DÜ. Great LP from this long-tenured band.

V/A Peacocking in Memphis: 4 Songs in Tribute to the River City EP

Four songs celebrating landmarks in Memphis, Tennessee. Not only do I love this premise for an EP, but each band really brought their own unique spin to each landmark or track. None of the bands were afraid to get a little weird, or mess around with electronics and faster-tempo punk. For me, the highlight was the vocals in “The Day They Took Baby Jesus Away,” as they just got more and more unhinged, from growling to screamo, as the track went on. Great tribute record.

Atomski Rat Krvava Ravnica cassette

The folk-ish intro leads the mind to an unpredictable landscape, not too distant from something DEAD CAN DANCE would do, but as soon as you start to wonder if you are playing the right record, ATOMSKI RAT drops the bomb on your ears. A barrage of noisy hardcore/thrash soon follows. This Serbian outfit perfect the art of playing thrashy, crusty riffs in the vein of heavyweights EXTREME NOISE TERROR, with a sensitivity towards darker melodies like Swedish champions WOLFBRIGADE. In other words, this feels like a band that decided to only play the steady crust mid-tempo riffs from a grindcore album. And I mean that in a great way!

Brigada Subterránea Brigada Subterránea cassette

BRIGADA SUBTERRÁNEA from Santiago, Chile released this self-titled cassette over a year ago, but it still hits with a fresh dose of dark sound that is as much gothic punk as it is Oi!-inspired street punk, and it fucking rocks. The combo of overdriven, chorused guitars and gravelly vocals is great, but BRIGADA SUBTERRÁNEA also throws in some Tresillo rhythm and an incredibly intricate approach to song structure. This nine-song cassette is an absolute must-listen.

Canines Canines demo cassette

I was really drawn to the grittiness of these tracks. The growling, disgruntled vocals really added to the atmosphere of unease that they created. Their cover of “A Forest” by the CURE (titled “Une Foreât” on their demo) caught me off guard in the best way; I didn’t recognize it at first, but I really enjoyed their iteration of it, especially with the intensity of desire that built with the repetition of the word “again.” There were a couple songs where I felt they built the tension super well, but then there wasn’t quite the explosion that I had imagined. Regardless, I loved the grunting and growling and pure emotion in every track.

The Corpse Jarocin ‘88 LP

The CORPSE from Poland was a band I wasn’t terribly familiar with before receiving this assignment. I couldn’t find too much on them online, however they do have a pretty cool demo from ’88 called Fight Against Rules that’s worth checking out. Anyways, Jarocin ’88 is a pretty decent live recording of the band playing what was (according to some liner notes) potentially the first hardcore punk gig in Poland. The CORSPE plays a great set that showcases their thrashy speed and ferocity. Their sound has some obvious Japanese and UK influence (they have their own song called “Protestuj I Przeżyj,” or “Protest and Survive”), as well as a little bit of rubbery surf guitar sprinkled in to nice effect. I don’t know that I’d go so far as to say this is essential, but definitely an interesting recording worth a listen.

Dead Mammals II LP

Engaging noise rock/heavy grunge record from this Rochester, UK band. Pulling from sounds like COP SHOOT COP and HELMET, the bass and drums lock together like a machine, as the vocalist moves from slurred sing/speaking into screaming with ease. Slow builds are key here, like on “Itch,” which features an ominous mid-tempo chug, even through the eventual atonal guitar solo release. A few tracks like “The Ground Takes Anyone” and “Heir Sid” veer into grungy waters with loping minor-key guitar figures that crash into Big Muff crunch, not unlike vintage ALICE IN CHAINS. Big riffs and big moods abound for the rockers among us.

Dog Lips Danger Forward cassette

A nice mixture of new wave, post-punk, hardcore, and a hint of surf rock. There’s a really solid juxtaposition between the music and the vocals; reverb-heavy sparkling guitars, fuzz-punched bass, and guttural-yet-melodic singing. The drums sit nicely in the pocket and keep everything moving and danceable. Sounds like JOY DIVISION smashed together with ANGELIC UPSTARTS. Catchy and charismatic as hell. This is well worth a play.

Electric Prawns 2 Perspex cassette

A real wild, tripped-out experience awaits you with the second release by ELECTRIC PRAWNS 2, although it doesn’t say that name anywhere on the cassette’s artwork. Driving garage punk, plodding post-punk, weirdly beautiful pop-psych, ELECTRIC PRAWNS 2 touch on all of these subgenres and more throughout the odyssey of this release. This is not going to be palatable for all of you dear MRR readers who surely have greatly reduced attention spans from all the years you’ve spent huffing inhalants or damaging your brains in some other way. With six of this tape’s nine songs pushing or surpassing four minutes in length, it’s sure to be off-putting for those preferring their punk songs short and sweet. Personally, I say buckle in, dim the lights, and enjoy the journey. The tape starts off sounding like if EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING was a full-on post-punk band. I’m sure part of that comparison is coming because ELECTRIC PRAWNS 2 are also from Australia, but it’s more than just that. As the tape continues into its more out-there realm, you end up with tracks sounding like JOHN’S CHILDREN, Mark Bolan’s pre-T. REX mod-rock band. The only thing that truly isn’t for me on the tape is the final track, which is an incredibly long acoustic guitar sing-along number likely intended to be a LOVE-inspired track rather than some hippie nonsense, but maybe take an early exit from this rollercoaster ride, skipping the final lap to avoid that one.

Glitterfast Glitterfast EP

Tokyo’s GLITTERFAST hits us with a punk rock blast of rare pedigree. With a blunt and blaring garage style in the shining spirit of the RAYDIOS and TEENGENERATE, these guys are no frills and all kills. The songs couldn’t be more straightforward (“Japanpunk,” “Faster, Louder”), nor are they in need of any excessive decoration. Hell, they could barely be bothered with sleeve art. They’re just playing that wild O.G. rock’n’roll in the vein of other modern-day torch-carriers ANGEL FACE (featuring the mighty Fink himself), helping to keep the dream alive. God bless ’em—it rules.

Humble Beginnings Overanalyzing the Manifestations of the Unconscious 12″

This, to me, has a very ’90s pop punk flavor. I mean, this is a reissue from 1998, and by the time that you read this there is a high chance that this will already be sold out, but it is aurally transportive back to ’90s pop punk. This release is a terrific footnote to plop in with BUGLITE, SLEEPASAURUS, WESTON, PLOW UNITED, and so on. If you were around in the late ’90s NJ scene and missed out on this piece of history, you now have a chance to amend those poor life choices. If you are interested in ’90s NJ pop punk and have always wondered what it sounded like in the ’90s, you now have a chance to be that person, too.

Kirkby Kiss Four Color Black LP

KIRKBY KISS’s second full-length Four Color Black serves as a journey back to the hardcore sound of the early ’90s, tapping into that potent blend of dissonance and unpredictability. From the first track, it’s clear the band is channeling the chaotic power of acts like BOTCH or DEADGUY without straying too far from hardcore roots, from BAD BRAINS to FUGAZI. What really stands out is how KIRKBY KISS manages to weave the complexity of emotions into their sound. It’s not just about power or anger, it’s about connection, vulnerability, and coming to terms with the darker aspects of life.  The album closer, “Am I Seeing This Clearly,” features none other than JJ Janiak from the godfathers of hardcore DISCHARGE, alongside some synth work by JP Parsons from FALSE FED (who Janiak also sings for).

Las Ánimas Del Cuarto Obscuro Las Ánimas Del Cuarto Obscuro 12″ reissue

LAS ÁNIMAS DEL CURATO OBSCURO formed in Mexico City in the latter half of the 1980s. Although short-lived, the band, through earlier adoption of post-punk and gothic rock, inspired a burgeoning underground of dark rockers. Originally released in 1988, the eight-song full-length Las Ánimas Del Cuarto Obscuro was self-released and distributed by the band. However, now in 2025 it is available for international purchase through the wonderful humans at La Vida Es Un Mus. This lovingly reproduced 12″ captures the gritty, cool swagger of LAS ÁNIMAS DEL CURATO OBSCURO with perfect accuracy. Guitar riffs that drift into focus and fall away, synthesizers that scream with intergalactic melancholy, and a tight, danceable rhythm section form songs that are constantly shifting jams. All this variety is crystalized into structure through lyrical themes that capture the various aspects of a relatable disaffected adolescence. In total, Las Ánimas Del Cuarto Obscuro is an astounding listen from start to finish.

Mako Vanish… Into Darkness cassette

Tennessee-based extreme music novelty project themed entirely about sharks, as could potentially be deduced by the name. My initial thought of the project is that it was probably a fun, goofy thing to do with some friends over the course of a weekend, and I highly doubted we would see another release by MAKO. Doing some digging, I have found that, against all odds, this is somehow the band’s fifth release, and they are a self-proclaimed “sharkgrind” band. Well, guess I was way off. Granted, I don’t have a ton of knowledge about modern grindcore or its subgenre of goregrind, and know absolutely nothing about its sub-subgenre of sharkgrind. Onto the music. The band’s shark obsession might sound like a fun gimmick on paper, but MAKO proves that even apex predators can flop. There are plenty of hooks, but unfortunately they’ve all gone dull, resulting in a sea of forgettable riffs. Mostly the recording just kind of sounds like unremarkable grindcore, but there are multiple times where the song will be bopping along at a decent pace, then the tempo drastically slows down when blastbeats are forced in, waiting for the beat to catch up. Peppering the little surf drumbeat into the most tongue-in-cheek song on the tape (“Shark Attack!”) was a fun little touch, tho. When all is said and done, this is a real catch-and-release kind of cassette for me.

Neglected / Positive Outlook Final Solution / No More War! split LP

The record that no Bay Area nerd even knew they needed until they heard it, because holy shit, these two demos are stunners. POSITIVE OUTLOOK featured VIOLENT COERCION/ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT guitarist Eric McIntire, and after a few member changes in 1987, they kinda morphed into NEGLECTED when the sound got a bit darker. Both bands played screaming ’80s USHC—fast ’n loose and full of energy, the kind of shit that needs to be unearthed and preserved. The LP comes with a massive booklet full of stuff that was probably just sitting in a shoebox until F.O.A.D. came calling…mandatory dose of under-appreciated Bay Area hardcore.

Oi!takus / The Spiky Tops Operation Pogo split EP

Listen, I know I’m only supposed to focus on the music here, but I need to get something off my chest, because I see this happening more and more and if this review can help change even one mind then my job is done. If you choose to do a split with another band, it completely defeats the purpose of doing it if you upload both halves to different Bandcamp accounts. It even makes less sense if you don’t link the listener to the other side within the same page. The whole idea of a split is to expose your listeners to a completely different band. If I have to actively search where to find the flipside of a record, then the experiment has failed. With that being said, OI!TAKUS plays a generic form of neckbeard street punk chock-full of anime references, and SPIKY TOPS play a generic form of power pop street punk chock-full of your typical punk tropes, and both bands sound like the type of punk act you’d see on some Nickelodeon show like iCarly. Seems like they had fun, though.

Plasma Mua Et Voi Omistaa LP

Finnish punk architects PLASMA hit the ground running. Their debut LP is frothing with swagger, doing the “classic yet fresh” thing effortlessly via ten tight cuts. Loaded with poison-tipped tupa-tupa and head-bobbing hardcore style, this hits all the right spots for a stunning first impression. Bouncy bass, bumping drums, malicious licks, and a lovely punk sneer—everybody’s on fire here.

Point of No Return The Language of Refusal LP

Veterans of Brazilian hardcore who refuse to stay quiet. After years of silence, POINT OF NO RETURN returns with a sharp political blade: themes of labor, ecology, colonial injustice, authoritarianism; the record cuts deep. The riffs are heavy, often a metallic mosh, and gang vocals ring with communal anger. It’s straightedge ethics married to global struggle. The production is punchy but raw enough to keep the edge. This isn’t nostalgia and it isn’t safe—it’s a summons.

Recall Corpse EP

There must be something in the water (or more likely in the cheap beer) in Montreal, because new punk bands seem to spring to life there everyday. I had not heard of RECALL, but am familiar with some of the other bands the members are involved in. You can tell that their sound has been carefully thought out, especially the guitar tones, and it is, overall, a well-crafted EP. However, if it sounds good, I am a little confused about what they are actually trying to achieve in terms of genre. There is a D-beat element to be sure, but the production and the vocal flow and tone don’t really fit with the style. It lacks that raw brutality one associates with the D, and while I assume American hardcore is still the prime influence, I don’t think RECALL quite got that balance between both worlds. I am not a USHC fan so I might be missing the point completely, but it doesn’t do it for me.

Scrapped Plans Buddy Buddy Belgium LP

This record is brought to you by a sort of  pop punk supergroup featuring Grath Madden (the STEINWAYS, ROBOT BACHELOR, etc.), Michelle Shirelle (the STEINWAYS, HASTY), Fraser Murderburger (the MURDERBURGERS, WRONG LIFE, the PHASE PROBLEM), Kieron Jordan (DON BLAKE), and, of course, Mikey Erg (every other band on the planet). The TL;DR story here is that this sounds like a deliciously balanced mix of the STEINWAYS and the MURDERBURGERS, but that simplification would betray the quality of  this project. Two pillars hold this up: songcraft of the highest order by people who love the melodic side of punk rock so fucking much, and the fun they probably had making this record. The songs sound like they just came together with clever hooks and catchy melodies out of an epic hangout session, which from what I’ve read is kind of what happened. Standout tracks for me are the ones that spotlight Michelle Shirelle (one full-band and one acoustic), but as a long-time enjoyer of the work of everyone in this band, this was tailor-made for me.

Seein Red This LP Kills Fascists LP

A long-overdue vinyl release of SEEIN RED tracks from 2001–2003 that were originally released on compact disc in 2004 to coincide with a Brazilian tour. To fit on vinyl, they had to shave off a few cuts, so what we have here are 35 tracks of timeless, political hardcore punk. I’ve had the privilege of seeing the band live a few times, and these tunes capture their energy and vigor well. Fast as fuck and absolutely pissed at the state of things (still sadly poignant twenty-plus years on), this is the perfect encapsulation of why punk remains relevant, both as musical genre and as a social movement. While they don’t sound much like LOS CRUDOS, I think of SEEIN RED in a similar way—true classics of the modern era. And to top it off, they’re still going strong to this day, having released a killer LP just last year. Uncompromising and unyielding, SEEIN RED offers a blueprint for lifelong dedication to DIY punk.

Shrinkwrap Killers Feed the Clones Pt. 2 LP

This is a refinement to the highest degree of this project’s original mission. Carrying on the baton of the SPITS’ catchy post-apocalyptic brain damage rock, or at least hinting at it, this project carves its own identity as self-assured and grim pop songs (to a degree) buried in aeons of cosmic sludge. There’s a theatricality to the proceedings in the best way possible, especially in more dirgelike fare like “Eminent Death,” but there is nothing cornball here. The music is excellent, the melodies and harmonies laser-focused, and the scope has a space opera sheen even while keeping me mired in the muck of the gutter. If you’ll indulge me, this feels like punk’s answer to SLOUGH FEG’s cosmic RPG concept record Traveler, but while that band is mighty if terminally uncool, this project manages to construct something no less epic but much more rad. The stabs of spooky Ed Wood synth queasily piercing the tight mutoid punk never grows old, and overall this is a wealth of ideas all in one majorly satisfying package.

Terror Management Band Austerity Gospel LP

This is the second LP from this Florida crew, featuring Mike Taylor of PALATKA fame.  Everyone here’s been in five other bands with names like MINIMUM RAGE or STAB THAT MOTHERFUCKER, so the pedigree is real. They bill themselves as “Southern Gothic noise rock,” and what that translates to is 39 minutes of feedback, lurching riffs, and rant-sung vocals that evoke the experience of someone cornering you at a party to explain why everything is collapsing. The problem for me is momentum. When I think noise rock, I default to the AmRep strain of ’90s bands that sounded relentless, punishing, always moving forward. Austerity Gospel doesn’t really deliver that drive. Too often, the music sinks into plodding tempos without the weight that might make those moments feel crushing. Instead, some of these songs drift toward post-rock soundscapes. The second song “Minorcan” especially feels more MOGWAI than UNSANE, which for me blunts the record’s impact. Not a bad album by any stretch, but it left me wanting more force, less drift. Maybe it’s about expectations? Check it out if you’re a fan of music that drifts between post-hardcore, post-rock, and noise rock without fully committing to any. “The Chisel” was probably my favorite track.

Without Skin Collecting / Inner Debts LP

Man…if this past is the future? I am fukkn here for it. France’s WITHOUT SKIN delivers uncompromising heavy hardcore with metallic leads and meandering art/core riffs. Think of a time when ASSAULT, ANODYNE, TORCHE, and CAVE IN walked the earth and just destroyed shit, you know? That’s the energy I get from WITHOUT SKIN—power without pretense. The internet suggests that they’ve progressed considerably since 2022’s four-song assault Ascents, but it’s a progression that comes with an increased focus on the greater mission that lets them exude power in a manner of their choosing, you know? This one was extremely refreshing, highly recommend.

Yuasa-Exide Go to Hell Encyclopaedia Britannica cassette

Eleven tracks of scruffy, four-track psych pop from prolific Minneapolis singer/songwriter Douglas Bussan. Prolific as in twenty-plus full-length albums of distortion-cracked melodic gems that kind of sound like GUIDED BY VOICES or DEERHUNTER caked in several feet of dirt and grime. Bussan, joined by a revolving cast of friends on these DIY home recordings, has a gruff voice like a lo-fi TOM WAITS calling from a distant payphone, which grounds each melody with world-weariness and authenticity. There is a repetitive droning quality on tracks like “More Surreal” and “The Picture You Painted” coupled with a raw earnestness that pulls you in for repeat listens.

Zeal Illusion of Peace LP

For most punks, the word “zeal” has something of a bad connotation, as it might remind one of that excruciatingly annoying colleague who would do anything to be noticed, praised, and rewarded by the boss. We’ve all had coworkers who groveled their way to the top and would have sold their mums if it meant they could garner a small pay raise. Fortunately, ZEAL does not partake in this kind of capitalistic zeal, as they are hardcore enthusiasts instead. The Illusion of Peace LP is a crucial reissue of their tape released in 2024, an absolutely brilliant recording that ticked a lot of highly cherished boxes. ZEAL is from Ottawa and delivers high-intensity, seemingly unstoppable hardcore punk that takes inspiration from the good shit: mean, gruff käng and triumphant Japanese hardcore. The band reminds me of DESTRUCT in terms of relentlessness—listening to this LP makes me feel invincible and just happy to be there (the feeling never lasts long, but you know what I mean). The power of ANTI-CIMEX or DRILLER KILLER gets the front seat with epic Burning Spirits hardcore bands like BASTARD or DEATH SIDE close by. I am not always a sucker for the trademark “gang chorus,” but they do take the intensity up a notch here. I am also hearing mid-’00s studded bands like Portland’s BLOOD SPIT NIGHT or GUIDED CRADLE from Czechia. We are drowning in bands these days and there’s a fancy American novelty hardcore band supposedly reinventing the genre every fortnight, so hyperboles have become the norm in how we talk about punk. Still, you can believe me when I claim that this is a fantastic, impactful hardcore punk album that deserves a lot of attention.

V/A Comp Punksylvania Live, Vol. 4 LP

There are two things to keep in mind when you read this review. The first is that this is a live record, but the sound is clear and the bands all deliver a high-energy performance that makes you feel like you are right there. The second thing is that I love this very, very much. When I see a DCxPC record in my in box, I get stoked, and this one seems to have set a new bar for me. This has everything from goofy songs about by a person’s husband being fucked by a werewolf (in the song “My Husband Got Fucked By a Werewolf” by the KARENS), to blazing thousand-mile-per-hour hardcore from SHIP OF FOOLS, to completely unhinged, blazing-speed ska hardcore oddballs the CHEMICAL IMBALANCE. All the bands turn in a top performance, so anything I call out is just the little bits that push this over the edge—SOJI, SUBURBAN DOWNGRADE, WORKING CLASS STIFFS. MARY SHELLEY brings in a B-52’S and EPOXIES element that completely blindsided me with greatness. This is a great live comp with consistent sound quality and amazing song choices. So, here is the ultimate question of how I feel a compilation should be judged. Did this make me want to seek out new music by any band or bands I haven’t heard or heard of until now? Yes it did, 100 percent. And sonuvabitch, now I have to go find the first three volumes, too.

Aftermath The Cutting Begins LP

Damn, that is one strikingly grim cover, one that can be seen as a warning to the listener who therefore will no longer be able claim that they didn’t suspect that there’s proper dark music ahead. AFTERMATH makes no secret of their sonic intentions and unleashes their primitive brand of metallic crust from the outset of their first full album, The Cutting Begins. I discovered the band through their first record, the Garbage Day 10”, and rather like their simple but effective gait on the well-trodden path of dark Swedish crust. AFTERMATH will sound familiar to most crusties, which is not a bad thing, and this second effort incorporates a more pronounced metallic stenchcore influence with the addition of mid-paced numbers (not far from CANCER SPREADING) to their groovy crust. The music has an early extreme metal vibe as well, and I am significantly reminded of LEGION 666 or early ANGUISH (especially in the vocals and some arrangements), although the sound is definitely embedded in the Swedish tradition. It is a solid follow-up that demonstrates the quality and the seriousness of the project (I have to admit the 10” left me wondering), and something of an improvement on the first one if you like more filthy metal in your crustcore.