Reviews

For review and radio play consideration:

Please send 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. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!

Argh Se Pudrio Todo​.​.​. Adios LP

Some real evil Troglodyte hop for the real rockers in this release. The chaps from Chile have produced an addictive mix of hardcore and Oi! with rocker flourishes to genuinely dizzying effect. Genre-hopping even within songs, swinging between the sort of dark and dense Oi! of the modern French wave, chugging hardcore, and even guitar noodling, it’s hard to put a precise pin on it, other than it is, quite simply, raging. It does come across in parts as a turbo-charged ESKORBUTO too, which I consider a compliment.

Autor Kommen und Gehen LP

Post-punk-adjacent band from Vienna. Something that really stuck with me was how consistently strong their rhythm section was; the bass and drums were so solid and a heavy backbone to the music, which allowed for more variation for vocals and guitar.  They also had great transitions, both within a song and from one song to another, like the feedback from the end of “Das” blending into the noise in the beginning of “Leere.”

Bamberdöst Songs About Your “Girlfriend” CD

Formerly the solo project for BAD WHOREMAOANS’ vocalist Paul Mauled, BAMBERDÖST presents here as a fully realized melodic punk trio. Thirteen heartfelt, love-laden laments with titles like “Tell Me You’re Safe,” “Favorite Creature,” and “I’m Not Leaving Sleep Over You,” to give you a little insight into your listening mission before you even embark. They’re from New Jersey, but I hear NOVA MOB and D4 in these tracks, and I get distinct Midwest energy mingling with jangly almost-emo and hints of gloomy garage. Rare to see (hear) an outfit successfully make the move from solo acoustic act to full band, but BAMBERDÖST appears to be doing exactly that.

Bliss Pure Bliss LP

You tell me something is glam/punk and you’d better deliver. This band was active from 1976 to 1979, and all of these unreleased cuts were recorded beginning in 1978. In the cover photo, they look very wholesome, almost BAY CITY ROLLERS-like. And while there’s definitely a pop vibe to go with the glam, it’s definitely got some edge to it. More than glam or punk, I feel like I’d call this power pop. That said, “Mirror Mirror” has a definite GENERATION X sound going on. Some of the songs have some very curious interludes in them, like they just fade off into space. Overall, I’d say it’s worth a check-out.

Cheap Entertainment Le Dernier Mistral 12″

A clean and unique hybrid of styles coming out of France’s CHEAP ENTERTAINMENT. This eight-song record, the band’s debut, is decidedly post-punk in spirit, but no-frills in delivery, and there’s also an undercurrent of spirited pop-punking lurking here. It seems to be informed by both the more anthemic side of the ’90s and the moody Oi! movement of recent years. Is “working class emo” a thing? Because this is kind of like that.

Cucuy People Talking cassette

Great six-song tape from this Chicago band that blends the jazzy aspects of the MINUTEMEN with the unhinged, off-kilter vocal approach of MYSTIC INANE. Not all great punk bands need to be technically proficient, but this one is, jumping from complex top-of-the-neck guitar leads with bouncing bass and skittery, roll-heavy drums to straight-ahead hardcore with ease. “Speed of Smell” (best title I have heard this year) has a catchy tapped-guitar hook that manages to rage like mutant garage punk. Closing track “You Want a Picture” moves from exasperated hardcore shouting and hits a noise-punk groove that jams for about a minute until the end. Like a high-speed rally race, CUCUY is equally precise and out of control. Check it out—it rules.

Deathfiend Dark Rising LP

Doomy, psychedelic death metal merged with sludgier sounds on this one. Relentless and progressive second release from this Birmingham outfit, pulsing with old school death metal and applying pinches of doom, black metal, sludge and hardcore with maddening, trance-like outer space sounds. Darkened final doomsday vibes with a fulminating string section and vocals that reach for a beat more all record long. Intense and cathartic.

Der Moderne Man 80 Tage auf See LP reissue

Considered one of the first German punk albums, Tapete gives us a reissue of this incomparable LP by DER MODERNE MAN. If you’re not already familiar, congrats on getting to hear this one for the first time. This is Neue Deutsche Welle before there was a word to even describe what you were hearing. Absolutely brilliant post-punk mixed with some electronic sounds, the energy here is tense, taught, turbulent, yet fully in control. The simmering build of “Haarschnitt” into the controlled mania of WIRE-esque standout “Dauerlauf” is a perfect one-two punch. The variety in these twelve tracks is a testament to the group’s expansive sonic palette, having traveled to New York and London to dig into those scenes before creating this album—you can hear RAMONES, you can hear CLASH, you can even hear MAGMA (were they hanging in Paris?), but you’d never mistake DER MODERNE MAN for anything but themselves, pioneers in sound. Put this in your ears.

Ferida Aberta Resultado da Guerra cassette

When someone mentions traditional Brazilian hardcore thrash, you instantly think of contagious energy, of punk-as-fuck aggression with super angry vocals, and of bandanas. FERIDA ABERTA seems to be a new band from São Paolo, as Resultado da Guerra is a tape reissue of their first LP from 2024 and their songs from the split tape with ESCORIA from the year before that. The name actually comes from a song from the legendary LOBOTOMIA, and unsurprisingly, this hardcore punk unit doesn’t dick around and does rather well what it is supposed to. I am reminded of more experienced bands like ESCALPO or ODIO SOCIAL, although FERIDA ABERTA are more raw and perhaps more primitive with some crunchy tempo changes. I hadn’t really listened carefully to that type of sound for a while and I have to say I quite enjoyed it, even if it does feel a little long at times. Just good, dynamic, honest metallic hardcore punk that must be very entertaining live.

Golden Shitters Brutal Planet LP

Hamilton, Ontario’s GOLDEN SHITTERS deliver twelve tracks of snotty, ’77-style punk that’s fast, infectious, and just dirty enough to keep it fun. If you’re into the MARKED MEN, you’ll dig this—riff-driven, high-energy, and catchy as hell. The vocals get a little snotty at times, throwing off some SCREECHING WEASEL or QUEERS vibes, but it’s the guitars that really drive the thing home. Most songs barely hit the two-minute mark, and even though tracks like “Everything Sucks” and “I Don’t Wanna Live” lyrically aren’t exactly sunshine and rainbows, the band’s energy will put some boogie in your butt. If you like your tunes with a little attitude and a lot of energy, this band is worth your time.

Hyperdog Frog Mountain cassette

Debut full-length from HYPERDOG of Linz, Austria. The opener, “Enter The Mountain,” starts with the original Playstation boot-up sound (can’t forget that noise), followed by a sort of lovely, moody synth track, completely disorienting you from the garage-y, distorted-vocal hardcore that follows. Looking at the psychedelic album art, I thought I was going to get some southern US doomer band, but obviously looks deceive. Is that a theme here? The eleven tracks within are fast, short, and tight. Some songs yell at you, like “Cop,” while others have a playfulness, like “House on the Hill,” featuring carefree, shimmery guitars. This is the US release, with the same release available on vinyl from Swish Swash Records in Europe (slightly different album art, same vibe). Fun debut that keeps you guessing!

Killing Frost Years in Permafrost​: Recordings 2021​–2024 LP

From what must be the most frigid Finnish wasteland emerges KILLING FROST, delivering a thrash metal/hardcore mash-up that feels like a frozen hammer smack to the dome. Years in Permafrost cobbles together their demo, EP, and some extra gems onto a convenient 12” slab. Expansive and epic forays with soaring solos, melodic backing vocals, and synth are juxtaposed with driving metal punk with Scandinavian-inspired riffs. CELTIC FROST bears an undeniable influence, but there is an obvious love for DISCHARGE as a counterweight. If you like metal in your hardcore, this is certainly worth a look. I’m hoping this is a prelude to a proper full-length.

Magic of the Marketplace Jealous Moon CD

Four great songs that are fine in both execution and melody. I think this band would be okay with me drawing a LEATHERFACE comparison, and if you’re good with a LEATHERFACE similarity, and a likeness to LEATHERFACE inasmuch as that songs contain emotive personal songs as do LEATHERFACE, and wherein personal journey through LEATHERFACE-styled songs are those in which you find your soul being pulled, then this is a near-perfect four-song EP that is akin to the better mid-tempo LEATHERFACE songs. You could grab it right now if you’d like to.

Over the Hill Older Not Wiser LP

As charming as they are self-deprecating, the cleverly-named OVER THE HILL features veterans of the scene playing straightforward Oi! with lyrics sung in French and English. Musically, this is standard fare, with few exceptions outside of the closing track “Young Again,” which features some glam-y piano bits that makes the song boogie. The real entertainment value comes from the lyrics, most notably on tracks like “Can’t Run,” which features the gem “Next thing you know we’re on the run / Bad knee kicks in and I get caught / Geriatric skins on the pavement.” I’d be lying if I said some of these songs aren’t a bit clunky and at times so earnest it hurts, but overall I appreciate the honesty. Also, “Conformist Pawn” calls out right-wingers, misogynists, transphobes, and racists, and for that they get my support.

Pantano Es Dificil Escapar El Culto EP

I find a specific kind of joy in listening to music that has punk in its roots but doesn’t necessarily sound like punk. Mexico City’s PANTANO surely falls into this category. It has punk in its DNA, but it’s definitely not where it starts or ends. Chanting vocals, simple but captivating synths, and playful rhythms loosely remind me of the industrial milestone 20 Jazz Funk Greats—minus the eerie, noisy elements— but along with that, there is a freezing coldwave atmosphere that is present throughout the record. Es Dificil Escapar El Culto was an interesting EP, and I’m definitely keen to hear how far they will evolve their unique sound.

Pest Control Year of the Pest 12″

Yorkshire, UK thrashcore project that’s been active for at least a lustrum. A solid pinch of classic ’80s thrash metal in the vein of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, but also taking a much more aggressively raw and incisive approach with the blunt force of hardcore punk during breakdowns, impasses, and in its wall of sound. A resolutely swift, blunt, and great listen; four tracks with the sufficient amount of riffage and ambience-switching to keep you hearing. Greatly surprised by this UK project, eager to hear more from them. Recommended. Favorite track: “Time Bomb.”

The Rabies Dumb It Down LP

When you land on this page, you can’t help but think of the RAMONES. The fact that they’re from NYC, their cover art… but they are definitely not just a RAMONES copycat band. They are a serious band, but you can tell that they don’t take themselves too seriously. That’s a healthy combination. These guys are a softer, poppier brand of new wave. The vocals range from being pretty to almost LOU REED-like spoken word. These guys are just a little goofy and they seem totally okay with that. Or maybe they’re just brutally honest. Nice work.

Rotten Heads Historias Para No Dormir LP

Blasting its way to the present from the past, this LP captures the output of ROTTEN HEADS, a ’90s political punk outfit from Spain (not to be confused with the Mexican death metal band from a decade later). This collection exhibits the band’s extremely tight overall sound, with bouncing rhythms, intricate guitar leads, and passionately shouted male/female vocals via a spitfire delivery. Historias Para No Dormir brings to mind a favorite from the same era, HOMOMILITIA. If you have a soft spot for ’90s crust, this will be one you won’t want to miss.

Shatter Deny the Future EP

SHATTER has become known for their hybrid style of hardcore street punk and Japanese-influenced D-beat; the twinning of anthemic and technical. Deny the Future is a four-song EP recently released through Desolate Records, and each song is a speedy rip of SHATTER’s hallmark style. Breakneck tempos fused with nearly impossibly tight riffs lay the foundation for urgent and crucial lyrics. I also really appreciate the graphic style and presentation SHATTER employs and Deny the Future provides. If you’re a punk, then you should probably already own this one.

S.H.I.T. Live at Idrima 2.14 LP

Idrima 2.14, founded in 2014 in Athens, is a legendary venue that hosts independent concerts for both local and international bands, a space for DIY events that furthers the union that is so important in punk music. If there is a band that embodies this spirit, it is Toronto-based powerhouse S.H.I.T., a band that needs no introduction, steadily paying their dues in the international hardcore scene and channeling the essence of the ’80s. Recorded just before the pandemic locked everything down, this live album feels like the last cry for a world that was still alive and kicking, but on the edge of collapse. Tracks like the closer “Feeding Time” come out swinging with an intensity that makes you feel like you’re right there in the pit, choking on the sweat of bodies in motion. It shows a band at the top of their game ripping through a feverish set. This isn’t the sanitized, overproduced punk that’s become more corporate than countercultural, this is raw, straight-up hardcore, just like it should be. It’s ugly, it’s messy, and I can’t help but love it.

Smackbeat Little Letters LP

This LP starts this with a high school soundtrack-type tune (“1999”) about life and growing up and stuff. I can see this as a summertime record that plays loudly from cars with windows rolled down, arms flailing, and everyone inside shouting the lyrics. Perfect mid-tempo GIN BLOSSOMS, with elements of POLITICAL ASYLUM, STATE DRUGS, and the OFFSPRING sorta, with a general Fat Wreck Chords feel. Personally, I’m on the fence with this one, because I know that this will be the favorite 2025 release for some people. However, for me there’s just not quite enough for me to sink my teeth into. Take this for what it is: I was playing SMACKBEAT loudly in an effort to really dig into it, and my ladyfriend popped her head in and asked if I was listening to Christian rock, so there’s that.

Sofocada Ultra demo cassette

SOFOCADA does not fuck around! Ultra-primitive punk with a muffled claustrophobic sound. I guess the band’s name (“suffocated” in Spanish) reflects both how they feel and how the music sounds. Very nihilistic and very emotionally heavy, especially because it is a rehearsal recording, so every detail is a product of spontaneity. This Chilean three-piece features members of GÜIÑA. There is a YouTube video clip for the whole demo that vividly paints the picture the music is trying to show. Highly recommended.

Tiger Helicide The Last Album CD

Fun album here; a nice mixture of a sinister energy with tongues firmly placed in cheeks. It has a dark RICHARD HELL AND THE VOIDOIDS vibe mixed with the gang vocals of some classic Ray Cappo project. The singer sometimes does this Jello Biafra whimper that sounds a lot more like Fred Schneider, which is much cooler in my opinion. I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout out their track “Bad Street,” which references some of the best beat-’em-up video games of the past thirty years. Your typical local-punk-band affair, but you can tell these guys had a fun time recording this and it makes for a charming listen.

UltraNothing UltraNothing 10″

Not quite sure how to categorize these guys (punk, post-punk, HC, all of the above maybe), but they rocked regardless. Great use of building tension; loved when they got more noise/chaos-oriented, too. “Animosity” was one of my favorite tracks as it was at a much faster tempo and more classically punk, but their other tracks were each strong in their own way. I loved how they transitioned between a cleaner post-punk sound to a much more distorted and crazier hardcore vibe as well.

Varonas V​í​timas del Ritmo LP

VARONAS’ Vítimas del Ritmo (translated: “Victims of Rhythm”) is the debut LP from this Madrid four-piece featuring vets from MALLORY KNOX, THEE GIRLFRIENDS, THEE SUCKIN’ DICKS, and RADIO ZOO. The music meanders between garage rock, power pop, and straight-up ’70s-style rock’n’roll, with dual vocals from guitarist Vanessa Herrero and bassist Gema Bañares that are intended to channel a B-52’S vibe. While the album has its moments, including a cover of “Love Shack,” the vocals sometimes lack the strength that could have taken it to the next level. It’s fun and really not bad at all, but it could’ve been a lot punchier. Check out “Es a Mí” if you want a taste.

Alambre De Púas Total Disorder cassette

This Chilean two-member project plays chaotic, mid-tempo, beat-driven and frantically executed crusty raw hardcore punk, featuring distinctive vocals that take a continuous distorted, angry stance, plus rusty chainsaw guitars and tupa-tupa drums all the way with a tight, steady grip. Both sides together make for less than 23 minutes of purely distorted ranting, and it was recorded in the mythical TARANTULA studio in CDMX during their 2022 tour across México, with the goal to record all their songs in the moment, achieving a more aggressive sound and slightly faster cadences. This comes courtesy of Educación Cínica, and constitutes a key piece of raw punk highly recommended for those who crave beat-driven punk aggression.

Amazing Transparent Man Print is Dead (20th Anniversary Edition) LP

Recorded at Sonic Iguana Studios, which is prolly best known for SCREECHING WEASEL, BOLLWEEVILS, SQUIRTGUN, and so on and on. This is the 20th anniversary edition of this LP, so it just goes to show that someone is still interested. This is a fine record in the vein of BLINK-182 and such. I read on the band’s Bandcamp page that the original CD, released in 2005, was a “North Star for early 2000s pop punk” enthusiasts. I somehow missed it when it came out, but now we all have an opportunity to grab a piece of history or whatever. The CD cover looks like The Catcher in the Rye, whereas this LP (20th Anniversary Edition) doesn’t so much.

Autogramm Randy (Don’t Screw Up) / Jenny’s in a Sleep World 7″

Holy shit, Batman. I can’t hide the fact that I love both new wave and power pop, and the two often travel in tandem. That’s the case here, and this is fantastic. Super catchy and just loveable. Two cuts and one is a DIODES cover. Any band smart enough to cover the DIODES is already on my good side. The fact that they cover a little bit of a lesser-known cut and that it’s super cool is honestly just gravy for me. This record is a must, and the band should be on your radar.

Bombardement Dans La Fournaise LP

When I put this on, I was expecting some very good D-beat punk and I got that, but there is so much more to this than just another D-beat record. It would have been fine with me if it had been that, because this band does it so well. This started off with an almost New Wave of British Heavy Metal intro. After that, it has an absolutely ripping D-beat song. Over the course of the album, I also get a POISON IDEA vibe, as well as BROKEN BONES and all the current best of the D-beat scene. They throw in some nice thrash parts as well. This is a great record, and it has the longest pick slide I have ever heard—enough said.

Burning Chrome Running to Escape EP

When one wants to relax on Sundays, there are as many options as there are personalities. Some people do gardening, others do Sailor Moon cosplay, some even do both, at the same time. The people in BURNING CHROME from Minneapolis play triumphant traditional Burning Spirits Japanese hardcore with gusto and an obvious love for the subgenre. For all I know, they also do gardening and cosplay, but I cannot tell just by this record. What I find particularly enjoyable with this EP is how urgent and unpolished it sounds, hardly surprising seeing that it was recorded on an eight-track. What you get is experienced punks (the resumes are well abundant) having a glorious go (you can tell they love what they do here) at the classic recipe invented by DEATH SIDE or LIP CREAM, but with a trashier vibe not unlike DOG SOLDIER or BURIAL. You’ve got the epic guitar leads, the fast riffs, and a singer that, while relying on the gruff vocal style inherent to Japanese hardcore, sounds like he’s vomiting on you, which, as an ENT fan, is (just) fine by me, but might deter some listeners. A fun record.

Camellia Sinensis Tout Prendre EP

Straight up, the four-second reggaeton beat in the breakdown of the title track might be the single best hardcore thing you’re going to hear this month. I went back and listened (repeatedly) because it simply doesn’t make sense…until it does. And when it does, you’re fukkd. It’s not just the opening cut though, Lille rippers CAMELLIA SINENSIS are masters of the breakdown, and there’s something about the way the snare cracks when they slow it down that makes those breakdowns…extra. The guitar lead in the “Chute” breakdown, literally every damn riff on the record, the S.H.I.T. vibes in the closer “Mesure”—start to finish, this record is an absolute killer, and a massive leap from their already excellent demo from a couple of years ago. Highly recommended.

The Courettes The Soul of​.​.​. The Fabulous Courettes LP

The COURETTES serve up a polished, retro vibe on The Soul of… The Fabulous Courettes, blending ’60s-inspired garage rock with a nod to that big, Phil Spector-style wall of sound. The album has a definite CRYSTALS feel, with La La Brooks herself popping up on “California” and “Run Run Runaway.” While the band keeps it minimal as a two-piece live, the album is fleshed out with a full band and a carefully produced sound that doesn’t overly rely on too many layers of reverb, giving them a bit more of a punch than some of the other retro acts out there, like the RAVEONETTES or DUM DUM GIRLS. It’s fun and it has just enough modern sensibility to keep it from feeling completely stale, but when does homage stop honoring the past and start getting stuck in it?

Demonattack Demonattack cassette

Solid if slightly average punk from Stockholm, with some deathrock and Oi! flourishes and a slightly out-of-place three-minute synth track closing things out. I wasn’t blown away on first listen, but it grew on me a bit during the second. Not a bad tape overall, but if they made this a 7” with their strongest tracks “Demonattack” and “Ditt Nya Värdelösa Liv” on the A-side and that moody synth track on the B-side, I’d be more likely to snag a copy.

Der Moderne Man Jugend Forscht (Singles, EPs & Demos 1980–1983) 2xLP

Excellent collection of singles and stray tracks from this Hannover, Germany band. Post-punk energy that vibrates with wiry guitar lines and the bounciest bass ever collides into catchy anthems that recall GANG OF FOUR at times. The band crosses genres into melodic new wave (“Der Sandman” evokes U2 with the echoey guitar strum) and even incorporates two-tone ska rhythms on “Baggersee.” It looks like they still occasionally play live, so here’s hoping DER MODERNE MAN records again someday, because this is grade-A material.

EKGs EKGs cassette

Damn, these guys are pissed. Like, really pissed. I’ll tread carefully with this review, because I wouldn’t want to make enemies with Pittsburgh’s EKGS. Neither should you. Their 2025 self-titled cassette is an explosive display of uncontrollable rage condensed into twelve minutes of hearing damage. Relentless drums that are hell-bent on drawing blood, nasty guitar riffs drenched in ear-piercing feedback, growling bass with enough horsepower to back everything up, and one of my absolute favorite vocal performances in recent memory…this album truly has everything I want out of a hardcore release. But you know what it lacks? Anger-management. Nope, not a smidge of it to be found. This tape managed to amaze and intimidate me the way CHARLES BRONSON’s Youth Attack! did, inarguably changing the trajectory of my taste for pissed-off music. What else could I ever want?

Firecamp / Typewriter split cassette

Two bands sharing a split who are two unique sides of the same coin: hardcore punk. TYPEWRITER from San Luis Obispo, California opens up the pit with their vicious, old school hardcore-influenced tunes, in the same vein as CIRCLE JERKS with a bit of a GERMS snarl thrown in there. On FIRECAMP’s turn, they go for a gloomier approach to their hardcore, following the wobbly footsteps of  RUDIMENTARY PENI, almost getting into deathrock territory. A great showcase of two bands with a promising future ahead of them.

Gloat Mirth cassette

This is a totally ripping introduction for this band. Raw and immediate, GLOAT reminds me of LAFFING GAS or FRIED EGG. Hard nods to Midwest USHC refracted through a modern lens. Fast and aggressive parts whiplash into catchy downshifts to mid-tempo with hooks! The vocals are delivered in a manner that has me questioning the emotional stability of the singer. Savage guitar tone, machine-tight drums, what’s not to love? Proceeds go to the Lajee Center, a community-based grassroots cultural center that supports Palestinians in their ongoing struggle for justice. Don’t be a dummy, get this tape!

Heavy Möther II Heavy Möther II LP

Members of the GIZMOS, RETAIL SIMPS, ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS, and more combine to, well, combine their love of countless underground rock sounds. The choice of cover tunes included in the album perfectly illustrates the oeuvre this crew tapped into— TROGGS, RANDY NEWMAN, VELVET UNDERGROUND—with their rendition of “Foggy Notion” representing both a physical centerpiece and a metaphysical one. All this is not meant to detract from the original tunes offered here, which do fit in perfectly along the others. Songs like “Window in the Door,” “Couchlock,” and “Red Blue Green” incorporate even more subterranean sounds of the ’60s and ’70s. This record is a celebration of effortless cool done effortlessly well.

Hot Tubs Time Machine Fifty Shades of Marcus / No Thanks, Google Maps 7″

The Melbourne/Naarm duo of Daniel and Marcus (also of LUXURY TAX) makes up HOT TUBS TIME MACHINE, and they dropped this 7” showcasing “Fifty Shades of Marcus” along with “No Thanks, Google Maps,” already released on their 2021 self-titled debut cassette. These two songs follow suit with the band’s lo-fi sound: vocals, synth, drum machine, and bass. The style is slow and spacious, with screwball, stream-of-consciousness lyrics that are forefront in the mix. The bass does some grooving, but otherwise this isn’t music you’d move to—the synth matches the angular spirit of the spoken word vocalist, and the percussion is rarely more than a kick drum and a hand-clap. I really like the comedy aspect of this project, particularly the Live at the Pinnacle recording I listened to, but I feel like the studio recording leaves a little to be desired: too sparse and not enough of the personality comes through. That said, I’m not writing these guys off. Daniel and Marcus released “a treasure trove of scattered recordings from 2020 to present” on their 2024 Food & Ruins cassette, which has much more of a full band vibe, building on their synth-y spoken word origins. Check ’em out and you decide!

Instigators The Best of Instigators: Auckland Ska Punk 1981​–1982 LP

Compiling two classic 45s and rare live recordings, this collection from seminal 1980s New Zealand ska-punkers the INSTIGATORS paints a thorough picture of that particular place and time. Fronted by fiery nightingale Sonya Waters, this Auckland outfit was one of the hottest live acts of their era, and tracks like “Hope She’s Alright” have a surprisingly fresh sound for something recorded over 40 years ago. With upbeat, synth-laden ska jams peppered with cool dub meditations, it’s fully steeped in fun, old school style. Fans of the SELECTER, MADNESS, or the BODYSNATCHERS probably won’t mind this a bit.

Killer Couture Everything is Normal CD

Sacramento rivetheads KILLER COUTURE answer the question “What if Mick Gordon played guitar for SKINNY PUPPY?” with their 2024 album Everything is Normal. Extra down-tuned guitars, heavily processed vocals, harsh drum machine beats, cold synths, and a good amount of miscellaneous noise—from what I assume is a filthy garage full of rusty power tools—show that they’ve been carefully studying the works of their influences from various eras of industrial music. Although it’s modern in the way that it’s all put together, it feels like the sum of Hot Wired Monstertrux, with its stylistic nods to the giants of the genre. Al Jourgensen would be proud.

Last Bias The Sea Hates a Coward LP

Dang, duder! The Sea Hates a Coward is a time machine of sound and character that has transported me back to the mid-1990s, in a good way. From the first song “I’m Not Down,” I was back in a basement, sweating through the fabric of a double extra-large T-shirt (because everyone wore clothes too big for their spongy body back then). Think of CARBOMB, ASSFACTOR 4, MOHINDER, MUKILTEO FAIRIES, the YAH MOS, and so on when the needle drops. These songs blend melody and disorder in equal parts while still making this musically fresh and relevant. I couldn’t be happier for this release, and you should not be happier, too.

Malestat Que Arda Todo LP

MALESTAT wants to see everything burn! Que Arda Todo is the debut from this punk’n’roll band from Maresme, Spain. The riffs come at you like a freight train, very rock’n’roll-driven, almost as if channeling THIN LIZZY, and the vocals scream with pure disgust, making for a frantic but somehow catchy concoction, like a collision you can’t look away from. Twenty-four minutes of energetic racket and lifted middle fingers, but always very slick and fun. Reminds me of a more raw version of ANNIHILATION TIME. If you like your punk sprinkled with some rock’n’oll attitude, then MALESTAT is the band for you.

Pisse Dubai LP

If you are unfamiliar with PISSE, well, here’s a quick rundown.Out of Wittichenau, Germany, PISSE started as Germany’s darlings of garage punk over a decade ago. Time, side projects, and collaborations have mutated their sound into some of the best punk to exist in our current time, with their Dubai LP bringing in elements of art-punk, world music, no wave, and an absolutely unhinged aesthetic. Within the first three songs of this ten-track album, you’ll be treated to samba-like rhythms, bouncing synth punk, and demented circus melodies. All that is just the beginning, as I’m pretty sure there are ping pong balls and silverware used as percussion instruments. The lyrics are all in German but are rich with various forms of humor, while the vocals range from punk shouts to something resembling Vincent Price at karaoke. This is absolutely punk for those that embrace the weird within punk, so if you like things like CRAZY SPIRIT, ALLUSION, the COLTRANES, or A FRAMES, then this is for you. Personally, I can’t get enough of this one.

Private Lives Salt of the Earth LP

Another winner. This is just pure, driven, female-fronted power pop. Actually, not just power pop, also pure pop. It’s also sort of plodding at times. Whatever you want to call it, it’s super-catchy and the vocals (and the lyrics) are both pretty and strong. It even gets a little garage-y at times. I’m really enjoying this. The catchiest songs (“Dealer’s Choice,” “I Get Around”) almost have you swinging your head around—not bouncing it around, but throwing it around.

Realm of Terror Beneath the Soil demo cassette

Now this is one I am really happy to write about. As the self-appointed head of the international crust conspiracy (to be fair, our goals are vague, but we do want to prohibit soap) and “a bit of a nerd,” as my mum would say, I actually already own a REALM OF TERROR EP. Needless to say, they haven’t turned into an indie rock band since Accelerated Extinction, and still play pure, old school cavemen crust armed with a primitive production and a singer that probably feeds on tires and dead opossums. Beneath the Soil will delight the most loyal fans of filthy crust whose vision of perfect music would be a blend of early DOOM and HIATUS, ABRAHAM CROSS and ASOCIAL TERROR FABRICATION. Not the coolest kids in class. This humble but passionate and aptly-executed take on a very specific retro sound is released on Guttural Warfare from Michigan, and there are only 55(!) copies, so you know what to do or not to do.

Rusko Holiday in the Russia LP

Collecting tracks from Russian three-piece RUSKO, this album showcases twenty cleaned-up live recordings from 1992. There’s some youthful innovation to these rough and expressive tunes, and you can tell that these kids were pushing for a bit more complexity than typical for teenage punk. Bashing and brooding with high-pitched nasal vocal wailing, their style was considerably unconventional, even if a bit grating.

Smear Campaign I See You cassette

Two-bass, no guitar powerviolence assault that sounds a lot like (you guessed it) MAN IS THE BASTARD. You won’t hear any complaints from me on that! SMEAR CAMPAIGN belts out twenty-four tracks in seventeen minutes that will have you sweatin’ to the oldies like the spastic freak your school guidance counselor was worried you would become. Unlike MITB, they don’t wade into any protracted sludge parts or noise interludes. They do incorporate samples between songs to break things up a bit. The NEGATIVE APPROACH clip had me rolling! SMEAR CAMPAIGN aren’t taking themselves too seriously and appear to have a lot to share about their home state of Colorado. Blastbeats and tempo changes abound. Good stuff.

Suburban Resistance Time Flies: The Best of Suburban Resistance Vol. 1 LP

Self-proclaimed “melodic punk rock”—this must be what we’re calling pop punk these days? Reminds me of George Carlin’s bit about using different, gentler words to describe situations that make us uncomfortable. Anyways, the first half of this slab is the aforementioned straight-up pop punk akin to bands like BOWLING FOR SOUP and GOB. The second half has this derivative MISFITS/AFI quality. It does a great disservice pairing these tracks with the bubblegum punk from the earlier history of the band, because the sudden jump in subject matter and tone comes off as a tad hokey. I will give the singer their due, though. Assuming this album is in chronological order, you can hear their progression and growth as a vocalist. They’re really killing it on the last couple of tracks.