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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!
From the Netherlands (now Belgium), this female-fronted power pop band sounds like it could have been released by the Subway Organization record label that gave us bands like the FLATMATES and the SHOP ASSISTANTS. This has those same soft and pretty voices featured by those bands. The songs are upbeat and to the point, meaning they’re not too long. Fucking great record, even when they find the synthesizer.
I should probably be paying more attention to this Valencia-based label and the surrounding scene they’re documenting. I’ve enjoyed the handful of Flexidiscos releases that I’ve come across, but that handful only represents something like 5% of their entire back catalog. Then in looking into this project, I find that the dude behind it, Néstor Sevillano Barja, is in a ton of other bands I’ve never heard of: BRIGADA, COREA, LA CULPA, FUTURO TERROR, MORENAS. So, yeah, it seems like I’ve only scratched the surface of quite the fertile scene! Anyway, YORCHH is Néstor’s solo project, and Sólo Me Falta Un Plan, the act’s fifth or sixth cassette, is composed of nine one-minute-ish sketches (plus two demos) that touch on minimal post-punk, gothy synth-pop, and clangy industrial punk. The arrangements are lo-fi and austere, generally made up of nothing more than a cheap synth melody, minimal bass guitar (or sometimes the bass will provide the melody against a synthwash backdrop), a skeletal electronic beat (maybe just a keyboard preset, even), and Néstor’s earnest voice, which he often strains to keep in tune, reminding me a bit of Ian MacKaye at his gentlest. It’s all quite charming, and he’s able to wrench a lot out of very little, which is exactly what you’d want out of a project like this. I really loved it. Further evidence that cool shit is happening in the southeast of Spain!
Punk/HC band from Bremen, Germany. I liked how they balance faster-tempo and more classically punk songs like “Overload” with more unique, kinda funky riffs in “Boss =/ Friend.” While “Overload” wasn’t as captivating to me stylistically, I did enjoy the build that they had in other tracks like “State of the Reunion.” My favorite track though was “Rug,” as it was just an explosion of frantic energy. I also loved how unleashed the vocalist for that track is, and I hope they can do more vocals in the future.
This world is shit, and AMEROL is the cure. Side effects may include: inability to control bodily movements, tinnitus, and profuse sweating. AMEROL, from Perth, plays ’80s-inspired hardcore punk and reminds me of SOOKS, but with a bit more ferocity and grime. The demo includes six tracks that are nasty, dirty, and packed with quick, intricate twists.
Excellent split record from two Atlanta bands with shared members and similar slacker indie meets Swiss punk influences. The track listing volleys back and forth between bands, but the laid-back art-punk vibes remain the same, with BLAMMO more on the LILIPUT and CHIN CHIN influence side, while RIBOFLAVIN evokes a slightly atonal, shambolic PAVEMENT via K Records feel. It’s a great lo-fi indie punk record that flows perfectly and manages to capture an uplifting and timeless nostalgic mood without feeling contrived or corny. Not an easy feat, and both bands do it really well.
charming while congruently being heartbreaking. For me, I sometimes forget about the RAMONES and the impact they had on me, and the shape of their impact on everything I like about myself and the people I love and value. RAMONES songs, with their simplicity, helped the left-of-center folks find others like us. BLOCKAGE does not back away from their RAMONES love, but there are also elements of the early-to-mid-period MR. T EXPERIENCE when Jon Von brought in those garage guitar riffs and solos. The second tune, still with the RAMONES feel, seems to also bring a couple grams of ALL songs, after Dave Smalley left. “Filthy,” the last track on this CD, is very upbeat musically, and lyrically starts in the morning sun but quickly trots down of mineshaft lit only by a candle in one hand with a mirror in the other so that as you plunge into darkness, you only see your own stupid face in front of you. This band was born in L.A. and now is in NYC, so there ya go.
Pure power in the form of five face-rippers from France’s CAFARD. Noise-punk cardboard box drums with layers of sky-clutching leads and walls upon walls of sound on top of what sounds like a raw four-track recording. It’s not, though—it’s a ruse. And it works. CAFARD is fukkn fast, we’re talking RIGOR MORTIS reimagining Victim in Pain-level “what the fukk” kind of shit here. Take this and the PISUAR tape and ask yourself what you’re doing with your life.
New post-punk group on the Valencia, Spain-based Flexidiscos label. All five songs are catchy and driving, best exemplified on “Una Daga” that starts with a bubbly bass riff, followed by a straight rock’n’roll solo that evolves into a more post-punk riff, way up on the fretboard. They also play around with a death howl/everything at half-speed playback kind of thing halfway through the song—an interesting contrast to the otherwise mid-to-high-end vocal range on display. The drums on the closer “VBES” are awesome, with busy-as-can-be hi-hat flourishes that are countered with a floor-tom-pummeling bridge. While I haven’t been able to find much of anything on the band, I assume this is their debut release? Great cassette.
Gainesville band with the classic Gainesville sound. Whoddathunk? This actually has sort of a Midwest twinge to it, as if DRIVE LIKE JEHU started playing twinkly parts like CAP’N JAZZ while still maintaining that darkened Rick Froberg edge. Of course, there’s still that Northern Florida energy that pokes through their brooded facade, channeling No Idea Records honeys like HOT WATER MUSIC and LEATHERFACE. Shit, there’s even a MINUTEMEN cover reimagined in DEAD SEA LORDS’ own image, and it doesn’t suck! Really solid album here. I’d go as far as saying this is a must-listen if you’re fan of what’s been unfortunately termed as “orgcore.”
All blades and metallic distortion, FIREWALKER returns with another record that sounds like BASTARD running a tank factory. Relentless crusty hardcore from Boston—fast, corrosive, and executed with surgical precision while staying completely unhinged. Ripping guitars, pummeling drums, and vocals sharp enough to cut bone. They’re not reinventing the wheel, just burning it down with militant chaos and total urgency.
At a glance, everything about Glitch by GUTTER made me think I was in for some classic Oi!: the album cover, the horn solo intro, the fact that these guys are from Lille, France. Boy, was I wrong! Instead of CAMERA SILENS-worship, I was delighted to hear sharply produced hardcore punk that really hits. This album is so cohesive and tight, each song leaner and meaner than the next. Their vocals have the same brutish force as Boston’s the MASSACRED, and while GUTTER doesn’t always exhibit the same UK82 stomp, they do have the same level of intensity. Check this one out.
HALF BUILT HOMES has been a band for a while, with a good chunk of releases going back at least five years. Simply put, this is the only way that an Oi! punk band from the petri dish of Northern Indiana, contaminated by Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois, is supposed to sound. They have just enough musicianship to keep it interesting, but then fuck it up the exact perfect way that the Middle West does every time. It has all the Oi! and sing-along punk stuff, but with Eeyore cloudy days that only Lake Michigan can bring in. Perfect NAKED RAYGUN bits, KRABS parts, tied up in a nicely sorrowful upbeat-tempo kinda way. I live in Michigan and I consider these people to be neighbors of sorts, and by the end of the seventh song on the CD, gosh, are we really this fucked-up here? I mean, I still swim as often as I can, have my laughs with pals, and although I’ve been through a fair amount of stuff, this HALF BUILT HOMES cloud cover is bumming me out. OFF WITH THEIR HEADS plops into this category of melancholy, singable tunes, and although this is a great record, I’m tired of hearing hopeless Midwest songs about maybe trying to be better. This album bends you around a couple corners, as it starts out as a boot-stomper then becoming sad about old friends passing away, the sunrise/sunset thing. The last track reminded me of a pal that died, and although I told him that I loved him every time I saw him, the song reminded me that maybe I don’t say it often enough or to more people or something. In the best and worst ways, this Dreams CD by HALF BUILT HOMES is wonderfully Midwest pop punk/Oi! punk.
From the always surgically noisy Iron Lung catalog comes IRON LUNG, a band that slices with a scalpel instead of strumming. Hardcore that’s angular, rhythmically unstable, and constantly rearranging itself. Imagine NEON BLONDE, DAZZLING KILLMEN, or maybe RAKTA on steroids. Bizarre post-hardcore with a lab coat and clenched fists. Demands attention, but it’s worth every anxious pulse.
Full-throttle raw punk blasting out of Zagreb, Croatia. Tasty riffs stacked on top of more tasty riffs, backed by a tight-as-fuck rhythm section. Sitting atop it all, the vocalist tears into the delicate membrane of your sorry eardrum with a scathing critique of the militarism, consumerism, and greed that plagues our dying planet. Scratches a similar itch for me as AVSKUM, which I’ll happily bleed to any day. Play at maximum amplitude!
Ten-song mono cassette written, recorded, mastered, and produced in Raleigh, NC by MR. PISS. All ten songs are mid-tempo. repetitive riff noise rock tracks with a mixture of barked vocals, sometimes sleepy and off-time, and just full-on rapping. There is a drummer credited, Dick Gunn, amidst four other queer-sounding, homoerotic pseudonyms for the other players on the recording, but I would be absolutely baffled if this were not a drum-machine-driven solo project. Actually, there is a photo included which features four people in it, so maybe it’s not a solo project per se, but with five credited members, I think it’s safe to say that I’m at least correct about the drum machine. It’s anyone’s guess just who the titular MR. PISS is, though. The three longer tracks, ranging between three-and-a-half to five-and-a-half minutes, are a bit hard to get through, and the out-of-tune dissonance of “Stretching Leather” has a real nails-on-the-chalkboard aspect to it, but thankfully they followed it up with what is easily my favorite song on the tape, “Knife Fight,” an easy-to-digest, short and sweet, revved-up bop compared to the droniness of much of the rest of the tape.
Here’s your song(s) of the summer. After around seven years, the mighty NUMBER ONES have returned with two tracks that show you exactly how power pop should be done. Given the time since their last release, it reasons that this may be many people’s first foray into the band. So for the uninitiated, think of the classic slabs from Good Vibrations, your favorite BUZZCOCKS singles, or falling in love with the girl on a certain Manchester Megastore checkout desk. Side A is two minutes of pop perfection. The word “sorry” has surely been used an uncountable number of times by an uncountable number of bands, but these Dubliners make it sound like a newly discovered feeling. Side B is no slouch either, providing another earworm that you’re happy to play host to for as long as it decides to stay in your brain. Well worth the wait, and still true to their name, this is a scorching hot two-sider.
A teenage punk relic from Monument, Colorado, this 45 features two previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1985. Formed by three members of the Lewis-Palmer High School Jazz Band, PLASTIC BALLS managed to record a couple songs during their brief existence, and here they are. “Planet Earth” starts off sounding a bit like the earliest BEASTIE BOYS efforts before leading into an absurdly intricate guitar solo of epic proportions. The B-side “Living Killers” is a groovier tune, saddled with the same shouted vocals and once again, some unnecessarily crafty guitar work. More obscure and amusing grist for the ever-churning KBD mill.
A mere seven years after their demo, PUÑAL is back with a total ripper of a record for their vinyl debut. A kind of classic UK82 take on a classic Spanish sound, coming across like ESKORBUTO taking a trip to Stoke-on-Trent in 1983 for a scrap and a pint. Bass lines are infectious and propel the whole thing along at a fair whack, with the drummer holding on for dear life at points, as the vocals sound almost cartoonishly evil at points. Truly terrific stuff.
Screamy hardcore with tempo changes that you kinda know are coming. The uptempo parts have a ’00s crust vibe that gets subverted by metalcore mosh breakdowns. RAGS keep things moving along with eight songs in under ten minutes. Going in, I was hoping for some unhinged fastcore madness. They stab in that direction, but don’t quite draw blood.
Out of Vancouver, SSIK (are they aiming to be the antithesis of Gene Simmons & co.?) pulls OG spirit into the modern age. Opening with the apocalyptic hoedown of “Joy,” this seven-song hardcore assault is loaded with an explosive sound, distorted vocals, and just a touch of good old-fashioned rockin’. Recommended for fans of bands like ILLITERATES, S.H.I.T., and ELECTRIC CHAIR.
SYMPATHY FLOWERS are from Oakland, California, and they bring us some dark post-punk. Like all of my favorite post-punk, this band always has a driving bass line. To me, it sounds like they are influenced by bands like KILLING JOKE, RUDIMENTARY PENI, the AU PAIRS, and early JOY DIVISION. In the end, they manage to take their influences and make their own sound. Dark, hard-driving post-punk with vocals that provide an on-the-edge tension to the music. The drumming is perfect for this music, whether it is a rock-steady beat or playing sparsely and filling the in-between spaces while the guitar gives us some tension. This is a very good release, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes dark-sounding music.
With a slew of releases over the past decade, TENSIÓN, of Rosaria, Argentina, keeps after it with a new single. Well-dialed post-punk on offer here, with soaring vocals that aren’t overly sentimental in feel, but are powerful and draped in reverb. Drums and bass stay busy, really pumping tracks along, while guitars play sweeping chords and quick notes that sustain over verse lines, the whole lot finding full momentum at the end of the opener “Hacia el Oeste” which is one big crescendo. B-side “Un Llamadoa a tu Bondad” has a bouncier gait, with plodding, chunky guitars, and vocals that are lighter and more carefree than the first track. From the album artwork, overall aesthetic (looking back at previous releases), and a locked-in post-punk handbook sound, they’ve got me sold.
This is a split released between two Philly, PA and Richmond, VA-related bands—ADDED DIMENSIONS is the Richmond-based project of Sarah Everton and Rob Garcia, previously of Philadelphia bands like BLOWDRYER, TELEPATHIC, and READING RAINBOW. ALMOND is from Philly and features Armen Knox of local darlings HONEY RADAR (who used to live in Richmond!), but has flown entirely under my radar (LOL) until now despite putting out a bunch of digital releases and spending a lot of time retweeting RINGO STARR. ALMOND’s side is an eighteen-minute live set of what I can only assume is a conceptual “suite” about the death of either Brian Jones or Charlie Watts. Honestly, I couldn’t understand the words, but the sound is very fuzzy, droning, and blown-out garage-y rock’n’roll-y, with a psychedelic feel. It reminds me of bands like the GRIFTERS and GLORIUM and, frankly, HONEY RADAR. ADDED DIMENSIONS sound a little more lo-fi than on their previous releases (but not as lo-fi as ALMOND), and there’s a Farfisa on the absolute banger “Repetition.” But other than that, it’s more of the same trebly, anxious ’90s post-punk revival/C86 sound with blasé, almost chanted vocals that sometimes edge into something a little more intense. Lyrics are focused on the push and pull between internal and external expectations we have for ourselves and others. Everton is a killer songwriter and every track on here is a catchy gem, with simple sounds but complex ideas. And the tape benefits the Transgender Law Center—the Trump administration has made trans people into one of its main out-groups to be demonized, with absolutely no pushback from anyone in national politics. I can think of few causes that are more important right now than protecting trans people from legal attacks on their very existence as their authentic selves in society. Just a couple of weeks ago, Marcy Rheintgren, a trans woman, was arraigned in Florida on charges that could result in eleven months in prison for washing her hands in a public bathroom. This shit is real, and props to these bands for trying to do something about it.
Australian punk/dark punk band. Absolutely loved these guys. They had powerful fast tempo tracks like “Prick in The Franger,” a bit more of a post-punk vibe in tracks like “Infinite Sedative,” and a kind of in-between with fun bridges in tracks like “Who Comes Next.” With great distorted bass lines, varying fun guitar, and angry, intense vocals, you’re in for a treat. Even the slower tempo songs are filled with intensity and power.
Fukkkk, this thing sounds ugly. Disgusting sonic filth from Tennessee, BAD HIPPY sounds like those four high school classmates who started a band because they were the only four mutants in town and they bonded. One liked primitive black metal, another grooved to DOWN or some shit like that, one fucked with CRAZY SPIRIT, and the singer was the little brother of one of the guys in ASSCHAPEL…or maybe his kid. They had a buddy with a Tascam four-track, they traded the session for a twelver of Busch they paid some bum $5 to steal for them, and the result was Enthroned. That’s my fukkn story and please don’t prove me wrong. The sound? Fucking raw-as-shit, demonic, low-end sinister sludge crust stoner punk churns—this is to some kid in 2025 Tennessee what BUZZOV•EN’s Wound was to me in 1992 (at least I hope it is).
BARREN? is a Parisian anarcho-punk band that has been playing and recording together for nearly a decade. Recently, the band released the full-length Once Upon a Death… Our National Industry—if you like things like the MOB circa No Doves Fly Here, you’ll definitely dig BARREN? Much of the album contains the band’s signature mid-paced style which allows for additional elements of expression and denser compositions. An embrace of the darker elements of anarcho-punk means BARREN? also uses elements of goth and post-punk, and this is on full display in tracks like “Take Them By Storm” and “Our Brains Are a Warzone.” Frequent use of harmony and gang vocals also gives many of the songs an anthemic quality which tempers the melancholic elements. In all, Once Upon a Death… Our National Industry is an exceptional release from an excellent band.
Shout out to the Army of Darkness reference. Slightly tongue-in-cheek, slightly political punk with a thrash edge, as if one of the early Fat Wreck bands like GOOBER PATROL started playing through a Metal Zone. I’m partial to the vocalist, as they really tie everything together—very charismatic, sounding like a combination of Greg Graffin of BAD RELIGION and Richard Butler of PSYCHEDELIC FURS fame. Catchy stuff; I had their song “Throw Rocks at Nazis” stuck in my head all day. My only complaint: I don’t know how many more times I can handle hearing the Jeff Daniels Newsroom monologue sampled on a punk record. You know the one I’m talking about. It’s been done to death, and it’s way too long. Otherwise, this deserves a couple spins.
Great, new post-hardcore that sounds like great, old post-hardcore. QUICKSAND, SNAPCASE, HELMET, HUM, and others are cited as references, but if you listen to one minute of the record, that all becomes abundantly clear. The sound and production choices are spot-on for the ’90s sounds that influenced this killer EP. Almost every track here feels like a standout, with “Survival Pending” feeling like a true centerpiece. Most of the songs also clock in at under two minutes, so even the mid-tempo offerings here don’t feel like they’re dragging through the mud. One of the best records/bands so far this year that I had zero previous exposure to prior to hitting play. Well done.
Dense, metal-tinged hardcore that has more texture than one might expect from a two-piece. Lots of feedback all over this sucker. I’m not typically one to shy away from noise. There’s so much going on in these songs that the tortured squeals and screeches blanket some of the otherwise nuanced instrumentation. There are some true flashes of brilliance and there’s no denying the competency at hand. The more is more approach ends up padding the impact, while the underlying songs have real bite. When the songs aren’t fighting against themselves, COFFIN PARTY packs a serious punch.
Seminal cult Mexican punk recording available on wax for the first time, and…it was worth the wait. After a few self-released cassettes and one stellar EP, DISOLUCIÓN SOCIAL released their sole full-length on cassette in 1993, and it sounded like nothing else ever (and it still sounds like nothing else). From their chaotic shit-fi origins in the 1980s, they grew into a band able to inject bizarro proto-prog and melodic punk into off-the-rails Mexican hardcore with almost-Biafra vocals, and I can only imagine what would have happened had they continued after its release in 1993. A rare find in this modern era–a record that truly sounds like no other punk record you’ve (n)ever heard, beautifully packaged with a massive booklet. Reissues of “essential” releases are everywhere, but this one deserves your attention.
Famous for their much-covered, hall-of-fame single “Slash Your Face,” the DOGS from Detroit (not to be confused with DOGS from France or the DOGS from Iowa) are still out here rocking more than 40 years later, being badasses, playing shows, and putting out this old school, big-hole 45. On the A-side, “Inside Out” is a STOOGES-esque punk rock’n’roll stomper, and on the flip, “Nothin’ to Do in Detroit” is more in the vein of the MC5. The sound is big, the production is clean and lean, and the Motor City style remains intact.
I got very excited when I opened my review cassettes and saw this release. I was sent the debut FUGUE STATE cassette for review when it was released and I absolutely loved it. This project was originally a solo project which was presumably birthed out of necessity thru height of COVID isolation times. The sophomore FUGUE STATE cassette, which is also available on vinyl in limited quantity, is a full-band recording, and it sounds absolutely awesome. This is some fuzzed-out, garage punk psychedelic shit. Hell, there’s a note-for-note FLOWER TRAVELLIN’ BAND guitar lick on “I’ll Keep It in Mind,” straight off the first track on Satori. Nice nod. I was a bit apprehensive when I noticed that five of the six songs from the first FUGUE STATE demo were on this subsequent cassette. It was a relief to hear that they are all full-band recordings, not a re-releasing of the original demo tracks again. I could go on and on, I really dig this. I am truly happy to see that FUGUE STATE has morphed into a full live band and I hope to find a way to see them play live in the near future. Now, where’s that damn link to buy a vinyl copy of this, because I absolutely need one.
Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, GIGLINGER makes the kind of hardcore punk that isn’t conservative when it comes to incorporating influences from outside the genre. Their four-song EP Shrapnel displays that very clearly. With vocals that sound like they’re coming out of a megaphone, a strong rhythm section, ear-candy guitar layers, and sudden changes in song structure, you can tell that they have a unique vision to create their own sound. My only complaint—and I can’t believe I’m the one saying this—is that this EP is too short. Like, annoyingly short. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really good and it left me wanting more, but all this pent-up frustration is killing me. Maybe that’s just me, though. If you’re on the run and the original versions of those two songs are way too long for your personal taste, you’re in luck—the band kindly included shorter versions on the B-side. You know, some people (like a band I know called GIGLINGER) are busy making cool music and don’t have the time to listen to a four-minute single.
Split 7” from CCP Records, a Sydney-based collective focused on international collaboration. Milan’s I PENTITI plays a groaning, gothy deathrock meets blackened hardcore on their two tracks, evoking haunted house vibes through lurching riffs, shrieked vocals, and evil spirit hardcore. Imagine members of RAW POWER, BONE AWL, and CHRISTIAN DEATH stuck in a falling elevator together. Whether or not you want to be in that elevator is a different question, but it does rip for the right listener. Side Two comes from Sydney’s HDPE, in the form of two noisy basement “anti-hardcore” jams full of delayed vocals, pounding drum cadences, and freaky hooks that emerge through the haze. “A Vision” contains the chant, “Luigi has a vision / Luigi has a vision.” No idea what that could be about. Perhaps they are big Super Mario Bros. fans. Although the two bands are sonically different, there is a dark, grimy feel to both in energy and execution that makes for a great pairing.
INMATES from Cleveland need no introduction; they’ve been at it on and off since 1994 and continue to this day with their original lineup. You can hear the cohesion they have as a group on their new LP Role of God, an intensely angry record that has a slew of influences ranging from NYHC venom to soaring Burning Spirits instrumentation. Lead vocalist Paulito’s delivery sometimes slithers and sometimes stomps but always hates—I’ve never felt so accosted by a recording in my life. Tracks like “Role of God” and standout “Fuck Your Fucking Skull” go straight for the jugular lyrically while the band powerfully flexes their metallic side. “Funsucka” and follow-up “I Never Questioned” in particular boast searing guitar work and killer riffs that really take these songs beyond usual hardcore fare. I should add there is precisely one softer moment to be heard here: the song “Doin Time” is a surprisingly tender ode to a friend who has passed, and adds a certain amount of charm to the otherwise caustic proceedings. All said, this is top-tier hardcore for those with particularly thick skin. Highly recommended.
Grind-influenced hardcore that swerves in and out of punk and metal in a whiplash-inducing way. In the punker moments, they have a rabid, unhinged vibe that brings to mind DECREPIT and SHITLIST. Then they careen into something more akin to SIEGE or ASSÜCK, with blastbeats and breakdowns. I don’t hear a bass if there is one, which leaves the production feeling a little thin, exacerbated by an over-tightened snare tone. Not to quibble, but these are the things that prevent this release from reaching the echelons of brutality attained by the aforementioned bands. Lots of potential on display that with some honing could produce a viscous blade, to be sure.
Dug up and delivered by trusty rescuers of fringe sounds Supreme Echo, this record collects six tracks with warped 1970s hard rock sensibilities from the NERVE, who are touted here as Edmonton, Alberta’s “first punk band.” Led by the heavy, guitar-noodled instrumental title track, the first couple of songs run together in an eccentric proto-punk swirl before landing on the chugging new-wavery of “Penchant,” the A-side from the band’s sole 7” release from 1978. Next up is the standout “Preludes,” whose airy strum and vocal cadence evoke a subtle and pleasant prog/yacht rock vibe. “Tie Me Up” and “$20 Whore” are the feistiest numbers, the former recalling the toughest tunes of the EAGLES and the latter a bizarre power pop synthesis of the NEW YORK DOLLS and the GIZMOS. Of the many adjectives you could reasonably slap on this thing, “boring” or “predictable” are not among them. It’s far out, man.
Anguished and raw hardcore punk from Chile, one-person band PËSIMO’s debut is a ripper. Each track is a flurry of feedback-ridden guitars and galloping drums with lo-fi production that is just clear enough to not sound muddy. What’s most striking about this tape are the desperately shouted vocals and pessimistic lyrics that cut through the noise and become the focal point of the EP. By the time you reach the excellent final track “Frio Morturio,” you can really feel what PËSIMO is feeling. A solid debut and recommended.
Sleazy, garage-infused rock’n’roll punk from France. Debut cassette with four beer-soaked, leather-clad tracks. You can almost taste the dingy sweat permeating the air as the tape deck spools wind this cassette. Memorable tracks, solid recording, and an artist’s rendering of the band looking cool and performing within a pinball machine. What’s not to love?
An old school unit originally formed in 1982 Las Vegas, SELF ABUSE played amongst the greats of the era but never cut a record. You may recognize their logo from many jackets captured in pics of the early ’80s. After reforming in 2016, these guys that once shared the stage with SOCIAL DISTORTION, T.S.O.L., MAD PARADE, and many others finally committed a few of their original songs to wax via this 7”. Issued on candied pink vinyl, this thing looks good enough to eat, but you should probably just spin it for a taste of classic punk action instead.
Singapore’s STILETTO blasts out eight tracks of caustic, high-speed hardcore that recalls the raw urgency of early GAUZE or KORO, with modern aggression, absolutely zero gloss, and no-frills hardcore detonation. Short, relentless, and stripped to the bone, each song bleeds distortion and fury while the production keeps the chaos tight and biting. Recorded at Dungeon 416 and mastered by Will Killingsworth, this is pure unfiltered rage with no room to breathe and no interest in melody or groove—just raw impact. Southeast Asian chaos. STILETTO keeps it short, fast, and ugly, exactly how it should be.
From the New York City duo of Owen Deutsch and Sean Fentress comes the third album in the trilogy STRAW MAN ARMY set out to complete. Earthworks is here…but you’ve probably had a listen by this point. From mentions on NPR, to a Washington Post article, to making more than a few year-end top tens here at MRR, this is the type of acclaim that is the exception, not the rule, around the confines of this publication. Focusing on the fragile nature of our human condition—from past to present—STRAW MAN ARMY plays peace punk/anarcho-punk that is punctuated by post-hardcore rhythms and jazzy interludes. Guitar riffs move in ceaseless unison, wandering in and out of parallel movement, mirroring dual vocals that pan left to right, emphasizing introspective lyrics like “Is this all that’s left for us these days? / Apathy or rage!” from “Spiral.” I find this whole album deeply soothing, from jittery leads, quiet instrumentals, and “what the fuck are we doing here?” lyrics that make even my most self-demoralizing tendencies quiet. Try finding that antidote elsewhere. After achieving this trilogy, first with Age of Exile in 2020, then SOS in 2022, and finally with Earthworks in 2024, what, if anything, is next? Will they keep writing? Form a full band for a live debut? For some reason, I trust they won’t disappoint. For now, keep these masterpieces of records spinning.
One of the most clearly UK-indebted acts of Australia’s early punk wave, Sydney’s THOUGHT CRIMINALS took the DESPERATE BICYCLES’ “it was easy, it was cheap, go and do it” rallying cry to heart, starting the Doublethink label to self-release their own ramshackle, slightly art-leaning proto-Bloodstains/Messthetics racket (and eventually that of OZ DIY peers like TACTICS and SEEMS TWICE), with the Hilton Bomber EP serving as the introduction to both ventures. I would wager that the BUZZCOCKS’ Spiral Scratch EP was also a foundational THOUGHT CRIMINALS text—Howard Devoto gets a shout-out in the original insert for this single, a few lines down from the aforementioned DESPERATE BICYCLES—which is most evident in the revved-up and hooky “Fun,” not to mention its snarky, tongue-in-cheek lyrics that were already mocking punk clichés in 1978 (“I want to go out in a garbage bag / I want to come home all covered in rags”). “Hilton Bomber” careens with the frantic efficiency of WIRE circa Pink Flag (wait for that abrupt, punctuated ending shout!), albeit with an added layer of blaring, Nuggets-damaged organ, and “O Bleak TV” and the Virgin Records-dissing “I Won’t Pay” (“…for punk records”) are more classically snotty stompers for the KBD fiends of the future. If you pay for punk records, this one’s worth forking over some cash.
Named after a legendary wrestler, Kentucky’s TOJO YAMAMOTO welcomes you to a world of body slams, headlocks, and, uh…karate chops? Okay, you got me. I don’t know shit about wrestling. But if it’s as fun and engaging as this record is, I’m more than willing to give it a try. Because this whole thing sounds like a demolition derby of speaker-blowing guitars, earth-shattering bass, and slamming drums. And on top of all that wreckage, a super-energetic singer—who sounds like he might explode at any moment— is doing his victory pose for the bloodthirsty masses. If you’re a fan of gnarly riffs, synthy Velcro fuzz, and controlled chaos, the self-titled 10″ from TOJO YAMAMOTO is the perfect way to spend fifteen minutes.
Seattle’s AXEFEAR churn out a bleak and pummeling 12” that mixes the brutality of death metal with the apocalyptic howl of crust punk. Think early DEVIATED INSTINCT meeting MEMENTO MORI-era doom metal, but with a tighter modern production. Tracks like “Doomed Species” and “Genocide Pulse” hit like war anthems from a scorched earth, and while it’s heavy on tropes, the execution is precise and ruthless. Powerful blend of apocalyptic hardcore with classic Scandinavian D-beat undercurrents. Guttural vocals, buzzsaw guitars, and lyrics drenched in end-times paranoia. A brutal, well-produced slab of war noise.
Solid, solid, solid garage punk out of France, delivered by the Nashville, TN-based Sweet Time Records. Bringing to mind some of the best-energy QUEERS records, Missed Hits delivers eleven snotty tracks, most of them around two-and-a-half minutes or less, as it should be. There are some great sing-alongs to be found throughout the track list, with standout “Fascist Cops” being a particular earworm. But for me, BART and his amis are at the top of their game on the lone French track, “Mauvais Polar,” where the energy feels even more urgent, and the guitars sound even more like buzzsaws. It’s a long journey from La Rochelle to Nashville, but it’s great that these tunes travel so well.
BROKEN BARCODES has nothing groundbreaking here, but oh my golly, is this catchy! I’m certain that their shows are a bunch of pals jumping around and singing along. All the catchiness of the EGRS, STEINWAYS, HOUSEBOAT, DIRT BIKE ANNIE, and LOST LOCKER COMBO. I get the feeling that these guys are best friends and their kids or dogs or cats prolly have play dates together while they play behind a warehouse or at the bass player’s aunt’s retirement party. This is the best way to do pop punk as an adult, wherein you abandon all the songs about crushes (because it gets creepy when you’re no longer under twenty) and dive headfirst into the silly, fun, everyday stuffs. FERAL HOUSECATS, with their terrifying band name, hit just as hard, but they pull their silliness from late ’70s and early ’80s Ohio à la DEVO-esque B-sides, RUBBER CITY REBELS, PAGANS, or BALONEY HEADS. FERAL HOUSECATS, still a very terrifying name, continue to impress with a charming, inept quality that is almost hypnotic and always on the cusp of falling apart. Both of these bands complement each other very well, and I wish there was a way I could make them my friends and make them want to drive to Northern Michigan and play in a forest near me for the squirrels and deers and me and such.
Attention all followers of crustcore: the DEFORMED EXISTENCE / VITRIOLIC RESPONSE 7″ split is truly something special. DEFORMED EXISTENCE from Japan and VITRIOLIC RESPONSE from the UK both play a style of crust, but when presented in a split format, their unique spin on the subgenre is evident. DEFORMED EXISTENCE plays two songs on their side of the disc, with both tracks bringing deep bass rumble and a full-throttle delivery. VITRIOLIC RESPONSE recorded three songs for the split, with their style carrying a more frenetic, streetwise D-beat sound into the crust. Both bands serve noisy, breakneck metallic punk in a way that harkens back to an earlier time, while the lyrics deliver current and crucial messages. This split is presented in cooperation by a host of international punk labels, and with its double-sided, fold-out sleeve, it really is a complete living artifact of global punk expression.
Self-proclaimed “polyjamerous freaks” from Jacksonville, Florida with their debut five-song demo cassette. Well, it’s more like four songs and a track of spoken word poetry with repeating sound clips between every track. I don’t necessarily know how to describe this with a quick, quippy genre. It is a true mish-mash. There are a couple songs that sound like cutesy, early 2000s Casio-keyboard-heavy lo-fi indie rock surrounding a few songs shooting for a heavier, more abrasive noisy art-punk sound, all entangled with the aforementioned spoken word track. The tie-in with all of them is that they’re all written from a modern queer activist type of mindset. If you liked early lo-fi Plan-It-X records stuff, I would imagine this would potentially be up your alley.
The FADEAWAYS have been serving up garage rock right for two decades, and really have never needed to tweak the formula too much. Their latest is formalistic and somewhat orderly, but with enough sneer and grit to send it home. The drums are lovingly blown-out, as are the vocals, and the fuzz is there but not so shaggy as to get in the way of tightly-arranged tracks that get to the core of what’s still satisfying about rock’n’roll all these decades in. The FADEAWAYS aren’t running out of steam any time soon, so neither should you.
