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!

Impact Driver The Hustle and Muscle LP

This album was tough to make it through. Oi! is a genre that has to be well-executed to resonate with me. When it hits, it can be powerful, vital even. Bad Oi! can be downright terrible, not to mention the sketchy, hate-driven garbage. I appreciate the fact that IMPACT DRIVER makes their anti-racist stance very clear, but when they sing about watching the country that they “love” go up in flames, they’ve lost me. Nationalism is lame. The music is oddly repellant, too. The playing is sloppy and the singer tries to cram way too many words into the verses. Something about the production is off as well. I can’t tell if it’s mixed poorly or what, but the vocals are absurdly loud and the snare drum is barely audible. Maybe there is something here for diehard Oi! aficionados, but I cannot abide.

Joker The EP 12″

Never has a label had a name more apt than Quality Control (Free Ola), as very few labels are such an obvious stamp of approval than their co-sign. JOKER is no different, and this EP joins that pantheon. A groove-laden metallic hardcore heater, treading that perfect line between riffs for days and bass lines to make even ya granny buss a two-step. It’ll no doubt shock you to learn they take influences from MERAUDER, BULLDOZE, and LIFE OF AGONY, and their tunes reflect this in the best possible way. Couldn’t be recommended more.

Kidder Ki002 cassette

Second cassette release by Japanese post-punk band KIDDER. The band’s first cassette came out in early 2024, and eight months later, they are back with eight more songs of meandering, angular, somewhat tuneless garage-infused post-punk. The songs go on a wee bit long for as repetitive as they tend to get, but all in all, you mostly get a pretty straightforward garage punk rhythm section and noodly indie rock guitar leads.

La Otra Gente / Ojo de Ajo split cassette

LA OTRA GENTE and OJO DE AJO really build off of each other to create a great punk cassette. The artwork for this cassette greatly reminded me of Sister by SONIC YOUTH, but more whimsical. I loved the loud, yelling punk vocals of LA OTRA GENTE, and how they kept a great variety of tempos throughout that didn’t disappoint. With touches of power punk in “Jirafa Ardiendo” and a heavier and slower guitar riff in “Cemento,” they’re able to cover lots of ground. Similarly, OJO DE AJO also had a variety of musical styles in their half of the cassette. They start off with a cool spoken word style in a sludgier track of “Mentiras de Verdad” but transition to a more grunge-y style as well as a kind of heavier shoegaze and then back to classic punk. Wow. They ended with a bang with super heavy guitar that feels like it’s sweeping the ground like a dense fog, combined with great layered screams. Overall, would recommend this to anyone who wants a taste of good modern punk.

Low Card De La Morte / Summer of Death / Yuppie Gore Filth Gusanos, Rencor, Barbarico split CD

Here’s a three-way split from Japan featuring three thrashing but dissimilar bands. This veers from the respectable, if a bit clean, mince from LOW CARD DE LA MORTE to the party thrash punk of SUMMER OF DEATH. The most lo-fi of the bunch, and by extension my favorite, is the filling of the sandwich: YUPPIE GORE FILTH. They bring a sort of misanthropic NO TREND energy, or even first wave black metal (when bands veered closer to thrash with an evil edge). What you’re basically getting with this comp is a lot of songs done in varying styles of thrashing punk to varying degrees of competency. It’s not much more complicated than that, and it doesn’t have to be.

Middle-Aged Queers / The Raging Nathans DCxPC Live Presents, Vol. 20 split LP

It’s such a bummer to me when bands choose to talk shit about sobriety. At the end of the RAGING NATHANS’ set, they talk about how one of the band members quit drinking six to seven years ago and hasn’t had any fun since. The RAGING NATHANS, even in jest, are perpetuating a stereotype that people who don’t drink are incapable of having fun. I just hate that even our punk subculture succumbs to promoting mainstream culture of pressuring people to drink. Support your friends in recovery and generally don’t be a dick. Anyways, the rest of it is decent, though the recording is a bit muddy. The flipside is pretty different. I love how in-your-face, authentic, and self-aware MIDDLE-AGED QUEERS are. During their live set, they use their platform to engage the audience in a chant for their theme song: “We are the queers / The MIDDLE-AGED QUEERS / We are the queers / Go fuck yourself.” Overall, I’m glad it exists, but I like one side much more than the other. These bands are similar musically, but pretty different when it comes to their lyrics.

Nocne Szczury Jarocin ’80 EP

Documenting a 1980 performance by one of Poland’s first punk bands, this 7” was lovingly prepared, packaged with a booklet of photos and liner notes telling the story of the band in both Polish and English languages. Featuring three poppy tunes with lyrics about being among the few punks to exist in Poland at the time, the musical aptitude here is eighth grade talent show-level, but I’m sure these are fond memories for those who were there.

Ortega Fashionista LP

Self-described “DC hardcore art punk lo-fi sweethearts,” ORTEGA throws a lot of chaotic energy into Fashionista, and there are definitely some fun, aggressive moments throughout. However, whatever the band gets right is overshadowed by their singer’s relentless caterwauling. At times he sounds a bit like that guy from MÅNESKIN, but more often it sounds like he’s just yelling to be heard over the noise in the most grating way possible. I’m all for abrasive vocalists—raspy, screechy, ranty, whatever—but this feels less like an artistic choice and more like the rest of the band had to let him join in because his mom owns the practice space. This would be way better as an instrumental. Check out, “Flicker,” if you’re intrigued.

Phosphore BDX 2024 flexi EP

PHOSPHORE from Bordeaux, France released this three-song flexi as a summary of 2024, and it rips. If you’re unfamiliar with PHOSPHORE, then check out their 2023 self-titled full-length, or imagine hardcore D-beat with a Scandi bent sung in French. Blown-out vocals barking over noisy, loud, punk rock. The BDX 2024 flexi seems even noisier and louder, which only further highlights the themes contained within the songs and the disc’s packaging. With each track being just over the minute mark, these songs were destined for many subsequent repeats. If you like full-speed, cacophonous punk, then you better take a trip with PHOSPHORE.

Public Opinion Painted on Smile LP

Sometimes a debut just comes out self-assured and shit-hot, an introduction to a band that knows what it wants to do and does it with aplomb. That’s what we’ve got on our hands with this group who blends a lot of styles together to great effect. We’ve got hard-driving, blue collar punk rock making nice with emo and pop punk that never loses its edge. These are musicians that have played together in other projects which makes sense—it sounds like a group of players who speak each other’s language, and it lends a lived-in depth to the overall sound. This album is doing its own thing, but it does sit alongside contemporaries like MILITARIE GUN who also don’t balk at bringing hardcore energy to dense melodicism. Each song is super-charged and filled to the brim with hooks, just like I like it. The playing is tight and the vocal performances veer from tender to anthemic throat-shredding, often in the same song. All in, this is a real treat and a confident-as-hell debut.

Renegade Leathers In a Pine Box 12″

I feel like this was supposed to be a horror punk record, but one listen to In a Pine Box and I’m just confused. Portland’s RENEGADE LEATHERS hit like a(n almost) psychobilly/melodic gutterpunk hybrid—not swinging enough for the former and far too casual for the latter. There’s a spooky vibe throughout and the vocal trade-offs are enough to keep this listener engaged, but my engagement is limited to wondering if they’re ever going to put their foot on the gas in this sonic hearse and launch us all off a cliff, or if they’re just content cruising casually in the slow lane. The opener “5625 (The Cemetery Song)” sets the bar at height of confusion, hitting like some kind of BELLRAYS buttrock experiment, and then the harmonica on the closer “Pretty River” clashes with the dark, ominous vocals and kinda kills what would otherwise be the best song on the record. There might be something here, but I’m still looking for it.

Shelter Cat 66 Percent Strength LP

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, LEATHERFACE, and almost-Lookout! bands like ONE MAN RUNNING and M-BLANKET are bands I think of when I listen to this. It is hitting in all the right spots but, for me, I have a difficulty with their song “Toothlessness.” The song “Toothlessness” sounds remarkably similar to a THORNS OF LIFE (Daniel Sea, Blake Schwarzenbach, Aaron Cometbus) song called “New York is Giving Me the Creeps.” I get that there are only so many guitar chords, but this goes further than parallel thinking. The band seems to swipe the changes, the vocal cadence, and even lyrics from the song “New York is Giving Me the Creeps.” Maybe because THORNS OF LIFE didn’t ever officially record anything, it seemed open to grab. But,come on, all three of the people in THORNS OF LIFE were in some of the most known Bay Area bands of the punk scene, ranging from G’RUPS, to CRIMPSHRINE, to JAWBREAKER. Each person in the band has their own Wikipedia and IMDb page, for gosh sakes. This entire record feels a bit dishonest to me. I don’t want to be cruel, but fuck it, something smells funny. I now question every song on this LP, and I can’t un-smell it.

Spicy Meatball Spicy Meatball demo cassette

No luck finding much on SPICY MEATBALL on the internet, although now I know where to find some of the best Italian food in Richmond. Anyway, SPICY MEATBALL plays pretty straightforward hardcore punk without any frills or excess. Not much outside of the ordinary here, although the intro to track three (“Esteemed”) has a sort of plodding ’70s hard rock intro that really works in my opinion. A solid first offering.

Swage Swage cassette

SWAGE is from Athens, Ohio, and they have the ability to switch back and forth between slow, heavy crust and some mid-paced and fast punk that is just downright catchy. This demo is also well-recorded, no lack of sound quality on this one. The production is nothing fancy, but it really lets the music shine through. My favorite song on this demo is also their longest, an epic two-minute-and-twenty-one-seconds song called “Our Means.” I know I am going to be waiting and watching for this band to put out more music and tour. Great demo!

Taxi Girls Rainy / The Lion’s Share 7″

While the record sleeve is a little cheesy in my mind, the music is definitely not. This is catchy stuff delivered at a measured pace. If you’re lucky enough to know STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB, you might draw some similarities here. I’d call it straightforward, grinding power punk’n’roll. And as tough as they might want to appear, the music really is kind of pretty. Let’s hear it for Canada, eh?

Telegenic Pleasure Telegenic Pleasure cassette

Fantastic synth punk out of both Londons (Ontario, Canada and England). While the bulk of this cassette is filled with eggy, sugar rush synth spazzouts, there’s an undercurrent of power pop here that really makes things feel huge. The first track, “Sealed Off,” is perhaps the best example of this, with a melody that just soars from start to finish. That’s not to say this is a power pop record by any stretch, but just to highlight that there is way more depth here than what may be conveyed if you just listen to one track. Some DEVO influence seems inevitable as you listen, but with each track you realize the better comparison is any variety of bands from the We Are Not Devo (U.S. Synth Punk 79–84) compilation, or another lost classic like “Trust in Technology” by ADAPTORS. Dive into the deep end with this one and enjoy.

Venganza Damnatio Memoriae LP

Another ripper from the always reliable Discos Enfermos, VENGANZA plays fiery, fist-pumping Spanish punk on their latest LP. Teodoro Hernández included this on his MRR 2024 Year-End list and notes that there is a touch of Burning Spirits influence, which is a more appropriate description than I could come up with. The soaring guitars, breakneck drumming, and rage-fueled vocals make for a collection of songs that sound as angry as they do hopeful. Notable tracks include “Herederx De La Empresa” and the killer RIP cover at the end of the record. A pure distillation of everything there is to love about punk music, highly recommended.

V/A Speed! Lighting 500 LP

Car-themed compilation that I was certain came straight from the ’90s. The label described this slab as ten bands who “sound nothing alike,” and that got a chuckle out of me. I don’t know about that. They all have the surfy rockabilly meets Steve Albini and David Pajo energy that all of the underground Gen X-ers loved 30 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun listen. I’m not even a car guy, and I am very partial to this theme. It’s pure, classic Americana. You know, before Americana became synonymous with AI-generated Facebook posts, cryptocurrency, and white nationalism. All of the stuff mainstream Gen X-ers love now. Damn, Speed. You got me feeling all nostalgic. You win this race.

The Ape-Ettes No Matter What EP

Setting subtle sonic fires in Canada, the APE-ETTES have released an enjoyably silly four-minute EP. Simply put, it’s an uncomplicated listen and friendly to all. Generally mixed with tight tempos, a guitar follows a wave of nonchalant melody, and vocalist Julie maintains as a conductor in a march of confidence-infused singing. No Matter What is garage pop for those who love sweaters, friendship bracelets, and Wes Anderson films. Picking up in pace on “Backseat” and transitioning to French lyrics on “Tocson,” I appreciate the multilingual approach, perhaps a nod to the Franco-Ontarian base operation from which the band stems. A placid EP, this is a fun release worth a listen.

Blistering Dissonance Blistering Dissonance CD

Skate punk out of Asheville that brings to mind the early years of Fat Wreck, sounding a lot like GOOD RIDDANCE and PENNYWISE. Production is sharp, but there are a lot of sloppy moments where it sounds like the guitar is trying to catch up with the drums and vice versa. Nothing really wrong with that, though. It adds to the punk experience. The vocalist is easily the strongest element of this band, charismatic and loud with a whole heap of range. There’s a decent amount of bitingly clever political content here, as well as a couple charming tongue-in-cheek tracks that popped me quite a bit, specifically the potential IGGY POP homage titled “I Wanna Be a Cat.” The closing track “Killing Machine” has an industrial feel to it and is easily the best song on the album. I’d love to hear more of that style from them. All in all, a fun album, but not one I’d see myself returning to often. The kind of band I’d love to see live whenever they rolled through town, though.

Bzdet MGLA cassette

BZDET is a bedroom project from northwest Poland created by an undisclosed synth-rocker. This ten-track cassette is just the latest in BZDET output, and it’s well worth your listen. Upon pressing play, there’s a dance-ready energy that is difficult to deny. Songs range from the dub of “Ogród” to the hopped-up, guitar-driven punk of “Syreny,” with plenty of synth-heavy, darkened bop in between. BZDET slows things down as the cassette nears its end with the closer “Historia” barely reaching the plodding pace, but carrying with it a heavy emotional weight. In all, the MGLA cassette draws from a host of Polish punk sounds, but also has plenty of familiar noise for the Western ear, which makes for an attention-grabbing and incredibly enjoyable listen.

Celestial Sewer Down in the Sink cassette

Shit-fi no wave from (I think) Olympia, consisting of stridently dissonant guitar tones arm-wrestling over unintelligible yelping vocals. You will know within five seconds if you are in or out, and folks, I’m in. Imagine sitting in traffic with your windows up, and the car to your left is blasting MARS and the car to your right is blasting the DEAD C. Let’s also pretend it’s summer with no AC, just to make it a little more uncomfortable. Through the clatter, patterns occasionally reoccur long enough to become catchy, like on the tracks “Bo Bo” and “Local Sherman.” There is a part in opener “Diagonal Angle” where it sounds like someone is rhythmically tuning and detuning their guitar at a very high volume. Pretty boss anti-riff, if you ask me. I admittedly have a high tolerance for the shrill and skronky, but if you get freaky with noise, check this one out right away.

Clown Sounds Par for the Curse cassette

This is the cassette version of the third album for California-based CLOWN SOUNDS. There is an LP version as well, which apparently has a bunch of liner notes and a zine which allegedly explains the concept of this release, none of which are included with the cassette version. I don’t know, it’s an unpleasant mixture of modern pop punk, blues rock, cowpunk, reggae, rock-en-general, and chicken-based song titles and sound clips? An all-around confusing novelty release. Hopefully the LP version is able to shed some light on the confusing aspects of that which is CLOWN SOUNDS.

Detention Dead Rock ‘N Rollers LP

This is early 1980s hardcore punk from New Jersey, and yes, that is the same art as used on Killed By Death #2—DETENTION is also on that album. New Jersey has always been a hotbed of hardcore punk bands. They are the most densely populated state in the country, so of course they are. DETENTION was there at the beginning of the New Jersey hardcore punk scene, and their sound at times is in the same territory as the ANGRY SAMOANS and fellow New Jersey hardcore punkers T.M.A. This collection has their 7″, their mini-LP, and a few unreleased songs to round it out. The highlight is still their classic song “Dead Rock ‘N Rollers,” and it’s nice to have an official copy that I don’t have to pay $500 for. Limited 100 on clear and 200 on black, so if you want this, you probably should not wait to buy it.

Dizzy Daze Glitchy Masterpiece CD

Glitchy Masterpiece, the debut full-length from Tokyo’s DIZZY DAZE, mixes five new tracks with five remixed or re-recorded favorites, delivering a noisy, ’90s garage rock vibe that sneaks up on you with repeated listens. Drawing clear inspiration from DRIVE LIKE JEHU (though without the late Rick Froberg’s vocal assets), the album really hits its stride for me with songs that muscle-in a bit of ’70s proto-punk, like “Evidence.” Despite the band’s cutesy name, the energy here is gritty and fun, even if it eventually had me itching to revisit the classics that sparked it. Available on CD or cassette for your nostalgic pleasure. Check out “Proto-Being.”

EPHS Frayed Flag cassette

Primitive econo-punk from a Pennsylvanian home recording project that has clearly spent some time trawling for scraps in the adjoining junkyards of Messthetics and KBD—the trifecta of cover songs included here (the PRATS’ “Disco Pope,” “Teenagers” from Fred and Toody Cole’s RATS, and “Living on Nerve Ends” by CLEANERS FROM VENUS) is telling. Spartan as hell, with treble-heavy guitar done early MEKONS/BILLY CHILDISH-style, drums that exist somewhere along the continuum of “cardboard box” to “trash can,” but often just sound like (and might be?) one continuously bashed tambourine, and understated bass that actually does most of the work of keeping these eighteen(!) tracks steady on the rails. Alternate mixes of the last six tracks on Frayed Flag were originally released on a cassette called No Riots from 2018, a period in time where there was no shortage of shambling, dole-line post-punk fetishization from modern upstarts, whether it was the SUBURBAN HOMES stripping the likes of the DESPERATE BICYCLES and SWELL MAPS for parts, or PRIVATE SECTOR generating their own blown-out photocopy of “Disco Pope.” The big difference is that those bands were all UK-based and sounded the part, while EPHS is unmistakably American—the blunt, barked vocals in tracks like “No Way” and “Pointless Machine” are firmly rooted in late ’70s/early ’80s US punk (Dangerhouse, et al), with the ragged, speedy crash of “Mr. E.G.O.” and “Subdivision” working an almost URINALS-ish angle. Not too shabby (beyond the obvious).

Freezeheads / Linda & the Losers split EP

On the A-side, FREEZEHEADS give us two tracks of RAMONES-y pop punking with classic chord progressions and repetitive lyrics, complete with some requisite “I don’t wanna”s. Flip it over, and LINDA & THE LOSERS is more of a noisy, LOLI & THE CHONES-type affair, with its simple snottiness and shouted vocal approach. Beer will no doubt be spilled on copies of this record at house ragers in the near future.

Gossip Collar Spinning Silk for Parasites LP

Classic goth, darkwave, post-punk band. Very ’80s-sounding with great gothic lyrics, like “Why does he have no head?” in the track “Midnight Rider” (possibly a nod to their awesome album cover of a headless spectre holding a candle). I can’t decide on my favorite track, but I think it’s between “Seventeen,” which is reminiscent of the CURE, or “Hiding Place” with its great spooky intro. There’s lots of good, classic, gothic bass at the start of a couple songs, and there’s a good balance of distorted guitar in contrast with more melodic and hypnotizing guitar lines throughout the album. Overall, get your eyeliner and black clothes ready, because you’re going to want to become goth after listening to this.

Impotentie Zonder Titel Deze Keer LP

Expertly-played Oi!/post-punk/deathrock from international punks IMPOTENTIE. For having such heavy and thoughtful lyrics addressing racism and colonialism, the band does a good job of keeping things sonically upbeat and accessible. On “Sloop De Grens,” they manage to pull influence from both the RAMONES and BLITZ, while “Die Staan Daar Nog” features a chugging riff that is as tough as it is infectious. This one can’t be recommended enough, for fans of RIXE, FLASH, and ’80s punk in general.

The Losers Land of Opportunity LP

The LOSERS from San Fran play snarling hardcore punk with a foreboding tone that recalls some of the genre’s founding fathers. These classic-sounding tunes are rough-edged and direct, but given to moments of introspection in that early ’80s SoCal kind of way. With lyrics extolling aggravation towards various societal ills, this is aggressive music for cathartic release, armed with plenty of attitude and some pretty sharp riffs. File under “uncannily authentic O.G. HC.”

Malignant Order This is Mankind? demo cassette

Blazing outta London, this is the first release from MALIGNANT ORDER. Featuring a group of individuals who know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to making hardcore punk music (member resumes include STINGRAY, ARMS RACE, GAME, PERMISSION, OBSTRUCT, list goes on), This is Mankind? does not disappoint, firing away on all cylinders for ten or so minutes and laying a long trail of destruction in its wake. This hefty piece is not one to be slept on.

Nomad 自殺 (Suicide) cassette

A well-deserved reissue of NYC punks NOMAD’s 2013 EP. Heavily influenced by legends DISORDER and CONFUSE, NOMAD is a fine example of this style and leaves nothing to be desired for fans of classic, raw D-Beat. Sung in Japanese and featuring the fuzzy hum of distortion that we all know and love, each track on this tape absolutely rips. “人生 (Life)” is particularly great, featuring an intro that gives each instrument a moment to shred before the drums lock in and go full-force ahead. Highly recommended and essential.

Norcos y Horchata Unkind Sometimes / Don’t Come Crying to Me 7″

“Unkind Sometimes” starts off with such gross, distorted, driving bass that it could be the dumpster baby of your favorite FEEDTIME or NO BAILS tune. When the song kicks in, the vocals remind me of the darker NAKED RAYGUN songs, with a little NOMEANSNO seasoning for that extra aural punch. The flipside of this lil’ spinner hits with some guitar feedback/pedal knob-twisting that pulls me back to the TRANS MEGETTI’s 1999 opening track “Rio Nexpa,” wherein it builds a tension that makes my legs sweat. It bursts into a ’77-style thug bar pounder, and out of nowhere Annie comes in delivering “Everyone hide your head, everyone will soon be dead.” She only plops in once to deliver this, which emphasizes the band’s attuned craftsmanship to impact and craving more. I mean, come on, a great song with a greater hook only one time in the song! It is both genius and irritating. I don’t know if this song is about the end of the world or the end of a friendship, but either way, it is worth a spin. This is the perfect two-sider that makes me bummed that I slept on getting their LP. I think I should mention this has folks that were in BILL BONDSMAN, BUMP-N-UGLIES, DEVIOUS ONES, the PUTZ, and many others.

Oyo Demo II cassette

Second release from this Argentinian solo project, released May of 2023. The third release by OYO which followed this one, has also been out for well over a year. Five songs of lo-fi bedroom punk entirely comprised of drum machine, synthesizer, and vocals. Most of the songs on this cassette feel as if vocals were put on top of constantly dying in Pac-Man, which I found a bit panic-inducing. The final track, “Alien Hands (Body Language),” is so wonderfully bouncy and poppy and catchy that it is easily my favorite of the batch. Cassette released in the states by XTRO, who standardly do very limited runs of 25 copies, and seeing as this came out a year-and-a-half ago, it is already long sold out.

Patrol Cold Blood EP

This shit rocks. Their Bandcamp says it’s for fans of THIN LIZZY, BOSS, and SICK THOUGHTS, and that pretty much sums it up. The perfect amount of sleaze, of glam, of metal. Come for the riffs, stay for the riffs. Really, my only complaint here is that this is four songs and not forty, but I’ll just flip the record and start over again.

Refuse Demo ’89 LP

Before they became UNDERTOW, these Seattle-area highschoolers were blasting out raw yet earnest, straight-ahead (pun semi-intended) scissor-beat hardcore before they could even drive, with this demo and a comp track as their sole recorded output. They played shows around Washington with fellow Seattle straightedgers BROTHERHOOD, who also encouraged them as a band and likely served as a musical influence up to a point, though the speed of FALSE LIBERTY probably left a bigger mark on their sound (albeit minus the crossover air), and of course with melodies, riffs, lyrics, and vocal patterns in line with the then-recently-emerged youth crew genre. Most of REFUSE’s song structures are fairly simple and repetitive: brief intros, fast verses, elongated and often vocalless breakdowns, sometimes a delay effect on the vocals, and drums that are often a blur to the point that they lack definition. but I dunno if any other band with X’d up hands was playing this fast in 1989. Refuse—the label—has always done a great job with the packaging and contextualization of the unearthed recordings that they put out into the world, and here you get preserved interviews, ads, reviews, flyers and other ephemera. While to me this demo is ultimately more of a historical curiosity than something essential, for anyone like myself who is interested in the less-treaded corners of Washington State’s punk and hardcore history (and especially that which isn’t being billed as only important due to being some grunge guy’s early punk band), I’d suggest checking it out.

Rotary Club Sphere of Service LP

Punk four-piece from Reno. These guys sure know how to stick to a theme and really work it to unique angles. Themes of telephones were very present throughout the record. Besides the titles of some songs (“Touch Tone,” “My Landline,” etc.), I loved how they included other elements like a phone dialing in the chorus of “New Communication,” or the chanting of a phone number in “My Landline,” or even just the more subtle elements like having a good amount of call-and-response in the vocals, mimicking a conversation had on a telephone. I just loved the unique edge they brought to their fast songs with witty lyrics and classic punk energy.

School of the Americas All Clean All Clear* cassette

Raw-as-fuck noise rock from this Connecticut band. Simple, brutal guitar lines and hollered vocals pummel the listener and occasionally slide into a devastating slow-motion groove. These four tracks crush with heaviness and recall UNSANE at their nastiest. Also of note are the political and religious sound clips, which, coupled with the official-looking seals on the tape shells and internal memo look of the cover art, evoke a NATION OF ULYSSES-style illicit data file. It rules in the scabbiest, most punishing way possible. Check it out.

Slinky Saddest Girl / Run and Run 7″

Florida melodic punk from the ’90s reimagined brilliantly in 2024—when I first dropped the needle, I thought I was listening to a new band harnessing the sounds of a forgotten DIY past, when I was actually listening to a band reimagining themselves as adults. “Saddest Girl” is a perfect example of the (sub)genre, an energetic wistful missive that’s light-years from the love song that the listener might mistake it for. And I’m gonna stop the review there, because that A-side is so damn good, and the flip is an utterly forgettable butchering of a PSYCHEDELIC FURS track.

Speed Plans D.U.I. EP

Pittsburgh freaks back at it with an exceedingly gnarly follow up to their 2023 full-length. If you loved Statues of God (I did), then this is a no-brainer. The formula hasn’t changed—fast, ’80s-inspired hardcore punk that harkens back to the classics—but, this seems leaner, meaner, and just impenetrably tough. Oozing with unadulterated hatred for everyone and everything, D.U.I. finds SPEED PLANS at their most bloodthirsty point yet. Obviously, I’m here for it. “Shut Up,” followed by “Shut the Fuck Up,” is sheer genius. And the line in the last song, “My lifestyle determines your deathstyle,” evokes one of the best moments in potentially the greatest buddy-comedy of all time, Some Kind of Monster. It’s almost too good.

The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs Call the Dogs 10”

Look, if you’re going to name your project after a STOOGES lyric that even your uncle who only listens to the classic rock radio station knows, you’re going to have to bring it. The STREETWALKIN’ CHEETAHS have been around since the ’90s, and so maybe at one point they did indeed bring it, but that ain’t the case here. Honestly, this sounds like OK GO drank too many whiskeys and tried to be the bar band for the night. Also, if your four-song release is too long for a 7” record so you have to put it out as a 10”, just take that as a sign that your songs are too long. If you truly ain’t got time to make no apology—as Iggy says—well, then you shouldn’t have time for five-minute songs.

Tragiedia Demo ’89 EP

I first encountered TRAGIEDIA’s songs via the 2009 POST REGIMENT album Tragiedia Wg Post Regiment, in which they collaborated with a couple original members to re-record TRAGIEDIA tunes that had not at that time been properly released. In 2015, the Todo Destruido label remedied the situation by releasing the Punk ‘Til Destruction LP, compiling the band’s two demos into one ripping full-length. So now we have Warsaw Pact revisiting the material in a more concise fashion, offering the 1989 demo as a standalone 7” with a sick booklet that fleshes out the history of the band and includes an illuminating interview. There’s a very simple reason that these tracks keep remerging—they are absolutely savage. Five crushing cuts of uncompromising hardcore punk that easily demonstrate why the band was so inspiring. Crucial!

Turnarounds Turnarounds LP

Musically, I hear FACE TO FACE and PROPAGANDHI in the best ways possible, if you can imagine. Although saying that this could be an Epitaph or Fat Records release will deter some readers, I believe that this record lends itself to the better side of those label’s releases. Unlike many of the bands that step into any genre of DIY, these TURNAROUNDS seem less like they are trying to purposely pattern themselves around a sound as much as they are compelled to make music that sounds like this (e.g. ASEXUALS, DOUGHBOYS, NILS, STATUES). Ten songs total, and each song feels honest and musically thoughtful in a very Canadian way that only Canadians take the time to do, methinks. I can see this record making a 2024 top ten list.

V.V.M. Crucial Burger cassette

San Francisco fastcore thrasher outfit that exults fun in their execution, featuring members of VENKMAN, THESE BASTARDS, CONQUEST FOR DEATH and more. Resemblances to the classic and most acidic side of ’80s USHC, holding down histrionic, maddening cadences that approach the one-minute length while delivering great hardcore punk throughout the ten tracks, including blastbeats, breakdowns and even crazy space-like sounds that relieve the non-stop nature of their songs. Bay Area-infused and well-executed, it’s a delightful option for the fastcore aficionado’s cravings.

Alvilda C’est D​é​jà L’heure LP

Imagine if FRANCE GALL played with some rad guitar accompanying her. Now imagine that a little more upbeat, and with three or four FRANCE GALLs instead of just one. If you can’t imagine that, imagine if the BABYSHAKES were from France. This all-female band (from France!) plays a brand of pop music that seems influenced by ’60s garage pop (female or otherwise) and also punk rock. That is a beautiful combination, made more beautiful because they do it so well. And they sing in French! I salute bands from non-English speaking countries that sing in their own language.

Backyard Ritual Small World cassette

Solo release from Ian Campbell of POP. 1280 that pulls from post-punk, goth, and synth-pop influences to create a winning debut. Built around simple drum machine sequences, the songs grow with ENO-esque ambient textures and snaky guitar lines until you find yourself tapping your foot and reaching for the eyeliner. “RFP” begins with a moody syncopated synth bass line that opens up into a catchy, uplifting chorus. “Grasping at Straws” is the most romantic and poignant song NEW ORDER never wrote, and it’s worth the price of admission alone. For a solo recording, it sounds remarkably full and well-produced, and is recommended for fans of COLD CAVE or really any kind of post-industrial electronic pop music.

Bandages Bandages LP

Anthemic, melodic punk that borders on alt-rock in the modern context. Pro recording, pro performance, fronted by powerful femme vox, and it’s all really honest, really earnest, and…really good. I could also easily imagine hearing it on the radio. I’d be okay with that. Shit, I’d probably listen to the radio if it sounded like this. BANDAGES land like a band whose members consumed DILLINGER FOUR and FALL OUT BOY with equal enthusiasm, but there’s also an OFF! record on the shelf next to QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, and I bet there’s someone in the band who can speak intelligently on matters of classic USHC—shit man, I’m trying to put a finger on it, but I’m still fukkn listening so these kids are doing something right.

Champions Champions 12″

Recorded around 1996, CHAMPIONS was an offshoot project featuring members of DEFIANCE, the RIFFS, and DEATHCHARGE. Almost 30 years later, here it is, finally seeing the light of day. Musically, it’s pretty mid-paced Oi!-type punk and it’s pretty decent. It’s not necessarily anything that I personally would write home about, but it’s pretty cool and I’m glad these songs managed to actually get released. Worth tracking down if you are an Oi! fan especially.

Chujoza Niewolnicy LP

CHUJOZA is a grindcore-influenced crust band from southwestern Poland. The Niewolnicy LP was released in the middle of last year, and is CHUJOZA’s first recorded output. Eleven songs of blistering D-beat hardcore, with various throat-shredded vocals making appearances throughout. CHUJOZA reminds me a lot of the global hardcore sound from about twenty years ago, but with a vibrant and refreshed urgency. My favorite track is currently “Czy Życie Jest Dobre?,” which comes just beyond the midpoint of the album, is a bit mid-paced, and has an old school sort of anarcho-hardcore delivery. If you like raw production, grindcore energy, and absolutely frenetic vocals, then you better check out CHUJOZA.