Reviews

For review and radio play consideration:

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

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

Odpadki Civilizacije Obsojam LP

The capacity of punk to bridge connections across time will never cease to amaze me. ODPADKI CIVILIZACIJE is a band from Ljubljana, Slovenia that originally formed in 1982. The seminal incarnation appears to have had an impactful three-year run, contributing songs to some compilations and developing a foundation of support that sustained the band until their dissolution in 1985. Fast forward to 2021 when the group reformed and, following a few lineup changes, re-emerged in 2024 to record Obsojam, their debut album. And thus, after a prolonged gestation, ODPADKI CIVILIZACIJE has an LP. And it’s pretty killer! I’m not certain if the songs stem from the band’s initial period or if they have just maintained their stylistic integrity, but this is a straightforward hardcore punk ripper that could convincingly have come from a lost tape from the ’80s if I didn’t know better. Musically, they sound a bit like early NIET or TOŽIBABE, retaining the classic approach of Yugoslavian hardcore. The authenticity cuts through very clearly with this one.

Parisian Orgy Parisian Orgy LP

Wonky art-punk from Calgary, where the “art” in question skews heavily toward a theatrical/performance sensibility—toy instruments, handmade outfits/costumes, a genuine troupe of freaks building their own hodgepodge world from the detritus of synth pop plasticity, off-kilter new wave, and the warble and wobble of late ’70s/early ’80s DIY. Classic femme-punk references abound within: “Cream Dream” flirts with the playful post-no-wave polyrhythms of LIZZY MERCIER DESCLOUX before upending into blown-out basement punk outro, French electro-wavers TOKOW BOYS are paid tribute via a relatively faithful cover of “Four Boys,” and Gwen Morgan’s vocals veer from coolly delivered spoken word in the late-night dub drift of “Jazz Song for Shrimp” to ecstatic shrieks over the bouncy bass/synth-driven beat of “Come Pretty Pump Sleep,” bringing to mind ALGEBRA SUICIDE’s Lydia Tomkiw fronting PINK SECTION and PINK SECTION’s Judy Gittelsohn fronting ALGEBRA SUICIDE in equal turns. I’m imagining unexpecting, Neon-Taste-following hardcore men having their minds bent into pretzels by this record, and it brings me immense joy. Magnifique!

Permanent Opposite Permanent Opposite LP

Debut from PERMANENT OPPOSITE, the solo project of Jared Leibowich. This eleven-track album is highly personal and emotional in a confessional poetry kind of way. I don’t quite want to call this indie, but it fits somewhere in that vein, as the songs are on the slower, softer side, with clean instrumentals and production, and may have just made it through the MRR criteria for inclusion—but that’s an uninformed speculation. I could see this being passed around a crowd who’s bored with KURT VILE, or those wanting more DEERHOOF (as John Dieterich engineered this album). I like a lot of the heart-on-the-sleeve sentiment within, but it’s not necessarily for me.

Robbie Thunder If Rock & Roll is Dead… So is Robbie Thunder cassette

Lo-fi, drum-machine-driven Australian synth punk. This is the seventh album by Newcastle-based ROBBIE THUNDER, and like each of the six albums before it, it is ten songs of non-stop bopping and rocking recorded on a Tascam four-track. With songwriting as catchy as their synth is warbling, ROBBIE THUNDER seems to care about one thing and one thing only….rocking. This is pretty damn evident with album titles such as Rock N Roll Does It Again and Houston, We Have Rock. If Rock & Roll is Dead… does not veer in the slightest from the path that ROBBIE THUNDER has laid out with his previous output. Perhaps that sounds like a bad thing, and sure, maybe that’s already 70 recorded songs in just a few short years, but I for one find this commitment to lo-fi, dingy, poppy rock’n’roll refreshing and commendable. I personally cannot wait to hear the next album, which will surely be titled something along the lines of All Roads Lead to Rock or some other predictable nonsense, which will undeniably continue all the way to ROBBIE’s eventual washed-up finale album Full Speed to Rock Bottom.

Sex Dwarf Påhittad Värld LP

SEX DWARF: the epitome of a band name you probably should not Google. These Swedish punks have been around for a while now and have made a bit of a name for themselves, but seeing as their previous record was released in 2019, I thought they were more or less inactive, and being wrong has never felt so sweet indeed. Påhittad Värld is their third album, and arguably their most convincing effort. The production is probably heavier and more dynamic than on their already excellent previous EP Sensou Hantai, but the songwriting is not dissimilar (but then, who really expected skacore breaks?). SEX DWARF’s compass points to the classic Japanese noisepunk sound of SWANKYS or CONFUSE, but I can hear a snottier Bristolian influence on some numbers here, and because I suppose they just cannot really help it, the band also relies on the old school Stockholm käng style when they decide to go into seventh gear. Listing all this, you would be tempted to classify SEX DWARF as a crasher crust band, but you’d be mistaken as no crust flies here—they never leave hardcore territory (the vocals are the perfect reflection of this). There are dozens of bands claiming to do the GAI noize hardcore thing, but few (if any) do it with the same inspiration as these gentlemen. There is a good diversity of beats, and the seamless transitions from one song to the next keep the listener engaged through a hook-driven ferocity (if that makes sense?). My one critique would be that the introduction is a bit too long compared to the overall length of the album. Other than that, it’s a top-shelf release in the genre and one of 2025’s highlights.

Shishu Shishu cassette

Cardiff, Wales has been the location of origin for a host of amazing bands. However, SHISHU couldn’t give two shits about that as they make noisy punk rock. Layers of distortion coat the vocals, guitars, and even the rhythm section with maximum cacophony on this nine-song tape. Even the room’s ambiance seems to fire with frenetic crackles and feedback. The closer “Scum Head” is a real auditory treat as it shifts from mid-paced punk rock into full-on harsh noise.

Sweet Harm Certain Sun LP

This SWEET HARM record, with its melodic indie riffs and Dominic Armao’s talked lyrics, falls somewhere between the FALL and ’90s Gern Blandsten Records bands the VAN PELT and the LAPSE. The songs are catchy and budding with dream-journal-styled poems and fever dream notes. Conversely to the first three songs, track four delivers a fresh approach with Kate Larson taking over on main vocals. Kate’s songs are lyrically more succinct and filled with dreamy regret. Both vocal stylings, while having their own songwriting approaches, come together to aurally complement each other and create an entirely different spirit. It is no surprise that Certain Sun is on Salinas Records, given that the label is known for an elevated style of modern pop punk, indie, and emo. With the research I’ve done (typed a couple words into an Internet browser), I believe that this is the first physical release by SWEET HARM, and for someone who is a fan of this particular style, I should prolly cross my fingers for a few more.

Teengenerate Live at the Empty Bottle LP

Secretly recorded on one rowdy night in Chicago in 1995, Live at the Empty Bottle captures the dirt cloud of chaos that was the mighty TEENGENERATE’s calling card, in all its glory. The band’s ’77-fueled punk power pushes through sixteen tracks encompassing all the hits and a few cool covers (PAGANS, the KIDS, etc.), and the crowd goes wild. It’s down-and-dirty rock’n’roll with audio quality to match, and these tunes will send a rush of radical memories flooding through any ’90s punk-crazed brain. What a sick surprise to unleash thirty years to the day.

Versus You A Collection: 2009–2024 2xLP

Do you enjoy pop punk (or at least something from the dozens of kinds of pop punk that have been crammed in that clown car of a term)? Then you’ll probably enjoy VERSUS YOU. This release collects and remixes/remasters tunes from the last fifteen years of the band’s history, and while this is my first encounter with them (maybe because it’s probably hard to push out into the world from Luxembourg), this is right up my alley—I am a staunch pop punk enjoyer. Musically, we’re somewhere in the neighborhood of fellow European acts like the APERS or propulsive American pop punk purveyors like TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET, but there are moments where they pull from more indie-rock-leaning stuff like BROADWAY CALLS when crafting some radio-ready melodies. That’s not to say it doesn’t pack a punch: the production across the collection is clean and strong, there’s some killer solos here and there, and the gruff vocals keep it well off from coming across weak. Lyrically, this has some clever moments and stays within the margins of personal, political, and the combination of the two you get with the better examples of this kind of music. This is a great surprise; it stands out with songcraft and attention to melody way above the plurality of its peers, and I will be going back to examine their considerable discography after sampling them here.

Yunk Our Way EP

There is a lot going on here and I don’t enjoy any of it. YUNK juxtaposes anthemic choruses, distorted grunge riffs, and indie rock guitar lines, with over-the-top noise blasts delivered in a formulaic fashion. Each song has a slightly different feel and style, and the only real cohesion between them is the vocals. They could improve by focusing on a couple of things that they do well, instead of trying to mash all these styles haphazardly into songs. YUNK = yuck.

Angstmäler 4 Track EP

Under The Gun has a varied and somewhat eclectic oeuvre, but the throughline is a commitment to quality.  ANGSTMÄLER both maintains and bolsters this tradition by delivering four tracks of punishing hardcore punk. I’ve been infatuated with Philly’s the DAMAGE, and this EP is scratching a similar itch. Vital, deranged, and obliterating any sense of safety or comfort, these songs go so fucking hard it’s mesmerizing. There is so much energy on tap that they sound unstable, yet somehow entirely focused at the same time. There are hints of harmony that poke through that are absolutely brilliant. The vocals have a fuzzed-out, muffled quality that lends an air of total psychopathy—only to be upended by tunefulness. Rooted in classic USHC but firmly planted in 2026, ANGSTMÄLER is helping push the frontiers of punk forward. Killer!

Baraka Face Junta Do Piekła LP

Before I dived into this new album from BARAKA FACE JUNTA, I had not realized the band formed as early as 2009 and that Do Piekła is their fifth full-length. Doesn’t time fly and hair recede? Now that’s dedication for you. If you are not familiar with them, BARAKA FACE JUNTA is from Kołobrzeg in the north of Poland, and originally emerged from the excellent STRACONY, a crucial anarcho-punk band active in the ’90s and the early ’00s. Since their inception, the band steadily progressed and kept building on a tuneful, passionate punk style that manages to sound fresh and original. They have substance. CHUMBAWAMBA is an obvious influence, as is CRASS, and the EX at times too, and I think equally inventive but harder-hitting bands like ARMIA or WŁOCHATY should get invites as well. The incorporation of a saxophone (normally a “forbidden instrument” because of its ties with—gasp—ska) clearly highlights the band’s drive to create something different and shape an atmosphere of lunacy. The undeniable energy relies heavily on the brilliant musicianship, the martial/tribal drumming, the groovy bass lines, and the guitar’s sharp dissonant leads. BARAKA FACE JUNTA is not, however, an experimental band; they are firmly rooted in the dynamic Polish tradition of strong female-fronted punk bands. If this lot were from New York or London, they would get a lot more attention. Anarcho-punk fans should take notes if they haven’t already.

Caloris Impact / The Snub The Life / Macho? Bullshit! split LP

Modern hardcore punk bands from Austria providing six tracks each on a pretty coherent split. Politically charged lyrics for the most part, with CALORIS IMPACT being a little more adventurous in throwing curveballs between the thrashing and breakdown, while the SNUB is a little more straightforward, grabbing influences from grind and crust. Standout to me is CALORIS IMPACT’s vocalist Rebeca, who could strip the paint off the wall with her acerbic screams. These bands would fit well with contemporary HC like GEL or TORSO, but do enough to show personality here. A fine enough release with not much to complain about but nothing to fawn over, either.

Cheap Perfume Don’t Care. Didn’t Ask. CD

Sometimes it’s best to say what you mean and not hide behind being clever or poetic. That’s a strength you notice early in on this full-length from Colorado Springs’ CHEAP PERFUME. Front and center is Stephanie Byrne’s holler, and she is almost more of a sloganeer than a lyricist. Backed by a solid band, the overall gestalt is somewhere in the riot grrrl and ’90s skate punk sound that is squarely defiant against a right-wing government gone as insane as it ever has. There’s no confusing the band’s politics, and depending on your appetite for “telling it like it is,” there’s a lot to like here. Co-vocalist/guitarist Jane No’s harmonies bring a lot to the table as well, with a breezier, more melodic delivery that compliments Byrne’s voice well. This album reminds me of Melbourne, Australia’s PINCH POINTS. It’s heartening to hear energetic punks standing straight down the barrel of crumbling dystopia and not flinching.

The Drags Stop Rock and Roll LP reissue

Originally released on Estrus in 1997, the DRAGS’ second LP Stop Rock and Roll gets a reissue from Total Punk. It’s a trash-rock stomper that sits comfortably next to GAS HUFFER and CHEATER SLICKS, blasting through twelve lo-fi cuts in about eighteen minutes. The remaster adds a bit of heft without sanding down the grit, and like many classic Estrus releases, it leans on swagger more than non-stop aggression. Available on black and blue vinyl or cassette, this one’s a welcome reminder of how effective a tight, raw, and direct rock record can be. The high points for me were “Tastes Like Poison” and “Conspiracy.”

Endless Swarm The Body Hammer LP

Before we start, I want you all to know that I’m trying my darnedest not to overreact. But damn, Edinburgh’s ENDLESS SWARM very blatantly and aggressively knocked it out of the park with this one. Diverse vocals that go from Muppet to megalodon in the blink of an eye, crushing riffs that suckerpunch you over and over with that classic “there is something on your shirt” trick, grinding bass with no care for public safety, a drummer who could very well be three jackhammers in a trenchcoat…it’s just as relentless and devastating as god intended powerviolence to be. Perhaps it’s because those sharp turns in composition are the eight-gen iPad to my five-year-old-with-unrestricted-screen-time brain, but I just can’t get enough of this LP and all the chaotic rage it thrives on. Oh boy, I can’t wait to annoy the shit out of my friends until they listen to this album. P.S. Am I crazy, or was that the opening riff to “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” in there??

Flower Girls Named When I Lose cassette

You have to love a singular vision, and this one brings a crunchy, syrupy, bedroom-made batch of covers and originals from GOD’S COUNTRY drummer Andres Wade. His vocals hit a perfect disaffected tone, slightly under the note and with a hint of theater that updates DEAD KENNEDYS’ “Religious Vomit” for the generation who watched Sopranos DVDs on their laptop. The rest of the album is equally referential and irreverent, with great pulls like DANIEL JOHNSTON’s “Casper” and even a fairly straight take on WAX’s “California,” another DVD classic thanks to the Spike Jonze set everyone seemed to have in college at one time. There’s something so lunkheadedly sweet about these performances, which do hit a perfect bedroom pop equilibrium (especially in the originals). The sound references grungy ’90s alt rock, SoCal punk, and power pop, and presents it all straight from the heart with a wink. Impossible not to love.

Home Front Watch It Die LP

Look, I know I’m in the severe minority here, but HOME FRONT just doesn’t do it for me, and Watch It Die is their weakest entry to date. They’re like the ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA of punk. Despite my undying love for ELO, I don’t mean that in a good way. The production on this album is way over the top, just spilling over with dinky synth lines and drum machine patterns. Whoever coined the term “bootgaze” probably had this band in mind. They do take later-era BLITZ as a jumping off point, but the “gaze” part just feels strained, like the vocalist reaching for notes just beyond their range. I think my biggest gripe with this record is how contrived it is. HOME FRONT figured out their formula pretty quickly. When Think of the Lie dropped in 2021, it felt like a gust of new life for post-punk—if not entirely novel, they seemed to bring something fresh and innovative to the genre. A few years on, and it already sounds phoned-in and stale. Maybe it’s a me thing, but I just feel like I’ve already heard these songs before. The hooks are predictable, the rhythms—as layered and astute as they are—strike me as generic. And then there are the lyrics, a word salad of deep and meaningful assertions that stab at some high-minded ideal or another, but don’t actually convey anything of substance. I caught HOME FRONT at a fest a few years ago, half-expecting to be won over by their impeccable live set…only to find them overly performative and mildly annoying. Judging by the number of top ten lists Watch It Die is on, my take is purely subjective and largely irrelevant, but something tells me this album won’t hold up in the longer term. In any case, don’t @ me or whatever.

Human Dogfood / Toprot split LP

European project in full flow here, with a Dutch hardcore band and a French street punk outfit joining forces on a Czech label for a split that unfortunately underwhelms slightly. TOPROT from the Hague kicks us off, and to be fair, it does whip along at an enjoyably rapid canter, but nothing is memorable enough for me to skip back. HUMAN DOGFOOD grabs the baton next, and while I have to give them credit for having the kind of band name that parody punk bands on The Two Ronnies would have had, it’s sadly much of the same from that point onwards. Perfectly fine, and nothing more from my perspective.

The Jaggernauts Taste the Jaggernauts CD

From Eau Claire, WI, we have the JAGGERNAUTS with nine mid-tempo, haunting horrorpunk songs that dip a toe into the FALSE PROFITS swamp a little bit. I find myself humming the chorus of “Ent” (“Don’t hang out by the Wayside / I heard a girl there died”) as its stuck in my head, and I’ll tell ya what, don’t start researching (asking an internet browser) about dead people near or around Eau Claire, WI. Nothing good will come of it. With my whole heart, I believe that this is a very fun and interactive band to see live. Somewhere deep in the mix, there is a lot of AmRep tone in these songs; I can’t point to one thing inasmuch a total sound poking through here and there. This disc ends on an eight-minute epic with vocals akin to Peter Murphy and KILLDOZER, and toils around (and is maybe about) Count Dracula. The song builds to a crescendo of “Your blood is so delicious / I want to see the sun.” When I re-examine this disc, I’m starting to believe this is a rock opera that spans hundreds of years of a vampire’s existence—from being around for Marie Antoinette (a song of theirs), crossing an ocean and taking victims near Wayside Park in Eau Claire, WI, and finally finding sweet, sweet ruby nectar and deciding to grab an egg sandwich to watch the sun rise over the Chippewa River. This is fun, and a perfect album for a Christmas or a Halloween mixtape.

The Lamplighter Terrible Mind CD

Solo stunner from Washington state—like combining skate punk and ’80s anarcho with ’90s discordance and a glorious reliance on repetition. At times, I almost feel like I’m hearing an old(er) punk harness their own youth angst, bashing out undeniably straightforward, driving punk that feels mature and confident. “God Salesman” injects classic early punk with sarcasm (and is the choice cut on the disc), which only reinforces the feeling that this new punk comes from an old soul.

Low Blow Money Fetish cassette

Described as “actual teenagers playing hardcore,” LOW BLOW are some young Canadian punks who made a tape in 2025 that could easily be passed as a “lost” demo from 1984. The targets of their heavy and restless racket are classic (greed, perverts, fakeness) and their sound is familiar, but not a pastiche. An uncompromised echo of the old school can still be tapped into, and these four songs stand as recent evidence.

Kilynn Lunsford Promiscuous Genes LP

Haunted pop music from New Jersey sound artist KILYNN LUNSFORD that is hard to describe in words but sounds like a mix of DIAMANDA GALAS, KATE BUSH, and The Munsters in the best way. This is a unique record and not a passive listen; otherworldly yelps and groans amass in the background of club beats and moody notebook poetry to grip your attention with skeletal hands. What results is a fractured pop album that is as melodic and catchy as it is sinister and disturbing. Tracks like “Disney Girls,” “Gateway to Hell,” and especially the deeply warped “Lillibilly” sound like Top 40 radio played in hell with echo-y, sing-song vocals, distorted bass lines, and a tortured spirit backup group, but it works so well. “Let’s Eat” goes traditional goth with a gorgeously layered vocal performance and atmospheric synth-string beauty. Promiscuous Genes is a fully realized world of sound that welcomes all weirdos curious enough to check it out.

Malicious Algorithm / Merked split LP

A merciless split LP showcasing two faces of modern hardcore violence. MALICIOUS ALGORITHM delivers mechanical, crushing riffs with cold precision, locking into a suffocating, almost industrial attack. MERKED answers with chaotic, street-bred aggression, faster and dirtier, fueled by pure hostility. Both sides refuse compromise, making this a most punishing listen.

Un split LP despiadado que muestra dos caras de la violencia hardcore actual. Malicious Algorithm descargan riffs mecánicos y aplastantes con precisión fría, mientras Merked responden con agresión caótica y callejera, más rápida y sucia. Ambos lados rechazan cualquier concesión.

Memory Ward Memory Ward LP

MEMORY WARD’s self-titled LP is an ugly mess of rumbling bass and drums, razor-sharp guitars, and some of the filthiest vocals ever…and I’ve never meant it in a more endearing way. It’s so intense that after its seemingly short fourteen-minute runtime, your vision will get blurry and you’ll find yourself gasping for air. Next thing you know, you’re at the breakfast aisle of a nearby Walmart with a warm blanket of blood covering everything. As you follow the crimson trail back to your bare hands, you think to yourself: is it your fault or MEMORY WARD’s? What did Tony the Tiger do to deserve this, you sick fuck? What about his husband and kids, huh? Anyways, as a big fan of extremely pissed-off, almost unintelligible, squashed-to-hell-and-back music, this thing definitely ticks all the boxes for me. Just perfect, no notes.

The New Christs The Burning of Rome: Selected Works 2xLP

RADIO BIRDMAN singer Rob Younger curated this twenty-track, double LP retrospective of his other band, the NEW CHRISTS, pulling together highlights from four decades of mid-tempo rock recorded with players from CELIBATE RIFLES, LIME SPIDERS, BARRACUDAS, and HOODOO GURUS. While Jello Biafra once praised their “crunchy, no-frills garage rock” and Tim Yohannan flagged their Detroit/MC5 roots, the material here mostly lands in my ears like ’80s alternative rock with just an extra dash or two of grit. It’s a step back from RADIO BIRDMAN’s aggression, instead leaning into blues-based grooves and their pub rock beginnings. The collection gains a little steam as it moves forward, with later cuts like “We Got This!” and “Born Out of Time” delivering a little more kick, but overall this feels like music made to be enjoyed in a packed bar rather than your headphones.

The Polkaholics 25 Years of Polka CD

The POKLAHOLICS are a polka-punk band from Chicago that sounds exactly like punk, polka, and Chicago. This 25 Years of Polka 3” CD has five songs that feature three members from five other bands, two references to Malört, playing a style not one of them has played in a previous band. I feel that the song “Hallelujah I’m Drunk” could be on an ARRIVALS record. If there would have been an Aching Chicago! Vier! comp, I’m nearly almost maybe kinda semi-certain that the POKLAHOLICS would have been on it. With this, you get great polka-punk tunes that are good foot-stompers, and before you know it, you’ll be moshing and polka-ing around the Falcons Hall with a stein held high, just a-swigging and a-yelling along. I feel as though that this is something that you could sneak on at family gatherings to get grandma out of her chair and maybe even doing shots again.

Revolución X Revolución Permanente: Discografía 1994–1996 LP

A complete discography of one of the most important Spanish hardcore bands from the ’90s Zapatista movement. It’s perfect raw and political hardcore crafted to be used as a weapon in the face of oppression. Given the recent rise in fascism across the globe, this release couldn’t have been timed more perfectly. It comes correct with all their recorded output, a live show from El Paso, and copies of old gig flyers. I could make comparisons to the obvious LOS CRUDOS or MASSACRE 68, and such comparisons would be accurate but would not do them the justice they deserve. They were instrumental in bridging the Mexican and American punk scenes of the early ’90s, and it’s about time this saw a proper reissue. Listen to “I’m Making My Future With the Border Patrol” followed by “Alto Al Bloqueo De Cuba” and you’ll understand what I’m raving about. If you listen to this record and it doesn’t light a fire under your ass, what will? Records like this make me want to fight. Fuck ICE forever. Highly recommended.

Sekunderna Hits LP

New full-length from Sweden’s SEKUNDERNA. Making a fine breed of garage-y power pop since 2018, Hits continues their theme of catchy and fun-loving music, with whole-band harmonies and zippy guitar leads set to a bouncy, uptempo beat. A dirty, grumbling bass shines through during the verses, like on “Minnen,” creating an awesome propulsion towards loud choruses that I want to know the words to. For something light, refreshing, and all fun, give Hits a spin.

Sistema de Entretenimiento 300 Noches Sin Dormir LP

Spanish goth/post-punk/new wave/pop from the early ’80s that was associated with the Movida Madrileña cultural movement is one of my soft spots. The resurgence of synth/post-punk from Spain in the last few years has been very welcome for me, and this band is one of the top-tier acts pushing this forward. On their second LP, they (more than ever) bring to mind legendary bands like PARALISIS PERMANENTE, if maybe colored with a shade of modern lo-fi punk vibes (so as to not say egg-punk). There’s actually a lot of PARALISIS PERMANENTE in this record to my ears, but a reference point more people can understand would be a snotty, punkier early JOY DIVISION. Either way, this is a great fucking record with an immersive dark vibe, “fuck you” attitude, and a bunch of synths. What’s not to fucking love? 

Snakeheads Belconnen Highs LP

Solid, poppy pub rock from Australia that brings to mind some English classics like EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS, BUZZCOCKS, and the BOYS. This album was dropped five years after it was initially recorded and is a posthumous release for guitarist Pete Lusty, who unfortunately passed from lymphoma right before the entire world shut due to the COVID pandemic. I don’t normally let my emotions dictate where I go with a review, but if you’re gonna spin something new this week, throw Belconnen Highs in a couple of your rotations for Pete. This album sounds great, so you will certainly not regret it!

Terminal Βόρεια Του Βορρά LP

Late last year, TERMINAL out of Greece released their second LP—Βόρεια Του Βορρά is eight songs of Finnish-influenced D-beat with burly vocals singing in Greek. The whole thing comes off as having that international hardcore flavor that Felix champions with Havoc Records. The bass lead on “Το Σκοτεινό Τούνελ” is brilliant, but then a searing ANTI-CIMEX-inspired riff tears through the treble-sphere and splits your brain. Absolutely for fans of UNARMED, ANTI-CIMEX, and RIISTETYT.

Venenö Vicio EP

The issue with a name like VENENÖ lies in the fact that there are already a lot of bands who had the same idea, and at first I thought this was the Barcelona one (I admit I did not notice the decorative dieresis on the letter O). This venomous act comes from New York, and this is their first EP. Sadly, this does not do it for me. VENENÖ plays post-punk with a sound reminiscent of bands like the ESTRANGED or CHAIN CULT, but a bit more melancholy. It’s well-executed enough, the vocals are pretty good, very punky and angry, but I really struggle to listen to these sorts of moody guitar leads these days and I was unable to get into it. Sorry.

Wiccans Phase IV LP

By now, I’d expect most MRR readers are at least somewhat familiar with Texas punks WICCANS, so I’ll skip the lore and get right to the point: Phase IV is really fuckin’ good. Their first new offering in eight years, WICCANS seemingly dropped this thing out of thin air last year and right into the top five of my year-end list. Giving nods to hardcore classics (POISON IDEA) as well as a few contemporaries (FUCKED UP), the band absolutely steamrolls through the eleven tracks without wasting a second of the mammoth thirty-two-minute runtime. This album is a whole-ass journey that provides endless replay value, a statement I’ll stand behind as even on my tenth or eleventh spin, I’m still finding subtle touches missed the time before. I could pick this apart and get into the weeds with how it sounds in more detail, but that would just be wasting the time you could be spending listening to it yourself. Absolutely essential.

V/A Bloodstains Across Chiba: 26 Essential Punk Rock Blasts CD

As mysterious as the Osaka and Tokyo punk undergrounds may be to the average MISFITS T-shirt wearer, they might as well be Top 40 radio compared to the little-known 1990s scene of Japan’s Chiba prefecture. Bloodstains Across Chiba unearths recordings from a gaggle of excellent obscure groups from that era, collecting their scarce output in one revelatory package. Unsurprisingly, most of the bands featured were either adjacent to or inspired by local heroes the C&C, who were one of the few Chiba groups to gain notoriety outside of the peanut-producing province (and whose material is also well worth seeking out if you’re so inclined.) Kicking off the festivities, the SHOCK TREATMENT’s lone six-song demo blasts some snotty, SWANKYS-style bangers to get things rolling. Next up is HERRSCHEN, an all-girl garage group with charming stripped-down style and songs that will stick in your head permanently. The VOLUME hits us with tough and riotous rocking in the vein of Osaka’s similarly-named LOUDER who would emerge a couple of decades later. NO-SLIP rips through three no-frills, ’77-inspired tracks that originally appeared on Antique Records’ Dynamite Vaginas compilation alongside the MANKS and others. And lastly, TESTER’s extremely rare demo serves up eight more sharp and simple stompers to end the collection on a high note. From start to finish, it’s a scorcher, giving “flat tire punk” fiends much reason to hunt, obsess, and ultimately celebrate.

Bloque Fuerte y Firme EP

Seven-track debut from straightedge outfit BLOQUE, whose traditional take on the style doesn’t lead to too many surprises outside of the occasional dive-bomb guitar. I expected it to be a little more thrash-y after the intro, but it’s pretty straightforward. Breakdowns and gang vocals abound, with clear influence from GORILLA BISCUITS and JUDGE. Catch them on tour with SHELTER this year.

Corpse on Delivery …And Another War+ LP

Stripped-down and in your face Ohio peace punk from the mind of MARBLES drummer Mark Slak. ZERO BOYS vibes with tinges of CIRCLE ONE and other early West Coast acts with a modern interpretation that owes more to fellow Midwesterners CRACKS or California transplants NAKED AGGRESSION. …And Another War was released digitally early last year, but the “+” here is the rest of their discography dating back to the Roots of War EP in 2023. Twenty-three tracks in all—a soundtrack to an upfront anti-imperialist, anti-Trump, pro-liberation agenda.

Deep X Cut How to Be Normal cassette

Damn, that’s a fast recording. Six minutes, barely a cig break. The big “X” stuck between the two words making out the name of the band gives a relevant indication as to what this Greek band is all about: (very) fast, abrasive hardcore. We’re not far from classic powerviolence country here with those heavy moshable breaks and a couple of blastbeats. I don’t listen to this style much, to be honest, but I can always enjoy it when it is done proper, and that’s definitely the case here. The female vocals sound really angry and the production is just right, not too heavy but still hitting hard the punk way. The lyrics are in Greek—that’s a strong plus—but the tape’s title is in English for some reason. How to Be Normal is apparently DEEP X CUT’s third EP, and the band is connected to a collective based in a squat in Ioannina, so you know where they stand politically. This would undoubtedly appeal a lot to fans of the genre.

Dom Sensitive Leather Trim cassette

DOM SENSITIVE, a new studio project from Adelaide musician Dom Trimboli of WIREHEADS, is a late-night, psych-heavy pastiche of synth swells, boom-bap drum machine patterns, and viiibes. “Digital Random Hat” opens the tape with a loping beat, accordion-aping synth, and laconic vocals that sound like KING KRULE reciting cough syrup poetry. This leads to a surprisingly earnest bar-room piano bridge complete with synthesized trumpet backing, like a bizarre BILLY JOEL D-side. Slow-moving, but oddly propulsive, the sound follows its own odd logic and tricked me into thinking, “Yeah, music sounds like this sometimes,” when it doesn’t. “The Second Day of Spring” is an eleven-minute journey of hip hop piano production with funky synth sax solo breaks that details an autobiographical tale of seeing a man about a horse. Or something. Picture the nerve of sending MRR an eleven-minute dad-psych jam! In this economy of short attention spans?! It’s actually quite listenable, and I can picture this record spinning on turntables in hip parties that I probably wouldn’t be invited to. “Weather Maps” takes a folky guitar trip reminiscent of BECK’s early K records days, and as a whole, the carefree and laid-back feel of the album is recommended to fans of slightly off-center indie like MAC DEMARCO.

The Educated Fools Tantric Decapitation: 69 Minutes of Trichotomy and Liquefaction 2xLP

Sixty-nine minutes of boring, country-esque guitar playing. Sixty-nine minutes of the most boring, off-kilter, pseudo-Americana bullshit. Sixty-nine minutes that I can never get back. The EDUCATED FOOLS are the RETAIL SIMPS, minus one member. They recorded this entire double LP live, and boy, does it show! It’s full of mistakes, background banter, and out-of-tune vocals. If that’s your thing, you might be into this, but you’d also have to dig subpar songwriting. Nothing about these songs is memorable except for how bad they are. Tantric decapitation sounds more fun than having to listen to this record again. Totally not punk.

Function Creep Function Creep demo cassette

According to the liner notes, these guys recorded this directly with no overdubs, and if that’s true, then they absolutely fucking nailed it. This is raw in the best way possible, extremely tight and polished for a demo that was done live in a living room. The music is a fun mixture of early ’90s noise rock like JESUS LIZARD/RED SWAN/DINOSAUR JR. and sinister-sounding West Coast hardcore akin to early DEAD KENNEDYS and T.S.O.L. The energy is palpable, and you can tell these folks are having a great time. I wish more modern punk sounded this way. No corny studio frills, just pure rock’n’roll. You gotta check this one out.

Gumm Beneath the Wheel LP

Ten new tracks of melodic hardcore from Chattanooga rockers GUMM. Convulse’s writeup for GUMM’s debut mentions inspiration from Revolution Summer material; that influence can be heard here as well. Equally as frustrated as it is hopeful, the words match the music, which are both at times catchy and upbeat as well as discordant and downtrodden. A nicely produced and thoughtful record that isn’t my usual thing, but one I enjoyed nevertheless. 

Hyperspace Distant Signals LP

HYPERSPACE’s Distant Signals LP is clean and well-produced pop punk. Bands that come to mind are early GREEN DAY, EGGHEAD, SICKO, the CONNIE DUNGS, and the like. There are plenty of songs on here about having crushes, pining away caused by an unrequited crush, a song or two about the motion picture Star Wars, a song about the motion picture franchise Terminator, being judged about not being punk enough, and plenty more topics where those came from. There are clever songs about Russian space history, goth inspiration for DC Comics, Area 51 lore, and so on. Distant Signals is a fun spin that was created for anyone that enjoys anything I’ve mentioned here.

Lost Legion / Sympos split EP

This LOST LEGION / SYMPOS split keeps things simple, with each band tossing in two tracks and sticking firmly to what they do best. SYMPOS play straight-up, working-class street punk from Waterford, Ireland, pulling hard from UK ’77 without sounding like a tribute act. Their opener, “Welcome to Ballybricken,” is the high point on the record for me, ripping through two minutes of upbeat urgency that feels scrappy, direct, and genuinely fun. Chicago’s LOST LEGION, featuring Ian Wise of FUERZA BRUTA and Foreign Legion Records, counters with their brand of Oi! that leans heavier and more reflective. For me, “Stuck in One Place” lands hardest, a surprisingly catchy and (dare I say) danceable song with lyrics that wrestle with the feeling of being locked into a violent identity. No filler, no grand statements, just four solid tracks that balance energy, hooks, and hard-earned perspective.

Maraudeur Flaschentäger LP

MARAUDER’s Flaschentäger is an absolutely mesmerizing collection of ten short and straight-to-the-point post-punk jams. Though the term post-punk is very ambiguous and rarely gives any idea to what to expect, I’m happy to say that this album turned out to be the kind that perfectly fits into my personal idea of what the term implies: an immense and somewhat liminal vibe created by the perfect alignment of tastefully minimalistic elements. With its catchy hooks, beautifully layered guitars and bass, and lovely sparkles of synth lines, Flaschentäger is one of those albums that invoke “in-between” emotions and mental states that I haven’t found the right words for yet. Sure, you can dance to it. But it’s also good for laying in bed and watching the ceiling for a while. Can’t recommend this one enough.

N.E. Vains Running Down Pylons LP

N.E. VAINS make music that sounds like it should be playing on the car stereo of your dad’s old Buick as you drive around with your friends, drinking beers, and being degenerate little shitheads. At the core, it reminds me of ’90s budget rock bands like NEW BOMB TURKS, but with an undeniable HEARTBREAKERS influence to the guitar riffs and a dash of snotty punk energy thrown in for good measure. The record clocks in at seventeen minutes, and even with a couple of lulls, songs like “The Grounds,” “Running Down Pylons,” and “Pinched Nerve” make it worth picking up. Put it on the stereo next time you want to drive around lighting bags of shit on fire and smashing mailboxes!

Pool Pool cassette

There was a time in my twenties when it seemed like all I ever wanted to listen to was Amphetamine Reptile releases, and I’m so glad I’m not the only one. Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, POOL is keeping the sludgy noise rock dream alive and well, with high-register, snarling vocals up in the mix and riffs pouring out that harken back to when MELVINS still lifted from heavy metal or when NIRVANA still lifted from MELVINS. This is a confident-as-hell debut that is recorded damn near-perfectly. There’s a lot of room in the mix that everything rings clear even if there’s some mud on the band’s boots. Heavy, mean, timeless. When a band starts out this good, I can’t help but wait on pins for where they go from here.

Scrape Flood cassette

Strong debut collection of down-tuned doom metal that is more about subterranean, ultra-distorted chugging and monumental chord changes than it is about riffs. Slow-moving and powerful, the band operates in a similar spirit as KOWLOON WALLED CITY or WINDHAND and captures an intense atmosphere of hopelessness and misanthropy with lyrics rife with corporeal imagery of poisons, bloody hands, drowning, etc. The opening crunch of tracks like “Stuck” and “The Taking” hits hard, and I can imagine seeing them performed live would be like a musical punch to the chest. Crushing and bleak.

Scümbari Scümbari LP

From Boston with hate—they don’t bother polishing the edges, they chisel them into shards instead. At first listen, SCÜMBARI sounds like the CIRCLE JERKS playing DISCHARGE covers, but as the songs keep rolling, they deliver versatile songwriting encompassing various styles within a hardcore punk framework. The lyrics rage on about broken lives, city blight, unsteady nights, and the broken dreams of those locked in a system that never cared. What you get is scruffy honesty, hostility wrapped in distortion, and punk that remembers it came from the streets, not a studio.

Slit Demo 2025 cassette

Primitive, noisy hardcore punk operating on pure chaos. SLIT tears through these tracks with reckless speed and total disregard for clarity or comfort. Feedback-soaked riffs and feral vocals dominate, capturing a band at its most raw and unhinged. 

Hardcore punk primitivo y ruidoso que funciona desde el caos absoluto. SLIT atraviesa los temas a toda velocidad, sin respeto por la claridad ni la comodidad. Riffs saturados y voces salvajes dominan todo.