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!

Haveri The End LP

This is one for the Swedish hardcore diehards, for the true followers of the käng cult, for those who worship at the CIMEX altar. HAVERI is completely unknown to me, which is not so surprising, as they were a relatively obscure band from the late ’00s/early ’10s to start with, and their only album, Into the Crypts of…, was released on a Mexican extreme metal label, so the distribution would not have been great in Europe (unless everyone knows the band well but no one told me, and I am going look like an ignoramus, or, god forbid, a poseur writing this review). The studio material on this LP was recorded in 2009, and there are also live songs from 2010 that sound about as good as the studio ones, which does indicate a high level of brute hardcore rawness. Sonically HAVERI was old school and lovingly looked at their glorious elders like early ANTI-CIMEX, early AVSKUM, or DISARM, but with a more distorted sound. I like how spontaneous the whole thing sounds, you can tell the band wanted to go straight to the point without fancy effects. This is fairly well-executed but a little too fuzzy for my taste, as this makes the songs less urgent. The vocals are a genuine strong point, I love the singer’s vocal tone and flow as they have a distinct ’80s vibe. Käng up your life.

Ivy Creep Demo 24 cassette

Richmond, Virginia has had so many awesome hardcore bands emerging out of there, especially very recently, and IVY CREEP is no exception. This is pounding, evil hardcore to get your fists and veins pumping ferociously. The howling vocals are buried under an avalanche of aggression from the musicians to great effect. 11 PM always puts out winners it seems, and I’m happy to report that IVY CREEP makes the grade with the rest of them. Crank it!

Knowso Pulsating Gore LP

This may not be for everyone, but KNOWSO’s blend of jerky post-punk rhythms with spoken lyrics is unique and instantly interesting. It’s almost like the words and music are separate entities: the angular guitars pounding away to the propulsive drums, while the deadpan vocals deliver deranged free-association poetry from endless observation that become near-chants with repetition. If you are willing to receive the Pulsating Gore, it rules—short blasts describing snapshots of life in all its glory, equal parts trivial and grotesque. Singer/guitarist Nathan Ward’s job as a trucker is evident in the journalistic depictions of life in transit; interesting birds, accidents, trucks jackknifing, heavy loads—it’s all here because it all plays a part. “Last of the Punks” documents the decaying landscape with lines like “There’s satisfaction / If you want it” and “America / Land of the Free, Mark of the Beast / Those aren’t track marks / That’s the Mark of the Beast.” It’s a compelling listen, and as disconcerting as it is on first listen, it becomes more and more relatable on repeat. Highly recommended.

Lone Creep 100 Beers of Music: The First Year CD

Self-proclaimed AARP hardcore! Thrash-inspired one-man punk act out of the Southwest. Biting satire, not only aimed at nationwide issues seen in songs like “Get Shot” and “Corporate Job,” but also on a personal level with tracks like “My Neighbor is a Dickhead” and “I’m in a Foul Mood.” I can definitely relate with those last two. Charisma here is infectious, and his vocals are absolutely built for punk music. Very strong and in-your-face! Lots of attitude and confidence. You can tell this dude just loves having fun, making music, and cultivating his scene at large. I did a little research here and his social media presence is nothing but PMA. Love to see it. The kind of guy you’d love to get a beer with. Well worth a spin, especially for all you old fogies!

Mortar Fire & Steel LP

Noisy Polish D-beat crust punk of the metallic form, first started as a solo project by Jay Mortarand then re-recorded with a band, so you can still hear traces of the solo projection. Mid-paced with solid cadences, and you can see the influence of bands like late ’90s FILTH OF MANKIND (who share members with MORTAR). Polish-style metalpunk with their own blend of hardcore and D-beat that goes for somber tones, steady battle sing-alongs, and progressive riffage. You can even hear the ensemble between the first solo effort and then the whole band jumps into the first track, enhancing the project. Interesting work.

Nite Sprites No Notes cassette

Punk’s bare bones nature is a good showcase for songwriting. That means NITE SPRITES have plenty of room for their memorable hooks, usually played on the cleaner end of distortion with some solid drumming. Songs like “Closer to the Back” and “The Ocean” begin with and build on some great, driving motifs.  Vocalists Case and Mambo alternate between growls and croons, bringing to mind bands like AGAINST ME! or YOUNG PIONEERS who bought some of the urgency of crust and hardcore to a more sincere punk rock.

Palladists Demo 2023 cassette

Washington, DC’s PALLADISTS concocted a raw and haunting musical experience, fit for a funeral. Their sound blends the ominous atmosphere of goth punk with the gritty energy of deathrock. The band’s vocals are intense and evoke a sense of darkness, perfectly complementing the brooding instrumentals. The demo captures a nostalgic yet refreshing take on the goth punk genre, making PALLADISTS a band to watch in the underground music scene.

Seagulls The Rapture and Resurgens LP

Seven years after their inception, Atlanta-based SEAGULLS put out their first full-length LP. Melodic guitar riffs, gruff vocals, power pop stylings with song titles like “HELLHOLEBOOB” and “A Tale Told by an Idiot” self-effacing the immaturity they play at, while taking on serious personal and social issues and growth. The band reminds me of DILLINGER FOUR, replete with silly sound bites and whole-gang backing vocals. This is out from Say-10, the record and skateboard company out of Richmond, VA that has featured bands like LESS THAN JAKE and ALKALINE TRIO on their decks and puts out hometown bands that could otherwise fit into the Fat Wreck Chords catalog. If any of those names get you excited, this may be for you.

Secretors Comparing Missile Size, Vol. 1 EP

Combining elements of Japanese, Swedish, and English hardcore, NYC’s SECRETORS play unapologetically raw and ugly on Comparing Missile Size, Vol. 1. Featuring members of WARTHOG and INSTITUTE (among others), SECRETORS have an impressive pedigree and sound fantastic. While only slightly cleaner than their Antidote for Civilization demo, the guitars still sound nasty and the vocals still sound brutal, especially on freakout opener “Real World Data” and the furiously desperate standout “Comparing Missile Size.” At times, this reminds me of STINGRAY’s Fortress Britain in both its sound and its shared sense of paranoia and frustration with where our world is heading in the not too distant future. Overall, an excellent record with nonstop urgency and power; no frills, no gimmicks, no bullshit. Highly recommended.

Sentinel Age of Decay LP

This New York band’s intricate and amazingly achieved crossover formula is one that you don’t hear every day, with a very neat recording. Pinches of hardcore punk meeting fine thrash metal with fast-paced riffs and cadences. Special points for those tasty metal guitar solos and for delivering such a relentless force in each song. Featuring members of MINDFORCE, RESTRAINING ORDER, AGE OF APOCALYPSE, and more. For lovers of COC and DEATH SIDE alike (and much more), give it a go!

Tractorman Tractorman 12″

Mid-’90s Madison, WI was the stage (basement) for co-creators Corinna Greenwood on guitar and vocals (credited as Electra Lass, also of TORMENTULA) and Indra Dunis on drums (credited as Jungle Judy, also of PEAKING LIGHTS, NUMBERS, and DYNASTY) who comprised TRACTORMAN’s main lineup, later adding friend Scott Watson on bass (credited as Bob Casserole). They played house shows and bars between Madison and Milwaukee and eventually put these ten songs down on a four-track in the bank vault turned practice space of peers XEROBOT, and from what I can tell, released the cassette themselves in 1996. The recording is actually pretty good, making audible the drum kit abuse, string-scratching, spiky guitar riffs, gutsy bass, and Corinna’s vocals, coming in equal parts screech and low-end rumble.  Kitschy Spirits’ reissue is loaded with fun stuff—the vinyl plays the same ten songs as the originally cassette all on the A-side with a TRACTORMAN etching on the B-side, there’s a write-up from Corinna and Indra, and a copy of the “Bassist and Singer Wanted for Band” poster that hung on Madison telephone poles. While they only managed to find a bassist, and moved on to different projects shortly thereafter, TRACTORMAN’s raw, unhinged sound (never clocking over a two-minute track) and DIY work ethic give them an air of authentic greatness.

Vivisektio Uusi Normaali LP

VIVISEKTIO has a uniquely fascinating biography. Having formed and operated for a brief three-year period in the early ’80s, the band hailed from the Lapland region of Finland and played most of their gigs north of the Arctic Circle. This fact apparently even inspired a Trivial Pursuit question! Following this initial stint, VIVISEKTIO reformed in 2008 and has been periodically releasing albums ever since. This latest offering bears all the hallmarks of classic Finnish hardcore, bringing to mind KOHU-63 and RATTUS. Most of the thirteen songs are short, fast, and jam-packed with riffs, but tracks like “Sotakuume” mix things up by injecting peace punk rhythms into the formula. Closing out the album, “Uusi Järjestys” is a downtempo cut that veers into post-punk territory with a nod to early KILLING JOKE. Altogether, a powerful release building on a compelling legacy. Highly recommended.

Wageslave Human Terror CD

Crust punk from Fukishima, Japan that delivers classic metallic noise with complexity and texture. While most of the tracks tick all the right microgenre boxes (shredded guttural vocals, low-end riffing, lo-fi distorted everything, frequent guitar leads à la LIFE), songs like “Total End” and “Remote Control” soak in doomy ambiance with short phrases of clean guitars and textual figures that recall atmospheric black metal. These passages take nothing away from the crusty pummeling power of the faster tracks, and in fact make the whole experience even grimmer. “Micro,” “Majority,” and “Fall Down” deliver the no-frills chugging that fans of FRAMTID will appreciate. Expertly-made bad vibes punk.

3-Way Cum 1993–1998 2xLP

Punk has a long, complicated, not to mention fascinating, story with band names. Picking a proper moniker can be career-defining and allow you to sell a couple of shirts. On the other hand, a poor choice is unlikely to get you invited to the cool Insta-friendly hardcore festivals. 3-WAY CUM’s is head-scratching. I have always loved the band, in fact I consider them one of the best Swedish crust bands ever, but I still wonder why they went for this name, fitting for an obnoxious grindcore band but rather awkward for political crust. I am sure they are wondering, too. Does that keep me from wearing their shirt? Fuck no. The band started in 1993 with members of WARCOLLAPSE and SAUNA (who were stylistically very close) at a time when the D-beat and crust waves and the käng revival were seriously taking off in the country. In retrospect, it may seem difficult to find one’s way in this demented maze of DISCHARGE-loving gruff hardcore and locate the best bands of the era, the ones you would spontaneously recommend at your nan’s dinner party. 3-WAY CUM was one of those. The band managed to blend with ease the ’90s dual-vocal crustcore school of EXTREME NOISE TERROR or DISRUPT with the ’80s cavemen käng style of BOMBANFALL or SVART PARAD, and they significantly delivered great records during their five-year run, one LP and five EPs, among which were two splits with DEFORMED CONSCIENCE and ANOTHER OPPRESSIVE SYSTEM. They had that relentlessly savage, heavy, and dirty vibe, with vocalists reminiscent of bears fighting angrily over a pot of honey. A genuinely classic ’90s band, Scandicrust at its very best, and we should be grateful to Phobia for releasing the band’s full discography.

Accusation Accusation demo cassette

ACCUSATION from London’s latest demo. Tracks consist of SSD/STRAIGHT AHEAD or BREAKDOWN/ANTIDOTE-style early period Boston HC and NYHC. Chaotic drum smashing with powerful, in-your-face intensity. No weird effects or polished production thingamajiggies; it’s sonically stripped down to the core because this is fucking hardcore.

Atturri Atturri LP

Having first been exposed to Euskaran rockers ATTURRI on the fantastic Kaosa Euskal Herrian LP, it’s nice to see a full-length from the Basque bruisers. Short but sweet, with seven tracks of thunderous bass lines, soaring guitars, and righteous anger courtesy of perfectly orchestrated gang vox. Hoping to see more!

Billiam Corner Tactics LP

Melbourne simple-to-the-core new wave-y synth punk, filled with mid-paced drums and cheap, soft keyboards all merged with lo-fi submarine telephone vocals that monotone the shit out of this. Featuring a member from DISCO JUNK and COLLECTIVE HARDCORE, it brings a hyperactive vibe to bedroom punk. Goofy synth punk for lovers of simple, funny DIY projects. It lacks fire, it’s so monotonous, but it might be right down your alley. Funny yet boring, if it’s even possible.

Black Dots EP2/EP3 LP

Denver punks at it for over ten years put out an LP with 2021’s EP2 and 2023’s EP3. I reviewed a flexi single of theirs a while ago, which was comprised of the first two tracks of EP2, so I feel like I’ve been here before… heartfelt lyrics with backing melodies chiming in on choruses, pretty straightforward mid-tempo instrumentals: palm-muted chugging, rests for vocals to sail over, and economic guitar riffs. I kind of get a HOT WATER MUSIC vibe. While EP2 might be a little faster and heavier, EP3 slows down and is perhaps even more melancholic, if possible. This isn’t something I seek out, but the songwriting is clever, the band is tight, and the production is clean as can be.  Check out “Tired of Dreaming” for a good sample.

Cemento Armado Cemento Armado cassette

Chaotic, insanity-driven lo-fi hardcore punk debut issued by CoronaRX and Rock SVB. Deep-diving vibes versing on existentialism and bad luck strike all the way. This project from Buenos Aires features members of FORRA, RUDIX, and more, with social critiques and a deep, wounded feeling. Grieving, raw punk with nods to classic hardcore and even some rudimentary chain punk, with maniac, reverbed, trance-like asylum psycho vocals. Self-recorded and filled with freshened-up D-beat traces, it exudes frustration and anger, filled with a raw spirit. Favorite tracks: “Más de Uno,” “Imprudencia,” and “En Cualquiera.” Personal and defeated, but with an attitude of still fighting to the teeth and a visceral, ranting vibe. They exude a trance pogo state live, recommended for heavy users of lo-fi raw punk. Great ever-ranting drums and solid string sections, filled with a consistent cry of punk guitar. The feeling of being in a humid alley space, waiting for a vicious gig to start. The relentless vocals on behalf of Marta make you eager for more songs to burst out of this great work of visceral punk. One of my current favorite Argentinian formations—active players in an ever-growing scene, playing live constantly and shaping their defiant sound. Get ready…

Cromm Fallon Presents the P200 cassette

Las Vegas-based rock’n’roll which seems to have at least started as a solo project. This is the second full-length recording under this moniker, and it doesn’t say in the liner notes if this one is also done entirely by CROMM or if the press photos of the band looking cool means it’s a full band on the recording. Thirteen songs of mostly predictable, by-the-numbers rock’n’roll stuff. The harder stuff is slightly reminiscent of later-era HELLACOPTERS, but there are some straight up harmonica-driven blues standards, as well as an instrumental yacht rock song on here. I dunno, maybe it’s good and a punk review site just isn’t the right place for it?

Crucified Class Trapped EP

Hard and fast UK82 from Portland’s CRUCIFIED CLASS, carrying on in the tradition of bands like PARTISANS and the VARUKERS. Each of these tracks is a solid showing sonically, accompanied by lyrics dealing with the struggle of living in a capitalist society that’s in a perpetual state of war. I’ve gotta say, while I dig everything here overall, the vocals are what stand out and carry this EP. There’s a vicious immediacy that really hits, especially on “Trapped” and “System Sickness.” If you’ve worn out your Country Fit for Heroes comps and need something loud and angry to listen to, give this one a spin. Highly recommended.

Dead Familiars Turbinado cassette

With a logo like it’s been carved into a particle board desk at the back of the classroom, DEAD FAMILIARS put their debut six-banger to tape. This Madison, WI four-piece released Turbinado digitally in 2020, until local record shop Kitschy Spirit did a cassette run. This reminds me of BUSH—slack rock fusing with a gruff, buzzy type of thing leading to some pretty middle-of-the-road power pop that one may raise a fist to at the back of the crowd.  At times melancholic, at others aggressive and stompy.  No surprises within, but a solid debut for fans of the genre.

Dimension Dimension demo cassette

DIMENSION encapsulates hardcore punk in its purest essence: a raucous, frantic, frenzy propelled by punk guitars, saturated with power chord lashes, pulsing distortion, thunderous percussion, and gritty vocals. Every song has its own hardcore dimension, and they sound like old-fashioned USHC tunes, leaving you wanting more. The demo’s closer “N.G.R.I.” gets stuck to the back of your brain like glue. Not guilty! Hardcore will never die!

Final Dose Void Inside LP

The first LP from London’s FINAL DOSE. For metalheads, it might be black-metal-influenced hardcore punk. For the punks, it might sound more like modern hardcore-influenced black metal.  Metal and punk have always had inseparable connections and have influenced each other for quite some time, but this one is a rather new approach for listeners of both early DARKTHRONE and surprisingly, SPY or GULCH fans.. Listeners of the latter bands might enjoy it more than the former. Noisy and raw tracks that still have a modern production punch.

Gnats Sucker All Thing I’ll Never Say 1988–1991 CD

A retrospective compilation on the Malaysian Black Konflik label, this CD showcases the recorded works of Sapporo City’s GNATS SUCKER. These upbeat Japanese punks took cues from traditional American hardcore and NYHC bands, and sounded a bit like 7 SECONDS at times. Collecting material from the band’s 1991 demo, songs that originally appeared on an old Japanese hardcore compilation, and unreleased tracks, it’s a thorough glimpse at an obscure old school band with great broken English titles (“With Say” is a personal favorite).

Gym Tonic Sanitary Situations 12″

A quartet of Berlin-based grown-up punks bring us their second release, and it’s clear from the six tracks on here that they’re having a good time. Do you need to pick up a copy? Depends on how much you love perfectly adequate garage-y synth punk. Imagine something between LOST SOUNDS’ maniacal darkwave and SERVOTRON’s stilted robot rock, maybe mixed with a little contemporary egginess. Honestly, it could be worse. It’s also kind of educational, like a German synth punk THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS!  Did you know you could catch mono from someone’s tears? I certainly didn’t until listening to this record.

Hellco Hellco LP

Debut release of freewheeling and frequently funny punk featuring Dave from F.O.D. on vocals. There is a mix of styles on this LP, but when they rip, they rip in the best classic hardcore fashion—snotty hollered vocals, buzzing guitar, and fast beats that recall vintage CIRCLE JERKS. What sets HELLCO apart is their willingness to indulge in humor; for instance, “Just Stop Singing Like That” starts with a BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-aping riff with a melodramatic croon before launching into fast punk. It’s weird and unexpected, and they do it again at the next chorus, and then they bring it back in an echo-y goth version for “Just Stop Singing Like That Reprise.” Because the band is tight and the humor lands, it works and reminds me of bands like BIG BOYS and M.D.C. who weren’t afraid to inject some weirdness and inside jokes into their otherwise serious music. Similarly, “Swiss Cheese Brain” moves from atonal hardcore into a cowpunk bridge complete with whistling. Good record with tons of personality.

IŁ-62 Opuszczamy Babilon LP

IŁ-62 is a Polish band that has been around for a couple decades now and specializes in creating brutal punk that treads a line between metal and hardcore. Opuszczamy Babilon is not for the faint of heart or the punk rock purists. World music influences combined with psychedelic and anarcho-punk form a sound that is unique. Surges of metallic hardcore rip in without warning, and noisy, experimental instrumentations find their way through the brawl. If I were to compare this album to something, it might be STRUGGLING HARSH IMMORTALS or something equally as heavy and chaotic. There are moments that are reminiscent of stenchcore, but also sounds that call to mind ’90s-era SEPULTURA or even contemporary SOULFLY. This is one of those albums that you can put on and immediately feel the jamming groove as it winds and meanders through hefty riffs and primal feelings, complete with enough sonic variations to keep you intrigued and wanting more.

Lazer Bullet Spirit Suck Shit EP

Fastcore punk rock outta the Pacific Northwest. Really brilliant work here. The guitar has a little bit of a twang with a natural distortion to it, which gives it a crisper and cleaner sound while maintaining the hardcore energy. Everything is just so near-impossibly fast and never wavers. Super intense energy and incredibly tight. Vocals sound great; high-registered yelps drenched in reverb that really gives it that rock’n’roll edge. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention just how great the drums sound, spot-on and massive. This is a great EP all around. I’d even consider it a very early contender for future “Records of the Year” lists.

Mess Under Attack LP

Unless you’ve been sat under a relatively soundproof rock for the past few years, you’ve already heard of MESS by now; hot off the heels of two unbelievably good 12”s, a split with fellow bruisers the CHISEL, and now their first full-length has dropped into the eager hands of yours truly and all other discerning herbets. This is sheer, unabashed BLITZ-worship, and I love it. From the opener “Stay Strong,” a driving anthemic instrumental which is so indebted to ROSE OF VICTORY that Nidge and Mackie wouldn’t be called mad asking for royalties, this record is packed to the rafters with nostalgia-inducing tunes to spill your beer to. It’s a love letter to mid-tempo UK82, but with enough nous to make it sound fresh in ’24. Marble-gargling vocals, hooks and guitar tone redolent of anything off No Future. Genuinely as near to perfect as can be, vital.

Pet Mosquito Live at the Lamplighter CD

A Lamplighter live set is always a good seal of quality for a band, and this one doesn’t disappoint. PET MOSQUITO is loud and brash, presented here at their loudest and brashest— channeling the DICKS and maybe a little HANK WOOD. If that sounds like a lot of snot ‘n’ swagger, then I’m doing my job. It’s still its own thing though, especially when you throw that beautiful sax in the mix. I’m done arguing with people on this matter—more brass and woodwinds in rock’n’roll and punk. It adds an immediate dankness to any rock song, and this band certainly puts that to good use. Definitely don’t sleep on this release if you’re looking to blow out your speakers with excellent snarling punk rock.

Phantasm Conflict Reality EP

PHANTASM crept into existence just over a year ago in the Land Down Under, and has delivered a skull-crushing debut in the form of Conflict Reality. Pissed-off hardcore that doesn’t stop until everything is demolished. The sound is crusty and metallic, and it owes as much to DISORDER as it does to CONFLICT, especially in the vocal delivery which is very very angry and very, very passionate. The lines are very political and straight to the point. Ultra-aggressive vocals, pummeling drumming, crunchy guitars, and crusty bass. What more can you ask for? With seasoned members of HACKER and TÖL, PHANTASM is sure to carve out a worthy place in the scene.

Repo Man I Blame Society EP

“I blame society, man…”—a great quote from a great movie (hint: it’s Repo Man) and an appropriate title for this fast as hell EP from, you guessed it, REPO MAN. Heavily influenced by early ’80s US hardcore, I Blame Society provides plenty of great feedback-laden moments to stomp around to, and clocks in at just under seven minutes. In particular, I’ve got to mention the breakdown near the end of “I’m Right,“  the killer drumming on “Go Nowhere,” and the entirety of the RAMONES-ish standout “Leech.” All around, a great listen and worthy of your time. Thanks REPO MAN for the cool EP, and for reminding me to rewatch Repo Man this weekend.

Shotwell Shotwell LP

Shotwell Street runs through the heart of the Mission District. The infamous Jenn Cobb, one of the original members of the Gilman collective and former MRR shitworker, lived there, as did Tommy Strange of STRAWMAN and a slew of other people crucial to the formative years of the DIY Bay Area sound. The appropriately named SHOTWELL, formed by Jimmy Broutis, Paul Curran, and Aaron Cometbus, started playing renegade shows there back in 1994. Jimmy remains the constant member with a notable rotating crew backing him up over the last 25 years, committed to playing smaller, untraditional DIY venues.  Steve Moriarty of the GITS, who took over for Cometbus on drums back in 1995, returns in this incarnation as a producer and arranger. The eponymous release burns through 21 urgently melodic and politically conscious songs in under 45 minutes. Its scrappy and brutally authentic sound with rough, hazy guitars, steady drums, and lyrics shouted through raw vocal chords is reminiscent of SEXY and RADON. It can be difficult for an album to be both cautionary and optimistic at the same time, but I think that mindset is the impetus for punk creativity—the feeling that shit is fucked up but possibly could be different. At best, we can be the nidus for that change, and at least, we can lean a shoulder against the tide and kick rocks at the castle. This album and Broutis’s unfaltering vision serve simultaneously as both a history lesson and a modern-day survival guide.

The Thingz Green Incursion cassette

Wait a second, is that an organ? Kind of? Not really sure, as there is both a keyboard and a theremin. In any event, the combination creates a very ’60s feel to this rock’n’roll record. Take the B52’S and DEVO, then go heavy with the ’60s. Real heavy. These guys know exactly what they’re doing and they do it really well, but there’s a levity that makes you think they maybe don’t take themselves too seriously. Nothing wrong with that. It’s only rock’n’roll, man. The organ/keyboard/theremin combo gives it a garage feel, and the catchiness is contagious. It’s also got an eeriness, but in a fun way, not a scary way. Male/female vocals are always a hit with me and these seem almost purposefully quirky. It all comes together really nicely.

Virvon Varvon Voices cassette

This is a solid tape of punchy garage punk with the faintest whiff of art school cool wavering in its aura. The first track “Voices,” penned by the group’s newest member bassist Cunha, is mournful. driving punk with tinges of aching surf guitar in the leads. It’s the highlight here, a raucous anthem of pain and psychic anguish. The follow-up tracks are strong as well, calling to mind the MARKED MEN and the URINALS in equal measure. This is noisy and contained punk with a spark.

Ydinaseeton Pohjola Enää Meille Ei Riitä Kuolema cassette

Buzzing, frantics riffs with Burning Spirits-like melodies blasted onto tight, fast-paced drumming. The record bursts as suddenly as this review, it’s right on. There is no bullshit or lead-up. The singer screams in desperate horror balanced with tired disgust. The record maintains a constant push. It’s dirty, distorted into a mush, and urgent—so it sounds real. So far, so good. My excitement only lowers when I start to pay attention to the songs and then find myself left behind by the record’s busting energy. Even if loud and distorted, the rather mid-tempo, rocking tracks at the middle of the album start to lack the chaotic, absurd mess. It is still hardcore, a solid take, but as the songs lay back, the noise cannot cover the drop in energy. Sliced up to couple 7”s, this might work better, because either the tricks to keep things varied within a massive work are not as effective, or the sound is too homogenous to remain entertaining throughout the whole record. It does not mean the record lacks any potential, although I have to play along with them and hype myself to really enjoy it, instead the other way around when I feel that the record attracts me to its own madness. Still, it’s great that such long-existing bands are putting out full-length albums, and the quality of this release is way above the average. Maybe I have a blind spot for them because there is nothing they should do differently. I hear the dedication and craft, but even after dozens of listening sessions, I still feel my excitement is not shaken. Maybe my expectations were too high? If you are into the style that is discussed here, do yourself a favor and check them out, and I hope you will love it. The cover art is beautiful.

$ollar$ $ollar$ LP

Solo experimental/psych bedroom project recorded during 2020–2021. Raise your hand if you made home recordings during the COVID lockdowns (I am raising my hand). Now keep your hand up if they are worth listening to now (putting my hand down, and I hope most of you are doing the same). $OLLAR$ is proud of his, to the point that there are seven record-plus-merch options for this release available on Bandcamp, including a $300 option that includes a blanket of some sort. Pass. The music itself is a mix of written and improvised bluesy dirges about that era, sounding like a no-fi Homestead Records release or something Lou Barlow would have cooked up in the early ’90s. Slow strumming, slurred vocals, and songs like “Amazon” (it’s about Amazon), “Block Chain” (it’s about cryptocurrency), “Vaccine” (it’s about the Covid-19 vaccine), and “2020 Election Night Eve” (this one’s actually an instrumental, but you get the idea) are too on-the-nose and over with to be interesting. Creating art in times of fear and uncertainty is healthy. This one would have been better kept private.

AI (悪意) / Disturd Walk split 12″

Japanese split effort between decade-long friends. We have DISTURD with some heavy punk, absolute chaos-bringers. Great presence in the solid, harsh vocals, with a dragging feeling of hardcore punk on the crustier side that combines bits of powerviolence as well. Blunt definition of the band, filled with raw punk of a vicious energy. On AI’s side, we have more defined metal crust, crazy guitars, angry drums, and strident, suffering vocals filled with energy. Recommended.

Bomb Out / Miami Death 2 split EP

Split release between BOMB OUT from Berlin and MIAMI DEATH 2 out of Leipzig. The BOMB OUT side consists of a tight, well-produced metalcore/beatdown track with death metal parts reminiscent of AT THE GATES. MIAMI DEATH 2’s side consists of four tracks of gritty hardcore (including a noise track), all under three minutes. You want real short-attention-span hardcore? MIAMI DEATH 2 is your answer.

Cloudage Cloudage cassette

Debut EP from Toronto-based CLOUDAGE, a feel-good indie set that will have you hooked straight away or leave you spitting up sugary-sweet melodies, depending on your preference for this type of thing. There are fleeting moments of edginess that help cut the sweetness where the backing vocals chime in, and you may feel compelled to nod along. While acoustic guitar strums mix with electric guitar and bass distortion over upbeat drums, the vocals are clearly the focus here: a barrage of narrative lyrics to pull at your memories of breakups and heartache, hardly stopping for a breath, evening singing through outros with “ooh”s and “la da da”s. There’s an homage to Ad-Rock from the BEASTIE BOYS, “Ad-Rock You’re So H”—and is that meant to be ambiguous? Hard? Heavy? Whatever. The closer “Stay Pure” pokes fun at their style with the line “Let bygones be bygones / Don’t turn pain into poetry / To hold onto in sad songs;” a genuine and self-effacing sentiment that may be the thread throughout this four-song debut.

Confetti Malaise A Thousand Burning Suns LP

If you like synth-heavy coldwave, then let me introduce you to CONFETTI MALAISE from Marseille, France. This initial full-length finds the four-piece band with ten songs that vary in energy from dancefloor swingers to the occasional melodic, emotionally-driven ballads. Hard-hitting bass and ethereal synth and guitar work creates a party atmosphere fit for our present armageddon. There’s something here that reminds me of BLAQK AUDIO, but with an early SOUTHERN DEATH CULT bend. Give this a listen, and I guarantee you’ll be swaying with a Djarum Black in your hand.

Coupe Gorge Silence de Mort LP

Brest-based Oi!-tinged hardcore types COUPE GORGE return five years after their last mini LP, with a full album of a more mature, assured sound. Comprising various alumni from CUIR and SYNDROME 81, they’ve inherited some of the spartan and sparse sound of their other projects but injected more of a hardcore sensibility that shines through. Definitely more hardcore than Oi! (conspicuous lack of saxophones for our friends from La République), but for those who enjoy LIONS LAW or BATTLE RUINS (for example), there’s a lot of fun to be had.

Daydream Reaching for Eternity LP

Third full-length by Portland’s hardcore punk fanatics DAYDREAM. And what a beautifully ugly record! After their great self-titled debut and followed by Mystic Operative, DAYDREAM continues to steer away from the conventional hard punk lines and dares to paint their own. More akin to the artsy side of hardcore, Reaching for Eternity is a rollercoaster of moments, bits and pieces of different parts of hardcore punk, like a collage of Dischord Records bands stitched together. No need to choose FAITH or VOID when you can have both!

Disfear Everyday Slaughter LP reissue

The final installment of a series of DISFEAR reissues serves up a D-beat masterpiece that has been out of print since not long after its release back in 1997. It’s nothing short of a crime against punk that this album has been allowed to collect so much dust, but thankfully Havoc Records, et al. have rectified that grave oversight. Housed in a gatefold sleeve and including a bonus two-song 7” with the first hundred records, Everyday Slaughter sounds just as vital and crushing in 2024 as it did when I first heard it over twenty years ago. This is an undeniable, indisputable classic of the genre and it demands to be played loud. The riffs require it! Of the endless number of Dis-clones that have come and gone in the intervening decades, very very few have come anywhere close to the proficiency and sheer brutality demonstrated here. Look, if you like D-beat as a genre even slightly, then this is required listening. There should be an OG copy behind glass at that goofy-ass museum of punk rock (or whatever) that opened recently in Las Vegas, though I bet there’s not. Do yourself a favor and snag one for yourself before it goes back out of print again.

Eyeteeth Negative Reinforcement flexi EP

Brand new EP from UK’s grinding straightedge violence unit EYETEETH. An electrifying blend of fast-paced rhythms, aggressive vocals, and raw energy that epitomizes the essence of straightedge hardcore. Four relentless tracks that go by as fast as they start, and everything in just four minutes. What a beating!?! The unwavering commitment to the straightedge ethos lives on!

Flash Mongrels Good Time Dole Line EP

Ah, the late ’70s, when suddenly everyone wanted to be a punk. These lads from Kingston upon Hull used to also sometimes go by the boring moniker “the GUS WILSON BAND,” and their sound on this 7” of songs recorded in 1978 smacks of classic pub rockin’ punched up with a fashionable punk infusion à la FU2 and the like. The title track, with its electrified R&B groove and “I’d rather be poor and happy” sentiment, is quite good and undeniably catchy. The slightly less spirited “Thoroughly Nice” is a smart and succinct number and the most convincingly “punk” of the three tracks. The bright, kaleidoscopic keys on the power-poppy closer “Hat” end the record on a jubilant note along the lines of the DICKIES’ “Waterslide” or MADNESS’s “House of Fun.” But, by ’79, the group was defunct. While not exactly revolutionary, this short-lived band of Johnny-Rotten-come-latelys managed to get John Peel’s attention during their brief run, and this newly-issued EP provides them with some belated justice.

Gizon Berria Lurran Arnasa EP

One-man projects can be dangerous double-edged swords. If they are meant to reflect perfectly, to mirror the uncompromising artistic vision of one person, they are not without risk. Sure, we all hate it when drummers offer supposedly “good” ideas (as if they knew what they were talking about), or when the singer raises some doubts about your cracking five-minute-long solo, but then when you’re on your own in the studio composing everything, no one is going to warn you if the musical brilliance you just came up with is actually dross. GIZON BERRIA is a one-man band from the Basque Country and, on the one hand, I’m sure the EP achieved what the songwriter aimed at creating, so that it can be said indeed to be a coherent work. On the other hand, I don’t think the elements all work well together. GIZON BERRIA strives to create an occult, dark, creepy and menacing punk sound. It sounds like SLIMY MEMBER and GISM having a date at a witch convention, which could theoretically work—and I gladly admit there are some good riffs on the EP—but it falls a little short. I understand the concept of a hypnotic, pagan, macabre punk sound, but I don’t feel it. It would work better on a longer format with more narrative storytelling moments helping the atmosphere to settle, like the genuinely eerie outro, but on the EP format, it just sounds like a regular modern dark punk band, which I suppose is not the point. This said, it cannot be said to be a bad record, and I can imagine people being curious and even interested.

Güiña ¿Qué Justicia? EP

Punk works best when it’s an overwhelming form of self-expression that feels like a sonic explosion even if it’s a tamed, slightly melodic sound at a moderate tempo. It happens on a razor-thin territory when it has to remain true to the core although it needs to lean beyond a bit to become unique and interesting. How ¿Qué Justicia? starts reminds me of the ’90s, when the sound of hardcore/punk got tamed as it entered a dead-end street of better sound quality and melodies. The main motive of the opening track is a silly, hum-like note that is too rounded to scratch, therefore the overwhelming effect of the song is missed. Meanwhile, everything is in place: angry vocals, dead simple song structures, and a good elan. The B-side of this short EP works much better. The tempo turns up and the music becomes more clumsy. The unpolished rage leaks into those songs more effectively, and then it sounds as if they want to perform their angst instead of songs. The interesting contrast is that the B-side demonstrates perfectly what is missing from the A-side, which makes the record itself exciting. Even if punk sounds super visceral, from messing around on your guitar to releasing records, a band has to make dozens of decisions and contemplating these decisions could be as entertaining as shaking your fist at a dirty venue. The reason behind the contrast of this record keeps my thoughts busy. It is convincingly suggested that GÜIÑA has a point to make through their music. Maybe this is why some of the songs have the sloppiness of pogo punk, because the focus is elsewhere. Such records completely lack the ambition to be something big within the global hardcore scene, while simultaneously carrying the ambition of destroying the existing world order. It’s a double “fuck you” that deserves recognition. I will not blast this 7” whenever I can, but the core idea of our beloved subculture is to have many more bands like GÜIÑA. The artwork looks great, and the 7” comes with an equally beautiful insert and lyric sheet.