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!

Verzet Verzet demo cassette

This is the first demo tape from VERZET, a brand new band from Belgium, and I have to say that, sadly, I am unconvinced. It is just not my cup of tea. Not that the band sounds terrible—they don’t, and I’m not just saying this magnanimously to not hurt their feelings and get my ass kicked—but I don’t really understand what they are trying to achieve. I can hear a lot of old-school American hardcore, especially in the upfront vocal flow and tone. The music sounds energetic but the songwriting tends to lose focus in the process (as do I). This said, I can imagine people into the US hardcore school of thought enjoying this demo. And I imagine them wearing bandanas. Definitely wearing bandanas and trainers.

Warm Girls Warm Girls demo cassette

A GIRLS AT OUR BEST-referencing band name and a cover of a LUNG LEG song? This new Richmond, Virginia group sure had my number! That pair of reference points had me fully expecting some spiky, effervescent girl-gang post-punk from their demo, only for it to take a decidedly tougher and darker turn—half of the members of WARM GIRLS also played in the RVA noise punk band GUMMING, so add some gnarled SST damage to the Rough Trade/Slampt equation and you’ll be getting much closer. A rumbling bass grind stabilizes the rhythmic lurch of tracks like “Moonsick (Claire’s Song)” and “Maila Nurmi,” topped with petulant, punctuated shouts that recall NOTS or early PRIESTS, while the more animated vocal delivery and wiry guitar jabs thrown into “Inertia” and their take on LUNG LEG’s “Kung Fu on the Internet” (a cover choice worthy of a chef’s kiss) add some bright, charmingly messy strokes of art-punk color to the WARM GIRLS landscape. Solid!

Alerta Roja Punk Rock En Dictadura EP

This is killer. ALERTA ROJA was supposedly the first Argentinian punkers to record punk. Thanks to the do-no-wrong Texas punk label Esos Malditos Punks, we get this reissue of their first wax, along with some extra tunes from the session. This was recorded in 1982, but like other punk bands from the continent, they were still in the ’70s in all the best ways. Along with peers like LOS VIOLADORES, they were kicking out some high-powered, ’77-style punk jams. There’s a lot of EATER and of course the PISTOLS here, much like MUTANTEX if they had better equipment and recording studios. Lengua Armada Discos did another essential reissue some time back, but definitely track this one down or cry later.

Anxiety Spree The Vinegar Pageant cassette

Third release from upstate New York’s ANXIETY SPREE, which has turned into the solo project of Dominic Armao. Compared to the band’s last release, this is a little more focused, with no signs of the upbeat pop sound found on A Party For the Garden Rats. The instrumental intro to “The Price” reminds me of something you’d hear on a SLINT album, with mostly spoken word, to boot. Even though the lyrics are included, I find myself a bit lost in the metaphors, but that’s OK; I enjoy the syncopated vocals over the angular guitar lines. This self-released project will make you a copy of the tape by request—for four bucks this can be yours!

The Boyfriends Wrapped Up in a Dream LP

From NYC in the late ’70s, this is rock’n’roll that is clearly influenced by the likes of the NEW YORK DOLLS and the HEARTBREAKERS on the one hand and power pop of that era on the other hand. Overall, it’s damn good. It looks like some of these cuts were released as singles while others come from demos and other recordings. While overall very good, there’s definitely a range in the quality of individual songs. The title cut and “Voice on the Line” are standouts for me, but there are others right up there. Others are a little too rock’n’roll-y for me.

Bull Shannon Chill Power!!!!! cassette

Here’s a few minutes of lean punk fun. Most of the songs are fast, bare-bones, and accompanied by a nasal whine. Did I mention it’s fast? The whole thing was over before I could finish this review. “Owl Wings” is the exception, with a sluggish beat and a group chorus complete with “whoa-oh-oh”s. The cassette’s no-frills, bass-heavy sound could be a work in progress, or maybe BULL SHANNON always sounds like this.

Clarko Welcome to Clarko LP

Histrionic vocals and naughty guitar riffs coming from Reno, NV on this ten-track new wave brain-punk LP. DEVO-energy synth punk with a catchy, eggy garage twist, and even some early TELEVISION vibes in terms of tension, pauses, and the use of high notes. Synth and loop effects hit hard on this, achieving great balance (check the intro and the song “Alien Touch,” where the full spectrum of sounds and instruments merge and greet each other), but it also has a spacious sound filled with instrumental experimentation. Pretty much straightforward lyrics that verse on existentialism, with “Stifled” and “Your Time” being my favorite tracks on this release.

Cutters Modern Problems LP

CUTTERS go straight for the jugular with six blasts of quintessential Australian punk. Mid-tempo, yet still driving, the anger and tension builds with each song, portraying a worldview fraught with paranoia of impending doom and destruction. The refrain in the title track’s chorus states it best: “I don’t know where I’m supposed to live!” CUTTERS would fit well on a mixtape with ROSE TATTOO, COLOURED BALLS, and COSMIC PSYCHOS…the soundtrack for a vicious pub brawl or a rowdy house party. “Surveillance Drones” is a particularly gnarly tune, the pinnacle of LP’s angst and aggression with a hardcore bent. The whole affair is bruising and unsubtle, featuring a tightly locked rhythm section, screaming guitars, and burly shouted vocals. CUTTERS are like the CHATS’ scary cousins, and they’re here to wreck your night.

Data Unknown Cylinder 1 cassette

Indianapolis oddballs drop their fourth or fifth release since they began putting out stuff in early 2021. This time we’re getting six tracks of the fucked synthwave you’ve come to expect from this mysterious act if you’ve been following along. If you haven’t, it’s probably time to get on board—this thing is great! At times they sound like CHROME trying their hand at drum machine egg-punk, at others they sound like one of the weirder Ralph Records acts (probably SNAKEFINGER) covering, like, “Let’s Have a Party” by PSYCHOTIK TANKS. If only more acts were this eager to annoy while being this unbothered by trends!

Deathfiend Beyond Life LP

Sizzling doom metal punk from Birmingham. This reminds me of when members of DOOM went in a more dismal SABBATH style in a doom project called GLOOMY SUNDAY. Speed-wolfing HIGH OF FIRE riff addiction with sinister, blackened vocal tones like SCOLEX. Tasty riffs without a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo, just all-around killer D-beaten crusty doom metal. Vocals at times recall BOLT THROWER, but are much more evil. Clearly pronounced and gnashing (ex-DOOM, POLICE BASTARD, SORE THROAT—ahem). Parts ENTOMBED, parts BRAINOIL, songs clock in at around three to four minutes, with an abbreviated intro track and an epic outro track. Paces are full of variety but groove throughout, never getting overly aggressive, mostly filled with despair and world-eating interstellar gloom. DEATH STRIKE also comes to mind. I am only halfway through and the production and sharp changes have me hooked. Definitely check this out if you enjoy grizzle-charred death punk metal played sturdily as the old oak tree. Tie a black ribbon for good ol’ DEATHFIEND, kudos on this LP.

Ex-White This is Future LP

If you had told me this band came from the late ’80s/early ’90s Chicago punk scene, I wouldn’t have doubted you for a second. Hailing from Germany, EX-WHITE’S first full-length ranges from dance-driven post-punk to raw, Midwestern melodic hardcore similar to NAKED RAYGUN and LEATHERFACE. Very much in line with some of the classic No Idea bands. I can’t lie, there’s a little bit of AC/DC thrown in here as well, especially on the titular track. Catchy as all hell, and released at the right time. This is a summer jam right here, folks. Give it a spin, you won’t be disappointed.

Flop Machine Machine Beat Rock and Roll cassette

Nine songs of mid-paced, synth-driven garage punk out of Norway. If geography is indicative of genre, I would’ve guessed FLOP MACHINE to hail from Memphis, ‘cause this cassette has that Goner Records sound nailed. The vocals, in particular, feel very JAY REATARD-inspired. The layered yet lo-fi production is fitting, the guitar hooks are working, and there are some spicy little phrases being banged out on the keys, but my attention started to drift after a few songs that seemed to have the same tempo. After a closer listen, it became apparent that literally every song has the exact same BPM. Ah, the perils of drum machines! Gotta give that tempo knob a twist!! Setting that aside, FLOP MACHINE is clearly on to something. If you need more bleeps and bloops in your life, or just can’t wait for the next DIGITAL LEATHER album, flip on some FLOP MACHINE.

Grawlixes / Unknown Liberty Chaos NY split EP

If you love CONFUSE, you will adore GRAWLIXES precisely because, just like you, they also love CONFUSE, and therefore loving GRAWLIXES is like loving the love for CONFUSE, if you know what I mean. The band is from Albany and some of its members played in NEUTRON RATS, if that rings a bell. There are four songs on their side, very well executed given the template: it’s fuzzy, loud, distorted, fun, a bit silly and delightfully pogoable. Proper punk music. Ten or fifteen years ago, there were a lot of bands doing the Japanese noisepunk thing (like the WANKYS or SAD BOYS, for instance), and I reckon GRAWLIXES do it with gusto. On the other side, we have UNKNOWN LIBERTY, who are mostly unknown I guess, from nearby Kingston—a band that I had noticed with their rather good Chain of Madness demo tape last year. They also have a Japanese hardcore punk influence, but they don’t rely as much on the Kyushu tradition as GRAWLIXES, although there certainly is a noisy distortedness about them and they do love some feedback in their punk. On that level, I am reminded of CFDL and crasher hardcore bands like (Osaka’s) ICONOCLAST or DECEIVING SOCIETY, but UNKNOWN LIBERTY also has a more versatile side and they do add some nice dissonant guitar leads, not unlike some Italian greats maybe. The vocals are harsh and insane-sounding, and as the crude dove logo suggests, they obey the peacecrust doctrine. This is a split that I would love to own.

Illvilja Mörkret 10″

Since its beginnings, neocrust has always walked hand-in-hand with black metal. The sense of gloom approaching is prevalent in both genres, so it only makes sense that one should combine the two—HIS HERO IS GONE had one of the blackest riffs the crust world has ever heard in “Headless/Heartless.” It’s all about the atmosphere! ILLVILJA does exactly that, melancholic neocrust with a black-as-night atmosphere. And it makes even more sense since they are Swedish, they are born with melody in their veins.

Late Shift Late Shift cassette

LATE SHIFT is a one-person hardcore band in which Patrick Baxter, also of SPAM CALLER, plays everything himself. The results, on this debut tape, remain within the realms of blown-out HC, but change the formula up a bit. There’s a really appealing ignorant bootboy vibe to the arrangements, especially when they slow down a bit—sometimes I get NEGATIVE APPROACH, sometimes ’90s Cleveland scene bands like H100S—and a possible noise/industrial influence comes through the guitars on “Bummer.” Black metal-lookin’ logo, but no metal on these three songs really, nor will you feel like you need any.

Le Jonathan Reilly 7″, Demos & Other Rarities cassette

I guess we’re getting to a point where forgotten garage punk releases from the mid ’00s are ready to be rediscovered. Better start collecting those Douchemaster, Tic Tac Totally, and Boom Boom 7”s now while they’re just a couple bucks—it’s only a matter of time before some comp appearance really drives up the price! Valencia-based label Discos Peroquébien is doing their part to get the trend started by issuing this odds-and-sods collection from hometown heroes LE JONATHAN REILLY. It’s an eighteen-track cassette pulling songs from their two split 7”s (with TYRADES and CHRISTMAS ISLAND), as well as some compilation tracks and demos. They also put out a full-length album and a split LP with BLACK SUNDAY, but neither of those releases are represented here. The brand of garage punk these folks peddled was part CHEATER SLICKS’ detuned lurch and part COACHWHIPS’ aggro one-two stomp, but they managed to skirt straightforward turkeydom by letting just enough FALL and URINALS influence shine through. They’re also not afraid to stretch out a bit and let their guitars carry a melody—“A Question in the Answer” almost sounds like it could have been pulled off Daydream Nation. I don’t know that any of these tracks quite approach “lost gem” status, but I bet most folks (particularly in the US) were unaware of this act, and there are certainly enough cool tunes on this collection to make it worth your time.

Masque Demo 2023 cassette

Weird and messy crust punk with no surprises coming from Portland, Oregon. An angry, non-stop screaming voice with no direction, plus an overlap of noisy guitars and ranting drums. An eight-track demo where intrigue and mystery are promised, but I still got none of it.

The Neanderverbs The Neanderverbs CD

From Virginia comes this plodding guitar rock combo. The vocals are monotone and recorded in that “sing a line, punch in another” style to give a “singing at yourself” vibe. The songs are mainly all the same tempo, and there’s some nice reverb-laden guitars and maybe a tambourine in there. I would give them a DEADBOLT or DMZ comparison. It’s thankfully only six songs, and one’s a not very interesting L7 cover. Move it along, fellas.

Optic Sink A Face in the Crowd / Landscape Shift 7″

This is the new single from OPTIC SINK, a band that takes a very minimalist approach to synth punk and who released their debut album in 2020 through Goner Records.  Side A, “A Face in the Crowd,” reminds me of OMD’s “The New Stone Age” being channeled by the URINALS, while Side B, “Landscape Shift,” could have come straight out of Mute Records in the late ’70s, but not really, because it’s timeless—it actually inhabits a dimension of its own where some transhumans invited you to dance in a club that is a white room floating in the eternal ether of creation. It is really good.

The Passengers Coming Down / What Lasts Forever 7″

This lathe-cut 7″ is the latest single from San Diego’s the PASSENGERS. The tracks sound like a continuation of their 2021 full-length Under the Cruel Light: emotionally charged, synth-heavy goth rock with catchy, deep-end crooning. The two songs offered on this record are much the same, with layers of synth playfully dancing with drifting and distorted guitars. The baritone bass vocals are featured right in front and help to balance the tonal range. Both tracks are totally danceable, and either would make a great addition to your favorite gothic playlist.

Ratos De Porão Al Kasal LP

This LP consists of live soundboard recordings of RATOS DE PORÃO from the mid-to-late ’90s at various squats and venues in Mallorca. The tracks are from the band’s crossover era (Feijoada Accidente? and Carniceria Tropical), with a few covers for the punks. Perhaps the audio isn’t the greatest quality, but it successfully captures the pure aggressive live energy and the tension in the air that would not be able to be replicated inside any studio. May not be the most representative era of the band (such as Crucifados Pelo Sistema), but is when the band decided to cater to a wider audience while still staying true to their roots. Something to add to your RATOS DE PORÃO or Brazilian HC collection.

Spitting Image Full Sun LP

Great collection of snaky, noisy post-punk jams from this Reno, NV band. Instrumental opener “Intro” gives a table of contents of sorts with strummed indie guitars that build with shimmering distortion and chiming, atonal layers à la SST-era SONIC YOUTH. This is punk, but it’s been soaking in psych, desert-dirge country, and deathrock, and left in the sun to bake. “Spirit Trouble Flash” builds and releases heavy guitars along syncopated drum beats until the chorus hits, and it really hits. Tracks like “Not This, Not This” and “Devil’s Bloom” pound a menacing bass and drums cadence until serpentine post-everything guitar lines creep in and hover over the sound like dripping icicles. “In Menace Meadow” takes us to the dunes with clean strums and slide guitar twang. Check this out when you’re in the mood for expertly produced dark, knotty punk.

Surrogates Surrogates demo cassette

Holy shit, this is a white-hot ripper from Minneapolis’s SURROGATES. If you like some nasty metallic hardcore punk à la WARTHOG, ELECTRIC CHAIR, and FAIRYTALE, you’ll dig this. Lead singer Lulu delivers frantic vocals over crunchy guitars and furious hardcore beats, letting up on the gas exactly zero times throughout the entirety of the cassette. I recommend “Waste” and “Repellent” as standouts, but every track here is worth a listen.

Terry Call Me Terry LP

There’s a fairly crowded field of modern OZ DIY bands trafficking in jangly pop with post-punk smarts that owes more than a little to their nation’s ’80s greats (the GO-BETWEENS, the CANNANES, the PARTICLES, etc.), and TERRY has been one of the best of that bunch. Call Me Terry is their first full-length since 2018’s I’m Terry, which was itself the third in a rapid-fire succession of three LPs in three years, and even though previous TERRY efforts have always been skillful exercises in contrasts (the blurring of macro and micro lyrical concerns, perky melodies laced with darker subtexts, meticulously crafted pop song structures that still retain a feeling of shambolic looseness), it’s even more dialed-in this time around. With their multi-part guy/gal harmonies and non-stop carousel of hooks, tracks like “Centuries” and “Gold Duck” could have tumbled straight out of the International Pop Underground convention, but listen closely and the lyrics will shatter any lightweight twee fantasies—TERRY turns their focus to subjects ranging from colonialism to bodily autonomy to late-stage capitalist wealth disparities, and does so in a brutally honest and direct way without ever being didactic or clichéd. “Excuses” is a fuzzed-out stomper calling out the toxicity of privilege (“Blazer boys take after father / No excuses, knowing loopholes / Excuses for the entrenched”) before collapsing into a jumbled skronk of horns, and “Jane Roe” continues a dialogue that was started on an identically-titled but completely different song from the band’s previous LP, with playfully buzzing keys and shuffling beats circling a deceptively sugary-sweet chorus (“Baby, baby, baby / It’s a choice / It’s yours / You choose”) that’s more timely than ever. The most understatedly punk album of 2023.

Ultra Razzia Jusqu’au Bout de la Nuit LP

Very little warms the cockles of this cynical old herbert more than a good ol’ fashioned slab of Francophone Oi!, and ULTRA RAZZIA has done so in spades. Not quite as brickwall as broader scene contemporaries FORCE MAJEURE or FUERZA BRUTA, instead a slighter darker take on the genre, without fully slipping into the type of glacial post-punkery that has snuck in round the fringes. Certainly on the heavier end of the scale for Oi!, with riffs like treacle and bass that could cause a hazard to shipping, but never quite losing that “get your mate in a headlock” sing-along chorus that keeps us coming back for more. Keep it coming.

Warkrusher Epitaph / Victims of Mortality 7″

This is a record I have been anxiously awaiting since I first heard the band’s convincing 2019 demo. If the tape’s cover was pretty much unreadable, the content was certainly more clear and unambiguous: stenchcore for the unwashed. I suppose the rather unoriginal name did give it away, and an experienced linguist would have easily hypothesized that WARKRUSHER would probably sound like a cross between BOLT THROWER’s War Master and HELLKRUSHER. Not bad at all professor, thanks for dropping by. WARKRUSHER is from the prolific Montreal hardcore punk scene, and the members have played in a bunch of other bands that you have probably heard of like NAPALM RAID, PMS 84, and PARASYTES. This is the band’s first endeavour into the world of vinyl and it is, as I hoped, an absolute winner. The production is much better, crunchier and groovier, than on their previous recordings (and I do really enjoy the Pils Session, and not just because it is a terrible pun I wish I had come up with)—it just sounds heavier and more aggressive without falling into the merciless “we wish we were a death metal band” trap which is the equivalent of the Odyssey’s Sirens for crust bands. WARKRUSHER loves filthy metal, but they are in essence a punk band. There are two songs on this 7”; the A-side is a classic mid-paced stenchcore track reminiscent of early HELLSHOCK, SANCTUM, and early ’10s CANCER SPREADING. On the other side, “Visions of Mortality” opens with some AXEGRINDER-esque synth which always gets my attention straight away; it is the equivalent of a whistling toy for crusties. This one is probably more epic and I can picture myself riding a war horse (or more realistically a friendly pony) in the wasteland. What I especially like about WARKRUSHER is that they play the genre exactly as it is supposed to be played and write proper songs instead of just offering a D-beat version of BOLT THROWER. One of the best old-school crust bands around, without a doubt. The tape version of this gem has three additional tracks, two covers from AXEGRINDER and COITUS and an original.

Ass Life 3 LP Discography CD

I’m not sure if I fully get this L.A. band’s mix of D-beat, stoner riffs, and surreal humor, but maybe I’m not supposed to. This CD compiles three ASS LIFE tapes into a thirty-one-song endurance test. The tracks (especially the older ones) are heavy—mostly blistering D-beat assaults with occasional forays into MELVINS-esque sludgecore, with lyrics that often read like inside jokes without a punchline. For instance, “Sildenafil Penis” links Viagra with the war-torn city of Aleppo (I think), and I’ll leave “Shapeshifting Lizard People,” “Gape It,” and “Boofing w/ Chris Farley’s Ghost” up to you to investigate. But then, there are other moments that seem almost sincere, like the lines, “I used to party / I don’t do cocaine / My son is my drug / My son is my drug” in “My Son is My Drug.” In “Serious Man,” we have “I’m a serious man / And we’re a serious band.” So, who’s to say what is irony, or if it even matters. The songs all rip pretty hard with full-throated hardcore and borderline metalcore chugging. The playing, thick production, and fat distortion tones are all top-notch, and the vocals, as disconcerting as the lyrics can be, fit perfectly. Near the end of the most recent collection, there are some interesting left turns. “Vomitive Hues” opens with a distorted, monotone rendition of the BEACH BOYS’ “Barbara Ann,” and “Really Cool Cars” surprises with clean guitars and sung vocals about “Pretty cool cars / Dependable, safe cars” that highlight L.A.’s economic disparities that allow some people to flex Lambos while others must use their cars as shelter. It goes from BILLY BRAGG folk to heavy alt-rock like FAILURE without sounding contrived. Weird and recommended.

Belgrado Intra Apogeum LP

La Vida Es Un Mus never ceases to impress, especially when it comes to the diversity of albums they put out. The latest case in point: BELGRADO’s Intra Apogeum, a stunning eight-song long-player that is so assured in its style that you’d be fooled into thinking you’d heard it before. BELGRADO wears their influences on their sleeve, and in this case, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It’s icy and clinical but catchy, danceable, and full of romance, not unlike Berlin-era BOWIE, NEW ORDER, and most certainly Siouxsie Sioux. Each song’s propulsive auto-drum beat bops along with bouncy synth effects, rubbery bass lines, and vocalist Patrcyja Proniewska’s ethereal voice, all coming together to create a rich and cinematic sound that makes for an unforgettable listen. A year-end top ten album, to be sure.

Bina Utlåst EP

Following their single “Död Svan Blues,” BINA released a three-song, ’77 punk rock-inspired gem by the name of Utlåst. BINA strives for melody creation, as all three songs are super catchy and get stuck like glue in your head, and the energy is always to the max. Don’t believe me? The first and last songs have freaking harmonica solos, for god’s sake! Did I convince the redneck in you yet? This is pure Swedish punk rock à la KSMB.

Completed Exposition & Blackphone666 / Transient & Bastard Noise split EP

Nothing makes me happier than seeing BASTARD NOISE still active and evolving after over thirty years of making ears bleed. Their most recent reincarnation has them teamed with Portland grindcore vehicle TRANSIENT, a partnership that has blossomed over the last several years. This pairing takes up the A-side, and it’s pretty much what you’d expect. Brutal powerviolence infused with classic industrial. COMPLETED EXPOSITION takes up the B-side and continues the flow with a style of death-grind that mirrors CARCASS mixed with MAN IS THE BASTARD. Go figure. A wonderful slab to add the collection for any extreme music fan.

Counterweight Sculptured in the Flames of Victory and Blood LP

Vegan straightedge hardcore band from Poland that existed in the late ’90s. This LP collects two separate releases—the first five songs have a noticeable difference in sound quality from the latter ten, which leads me to believe the first release was a demo and the second was the album. This is very metal. Like yeah, they band is described as a hardcore band, and the album cover has camouflage and your standard “singer among the crowd” picture, but this is full-on metal. Not something I’d really find myself revisiting often or at all, really.

The Dark Dressing the Corpse LP

The songs on this album were recorded by Cleveland punks the DARK in 1984. If you like T.S.O.L. circa “Code Blue” or early MISFITS, then you should absolutely listen to this album. The riff-heavy, freakout-style hardcore blends seamlessly with the deathrock atmosphere and creates a haunting realm similar to partying in a cemetery after dark.

Display Homes What If You’re Right and They’re Wrong​?​ LP

Debut LP from this Sydney three-piece following a couple of EPs, the earliest of which came out back in 2017. And this thing kicks off with quite a track! “Nitty Picky” starts out as a energetic post-punk number—the rhythm section provides a bit of a bounce but keeps things relatively stern, while jagged guitars stab into the track, and the vocalist blurts out her lyrics in a shout falling somewhere between NOTS’ tuneless contralto and WARM BODIES’ manic, sing-songy yelp. But about twenty seconds in, the track shifts gears. The bass line gets busier and more tuneful and the guitar launches into a shimmering melodic chorus—like Andy Gill and Dave Allen morphing into Bernard Summer and Peter Hook mid-song. The remaining nine tracks on the record also more or less teeter on that same seesaw with GANG OF FOUR on one end and something closer to new wave on the other, but it’s never as balanced as it is on that album opener. Nevertheless, it’s an extremely listenable record by a band that clearly reveled in the act of making music together and seemed capable of growing and delivering a classic in the near future. Tragically, this will be the last we hear them. The guitarist passed away suddenly about a year prior to the album’s release—something I was devastated to learn after spending so much time listening to the record and thinking specifically about how much life his guitar breathed into it. I can’t imagine the toll this loss has taken on the surviving band members or the scene that was touched by their music. It’s made subsequent listens tough. Still, I encourage you to give the record a spin. It’s music you can’t help but enjoy.

Fuck Sorry! Eat Shit LP

Femme-fronted hardcore group from Vienna, Austria with their debut LP. I can’t decide if I like the band name or the album title better, but needless to say, they’re both amazing. Very politically-minded, they start us off with “Prime Time War,” singing “They all stare at the TV in awe / Disgusted but fascinated / And excited by the spectacle and the misery.” The song is laden with clips from newscasts and the sounds of machine guns repeating. I’m not usually into sampling like this, but it works here, reminding us of the buzzing, distracted nature of media consumption that leads to confusion and apathy. The following track “Eat Shit” is a fucking ripper, and refreshingly short after the long opener. The you-are-what-you-eat adage is put into focus with a pummeling reminder of how much plastic has made its way into our food and water systems—“Finally we are eating our own trash.” If you’re looking to get pissed à la CRASS listening, then tuck that napkin into your collar and get ready to Eat Shit with FUCK SORRY!

Goblin Daycare Q: EP? A: EP!! cassette

Really digging this debut cassette from Istanbul, Turkey’s GOBLIN DAYCARE. “Mama Goblin” does it all in this project, combining bedroom synth waves with garage punk and resulting in an equation that reaches the highest level of egginess that weird punk could reach. Lo-fi punk maniacs and DEVO-core worshipers casting sounds with deranged guitars quite in line with the Spanish band PRISON AFFAIR, good mashing synth mayhem, and heavily reverbed electronic drums, plus an on-point distorted voice that’s still audible with non-stop ranting in the fashion of cyberpunk band WWW (and even reminiscent of Jello Biafra’s vocal register) and a bit of DEVO’s stop-and-go songwriting. Imagine if DEVO and Jello were fighting in a steamy basement and add it all to the experience of surfing space in a videogame. Suggested tracks: “Coup De Grace” and “Officer Down.” Things are getting quite eggy in the realm of weird punk.

Hozomeen The Void LP

There’s an identifiable type of noise rock that sounds, above all else, weary: beaten down by life, just about keeping its exasperation from boiling over. That doesn’t really read like a compliment, but it’s intended as one, certainly in this case. HOZOMEEN, a one-man project from northeast England, has this sound locked down. At its most effervescent, it sounds like the JESUS LIZARD after they got big but before they signed to a major label; elsewhere, the riffs are similarly big and hulking, but slower, like when you drag your own sagging carcass out to face the day. Not doom metal or slowcore, but on speaking terms with those things, and “One Kilohertz” is on an unmistakable MELVINS tip. There are some guest trumpet parts and unorthodox, maybe even dub-influenced production touches if you listen carefully. Graham Thompson, who is HOZOMEEN, has been in a solid list of bands over twenty-something years (thrashcore in JINN and NEUROSIS-via-hardcore in GRACE are the two I’m most familiar with) and has hit on something really neat here.

Illiterates No Experts LP

The newest release from Pittsburgh’s ILLITERATES does not disappoint. These guys have been releasing quality hardcore punk music for a while now, and No Experts is absolutely no exception. Featuring twelve tunes blazing by in about as many minutes, ILLITERATES know how to do this type of thing right. Fast for the sake of it, loud for the sake of it, and dumb because it’s all they know how to be—just like so many of the classics. Recommended!

M.O.A.B. Massive Ordnance Air Blast cassette

A raw assault of D-beat fury from Brooklyn. Early DOOM vocal pitch with the drum clobbering of more modern ASPECTS OF WAR. Loads of chaotic feedback carries you through these classic hardcore punk attacks. Guitar riffs are cosmically higher in register than usual, making for an even more anxiety-ridden track. As a demo it totally delivers, similar to the impact of a recent tape from REALM OF TERROR. Everything stands out here: great vocals that bellow out longer than expected, wild guitar that reaches higher than expected, a massive drum sound in a classic tempo, grueling bass holding it all on the rails. MASSIVE ORDNANCE AIR BLAST, simple as that. Quite killer and just the way you like it.

Paint Fumes Real Romancer LP

These guys deliver a really tight, high-energy earful of what I think is a nice combination of punk’n’roll and power pop. It’s mid-tempo, but it’s really driven, like they’re coming at you. It’s got a cohesiveness that is remarkable, like everybody is on the same page. It’s obviously catchy, or I wouldn’t even be listening to it. Time for an air drum solo. Thanks. This is their fourth LP, but the first I’ve heard of them. I feel like I’ve been missing out. This is an excellent record. Highly recommended.

Phosphore Phosphore cassette

Nowadays, when people abroad refer to “the French scene,” it often entails Oi! bands with bowel issues modeling for Fred Perry. Fortunately, we have Bordeaux, which has been our national haven for proper dis-studded hardcore punk for almost twenty years. Over there, D-beat bands can mate and prosper freely without interference from the outside world. PHOSPHORE is one of the latest typical examples of this Bordeaux punk subspecies. With current and former members of GASMASK TERROR, NAATLO SUTILA, FOSSE COMMUNE, and many others, the new breed does not fail to deliver the expected goods, namely Swedish-inspired raw hardcore punk for faithful käng-inclined punks. This is pretty much flawless and baked to a D. If the genre is to your liking, this is tailor-made. It would be a little pointless to drop names in order to describe them, but doing pointless things is pretty much my leitmotif. The core of PHOSPHORE is obviously rooted in traditional ’80s Scandi hardcore (say ASOCIAL or SOUND OF DISASTER), but if they always stick to the classic soundtrack, they have several tricks under their sleeveless jackets, from the classic fast pummeling käng scorcher to the canonical D-beat cruise, and delightful DISCHARGE-loving, mid-paced numbers like “Marche ou Crève” or “La Proie.” On that level, they are not unlike contemporary bands like PROFOSS or EXTENDED HELL, for instance. The vocals are hoarse and direct, without dodgy effects, the lyrics are mean, the no-frills production packs a direct punch to the gut, and it is just a strong recording. Eight songs in twelve minutes, no arsing around.

Red Gaze Healing Games 12″

I love it when a band takes very particular references, makes them their own, takes their time to digest them, and vomits out something totally personal. A sound that takes you back to different places in the punk timeline, but makes them coexist in a permanent autonomous zone parceled out of our post-everything reality. Austrians RED GAZE are creating their own impregnable fortress in the very crowded field of modern post-punk, and on this 12″ they do it with songs so well-written that it feels like they were always there in the ether, waiting for some guys in tight pants and with gloomy looks to come along and take those ideas and make them their own. You can understand that they started from a more militantly dark post-punk style, to which they have managed to incorporate arrangements, and above all, an impetus and attitude more married to hardcore, but without becoming the typical aggro band on the block. Not at all—on the contrary, here the references take me to CONTROLLERS, METAL URBAIN, and in general, bands from the mythical Bloodstains compilations…I didn’t want to finish this review without mentioning that “Messy Bundle” is a timeless anthem and that you should leave everything you are doing to listen to it the way it should be listened to, loudly.

Split System Bullet / On the Street 7″

Rock’n’punk done right, as only Australians can do. Tattoos, bad haircuts, and repetitive solid riffs. HEARTBREAKERS and STITCHES amphetamine swagger with COLOURED BALLS, SAINTS, or POWER street smarts. I had to send this down under to former MRR punker Adam Caine, as his line of work is HVAC and maybe their name is a reference to such? Can’t choose the better song here ‘cuz they’re both sick as fuck. It’s already sold out, so break into your neighbor’s house and get one. Bonzer!

Sympos More Sympos EP

What an absolute joy this was to discover. From the most un-Oi!-like choppy, angular guitar stabs to the distinctly Waterfordian accent, I was immediately shaken from the malaise that a thousand crappy “Oi! in name alone” releases that are farted out by labels that should know better will sink you into. As indebted to the first-wave ’77 mob and anorak-clad post-punkers as traditional skinhead fare, it’s undoubtedly more musically complex than one might expect. However, the lyrical content, with tongue embedded firmly in cheek, covers topics as broad as “fighting down the pub,” “drinking down the pub,” and “car insurance”—it’s a lot of fun crammed into its all-too-brief runtime.

Tunic Wrong Dream LP

I don’t think TUNIC has the roar or bluster of the noisiest noise rock. Under the screech and scream of the guitars are some almost emo/post-hardcore rhythms of the bass and drums, more FUGAZI than PISSED JEANS. But when there is dissonance, it’s used to great effect. It pushes against the catchier parts to create a disturbing, unsettling feel. This really shows on songs like “Disease” and “Protected,” which feature sharp, siren-like guitar sounds over a steadier, easier bass line. This record sounds intentional without being over-baked or clunky.

Ultimo Resorte No Hay Tiempo Que Perder LP

Here’s a delightful slice of punk history. ÚLTIMO RESORTE was an integral part of Barcelona, Spain’s punk-cum-hardcore scene in the early ’80s. Providing the connective tissue between the first generation of Spanish punk and the initial Spanish hardcore wave, ÚLTIMO RESORTE reflects this evolution in three releases compiled on one fat slab of wax. No Hay Tiempo Que Perder brings together the band’s seven-song self-titled 7” EP from 1982, their five-song 12” EP from the following year, as well as six bonus tracks from their 1981 demo. The band had quite a few lineup changes during their existence from 1979 to 1984, resulting in a hodgepodge of influences that pulled their sound in varying directions. Thankfully, their genre-dabbling produced killer results! Ranging from fast and gritty hardcore à la ELECTRIC DEADS, to more direct UK-inspired punk in the realm of VICE SQUAD, ÚLTIMO RESORTE managed to chart their own path with fierce vocalist Silvia Escario leading the charge. In an interview I read, Escario speaks of the impact that MDC had on the Barcelona scene, compelling the punks to play faster and write more politically-focused lyrics. Overall, this is an incredibly well-produced retrospective. The sound quality is great, even on the demo tracks, and the material holds up beyond its significance historically. Punk rules! Check this out if you need a reminder.

The Wasps Punkryonics: Singles & Rare Tracks 1977–1979 LP

The WASPS were an East London act who got together in 1976. They played a mix of ’77 punk, histrionic glam, and new age power pop (imagine a fairly organic mashup of EATER, the QUICK, and the POINTED STICKS). They put out one pretty great single (“Teenage Treats” / “She Made Magic”) on an independent label in 1977 that garnered modest acclaim. Then they spent the next couple of years tweaking their lineup and sound trying to court a major label, which they managed when they put out their less-great single “Rubber Cars” on RCA in 1979. It wasn’t particularly well received, despite the band claiming it was RCA’s fastest selling single the week that it was released (…OK) and was destined to be a number one hit had the label backed it (impossible to prove, but seems doubtful). In any case, the band imploded shortly after the record came out. This release is a vinyl reissue of an odd-and-sods collection that came out on CD back in 2003, now expanded with a couple of bonus live tracks. It features all of their studio recordings, some live tracks, and maybe some rough demos—seventeen songs in total. The studio cuts are pretty fantastic and are definitely worth your time if you’ve never heard the band. The rest is probably nice if you’re a fan of the act, but won’t be much of a selling point to anyone else.

Wired Up A Little Somethin’ EP

I’ve always had a fondness for daft yobbo music; the harder end of glam, the sort of garish dopey nonsense for people like yours truly that consider Noddy Holder as sort of totemic figure in their life. “Take your brain out” tunes. So I was encouraged to see a release from a band called WIRED UP, clearly taking inspiration from the HECTOR classic. The opening promised so much, swaggering hard glam being the name of the game, but like so much contemporary bootboy-adjacent music, the vocals emulated a cartoon bullfrog and immediately cast me into an existential crisis for the next 45 minutes. Lyrically, it isn’t much better, with one tune in particular focussing on that noirest of bêtes for skinheads, People Who Aren’t Proper Skinheads. Which is all well and good, except that I heard a presumably grown adult using the word “cosplay” and immediately turned the fucking thing off for good. Still, nice to hear a BRONSKI BEAT mention in 2023.

Arrest Pobre i Perrillos EP

Barcelona has one of the most enigmatic, powerful, and unique punk outputs in my opinion, and ARREST is no exception. ARREST presents with a straightforward streetpunk flair that is mid-tempo and melodic under gravelly vocals and vibrant chords. Part the BUSINESS with a vocal rasp à la SPITE UK and the dissenting tones of DESENTERRADAS and earlier BELGRADO. ARREST is enigmatic, as they sound somewhat UK82 with a gothic post-punk sheen. Percussion tumbles through and the rhythm remains constant throughout, yet the pace never tires, with maniacal laughter taunts throughout similar to INYECCIÓN. My favorite track is a seething, circle-pitting romp called “Fakin Many Nen,” which really rounds out a very solid, mid-paced anthemic punk EP. Recommended for its trashy attitude and classic crudeness that feels familiar and well-versed in an older Oi!-meets-post-punk scene. ARREST definitely pulls this balance off.