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Hello, and thanks for reading. I mentioned previously I would write about a killer reissue next time I wrote, but I spoke too soon. This week I am writing about THE COMES, specifically this recent live 12” Ballroom of the Living Dead. I assumed pretty much everyone reading this knows THE COMES. If you haven’t ever really listened to them, then you should stop reading this right now and listen to their 1983 debut No Side. This album is excellent. I don’t think excellent is a strong enough word, but I think it is safe to say a copy belongs in every single collection. If you like this record and don’t own it for some odd reason, you can pick up this nicely done reissue we have in stock. I think a big reason this LP stands out so much is cos it came out pretty early on for Japanese hardcore. Some of the most popular Japanese bands like THE STALIN, GAUZE, or GISM (whose debut was also on the same label as THE COMES) were also active 1982, but most of my favorites like ZOUO, CONFUSE, THE SEXUAL, HEADLESS, ANTI-SEPTIC, etc did not exist until the years that followed. Aside from existing early on the hardcore timeline of Japan, the vocalist of THE COMES was a woman. I guess a part of me feels silly to point this out, but I think it is significant for the time and place. I’m not super well read on Japanese hardcore, but I know a bit of this and that. When trying to think of 80s bands with women, almost none come to my mind. NURSE would be an obvious one. That band it was all women. Holy shit, we have this in stock too, very sick. NURSE’s debut was also in 1983, actually. It is definitely a cool release, but it certainly does not rip like No Side. GAS is another one that comes to mind. Their 1982 flexi No More Hiroshima is so good. Insanely good. Damn, I never really thought about how early this record it is, and how DISCHARGE the sound is. That’s probably why the flexi sells for like $2k, haha. Oh yeah, but important note; their first flexi doesn’t have the line-up with a woman in it; it is the following one where she takes over vocals. Oh yes, there is also OUTO SYOJODAN. This shit is pretty cool. It also seems pretty obscure. It’s later 80s and the band is all women. My boy Rich showed it to me. (What up Rich!!!) Too bad this rip kinda sounds like shit with a low rumble like the entire time. Maybe Rich could hook me up with a better one, hehe. Okay, I think that’s all that is really coming to mind right now for women in 80s Japanese bands. I’m probably forgetting one or possibly two I might know. Anyway, THE COMES’ sound is super original to me. The songs (on No Side) are a nice mix between hardcore rippers and very slightly pulled-back catchy ones. When I really think about what they sound like, it kind of reminds of THE STALIN around Stop Jap, but more hardcore sounding. I have never once thought this before, but I think I hear some elements of USHC in there too. Am I crazy? Maybe I am just high. I think what really elevates their sound is the vocalist. I’m not sure what she does, but it sounds so unique and pissed off at the same time, it’s too good. They follow No Side in 1986 with Power Never Die. I think this record is sick, but if you compare it to No Side, you are going to be disappointed. The vocal style and song writing are completely different, but it’s still a great record. On this LP, it is the original vocalist and drummer alongside a new bassist and guitarist. I wonder why it’s never been reissued. Does the band think it sucks? (Like that KALASHNIKOV 12" that will probably never be reissued, haha).

Alright, I need to start talking about the live LP. It’s sold out, that sucks. I still wanted to write about it, though. This thing was pretty expensive at $40. I mean a higher retail price is always to be expected when dealing with Japanese imports. However, often Japanese releases are some of the nicest ones. The first thing I noticed was the badass tip-on sleeve. Hell yes. Isn’t there like one place in the world that makes these still? Inside, the thick ass jacket is a very nice booklet that’s printed in full color. Oh man... I’m not sure where to start with this. They give you a timeline of every show THE COMES played in their existence. I had no idea they were playing so many gigs in 1982! But I guess duh that makes sense. Bands usually gig a fair amount before their first record comes out. It’s also pretty insane their first gig is with GISM, GAUZE, and EXECUTE! Wow. Honestly, tons of the bills you see on the flyers in the booklet are just nuts. Alongside the flyers and timeline, this thing is loaded up with photos. I read Tom from General Speech said that a lot of these photos are unreleased. There is a lengthy interview with the bassist and drummer included as well. The band started with childhood friends, and slowly they grew from playing rock like QUEEN or KISS to shit like DISORDER, DEAD KENNEDYS, and DISCHARGE. I could be mistaken but I think they said the vocalist was super into glam shit and SOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES, but they were all exposed to hardcore punk via one member traveling to London. I could have totally misread that though, but they definitely mentioned London and punk, haha. Maybe they just meant punk fashion? They talk about the history of the band more or less, but I’m not sure why they broke up. They may have covered it and I just missed it. I got all this info from using a shitty translator, haha, better than nothing though. Yeah, the interview is in Japanese only. Going back to Tom from General Speech, he did a great job describing what kind of live audio we get here. “Well done archival live audio document...A side captures the band early in 1982 with a 17 song live set with several rare and unreleased tracks from before the No Side era. The B Side captures the band a year later and a bit more mature, but still early era and sound. The audio on both sides is above average quality audience recordings, not soundboard quality, and for those keeping close tabs, these are different, and in my opinion better live sets than the ones documented on the reissue live CDs 10-15 years ago.” Given that this isn’t studio sound, if you aren’t that familiar with THE COMES then I would definitely suggest checking out No Side first. But if you think THE COMES rip, then you are gunna be stoked about these tracks! They aren’t soundboard, but man they hit the spot for me. Their live performance fuckin’ rips. It sounds like they don’t stop once the entire set. Damn. Three of these songs have actually already been released on the Outsider compilation, I think. I think the sound is maybe a bit better than what you hear on that compilation. Side 2 has a handful of the same songs as side 1, which I think all appear on No Side, but the band’s playing is noticeably different. They seem tighter yet groove more. It’s cool to hear the evolution in sound, and especially the unreleased tracks from side 1. Overall, I think this is a great release. I am really loving the booklets labels have been going all out with. Yeah, sucks if you missed out, I’m sorry. I have no idea if we will be able to get more. I hope they will repress it! Alright it’s getting late I should go. Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone for your support!

Shit I am not ready for this week’s staff pick. There’s this new record out on Iron Lung that I am pretty into, but I will wait to bust that out until we have our copies in stock. There is also this killer reissue Mäkitie 8 is distributing in USA, but I will also wait to write about that til we have it in stock. We do have this pretty cool reissue from this ‘70s band named BLAST from Belgium in stock now. This has been reissued once before in 2015 and it was getting some high dollar amounts on Discogs in the recent years. I am not sure how I heard this record originally, but it was not from that reissue. I only heard the band recently, and it certainly stuck out in my head cos of what year it was. I don’t listen to like any 70s music. What I typically look for in music did not translate into what I like until the 80s. Haha. Don’t get me wrong, I am exaggerating, and I do listen to more than just hardcore. Here is a great example of some 70s music I really enjoy. The love of my life got me into this. Anyway, what makes this BLAST record special is that they are playing d-beat! Of course, it’s not like a straight up DISCHARGE song or these guys would have been legends, but the drummer is playing a proper d-beat. Everyone used to say BUZZCOCKS used it first in 1978; well we were wrong. I’m guessing everyone has heard this BLAST reissue by now, as I’ve seen it online a ton. If you haven’t though, you can hear their d-beat it here. I think this record is quite expensive for being a 7”, but I will say it has pretty nice packaging. I really like the silver and red center labels, and the full color booklet is nice. If it wasn’t for the A side with the DISCHARGE beat, I probably would not give a shit about this record. The B side sounds like some hippy shit.

Moving on but keeping the DISCHARGE beat, this week I am going to write about VERDICT. I’m writing about this record as I’m listening to it for the first time(s). I remember buying their first LP, or at least spinning it a few times. I also know it’s a member or two of bands I really enjoy, but I’m not gunna take the time to look that far into it as I just want to write a bit more candidly. I am not sure why I ended up listening to a copy of this LP, but I’m glad I did. I knew about it cos I saw the release details online, but I didn’t think much of it. I think the artwork and color scheme is not that great. The artwork has this cool cut-n-paste vibe, but it comes off as totally digital. I’m sorry for hurting anyone’s feelings, but that’s just my take and I am not an artist or graphic designer by any means. The album title is also kind of funny, it reminds me of that movie with Mr. Bean. But whatever, this is coming from a guy whose band is named after a John Mellencamp song. Anyway, I think this record rips! It has an excellent blend of fast and slower songs. I’m really enjoying the pulled back songs especially; the drummer has an excellent groove, and the riffs are especially catchy when they slow it down just a bit. I don’t remember liking the first LP as much as this one, but I am definitely gunna visit it again tonight. I just realized this LP is 14 tracks and it blew right by. That is pretty sick if you ask me. It’s hard to make an LP with a good number of tracks AND not get too boring. Or alternatively, bands these days make 12”s with eight to ten songs. I guess ten songs is fair, and they cut it at 45rpm, blah blah. My band had to talk me down from making like a twenty song LP. (I think we settled on fourteen.) To me, there is nothing like a fuckin hardcore record that just gooooes. Here are three excellent examples; one, two, and three.

Alright I should get going, Thanks to everyone for reading and thanks for your support! Oh yeah, you can check that banger VERDICT LP out here. See ya next week.

Hello, and thanks for reading. In this week’s newsletter, we are recapping 2023 with our “best of” lists. Unfortunately for me, I’m thinking about this for the first time as I am writing this. As a result, I’m sure I will miss a few records I enjoyed this year. It seems all the records from my “Top 10” are ass beaters, but that is no surprise, is it? Rather than going in order of which one I like the most or which is my favorite (cos I could not distinguish that), I am going to go in order of when it was released. I will also drop links to listen at the beginning of each release, in case you need or want to peep it. Before I write, I wanted to mention the SIRKKA Viivyttely 7". This record was not on my list this year, only because it was on my list last year. “Technically” it was released January 19th of 2023, but this came out at the end of 2022 if you ask me. I think this record is phenomenal and honestly, I think the sound of this band in the 2020s is profound. Sorry State repressed this record not too long ago, on clear vinyl. If you’re reading this and actually like hardcore but don’t own a copy, don’t think and just buy one now.

BLOODY FLAG: self-titled CS
https://bunkerpunks.bandcamp.com/album/bloody-flag
Actually, I do have a favorite release of the year, so I will write about that first. It doesn’t take much thought for me to know this is my favorite release of the year. It was a total honor that Jeff and I were able to release this debut on our label. The sound on this tape is just perfect. It really doesn’t get better than this. We wished it could have been a record, but the mastermind behind BLOODY FLAG is a bit too modest in my opinion, hehe. I’m not really gunna take the time to describe this shit. If you haven’t heard it, you can stream it from the link I dropped. I know there will be a follow up cassette at some point, and there has been talk of doing a small run of this self-titled cassette at that time as well. Alright, I will move onto my proper year end list now.

Πυρ Κατά Βούληση: Θύματα Ειρήνης 12"
https://pyrkatavoulisi.bandcamp.com/album/
God damn. This was released at the very beginning of 2023. It came out of nowhere for me, as this was the band’s debut and I have no idea what the members did previously. This record hits the spot for me. I guess all the records are going to have that effect on me, haha. While this band is from Greece, the sound is like a contemporary Swedish band like LARMA or NUKIES. I really like the vocals, and I especially like that the lyrics are in Greek rather than English. The guitar playing is just so damn good. The riffs are super catchy yet raging. The drumming is super locked in. The record sounds powerful; it’s nice and punchy. I also love that the jackets are screen printed. Damn, I thought this record was sold out, but it looks like we still have copies from when we restocked it. I remember the first time we had it, they sold out in like 15 minutes. If you missed it, you can grab a copy here. I think this record is excellent and I would love to see this band live.

DESTRUCT: Cries The Mocking Mother Nature 12"
https://gravemistakerecords.bandcamp.com/album/cries-the-mocking-mother-nature
Do I need to introduce or even describe this shit at all? If you haven’t heard them, don’t be misled by this cover that looks like it could be a 2000s CONTRAVENE record or something. I think DESTRUCT is one of the best bands active in USA right now, and their live performances are some of the best I have ever seen. I used to think they were the best band I have ever seen in my life, until this year when I saw another band (who I will mention later). Anyway, we don’t have this in stock anymore, but you can get a copy from Grave Mistake here. If you don’t own it, I wouldn’t sleep. None of their stuff seems to stay in print.

ELECTRIC CHAIR: Act of Aggression 12"
https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/act-of-aggression-lungs-213-2
Technically, this was a 2022 release, cos it was a cassette first. The LP came out in early 2023, though. I’m sure you know Sorry State had our own exclusive color. Everyone and their mother knows this band. Everyone likes this band. I’ll tell you what though, it’s not just hype. This band is simply magical. I truly didn’t know until I organized/drove their tour with GOLPE earlier this year. I had seen ‘em live a fair amount of times, but it was always so crazy with people flying everywhere and shit. On this tour, I had a chance to witness them up close, and it was then I understood how good they are. They are also the silliest mofos ever, and it’s amazing how well they treat each other and how dedicated they are to their band. If you don’t own this for some odd reason, you can scoop it here.

SALVAJE PUNK: self-titled 12"
https://toxicstaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/salvaje-punk-lp-2023
This record is absolutely fucking nuts. It’s like LOBOTOMIA meets MOB 47 or NO SECURITY. I love the mix and master. I don’t make any adjustment on my stereo for this record. I always EQ shit a bit, namely scoop the bass out a bit and turn that treble up. This record is the definition of an ass-beater. No bullshit, just raw ass beating. I don’t think this record is for everyone. The speed and pummeling intensity is probably too much for the fainthearted. We don’t have copies in stock anymore, but it looks like Toxic State does. In Toxic State tradition, everything is screen printed in the packaging, including a sick ass foldout poster with art from guitarist, Mateo. I don’t personally own a lot of releases from Toxic State, but this is the first time I’ve got a record from them that wasn’t just standard black vinyl. I wonder if this was the first time they did that? Everything about this record is so sick.

PHYSIQUE: Again 12"
https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/again-lungs-232
If I remember right, this came out as a cassette before it was an LP. PHYSIQUE was a band I slept on until I saw them live. I don’t think their previous records really did them justice. There was always something here and there I didn’t quite like, but I did overall enjoy the releases. This LP though, is the shit. Funny enough, I remember seeing the artwork around for a while online before I actually stopped to read what it said. I kept looking past it cos I took it for another rip-off band, with that DOOM-esque font that had been done many times before by other bands. They also start the LP off with a slower song and end it with a reprise of the same song. They aren’t doing anything new, but there is something that makes this band seriously stand out from the rest. I can’t wait to see them live again. If you missed this LP, we have it in stock.

FAIRYTALE: Shooting Star 12"
https://toxicstaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/fairytale-shooting-star-lp
I’m not really sure what this means, but I can’t remember the last Toxic State release I bought before this year. So, it’s insane to me that I have two of their releases in my list here. I think this label is sick, and I absolutely love the packaging of pretty much every release, but I typically don’t pick up the stuff. Oh, shit yeah this is on color vinyl too. Maybe cos it’s a cooperation with QCHC in UK? The record sounds really damn good too. Anyway, FAIRYTALE first came on my radar when they released the flexi. I remember something about the flexi didn’t hit me quite right, but holy fucking shit, live they absolutely blew me away. Sometime after that, they released their debut onto a proper 7", and I thought this was a top-notch follow up. If I remember right, Jeff and Daniel were super into it as well. Same with this LP. When these came in, we were super stoked. All the vinyl for USA actually came to Sorry State from the pressing plant overseas, since it was a cooperation with a label we already deal with heavily and this is a standard procedure for us. I remember unpacking these boxes to forward boxes of discs to Toxic State, and I saw the FAIRYTALE center label. I had no idea there was an upcoming release for them, but I knew only one band would have that name and that font, haha. Fuck it’s so good. I especially like that there are things I consider unorthodox about the record. The sound is not boxed in by any means. I mean yes, it does sound a lot like ANTI-CIMEX and DISCHARGE, but whatever. We don’t have this one in stock anymore, but you can pick up a copy direct from Toxic State here.

DELCO MOTHERFUCKERS - March of the MF’s 7"
https://delco-mfs.bandcamp.com/album/the-march-of-the-mfs

I wrote about DELCO MFs really briefly on two occasions, when they dropped each EP. I mentioned before this band started as Jim doing everything, but on this EP he had a proper line-up, and he just took care of vocal duties. I think this is an excellent follow up to their first EP. It is so pissed off and raging. It sounds like it was recorded on an old tape, and that really adds to what is happening. I appreciate that the label (aka Jim and the bassist Jakey), are sticking to small runs of these records. I know they could easily sell more, but fuck it. Static Shock in UK did a compilation of both EPs this year, and that shit sold out super quick too. Anyway, I think this EP was killer, and it really captured their live intensity. If you missed it, I am sorry cos you’re probably not going to find a copy.

G.U.N.: self-titled 12"
https://sorrystaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/g-u-n
There seem to be a lot of people talking about this record, and for good reason. I think this is a masterpiece. The full color artwork is ballsy, but they pull it off. The songwriting is so catchy; the songs will bounce around your head for days. Some of them I enjoy so much, it feels like it’s a cover song… I’m not sure if that will make sense. I didn’t know shit about this band. Usually, I make the test press covers for SSR releases, and I hadn’t heard these songs at all before the tests showed up. Naturally, I put on a copy as I whipped up the covers. Man, it hit me hard. I really like the vocals, too. I’ve legit spun this record so many times this year. This bad boy is sold out at the moment, but I’m sure it will be back in print in no time. Be ready if you missed it, it’s so good.

KINETIC ORBITAL STRIKE: The True Disaster 7"

https://kineticorbitalstrike.bandcamp.com/album/the-true-disaster
Alright, remember earlier when I mentioned there was a band who I saw this year who might be the best band I have ever seen? Well, it’s K.O.S. I saw them the first time in Richmond with ENZYME. I could not believe how good they were. They were locked tight, with explosive power that was carefully orchestrated into perfect song structures. Fuck. The second time I saw them was in Philly, and they played a cover set comprised of ANTI-CIMEX and SKITSLICKERS. They probably played those EPs better than either band ever did. They dropped a debut on cassette late last year that was re-done as 7" earlier this year. The songs from both records were actually done at the same time, and naturally I couldn’t tell you which record I prefer. I think they are both top-notch hardcore, and you can grab copies here if you’ve been sleeping.

There were A TON of 2023 releases I would call “honorable mentions,” but I don’t see the point in listing all those. How worthy is my honor, anyway? There were also a ton of killer reissues this year. I love it! Again, I don’t want to list all those, but I will just share this photo of all of them compiled together. And again, I could be missing some. I love the good old “replica” type reissue where it’s just a repro of the old shit on the same format. I also love when reissues go all out and compile as much as they can onto an LP. Unfortunately, in my opinion some of these bigger reissue labels don’t do the bands justice. They put out too much shit with the same basic formats. I know some of these labels will compromise the quality of the content, just to seemingly have the most deluxe shit out there too. Anyway, here are the reissues I was most stoked about this year. I know MISSBRUKARNA has been done by this same label before, but I like it so much I am including the 2023 reprint.

Besides a bunch of killer new releases and reissues, I certainly spent a good portion of my paychecks on ‘80s records from my want list. I crossed off some serious wants, one of which I never thought I would actually ever own. Sometimes I score a record in person at a shop, or through Sorry State, and that is the best feeling. But often I end up buying shit on the computer, and that just is what it is. I am happy that my major want came via a pen-pal reaching out to me, but of course the internet still played a role, haha. Anyway, instead of focusing on records I got this year from my want list, I am going to share the printed materials I got this year that I am really excited about. I have bought some flyers online before, but not much. A lot of my flyers are just recent photocopies that a friend has made, and that is pretty much just as cool as an original to me, plus it doesn’t cost me like $50+ or whatever insane amount someone is trying to charge. I have a good number of original flyers etc. that came from friends or pen-pals, and that is really special to me. Two of the things in this photo I bought online. One of them is the VARAUS poster sleeve. That record is so rare. Another top want I will more than likely never have, but I am absolutely thrilled to say I have the foldout sleeve at least and it is framed on my wall! If maybe someone reading this has a copy for sale (with or without sleeve), you know where to find me. The TOXIC REASONS poster was a birthday gift from my friend Eric (thanks dude, I love you.) The Swedish stuff (besides the BLACK UNIFORMS flyer) was a gift from my friend Anders. I’ve actually mentioned him before, and his photos from the Egg-Mangel gig. Hello Anders!!! And finally, the Finnish stuff was a gift from my friend Marko. If you’re reading this, hello my friend and I hope you are well :) This stuff I really hold close to my heart. The booklet from the first RIISTETYT LP is already rare enough, but in the photo is also a booklet which compiles lyrics from VAURIO’s LP and RIISTETYT’s Raiskattu Tulevaisuus LP. I didn’t even know this was a thing, and it blows my mind. What blows my mind even further is this TAMPERE SS fanzine. Alongside the fanzine, I also got an original cassette with their demo, and it includes a song that was never released. I’m sure you can understand how blown my mind is, and I feel honored to even have this stuff. I guess technically I paid Marko for that TAMPERE SS stuff, but whatever haha. OK I think that about sums up my year-end review. The years go by faster as I get older it seems. I am grateful to play a role here at Sorry State, and to be so tapped into something I am passionate about. I feel so lucky. Before I go, I want to say that I am grateful to be able to enjoy these records, posters, and all the other things and people I love in life. While this year has been good to me, the year has ended in unfathomable horror for others. I cannot sit here and write about records and not acknowledge the blatant U.S.-funded genocide that is taking place as this very moment in Palestine. It is a privilege that my life and loved ones are not suffocating slowly beneath the rubble of an airstrike in Gaza. If there is a God, I pray for the people of Palestine. Thank you for reading, and thanks to everyone for your support. Take care of each other.

Hello and thanks for reading. Wow, it doesn’t feel like it’s been a week already since I was last writing, but here we are. This week I am going to be writing about DISFEAR’s Everyday Slaughter. I brushed off DISFEAR for a long time. My introduction to the band was a mid-2000’s split they did. That, alongside their name, pushed me away. I can’t remember how or when, but luckily one day I heard their 1992 self-titled 7”. I’m not sure if it’s cos I’m a D-beatoholic or what, but fucking hell it doesn’t get much better than this record for me. I really can’t emphasize how much I enjoy it. The sound is RAW, but the production is still nice and clear. The songwriting is super primitive, but the sound is meaner than ever. I think because of the straight-forward songwriting and Swedish lyrics, it made them sound more like an ‘80s band. I feel like a lot of ‘90s bands sounded rather tough or were too busying doing “experimental” type shit, so this really made the release stick out more to me. When I heard this EP, it was a turning point, and I immediately checked out everything that followed. While this 7” was never reissued as a proper 7” again, it is in print and can be found on the back side of A Brutal Sight of War. This was originally released on a CD in 1993 by Lost and Found Records. The CD also included the tracks from their debut 7”. When I first heard these four new tracks, I thought they were a bit boring. But that opinion is actually wrong, haha. The songwriting is just the same as their 7”, however the production is certainly different. The lyrics are sung in English instead of Swedish as well. I think those two factors made it seem much more different to me than it really was. Now, I think these four tracks are excellent, and a perfect bridge into their debut 1995 LP Soul Scars. This one was released on CD and LP by Distortion Records. It depends on what day you ask me, but this one is probably my favorite DISFEAR release. The sound changed a bit here; they get noticeably heavier and faster. There is a line-up change before this recording, and Jallo Lehto of TOTALITÄR joins DISFEAR on the drums. Maybe that’s a major factor in my favoritism of the release, haha. Following this, in 1997, they released Everyday Slaughter on Osmose Productions. This album is the definition of a complete monster. If you thought the sound was huge on Soul Scars, wait ‘til you hear this one. I think some might ignorantly associate this record with “stadium crust.” I foolishly thought the same and got my ass slapped into place when I finally heard this beast. While this band or album or whatever has some characteristics of stadium crust, what sets them apart is the fact that they’ve got riffs and certainly know how to play them. Here is a killer video of them crushing it the same year Everyday Slaughter was released. As we can see, there is absolutely no banana on the guitar. Ah yes, there was another lineup change before this album was recorded as well. Jallo was replaced by Robin Wiberg on the drums. (I mentioned him playing drums in DISFEAR when I wrote about his current band SVAVELDIOXID last week.) So, the Everyday Slaughter LP took me forever to track down. I’m not sure if it’s cos it appeals to metalheads too or what, but it didn’t make sense to me. Soul Scars was not nearly as hard, and their 7” was a bargain bin record forever. I think this reissue of Everyday Slaughter is excellent and has really done this beast the justice it deserves. The record sounds and looks great. With detailed, full color artwork like this a lot can go wrong, and I think the gatefold jacket came out beautiful.

After Everyday Slaughter, I stop listening to DISFEAR. I recently came back to the albums that came after and they are still not for me. There were more line-up changes and a bigger change in sound. I don’t want to talk any shit, but I want to share this cool DISFEAR video I just saw for the first time. They still have Robin on drums, but Jeppe has been replaced on vocals by Tomas Lindberg. I have never seen footage with Jallo on drums, but I would die to. Same with any footage of ANTI-BOFORS. Alright anyway, I should get going, but if you want to check out any of the releases I mentioned today, you can stream them from DISFEAR’s Bandcamp. Grab these LPs if you don’t have ‘em. They are essential if you ask me. Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone for your support!

Hello and thanks for reading. It’s been about a month since the last Sorry State newsletter. I’m sure Daniel explained a bit of the hell we have been dealing with here for the last month. Although there is still a lot to resolve and work through, it seems like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. While we have been dealing with hell here, there have been tons of great new releases in the last month, and I have been buying ‘em like crazy.

Before I get into the photo above, I wanted to mention some records we got in stock from Blown Out Media this week. I’ve been a fan of Sweden’s SVAVELDIOXID since their debut, which was nearly eight years ago now. If you’re not familiar with them, they play DISCHARGE type hardcore but with a super heavy, and somewhat polished, sound. While most bands who play “Swedish style” hardcore are usually influenced by TOTALITÄR with their catchy riffs and groovy breakdowns, there is absolutely nothing catchy about what SVAVELDIOXID has been doing the last eight years. The style they play developed in the early ‘90s I would say, and is not popular at all anymore. The most obvious and known comparison I would make would be to the pre-1997 DISFEAR. The drummer of SVAVELDIOXID, Robin, actually played drums on what I consider DISFEAR’s last good album, Everyday Slaughter. This album was finally reissued recently, and we have copies in stock now. That album is a 10/10 and has been dying for a reissue for years now. Anyway, I think the brand-new LP from SVAVELDIOXID, V​ä​rldsel​ä​nde, is one of their best yet. I specifically thought the production really stood out on this release. When I got the record, I discovered they recorded with Tomas Skogsberg at legendary Sunlight Studios. So sick!!! Check the LP out in the link I dropped above, and if you dig it, you can grab a copy here still.

Also, in stock from Blown Out Media is the debut LP from California’s ANGUISHED LIFE. Shroud of Death consists of ten perfectly formulated DISCHARGE-influenced tracks. The world is overly saturated in DISCHARGE clones, but every now and again I hear a band that hits the spot. While a novice can understand the DISCHARGE formula, it’s not so easy to truly master it. There are the obvious factors that lead to DISCHARGE type bands being boring; like the guitarist banana’s the entire time, the drummer doesn’t quite have D-beat mastered, or the vocalist doesn’t emulate the syncopated vocal patterns of Cal (which are key characteristics of DISCHARGE songs if you ask me.) But there are subtle things about the DISCHARGE formula that I think many overlook; like the way the bassist strums the riffs, and especially how they play fills. Do bassists call them fills on bass? I have no idea...Anyway, the bassist of ANGUISHED LIFE really masters the style, and I love the bass tone as well. You can check some songs from the LP out here.

Alongside those two new releases from Blown Out Media, we also grabbed this 2020 LP from New Jersey’s BURNING//WORLD. While this is predictably another DISCHARGE type band, they lean hard into DISCLOSE territory. The guitar tone is awesome, absolutely punishing. I really like the guitar leads as well. I think an unfortunate symptom of noisey bands is having a painfully digital guitar sound. Does that happen from using too many pedals? Or just a poor combination of pedals? I don’t know shit about pedals, but sometimes I can really get a laugh at the size of some people’s pedal boards. The idea of having enough pedals you need an entire board is also kind of funny to me. It’s like drummers who use a drum rack, or bands with three guitarists. It’s too excessive. (Ironically, there is this DISLCOSE video and the drummer totally has a drum rack, haha. Also, Kawakami has dreads in this video. If you didn’t know about that era of DISCLOSE then you need to check this video). Anyway, I had never heard of BURNING//WORLD, but the cover Peace Is No Reality instantly caught my eye and I’m glad I checked it out. You can check it out here.

Alright, let me get right into BASTARDS. I will try to keep this as brief and as organized as possible, but forgive me if my thoughts are a bit scattered. While my introduction to BASTARDS was when I picked up their EP reissue on Höhnie Records from a friend’s distro back in Indy upon their recommendation, I admittedly didn’t listen to them until years later. Even upon obsessing over the Killed By Finnish Hardcore boot, something about BASTARDS didn’t resonate with me. Maybe I was just being bombarded by too many bands on that compilation. Their first release I intentionally checked out was Siberian Hardcore (1984). This was their final release before reuniting in 2021 and releasing an EP in 2022. I didn’t really do much checking out when it came to Siberian Hardcore though, cos I thought the first track was sloppy as fuck and I moved onto something else. Haha. I’ve made this mistake often in the past, where I’m thinking the first song or two on a release kinda sucks and then I brush off the entire thing. These days I do my best to listen to the majority of a release (old or new) before I decide to quit. I can listen to music while I’m doing almost anything, so it seems silly to not take to the time to really check shit out. Anyway, I can’t remember who was going on about BASTARDS, but this time it was their first EP, Maailma Palaa Ja Kuolee (1982), the same EP I had picked up back in Indy. The tracks instantly grabbed my attention. As you can see from my photo, I lost it from there and I have their complete discography now. Having all those records already, I wasn’t even considering taking a box set home. Yeah, there is unreleased stuff of rehearsal recordings, but do I really need that? But of course, I am a Finnish hardcore fanatic...so the urge to bust open a copy grew quickly. I suspected Daniel would want to take one home, so I did what I do sometimes where I ask him if I can take his copy home before I decide if I want one for myself, haha. Daniel rules.

When I opened up the box set, I saw more shit I didn’t like. I say more shit cos I think the box set artwork is hilariously bad. The record covers themselves are actually just inner sleeves with the artwork printed on the front. Some of them were printed in color, but for some odd reason Siberian Hardcore is not. I hoped it would come with a booklet, in Svart tradition, and it certainly does! Alongside compiling the entire BASTARDS studio output, they also include a few discs of totally unreleased recordings. Naturally, this was the first stuff I checked out. It seemed cool, the sound isn’t the greatest as I suspected. I was at work when listening, so I didn’t have time to really check the booklet out at all, but that came later when I was home. After spending a few minutes reading, I slowly but surely went from thinking this release was whack, to having my mind blown left and right. It’s hard not to become disorganized when I talk about the release more, I think mainly because I find the booklet very exciting. There are also some very significant things when it comes to the records themselves, and it’s all explained in the booklet.

Inside the booklet you will find detailed information about each studio recording and where the tracks appeared. They also do a proper timeline of the BASTARDS, including their gigs, releases, line-up changes, and even formative gigs they went to that lead to the creation of the band. You’ll find tons of photos, complete lyrics, gig flyers, but most importantly there is a “history of the band.” I think this text was released before and is just now being translated for the first time to English, but it’s unclear to me exactly what has been translated. Regardless, this shit blew my fucking mind. Aside from reading some funny stories, I learned some information on their releases I had absolutely no idea about. It’s honestly too much to tell you about here, so I will just say two things that are the most significant to me.

I have the reissue of Harhaa on Assel records. It was originally released on cassette in 1983. Yeah, my record sounds like shit pretty much. It’s an old tape. Who knows what the source even was? It still sounded cool regardless, but at times the vocals do sound a bit “unnatural.” Haha… well inside the booklet they explain exactly why this is. At the studio session for this release, Masa, the drummer, had to use electronic drums. They explain he couldn’t play the drums quite fast enough on the electro-kit, so they sped up the tape after. Hilarious, haha. On the Harhaa tracks included in this box set, they actually restored them to their original speed. Man, they sound killer, way better quality than my previous reissue as well.

The second thing is in regard to the intro track to Siberian Hardcore. I took the time to explain myself brushing off the band cos of this track earlier, cos it was really funny to me when a Finnish friend told me the story of what happened during this recording session. I wasn’t sure if this was popular information or what, but it is now printed in this booklet. During the session, somehow the drum track was erased. Instead of allowing the band to re-record the track, the studio engineer re-recorded it instead. This is hilarious, and a great explanation as to why this intro song is significantly more sloppy than a typical BASTARDS song. I would be so pissed if someone tried to act like re-recording a drum track for me would be cool... I mean unless they crushed it, haha. Anyway, on the Siberian Hardcore LP included in this box set, they re-recorded the drum track to the intro song! What the fuck!!! It sounds so sick!! How the fuck did they do that?! Fuck.

Alright, I should wrap this up. Yes, I think by now all this stuff has been reissued (aside from the rehearsal stuff). I went into this thinking the box set would be pretty whack and had absolutely no intention of making it my staff pick, but my opinion was 100% changed after exploring it. I think the sound quality is great, and of course I love the booklet. The layout of the booklet is easy to follow, and the band’s discography is separated nicely across the six discs. It sucks that others can’t just check shit out like I can, so I wanted to give you my experience with it cos $99 is a lot of money. From another perspective, six LPs and a sick booklet is not bad at all for $99. If the LP packaging itself was more deluxe, then the price would have been certainly more. While the box set wasn’t exactly eye-catching, the amazing content definitely curbed my initial disappointment with the packaging. Don’t be fooled by the cover like I was, haha. Alright, thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone for your support.

Hello and thanks for reading. I’ve been away from work for like three weeks. After the Sorry State ten-year anniversary gigs, I drove GOLPE and ELECTRIC CHAIR on their tour together. In the week since I’ve been back, SCARECROW has already played two gigs. Of course, I am returning with a ton of work waiting for me, and being exhausted while I’m trying to get back at it is not so ideal. Anyway, as usual, we have a ton of killer new titles in stock. I’ve probably missed out on some stuff while I was away, but I was able to grab a handful of cool shit in the last few days. One of the records I was excited to return home to is this TOŽIBABE discography, and I wanted to write briefly about it. To me, TOŽIBABE is a band that doesn’t really need an introduction. I don’t know many bands that existed from Yugoslavia, but TOŽIBABE is at the top of that list alongside U.B.R. If you don’t happen to be familiar with hardcore/punk from this region and time, I would suggest checking out this killer compilation that came out in 1985 that features bands from Ljubljana. This was the first appearance of TOŽIBABE on vinyl. Most of the other bands on this compilation never had another proper vinyl release. Following this LP, TOŽIBABE released their debut 7”, Dežuje. That compilation and this EP have both had official reissues, and they also have both been bootlegged, which is why I don’t think the band needs much of an introduction. Aside from existing in Yugoslavia, the band consisted of all women. Existing as a punk in Yugoslavia was probably already hard enough. I can’t imagine what it was like existing as a punk woman. Women still don’t get enough space in the scene in 2023, so I think it is very significant they were all women playing punk in the 80s. Oddly enough, we actually have two different TOŽIBABE compilations in stock right now. I chose to buy this one cos the tracklist is more extensive. This LP compiles all the tracks I already knew, plus a bunch of shit I didn’t even know existed! As a result, I also learned about this sick VHS that came out in 1985. If you haven’t seen this, check it out immediately—super sick. Anyway, it seems the label took great care in sourcing the material and the packaging is nice. They are based in Atlanta, and they don’t really seem to focus on punk, but they are more about anything D.I.Y. or underground. Alright, my brain is pretty fried, and I am super tired, so I am going to have to call it here. Thanks to everyone for reading, and thanks for your support. ‘Til next week.

Hello and thanks for reading. This is my third attempt at my staff pick this week. I have a lot on my mind with the fest and GOLPE/ELECTRIC CHAIR tour coming up and of course I am dealing with last-minute obstacles. Originally, I wrote about the founding of our old house/venue spot The Bunker (R.I.P.), and how Jeff and I originally began our label together, Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes. I felt like my writing was a bit disorganized, and just a bit much. So I scrapped that altogether, and here we go instead. As usual, there are a ton of great new releases in stock this week at Sorry State. One of them is this HERESY reissue that I can’t get enough of. To be honest, I was not familiar with this release prior to this reissue. I heard HERESY as a teenager, but I have always just passed them over. Fuck, I have been missing out! I’m not sure why I passed them over in my younger days cos I was fan of the blast beats and they certainly blast at times. I wonder what wasn’t clicking for me? I’ve been listening to the CONCRETE SOX / HERESY split a lot as a result as well. Fuck, it is killer. Why did I shy away from CONCRETE SOX in the past? Maybe it was the metallic factor? Maybe I found the vocal style too off putting? As I get older, I try not to box shit in. I can imagine myself thinking the vocals were not brutal enough to match the music or some stupid juvenile shit. I’m really digging their 1986 LP as well. My homie Chris Hardy was always talking about that LP, but I still passed it over. Damn, I sure did fuck up, til now haha.

A few more things I have been enjoying this week are this killer KRIGSHODER compilation and this DELCO MF’s compilation!!! These are both bands I have written about in the past, and I am very happy to get their stuff on 12” format. When I was just a bit younger, I didn’t really pick up 7” compilations if had all the EPs already. However, as time goes on, the idea of flipping records less but hearing just as much music is much more appealing! Haha. The KRIGSHODER compilation was desperately needed in my opinion, as this band is unbelievably good while the actual tape version sounds pretty shitty. I’m sure I will write more about both these releases in a later staff pick, so I will move on to what I really wanted to talk about this week.

I can’t remember how long it was ago when Mattis from DISSEKERAD wrote me and proposed the idea of doing a 4-way split record. He said he wanted to do something old school, haha. It was late 2020 or early 2021 I’m guessing, and he said RAT CAGE and DESTRUCT had already agreed. Initially I didn’t like the idea of a split in general, but naturally I was excited cos members of AVSKUM and TOTALITÄR are in DISSEKERAD, haha. Of course, I think RAT CAGE is excellent, and I am a super fan of DESTRUCT, so there were other factors influencing my excitement. Everyone in SCARECROW pretty much immediately agreed to do the split. So we stopped writing for an LP, selected 3 of our favorites from what we had already written and wrote a brand new one intended for the split. We rehearsed the hell out of em while we could and throughout 2021 all 4 bands recorded. DISSEKERAD recorded the earliest, in May 2021. I guess I take the time to point this out, cos this split has really been in the works for ages. We even got a test press that we rejected due to a low hum in one channel. Amazingly though, they cut a new test in less than two weeks, and it sounded amazing. Still, though, the record was at the plant for over a year. This is where I will begin to lose track of my writing, cos there is so much that went into this. From the tracks themselves, to the amazing full-color artwork by Joe BB that was also adapted into the killer poster design by Alex D; I feel honored that Jeff and I released this record. It is the first 12" release on our label. Initially I told a story about how we formed a label and the releases that lead up to this LP. It’s quite emotional for me. I’m sure anyone reading this who came to The Bunker remembers it as a very special, unique place. We were so lucky. It did take a lot of work though, and that work evolved into Jeff and I creating a label together. I am happy now the name forever lives on with our label, Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes. I should probably just end it here, cos I can’t keep any concision regarding the compilation, as so much went into it. Before I go, I do want to say BPDT couldn’t be what it is today without Daniel/Sorry State. Before I worked here, I hand wrote all of our mail-order addresses and dropped them off. With the volume in which we do mail-order now, there is no way in hell we could do that without the technology and shipping supplies Sorry State has, that Daniel is so generous to let us use. Not to mention the space to store our releases and put them together; some people have to rent a spot for that kind of stuff, but we are lucky to squeeze our stuff into the midst of Sorry State’s warehouse. There is no way in hell I could fit an additional 1,000 LPs in my apartment comfortably. On top of all that stuff, we distribute tons of our releases through Sorry State. There is no way as many people would know about our label if not for Sorry State. That goes for so many other bands/labels as well. Daniel fucking rules, thank you so much dude. Anyway, if you want to check out the tracks, you can hear them here. You can grab a copy from Sorry State here if you want one, but also there is a limited to 50 t-shirt being printed by Joe BB that is only available here. There are not many left, so if you do want one be sure to act fast. Alright that’s all then. Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone for the support. See you at the fest!!!

Hello and thanks for reading. Today I am writing about two things I have been spending my free time absorbing this week. For the first time in over three years, all my LPs are out of boxes and (more or less) alphabetized on a shelf. It feels pretty good, especially being able to locate where an LP is when I wanna jam at any given time! Well, except for a few that I can’t seem to find... We will see how long that shit stays organized anyways, though. My 7”s are not kept alphabetical at all. I do have to keep contemporary records separate from 80s bands. And of course, I have the “90s banger box” that contains all my favorite 7"s that were released in the 90s. About two years ago I actually separated my 80s 7"s based on country after I saw that’s how a friend kept his stuff, haha. Some nerd shit right there, but it does make it way easier for me to find records I want to play. Anyway, getting to the stuff in my photo up there; I want to mention the book before getting into the record. I didn’t know about this book until very recently, when a dear pen-pal of mine suggested it to me. I was gushing with excitement over this upcoming Råpunk book and he mentioned The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk in reply. Even though each book covers a slightly different span of years, I am sure lots of stuff will be mentioned in there that has already been covered in this Swedish Punk book. However, it seems the writers have a much different approach to what they are documenting. While they both have an archival approach to them, the Swedish Punk book is certainly directed more at record nerds. The Råpunk book seems to be loaded up with tons of photos and a lot less text, almost more like they are documenting the time and scene rather than focusing on records alone. I don’t have a Råpunk book yet, so I won’t say much more about that book in comparison. I really love how The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk really is an encyclopedia. There are tons of band photos, and pretty much each band has a biography. Of course, the writer tells you about the members of each band, and mentions other bands they were in. I really appreciate that. There is a map of Sweden depicting which city each band came from. It doesn’t get much better than that if you ask me, haha. I haven’t had a ton of time to examine the book, so I wonder what errors I might discover. As there is always going to be at least one error when compiling something this big. In the beginning of the book, the author, Peter Jandreus, mentioned he first started on this project in the mid 90s. I can’t imagine trying to compile a decade long history of punk from a prolific country like Sweden thoroughly and accurately, AND without the internet. He said the book took over a decade to make. I think it finally came out in 2008. I like the way he formatted the content. It’s really easy to follow and jump around. There are full color scans of each record cover and a bit of information on the release. There is also a “valuation” scale for each release, which is a cool addition I think. Each record has a number of stars next to it, from 1-10. Of course, 10 stars is rare as fuck, and 1 is common. Naturally, this addition made me very curious. I’ve peaked around and it’s very interesting to see some records rated like 7 stars go for $100 or less. I know the “value” of any record is subject to change over the course of years, but I still found some a bit shocking. The only thing I wish it had was information on pressing quantity. That would be top content for a record nerd like me. The book also leaves out cassettes. Maybe that just would have added too much stuff to track down and document? Understandably so. But as a result, I noticed that BLACK UNIFORMS is only mentioned in passing and I haven’t seen any mention of NO SECURITY yet. TOTALITÄR is specifically mentioned but only to say they were a 90s phenomena, and their 1987 7" debut is omitted from the Encyclopedia. I’m sure the Råpunk book will fill in these gaps for me, as it is focusing more on the second wave of punk in Sweden, raw punk. In the end, I find the Swedish Punk book to be extremely useful already and I expect to discover many bands I have never heard of, especially bands from the late ‘70s! It reminds me of the Flex books, but overall maybe a bit nicer in presentation and format. Another thing I am really enjoying is that often times there are stories about the bands, ones that you’d probably never hear about unless you were from that time and place. There are some pretty good ones, as Sweden was a country of much alcohol consumption, haha. If you’re a Swedish punk/HC fiend or just want to learn more about it, I would strongly suggest you pick up a copy. I found this link here where you can get a copy from the publisher. It looks like it would be like $50 after shipping from Sweden to USA. I just searched periodically the last few months and found my copy on Ebay for $35, so if you have patience I would go that route.

I think I’ve said before I don’t know a ton of Norwegian hardcore, but what bands I do know I absolutely love. PSYKISK TERROR has always been one of those bands where I’ve heard very little from and I’d die to hear more. When I heard Cease Fire! was working on this back in February, I really could not wait. For ages, the only material I was familiar with was their track on the X-Port Plater 7" compilation. I didn’t know about the tracks on the Molde Punx compilation until 2020, when it was reissued on LP. Their tracks here are much more in the vein of punk, instead of that pummeling yet melodic hardcore sound I associate closely with Norway. These tracks also appeared on the Raped Ass Vol. 2 cassette. I can’t really remember but it was probably around that time I discovered via Discogs that PSYKISK TERROR had an appearance on this Noize Of Norway cassette from 1985 as well. I felt like a dummy for missing these tracks before cos I was already familiar with this cassette because of SVART FRAMTID. They have songs on there that were never released anywhere else! I almost managed to get a copy in 2020, but unfortunately in the end the guy couldn’t ship to me cos of Covid-19. Maybe one day... At least now I can enjoy those PSYKISK TERROR songs in all their glory cos they are compiled onto this reissue. The first few songs that start off the reissue are from that cassette. The tracks sound a lot more like Swedish hardcore than I expected. They remind me pretty heavily of CRUDE SS, actually. In comparison to the early tracks on the Molde Punx comp, here it sounds like the band was going for more of a DISCHARGE sound, but they hadn’t fully evolved into that melodic sound yet. I think the band had a revolving line up, so that probably added to the changes in songwriting. The A side finishes off with their track from the Nå Eller Aldri 7" compilation on X-Port Plater I mentioned earlier. There is a nice booklet that is included with the LP. It’s got tons of photos of the band, flyers, their squat, and some other stuff that really captures the time and place. Inside the booklet they explain when working on the latest BANNYLST reissue, they discovered PSYKISK TERROR tracks that were never released! The B side starts off with a few of these songs. The sound here is much more in the vein of what I expected; raw and pummeling hardcore with a melodic edge. Hell yes. The B side finishes off with two songs that were previously released on an LP compilation that I have never heard! I had never heard of this comp Smelling Just Another Bad Breath, but it looks cool as hell. It was released in 1986 by German label, Double A Records, and it’s got tracks from all over the world. I’m just now learning about the compilation, so I have no idea yet if it features all exclusive tracks or what. In the end, I think this is yet another great release from Cease Fire!, especially given that it’s the first time PSYKISK TERROR has been given some attention they deserve. It seems there are a handful of excellent archival type labels going right now, and Cease Fire! is one of them. I can’t wait to see what is next! Anyway, I should probably get running... Grab one of these. PS: Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone for your support!

Hello and thanks for reading. I missed last week cos I was away from work celebrating my partner’s birthday. I don’t like to talk about personal stuff often, but I can’t use words to express how much I love my partner. I feel unbelievably lucky to have spent so many years with such a loving, patient, supportive, and beautiful person. OK anyway... there are a lot of cool new releases and great reissues in stock, but today I have chosen to write about YELLOWCAKE. This is one of those records where I have been awaiting its final release date. I even mail ordered a limited copy direct from the label. I can’t remember how this band initially got on my radar, but I was hooked after only a few seconds of the first song I heard. While we don’t really sound similar, some elements of this band actually remind me of SCARECROW. The drummer of this band is also in this band SYCOPHANT, who I also think is outstanding. I am pretty sure Sorry State will eventually release a follow up to that record. The song writing on that one is just like, insane. These bands are based in Arizona, but a little while back the drummer was on the East Coast doing URCHIN and EXTENDED HELL. Knowing that, it’s kind of a no-brainer that I would like this record, haha. I thought the name YELLOWCAKE was a bit cheesy at first, but naturally I wanted to see if had a meaning deeper than a dessert. And ah yes, the word is associated with nuclear power. It is a yellow, powdery substance that comes from processing uranium after it’s been mined. It is then used to prepare the fuel for the nuclear reactors. After learning this, the name went from cheesy to clever in my mind. I think there is a fine line between cheesy and clever at times. It’s also not easy to sound original when playing a pretty straight forward style of music that is now 43 years old, so I try my best to never judge a book by the cover when it comes to hardcore records. I don’t want to say they are a DISCHARGE clone, but YELLOWCAKE is obviously under the influence of DISCHARGE. They sound like maybe there is some Swedish stuff happening, but I can’t quite place what I hear at the moment. I think the Swedish edge is why it reminds me a bit of SCARECROW. The guitarist played with a full stack live. That was pretty sick. If you don’t have the riffs to back up a rig that size, I think it’s a bit whack, but trust me the man has got riffs. Their drummer is phenomenal, so the combination is killer. Unfortunately, I was working the door at the gig, so I did not get the full effect of their live performance, but I was still happy to witness them. Alright, that seems like about it for today, check this record out! Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone for the support.

Hello and thanks for reading. I’ve been following PARANOID since their debut in 2012. It’s pretty crazy they’ve been a band for over ten years already. It doesn’t feel like it was ten years ago when I was flipping through the 7”s bins at Sorry State when saw their debut 7" and bought it on a whim. This was a unique release for PARANOID, as there were a few guys playing on this debut that did not continue on with the band after. If I remember correctly, these songs were written very quickly (like in one day) with the intention of just being classic, distorted to hell Swedish käng. While there are some elements of this record that I associate with the sound of PARANOID, it is quite a bit different than what would follow. On this debut they had Åke from legends MOB 47 on guitar. They also had a mate named Nils (R.I.P.) who did the vocals at this time as well. Åke and Nils did not continue on with the band after this release. They had another mate come in, Henke, to take over Åke’s role on guitar. Soon after, Nils tragically passed away in an avalanche, and there was an unexpected break with the band. When they picked back up, Henke took on the vocal duties alongside guitar, as they did not want to just replace Nils. This line up is who we know today as PARANOID.

Destroy Future Less System EP was their follow-up to Hardcore Addict. Based on their debut, I was looking forward to this one quite a bit. I had no idea it would be such a crazy sounding EP. It was faster, even more noisy, and man, the riffs were fucking ear-catching. It had super cool artwork as well, done by Alexander Heir. It was before I feel like he was extremely popular like he has been for years now. The style felt very fresh and very punk. I think anyone who missed ‘em on their debut had their full attention after this one. Besides them elevating the speed and noise aspects of their sound, I noticed on this EP there were some very subtle elements of black metal.

I can’t remember if their split with ABSOLUT came next, or if was the modern day absolute hardcore masterpiece entitled Satyagraha.

Maybe I spoke to soon when I said Destroy Future Less System EP had everyone’s attention, cos this LP truly is a perfect record. What an amazing debut to full-length format. I remember the LP came with a CD too. I think this was a common CD you’d find in like every friend’s car player at the time cos no one really buys CDs, haha. Man, you’ve heard this LP though, right? If you haven’t, literally stop what you’re doing right now and play this at proper volume. On this LP, they really mastered the art of layering the different textures of sounds. I’m not so good with words and describing sounds, but the way they weave things in and out is unbelievably good and unique. You can definitely hear some black metal influences on this LP as well, especially the long, somber outro and the breakdowns. Again, I can’t remember if their split with ABSOLUT entitled Jawbreaking Mangel Devastation came before or after Satyagraha. At the time, this was a monumental pairing of raw, fast bands. PARANOID started off their side with a straight up black metal song, haha, I love it. It sounds insane when the full sound kicks in. It seems these songs were recorded right around the same time as Satyagraha. The sound and style are pretty much identical. It was yet another showcase of PARANOID’s insane ability.

Fuck man, I totally forgot about the Cover of the Month thing they did around this same time. Each month they would release a cover song on their YouTube channel. On their first one, they describe their intention for the covers, and where they got the inspiration from. It’s super cool they wrote the story behind each song upon the upload as well. You can tell they were doing it out of passion. When they did TOTALITÄR I lost my mind. They had Poffen on guest vocals, ahhh. I don’t think they ever planned to actually release these physically, but I know they made some tapes. It was super cool Svart did an LP pressing a bit later. I bet the licensing on that was a pain in the ass.

Before 2015 was over, they released my all-time favorite record Punkdemonium Hell. I love the record cover so much too, easily my favorite artwork on a PARANOID record. The first track is fucking insane. The speed and chaotic riffs are pushed to the ultimate maximum. The second song is an absolute pit opener. They use that phaser effect on the guitar on this one break. It’s cheesy and perfect. Fuck, I love it. I remember listening to the flexi when I first got it, and after this song there is the sound of a needle dragging. So of course, I frantically stood up only to discover the flexi playing perfect and another ripping song just started to kick in. I thought that was a nice touch. Modern made flexis usually play like shit, and a needle skipping would be some shit that would totally happen. If I remember right, there is a proper 7" version that came out soon after that featured a DISCLOSE track as a bonus.

I won’t keep talking about the discography of PARANOID for two reasons. One, it’s a lot longer, haha. And two, this is where my listening really falls off, more or less. I think Praise No Deity was the next proper record they did after Punkdemonium Hell. I don’t think the record is bad by any means at all, but I was startled at first to hear the change in sound on the first two songs. They were pulled back in a way I hadn’t heard them do yet and sounded more metal. That sounds a bit weird to say cos they already obviously had metal influences, but this take was a bit different than before. The last song sounded like the PARANOID I had grown to love, but I could hear something else growing in their song writing. The LPs that followed drifted more and more away from noise and chaos and more towards metal and like, structure, haha. While I don’t listen to those LPs often, they each have something for me to enjoy. Some of them took me a few listens, but since I loved them so much from the beginning, I always wanted to hear what they were feeling next even if it’s not something I would naturally gravitate towards.

When I heard about S.C.U.M. initially, it was described as being in the style of their roots, so I was very curious and excited to check this one out. I saw Jocke was credited as the songwriter for these songs. I could be mistaken, but I don’t think I’ve seen PARANOID do a lot crediting like that. But of course, I was even more interested, as I know Jocke was the predominant songwriter on the records I enjoyed the most. Even though it was available digitally for me to stream, I still waiting to blast this hot ass slab in the comfort of my own home. Before I listened, I checked out all the artwork, haha. It seemed from the artwork alone they were letting me know what the sound would be like. And yes, instantly I hear much of the old PARANOID sound; speed, noise, and of course, elements of black metal. It was a pleasure to blast this one. If you are one of the listeners who tuned out after 2015, I would tune back in. I’m sure everyone reading this is familiar with PARANOID, but the noise may not be for everyone. If you do like the noise, and you don’t know ELECTRIC FUNERAL, I would check that shit out ASAP. This band was Jocke’s solo project before PARANOID. You can hear obvious similarities with PARANOID here. And of course, both band names are referencing BLACK SABBATH... Alright that’s it for today then, thanks for reading everyone. Check out the new PARANOID LP and grab a limited copy from us before it’s too late! Cheers!

Hello and thanks for reading. Today I am writing about HEIMAT-LOS. While it seems most of my friends have known this band for ages, they are a recent discovery for me. Technically I had heard them when we had the reissue of Rapsodie En France Vol. 1. I listened to that compilation non-stop when it was reissued, but I did not remember HEIMAT-LOS at all when their name came back into my life. FINAL BLAST was the only band I knew at the time from the compilation. I could be forgetting someone, but FINAL BLAST was probably the first French band I really heard. It was yet another discovery thanks to the Hardy Boys, on yet another drunken night where Michael DJ’d records loud as fuck til like 3AM. He put on their split with RAPT at some point, and their side immediately stood out to me. I still think that side of their split is absolutely perfect. Again, I had never heard French punk before, so it was cool to hear the heavy UK82 sound in there. Going back to HEIMAT-LOS, one thing that really got me hooked on their sound is how they can be so anthemic yet so fuckin’ hard at the same time. I wonder if they were influenced more by UK82 or Oi! bands… at times that is splitting hairs though, haha. I still don’t know much French punk/hardcore, but all the bands I’ve heard seem pretty rooted in that anthemic sound, or they are noisy as fuck and fast. I was trying to remember how or why I started checking out HEIMAT-LOS, cos usually someone or something has guided me into a new band or album and I have been playing their stuff non-stop for like a year now. Then I remembered, it was something that happened SCARECROW played in Paris last year on tour, haha. At the time, the name HEMIAT-LOS didn’t mean shit to me, so this encounter was way more exciting to Daniel and Jeff. We showed up early to the gig (for once), and we were looking for a place to turn around and park. Due to some tricky maneuvering in the busy and aggressive as hell French streets, we ended up backing into someone’s car. The owner of the car was sitting in the car when we hit them, and she immediately got pretty frantic. This person, like 90% of the people we encountered in France, did not speak any English. As you can imagine, this made the situation even more stressful. Eventually a guy associated with the venue or gig came over and translated between our driver and the woman. Things calmed down a bit, and they came over to the bar to share some wine and do (what I assumed was) insurance paperwork about the incident. Before they headed over to the bar, there was some type of conversation with the woman, Jeff, and Daniel. I think she realized we were a hardcore band or something, and mentioned that her husband used to play in a hardcore band from Paris... and that band was HEIMAT-LOS. What a small world, haha. Since we’ve returned from tour, HEIMAT-LOS has been a constant go to for me and I have slowly been securing copies of their releases. It’s hilarious they have two splits with KROMOZOM 4. Fortunately, their records are not ridiculously expensive, so they have been fairly easy to cross off my want list (with the help of some good mates overseas). Alright that’s about it for today. I’m sorry for not writing about anything new, but maybe my little story was worthwhile. If you didn’t grab that Rapsodie En France compilation when we had them, you can still find copies in USA here. It’s an excellent compilation, and it comes with a sick booklet. And of course, if you don’t know HEIMAT-LOS, I would check them out. Thanks for reading!

Hello and thanks for reading. I wrote about K.O.S. briefly in January, and I am writing about them briefly again today. I had initially written about their debut cassette that had already sold out from us. Recently, they put that debut on 7" format alongside a follow-up EP entitled The True Disaster. Again, as I write the debut 7" is sold out but The True Disaster is still available (for now). Since these were heavily talked about in the newsletter already, I'm sure I am not telling anyone anything new. I still wanted to write because I saw this band recently and I think they might be my new favorite band. Like DESTRUCT, this band puts on an insane live show. Their set was so intense and locked-in it was almost too much handle. I wasn't sure if they were actually this good, or if I was just blinded by the beautiful, glowing aura of Chris Ulsh. When Daniel and I saw each other some days later, he confirmed there was something very insane and special about K.O.S. live. It seems they have spent a lot of time dialing in the perfect tone for each instrument. It's not just the tone of each instrument though, but how they all bring each other together - resulting in an insane pummeling wall of noise. I don't mean incoherent noise, but that raw hardcore perfection that had been marinating in a formula of DISCHARGE, CRUDE SS, and of course, FRAMTID. What fucked me up was they basically plugged in and played. (ENZYME spent like 45 minutes to get set up, haha. Their sound was excellent though I will say.) When I was watching K.O.S. I wondered to myself, "Is this was it is like to see FRAMTID?" They were just so locked tight, pummeling fast, like a bomb ready to explode. I can't wait to catch them again, and I really look forward to hearing what they release next. Alright, this one was brief like I said. If you haven't checked out K.O.S. for some reason, I would stop sleeping and grab the 7" while you can! Thanks to everyone for the support, and thanks for reading. Cheers!