Featured Releases: January 29, 2024

Stiletto: Only Death 7” (4490 Records) After a couple of tapes, Only Death is the debut vinyl from this hardcore band from Singapore. The label mentions Koro and Gauze as comparisons / influences, and I can hear that in how fast and intricately composed Stiletto’s songs are, with lots of quick accents breaking up the otherwise hard-charging rhythms. You have to listen closely to appreciate the subtlety of Stiletto’s playing, though, because the production is nasty, bathed in fuzz and reverb (particularly the vocals). The production reminds me of Fairytale because it feels like you’re in the middle of a hurricane, with riffs and rhythms flying around you like debris, disappearing into the morass as quickly as you notice them. An occasional breakdown pulls the sound together and pounds the listener like a tidal wave. I think Stiletto’s songs and playing are powerful enough that they would still sound great with a more straightforward, drier recording, but noise maniacs will appreciate the more chaotic approach they take on Only Death.

Svaveldioxid: Världselände 12” (Blown Out Media) Världselände is the latest full-length (the fourth, I believe, besides many EPs) from this prolific Swedish d-beat band. While we’ve carried Svaveldioxid’s records for years at Sorry State, I’m no expert on their music, but I have friends who are big fans and I heard this new album was particularly good, so I thought I’d check it out. Svaveldioxid sounds to me like prototypical Swedish käng, with that Disfear / Wolfpack-esque way of riding heavy grooves for a long time, rarely breaking songs up with tempo changes or rhythmic accents, but keeping the fists banging. The vocalist is compelling, with a perfectly shredded snarl that sounds even more intense next to the instrumentalists’ more deliberate delivery. When I dropped the needle on Världselände, I was taken aback by the heaviness of its production, which has considerably more bottom end than your typical d-beat recording. Turns out Världselände was recorded by Tomas Skogsberg at Sunlight Studios, the man responsible for the sound of so much classic 90s Swedish death metal. The record sounds massive, and besides the sound, Svaveldioxid has some brief flirtations with metal in their songs, with the intro for “Massförintelse” using some spooky black metal chords and “Dödens Väntrum” ending the album with a long, wandering guitar solo. While Världselände lands on the more composed and refined end of the d-beat spectrum, Svaveldioxid’s sophistication sharpens rather than dulls their attack.

Model Workers: Cry 7” (Sealed Records) Sealed Records brings us an expanded reissue of this little-known 1981 single by Model Workers, a young punk-inspired band based in Gateshead in northeast England. When I re-read the label’s description of Cry just before sitting down to write this piece, I found they hit the nail on the head with their comparisons, naming the exact three bands I was planning on comparing Model Workers to: (early) Television Personalities, the Times, and the Jam. Any listener who carries an abiding love for the TVPs’ first few singles and album will flip immediately for Model Workers’ rough but clear production, heart-on-sleeve lead vocals, and strong, somewhat busy bass lines. The latter two qualities were also a big part of the Jam’s sound, and Model Workers sound a lot like a garage-band version of the Jam, and even if they don’t match the Jam’s (admittedly peerless) songwriting and musicianship, they clearly set the bar for themselves much higher than many similar bands did. Sealed Records’ reissue includes both songs from the original (highly collectible) Modern Workers single, adds two cuts from an early cassette demo with similar (perhaps slightly rougher) production, and expands the sleeve into a booklet with clippings from vintage local press coverage of the group. The two additional tracks are excellent, with “You’re So Special” following the Jam’s lead in experimenting with some Motown influences. Like the best UKDIY music, Cry both crackles with punk’s raw energy and delivers the timeless sensual thrills of pure pop.

Spllit: Infinite Hatch 12” (Feel It Records) Infinite Hatch is the second album from this New Orleans group on Feel It Records. Since the first album, Spllit has grown from a two-person recording project, adding a bass player and drummer. They’ve also progressed stylistically, augmenting the quirky post-punk influences they showcased on Spllit Sides with moments that are more ambitious, and often even stranger. The band that comes to mind most frequently when I listen to Infinite Hatch is Suburban Lawns, mostly because of the way strong melodies push through the skewed, David Lynch-like musical landscapes. Spllit also possesses Devo’s ability to craft rhythms that sound really stiff and unnatural, yet stick in your head like a simple pop tune. Spllit’s music is anything but simple, though. Some riffs and melodic lines are so long they sound like classical music, and when the band locks into those complex lines and plays them in unison, it can sound like prog rock, or even late-career Frank Zappa. Those influences are just a spice, though… the base is still underground pop, punk, and rock. Come to think of it, the balance of ingredients reminds me of Pavement’s Wowee Zowee, another record that pulls from vintage prog and late 70s / early 80s underground pop. Any way you slice it, Infinite Hatch is a wild ride, and I think adventurous-eared punks are gonna love it.

Phantasm: Conflict Reality 7” (Hardcore Victim Records) Hardcore Victim Records brings us the debut vinyl from Melbourne, Australia’s Phantasm. While there’s something unassuming about Conflict Reality, a close listen reveals a strong record that pulls from different corners of hardcore’s history, weaving those influences into a cohesive and powerful sound. The first track, “Conflict Reality,” reminds me of early Death Side with its grandiose-sounding riffing and charging, heavy d-beat, but it’s a bit of an outlier, with the next two tracks relying more on pogo beats and jagged, Negative Approach-like riffs and changes. Through these shifts in style, Phantasm’s vocalist belts out every line with maximum force, and there’s something about the way the vocal rhythms complement the guitar riffs that makes me think of Sacrilege. It’s all pretty straightforward and hardcore until the last track, “Life of This,” which ends the record with the bass and guitars pulling away from one another, creating an interesting groove Phantasm wisely settles into for a little longer. The tones of the recording are raw, but the mix (courtesy of Hardcore Victim head honcho / Enzyme guitarist Yeap) makes the most of it, knowing just when to pull back for a little extra clarity and when to slam the needle into the red. A gratifying slice of powerful, unpretentious hardcore punk.

Skrewball / Life Abuse: Split 7” (Crew Cuts Records) There was some water cooler talk around the Sorry State warehouse the other day about how split records are coming back into fashion. I’m not sure which side of that debate I’m on… while the internet has eroded the split record’s use as a promotional tool, a well-matched split record can still make for a cohesive release. Life Abuse and Skrewball seem like a logical pairing; while they come from different parts of the world, they have a lot in common musically, particularly the way each band combines elements of d-beat and New York hardcore. Richmond, Virginia’s Life Abuse features former members of Limp Wrist, Das Oath, Devoid of Faith, and many others, and their burly d-beat with touches of melodic lead guitar reminds me of Tragedy, but both their tracks here culminate in moshy breakdowns with crossover-influenced guitar leads that remind me of Leeway. As for the UK’s Skrewball, both of their songs also have breakdowns (the second, “Police Reality” also has an intro mosh part), but their NYHC influences feel more baked-in, with a youth crew edge to both the riffing and the vocals… think Bold with d-beats? As with any band whose sound transcends the imaginary lines between scenes, both Life Abuse and Skrewball are likely to ruffle the feathers of die-hards on either side of the aisle, but for every one of those conservative listeners, there’s an open-eared fan who’ll love the unexpected combination of influences.