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Steröid: Chainmail Commandos 12” (Crypt of the Wizard) I wrote about Steröid’s Chainmail Commandos, easily the most charming and infectious punk record of 2025, as my staff pick a few months ago, back when vinyl copies were impossible to come by. Now that the repress is in and the record is in stock at Sorry State, it’s time to revisit this gem and remind y’all how great it is. Here are the facts: Steröid comes from the fertile Sydney, Australia punk scene and features members of well-known bands like Gee Tee, R.M.F.C., and the dungeon synth project Quest Master. Their songs are built on the hooky, energetic riffing and anthemic choruses of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, but production-wise they’re put through the “egg punk” filter with pitch-shifted vocals, Devo-inspired mechanical rhythms, and lo-fi, 4-track-style production. It’s an odd combination of influences, but if that puts you off or confuses you, don’t worry about it… just listen to the songs. I’m sure some percentage of you will still listen to five seconds and think, “I’m too cool for this shit,” but those people are missing out. Chainmail Commandos is as close to a shot of pure adrenaline as I can get from a record, never failing to make me smile, shimmy around in my seat, and sing along as soon as it comes on. I can’t think of another record as charming and good-vibe-producing since the Coneheads album lo those many years ago. Chainmail Commandos also maintained its ability to inspire those feelings through months of relentless listening. There isn’t a dud on the album, and I think it gets better with every listen. Just the other day I was playing it for probably the 50th time and just noticing how great the bass playing is… details like that will continue to reveal themselves for a long time. If you listen and find yourself susceptible to Steröid’s charms, though, I’d advise you to pick up a copy posthaste, as this small pressing from UK black metal label Crypt of the Wizard doesn’t seem long for this world.