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Ayucaba: Operación Masacre 12" (Metadona Records) Spain’s Metadona Records brings us the debut vinyl from this band based in Barcelona, but featuring expatriates from several locales. First of all, I should say that if you are interested in this record, you should definitely consult the (very) deep dive Jeff did in his staff pick last week; he goes into a lot of detail about every aspect of Operación Masacre, and it’s a great read. Here’s my short version, though. Ayucaba plays a style of metal-informed hardcore that reminds me of records like the Exploited’s Death Before Dishonour, Broken Bones’ Bonecrusher, and English Dogs’ Forward into Battle. Like those records, Operación Masacre takes the skeleton of driving, UK82-style punk and infuses it with metal’s more complex riffing and arrangements, adding a gratifying layer of complexity without losing the energy or directness. Their biggest strength, in my book, is their vocalist, who has one of the most distinctive and interesting voices in punk. It’s this kind of hoarse demon rasp, sandpaper abrasive and mean as hell, but still carrying a tune and articulating the lyrics clearly. You might remember her from her previous band Inyeccion, and while I’m a huge fan of Inyeccion’s LP, Cromi has only grown more adept with her instrument since then. Ayucaba’s songs are complex and thoughtfully arranged, filling the album with a wealth of rhythms and melodies that keep the music exciting from moment to moment without feeling scattered. It’s so easy for more ambitious takes on hardcore punk to feel overwrought and lose that sense of directness, but Ayucaba just nails it. They’ve also incorporated a touch of the spooky and cultish vibes from the best underground worldwide 80s hardcore. While the composition, performance, and production are all thoughtful and composed (and hence don’t have the unhinged energy of, say, G.I.S.M. or early Wretched), Ayucaba makes space in their music for the mysterious ambiance that makes so many of those records great. The thoughtfulness also extends to the record’s packaging, with its beautiful screen-printed jacket, poster / lyric insert, and obi strip. Musically ambitious, thoughtfully presented, super vibey, and punk as fuck, Operación Masacre is undoubtedly one of 2025’s best hardcore punk records.