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Featured Releases: January 15, 2024

The Stupids: Slow on the Uptake 12” (Violent Pest Records) Slow on the Uptake is the new album from long-running UK hardcore band the Stupids. Originally formed in 1984, the Stupids were unique among their 80s UK punk/hardcore peers in that their sound was highly influenced by US hardcore. You can really hear that on their blistering first EP, 1985’s Violent Nun (see my staff pick on that record from a while back), but the Stupids stuck around until the end of the 80s, bringing in influences from west coast US skate punk on their later records. They reappeared in 2009 with a comeback LP that widened the sound even further, moving toward the big-guitar UK melodic hardcore/punk I associate with the label Boss Tuneage Records (who had reissued the Stupids’ back catalog in the intervening years). I liked that comeback LP, but I think Slow on the Uptake is even stronger, taking the early US hardcore influences they leaned on early on and seasoning them with the sounds the Stupids have mastered in the decades since. The result is a potent, song-oriented take on hardcore with all the ferocity of the early Dischord catalog, but with a newfound delicacy in the playing and songwriting, making furious but melody-tinged tracks like “Walnut Pacific” and “Come Into My Ear” sound like true masterpieces that synthesize years of work honing their craft. There’s also a surprising lyrical maturity here, which is most striking on the track “Neil’s Funeral,” whose lyrics are a thank-you letter written to attendees of the speaker’s deceased spouse’s funeral. With 8 songs in a brief 12 minutes, it feels like an update on the classic 80s US hardcore EP, losing none of that form’s excitement but finding room in it for all the wisdom (LOL) the Stupids have accumulated in the decades since that inspiring time.


Money: Punk Demo 7” (Discos Enfermos) Spain’s Discos Enfermos brings us the debut vinyl from this Bristol, UK punk group who has been banging out digital releases for a couple of years. When I checked out Möney, my first reaction was that they sound a lot like London’s Powerplant, particularly their soupy, underwater-sounding production style. As with Powerplant, it was difficult for my ear to make sense of Punk Demo at first, but repeated listens allowed me to parse the chaotic (but legible) knot of sound. The lyrics are split between English and Spanish, and for whatever reason the two Spanish-language tracks, “El Este” and “La Culpa” are the standouts for me, perhaps because they embody the polarities of Money’s sound. “El Este” is Möney at their fastest and most furious, while “La Culpa” finds them at their slowest boil, recalling (as the label notes) 80s Spanish post-punk like Paralisis Permanente. Unique, compelling stuff that gives more back the more attention you give it.


Money: S/T 12” (Beach Impediment Records) Not to be confused with the similarly-named band from Bristol, UK we also wrote about in this issue of the newsletter, this Money hails from Austin, Texas and plays furious metallic hardcore. Like Bristol’s Möney, Texas’s Money reminds me of another band from their part of the world: the Impalers. I found a note saying the two bands (Money and Impalers) share members, and that’s not hard to believe… it’s also a huge compliment, as for me Impalers are one of the very best hardcore bands of the past several decades. While the rhythm section’s relentlessness and the blistering lead guitars bring Impalers to mind, Money doesn’t sound exactly like them, peppering the furious metallic d-beat with parts that sound to me like straight up thrash metal (raw, punky thrash, but thrash nonetheless). It’s raw as fuck (three of these tracks originally came out via the current Kings of Noise, Roachleg Records), but bottom-heavy and powerful. The lyrics and artwork are also really interesting, set in a seedy underworld of violence and (especially) drugs, but in a cinéma vérité kind of way rather than a cartoony way. It’s well-developed, powerful, and compelling in a way that we’ve come to expect from every release on Beach Impediment Records.


Headcheese: Expired 12” (Neon Taste Records) We’ve loved every previous release from Headcheese, but I think Expired is these Canadians’ best one yet, amplifying everything I liked about their other records while honing and refining the most unique aspects of their voice. While it’s perfectly clear where Headcheese’s inspirations lie, they really sound like themselves on Expired, and it’s hard to imagine any other band delivering a track like “Special Forces,” for me the record’s standout track with its staccato rhythm and unforgettable vocal. The other tracks aren’t far behind, though, combining great songs with a loose, swaggering delivery that’s punk as fuck. While the rhythm section clearly appreciates the wild, lunging delivery of United Blood-era Agnostic front and early YDI, the guitarist’s riffs have a classic punk catchiness to them and the vocals drip with charisma, relying on an unlikely combination of off-the-beat wildness and a Dayglo Abortions-style way with a snotty, sinister melody. For me, Expired is one of the standout releases on one of current punk’s standout labels.


X-20 / Night Toy: Before the Green Flash cassette (self-released) This split cassette comes to us via the D4MT Labs camp, but it’s the furthest thing from hardcore punk I’ve heard from this crew, taking the 70s German influences we heard on Straw Man Army’s interlude tracks and their HMS cassette and going even further down the rabbit hole. Both X-20 and Night Toy remind me of the most out-there 70s German Kosmiche ("Cosmic”) music, including the early albums from Cluster, Klaus Schulze, and Tangerine Dream. It sounds like Night Toy relies solely on synthesizers, and rather than rhythmically-oriented, song-based music, their shifting soundscape approach and ability to wrench surprising textures from their instruments reminds me as much of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop as anything else. X-20 is a little more organic and earthy-sounding, with acoustic drums, field recordings, and horns evoking an alien landscape rather than the vastness of empty space that Night Toy brings to mind. With each group filling up a 20-minute side of the cassette, there’s a lot of music here, but it’s not really a zone-out type of thing because its always changing and moving in a way that holds your attention. Sonically, this tape is pretty far from Sorry State’s usual world, but it comes from our community and carries its spirit, and I doubt I’m the only punk who will really enjoy it.


Blue Dolphin: Robert’s Laffite 12” (Cleta-Patra Records) Robert’s Laffite compiles the recorded work of this mid-2010’s Texas punk group who released a handful of very limited cassettes while they were together. Sorry State carried a couple of those tapes, but they came and went before I could give them a close listen, so Robert’s Laffite feels new to me, as I’m sure it will to most of you. When I first sat down with Robert’s Laffite, I immediately felt like it evoked the pioneering early years of SST Records, not so much the Black Flag end of things as the Meat Puppets, Saccharine Trust, early Minutemen world. Some of that similarity is in the sound, as Blue Dolphin’s acid-fried country/rockabilly-type songs sound a bit like the Meat Puppets, and the singer’s sinister speak-sing style and cracked-up lyrical approach is a lot like Jack Brewer’s. More than just sonically, though, Blue Dolphin sounds like spiritual children of those SST bands, all three of whom seemed to be pushing fearlessly toward whatever artistic horizon lay ahead of them. However, while the SST groups generally worked at professional (if budget-priced) studios, Blue Dolphin’s production style is very lo-fi, evoking bedroom productions from the 80s UK DIY scene to the 90s US cassette underground and beyond. Like my favorite records from those eras, Blue Dolphin strikes a strong balance between traditional songcraft and more experimental approaches. In other words, if you have a record collection that includes groups like the Homosexuals, Desperate Bicycles, or even Sentridoh and Guided by Voices, you’re gonna be on board. Maybe I’m the rare case who has a deep appreciation for all that stuff, but I just love Robert’s Laffite, and if you share those frames of reference, I’m pretty sure you will too.


Featured Releases: November 14, 2023

Stress Positions: Walang Hiya 12” (Iron Lung Records) We carried an earlier cassette version of the debut EP from this Chicago hardcore band, and Iron Lung has stepped up to immortalize these tracks on wax. According to the description, Stress Positions features everyone from C.H.E.W. aside from the singer… C.H.E.W. was a great band, and Stress Positions is off to a great start with Walang Hiya. As with C.H.E.W., the beefy drums are a highlight, with lots of snare and tom rolls that feel like quick gut punches, and interesting riffing that studiously avoids anything that feels familiar or unexciting. I love Stress Positions’ approach to mid-paced parts. Rather than having breakdowns that play some variation of one of the song’s main riffs in half-time, their mid-paced parts (which most songs have) are well-developed and rhythmically distinct from the other parts of the songs. It’s like Stress Positions is both a great hardcore band and a great noise rock band, only their noise rock side comes out on the breakdowns. That is until the final track, “Unholy Intent,” which stays slow for the entirety of its three-minute runtime, not stomping as is the current hardcore fashion, but dragging you through the mud a la early Swans. An outstanding record.


Chalk: Beat Session Vol 13 cassette (Shout Recordings) I have zero background on the band Chalk, but the attentions of Shout Recordings and their Beat Sessions series is enough of an endorsement for me to check out a band I haven’t heard of. And, like the handful of other bands with whom I wasn’t familiar before they recorded a Beat Session, Chalk is great! The cover art for Chalk’s Beat Sessions tape reminds me of Institute’s Salt EP, and Chalk sounds like Institute in places too, particularly how the singer drags out their syllables in this halfway-in-the-gutter, drunken-sounding snarl. Tracks like the opener “New Mexico” and “My New Gun” take on dark post-punk influences like the Chameleons and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but by the time you get to “Wyoming,” the sound has widened to include acid-fried rockabilly of the Fall / Country Teasers persuasion. But while Chalk evokes the late 70s and early 80s, their music doesn’t sound like pastiche… it just sounds like honest, dense, heavy, and interesting music. As with the entire Beat Sessions series, the heavy and clear-sounding recording suits the band perfectly, too. Perhaps one of the lower-profile entries in the Beat Sessions series, but not one to skip.


Eye of the Cormorant / Eye of the Heron: demo cassette (Roach Leg Records) Roach Leg Records brings us a new EP from this solo project by Donna from Chronophage and TAZ, with the project’s first EP on the b-side. Rather than having a single band name and titles for each release, I read somewhere (though I can’t find it now) that this project’s name will change with each release, keeping the “Eye of” part consistent and substituting a different bird for each release. Pretty cool. Eye of the Cormorant sounds to me like they have one foot in the lo-fi experiments of groups like Chronophage and Blue Dolphin and the other in the more melodic end of UK anarcho-punk, particularly Zounds and the Mob. The result, though, is something that doesn’t sound quite like either, and it’s all the better for it. While “Rag Warfare” reminds me of Straw Man Army, the lo-fi execution and pop sensibility of “He Found Me” wouldn’t be out of place on an early Sebadoh record. The sound differs from track to track, and some experiments are arguably more successful than others, but for me the project’s eclecticism is a huge part of its charm. Certainly, if you have a taste for the more experimental sounds of the aforementioned groups, you’ll be able to hang with this, as it sounds straightforward by comparison. While it may not be for everyone, adventurous-eared punks out there will love what this project is up to.


The Cowboys: Sultan of Squat 12” (Feel It Records) Sultan of Squat is the 6th full-length from this prolific and long-running Indiana group. The Cowboys have always seemed like a band from another time. While so many of the current bands I listen focus their energy on carving out a specific stylistic niche—a kind of sonic branding—the Cowboys are a throwback to when rock music was all about the song. When you hear a new Cowboys track, you can never predict what it’s going to sound like—its tempo, its rhythm, the instrumental arrangement—but you know there’s going to be something songwriterly at the core of it, whether it’s a musical hook, a story, a turn of phrase, a memorable character, or something else entirely. After 10 years and six albums, the Cowboys as a band are at the top of their game, flexible and powerful as players, but always dedicated to the song. Sultan of Squat has some real toe-tappers, too. The Cowboys are such a world unto themselves at this point that it’s hard to imagine what a newcomer to the band might think if they heard Sultan of Squat, but anyone who has developed a taste for the Cowboys’ unique approach to underground rock music will find it another worthwhile addition to their discography.


Insane Urge: My America cassette (Stucco Records) Stucco, for me, is one of the great unsung underground punk labels of our time. They’ve released music by bands like Electric Chair and Straw Man Army (who are relatively huge in the underground) alongside under-the-radar hits by bands like Fugitive Bubble and Pilgrim Screw, much of it packaged with distinctive pale pink j-cards that scream “collect ‘em all” to a neurotic freak like myself. Yet, despite through-the-roof quality, I rarely see the label’s name mentioned, and their new release drops seem to fly under the radar. Those who know know, though. Stucco’s latest release is the second tape from Texas’s Insane Urge. Insane Urge’s blistering tempos and dense-with-hooks songwriting style remind me of Koro, but they’re also kind of snotty, with early Gang Green or Career Suicide in the mix too. The delivery is loose and chaotic a la their fellow Texans Nosferatu, but the tone is lighthearted… as with their label-mates Fugitive Bubble, I wouldn’t be shocked if someone referred to Insane Urge as “egg punk.” To me, though, this is pure hardcore punk… underground, alive, and vital. Get this, then investigate the rest of Stucco’s catalog for more similarly exciting underground punk.


The Steves: Making Time / In a Room / Jerk! 7”s (Iron Lung Records) Iron Lung Records just put out three EPs by this early 80s Boston group; they’re available individually, but work pretty well as a single body of work, so I’ll write about them as a unit here. Boston’s music scene has always seemed to be something of an island with its distinct sounds and cultures, and I think that holds true whether you’re talking about trying-make-it-big rock music or more niche underground musical flavors. Certainly the Steves were a unique band. While they were temporally of the post-punk era—the synthesizers and jittery rhythms in their songs are sonic hallmarks of that time—they don’t sound like a post-punk band. There’s something about the Steves that reminds me of Oingo Boingo; like Danny Elfman, it sounds like they have a broader range of influences than rock / new wave music, but they’re happy to adopt tropes of that era and style when it suits them. Also like Oingo Boingo, there’s something about the Steves’ music that seems auteur-driven. Rather than a democratic band where each member’s veto power inches the sound a little closer to the middle of the road, the Steves’ records are idiosyncratic. There are moments that have the symphonic grandeur of prog rock, but there are also songs like “Making Time” that evoke the Screamers in both the gnarly synth sound and the blunt and confrontational performance. While fans of early synth-punk will enjoy the Steves, I think these singles will hit for people who appreciate the out-of-time / ahead-of-their-time quality of groups like Pere Ubu, Mission of Burma, and Devo and the work of cracked-up auteurs like Dwarr and Jandek.


Featured Releases: November 6, 2023

Lafff Box: S/T 12” (Neon Taste Records) Debut LP from this Berlin, Germany-based band (we also carried an earlier 7” on Turbo Discos) who sits at the intersection of egg punk and Carbonas-esque jittery garage-punk. Those styles share an affinity for super fast 16th notes on the cymbals and Lafff Box has those in spades, so if you like to get real caffeinated, this is a great soundtrack. Songs like “Some” and “Waste of Time” lean into that jitteriness and feature angular riffing that, along with the harsh tones, pull in the egg punk direction, while more melodic tracks like “Kai” fall on the Marked Men end of the spectrum. Lafff Box is a two-guitar band, and one guitarist has a knack for killer Carbonas-esque leads and fills that are melodic but dripping with rock and roll swagger. While ripping fast, a few mid-paced tracks like “Just a Fool” break things up. Lafff Box’s music is raw and visceral, but they’re great at thinking things through to maximize their impact and play to their many strengths. Excellent stuff.


Mary Jane Dunphe: Stage of Love 12” (Pop Wig Records) Stage of Love is the first solo album by Mary Jane Dunphe, whose voice you might know from Vexx, CC Dust, and Pinocchio. I liked those projects, and when I made the connection that Pinocchio had the same singer as Vexx and CC Dust, I realized Mary Jane is a musician whose work I needed to follow closely. While Mary Jane’s voice is arresting, what I like most about those projects is how they’re all just a little left of center; her music has a fine artist’s way of challenging the listener and pushing against expectations, and while that isn’t for everyone, it’s for me. (I know many people thought the Pinocchio EP was a head-scratcher, but it’s one of my most played records of the past several years.) While perhaps Stage of Love synthesizes what Dunphe was up to in previous projects, to me it sounds like another big step forward, charging into fresh sounds and genres. I can’t help thinking about Kate Bush whenever I listen to Stage of Love. Hounds of Love is a decent enough sonic reference point for much of Stage of Love—in particular, the way the instrumental textures are rich yet synthetic—but it’s more the general approach that reminds me of Kate Bush’s best music, how it always seems a little unfamiliar, even uncanny, without abandoning the straightforward pleasures of pop. Stage of Love is a very diverse LP, though, with “I Know A Girl Called Johnny” evoking 70s glam rock in its lyrical and musical themes and the chiming, pastoral-sounding “Moon Halo” making me think of the Smiths. You never know what’s coming next, but it’s all brilliant.


Cutre: S/T cassette (Open Palm Tapes) Open Palm Tapes brings us a domestic US pressing of the self-titled EP by this hardcore band from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’m not sure whether Open Palm has a connection to the band or if it’s just something they plucked from Bandcamp and are bringing to a wider audience, but either way it’s easy to see how this caught their ear. Cutre plays clear, powerful, and straightforward hardcore punk, but with their own twist. The singer is charismatic and has a great snarl, relying on staccato cadences that bring to mind UK82 punk, but the music is dense, precise, and fast hardcore that’s rooted in the 80s tradition without sounding like a throwback. There are lots of interesting rhythmic change-ups, a couple of breakdowns, and a few moments of creepy-sounding Die Kreuzen-esque chording that remind me of Sorry State’s Lasso. Fans of intricate, well-written 80s-style hardcore with a defiant punk spirit will dig this.


Pressure Pin: Superficial Feature 7” (Under the Gun Records) Debut release from this one-person (as far as I can tell) project from Montreal, Canada. When I first listened to Pressure Pin, I thought they must be from Cleveland because they sound a lot like the Cruelster / Knowso / Perverts Again universe of bands. Based on my research, those similarities appear to be mere coincidence, but that being said, anyone who loves those Cleveland bands’ distinctive way with a herky-jerky rhythm should give this a try. I’ve seen a few people refer to Pressure Pin as egg punk, and I suppose I can see why… I hear Devo’s focus on interesting rhythms and there are some synths in the mix, but Superficial Feature has a more classic sound and seems less of the moment than much of what I call egg punk. The production is rich and the songs feel well-developed rather than like a tossed-off imitation. Every track is dense with twists, turns, and excitement, but “Limited Movement” is the highlight, closing this strong EP by working some solid pop hooks into the melee.


Spleen: demo cassette (Roach Leg Records) This demo tape from Spleen is another of Roach Leg Records’ dispatches from the fertile Montreal punk scene that also includes Puffer and Béton Armé. In fact, Spleen includes members of both bands and shares some of their songwriting and recording sensibilities too. Their sound is a little different than those bands, though, with less of a grounding in an established style or genre and more of their own thing going on. While the rhythm section bashes and crashes in your typical punk/oi! fashion, the guitars here are just out of control, weaving through the sound with intricate melodies. Spleen’s guitarist reminds me of Johnny Marr with their quick arpeggio runs that are dense but always with a clear melody. If you can imagine Marr ripping it up with a gnarly oi! group like Red Alert or the 4 Skins you might be close to Spleen’s sound, but it’s something you need to hear to understand. They change up the m.o. on the closing track, “Sans Espoir,” the guitarist laying comparatively low and giving this track a punchy, early Kinks-like vibe. It’s tough enough to come up with a sound this fresh, but to pull it off as successfully as Spleen does here is something special.


Crosshairs: Perverted Law 12” (Mendeku Diskak) Spain’s Mendeku Diskak label brings us the debut vinyl from this Canadian band that shares a member with Bootlicker. Mendeku Diskak has built a reputation for bringing us exciting, often Spanish-language oi! music from groups like Lost Legion, Castillo, Fuerza Bruta, and Mess, but Crosshairs doesn’t fit that template super well… especially given the Bootlicker connection, Crosshairs sound like they’d be more at home on a label like Neon Taste. The label’s description hits the nail on the head when they say Crosshairs takes influence from both sides of the Atlantic. The core of their music is US-style hardcore that sounds a lot like Career Suicide (as well as bands like Gang Green and the Circle Jerks who influenced CS), but with moments that pull from the more blistering end of UK82. See, for instance, the bass runs on “Guillotine,” the guitar leads on “Panopticon,” or the driving closing track, “Herd.” The vocals toe that line too, with a hoarse shout that makes me think of another 2000s-era (but 80s USHC style) Toronto band, Terminal State, but leaning on UK82 cadences that Savageheads fans will dig. If you’re a fan of Headcheese and Imploders, Crosshairs has a similar sound, but with that sprinkling of UK82 influence bringing some unique flavor to their mix.


Featured Releases: August 28, 2023

Fashion Change: Smoking Kills 7” (Iron Lung Records) Brilliant new 3-song flexi of arty hardcore punk from this Seattle band. I love the wild collision of influences—brutal death metal vocals, searing, Kyushu-style noise punk, Meat Puppets-esque warped punkedelia—it’s a real buffet of strange underground sounds. It all sticks together, though, thanks to top-notch songwriting and playing, particularly the brilliant drumming, which finds all these ways to be unexpected and creative while keeping everything stripped down and primitive as fuck. If you have a taste for adventurous underground sounds from Spike in Vain to No Trend to S.P.K., you’ll love the warped darkness of Smoking Kills.


Isolant: Oblivion 12” (Social Napalm Records) Social Napalm Records’ first release after Savageheads’ phenomenal LP from last year is a total left-turn musically. The label’s description refers to Isolant as “industrial crust,” and in a lot of ways it sounds like some strange fusion of Ministry and Amebix, borrowing the former’s layers of harsh, distorted percussion and the latter’s epically chugging riffs. However, what sticks out to me about Oblivion is how stretched-out and psychedelic it is. Its seven-plus minute songs never seem in a hurry to get anywhere, but they’re constantly morphing and developing, fading from quiet and meditative passages into huge crescendos, making the music seem almost geologic in scale. While those crust elements are present on Oblivion, I think the people who enjoy it most will be those who appreciate its wideness of scope, who find as much pleasure in droning as thrashing.


It Thing: Constant State 7” (Feel It Records) Australia’s It Thing knocked me out with this two-song power-popper. It’s high-energy, heavy rock and roll punk with a singer who has a huge voice. I’d put It Thing’s music in a similar bucket to Split System because it sounds like an update on the old Saints / Radio Birdman sound, perhaps with punkier rhythms and hardcore-ish tempos, but built around hooky, Stooges-influenced riffs. However, the singer takes it somewhere else… their raspy, slightly bluesy voice reminds me of Kat Arthur from Legal Weapon, and the choruses (particularly on “Constant State”) are total earworms. These two tracks are bursting with energy and begging to be sung along with.


JJ and the A’s: S/T 7” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Blistering, hooky punk from this Copenhagen / Barcelona band on their debut 6-song 7”. The label’s description mentions the Spits and Rip Off Records and I hear that in the jittery 16th notes, but it’s tinny in an almost industrial way that makes me think of Metal Urbain or the Screamers. As important as the frantic rhythms and noisy textures are the hooky vocals, which are bathed in distortion but brimming with melody. I also love that there are six songs here... they’re in and out quickly, but cover a lot of range, from the bashing hardcore tracks like “Show Me” to the more tuneful “Head in a Vat” and the brooding “The Shrew.” Energy, hooks, distortion… what’s not to like?


Spirito Di Lupo: Vedo La Tua Faccia Nei Giorni Di Pioggia 12” (Iron Lung Records) This debut 12” from Italy’s Spirito Di Lupo has been getting a ton of buzz, and with good reason… it’s a brilliant record. Musically adventurous but with a distinctive and unique voice, Spirito Di Lupo has staked out a lane of arty anarcho punk all their own. The vocals, while stripped down and very punk, do a lot with rhythmic cadences and dynamic interplay between the two singers. The music, though, covers a lot of ground… Spirito di Lupo can be angry and brutal, but they can also be haunting, delicate, melodic, and so much more. When you pair that musical adventurousness with the album’s raw, live-sounding recording, you get something very earthy and organic sounding. I picture the members of Spirto Di Lupo living together on an anarchist commune, tending the fields and the grounds during the day and embarking on musical explorations long into the evening. If you’re looking for comparisons, I’d put Spirito Di Lupo in the company of bands like Straw Man Army, Subdued, and Rigorous Institution, all of whom have a similarly organic sound and a way of using classic anarcho punk as an inspiration rather than as a script.


80HD: Destabilize 12” (Artifact Audio) On their debut vinyl, New York’s 80HD move away from the overt Heresy-isms of their demo tape, forging their own sound while keeping the focus on the band’s numerous strengths. Chief among those is drummer Sasha Stroud’s insane chops, and this time around rather than the dramatic shifts between big punches and blistering fast parts, the songs tend to ride steadier grooves, which leaves more space for her explosive fills and accents. Sasha also handles production duties on Destabilize, which has a clearer and brighter sound than the demo tape. This record sounds huge yet organic, just like a great hardcore record should. The clearer production also lets the vocals shine more, and they’re kind of crazy, oscillating between a Sakevi-influenced growl, a hardcore bark, and a shrieking howl… the way the vocal style changes from part to part or even sometimes line to line is wild. I think 80HD is at their best when they are straight tearing your face off with maximum speed and aggression (see “Lookout!”), but even when they ease off the gas and try something a little different (like the synth-infused closing track, “Feel”) they are commanding.


Featured Releases: July 27, 2023

B.O.R.N.: Belligerent Onslaught Relentless Noise cassette (Chaos and Chill) With the new tape from Bloody Flag and a new LP from Physique coming out in the past couple of months, it’s been a very good summer for Disclose-inspired hardcore. However, don’t let this tape from Birmingham, Alabama’s B.O.R.N. pass you by! B.O.R.N. has the sound down just as well as their peers from more well-known scenes, with the brittle, fucked tones, the pounding d-beats, and the shredded vocals all dialed. The songs are excellent, with a bit of Public Acid’s metallic touch in the riffing, but the star of the B.O.R.N. show for me is the lead guitar. Every time the guitarist lets loose on this recording my ears perk up… rather than sounding like someone who has spent years watching guitar tutorials on YouTube, they have this great sense of style with strong melodies in the leads but a loose and slinky delivery… I picture a half passed-out Slash busting out these leads with a cig hanging out of his mouth. B.O.R.N. is great at toeing the d-beat party line while leaving room in their sound for their unique voice to come through, which you can hear on the cover of Disclose’s “Conquest” that appears here. Excellent stuff.


Los Invasores: Demo 1987 12” (Esos Malditos Punks) Much-needed vinyl reissue of the full 1987 cassette from this under-documented band from Uruguay. While Los Invasores never released vinyl during their original run, I knew I’d heard their name before, and Discogs informed me that Lengua Armada released four tracks on a 7” in 2006 and France’s Crapoulet Records reissued these songs on cassette in 2014. Jack Control handles the mastering on this latest version, making this rough, vintage recording sound as powerful as it can. As with a lot of Latin American punk, the year of recording doesn’t tell you much about the band’s style, as Los Invasores’ sound is more rooted in 70s punk, with some of the intensity of early 80s hardcore. I hear a lot of the Clash in their sound (as well as Spanish Clash disciples Eskorbuto), but what stands out is the reverb-drenched, surf-inflected guitar sound, which gives the best tracks a darkly melodic feel that reminds me of Agent Orange’s Living in Darkness. You can hear this most clearly on the brilliant first track, “Historias de Falsos Amigos,” which left my jaw on the floor the first time I heard it. If you’ve spent as much time as I have with Living in Darkness (or if you dug that recent Bloodstains 7” everyone was talking about earlier this summer), stop what you’re doing and listen to this song right now. For me, the track is the undeniable highlight of the record, though the second song, “Al Borde del Bien Y el Mal” is excellent too, though very similar to “Historias,” right down to the quirky, angular break. If Los Invasores had put out a single before 1980 with either of those two songs on the a-side and two of the best tracks from the rest of the session on the flip, it’d be a record people pay hundreds of dollars for. It’s too bad Los Invasores missed their shot at collector scum immortality, but I’m glad to see this excellent session in circulation and on wax where it belongs.


Paranoid Maniac: Watchlist EP cassette (self-released) In terms of its lineup, Raleigh’s Paranoid Maniac is basically a new incarnation of Sorry State’s Das Drip, taking that band’s final lineup, swapping out the vocalist and adding a second guitarist. While the ultra-fast tempos carry over from Das Drip, the music’s tone has changed, growing darker and more sinister. I know that, as the band was getting started, Paranoid Maniac guitarist Rich was fascinated with 80s Japanese punk like Kuro, the Execute, and Sodom, and while I’m not sure a total outsider would pick up on those influences, when you compare Paranoid Maniac to Das Drip you can hear how they have shaped the sound. Besides those creepy vibes, the new guitarist Alex also puts his stamp on Paranoid Maniac’s sound. Das Drip featured a lot of crazy guitar/bass interplay, and Alex jumps right into the melee, the string section reminding me of a group of multi-headed hydras locked in battle. The result is arty and intense, like an early Saccharine Trust record spinning at 78rpm and blaring at a painful volume. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I think it’s brilliant, and one of the most intense and original-sounding recordings I’ve heard for some time.


Snooper: Super Snooper 12” (Third Man Records) We’ve carried a few tapes and 7”s from Nashville’s Snooper, and while we liked them and they sold well, I never would have predicted the group’s debut LP would arrive via Jack White’s Third Man Records. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether it’s a good fit, but I think this is a killer record that deserves a wider audience than just the subscribers to some fringe YouTube channel. While Snooper has pretty much all the trappings of the now-established egg punk sound, Super Snooper feels wider in scope than I might have expected. Take a track like “Pod,” whose foundation is built on similar jittery rhythms to most of Snooper’s other songs, but the long, melodic lead guitar lines in the verses pull against the hyper-compressed rhythms in a way I find captivating. (I should also mention that said guitarist is Connor Cummins, whose axe-slinging also elevates the music of Sorry State’s own G.U.N.) While tracks like “Bed Bugs” and “Powerball” have a similar fun-loving charm to Judy & the Jerks, Super Snooper’s highlight for me is “Running,” the 5-minute closing track that finds Snooper wrestling with a motorik groove to brilliant effect. I also appreciate the crisp and bright production, a contrast to the often super lo-fi egg punk aesthetic. I hear Snooper’s live sets are incredible, and I hope to experience that at some point. For now, though, Super Snooper stands on its own as one of the more coherent and addictive full-lengths the egg punk world has birthed.


Thatcher’s Snatch: White Collar Man 7” (Hardcore Victim Records) Australia’s tastefully named Thatcher’s Snatch return with their second record, and this three-song single feels like an even more on-the-nose homage to the UK82 era than their debut. I wasn’t sure what to think about “White Collar Man” when I first heard it, with its sludgy tempo and prominent backing vocals, but it’s an undeniable earworm, and every time I hear it, I like it more. I’m struggling to think of examples, but I feel like it was a UK82 trope to place a band’s catchiest song, typically the mid-paced one, on the a-side of the single… I can picture Thatcher’s Snatch running through their set for a small time indie label exec and when they get to “White Collar Man,” the exec shouts, “that’s the hit!” The flip, though, is reserved for two smashers in the vein of the first EP with shouted choruses a la the Exploited, but the sprightly playing here is a cut above the very young bands who put out records on labels like No Future and Riot City. An engaging and powerful take on the UK82 sound.


Faucheuse: demo cassette (Symphony of Destruction Records) Debut EP from this new band from Bordeaux, France, featuring several people who play or used to play in Bombardement, including the band’s first vocalist. My first reaction when I heard Faucheuse’s tape was that they sound like a d-beat version of Denmark’s Night Fever. Like Night Fever, Faucheuse has the chops to play music way more complex and demanding than punk, but rather than using their music to escape into a land of warriors and wizards, they channel their skills into making the most precise and ripping hardcore punk they can muster. The guitarist takes the manic style of Swedish groups like Herätys and sprinkles it with glittering shards of rock riffage, the bass player walks up and down the neck like they’re pacing a padded cell on a fistful of Adderall, the singer screams their way through several octaves, and the drummer keeps it grounded with a steady, pounding d-beat. The energy is infectious… this tape lifts you off the ground with the first track and doesn’t let you down until it’s over. Seriously, just give this a listen and fall in love.


Featured Releases: June 1, 2023

Smirk: S/T 7” (Under the Gun Records) This four-song 7” is the latest dispatch from underground punk sensation Smirk, and while their latest full-length Material drifted toward 90s-style slacker indie, these four tracks have a punkier energy that’s more like their excellent 2021 EP. The pop element that makes Smirk’s music so strong is still there, though… in fact, these four tracks make me think of late 70s / early 80s UK punk and DIY, which also applied interesting textures and arrangements to traditional, hooky pop. Who knows how intentional this influence is, but the first riff in “Bored by Everything” makes me think of the Buzzcocks’ “Time’s Up,” though the chorus hook is more straightforwardly sweet than the Buzzcocks’ usual melancholy-tinged melodies. Elsewhere, “Polyrhythmic Ticks” also has another Buzzcocks nod, this time to the famous guitar lead in “Boredom,” while “Replicant” recalls the way Tubeway Army fused robotic rhythms and big melodies, and “On Crack” closes the EP by hanging on a detached sense of cool. It’s all killer no filler, but note that the physical version is an edition of only 300 copies, so scoop it quick if you need the hard copy.


Belgrado: Intra Apogeum 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) The seven years since Belgrado’s last LP have seen some significant changes for the Barcelona group. Most importantly, their rhythm section has gotten a complete overhaul with drummer Jonathan Sirit abandoning acoustic drums in favor of electronic rhythm programming and Louis from Fatamorgana joining the band on bass (meaning now Belgrado’s lineup now includes both members of Fatamorgana). These changes are a big deal because the rhythm section has always been a key part of Belgrado’s sound, with bass and drums laying a firm foundation over which the guitars, synths, and vocals float more ethereally. That’s still the approach on Intra Apogeum, but it’s like the rhythm section sees their job in the same way but executes that job differently. It’s a best-case scenario, giving the group an infusion of freshness without undermining one of their key strengths. And Louis’s bass lines sound fantastic… I almost wonder if he’s flexing a bit, as some of the bass lines here are ridiculously complex (see “T​ę​sknota,” to cite but one example). Meanwhile, in the upper registers, Belgrado also pushes forward, with an even wider pallet of guitar and synth sounds and Patrcyja’s icy yet melodic vocals tying it all together. While their rhythms still have a powerful thump, I love that they also draw from genres like dub and psych, creating interwoven layers of sound with a variety of captivating textures. Intra Apogeum is an album that pulls you into its world, and I think it’s the best Belgrado album yet.


Es: Fantasy 7” (Upset the Rhythm Records) Fantasy is the latest 4-track EP from London’s Es, following up their Less of Everything LP from 2020 and their 2016 debut on La Vida Es Un Mus. If you haven’t heard Es before, they take the punk 4-piece format and swap out the guitar for a synth, a difference they emphasize with the approach each member takes to their instrument. The rhythm section is big and heavy, with a colossal bass sound and lithe, propulsive drumming. It makes sense that Es’s debut was on La Vida Es Un Mus because, while they aren’t a hardcore band, their volume and power means they wouldn’t be out of place on a hardcore bill. By contrast, the synths are more delicate and ethereal; while synth-punk bands like the Spits approach the instrument the way Johnny Ramone attacked his guitar, Es’s synths are more spare, ethereal, and harmonically sophisticated, tugging against the rhythm section rather than locking in with it. The vocals also take this more winding approach, the lyrics dense with abstractions that seem to come in and out of focus in a way that feels dense with possible meanings. It all adds up to a sound that’s powerful yet brimming with tension, a bit like Gang of Four at their most agitated but with their confrontational Marxist polemics replaced by something more organic and feminine. As with everything Es has released, it’s a distinctive, enriching, and satisfying listen, and beautifully packaged for those of us who wish to indulge in the physical version.


Stiff Prick: demo cassette (Everyone Records) Another smashing demo from Pittsburgh’s fertile punk scene. Lawson from Illiterates plays guitar in Stiff Prick, and the band shares an aesthetic sensibility with Illiterates and Speed Plans, with a rough-and-ready early 80s-inspired sound that isn’t afraid to dabble in the thrash-and-mosh dynamics of rougher Youth Crew hardcore like Youth of Today and Side by Side. While the music is traditional, straightforward hardcore, the lyrics are more interesting. Stiff Prick’s vocalist and lyricist Babs avoids cliche, writing about topics mental health (“Borderline”) and romantic relationships (“Abusers,” “Red Flags”) that feel more concrete than the abstractions that plague a lot of hardcore lyrics. I also love that “Red Flags” starts with the line “Girl trust your intuition,” addressing women even though they are typically a minority at hardcore gigs, frequently ignored and marginalized. Hardcore punk always hits harder when it has something to say, and that’s the case here.


Burning Kross: S/T 12” (Loner Cult Records) This one-sided 12” (with a sick-looking Keith Caves drawing screen printed on the b-side) is the debut from Belgium’s Burning Kross. When I think of Belgian hardcore, my mind goes to Dead Stop, and that wouldn’t be an off-the-wall comparison for Burning Kross, whose music also owes a big debt to early 80s US hardcore and has a tough, slightly sludgy quality I associate with oi!-leaning hardcore bands like 86 Mentality and Negative Approach. While that’s a big component of Burning Kross’s sound, they’re not just that. In particular, I like the way they hang on their breakdowns for a long time, like on the track “Greenwood,” whose breakdown section takes on a hypnotic quality as the band squeezes the riff dry. The production is crisp but gritty, and the band sounds brutal and heavy, but also light on their feet. Interestingly, the lyrics for these six tracks tie the record together under one concept, all of them relating to the 1921 bombing of Greenwood, a black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From what I understand, white Oklahomans tried to erase this neighborhood through a coordinated campaign of arson and bombing. The event was covered up and largely forgotten until a 2015 article in The Washington Post drew new attention to the story. It’s an unexpected lyrical focus for a hardcore punk band from Belgium, but their hearts are in the right place and I appreciate the history lesson, which adds some lyrical heft to Burning Kross’s punishing music.


Butchers Dog: Age of Inversion 7” (Violent Pest Records) We’ve been hearing a lot of great music from Cincinnati, Ohio lately, and while bands like the Drin, the Serfs, and Crime of Passing lean toward the post-punk end of the underground music spectrum, Butchers Dog proves the proverbial “something in the water” has seeped into the hardcore bands too. Like my favorite hardcore, Age of Inversion is as progressive as it is intense, fusing a range of heavy music styles into a deftly coordinated strike. The riffing leans metallic, and a track like “Fair Game” would sound like straight up old school death metal if it weren’t so raw and if the vocals weren’t so drenched in snot. Butchers Dog reminds me of Sorry State’s own Mutant Strain; their vocalist sounds a little like Marissa from Mutant Strain, and Butchers Dog is similarly adept at being nimble and heavy at the same time. And they just have a way with a riff, as they display most effectively on the closing track “Enforcer,” whose slinky mosh makes want to Kool-Aid Man my way through a solid wall. A total crusher.


Featured Releases: May 25, 2023

Oratory: Dark Void Ray 7” (Bad Habit Records) Debut two-song single from this metal-punk project from Australia. The first track, “Free Falling Tomb,” starts off with a brutal, Celtic Frost-type of heavy and primitive assault, but halfway through the song there’s a short break and then the vibe completely changes, the guitarist playing fluid melodies in the upper octaves, the bass getting melodic, and the drumming packed with drama. The second track is a little more straightforward, but still has something of that odd mixture of brutal straightforwardness with elements that are both more complex and more deftly executed. Crow does this record’s artwork, and his music is a pretty good reference point. The more brutal and straightforward parts of Oratory’s music remind me of Crow’s earlier, heavily Discharge-influenced period, while the band’s later era—and even moreso projects like Kaiboushitsu and Death Comes Along—shows a similar fearlessness in the way they bring in unexpected elements. Darkthrone also seems like a good point of reference as they’re also heavy but full of oddball moments you don’t see coming. A good pick for freaks who like it heavy.


Tiikeri: Punk Rock Pamaus! 12” (Open Up and Bleed Recordings) Jeff covered Punk Rock Pamaus! in his staff pick a few weeks ago, but I wanted to add my voice to the chorus singing this record’s praises. Tiikeri’s songs are infectious, brimming with hyperactive punk energy that makes me think of bands like the Toy Dolls, the Undertones, and the Dickies. In contrast to so much grim and angry punk music, Tiikeri’s songs are pure fun, built around gratifying pop chord progressions and with lyrics (as far as I can tell based on my limited knowledge of Finnish) that focus on something all punks can get behind: how much punk rules! As with the bands I mentioned above, Tiikeri can ride the edge of being cheesy… their music is so sunny and fun that you almost want to find something not to like about it, but I think the smarter move is just to turn that critical part of your brain off and sing along as best you can. I think this record’s limited pressing is nearly sold out, so check this out and pick it up while you can. For me, I think this will be the record of the summer for 2023, the album blasting from my car’s speakers when I get up to some epic road trips. Don’t miss out.


Warcycle: Manifesting Barbarity 7” (Desolate Records) This new EP on Desolate Records is the first I’ve heard of Perth, Australia’s Warcycle, though they have an earlier 7” and a couple of tape releases under their belt already. Their stated influences are “Framtid, Bastard and D-Clone,” and their bruising and noisy sound certainly has a lot of Japanese hardcore in it. I also hear some of Sacrilege’s hooky chugging parts on “Lethal Rhetoric,” and while “Erasure” owes a lot to D-Clone’s techno-dystopian howl, its focal point is a knuckle-dragging mosh riff. The recording is huge and bristling with energy… if you’re intrigued by the bad-ass cover artwork, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.


Life Sentence: Demos 7” (Alonas Dream Records) I’m a big fan of Chicago hardcore band Life Sentence’s 1986 debut LP, but it’s a record I have little context for… I know little about the scene the band emerged from or how the record came to be. This 7” of demo recordings from Alona’s Dream offers some enlightening details. I didn’t know, for instance, that the band lost their original vocalist before they recorded that LP. In fact, to my ears it sounds like the original vocalist Ray Morris is singing (uncredited) on the album tracks “Problems,” “In the Streets,” “Figured It Out,” and “Take a Stand,” with guitarist and bassist Eric Brockman and Joe Losurdo handling vocals on the other tunes. I’d always thought “Problems” was the standout track on that album, but I’d never even noticed the vocalists were different on more than half the tracks, but now I hear it clear as day. Ray Morris’s vocals are awesome… he’s a dead ringer for Kevin Seconds, and his strong melodies take the band’s blistering hardcore songs and elevate them to something even more special. This Demos 7” presents the original recordings of five songs from the self-titled album along with a sixth, “Open Your Eyes,” that didn’t appear on the LP. As I understand it, Life Sentence recorded these versions at the same time as the songs on the self-titled album that Morris sings on, while the songs he didn’t sing on were recorded at another, later session. I’m sure Life Sentence wanted the LP to document the band’s current iteration, but fuck… Morris’s vocals are excellent, and really elevate these songs. This 7” also benefits from a stronger mastering job than the original album, with bigger and beefier drum and bass sounds (the original LP was quite tinny). It would be cool to combine these tracks with the songs on the LP that Morris sings on and have the version of the album that might have been, but I’m just happy the tracks are out there. I think Life Sentence often gets overlooked, perhaps because the LP came out in 1986, when the world had largely moved on from this kind of blistering hardcore. However, these tracks are scorchers, and I feel confident any early 80s US hardcore head will love them.


M.O.A.B.: Massive Ordinance Air Blast cassette (Roach Leg Records) The only information I can find about this demo is that it features members of Brain Killer and Condition, and if you’ve listened to it, that makes perfect sense. Both bands are/were crushing, and M.O.A.B. crushes too. If you’ve been one of the many people digging the latest Destruct album, M.O.A.B. has a similar style, taking Bastard’s punishing rhythms and fusing them with the noisier and more chaotic energy of the Framtid end of the spectrum. While it’s raw and relentless, it doesn’t come off as a “worship” project to me thanks to unexpected wrinkles like the haunting riff in “Indoctrination.” And the way the recording is smothered in feedback just adds to the energy and excitement. This one is a real scorcher.


Rata Negra: Bien Triste 7” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Bien Triste is the new single from Spain’s Rata Negra, the latest in a growing catalog of records they’ve put out during their long association with La Vida Es Un Mus. I hope the music keeps coming too, because as good as Rata Negra was when they started, they’ve only gotten better since their striking debut LP in 2017. While their sound has always been centered around Violeta’s powerful vocals and the rich interplay between the band’s three musicians, it feels like they’ve gradually expanded their sound, evolving without abandoning their strengths. “Ella Está En Fiestas” wouldn’t have been out of place on any of Rata Negra’s previous records with its booming vocal melodies and chiming guitars, but “Bien Triste” drifts away from the band’s usual punky energy. The song has a complex, maybe even conflicted emotional register. I imagine it playing during a movie scene depicting a senior prom, the characters dizzy from intense doses of nostalgia combined with fear of and hope for the future. It’s something far subtler and more complex than you expect from your typical punk song, and another jewel in this band’s weighty crown.


Featured Releases: May 18, 2023

Languid: Resist Mental Slaughter 12” (Desolate Records) Desolate Records brings us a deluxe reissue of Resist Mental Slaughter, the self-released 2017 debut from d-beaters Languid, who hail from Edmonton in Canada’s vast middle. Truth be told, I hadn’t heard this record before Desolate announced their reissue. We carried both of Languid’s subsequent 12”s, A Paranoid Wretch in Society’s Games and Submission Is the Only Freedom, but we never stocked the debut, which only came out in a limited self-released pressing. When I asked Usman about this reissue, he informed me that Resist Mental Slaughter had developed something of a reputation among the d-beat cognoscenti, and that he thought it was by far the band’s best record. Maybe he’ll tell you more in his staff pick? As for me, I could hear immediately why a d-beat institution like Desolate Records would want to get this back into print. Languid isn’t the heaviest, fastest, or noisiest d-beat band out there, but what makes them stand out from the pack is the sheer quality of their riffs. The overall sound is in the Dischange / Meanwhile vein of hard-charging d-beat without a lot of distinct peaks and valleys, but when they hit you with a riff like the ripping opener “Morbid Vision” or the stomping album-closer “Brain Dead Fools,” their power is undeniable. Alongside the original album, Desolate’s reissue includes a bonus 7” with Languid’s 2015 demo, which has a rawer sound but is of similarly high quality, and includes an even more ripping version of the standout track “Useless Life.” This whole package is a huge treat for all the käng warriors out there.


Warm Girls: demo cassette (self-released) I got wind of this new Richmond, Virginia project a few months before I got to hear any music, and I was already intrigued because Warm Girls features 1/2 of Gumming, whom I just loved. Warm Girls isn’t anything like Gumming from a stylistic standpoint, but good musicians tend to make good music whatever style they choose, and that’s the case here. The reference that keeps coming to mind when I listen to Warm Girls is Pylon. Like Pylon (or at least like my favorite moments in Pylon’s music), Warm Girls sounds like an American punk/indie band bulked up with a fat, dub-y bass sound that evokes the way UK post-punk groups like PiL and Gang of Four refracted funk and reggae influences from the Americas. Despite the bass sound, though, Warm Goes doesn’t sound very post-punk… their songs are angular, but upbeat and energetic, with driving drums and big guitars that sound like they're informed by, but not indebted to, hardcore. Though as you might expect from a band with the word “Girls” in their name, Warm Girls’ music side-steps the macho elements of hardcore while tapping into the genre’s drive and intensity. It’s a brilliant demo, and if you’re interested in that space where underground punk overlaps with feminist ideologies—if groups like Girlsperm and Fitness Womxn get a lot of time on your turntable—I think you’ll agree.


S.H.I.T.: Demo 2023 cassette (Homie Shit Mag) Toronto’s S.H.I.T. dropped this limited 4-song tape at last years SHITmas event, and now they’re back with a great-sounding, pro-duplicated version for the masses. If you dug the recent Hidden in Eternity 7”, the two new original tracks here pick up where those left off, giving us a more straightforward, streamlined version of S.H.I.T. For me, their I 7” from 2016 represented an apogee of S.H.I.T.’s older style, taking the bruising pogo beats, meaty riffs, and delayed vocals about as far as they could go. Since then, it sounds to me like S.H.I.T. has pulled back from those signature elements of their sound, proving they’re not just a band with a distinctive sound, but a great, classic hardcore band. The great riffing is still there, but the drumming is faster and less swingy (“Imminent Destruction” has some cool stuff happening on the toms too), and most noticeably, Ryan’s vocals have a cleaner sound and are no longer drenched in delay. Besides the two new original tracks, we also get covers of Crucifix’s “Annihilation” and Blitz’s “Never Surrender,” and aside from a creepy robotic voice reading the intro to the Crucifix song, these interpretations are also straightforward. It’s hardcore punk with no bells and whistles, just a bunch of seasoned players making great, timeless hardcore punk.


Shitty Life : Limits to Growth 7” (11PM Records) This Italian hardcore punk band has been kicking around since 2016, even releasing a collaborative EP with Drew Owen from Sick Thoughts, though Limits to Growth is their first release on an American label. That’s strange, because Shitty Life sounds almost like an American band with their English-language lyrics and US hardcore-influenced style, albeit with a snarling Italian madman on vocal duties. Their no-distortion guitar sound might make you think of bands like Milk or Amdi Petersens Armé, but for me the most on-the-money comparison is No Way Records’ Social Circkle… Shitty Life sounds almost exactly like them in places, with blistering hardcore punk songs whose clean sound shows off just how agile and interesting the playing is. The label’s description also mentions Shitty Limits, and while it’s funny that the words “Shitty” and “Limits” are both on the record’s cover, I mostly hear that comparison on the short instrumental track “In the Corner,” which has more of an angular, Pink Flag kind of feel. As much as I like the ripping punk songs, the moodier instrumental might be my favorite track here. With seven tracks to choose from here, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into, and it all rips.


Subliminal Excess: Witness 7” (11PM Records) 11PM Records released a demo from Chicago’s Subliminal Excess back in 2020, and now they’re back with a four-song EP. Like a few bands on 11PM Records, Subliminal Excess rides the line between early 80s-inspired hardcore and more modern sounds, mixing groovy, Sick of It All-esque parts that make you want to jump up and down (no pogo, jump up and down) with more straightforward bashing, wrapping it up in a raw and fuzzy recording. There’s a little metal in the mix too, including some whammy bar gymnastics that might make you think of a less crazy version of Concealed Blade. As someone who doesn’t enjoy the more polished end of NYHC-influenced music, it’s the best of both worlds for me, the groovy mid-paced parts sticking to your ribs but with the gritty sound and performance keeping it punk.


Enemic Interior: II 7” (Mendeku Diskak) If you have any interest in the world of underground oi! and post-oi! music, you should keep an eye on the Basque label Mendeku Diskak, which has been releasing some of the world’s most interesting music in that vein, much of which comes from the label’s home country of Spain. Case in point is the Catalan band Enemic Interior, whose second EP we have here. Like Home Front, Enemic Interior is great at tapping into the vein of simple, gratifying pop that runs through so much classic oi!. Of course many of their tracks have the broad choruses that make you want to sing along, but Enemic Interior’s secret weapon is their hooky guitars, which are draped in chorus and carry some of the melancholic drive of peak-era Leatherface. While tracks like “Les Ombres” and “La Llum” fall on the more melodic end of the spectrum, others like “Maquinària Veloç” gesture toward the more aggressive, “Never Surrender” end of the oi! continuum. And like everything on Mendeku Diskak, it also features beautifully designed, upmarket-feeling packaging. A standout record on a label brimming with excellent releases.


Featured Releases: May 4, 2023

Metrics: Demo 2022 cassette (Not for the Weak Records) Not for the Weak Records has two lines of business. One is documenting bands from in and around their home in Virginia (where there are many excellent bands worthy of documenting). The second is plucking gems from the depths of Bandcamp and making much-appreciated physical editions of music that might otherwise evaporate into your feed’s exhaust. This demo tape from Barcelona’s Metrics fits in the latter category, but it’s easy to see why Metrics caught NFTW’s ear, since their music sounds like it’s rooted in the No Way-era hardcore that had a big impact on the folks who run that label. Metrics’ songs remind me of bands like Social Circkle and Career Suicide that had one foot in blazing hardcore and one in catchier ‘77-era punk. But then Metrics also has a synth player, which connects them to all the recent egg punk bands, though their songs are more in line with Judy & the Jerks’ hooky hardcore than, say, Gee Tee’s pop or 3D & the Holograms’ chaos. At the end of the day, though, this doesn’t sound quite like anything else, and when you add in strong songwriting and a great recording, you end up with a killer demo.


Paint Fumes: Real Romancer 12” (Dig! Records) Paint Fumes is from Charlotte, North Carolina, just a few hours away from Sorry State’s HQ in Raleigh, so I’ve been seeing Paint Fumes shows for over a decade. Live, Paint Fumes is chaotic and often inebriated, and their sets are always memorable, if not always for the music they play. On their previous records, Paint Fumes had a primitive, lo-fi sound halfway between early Gun Club and the Urinals, but on Real Romancer, they’ve shaken up the formula. Honestly, I shocked when I first listened to Real Romancer… not only has Paint Fumes transitioned from a chaotic garage-punk band to a polished power-pop group, but they’re fucking good at it. Real Romancer’s big hooks and beefy sound brings King Tuff’s early records to mind… like those, it’s long on massive, memorable melodies steeped in 70s power-pop (think the Flamin’ Groovies, the Nerves, etc.), but with a massive sound informed by 90s alt rock. While some folks might miss the old Paint Fumes, I think Real Romancer is a massive improvement in every respect. The performances are stronger, the sound is way better, and the songs are just great. They even have some unexpected depth… take “Holding My Heart,” which sounds at first like a straightforward love song, but once you hear the full lyric, “holding my heart for a ransom,” the song opens up as a more subtle comment on the power dynamics in a romantic relationship. Every song on Real Romancer is like that, immediately catchy, but rewarding additional attention with unexpected depth. If you dig the hooky power-pop of their label-mates in the Whiffs, I recommend checking this out.


Adrenochrome: In Memoriam 12” (Symphony of Destruction Records) Oakland’s Adrenochrome released a flexi back in 2021 and I’ve been waiting to hear more music ever since. Finally, In Memoriam is here! Adrenochrome’s style is a punky take on death rock, taking the template of bands like the Chameleons, the Cure, and Sad Lovers and Giants and infusing it with the energy and stripped-down quality of UK82 punk. They take the best of both sounds, their bass-driven melodies and atmospheric guitars adding depth and texture to the chanted hooks of tracks like “Lost City” and “Vanishing Point.” Adrenochrome’s drummer also played in Kurraka, and while Adrenochrome’s songwriting is very different, the fusion of post-punk groove with hardcore power is still very much present. You can’t go wrong combining a high-energy playing style with great hooks, and In Memoriam will keep you both dancing and singing along.


Divorcer: Espionage 7” (Domestic Departure Records) I love it when a new record on the Domestic Departure label lands. Their release schedule is sparse, but the quality is top-notch, full of great music in beautiful, small-batch packaging that is pleasing to hold in your hands. Domestic Departure’s latest release is the vinyl debut from Vancouver’s Divorcer, and it’s another worthy addition to the catalog. Like most other artists on Domestic Depature, I hear a lot of the late 70s and early 80s UK underground in Divorcer’s sound, particularly on the dub-y “Crying,” which reminds me of Vivien Goldman’s classic “Launderette.” Divorcer isn’t retro, though. In fact, the two songs on the a-side sound as much like contemporary Australian punk as anything else... they might make you think of Parsnip or the bands that connect to them. While there isn’t a lyric sheet included, the songs sound dense and poetic, yet they’re also politically confrontational. Four excellent tracks, beautiful packaging... another win for one of my favorite labels in the underground.


Featured Releases: April 27, 2023

3D & the Holograms: S/T 12” (Roach Leg Records) This debut 12” from 3D & the Holograms is a real meeting of worlds. The band is a trans-Pacific lockdown project borne of emailing riffs and beats back and forth, its membership features egg punk royalty (members of Research Reactor Corp and Tee Vee Repairman), it’s on Roach Leg Records, and it got a review in Pitchfork. Wild! It’s not wrong to say 3D & the Holograms represents a melding of Roach Leg’s shit-fi aesthetic with egg punk (which is lo-fi in its own right), but 3D & the Holograms is so much more than two things smashed together. For a short record, it covers a lot of ground and the songs do a lot of different things. Some songs are purely harsh and abrasive, but 3D & the Holograms doesn’t shy away from melody, particularly for catchy guitar leads. Some of these melodies are even pretty; my favorite track is the instrumental “3D Theme,” which reminds me of “Talk to Me Summer,” the instrumental track on Screeching Weasel’s Anthem for a New Tomorrow. At the same time, though, I get the impression that 3D & the Holograms appreciates the wild and raw sounds of early Italian hardcore bands like Wretched, Indigesti, and Negazione. For me, their music is at its strongest when those two sides of the band push against each other, like on the aforementioned “3D Theme” and the similarly melodic “MS-DOS.” For Sorry State / North Carolina punk heads, 3D & the Holograms also reminds me of Menthol, the pre-Public Acid and Mutant Strain group whose Plastic Garden cassette we put out back in 2015. I’m not sure how many people share my taste for both melodic punk and nasty, abrasive hardcore, but if you do, I think you’ll agree this is a special record.


The Vacant Lot: Living Underground 7” (Iron Lung Records) Iron Lung reissues this obscure 1981 single by the Vacant Lot, who were from the Australian capital city of Canberra. The date and location might be misleading, though, because to me this sounds like it could have come from the UK circa 1978, just as the original post-punk bands splintered off from the first wave of punk. As with the early recordings by Wire and Joy Division, the Vacant Lot seems to sense two paths leading away from punk’s inspiration: one leading toward an even more stripped-down, aggressive sound and another moving in a direction that’s more complex and eclectic. The two tracks that bookend Living Underground are in the former vein, reminding me of tracks like Joy Division’s “Warsaw” and Wire’s “12XU,” ramping up punk’s energy not so much because they’re more pissed off, but as an exercise in minimalism. On the other two tracks I can hear some of the reggae and funk influences that ultimately shaped the post-punk scene, particularly on the very Public Image Ltd-esque “She’s Really Dead.” “Multinationals” is the strongest track, though, a more aggressive song that recalls the Murder Punk classics, but with a squelch of synth for the weirdos. It’s very cool that Iron Lung Records rescued this one from obscurity.


SLOI: S/T 12” (Iron Lung Records) Iron Lung Records brings us this hardcore banger from Trento in northern Italy. That’s the same part of the country as Sorry State’s own Golpe, and I hear some musical similarities between the two bands. Specifically, SLOI shares Golpe’s predilection for playing d-beat hardcore that hovers between mid-paced and three-quarters paced, never too brisk with the tempos but crushingly heavy when the BPMs drop. Also like Golpe, SLOI’s riffs are rock solid, not dazzling you with too many notes, but marching forward with the steady power of a massive army of foot soldiers. SLOI takes their name from a lead factory that poisoned its surrounding area in the Italian alps for four decades, and the name seems appropriate since there’s a palpable sense of desperation in SLOI’s music; in contrast to hardcore that sounds defiant or just plain pissed, SLOI’s music sounds pained, wounded even. That comes out in the hoarse vocals and the haunting, dissonant guitar leads that pop up throughout the record. With only seven tracks, this 45rpm 12” is over before you know it, but it’s lean and mean as hell.


Paprika: Smoked cassette (Chaos and Chill) Paprika’s first cassette came out on Iron Lung, but this new tape is the first release on a new label called Chaos and Chill, released for Paprika’s recent tour. I was a big fan of Paprika’s first tape, and Smoked rips too. While Paprika sounds like a hardcore band of the 2020s, the elements of their sound come together in a way that doesn’t sound like anyone else. Their riffs are nimble and catchy, but the guitar tone is a biting and mid-range-y, more like a death metal tone than a typical hardcore punk sound. The vocalist has a snotty bark that commands the room, but I think Paprika’s secret weapon is how they arrange their songs. They’re full of catchy stops and starts and dynamic accents that keep the energy level sky-high. After three originals, they finish up with a cover of the Buzzcocks’ “You Tear Me Up,” known to nerds the world over as the first d-beat song. Excellent stuff.


Featured Releases: April 20, 2023

Body Maintenance: Beside You 12” (Drunken Sailor Records) We wrote about this Melbourne, Australia band’s debut EP back in 2021, and now they’re back with their debut full-length on the UK label Drunken Sailor. In case you missed that first EP, Body Maintenance’s sound is grounded in the cold, tense post-punk sound of late 1970s England. While bands trying to be the new Joy Division are a dime a dozen, Body Maintenance is a cut above thanks to their sophisticated pop sensibilities and their lush sound. In fact, rather than the standard comparisons to bands like Joy Division and Bauhaus, I’m more inclined to liken Body Maintenance to groups like the Teardrop Explodes, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Modern English, all of whom added liberal doses of psychedelia and pop to the post-punk formula. Chameleons fans will also find a lot to love here, particularly on upbeat tracks like “Silver Yarns” and “The Spiral.” While the upbeat pop numbers front-load the album, the latter half slows down the tempos and gets more sullen, with tracks like “Beside You” reminding me more of the Cure circa Faith and 17 Seconds. If you enjoyed that recent A Culture of Killing LP on Drunken Sailor, Beside You is well worth checking out, as it’s similar in both sound and the high quality of the songwriting and production.


Ordinance: demo cassette (Dynastic Yellow Star) The Florida hardcore label Dynastic Yellow Star brings us the demo cassette from this new band out of Richmond, Virginia. Ordinance’s music is grounded in the noisiest and most brutal d-beat classics (I hear a lot of Shitlickers and Disarm), but they don’t sound like one of those bands who reverse-engineers old records… instead, Ordinance takes the basic building blocks of a relentless rhythm section and guitars and vocals drenched in noise and uses it to build their own thing. The vocals, rather than the gutteral bark those Swedish bands preferred, are more of a youthful howl drenched and reverb and delay, incomprehensible to where it threatens to unspool into pure noise. The guitars, on the other hand, have completed this unspooling process, with a fried tone that pulls against the more straightforward bass playing, creating an almost psychedelic tension. Something about the desperation I hear in Ordinance’s music also makes me think of 90s Gravity bands like Angel Hair and Heroin. In other words, this is DIY hardcore, as raw and as real as it gets.


Punter: S/T 12” (Drunken Sailor Records) This debut 12” from Melbourne, Australia’s Punter is one of those records that I went into with no expectations and got fully knocked on my ass. While I wouldn’t describe Punter as a hardcore band, they play a lot harder and faster than many bands who consider themselves hardcore. However, there’s too much of Australia’s long, rich tradition of ass-kicking rock and roll in Punter’s sound for hardcore to define them. On the track “Retirement Simulator” (my favorite on the record), Punter brings to mind Plastic Surgery Disasters-era Dead Kennedys, trading in the same kinds of blistering rhythms and snotty, sarcastic vocals, but once again doused in pints of Radio Birdman and AC/DC and Cosmic Psychos. The epic last track, “A Year’s Silence,” makes me think of the Damned’s Machine Gun Etiquette, similarly rippingly, psychedelically grandiose and over the top. With only six tracks (one of which is more of an intro than a song), Punter leaves me wanting more, and I often play it a few times in a row, which only makes these songs’ subtle hooks dig themselves even further into my brain. This might not be your cup of tea if Punter’s brazen criss-crossing of genres rubs you the wrong way, but if all you want from life is a great melody delivered with the energy level of a frightened chihuahua, then you need to check this record out.


Litovsk: S/T 12” (Symphony of Destruction Records) Even though we’ve carried several of their records over the past few years, I’m pretty sure this new 5-song 12” EP is the first time I’ve given them a close listen. They do not sound like what I expected! Has anyone coined the term skingaze yet? As in a combination of skinhead / oi! music and shoegaze? I think the word accurately describes Litovsk’s sound. The singer belts out broad, anthemic melodies like Gary Bushell is in the audience tonight, but the guitars are lush, layered, and bathed in effects. It’s halfway between Blitz’s Second Empire Justice and Modern English’s After the Snow, and like those records (both of which I love, by the way), the songwriting is excellent. While that’s what Litovsk brings to mind for me, it’s also not too far away from stuff that labels like Jade Tree were putting out in the late 90s. A similar mix of lush arrangements, melodic songwriting, and a dash of punk energy powered bands like the Promise Ring, Braid, and Texas Is the Reason. Maybe that broad range of comparisons means there’s a timeless quality to Litovsk’s music. Any way you slice it, though, this is a beautiful and powerful EP.


Featured Releases: April 14, 2023

Glittering Insects: S/T 12” (Total Punk Records) I love the conceit of Total Punk’s sub-label Mind Meld, which releases records by punk luminaries working outside the boundaries of their main projects. This latest release by Glittering Insects is the creative core of one of our favorite current bands at Sorry State, Atlanta’s GG King, jamming out in their studio without whatever limitations shape the records they release under the GG King umbrella. Not that GG King isn’t a wide net… from almost the very beginning, their records have featured experiments in noise, black metal, hip-hop, and other unexpected genres, but under the Glittering Insects moniker, they let the members’ creativity run wild. The results are just fantastic… I had high hopes for this record given how much I love GG King, and it surpassed all of them. Like GG King’s records, it’s hard to pin down. The music is layered, with competing melodies, textures, and rhythms pulling in different directions. I love records like this that are a feast for the ears, and while there’s something to be said for the more straightforward pop approach that GG King also excels at, I love to put on a record like this, smoke a big ‘ol doob, and get lost in it. At different points, Glittering Insects might remind you of many similarly ambitious rock bands… Can, the Fall, Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, Stereolab, Slint, My Bloody Valentine… as with those bands, the scope is wide and the well of ideas is deep. Pick this up and let it take you on a journey.


Banshee: Breakdown 7” (Urbain Grandier Records) Canadian label Urbain Grandier reissues this scorching slice of Canadian metal history. Released in 1983 and collectible ever since, the original pressing of “Breakdown” will run you a couple hundred bucks, and this reissue presents the original track listing and layout with an additional insert and liner notes. While “Breakdown” is from Canada in 1983, the a-side sounds like the UK circa 1979, and you could slot it into any comp of vintage NWBOHM pounders and no one would bat an eye… it just has that sound, and if you’re a fan of early Def Leppard, Diamond Head, Blitzkrieg, and the like, you’re gonna like it. The b-side is cool too, but rather than the upbeat NWOBHM of the a-side, it sounds more indebted to Rainbow. A hot single, and I’m sure metalheads the world over are stoked to have an accessible, well-done official reissue.


Various: Invasion 88 12” (Fuego a las Fronteras) Fuego a las Fronteras brings us another high-quality reissue, this time of the 1988 Argentine punk compilation Invasion 88. While Invasion 88 came out in 1988, it documents ten bands from the Argentine punk scene that existed between 1984 and 1988, so it takes in earlier eras of the punk scene. Actually, most of the bands here have 70s punk sound, taking inspiration from bands like the Clash, though including straight edge band Division Autista proves Argentina wasn’t cut off from what was happening in the rest of the world in the late 80s. Each of the 10 bands get two tracks, and I wouldn’t call any of them a dud, though standouts for me include Division Autista’s chaotic-sounding melodic hardcore, the all-woman band Exeroica, and the blistering Partisans-esque track “Ratis” by Defensa Y Justicia, a short-lived offshoot of Attaque 77 (who is also on the compilation). The music is great, but as with Fuego a las Fronteras, the package is full of material that deepens the listener’s engagement with and appreciation of the music. The original pressing of Invasion 88 came with a booklet insert with information and lyrics from all the bands, and this reissue expands that booklet to include English translations of all of this material without disrupting the original’s aesthetic. Additionally, this version comes with a DVD featuring a full-length documentary about the compilation, Heroxs Del 88. While I haven’t watched the whole thing yet (though it’s at the top of my to-do list!), the trailer makes it look like American Hardcore for 80s Argentine punk. A historically important record reissued with a ton of cool extras for a great price… what more could a punk want?


XV: On the Creekbeds on the Thrones 12” (Gingko Records) On the Creekbeds on the Thrones is the second album from Michigan’s XV. XV’s first album looms large in my consciousness… I didn’t hear about it until a year after it came out, but once I heard it, I couldn’t stop listening. (You can read the staff pick in which I raved about it here.) Perhaps it’s because I listen to so much hardcore, but XV’s music felt like the perfect counterpoint to my usual listening diet, like a yoga position that pulls your limbs in the opposite of your habitual direction and releases a flood of endorphins. Whereas hardcore is tightly structured, aggressive, heavy, and (often, at least) macho, XV’s music is feminine, loose, and airy, seeming to drift in and out of existence like some kind of wood nymph. On the Creekbeds on the Thrones picks up where the band’s first album left off... like that record, it feels like a glimpse into someone else’s consciousness. XV has called their music “free punk,” and like free jazz it eschews the rigidity of structure that almost all other punk music takes as a given. Take a track like “Tasmanian Angels,” which starts off as a ramshackle, Television Personalities-style twee punk tune, but over the course of its three minutes unravels into a vaguely Eastern-sounding jam that could be an outtake from one of the Velvet Underground’s first two albums or even one of Alice Coltrane’s early solo records. Throughout the album, XV floats between more “rock” moments and passages that are freer (and usually quieter), but it feels less like changing gears and more like a natural process such as evaporation or freezing, happening so incrementally that you can’t pinpoint when it moves from one mode to another. I can see someone—especially someone who doesn’t feel like they need a counterpoint to the punk that dominates their soundtrack—finding this aimless, or even finding stream-of-consciousness lyrics to songs like “Pen” and “Fresh Lettuce” too artless. For me, though, XV’s music transports me somewhere no other band can take me.


Histeria: Discografía 12” (Fuego a las Fronteras) This release collects the 1985 and 1986 demos from this Mexican punk band. I knew of Histeria more than I knew them… I can’t remember where I’ve checked them out in the past, but I knew their material was very raw and lo-fi. That is indeed the case, but Fuego a las Fronteras and Bam Bam Records illustrate how a well-done reissue can give you a new appreciation for a band. Like the labels’ other reissues, this comes with a full-color booklet in both English and Spanish, which tells the band’s story and provides lyrics and graphics from the band’s original era, including a full reproduction of a very rare illustrated lyric booklet that only came with a handful of original copies. I listened to the record before I read the booklet, and it surprised me how much the 1985 demo reminded me of European hardcore… these recordings sound a lot like early Wretched, whom Histeria covers on their 1986 demo. Early Mexican punk has a reputation for being raw and chaotic in much the same way early Italian hardcore does, and that comes across here. Weirdly, the 1986 demo sounds even more lo-fi and crazier, though I think some of what made that 1985 demo so special gets lost in the lower fidelity. As for the booklet, it just pulled me into the band’s world so effectively… I’m very thankful for it. Histeria’s lyrics are great (and filled with the same radical politics you get from a lot of European punk), and learning about the conditions under which they made these recordings was powerful. When they recorded the first tape, only the drummer owned equipment, so they rehearsed with whatever they could borrow. And that rawer second demo? They recorded it with a tape recorder strapped to the singer’s chest to get his un-amplified voice closer to the microphone while he stood surrounded by the rest of the band. You don’t get more punk than that. Again, I’m so thankful for Fuego la Frontera’s excellent reissue, which allows me to appreciate Histeria in a way that I never could have gotten from a shitty YouTube rip of their tapes.


Caverna: Nueva Paz 12” (Discos Enfermos) The Spanish label Discos Enfermos once again dips into Bogotá, Colombia’s fertile punk scene for the debut record from Caverna. If that sentence doesn’t perk up your ears, you need to do some research, because Colombia has been producing great bands at a faster clip than pretty much anywhere in the world for the past several years. While the bands range in styles, the most notable ones share a raw aesthetic and a knack for capturing passionate, explosive performances in their recordings. (As well as live, based on the handful of bands I’ve been able to see.) Caverna is a perfect example of what I associate with that scene. Their style is a straightforward iteration of UK82 punk, built around driving, straightforward drums and anthemic, chanted choruses. The singer sounds a bit like Eddie from Vaaska to me, with a raspy snarl that’s just a little snotty. And while there are innovative moments, it’s not about being clever, it’s about using the music as a kind of ritual that summons something bigger than itself. As a (shamefully) monolingual person who only speaks English, there’s a whole element of Caverna’s expression that’s opaque to me, but I’d like to think it comes across in the blazing intensity I feel when I listen to this record. A real scorcher.