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Hi and thanks for reading. I haven’t really been listening to records again. I finally listened to this copy of the DISMACHINE / NAILED DOWN split that I picked up back in June, haha. While I got this record for DISMACHINE, the NAILED DOWN shit is pretty cool. I think they were from Australia? Also pretty cool, this record came out in 1997 and they covered KURO. I remember having this record once a long time ago and I foolishly sold it. It’s not an expensive record by any means, but shit they are hard to find in the States. I actually picked this record up at Trash Palace in Stockholm. I first heard DISMACHINE via their split with TOTALITÄR and I was hooked right away. I think those are some of their best tracks, with the perfect fusion of groovy d-beat and truly disgusting blast beats. If you don’t know, the guitarist is Jan “Jutte” Jutila, who operated the label Your Own Jailer. And whom I also refer to as the Swedish d-beat master, haha. My friend Martin told me Jutte didn’t use a guitar pick… what the fuck? I’m sure I have raved about this 7” here before, but I think the TIMES SQUARE PREACHERS Don’t Be Numb EP is one of the best records to come out in the ‘90s. The songwriting is killer, and damn, the drums are so groovy. It’s insane how deep he gets in that pocket. Oh yes, I brought that up cos Jutte was playing drums in TSP. Haha, Martin also told me another story where Jutte would get on stage and stick his head in the kick drum to make sure drummers were playing a proper d-beat. I think the recording itself is also excellent. The drums are placed in the perfect spot in the mix. The guitar sounds clear but also simultaneously gnarly. Surprise, Jutte recorded the tracks haha. He also recorded both sides of the TOTALITÄR / DISMACHINE split. I’m pretty sure he recorded every record he played on actually, at least the ones he released on YOJ. I know some readers already know all this shit, so I apologize. But I still need to point out the DISMACHINE/CUMBRAGE split 7”. Now, these right here are probably my favorite DISMACHINE tracks. The first track is so pummeling it’s nuts. They bring you in with some riff perfection with ripping d-beat but then sprinkle in these blasts near the end that bring the intensity to the next level. I typically hate blasting, but in the case of DISMACHINE there is something original and special about it. There’s some crazy shit happening on “Aargh,” which is an entire blast track. The bass tone also really sticks out in that song, and the sound just blows my mind. So, I didn’t bring up this record to obsess over DISMACHINE really, but to point out the Jutte did vocals in CUMBRAGE. I love these CUMBRAGE tracks. The sound isn’t crispy like DISMACHINE, but the riffing is absolutely on point. The way that mofo dances up and down the fretboard is so sick, and once again, the drummer is groovy as fuck.

Alright, so the photo I used above is from this band KURT KANONMAT. I know nothing about this band, like at all. According to the youtube link, they released this EP Äldre Skolans Mangel in 2023. But I wonder if it’s just digital or what. My aforementioned friend Martin sent this to me last week, and I have been listening to it often. It’s not doing anything groundbreaking really, and the riffs are not necessarily ones that get stuck in my head either. But I still think this shit rips. Sometimes they remind me of MOB 47, and other times NO SECURITY. They certainly have speed and intensity, and they do some weird bits here and there, so the sound isn’t always what I’d expect—and I can really appreciate that. I will have to grill Martin on what he knows about the band, and if this was actually physically released. I think have some more questions for him about Jutte as well, haha. I will report back with my finding. Cheers and thanks for reading.

Hi and thanks for reading. Today I write with very limited time, so this will be short. First, you need this MECHT MENSCH reissue. Their original 7” Acceptance has become increasingly harder to find. Luckily, you can get those tracks now on this reissue, plus their entire recorded output! I will say the sound quality of those Acceptance tracks is excellent. I haven’t had time to compare the sound to the 7”, but when listening to the reissue it seemed like it actually sounded better than I remember the original sounding. Maybe my memory is absolutely wrong though. This reissue is kinda expensive, but it is really well done. The disc comes housed in a gatefold sleeve, and a massive poster is included alongside a nice-sized booklet. I know there were a few different color variants, but the black vinyl was pressed in the same quantities as the colors, so it’s really just as limited. I think black sounds better compared to those swirly color ones anyway, and it’s cheaper too. Get yours before it’s too late. I know the label is almost sold out!

So, last time I wrote I mentioned these new NO FUCKER 7”s. I think Daniel ended up publishing the newsletter after we got them in stock, so my writing probably didn’t make as much sense since I was writing about them before we had em in stock. We actually sold out of the first batch pretty quickly, and we are onto a restock now. I had no idea what these records would sound like since they weren’t streaming anywhere, but I knew I’d need both of ‘em cos NO FUCKER is so good live. It seems that Annihilate Your Desperation was recorded first, going by the catalogue number. I think this might be the last material they recorded with their drummer Luke before he sadly passed away earlier this year. The record is good, but it has a pretty “lo-fi” sound to it. Now the other 7”, Are You Really So Afraid, sounds worlds different. The sound is absolutely punishing. The guitar tone is perfect. It’s kinda funny cos this 7” is literally just DISCHARGE songs with new lyrics done by NO FUCKER, but holy shit it is still so good. On paper this sounds like a cheesy move, but NO FUCKER really pulled this one off. If you haven’t grabbed copies yet, I would suggest you grab both. Are You Really So Afraid really hit the spot for me. Alright, that’s all the time I have today. Thank you for reading and thanks for your support!

Hi and thanks for reading. Not sure if y’all saw, but NO FUCKER has two new 7”s they just released. I was pretty into their previous EP Tombs. They released a flexi around the same time/right before that 7” entitled No Future, and the sound on that one is fucking insane, like in the best way possible. I wonder what these new ones will sound like, and I Iook forward to hearing them. I mean obviously they are gunna sound like DISCHARGE, haha, but you know what I mean. I am not sure when this stuff was recorded since I don’t have a copy yet. The main reason I wonder that is cos they have a new drummer now, Joe BB. Joe is absolutely pummeling and has played drums in bands for well over a decade. FAIRYTALE and SALVAJE PUNK were some of his more recent bands that I really thought ripped like hell. I learned that NO FUCKER’s previous drummer Luke had passed away when I saw them at the LIFE gig in Richmond last month. Really sad. NO FUCKER tore up that stage at the gig. JJ’s guitar work is like that of a genius. It’s obvious he has a serious influence from Kawakami, especially in the way that he plays solos. It’s not often, if ever, that someone can really master that style. Anyways, we have a nice stack on the way - so keep an eye out if you need a copy!

Moving on to WRETCHED. We just restocked a few copies of this compilation entitled Libero E Selvaggio. This comp includes all their 7”s and their split tracks with INDIGESTI, spanning from 1982 to 1988. While that 1988 7” In ControLuce sounds significantly different from their earlier material, I still love it so much. I ignorantly used to favor the later WRETCHED stuff, namely the 1986 12” La Tua Morte Non Aspetta. It wasn’t too long before I could really appreciate the chaotic intensity of their earlier stuff, and now I can’t believe I ever favored the later stuff, haha. I know they sound more solid and less sloppy later, but they sound so unbelievably raw on their first few records with a truly unique and original sound. Anyways, this compilation came out a while ago now, and I think we just got some copies from that initial pressing. I know there was a box set reissue as well that came out at the same time. I think I still have one of those, although it seems like they are not so easy to come by now. On this 12” version, the vinyl comes housed in a gatefold sleeve with a bunch of pictures I had never seen before on the inside. The layout is pretty simple, but they have nice scans of all the 7” covers on the inner sleeve, with lyrics included as well. It would be cool if they had English translations, like most if not all the original records, but I understand that might have made the layout a bit too messy. I’m not really sure if all the stuff on this compilation had been reissued and/or bootlegged previously, but having all these tracks in one place is more than ideal if you ask me. Those original 7”s just get harder and harder to find these days, especially that iconic split with INDIGESTI. If you don’t already have their records or the box set, I would say this compilation is a must-have! Alright, that’s all I have for today. Cheers and thanks for reading, and thanks for your support!

Hi and thanks for reading. I went and saw MASTER last night here in town. I was on the fence cos I don’t like going to metal shows. I don’t really even like metal; I think it’s corny shit. Of course, I love SEPULTURA. I also think SUFFOCATION’s Human Waste EP is a masterpiece. And, I do like every DARKTHRONE record I have ever heard. My friend got me into MASTER sometime during the pandemic. Their 1990 LP is excellent, if you ask me. I hoped they would play some tracks from it, and they sure did. Recently I discovered their unreleased demo from 1985, and that shit rips as well. The show was thirty bucks, another reason I didn’t wanna go. I lucked out and walked in with the right person though, cos the door guy let me in for free. So sick. At first, I thought the band was a bit too cheesy. The drummer would stand up often after songs. The guitarist would point the neck of his guitar at the crowd with his legs spread. He and the guitarist both would stick their tongues out and make mean metal faces. But after some time, I could see they were just having a good time. In between a few songs near the end, they would jam out on some silly riffs, and I could see their band dynamic was wholesome and not super serious. This was pleasant to see. The crowd was stiff. But still, I had to throw some beer cans at the band. I wasn’t sure how they’d take it, but who cares. The drummer gave me a tongue of affirmation though, hahah. One can landed on his little splash cymbal, and he loved it. After the gig was over, I saw what I thought were two people approaching the bassist/vocalist separately and asking him for the set list on his amp. He would just shake his head and turn his back to them. I waited a few minutes and then asked him if those guys had asked for the set list. He confirmed that happened, and then I asked him why he wouldn’t give it up. He said he didn’t wanna have to write a new one, haha. Well, I still asked him for the set list, politely. He turned me down at first, but I said I would even write him a new set list if I could keep the original. Not sure if it was the punishing or the charisma, but he surrendered it to me in the end. Score, hehe.

Alright, onward to my staff pick - LAMA!!! This record is essential for any record collection, easily. The Svart description nailed it perfectly, and you can read that in the product description on our website. I did a bit of LAMA nerding a few months ago when I wrote about the LAMA box set that Svart also did, so I really don’t have a lot to say today about their LP. If you still haven’t picked one of those box sets up for some odd reason, you seriously need one. Their LP was originally released on Johanna, just like all their EPs. The LP was released in 1982, after they did three of the four 7”s. It kinda sucks I can’t find the LP online anywhere streaming, but there is some sick live footage of them playing a track from the LP. If you haven’t heard this LP, just trust me that it’s good as I say and you need a copy, haha. This is the second time Svart has pressed it; the first time was back in 2011. Those actually became kinda hard to come by, so it’s great that Svart put it back in print! Oh yeah, if you don’t have that double-disc compilation that Stupido did a few years ago, maybe you haven’t heard these demo recordings from 1980! It’s mostly just the Totuus Löytyy Kaurapuurosta EP, however there is a song that I don’t think they ever recorded again, and it only appeared in that demo session. I saw the same youtube channel has a live recording of LAMA from 1981, and they play a good chunk of the LP songs. I know live recordings that are just audio with no video can be boring for some, but I think it was still cool listen—check it out! Alright, I think that’s all I have for today. Cheers and thanks for reading, and thanks for your support!

Hi and thanks for reading. I have been blasting records for a change. I have also been getting blasted drunk every night for like three weeks, and my body is without a doubt feeling it. Instead of writing about records I have been listening to, I am going to write about the 185 Miles South podcast Daniel was just featured on this week. I guess I’m not really writing about the podcast too much, but more about VORKRIEGSPHASE, who is pictured above and talked about a bit in the podcast.

So, I can’t tell you how many times I yelled out, “Oh my god…” while listening to this podcast. My opinions differed so often from what was being said. Not every time, of course, but goddamn sometimes I was like, “What the fuck?” haha. But that tracks, cos I think that SOA 7” they praised in passing pretty much sucks, so it makes sense we’d have significantly different opinions on hardcore. I know it came out in 1981, and stuff coming out that early usually means something to me, but in this case it does not. Now something like the KAAOS/CADGERS split 7” that also came out in 1981, that is right up my alley… straightforward, raw and pissed off, with political lyrics and not Henry Rollins’ buff ass singing about wanting to die, straight edge, or girl problems. I don’t mean to dog the podcast, so I hope it doesn’t come off that way. It was a good listen, and I appreciated the shout-out in the beginning.

I kinda wish I was there to interject with some nerdy trivia, and that brings me to talk about VORKRIEGSPHASE here today. So, when talking about VORKRIEGSPHASE, like most people I encounter, they raved about the insane guitar tone. Something I find so funny about that is how the band’s master did not sound like that, and it was Rock-O-Rama that changed the sound, to the band’s disliking. In the podcast they talked about the LP and EP, and they weren’t sure which came first. If I was there, I would have interjected and let them know the LP and EP are from the same session, and they were released on ROR at the same time (they are just one catalogue number apart). They actually mentioned this bootleg with their demos that came out a few years ago, and inside that bootleg the insert has an interview with Frank, the guitarist from VORKRIEGSPHASE. At some point I learned where this interview was originally published, but I can’t remember for the life of me where that was. I can’t type out the entire interview here, but I will add these few bits that I found the most informative.

Q: So, tell us about this legendary guitar sound of yours—how did you manage to play your guitar with so much distortion? What effects did you use? What guitar sound did you try to re-create, if any?

Frank: I used a tube screamer and distortion and had a Marshall amp, plus Ariana pro II guitar with DiMarzio pickups. And yes, I liked to create a powerful distorted guitar sound that sounded mean while playing fast.

Q: I’m assuming the biggest influence on VORKRIEGSPHASE sound was the golden bands of UK82 (i.e. DISCHARGE, CHAOS UK, DISORDER, and G.B.H.) What bands did you listen to at the time? What was the inspiration for the unique VORKRIEGSPHASE sound?

Frank: DISCHARGE, BAD BRAINS, and MDC were some of my favorite bands at that time and they were a big influence. We did want our own unique sound and so our drummer had a big impact on this regard.

Q: In retrospect, it is very tempting to group VORKRIEGSPHASE with other hardcore bands from the early 80s with similarly distorted guitar sound such as CONFUSE, GAI/SWANKYS from Japan, or the chaotic sound of Italian bands like EU’s ARSE, IMPACT, and WRETCHED. Or the “DISCHARGE” bands from Sweden like SHITLICKERS and ANTI-CIMEX, or indeed the bands from Finland like TERVEET KÄDET, KAAOS, TAMPERE SS etc. Were you aware of these specific bands at the time?

Frank: Ha ha ha, “SHITLICKERS?”… Yikes… haha… no I did not listen to any of these bands.

Q: OK, so how did the Rock-O-Rama thing come about? Did you send demos to Herbert Egoldt or did he “discover” you? Did you sign a formal contract with him?

Frank: We did send a demo and yes he liked it—yes we had a contract… we sold our souls haha.

Q: As the story goes, Hebert Egoldt remixed your studio recording “behind your back” and this ended up on the records. What really happened?

Frank: Yes—the master tape we listened to at the end of the recording session was different from the final album release. He added some kind of overdrive to the guitar sound, too much buzzzzz for my taste—I love crazy distorted guitar sounds, but there is no point in creating a sound that eliminates the chords we played. An example is “Neue Heimat”—listen to the start of the song, that’s exactly how I liked the way the guitar mixed. The drum sounds pale, it’s kinda lost…

Alright, I’m outta time, and I don’t have it in me to type out any more tiny text haha. I will try to find the source of this interview and where it was published originally. Check out the podcast if you have not yet! They talk about a ton of killer records. Cheers and thanks for reading.

Hi and thanks for reading. We recently got a huge order in from UK distributor Plastic Head, and we got a few copies of this EXISTENZ reissue from them. Heptown Records originally reissued this LP back in 2018, and that’s actually when I first discovered EXISTENZ. Unlike most of the raging Swedish hardcore bands I know, they do not typically play with a d-beat style. Regardless, their debut 1983 7” is some of the rawest hardcore that came out of Sweden I have heard. I wish someone would reissue that damn record! When comparing the 7” to the LP, the LP is not nearly as good—however, I do still consider the LP an essential record. It’s much less chaotic and kinda has more of a UK82 feel to it. I wish I took the time to check what the Swedish Punk Encyclopedia had to say about EXISTENZ before writing today, but in my typical fashion as of late I am not prepared. I know they were from Helsingborg, which is the same town SWANKERS PMS was also from. If I remember right, the same artist handled artwork for both bands’ 7”s as well. EXISTENZ reformed sometime in the 2000s. I haven’t checked out any of their new material, and maybe it’s terribly presumptuous of me to think it’s gunna suck, haha. However, a fortunate outcome from their reformation is that you can find all their ‘80s shit on their bandcamp page. They’ve got all the tracks under Let’s Get Drunk Before It’s Too Late, but you can hear the 7” and a handful of songs that only appeared on compilations following the LP. I think I only have one of those comps, so I was especially excited to discover I can stream some nice quality tracks online. Funny enough, it sounds like they ripped an actual 7” to get the tracks on bandcamp, haha. Maybe that’s why it has still yet to be reissued! The LP reissue is quite nice. It’s pretty much an exact reproduction of the original with the reissue label’s information added. The original record included an insert and the reissue upgraded that to a printed inner sleeve. The LP features a ton of photos of the band, and they did an excellent job with the printing of the reissue. Too often I see reissues with that moiré pattern shit on the photos. Maybe you know what I’m talking about? Or I am just picky, haha. Ahh… alright, I guess that’s all I got today. If you don’t know this record, I’d suggest you check it out! If you know EXISTENZ and don’t have this reissue—jump on it! Cheers and thanks for reading.

Hi and thanks for reading. Today I am shamelessly using this space to promote two new releases on my label Prescription. I am honored to release this split 7” with two of my favorite d-beat/kängpunk bands: DESTRUCT and SVAVELDIOXID. DESTRUCT has just embarked on a short tour with Japan’s LiFE. If you are anywhere close to one of their gigs, you’d be a fool to miss it! The standard covers have killer artwork by Wombat of SMT. They were beautifully screen printed by Monolith, based out of Oakland. A local friend, Jeff from PARANOID MANIAC, screen printed some bonus mail order sleeves, which were done with silver ink on black paper. I am super happy with the result. Of course, Sorry State will have copies of the split soon, but if you fancy the limited version, you can order from bunkerpunks.bigcartel.com and secure your copy before they sell out. This record took much longer than I expected to come out. The original prints were lost in the mail back in May. Then that printer I normally use happened to be shut down for two months. Maybe one day they will show up… haha. The screen-printed alternative was much more expensive, but in the end, I am happy to have more deluxe packaging.

Alongside this split is a debut cassette from Uppsala’s SHITCONTROL. If you haven’t heard this tape yet, you can check it out here. While SHITCONTROL isn’t doing anything new if you ask me, the execution is simply perfect. They deliver eight tracks of absolutely raging DISCHARGE style Swedish hardcore. They even recorded on a 4-channel Portastudio, the same way MOB 47 did! I got very excited when I learned the bassist Robin was previously the guitarist of ANGER BURNING. I wrote about ANGER BURNING some years ago. All of their records are so good, and I think When is a modern masterpiece. If, for some reason, you haven’t heard that LP, do yourself a favor and check it out immediately. When talking to Robin, he informed me that their drummer Calle played in the ‘90s band DISCONTROL. I had never heard of them, but holy shit their side of this split smokes. The tone is so gnarly, it’s insane. They weren’t from Uppsala like SHITCONTROL is, but they definitely sound like something you could have heard on the Uppsala Crust Compilation. Because of this compilation and the label Your Own Jailer, I always thought Uppsala was the coolest place ever for 90s hardcore. While most countries had whack and/or boring hardcore through the ‘90s, Sweden had some of the best shit I have heard to this day. Japan obviously follows the same theme as well. Anyways, Sorry State will have copies of this tape as well, so stay tuned! That’s all for today then. Cheers and thanks for your support.

Hi and thanks for reading. Today I will write briefly about two different things. Before I get into the image above, I want to share this compilation a friend of mine, CLT, just showed me. I don’t think there is a physical format of this comp. CLT shared it with me from a geocities link, haha. I shared the YouTube link cos it’s easier to navigate, especially if you don’t speak Italian. CLT told me he thinks all the bands are composed of young punks. NARKAN and APOPTOSI were two names I recognized, and I know they are younger punks. We actually have the APOPTOSI 7” in stock at the moment. There are ten bands total, and I enjoy some more than others. Overall, it’s a great listen. It’s refreshing to hear some new shit from a new generation. Check it out if you aren’t familiar!

Alright, the image I used above I pulled from this lecture I just watched.

Originally the artwork, Waiting, was created in the early 1900s by Udo J. Keppler, who was an American political cartoonist. Simon Johnson delivered this lecture, “Disease Environments, the Mortality of Europeans, and the Creation of Institutions in the Colonial Era.” He won a Nobel Peace Prize recently. I don’t pay attention to that shit, and institutions are typically a farce in my opinion. I don’t know anything about this guy, but the stuff he says in this lecture is spot-on. He doesn’t use big words, and it’s fairly simple to follow what he says. I will probably have to watch it a few more times to really retain everything, though. Basically, what I took from it was how he explains how industrialization has led us to the countless terrible global issues we have today. If you have thirty minutes to spare, I’d suggest checking it out. Alright, that’s all for today. Much love.

Hi and thanks for reading. I have listened to one actual record since I last wrote. Instead of boring you with the Buddhist philosophy I have been reading, I will write briefly about a few records instead. First, I will take this time and space to help promote the upcoming SVAVELDIXOID / DESTRUCT split 7” coming soon on my label Prescription and Children of the Grave Records in France. This split has been in the works longer than expected. I had the artwork mailed back in May, but unfortunately USPS has lost the parcel. And then of course another obstacle: the printer I use has been shut down for over a month while they move. The new screen-printed covers should be shipped this week, and I hope to release this bad boy before the month is over. Of course you can expect to find copies via Sorry State, but I will have a variant limited to 50 copies that will be only available on the Bunker Punks webshop. DESTRUCT will have some advance copies of the split at Skullfest this weekend. If you’re attending the fest, keep your eyes peeled and you can secure a copy before the proper release date!

If anyone knows me to any degree, they probably know I am a super-fan of DESTRUCT. I would even say I am their biggest fan, haha. Bands that can steamroll you like this live are few and far between. They are easily one of the best bands I have ever seen. I have been a fan of SVAVELDIXOID since I first heard them ages ago, and I am honored to be releasing some material from them. I feel like each release I hear from them just gets better and better. They seem to have a slight touch of like death metal or something, and I mean extremely slight—but I am all here for it. Their roots stand firmly in traditional Swedish käng, like that of BOMBANFALL. If, for some reason, you aren’t familiar with this band I would suggest you check em out right away! I don’t think any bands of the time had this type of intensity. A lot of bands had abandoned this straightforward style by the late ‘80s, but instead BOMBANFALL amplified the traditional Swedish hardcore sound with a much heavier and darker approach and made an absolutely perfect record.

Alright, moving onto some stuff we have in stock at Sorry State. AYUCABA instantly caught my ears and eyes. Not only is the packaging extremely cool, but their songwriting style is also just as cool. This 12” is my introduction to the band. I know they had a demo in 2023, but I haven’t heard it. In this album’s description, they mention they have a new vocalist since their debut, and I love the vocal style. The songwriting is on the metallic side, but it’s certainly still just hardcore punk. Some elements remind me a bit of ENGLISH DOGS, but it really reminds of the EXECUTE at times as well. I feel like pulling off metallic hardcore punk without sounding too polished or cheesy is no easy task. This record was super refreshing to hear, and I have been anticipating our copies to arrive since I heard them on bandcamp. Check it out, and I imagine you might enjoy it as much as I do.

Metadona Records released the AYUCABA 12” alongside this debut LAKRA 12” that I really dig. It’s only five songs, so I was apprehensive about buying a copy, but after listening a few times I decided that definitely needed a copy for myself. LAKRA’s sound is not particularly unique, but they execute this classic sound very well with some hints of a more contemporary style. I can’t get enough of the guitar tone. The drums definitely sound modern, but that guitar sound they got sounds 80s as hell to me. They are from Mallorca, which unfortunately my ignorant ass has never heard of, haha. This is an island that technically belongs to Spain. As I mentioned, I don’t know anything about this island, so please forgive me if associating it with Spain is offensive. I would suggest you check this one out as well, and you might enjoy it as much as I do. OK, that’s all for this week. Thank you for reading, thanks for your support, and much love to my friends out there.

Hi and thanks for reading. I still have not really been listening to records. Probably not what you came here to read, but it is what it is. I hung out with my good friend Danny the other night and he played me a bit of jazz alongside some cool Japanese stuff like 奇形児 (KIKEIJI) and 第四インターナショナル (THE 4th INTERNATIONAL). I don’t think I knew THE 4th INTERNATIONAL until Danny played me the flexi when he originally got it. If you aren’t familiar with it, you can check it out here. I’m always impressed with the sound quality of ‘80s Japanese flexis. It’s a shame flexis usually sound like shit these days, especially if they are double-sided. This flexi is not only double-sided, but in true Japanese fashion it’s also an 8”. I don’t think KIKEIJI is nearly as obscure, with their 7”s being released on ADK Records; they were also reissued back in 2012. I didn’t discover them until those reissues. We used to have those in stock not too long ago, but it looks like we’ve sold out. I think KIKEIJI’s debut flexi was the first release on ADK. It was recorded in January 1983. Later that year, ADK released a proper KIKEIJI 7” entitled Plastic Scandal, and this was the one we jammed over at Danny’s. Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion, but I favor their 7” over the flexi. It just seems like their sound came together more. They still have a bit of weirdness to them, but I think the songwriting is much catchier. The drumming style is overall much more punk, and I think the guitar solos are better.

Sticking with ADK and moving on to the photo above, MASTURBATION is one of two records I’ve spun on my own time this week. The other one was MALINHEADS. I think Probegepogt Aus Spandau is one of the most raging German hardcore 7”s I have ever heard. If you don’t know it, I would suggest you check it out! You can find the 2010 reissue for fairly cheap if you keep an eye out. So anyways, I think this MASTURBATION was the first proper 7” released on ADK, and it’s quite rare. I was lucky to land this in a recent trade. I love to trade, but it seems it happens less and less these days. I traded more records than I can count in the previous two years. This was only my second trade of the year, and we are already six months in. I’m not in the position to be buying expensive records, so I was especially stoked on this. I landed their 被害妄想 12” a handful of years ago for dirt cheap, and that’s the material I was most familiar with. The 12” is cool, but the 7” is way cooler. The 7” starts with that drudging kinda sound you hear on the 12”, but they still have some punk sounding shit that I think the 12” lacks. Its production is way more raw, while the 12” has that sorta lo-fi sound that you often hear from stuff on ADK. If you aren’t familiar with MASTURBATION, you can check it out here.

I’m still primarily listening to rap/hip-hop. I’m currently listening to DJ ZIRK. I remember when I first heard this shit I was blown away to hear tons of samples that TRIPLE 6 MAFIA also used. I’m assuming they lifted them from DJ ZIRK, but I really have no idea as I am not well-rounded on this shit. While I love ‘90s NYC rap, I love ‘90s Memphis shit just the same if not more. The sound is entirely different. I feel like NYC shit focused more on lyrics, while Memphis was more centered on the beats and samples. JUICEY J’s Vol. 9mm tape is a masterpiece in my opinion. I first heard Memphis shit when I was serving time in juvenile detention centers as a youth. They gave us some computer time at one of the facilities I was in. I think we were supposed to be doing schoolwork or something, but one of the kids I was locked up with managed to download some old TRIPLE 6 MAFIA shit. That was dangerously against the rules, haha, making it even cooler for me to hear. Alright, I guess that’s all for today. Thanks for reading. Much love to my friends out there, and thanks for the trade, Ian!!!

Hi and thanks for reading. I still have not really been listening to records lately. My life has been a mess, and I am trying to get myself under control. I still have a stack of records I need to listen to that I brought home from Finland and Sweden back in June. I have been reading some books here and there in my free time. I’ve been listening to BIG L and MOBB DEEP quite a bit, though. I have some of their records, but I have been listening to them online while I work. They are classics in my opinion, although I don’t always agree with the topics and language they use, haha.

The photo I used above is the foldout poster I mentioned last week from the LAMA Väliaikainen 7”. If you still haven’t grabbed one of these box sets—what are you waiting for?! A Sorry State supporter from Finland, Joona, wrote me after my last staff pick and let me know some cool trivia about LAMA’s track Väliaikainen. I was not aware this song is actually a cover of a Finnish songwriter named Tapio Rautavaara, and it originally came out in 1955. Wild. I know the Finns love cover songs, but this still caught me off guard.

The DEATH SIDE reissues have finally arrived at our HQ. It sucks you can’t order them from us at the moment, but I am hoping we can get some more copies soon. Daniel and Jeff have been chipping away at the mail-order queue, so if you haven’t gotten a tracking update for your copy, I am sure you can expect an update before the week is over. I wanted to mention this here cos I was SUPER impressed with the packaging on this one. The massive booklet is so nice and well-done. Nice work, Paco!!! This reissue has been needed for ages now.

I picked up one of these DESTRUXION AMERICA 12”s last week. This record isn’t doing anything new, but I think it’s a good listen. While I hear some similarities to other contemporary bands, I do hear something else going on in there I don’t really hear from bands these days. If you haven’t heard this one, check it out!

We got these STRUL LPs in stock the other day. STRUL has been around for a while, and I initially checked them out when Jeff and I released the SLAN 7” in USA. STRUL and SLAN share one member, and both bands make some ripping Swedish hardcore. When I initially checked out STRUL they didn’t really stick out to me, but this new LP Fuck Strul is a certified ripper. Jeff and I jammed a copy in the store the other day and I had to grab a copy. If you haven’t checked this one out yet, I would suggest it cos you’ll likely need a copy as well.

Oh yeah, I don’t think I have mentioned FRIGÖRA here yet. This is another reissue that has been needed for ages now. Their 7” and Dance of the Plague Bearer LP go for big bucks on the secondhand market these days, especially for being 90s records. I don’t have either of those records, so this one was even more essential for me. Aside from compiling all their material, General Speech added three unreleased tracks to this record. So sick. I don’t have a copy yet, as I mail-ordered directly from General Speech cos I had to get that limited color vinyl on this one, haha. If you aren’t familiar with FRIGÖRA, you can stream the entire reissue here. I know this style isn’t for everyone, but it hits the spot for me. Alright, that’s it for this week then. Thanks for reading, and much love to my friends out there.

Hi and thanks for reading. I got my LAMA box set in the mail the order day, and I want to write a bit about that. But first, I wanted to briefly mention these two reissues we have back in stock. I wrote about BARN AV REGNBUEN and SISTE DAGERS HELVETE about one year ago, when we returned from tour with some distro copies. PUBLIC ACID also played at Blitz in Oslo on the way to K-town like we had done the year before. I met up with my homie Bård again and I grabbed a nice stack of his reissues to restock Sorry State. Both of these bands rip, especially BARN AV REGNBUEN. Compared to other Norsk bands I think they are a bit underrated. Bård explained to me that the sound on SISTE DAGERS HELVETE was improved from the original pressing, as the band was not happy with the original pressing on Rock-O-Rama. They had a few compilation appearances, which are included on this reissue as well. BARN AV REGNBUEN compiles their 7” on X-Port Plater, their absolutely raging flexi that was released the year after, and some bonus tracks that I have no idea where they came from. If you don’t have these reissues already and like Norwegian hardcore, I consider them essential!

Moving on, I think LAMA was the first Finnish hardcore band. I could be wrong, or maybe it’s just a matter of opinion. Maybe this opinion is crazy to a Finn, haha. I know they weren’t full-blown distorted like KAAOS or CADGERS, but they certainly walk a fine line between punk and hardcore. LAMA began in the late ‘70s under a different name and their first record came out in 1980. RATTUS was another Finnish hardcore band who began in the late ‘70s with their first record coming out in 1980 as well; however, the sound was not nearly as pummeling as LAMA. RATTUS kinda had a ’77 sound up until their legendary 1982 Rajoitettu Ydinsota EP, at which time they were clearly under the influence of DISCHARGE. I am not sure what LAMA’s influences were early on, but on their 1983 7” Ajatuksen Loppu I can certainly hear some DISCHARGE.

LAMA was from Helsinki. They released four 7”s and an LP between 1980 and 1983. I’m not too familiar with their line-ups and related bands, but I know they had some ties to UNICEF. UNICEF was just a drunk punk band who was also from Helsinki, and they had a revolving line-up. I read they didn’t like to be paid at gigs, instead requested to be paid in booze—Sorbus more specifically, haha. It’s funny the title track on their sole 7” is actually a Skrewdriver cover sung in Finnish… Rane Raitsikka was in UNICEF, and he was also playing bass in LAMA. He was not an original member though; the only record he played on was Ajatuksen loppi. He got his nickname from Epe, the singer of LAMA. The name came from when he had placed small bombs he found at a construction site in Lepakko between some tram tracks. Juha “Jusa” Ranta was also in UNICEF and LAMA. He was not the original drummer of LAMA but he played on all their 80s records (I think).

So, these LAMA 7”s have been reissued before. Back in the ‘80s the original label who released them all, Johanna, compiled them onto a 12” entitled …Ja Mikään Ei Muuttunut. Svart had previously done a reissue of this as well, actually. Back in 2009 Finnish label Combat Rock Industry reissued all the LAMA 7”s in their original format. I don’t have any of those pressings, but to me it’s always cool when stuff is reissued on their original format. One could argue the 12” compilation is better cos most of the 7”s have only 2-3 songs each on them. But their third 7”, Väliaikainen, has four tracks alongside one of the coolest foldout posters ever. These 7” reissues have been hard to come by, and you’d likely have to pay over double the original retail cost to secure a copy on the second-hand market. I think they were each limited to 500 copies.

Svart always keeps the cost of box sets considerably low for what they contain, and I really appreciate that. They reproduced the LAMA 7”s sleeves quite well and the sound is excellent. The discs sound nice and crisp, and the bass really carries through. The box itself is fairly flimsy, but I don’t care about that. I kinda dislike box sets in general and put the actual box on a shelf never to be seen again, and then I file the records individually, according to country, in alphabetical order.

Svart has a pre-order up for LAMA’s s/t 1982 LP now. They’ve previously reissued this, but again like most LAMA reissues, coming across a copy of that in the USA in the last handful of years has not been so common. If you don’t have that one, you’re definitely gunna need it too—and Sorry State will certainly have copies. Continuing about LAMA reissues, I wanted to point on that we have some copies of this LAMA live cassette Onks Marko Täällä? from 1982. This is kind of a nerdy archival reissue. You’ll probably never see one of these in the wild, so it’s great that the Finnish Hardcore label gave this one an official reissue, and on its original cassette format.

Alright before I go, for a long time I thought Väliaikainen (1981) was my favorite LAMA shit, but lately I really lean towards their 1980 debut Totuus Löytyy Kaurapuurosta. Hilariously, the title track ended up on an 80s television ad for some Finnish oatmeal brand named Elovena. It’s not actually LAMA playing the song in the commercial and they’ve altered the song a bit, but it’s still a pretty good laugh. Alright, I think that sums it up for this week. If you haven’t gotten your copy of the LAMA box set yet, what are you waiting for?! Cheers and thanks for your support.