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Hello and thanks for reading. While it’s been about a month since I last wrote a staff pick, it feels like way longer in my mind. We will see how well I can write, haha. I hope everyone has been doing well. It seems another round of Covid is hitting my circle of friends and acquaintances. I was run down as hell after tour and I returned to work with a ton of stuff to catch up on. In my limited down time at home, I have been framing some beloved flyers and posters. It’s nice to have something to keep me preoccupied, cos touring with VIDRO was an absolute blast. I think we all really bonded and miss each other a lot as a result. Anyway, I wanted to mention two things today in my staff pick. I will start with RÉGIMEN DE TERROR. I remember when the first EP came out, a friend said it was a little too on-the-nose for him. Haha...well, it was perfect for me. DISCHARGE’s sound was so ground-breaking in 1980 that we have suffered bands who mimic their style for like 50 years now. Countless bands play an homage to DISCHARGE, but few can truly nail down the sound. In a boring world of DISCHARGE clones, I think it’s a great accomplishment to hit the sound right on the nose, like my friend had described. RÉGIMEN DE TERROR’s first EP sounded more like DISASTER’s take on DISCHARGE to me. The songs were pulled back, and the recording was really raw. The sound on their debut EP is definitely more dry than that of DISASTER, but the reference was still immediately what I thought of. When I saw they had another EP dropping, I was excited to hear what would follow. While still in the same vein, this EP is a bit more noisy than the first. The sound brought LIFE LOCK to mind, one of my favorite bands of the past decade. Funny enough, LIFE LOCK covers DISASTER. While LIFE LOCK plays pulled back too, RÉGIMEN DE TERROR picks up the pace a bit on their latest batch of songs. Just like their debut, Swedish d-beat legend Jan “Jutte” Jutila mixed and mastered this EP!!! The EP is 7 songs, clocking in just under 8 minutes. Roach Leg Records is handling the US side of things while LVEUM took care of the UK/Europe. It seems like LVEUM copies are already sold out... check it out and grab a copy before it’s too late. If you are just hearing RÉGIMEN DE TERROR for the first time, we have some copies of their debut from LVEUM in stock as well.
Going back to tour a bit will lead me into the other thing I wanted to mention. I had the honor and privilege to spend about a week in the van with Staffan Fagerberg, the drummer of VIDRO. I already knew of him famously for Really Fast Records and playing drums in HUVUDTVÄTT. As a result, I learned how to properly pronounce MISSBRUKARNA, amongst other Swedish band names. When this tape first came out a handful of years ago, I was unbelievably excited, and I am super happy Outsider Classics have put it back in print! MISSBRUKARNA has always stuck out to me in the midst of so many excellent Swedish punk/hardcore bands. It’s amazing their first record came out in 1980 cos the sound is much more hardcore than almost anything else of the time from Sweden. I know most of the songs are melodic/catchy, but the last few, especially “De Nakna Och De Döda” are without a doubt hardcore. I could be totally off with this comparison, but I feel like MISSBRUKARNA are like the LAMA of Sweden. Anyway, MISSBRUKARNA’s 1984 cassette, Krigets Gentlemän, is absolute hardcore perfection if you ask me. The booklet that comes along with the reissue is such a huge bonus. I am already a sucker for reissues that are on the original format with original art, but including additional things like a booklet with interviews, liner notes, photos, history of the band, etc is such an excellent bonus. I had the pleasure of holding an original copy of this cassette when we were in Stockholm on tour last year. I drooled over it for like 15 minutes and took a bunch of photos, haha. The reissue is well-done and I think everyone needs a copy, even if you aren’t the kind of person to buy a lot of cassettes. OK back to work then, thanks for reading!