Muro: Pacificar 12” (Beach Impediment) Pacificar is the much-anticipated second album from this punk phenomenon from Colombia. Muro hasn’t taken the punk scene by storm because their sound is radically new; instead, their strength is that they’re a talented band with command of a broad range of punk and hardcore styles who puts everything they have into their music. While Muro has plenty in common with the history of raw and passionate hardcore that South America has produced over the past four decades, their music is eclectic, with hints of oi! / street punk, dramatic Japanese hardcore, and ripping US hardcore that vary from track to track. Tracks like “Fatasia Del Progreso,” “No Hay Lugar,” and “Pacificar” have subtly melodic chord progressions that remind me of later Indigesti or early Funeral Oration, while the ripping main riff to “La Ciudad Es Hostil” makes perfect sense on the same label as Blood Pressure and Loose Nukes. Many tracks also have dramatic, crashing chord changes that send Muro’s already-high emotional register through the roof. It’s easy to understand why this music made the crowd explode at this year’s Static Shock Fest. With Pacificar building on the strengths of their debut, this record firmly establishes Muro as one this era’s defining bands.

Eric Nervous & the Beta Blockers: S/T 12” (Drunken Sailor) We’ve seen several releases from Erik Nervous over the past few years—including a compilation called Assorted Anxieties on Drunken Sailor and Neck Chop and a killer EP of obscure Devo covers—but this is his first release with backing band the Beta Blockers. This incarnation finds Erik Nervous leveling up with a clearer sound while retaining the big hooks of his earlier work. You’ll still hear plenty of Devo influence, with tracks like “Blasted Heath” reminding me of Freedom of Choice, that band’s pop peak, while “Want to Not Wanna” relies on quirkier drum machine rhythms more akin to their earlier, home-recorded material. The album also incorporates post-punk influences, with the angular lead guitar and fast post-punk rhythms on “Gravure” making it a standout that fans of Shopping or early Priests will love. The album ends with the climactic “Worry,” whose intertwining guitar lines remind me of the Buzzcocks’ most transcendent instrumental moments. Sometimes I’m sad to see an artist adopt a more polished sound, but the move suits Erik Nervous well, making this LP his best work yet.

Man-Eaters: Gentle Ballads for the Simple Soul 12” (Feel It) In case you didn’t catch their self-titled cassette from last year, let me get you up to speed: Man-Eaters is a new Chicago band featuring folks who brought you Cülo and Tarantüla. The aesthetic resembles those bands, i.e. sleazy-sounding hardcore punk, but this time around they add an element of Annihilation Time-style 70s rock riffing to round out the sound. Their combination of rock chops and nihilistic hardcore punk energy reminds me of RKL’s Keep Laughing LP, and if you’re a fan of that record’s combination of hooks, energy, and musical prowess, check this out. The slower, brooding “Baptized in Spit” and “Man-Eaters” also incorporate some of Hank Wood’s vibe by locking into dense, James Brown-like grooves. Check that killer Drügface cover artwork too!

Hank Wood & the Hammerheads: Use Me 7” (Toxic State) Hank Wood & the Hammerheads are back with a new 4-song single on Toxic State. If you had told me in 2012, just after I heard their inescapable debut LP, that in 2020 Hank Wood & the Hammerheads would have three full-lengths and a healthy stack of EPs in their discography, I never would have believed you. However, Hank Wood & the Hammerheads have not only persevered for a decade, but grown and evolved. When those early records came out, the auxiliary percussion and the organ set them apart from what most other bands were doing at the time, but on Use Me the emphasis is on the core band’s songwriting and playing. The vocals are a little more buried than they were on the last LP, but the sound is clearer and cleaner, even incorporating piano and melodic, feminine-sounding backing vocals on the title track. While that song has a 90s alt-rock grandeur that I haven’t heard from Hank Wood before, “Strangers” sounds wistful, like Replacements songs such as “Here Comes a Regular.” I’m sure there are plenty of you who only ride for the band’s early material, but it’s hard for me to imagine Use Me being a let-down to anyone.

Genogeist: S/T 12” (Black Water) Back in 2018, we carried the demo tape from Portland’s Genogeist, and with their vinyl debut they’ve made the logical move to their home town’s punk institution, Black Water Records. Genogeist blend metal and crust into a sound that’s sprightly and even catchy. When I hear something described as “metallic crust” I worry it will be a bunch of boring riffs dressed up with palm muting, but Genogeist’s music is interesting and complex, reminding me of Sacrilege’s underrated second LP Within the Prophecy or the meaner end of thrash metal (stuff like Sodom or Onslaught) more than, say, early Axegrinder or Amebix. It’s an obscure reference for most people, but Genogeist also make me think of the late 00s Richmond band Parasytic, who had a similar knack for blending the catchy riffing and thoughtful songwriting of thrash metal with the griminess of crust. 

Hondartzako Hondakinak: Bruiarta 12” (Solar Funeral) As a native English speaker with only the most rudimentary grasp of other tongues, I’m intimidated by band names not composed of English words, particularly if I have to pronounce them. However, I love saying Hondartzako Hondakinak. Just try sounding it out, then repeating it faster and faster until you can say it at a good clip… it’s a satisfying collection of syllables. Anyway, this French band released a killer EP back in 2016 and this 12” is the follow-up. I’d describe Hondartzako Hondakinak’s style as fast, intricate, and impassioned. They remind me of early Husker Du and the bands they influenced (Articles of Faith, early Funeral Oration, Norway’s So Much Hate, etc.) in that the music is fast and cathartic, but you can hear melody bubbling just under the surface. Just check out the track “Borondatezko Morrontza” from this LP if you want to hear what I mean. If you’re a fan of their earlier EP, Bruiarta has a cleaner sound and it's sprinkled with a handful of broad, mosh-able, mid-paced riffs (like the lengthy intro that starts the record), but if you are a fan of that record there’s still plenty of the wicked fast stuff here.

Shrinkwrap Killer: Stolen Electronics to Shove Up Your Ass 7” (Iron Lung) Debut vinyl from this mysterious project helmed by Greg Wilkinson of Brainoil, Deathgrave, and Earhammer Studios. I didn't know what to expect when I dropped the needle on this single, but it RULES. The obvious point of comparison is the Spits given that it’s catchy, synth-infused garage punk and the vocals sound similar, but it’s not a mere homage. While the Spits’ songs are  stripped-down and Ramones-based, these two tracks are more complex and in the pocket without losing any of the catchiness. It’s very short, but that’s OK because this is one of those records you’ll play three times in a row every time it gets near your turntable. Note also that it’s limited to only 200 copies, so don’t expect it to stick around for very long.

Girls in Synthesis: Pressure 7” (Own It Music) “Pressure” was originally a self-released, tour-only single from this UK band, but they did a small repress and Sorry State was lucky enough to grab a few copies. If you haven’t heard them, Girls in Synthesis is from the UK and plays an intense hybrid of hardcore, post-punk, and noise music. This single tilts toward the hardcore end of things with its brisk tempos and menacing demeanor, but the intricate textures and sustained tension that come from electronic music are a welcome bit of extra spice. The a-side, “Pressure,” will appear on their upcoming LP on Harbinger Sound, while the two live tracks on the b-side are exclusive to this release. While the live recording sacrifices a little of that texture, the energy of the band’s performance more than makes up for it. This is a style I love, and if you’re a fan of Bad Breeding, Broken Prayer, and Droid’s Blood, I’m sure you’ll agree that Girls in Synthesis does it well.

Internal Rot: Grieving Birth 12” (Iron Lung) Even though Iron Lung is a power violence / grind band, Iron Lung Records releases relatively few bands from that genre. Obviously the Iron Lung folks know this genre of music pretty well, so when they place their stamp of approval on a band who plays in this style, it’s worth paying attention. Internal Rot is a grind band, and Grieving Birth is a punishing whirlwind of a record. There are hundreds of killer riffs spread across its 20-ish minutes. Thank god records have two sides, because I’m not sure if I could take the whole thing in one interrupted burst… not because it’s same-y sounding or boring, but because it’s so relentlessly punishing that I feel like I’m having an anxiety attack. If that’s your idea of a fun time, pick up this ripper.

Laffing Gas: It’s a Beautiful Day in the Gulch 12” (Beach Impediment) Those of you with long memories might have a recollection of Laffing Gas releasing a handful of cassettes in 2015 and 2016, but they’ve been radio silent since then. As before, their music reminds me of snotty hardcore punk in the vein of Career Suicide or Angry Samoans spiced up with dashes of the guitar sound and the visual aesthetic of the Coneheads / CCTV axis. Some moments slide more toward an Agent Orange / Adolescents beach punk sound (particularly “On Your Own” and the outros that end each side of the record), while tracks like “Same Cycle” have a straight up USHC style. Combining the snot-nosed catchiness of punk with the energy and blistering tempos of hardcore has always been a winning formula for me, and It’s a Beautiful Day in the Gulch is right in the sweet spot. Further, the variation in songwriting style and tempo from track to track makes it feel like a cohesive, well-developed album rather than a genre exercise. If you’re a fan of Chain Whip, Social Circkle, Career Suicide, and similar bands, this is a recommended grip.

Death Ridge Boys: Don’t Let Them Divide Us 7” (Black Water) I’m surprised Portland’s Death Ridge Boys hasn’t received more hype. They released a full length tape a few years ago (since repressed on vinyl and in stock at Sorry State) and have followed that up with two 7”s in the past year, of which Don’t Let Them Divide Us is the latest. Their earlier material was straight up, catchy oi!-punk with leftist, pro-PC lyrics, but these two tracks find the band dallying with different sub-styles of oi! / skinhead music. “Don’t Let Them Divide Us” kicks off with a melodic, Blitz-style guitar riff, which quickly joins a complimentary riff from the second guitarist in more of a rock-and-roll / bootboy glam style. I’m a sucker for two-guitar bands, and throughout this track the two guitarists’ complimentary styles keep things peppy. Add in anthemic vocals and you have exactly the single a-side I imagine Death Ridge Boys was aiming for. The b-side, “Working” (not a Cock Sparrer cover) is faster, tougher, and shorter, but just as accomplished from a songwriting standpoint. Fans of contemporary oi! and other retro forms of skinhead rock-and-roll should check this out as it’s just as good as the members’ impressive pedigrees suggest.

Vanity: Anticlimax 7” (Feel It) Anticlimax is the brand new two-song single from this New York band. While Vanity has covered a lot of stylistic ground (they started as an oi! band and made forays into Britpop and 70s Stones-inspired rock), Anticlimax feels like a band settling into their own sound. My favorite part of these two tracks is the intricate, Byrds-y guitar lines that run through both. The two guitarists both play complex lines that are both psychedelic and melodic, and I love listening to them wriggle around one another while a big, glam-inspired vocal hook also competes for my attention. There are elements here of everything Vanity has done so far—the energy of the punk stuff, the baroque textures and big melodies of their Britpop-style record, and the swagger of their Stones-inspired previous album—so if you’ve enjoyed anything they’ve done over the past few years I’d give this a listen.

Dadar: To Take Out or Eat In cassette (Lo-Fi Life) I don’t know much of anything about Italy’s Dadar, but I sure love this cassette. These ten tracks cover a lot of ground, but I like all of it, from the melodic garage-punk of “Brain” to the more angular synth-punk of “Calendarize” to the jittery, hardcore-ish “Digital Degenerate” and “Sick of Pasta.” Dadar walk so many fine lines, being fun without being goofy, melodic without being saccharine, and high-energy without being tough or unduly aggressive. When I look for band comparisons, I reach for names like the Dickies, the Shitty Limits, and the faster Screeching Weasel songs, but comparisons don’t tell the whole story. I’m surprised a bigger label like Drunken Sailor or Erste Theke Tonträger didn’t step up to press this on vinyl, because a release this exciting and well crafted deserves attention from more than just collectors of limited-run cassettes.

The Cowboy: Wifi On the Prairie 12” (Feel It) Following up their recent single on Drunken Sailor, here’s the latest full-length from Cleveland’s the Cowboy. I compared that single to Wire’s breeziest moments, and most of the songs on Wifi on the Prairie follow a similar pattern, matching motorik rhythms with catchy bass lines and noisy (but catchy) guitar lines. Even more than Wire, Wifi on the Prairie reminds me of Texas’s Spray Paint; like that band, the Cowboy marries punk aggression with trance-like rhythms, making you feel like you’re wandering through a raging house show after taking a big swig of cough syrup. Occasionally they back off the throttle and do something looser that reminds me of early Pavement (see the long intro for “New Moon Tune” or “Trippy Movies”), but mostly this is all go, no slow. If you are a fan of the Slump LP that Feel It released a few months ago, odds are you’ll enjoy Wifi on the Prairie too.

Sex Pill: Anarchy and LSD 7” (self-released) This debut 7” from Houston’s Sex Pill is, without a doubt, one of the most fucked up-sounding punk records I’ve ever heard. While some bands’ way of going about “noise not music” is to run everything through a bunch of effects (every available knob turned to 10, naturally) until you have a bland soup of static, Sex Pill’s production choices are more idiosyncratic. The first thing you’ll notice is the siren sound that runs throughout the entire record (not just between the songs, but right over top of them), speeding up and slowing down and placing a woozy, druggy haze over the whole thing. The non-siren parts of the music remind me of Japan’s Kuro, but the vocals (which are quite powerful) are way louder than the other instruments, which are often all but inaudible because of the vocals and the siren. Plenty of people will dismiss this as complete garbage, but I recommend it if you enjoy staring quizzically at your speakers while you try to figure out what, precisely, the hell is going on. 

Headcheese: demo cassette (Slow Death) The demo tape from this Canadian band grafts the grainy production style of bands like Armor and Protocol onto Circle Jerks-level songwriting, and I, for one, was won over instantly. If you love the Circle Jerks, you’ll also fall for Headcheese the minute you hear the 36-second track “Incel,” which is jam-packed with the intricate yet catchy arrangements that make Group Sex a peerless record. Headcheese’s guitar riffs are straightforward, but the dynamic shifts in rhythm make this tape a non-stop thrill ride. I bet you could listen to the isolated drum tracks for this recording and they would not only sound interesting, but memorable. The drummer isn’t Headcheese’s only asset, though, as the vocalist also has a ton of charisma, their snotty growl leagues beyond most hardcore shouters. If you’re a fan of snotty hardcore like School Jerks and Career Suicide, you need to check this out ASAP.

Blood Ties: demo cassette (Slow Death) This Canadian group delivers three minutes of top-shelf hardcore on this frustratingly short demo. Blood Ties owes a big debt to early Agnostic Front, particularly the way they disregard conventional hardcore song structures. See, for instance, the 22-second “Lemmings,” which starts with a dramatic four-bar intro, goes into a ripping fast hardcore part for four more bars, then plays one bar of the intro again and stops. Then there’s the longer “Poser” (47 seconds), which has a breakdown that’s longer than the “main” part of the song. The epic closer (one minute, twenty-nine seconds) “Where Am I?” is more of a fist-pumper a la AF’s “Power,” but Blood Ties still makes time for a gnarly breakdown. Just like United Blood or Victim Pain, this is the musical equivalent of being jumped into a gang. Leave your library card at home, because this is for the cavemen, neanderthals, and other primitive human species. 

Destruct: Echoes of Life 12” (Grave Mistake) I could keep this description short and just say: take three parts Bastard, one part Disclose, and you have Echoes of Life, the debut vinyl from Richmond’s Destruct. As any good cook knows, though, you need more than just a good recipe: you need great ingredients and precise execution, and Destruct excel in these areas too. Bastard’s Wind of Pain is obviously a huge influence on this record (you’ll hear the similarity in the vocal style), and while lots of bands have sought to capture some of that magic, I can’t think of another that has come as close as Destruct has here. The clear, powerful, and heavy production perfectly compliments the elegant brutality of the riffs and songwriting. Nothing here feels stylized, affected, or otherwise contrived; it’s hardcore punk sharpened to lethal precision. If you’re a fan of classic Japanese and Swedish hardcore you’ll love this, but more than an eloquent bit of paraphrase, Echoes of Life proves how powerful hardcore can be in the here and now.

Leper: Frail Life 12” (Kink) Frail Life is the debut vinyl from Leper, who are from the unlikely but perennial hardcore hotbed of Umeå, Sweden. When I first checked out Leper, the Choke-esque vocals and bruising sound made me think this would be full-on skinhead hardcore a la Violent Reaction or Boston Strangler, and while there’s plenty of that here, it’s more varied than you might expect. In particular, there are lots of little melodic rock and roll guitar flourishes (see “ICBM,” for instance) and the dissonant Greg Ginn chords of “P&D,” which is a welcome diversion from the rest of the album’s more straightforward vibe. Throw in some eye-catching artwork and you have a standout hardcore record.

Green Jag: demo cassette (Dream Home) Green Jag is a new project from Brendan from Hologram, Aesesinato, and a bunch of other bands. I make it a point to check out everything that Brendan plays on and he's yet to disappoint me. The conceit for Green Jag is nasty, snotty punk played at hardcore tempos a la the Necros’ Sex Drive EP. Like that record, the recording quality here is raw, with an idiosyncratic mix that makes the bass the most prominent instrument. While I think these tracks are ripping enough to deserve a better recording, the rawness has its charm and the songs and the attitude still shine through. I keep thinking to myself that if Brandon from No Way Records could hear this he would flip his shit. If you’re a fan of snotty punk like Career Suicide and you have a high tolerance for shit-fi recordings, you’d be smart to pick this up.

Note: The original version of our description contained an error; Brendan does not play in Green Jag, the cassette is just released on his label.

Der Moderne Man: Unmodern 12” (Rockers) Last week we covered the reissue of Der Moderne Man’s debut, and this week we have the German post-punk band’s follow-up, 1982’s Unmodern. I compared their debut, 80 Tage Auf See, to the pre-Joy Division band Warsaw, and like that band’s work, 80 Tage Auf See evoked a color palette of muted, dirty, industrial greys. Unmodern, however, is a Wizard of Oz moment that finds Der Moderne Man stepping into a world of full color. The production is clearer and brighter and the songwriting more varied and accomplished, infusing their take on classic post-punk with prog rock’s ambition and meticulous attention to detail. If you think that sounds like the formula the UK’s Magazine developed a few years earlier, you’re correct. Unmodern reminds me of Magazine’s first two albums, records that kept punk’s vitality while diving headlong into more ambitious waters. Unmodern is one of those records that will need a lot of play to reveal all of its secrets, but if (like me) you love a lush and ambitious post-punk album, that process will be a treat.

Chiller: 2nd 7” 7” (self-released) As the title indicates, this is the second 7” from Pittsburgh’s Chiller. If you picked up their previous record, you’ll be pleased to hear the sound is similar, blending various sub-strains of hardcore into a sound that feels fresh and authentic. There’s the hyper-fast “Remonstration,” the big breakdown of “Final Names,” and the Pick Your King-esque “Whistler.” It’s uncommon for hardcore bands these days to mix things up so much, but the warm production and catchy, oi!-tinged vocals (which still sound like Damian from Fucked Up) hold it all together. I also love how all of Chiller’s releases have a similar visual aesthetic, begging you to catch ‘em all.

Romero: Honey 7” (Cool Death) This single is the debut release from this new band out of Melbourne, Australia, and it has “next big thing” written all over it. The two bands Romero reminds me of most are Sheer Mag and Royal Headache. Just like when I checked out those bands, the first time I listened to this single I couldn’t tell if I liked it or hated it. On the second listen, though, I had to surrender and acknowledge that I love this. “Honey” is a monster track with huge guitar hooks building to even bigger vocal hooks. It has a soulful garage vibe that is, again, very similar to Royal Headache, but with added heft to the production and playing. The b-side, “Neapolitan,” is also great. The way the lead guitar snakes around the chorus’s vocal melody reminds me of the first Strokes album, which is a very good thing. If this band can put out an album anywhere near this good, they will be inescapable. And I will love it.

Sabre: S/T 7” (Erste Theke Tonträger) Debut record from this new band out of the Bay Area. The label sells it short by calling it a hybrid of UK82 and USHC; that’s not inaccurate, but these songs are more interesting than a simple throwback. The guitar player uses dissonant chords that remind me of Die Kreuzen or Articles of Faith, and the band has a quirky sense of rhythm that’s unique and interesting. The vocals sound like any number of gruff 80s hardcore frontmen, but the music is so left of center it defies my attempts to find comparisons. However, if you’re a fan of bands who are raging, progressive, and unique (think AoF, Mecht Mensch, or even the creepy anarcho-punk of Part 1), this is a recommended weirdo ripper.

Raspberry Bulbs: Before the Age of Mirrors 12” (Relapse) Before the Age of Mirrors is the Relapse debut from this long-running New York band. While I haven’t been diligent about picking up every single Raspberry Bulbs record, they’ve been on my radar for several years and their three previous albums are records I still spin often. If you haven’t heard them, they’re often described as “blackened punk,” but besides black metal and punk there are also significant strains of AmRep-style noise rock and avant-garde and experimental music in their sound. That’s true of Before the Age of Mirrors, which stays true to the band’s aesthetic but feels more ambitious and composed than their previous records. At any given moment, Raspberry Bulbs might sound like Darkthrone, Unsane, Alice Coltrane, or a primitive and noisy band from a Punk and Disorderly compilation. Sometimes they can hit several of those points in the same track (such as the first track here, “Spitting From on High,” which features a spooky black metal intro and outro (complete with tremolo picking), a middle part that sounds like blackened noise rock, and snotty, punk-y distorted vocals), while they reserve the more out-there moments for the album’s four interlude segments. These interludes are some of my favorite moments on the record, not only lending variety to the sonic palette but also serving as a respite from the onslaught of heaviness. Recommended fans of bands like Celtic Frost that find a delicate balance between the primitive and the progressive.

Set-Top Box: TV Guide Test 12” (Erste Theke Tonträger) TV Guide Test compiles two previous cassette releases by this mysterious band. While I know little about them (I don’t even know where they’re from, but I think one vocalist might have an Australian accent?), if you’re familiar with Erste Theke Tonträger’s discography you’ll have a good idea where they’re coming from. Devo and Mark Winter’s bands (Coneheads, but even more so D.L.I.M.C.) are a good reference point, but one thing I like about this scene (insofar as there is such a scene) is that it places a high value on originality. Thus, even though Set-Top Box might sound familiar in some respects, they’re not biting anyone’s style. Some moments have a pop element (like the D.L.I.M.C.-esque “Channel 69”) while others are experimental (“Infomercial”), but TV Guide Test balances those elements, tilting a little more toward the latter. I also love how many of the lyrics are TV-themed (sample lyric: “on the alien game show / show ‘em what you know!”), which combined with the album’s eclecticism makes it feel like you’re flipping through a series of little-watched channels way up on the dial.

Riki: S/T 12” (Dais) I’ll echo Jeff’s comment from when he chose this LP as his staff pick last week: Riki’s debut EP, Hot City, was a cool-sounding record, but their debut LP for Dais is on a different level. With dance floor-ready drum machine rhythms, retro-futuristic synth sounds, and great vocal hooks, Riki’s debut is of a piece with recent releases by bands like Molchat Doma and Fatamorgana (not to mention more established groups like Boy Harsher and Adult.), and if you’re a fan of those bands (as I am!) you’ll love songs like “Strohmann” and “Earth Song,” the latter of which reminds me of my favorite Siouxsie and the Banshees records, particularly Juju and Tinderbox. While an LP full of great darkwave tracks like this would be more than enough to warrant my attention, Riki distinguishes themselves with their poppier tracks. In particular, “Napoleon” and the album highlight “Spirit of Love” are so tightly constructed and beautifully performed that I want to reach beyond the punk scene for comparisons, as these tracks (the latter in particular) are as well-crafted and memorable as any of Madonna’s 80s hits. I’ve already listened to this album so many times it’s become the soundtrack to my life for the past few weeks. If the world has any sense, I think you’ll see this record spread like wildfire in the coming months.

Pisse: S/T 12” (Harbinger Sound) Berlin’s Pisse has been bumping around for several years new, releasing a previous LP, a mini-LP spread across two 7”s, and a heap of EPs and compilation appearances. Interestingly, members also serve in the similarly named Berlin band Urin, making you wonder what you’d find were you to dig into those members’ internet search histories. Anyway, with this self-titled album Pisse have moved up in the world, signing to the UK-based Harbinger Sound label, who has a long tradition of plucking left-field and experimental gems from various corners of the underground. Pisse fits in, as their take on synth-punk has a freewheeling, experimental quality that pulls it out of the genre ghetto. Tracks like “Draußen Zuhause” and “Fliegerbombe” remind me of Lost Sounds, but there’s also a palpable hardcore influence throughout and moments of pure weirdness like the doo wop-infused “Zu Viel Speed.” While some bands that cross genre boundaries can sound neither here nor there, Pisse pull from synth-punk/punk and avant-garde/experimental traditions in a way that both camps can get behind.

Totem: Media Burn 12” (Lost Soul Enterprises) Media Burn is the debut from Totem, a solo project by Jason Halal, whom you might know from his time drumming in 86 Mentality or singing for Neo-Cons. Totem, however, is something different: an instrumental project that pulls from industrial and electronic music traditions. The only connection I can draw to (what I know of) Jason’s musical background is the opening track, “Em Dash,” whose intertwining polyrhythms could only have sprung from the mind of someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about drums. While “Em Dash” reminds me of how African Head Charge integrated tribal-sounding polyrhythms into their music, “Bug Trap” has a glitchy, industrial sound, “Snag” brings in a new wave groove (sounding like early Nine Inch Nails without the vocals and pop elements), and the EP closes with “Untitled (Media Burn),” whose cavernous, reverb-drenched sounds end the record on a cold, isolated note. Structurally, rather than being composed of discrete parts, these songs flow and progress in the manner of trance-y electronic music, the steady, pulsating backbeat rarely interrupted. This isn’t a genre of music I know much about, but I find the combination of grimy textures and danceable rhythms here irresistible.

Fragment: Serial Mass Destruction 7” (Sewercide) Serial Mass Destruction is the latest EP from these Canadian crusties, and I’m loving their combination of raw, d-beat ferocity and avant-garde touches. When I first dropped the needle on this record, the thin, trebly sound was striking, making me wonder if this would be a throwback to the era of half-assed MySpace crust. Listen past the hiss, cymbal wash, and feedback and you’ll hear a rhythm section that sounds like it’s trying to play along with Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing at 78rpm. While the sound here is noisy, it feels artistically so, with strange timbres like the unidentifiable high-pitched noise in “Bodies” as intriguing as anything you’ll find on a harsh noise or power electronics record. My favorite track, though, is the closing “Hatred Spreads,” whose lumbering, Amebix-inspired groove allows the experimental touches to bubble to the surface, reminding me of that killer recent EP from Rigorous Institution. The brittle sound might turn some people off, but fans of progressive d-beat will want to check this out. 

Alien Nose Job: HC45 7” (Iron Lung) I think everyone knows the deal with this by now, but in case you haven’t heard, I’ll get you up to speed. Alien Nose Job is the genre-hopping project of Jake Roberts from Ausmuteants, Hierophants, Leather Towel, and a bunch of other bands, and their latest release is a hardcore record on Iron Lung Records, one of the world’s premier hardcore punk labels. I went in to HC45 wondering if it would be straight up Koro or Septic Death worship, but HC45 is still very much an Alien Nose Job record. With Jake Roberts’ trademark voice, what else could it be? The most straight up hardcore song on the record is the first one, “I Still Call This Punk Scene My Home,” whose blistering pace and epic drum rolls remind me of Nosferatu. “Bond Clean” is a little more jittery and mechanical, but the next two tracks illustrate that wild, Jerry’s Kids-influenced drumming is a great fit for Alien Nose Job’s general sense of weirdness. The EP ends with my favorite track, “Cabanossi,” which is a little slower and meaner, featuring a great Dickies-esque descending melodic guitar line and a wild and ripping guitar solo. We got these a little later than most distros because of a shipping mishap and it’s now sold out from the label, so jump on this if you think you need a copy.

Der Moderne Mann: 80 Tage Auf See 12” (Rockers) If you enjoyed the reissues from Abwarts and Grauzone last year, get pumped for this reissue of another German post-punk classic. 80 Tage Auf See is Der Moderne Mann’s debut album from 1980. Relying mostly on a typical guitar / bass / drums / vocals setup but with a clear interest in progressive post-punk, 80 Tage Auf See sounds of a piece with much of what was happening in the UK a few years before as post-punk and UKDIY branched off from the original punk movement. The standout opening track, “Der Unbekannte,” reminds me of Warsaw, the pre-Joy Division band, with its classic-sounding main riff that is both melancholy and melodic. Like Warsaw, Der Moderne Mann’s predilection for minimalism makes it seem like they had to strip punk rock down to its bare essentials before they went full post-punk. This reissue adds the tracks from DMM’s Umsturz im Kinderzimmer EP (making it quite a lengthy record), and these tracks incorporate more synths and Devo-influenced mechanistic rhythms, which has me excited to check out their second album, Unmodern. The Rockers label has also just reissued that one, so odds are you’ll see me describe that one next week.