Midnite Snaxxx: The Music Inside 12” (Slovenly) I’ve been singing Midnite Snaxxx’s praises at least since 2011, and here we are nearly a decade later with the band’s third album. How many punk bands these days make it to a 3rd LP? Listening to The Music Inside makes me think it’s a shame that so few bands have that kind of longevity, because this LP is a record I could only imagine a veteran band making. Until this point, most Midnite Snaxxx songs have been sugar rushes of garage-pop energy, and while they had all the pop hooks and sophisticated songwriting of classic girl groups, the Snaxxx bashed out their pop masterpieces with the energy and power you hear on an early Angry Samoans or Circle Jerks record. There are a few songs on The Music Inside that follow this template—“Cyborg” and “12 O’clock”—but most of the album finds the band expanding their sound outward. Dulcinea Gonzalez’s brilliant songwriting ensures that every song is still a hit, but rather than just explosions of power chords and Ramones beats, we get a wider range of sounds, textures, moods, and influences. Tracks like “She Don’t Want That” and “Lights Out” have early Rough Trade Records-type post-punk vibes, while “Phased Out” and “Disconnected” remind me of the second Undertones album, when their music got a little more sophisticated but still kept their punky energy. The more spacious arrangements allow room for a ton of interplay between the two guitars, making every track an orgy of criss-crossing melodic lines. While there may be some garage turkeys who peg this as a departure record, I think Midnite Snaxxx has achieved that rare feat of growing and changing while losing none of the things I already loved about them.

Deadyn: Backstreet Heroes 12” (Splattered!) Vinyl reissue of this Italian band’s 1989 cassette. If you’ve been following Splattered! Records, you know they specialize in Motorcharged punk and NWOBHM, and it’s easy to see why they wanted to resuscitate this obscurity. Deadyn worshipped at Motorhead’s altar, and tracks like “Burn Him Down” are very much akin to what Motorhead worshippers like Inepsy have done in the intervening years. While Deadyn is capable at Motorhead’s style, I like the tracks that are a little slower, which have a grimy, trudging through sand quality that sounds like an early Celtic Frost rehearsal tape. And speaking of tapes, Splattered! presumably remastered this reissue from a somewhat degenerated cassette as there is audible tape hiss throughout. It’s not like Deadyn is doing anything fancy, though, and what they might lose in clarity they more than make up in spooky cvlt vibes.

Zyfilis: E.P. One 7” (Adult Crash) Debut vinyl from this Danish hardcore group. These tracks appeared on a split tape with Colombia’s Muro, but I don’t think many of those made it to the US. I love a six-track 33rpm hardcore 7”, and Zyfilis do it right with this EP. They alternate between bruising pogo-hardcore a la Gag and catchy d-beat punk that reminds me of Vaaska or Larma’s catchier moments. My favorite track is “Samhälssystemets Kyrkogård,” which has a catchy, fist-pumping rhythm that reminds me of Toxic Reasons’ great Kill by Remote Control album. If you’re into a catchy, fast punk like Toxic Reasons or Electric Deads, it’s worth giving these Danes a listen.

Raamattu: S/T 7” (Best Seller) Debut vinyl from this ripping fast band out of Finland. The label’s description mentions Heresy as a point of comparison and I can see that, but there are a few keys differences: 1. this 7” has a more powerful recording than Heresy ever got; 2. Raamattu doesn’t have Heresy’s occasional straight edge-type breakdowns; and 3. Raamattu is so much meaner than Heresy. Their tempos, however, roam in that space between Mob 47’s ripping fast d-beat and the hyper-drive of Siege or early Napalm Death, but infused with the tightness, anger, and attitude of top-shelf Finnish hardcore. With ten lightning-speed rippers, this one also tips the value-for-money scales. Limited to 300 copies and a Finnish import, so snooze and lose.

Rata Negra: La Hija del Sepulturero E.P. 7” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Brand new two-song single from Spain’s Rata Negra. If you like their particular brand of moody melodic punk, it’s hard to imagine these two tracks would disappoint you. That being said, they sound like a leap forward from the band’s earlier stuff. Rata Negra seems to be growing more sophisticated, retaining their trademark style, but with more delicate arrangements and extra little touches like backing vocals and subtle synth overdubs. These two tracks remind me of something Echo and the Bunnymen or the Chameleons might have done early in their respective careers, and that’s high praise.

Jarada: Ma'agal Sina'a 12” (Doom Town) 45rpm one-sided 12” from this Israeli hardcore band. Jarada has a noisy yet progressive style that reminds me of the more stripped-down and 80s-influenced 90s hardcore bands like Born Against and Deathreat. Like Deathreat, they have hoarse, shouted vocals and are fast, but touches like the dissonant lead guitar on “Fed Up with the Future” and “They Wore You Down, They Burned You Out” (I’m using the English translations of the song titles) and the instrumental breaks that connect the tracks make me think of progressive hardcore bands from Born Against to Una Bestia Incontrolable. Also, in case you’re not sure about supporting a hardcore band from Israel, their lyrics are critical of their country’s policies while offering a perspective on what it looks like from the inside rather than simple, crowd-pleasing sloganeering. If you’re a fan of the aforementioned bands (or newer ones like Shit Coffins who play a similar style), I recommend checking this out.

Various: Hardcore Unlawful Assembly 12” (Fan Club) Unofficial repress of this excellent Japanese hardcore compilation from 1984. The list of artists should be enough to convince you this is worth your while, but I’ll confirm this comp’s excellence. Also, except for G.I.S.M., every band gets a heavy, professional recording, which is a big plus. On the a-side, Laughin’ Nose and Cobra both offer UK-influenced punk, and Mobs deliver two tracks that combine the best elements of their first and second EPs, which makes sense as this compilation came out between those two records. Lip Cream delivers a huge helping of classic Japanese hardcore with bonkers riffing and G.I.S.M. and Zouo close things out on a weirder tip. While I wish G.I.S.M.’s recording here wasn’t so murky, “Nervous Corps” is a classic with its moshable riff repeating underneath a chaotic sound collage of war sounds. Zouo’s tracks are also rad, particularly the creepy-sounding “Frustration.” Fortunately, this version doesn’t have terrible cover art, and the vinyl sounds phenomenal.

The Only Ones: Live in Chicago 1979 12” (Alona’s Dream) Over the past few years, I’ve gotten more interested in both live albums and the Only Ones, so I was eager to give this one a spin. Like many people, I used to hate live albums, but I’ve come around to them in a big way. At this point I’ve played in bands long enough to know the day you record the record is only one of hundreds of times you play a song, and lightning can strike (or not strike!) at any moment. Often, a live version of a song isn’t just a lesser version of a studio track, but a different beast, and often more interesting than the studio version. As for my interest in the Only Ones, I’ve loved “Another Girl, Another Planet” for decades, but a year or two ago I came across a copy of their brilliant second album, Even Serpents Shine, and got obsessed. Even Serpents Shine is a lush, delicate record, but this LP showcases a different side of the group, one that’s much heavier and more “rock” rather than pop. The Only Ones’ drummer, Mike Kellie, served time in 70s rockers Spooky Tooth, and it’s amazing how much the Only Ones sound like a 70s rock band here. They strip their arrangements down and sound like four people playing in a room, which is a stark contrast to the much more polished studio recordings. That being said, they all sound great, with Peter Perrett giving a particularly strong vocal performance. This set was professionally recorded for a radio broadcast, and according to the liner notes they recorded many other bands the same way, and hopefully we’ll see more releases. In the meantime, this LP is a great way to kick off the series.

Cesspool: We Hide Among You 12” (Adult Crash) Bummed that Warthog hasn’t released an LP yet? Well, this debut LP from Denmark’s Cesspool might help tide you over. I wouldn’t say Cesspool is biting Warthog’s style, but they deal in a similar market of mid-paced, pit-clearing riffage, punishing drumming, and charismatic vocals. In a typical hardcore band, the fast parts are the base and the breakdowns are the sauce, but Cesspool flip that equation, only bubbling over into a full-tilt thrash a few times over the course of these 8 tracks. However, I don’t see anyone complaining because these riffs are burly as hell, edging right up to being dumb but staying on the tastefully crowd-pleasing side of that line. The production is also huge and powerful, but with the perfect amount of grit. Throw in cool packaging (including a sick black-on-silver poster insert) and you have one crushing hardcore record.

Chain Cult: Shallow Grave 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Debut album (their earlier 12” was their demo pressed to vinyl) for this post-punk band out of Athens, Greece. Chain Cult sound, to me, like a band who takes equal influence from the Wipers and Bauhaus. From the Wipers you have those long, melodic, chorus-drenched guitar lines, and from Bauhaus you get the gloomy vibe and more percussive vocals. I can’t put my finger on it (maybe it’s just the heavy chorus effect on the guitar), but I want to place Chain Cult alongside modern melodic punk bands like Masshysteri, Signal Lost, and Rata Negra… bands who are melodic but not poppy, and whose political and aesthetic approach seems more aligned with hardcore than pop music or pop-punk. As with the Wipers, my favorite parts of Shallow Grave are the longer instrumental passages where the guitarist lets loose on longer, more complex melodic lines, but if you’re a fan of this gloomy, grey-skied punk, the whole album will be a treat.

Poison: Flexi + EPs 12” (Poison Records) Unofficial reissue compiling a flexi and two 7”s by this Japanese band, the latter two featuring Chelsea of Death Side / Paintbox on guitar. While Poison (who later changed their name to Poison Arts) would eventually have an extensive discography, these earlier releases find the band experimenting and developing their sound. Their first flexi (recorded before Chelsea joined the band) is one of the most primitive Japanese punk records out there, with beyond-basic oompah drumming, rough sound and a noticeably out of tune performance. While the record has a cool cover featuring the singer’s huge mohawk, it reminds me more of bargain-basement UK82 punk than the more studied, avant-garde primitivism of Confuse or Gai. Things get much more interesting on their second EP, Mystery Temptation, when Chelsea joins the band and drenches every song in his trademark shredding lead guitar. Even beyond Chelsea’s contribution, you can hear Poison homing in on the classic Japanese hardcore sound, with some tracks leaning more toward melodic hardcore (not unlike Chelsea would later explore in Paintbox) and others with a more metallic edge. There are some great moments on Mystery Temptation, but I think what I love most about it is how it sounds not-quite-right, like a band taking chances and inventing a new style on the fly. If you’re deep into Japanese hardcore, you have a few quirky records like this in your collection, and if you have developed the taste for it, this kind of record provides a fix you can’t get anywhere else. Finally, the band’s third 7”, Hot Rod, takes up the entire b-side of this collection and finds the band locking into a consistent style. While the reverb-drenched production isn’t as powerful as the bigger sounds that some of these bands would get later on, if you’re a fan of Death Side, Lip Cream, and Gudon, Hot Rod is in that same vein. While this collection is a mixed bag, I love hearing how the band progressed, and if you enjoy hearing all the strange, unique Japanese hardcore records out there, I’m sure you’ll love it too.

The Inhuman: We Will Build b/w Cheap Novocain 7” (Lumpy) Two-song single from this very obscure bedroom recording project from Tucson, Arizona in 1983. According to the liner notes, the Inhuman only played one show and the person behind the project didn’t do much else that we would have heard of, so it’s a miracle that these tunes found their way from an old cassette to 7” vinyl in the year 2020. The songs are cool, too! They build both songs around primitive drum machine rhythms augmented with synth, guitar, and vocals, and have a creepy, sinister vibe. The a-side lurks in the shadows with a vibe like Suicide, while the b-side gets more confrontational, giving it a Screamers-type menace. If this recording had gotten out back in the day, this would be a $200 single.

Paranoid: Kind of Noise 7” (Paranoid Northern Discs) Latest 4-song EP from Sweden’s Paranoid. If, like me, you weren’t really feeling the more polished, metallic sound of last year’s Heavy Mental Fuck-Up LP, it’s worth giving Paranoid another chance, as these four tracks are full-on, noisy Disclose worship. That being said, there are subtle touches that make it more than a generic d-beat workout. There are the cool tempo changes on the second track, a nice, semi-melodic guitar solo in the 3rd, and some intense near-blasting-speed drumming in the final track. That final track reminds me of D-Clone’s crazed attack, and it’s a style I hope the band explores further. Also, note this record is limited to 250 numbered copies, and it’s already sold out from the band, so Sorry State is your only bet for picking up the vinyl on this one.

Sniper Culture: Combat Rock 7” (11pm) Debut 7” from this raw and nasty hardcore band out of Chicago. Sniper Culture has a bruising sound that’s not unlike their label-mates Armor, but with insanely raw production. The first few times I listened I thought Combat Rock had a vibe similar to Urban Waste, but then I remembered that on the Urban Waste 7” it’s only the guitar that sounds blown out and fucked; on Combat Rock, pretty much everything sounds like that. You’d think such nasty production would blunt a hardcore band’s impact, but it works well for Sniper Culture. When they’re raging out, they can slip into a Larm-esque blur of speed, but those moments serve as an appropriate balance for bits like the oompah drumbeat on “Terminators” or the blazing riff in “Brad’s World.” Limited to 300 copies, so if you like your hardcore raw, nasty, and mean, I’d suggest to grip this soon.

Screaming Fist: Templanza 7” (Iron Lung) Debut vinyl from this East Bay, California hardcore band featuring Jasmine from Torso / Siamese Twins / a million other bands on vocals. Jeff and I commented that this record seemed to appear out of nowhere. I hadn’t heard anything about Screaming Fist before checking this record out, but it’s easy to see why they got the Iron Lung stamp of approval. Screaming Fist’s sound fits somewhere between modern d-beat and a more traditional US hardcore sound; while they often find that fist-pumping groove that I associate with bands like Vaaska or Criaturas, their playing is extremely tight and the songs are technical, with lots of perfectly executed intricate rhythms. For example, there’s my favorite moment of the record, when the last track, “Betrayed” takes a slight breath before putting the accelerator to the floor for its last few seconds. That microsecond pause before the change makes my heart feel like it's skipped a beat and serves as a perfect ending for a ripping hardcore punk EP.

Slender: Time on Earth 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Debut album from this New York City group featuring familiar faces from a bunch of Toxic State bands, but you won’t find any raging punk on Time on Earth. In fact, Time on Earth is one of the weirder, more esoteric records that has come across my desk lately, more akin to the outsider music on a label like Ever/Never than what you’d expect to hear from these people or this label. Trying to describe Slender’s sound is a fool’s errand, but primitive drum machines overlaid with acoustic guitar are the core of many of the tracks. Usually they overlay those tracks with some other combination of sounds, including (but not limited to) electric guitar, synth, sampled vocals, singing, and bowed string instruments (violin and/or cello?). “New Country” is the only track I’d call a song as such; the rest are more like free-flowing auditory experiments that flow from part to part in a way that’s experimental and/or symphonic. Many of the tracks are short, but I particularly like the three longer tracks that end the album which unfold gradually in a way that makes time seem to slow down. When I first listened to Time on Earth I definitely had some trouble wrapping my mind around it, but it got its hooks into me and it’s become a regular listen. I’m guessing most of Sorry State’s crowd might think this record is a bunch of nonsense, but if you like spaced-out psychedelic music, avant-garde composition, and/or home-recorded experimental music, give this a try.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring: All in Good Time 12” (Castle Face) If you care, you already know that Eddy Current Suppression Ring ended a lengthy hiatus by releasing a brand new album with very little advance notice. They’ve reached the point in their career where their records get dissected by Pitchfork, so I don’t need to yammer on about All in Good Time too much, but I thought I’d throw in my two cents as a longtime fan. While there isn’t a great pop song like “Which Way to Go” or “Memory Lane” here, it’s still a top-notch album that should please anyone who’s into Eddy Current beyond their “hits.” One thing I love most about this band is how they find these gentle, lazy grooves and ride them into the sunset, hanging on riffs and grooves for way longer than most bands would without ever sounding repetitive. If that’s an aspect of Eddy Current’s music that you love, All in Good Time is a record for you. This isn’t a record I’d throw on at a party, but it’s a record that I’ve already spent several quiet evenings on the couch with, sometimes giving it my full attention and sometimes letting it wash over me as I read a book or do the dishes. It’s not background music, and while it doesn’t beg for your attention, it rewards it. So, that’s my piece… I’m thankful that All in Good Time exists.

Fairytale: 2 Track Tour Flexi 7” (self-released)* *Teaser release from New York’s Fairytale; the back of the sleeve says to expect a 5-song EP soon, but it’s not clear whether these two tracks will reappear there. Regardless, this is some raging, primitive d-beat. It’s clear that Fairytale takes a lot of inspiration from the 2nd and 3rd Anti-Cimex 7”s and the Shitlickers 7”, and while those aren’t uncommon influences, Fairytale makes it work. The sound is raw and very analog, constantly veering into the red, and while the riffs and rhythms are straightforward, there’s something about them that sounds classic rather than derivative. The only complaint I have about this EP is that it’s so short, but I can confirm it retains its impact through repeated plays. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy, just pure d-beat hardcore done exactly right.

Warhead: Change the Reality 7” (Farewell) Latest 7” from this long-running and legendary Japanese hardcore band. This is the first new material from Warhead in four years, and the band has not mellowed or changed at all with age. Their music is noisy and primal, with riffs that feel as violent and as precise as an attack from a seasoned assassin. It’s a sound they’ve honed over 30 years, and they own it… it’s hard to imagine anyone else writing these songs or performing them in exactly this way. While it’s a short record, I can’t see it disappointing any of the band’s many passionate fans, myself included.

Leather Lickers: Eye of the Scared 7” (Cool Death) Latest 7” from this Australian hardcore band who turned a lot of heads with their debut vinyl a few months ago. On Eye of the Scared we get three tracks. The first one is blistering fast, noisy, and out of control, like wilder groups from Japan or Cleveland. The second turns up the punk dial, accentuating the Cleveland over the Japan, while the entire b-side is a mid-paced fist-pumper that has the anthemic quality of Wasted Time or Fucked Up’s great early singles. The execution is raw and nasty, and the packaging—silver ink screen-printed on red paper—is nice. Another solid release from a band to watch.

The Wraith: Gloom Ballet 12” (Southern Lord) We carried the demo tape from LA’s the Wraith several years ago, and now their debut LP is out on Southern Lord. Wild, huh? Anyway, if you don’t remember the Wraith, the title Gloom Ballet hits the nail on the head. The Wraith bills themselves as death rock, and the record reminds me both of vintage post-punk like Killing Joke or Chameleons and more rock-oriented dark stuff like the Cult or even the modern metal band Ghost. The production is slick and took some getting used to for me—I’m more of a basement and 4 track type of guy—but if you’re a fan of the latter two bands I mentioned, you’ll appreciate the powerful sound.

Lipid: Nuclear Masturbation cassette (Vinyl Conflict) Second cassette from this hardcore band out of Richmond, Virginia. Having seen them live I expected Nuclear Masturbation to have a strong d-beat vibe, but it’s way more original than that. How it’s not quite hardcore, punk, d-beat, or metal makes me think of records like Crucifix’s Dehumanization and Agnostic Front’s Victim in Pain, gritty and primitive records that feel 100% honest and devoid of bullshit. I doubt that early 80s NYHC is much of an influence on Lipid, but “Obey the Whip” even reminds me of the Abused. I don’t think this is streaming online anywhere yet so you’ll just have to trust me, but this is some rad punked-up hardcore.

Noxeema: S/T 7” (Dot Dot Dot) Debut 7” from this Portland band. The sound is fast punk rock bordering on hardcore with an undistorted guitar and a dynamic, charismatic vocalist. While people who were into hardcore in the 00s would compare them to Regulations or Social Circkle, the personality-drenched vocals and proto-hardcore sound remind me the most of the Bags. Despite being in this stylistic pocket, it doesn’t sound like Noxeema is trying to be anyone but themselves, so they aren’t afraid to experiment with simple melodic vocal parts like on “Time to Go” or push into Amde Petersen’s Arme-type hardcore territory on “Victim Story.” With a great recording and eight songs packed onto a 45rpm 7”, you’ll enjoy this if you’re a fan of the bands mentioned above.

Program: Show Me 12” (Anti-Fade) Between the Whiffs, ABC Gum, and Program, it’s been a good month for power-pop records at Sorry State. While Australia’s Program aren’t as indebted to the American power-pop tradition as the former two bands, they’ll appeal to the same ears, particularly if you also have an affinity for the Television Personalities’ poppiest moments. While the guitars mostly jangle, the power chords in “Motorbike” make me think of new wave like the Cars, Tom Petty, or Joan Jett, and I also love the punky energy of “They Know,” whose Treacy-esque melody makes it my favorite track on the album. Program’s reserved, unpretentious presentation may mean it takes their music a little longer to catch your ear, but once it does, you’ll be so refreshed to hear a band that isn’t trying to be louder than everyone else. Like I said, if you’re a fan of vintage 70s power-pop, this should be on your list of new records to check out.

Itchy Bugger: Double Bugger 12” (Low Company) Second LP from this project helmed by Josh from Diät, Idiota Civilizzato, the Love Triangle, and a bunch of other bands. Itchy Bugger’s first LP flew under the radar—probably because the vinyl sold out immediately—but it was one of my most listened-to records of 2018. Josh comes from punk and hardcore so I doubt he'll go full indie rock in a way that alienates those of us who share his background, but Itchy Bugger explores a much broader range of sounds and emotions. That trend continues on Double Bugger. Since the first LP Josh has moved from Berlin back to his native Australia, and Double Bugger brims with the hazy sunshine I associate with that country and its recent musical output. That being said, the sonic framework comes from UKDIY in that it’s pop music, but with idiosyncratic ideas and primitive execution. In other words, it’s pop music that isn’t for the popular crowd… think the Cleaners from Venus or the Television Personalities’ The Painted Word album. In terms of songwriting, I think Double Bugger is a masterpiece. There are silly moments like “The Wanker from Mataranka,” heartbreaking ones like “Have You Seen John?,” and upbeat ones like “Nothin Tougher Than Hard Yakka,” but there isn’t anything I would call less than brilliant. If you’re a fan of ambitious pop music with DIY aesthetics, you’ll love this. I, for one, can’t get it off my turntable and I can’t recommend it highly enough.