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Strul: Punkrock Deluxe 7” (Ken Rock) This is the fourth record we’ve seen from Gothenburg, Sweden’s Strul, and it’s another ripper. I love the consistent visual aesthetic across all of Strul’s releases (and their “mascot” rat character), and on Punkrock Deluxe the music is just as strong. As before, the sound is fast hardcore with a noticeable punk rock edge in the sense of melody and songwriting. When I wrote about their first EP, I compared them to Krig I Hudik—the project band devoted to resurrecting unrecorded songs from long-lost Swedish punk bands from the 70s and early 80s—but this time around the sound is a little more modern… or at least “retro modern.” While the vocals are more of a raspy hardcore shout, Punkrock Deluxe reminds me of Government Warning; there’s a similar sense of catchiness and a metallic quality to the riffing a la RKL. There are also a few super memorable lead guitar licks thrown in. If you’re a fan of catchy 80s-style hardcore, stop sleeping on Strul and pick this up!
Brandy: The Gift of Repetition 12” (Total Punk) The Gift of Repetition is the second LP from this New York band. I missed that first full-length, but I heard their previous single on Total Punk. I liked that record OK, but I think I “get” them on LP a little more. What sounded to me like meat and potatoes garage-punk on the single feels more unique here, stretched out and with room to breathe. Maybe the album’s title is priming me to think about it this way, but The Gift of Repetition brings me to this hips forward, head-nodding space, like it’s 1AM and I’m in a bar watching a band and I don’t know if I’m a little drunk, a lot tired, or both. What it might lack in dynamism it makes up for with a uniquely lumbering tenacity. Recommended for fans of Spray Paint, the A-Frames, and Life Stinks. 
Naked Roommate: Do the Duvet 12” (Trouble in Mind) The World’s last 12”, Reddish, is one of my most played records of the last few years, so when I heard about this debut vinyl from Naked Roommate—who started as a home recorded offshoot of the World but have since blossomed into a four-piece group—I had to hear it. Surprise, surprise, I love it and I’ve had it on constant rotation since we got it in. Fans of the World won’t be disappointed as Naked Roommate has a similarly strong sense of style and great songwriting, but the aesthetic here is a little different. Most of the rhythms seem to come from programmed drums, giving the record a robotic backbone that serves as an interesting counterpoint to the warm, gritty sounds coming from the analog instruments. Second, Naked Roommate foregrounds their dub and dance music influences, with most of the songs featuring hypnotic grooves and deep, resonant bass right at the front of the mix. That being said, tracks like “Mad Love,” “Je Suis le Bebe,” and “(Re) P.R.O.D.U.C.E.” have huge vocal hooks that you’ll have to make a concerted effort not to sing along with. So, fans of the World should check this out, but so should anyone into dub-influenced 70s post-punk bands like the Slits, ESG, and the Raincoats.
Loud Night: Mindnumbing Pleasure 12” (Vinyl Conflict) Debut full-length from this band out of Richmond, Virginia. The core of their sound is somewhere between Midnight’s Venom-influenced punk-metal and Inepsy’s d-beat rock-and-roll, though with flourishes from other styles across punk and metal’s wide spectrum. I think I reach for the Midnight and Inepsy comparisons because every track on Mindnumbing Pleasure is so ripping and catchy, maintaining a high energy level that makes it feel like a punk record. But while the vibe is punk, Loud Night incorporates metal’s musicality with no self-indulgent tendencies, particularly for the (frequently harmonized) guitar leads, which are tasteful and melodic. This record’s entire pressing sold out from the label in just a couple days, and for good reason; if you’re in to this style of punky metal / metallic punk, this is a flawlessly executed, front-to-back ripper.Reich Orgasm: S/T LP (1984)
So, this week I’m a little nervous that my staff pick is an oi! record whose lyrics I can’t understand that has the word “reich” in the band name. However, my research indicates that everything is on the up and up. I hope someone will let me know if I’m wrong.
About the band name. It doesn’t refer to Hitler or the Third Reich, but to the second-generation psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, who was a student of Sigmund Freud (i.e. the first-generation psychoanalyst). While I’m no Reich scholar, from what I understand, he thought sexual repression was at the root of many—if not most or all—of humanity’s ills, including problems with mental and physical health, political and social repression, and a host of other problems. While “Reich Orgasm” doesn’t seem to be any kind of technical term in Reich’s work as far as I can tell, it alludes to the potential healing powers of orgasm in Reich’s philosophy. It’s a name that blurs the line between immediate physical pleasure and what we think of as a higher or more cerebral senses of good.
As for the band Reich Orgasm, they formed in 1978 in Orléans, France, but didn’t release this, their only vinyl other than compilation appearances, until 1984. While I can’t find much information about the band, their drummer was the main person behind the Chaos Productions label, which not only released this LP but also the Chaos En France compilations (on which Reich Orgasm appeared) and records from several other excellent punk / oi! groups from the French provinces such as Komintern Sect, Trotskids, and Wunderbach. From what I understand, the band broke up in 1987 due to frustration with the increasing right-wing tendencies in the French skinhead scene.
As for the music on this LP, it’s top-notch tough and melodic oi! that any fan of Rixe will love. However, while both bands are tough and catchy, Reich Orgasm’s melodies are often more delicate and songwriter-ly. While I like a tough oi! anthem as much as anyone, I’ve always been partial to the poppier moments of bands like the Business. Highlights on this LP include the great pop song “Ma Fiancée 2,” which reminds me of my favorite darker, later-era Ramones songs, and the anthemic “Juin 40,” which has this great moment that goes “un, deux, trois, quatre, OOOO!” It’s like a French Ramones count-off followed by a big Tom Warrior grunt and it’s my favorite thing in music at the moment. The record smokes all the way through, though, so dial it up on the YouTubes or streaming services and check it out.
Rash: Hivemind 12” (Convulse Records) Chicago’s Rash has been kicking around for a while now, flying below the radar despite putting out a bunch of releases. Hivemind is their second 12” (the first, Skinner Box, appeared on High Fashion Industries in 2016), and it continues to develop the blend of hardcore and noise rock we heard on those earlier records. While Rash’s sound is a punishing roar, they rarely settle into a groove for more than a few bars. Instead, their rhythms are jagged, shifting with little notice and giving Hivemind an unsettlingly schizoid vibe. Once your ear acclimates to the assault, though, you hear how dense these songs are. Nothings seems off the shelf or lazy… every second of music has a gritty texture, a counter-intuitive rhythm, or an unexpected melody that earns its spot on the record. Rash’s harsh and bruising sound will appeal to fans of the Youth Attack Records / “mysterious guy HC” sound, but that it’s on the more technical and adventurous end of that sound means Hivemind is way more than just a genre record.
Girls in Synthesis: Now Here’s an Echo From Your Future 12” (Harbinger Sound) I’ve been listening to this debut LP from London’s Girls in Synthesis for the past week and I still feel like it’s a puzzle I haven’t quite unlocked. Their sound is interesting. Classic anarcho punk is part of the mix, as is noise music (there are swirling synth noises layered over everything), but there’s an element of Sonic Youth’s noisy, song-oriented art rock circa Daydream Nation or Goo. While Girls in Synthesis reminds me of Bad Breeding when the latter element drops out of the mix, for most of Now Here’s an Echo from Your Future these sounds come together in a way I’ve never heard before. I think people who have like a wide range of styles but have a particular affinity for anarcho punk would love this, particularly if you’re into bands like Poison Girls, Omega Tribe, or the Mob, bands who didn’t foreground punk’s more aggressive elements. It’s arty, ambitious, political, and sounds like no other record in my collection… what’s not to like?
Contrast Attitude / The Knockers: Split 7” (Distort Reality) Cross-genre split 7” between these two Japanese bands. First up is Contrast Attitude, who give us two more tracks of their well-oiled, Disclose-influenced d-beat hardcore. Rather than being raw and scrappy, Contrast Attitude has a huge, heavy production and a sound that might lean toward more straightforward crust if it weren’t so gritty and nasty. As for the Knockers, they’re a heavy but melodic punk band whose sound is somewhere between Leatherface and Jawbreaker’s gritty pop-punk and darker Screeching Weasel tracks. I used to listen to a lot of Japanese music in this vein—a lot of it came out on a label called Snuffy Smiles Records—but I haven’t been in touch with that sound or scene for ages. That being said, this is exactly the stuff I was into… it’s a little more saccharine than Dillinger 4, but still has plenty of kick. It’s an unexpected pairing for sure, but kudos to these bands for thinking outside their respective boxes.
Hellish View: Holy Horrors 7” (Disarmy Records) Minneapolis’s Hellish View has been kicking around for a few years, plying their trade in overt Disclose worship. Holy Horrors picks up right where Reaper’s Hand left off… the vocalist still sounds almost exactly like Kawakami, and just about the only thing distinguishing this from an actual Disclose record is that it says “Hellish View” on the front. Holy Horrors is a little more in the Yesterday’s Fairytale, Tomorrow’s Nightmare mold with its heavier production, fast palm muted parts, and “nuclear rain” guitar leads… and in case you couldn’t figure that out on your own, the “disbones” emblem is right there on the back of the sleeve. If you’re coming to Holy Horrors looking for surprises, you’re barking up the wrong tree, but if you’re after pitch-perfect Disclose worship, I dare say you won’t do much better than this. Crushing, ripping, and all of the other relevant adjectives apply.
Nightfeeder: Rotten demo (self-released) Demo cassette from this band out of Seattle featuring former members of Disrupt and State of Fear (see Usman’s staff pick this week for a more detailed history lesson). It intrigued me right off the bat since the tape’s artwork reminds me of Judgement, and while Nightfeeder doesn’t sound like a Judgement copycat, they appeal to a similar sensibility. In other words, it’s hardcore punk with a heavy, Motorhead-esque swing to the groove, ambitious songwriting, and some metallic flourishes in the guitar playing without ever sounding like metal. Another good reference point might be Criminal Trap-era Anti-Cimex. The sound on Rotten is raw, but the playing is so skilled and powerful that I could imagine them moving toward a heavier, more produced sound and pulling it off. In the meantime, this is a great listen for Japanese hardcore heads and/or fans of the Tragedy / Deathreat / Talk Is Poison axis of bands. And bonus points for the excellent Missbrukarna and Victims covers that close the tape. These covers are a cool window into influences that don’t come through on Nightfeeder’s own songs, though I hope we hear more of these tracks’ snottier vocal style on future Nightfeeder recordings.
Siggy Magic and the Hey-Hoe Band: Commercials for Free 7” (Neon Taste) Neon Taste Records reissues this ultra-rare Canadian punk EP… seriously, check out the Discogs sales history on this one. According to the liner notes, Commercials for Free was a soundtrack record for a 1978 20-minute DIY film of the same name. Nothing about the music screams “soundtrack” to me, though; this is just a straight punk record. The title track is a thuggish punk track with off-key and off-time vocals, and while they’re a little silly, the rest of the musicianship is tight enough to remind me of some of my favorite “fake punk” records. Either way you slice it, if you have more than one Killed by Death or Bloodstains compilation in your collection, this is the shit you love. Of the remaining three tracks, two are in a similar vein and the last is a bitter acoustic track called “People Who Cheated Me.” I don’t know if I’d drop $800+ on this one, but for less than a tenner, this is a no-brainer.
Heavy Discipline: S/T 12” (Painkiller) Painkiller pressed this Pittsburgh band’s demo to vinyl a while back, and now they’ve given us their debut LP. Painkiller has been a go-to label for modern bands modeled on the early 80s Boston hardcore tradition, and Heavy Discipline is a perfect fit. This is one of those records that is so perfectly executed that you could trick a poseur into thinking it’s a long lost release from the X-Claim! Records catalog… it’s like 50% Kill for Christ, 50% Get it Away, and 100% killer. And while the production is right on the nose, the songwriting doesn’t feel like a mere pastiche of Heavy Discipline’s influences. Recommended for fans of X-Claim! Records, the first Boston Strangler LP, Sam Adams, and baked beans. 
Ray Gun: S/T 7” (It’s Trash) Three-song EP from this band out of Nashville, Tennessee that combines elements of garage-punk and noise rock. The noise rock comes out in the blown-out sound and the emphasis on gritty and feedback-y textures, but while many noise rock bands focus on riffs and textures, Ray Gun’s songs feel more song-y. “Seance,” for instance, simmers at a Lost Sounds-ish, paranoid-sounding pace until it explodes into a triumphant chorus. “I Am the Rat” is shuffly-er and jangly-er with strong Gun Club vibes and a long, bluesy guitar solo. These three tracks are so dense that it feels like the band is cramming everything they’ve got into them, and that all-or-nothing approach makes this a very exciting EP.
Power Face: Door Slammed Shut 7” (Adult Crash) Stockholm, Sweden’s Power Face have a few records out already (including an LP on Really Fast Records!!!), but this is the first time I’ve heard them. While it’s not so on the nose they sound like a “worship” band, parts of Door Slammed Shut are a dead ringer for peak-era RKL. Like RKL, Power Face sounds kind of metal but they aren’t afraid of major keys, their guitarist and drummer are serious rippers (I love the accents on the ride bell! That’s classic a classic Bomber move…), and their vocalist sounds raspy and snotty but can still lead an anthemic sing-along. This reminds me of the catchy and ripping punk that No Way Records made a name for themselves releasing in the mid-2000s, and if you’re still spinning your Government Warning records, I think you’ll get plenty of mileage out of Door Slammed Shut.
The War Goes On: Assisted Armageddon 12” (Adult Crash)Assisted Armageddon is the second LP from this Danish band featuring former members of Hjerte Stop and No Hope for the Kids. If you’ve heard those two bands, Assisted Armageddon sounds like the two of them mashed together, with the big melodies and soaring vocals of No Hope for the Kids combined with the shorter songs and leaner approach of Hjerte Stop. If you haven’t heard those bands, The War Goes On reminds me of the most melodic early 80s Southern California punk… bands like Channel 3, M.I.A., and Social Distortion. Those bands contributed DNA to pop-punk, but The War Goes On doesn’t sound like a pop-punk band to me… they’re too gritty, angry, and political, and their melodies are dark and sophisticated. That being said, when Usman heard this he said it sounds like it could be on Hellcat Records, so maybe I’m just old. However, if you’re like me and have fond memories of the early 2000s when Kick N Punch Records was ruling everything and thousands of punks were newly able to locate Denmark on a map, and/or if you played that No Hope for the Kids LP to death, this LP is full of anthems perfect for autumn 2020.
Uniform: Shame 12” (Sacred Bones) Shame is the latest full-length from New York industrial / noise band Uniform. I haven’t followed Uniform’s discography closely… I remember liking their first album, Perfect World, but I lost track of them after that. Then last fall they played a crushing set in the middle of the afternoon at the Hopscotch music fest here in Raleigh. That set knocked me out, and I made a mental note that I should pay more attention the next time Uniform released a record. And now here we are with Shame. I’m glad Uniform got back on my radar because this record crushes. While it’s heavy and aggressive, the sensibility feels familiar to me as someone who grew up in and is still immersed in hardcore… it doesn’t feel macho, cheesy, or fall into any of the other traps that turn me off when I stray too far outside my hardcore comfort zone. That being said, Shame is remarkably diverse. “Life in Remission” has blasting parts that sound like an industrial take on Darkthrone’s classic albums, while “The Shadow of God’s Hand” centers around a doomy, Sabbathian riff, and “I Am the Cancer” is an epic space rock jam rammed through Uniform’s neo-Wax Trax filter. Elements might sound familiar, but they’re put together in interesting and often surprising ways. This isn’t typical of the stuff we hype at Sorry State, but there’s more than enough crossover to please the more adventurous among you.
Korrosive: Hiroshima 7” (Manic Noise) Latest 2-song flexi from Oakland’s Korrosive. Korrosive has released a handful of EPs over the past several years. I was a big fan of their Syövyttävä Laji EP on Distort Reality Records, and even though this white vinyl flexi only has one punk track and one piano instrumental, it has me jazzed. “Hiroshima” is a hit, reminding me of mid-paced tracks by Kaaos and Appendix. Korrosive nails that old Finnish punk sound… slightly metallic, based in the UK82 sound, but with an extra hint of catchiness that doesn’t compromise the toughness. While “Hiroshima” is a slow burn, it’s all impact… a killer track. I’m sure this flexi will get a lot of play, but I’m looking forward to the day when Korrosive drops a full-length that levels everything.
Sabre: II 7” (Erste Theke Tonträger) Another EP from this new-ish Bay Area band and it’s even more limited than their first (only 200 copies this time!), so if you liked that one I’d pick this up before it’s gone. As before, Sabre has a unique sound. The rhythms are straightforward and punk, based on the wide-open drive of UK82, but the guitarist drops in quirky and melodic bits from the Die Kreuzen / Mecht Mensch playbook. Then there’s the vocalist, whose growl-grunt might seem at odds with the multi-syllabic complexity of the lyrics. If you ever wondered what Sakevi would sound like pronouncing the name of the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard, this will be the closest approximation you’re likely to find. I’m sure the minimal packaging helps offset the cost of such a small press run, but the music here is cool enough to sell it on its own.
Nag: Dead Deer 12” (Die Slaughterhaus) Atlanta’s Nag has released several singles over the past few years, and Dead Deer is their first full-length. Dead Deer is a very Atlanta record with its angular rhythms, catchy riffs, and disaffected yet subtly melodic vocals. There’s something about the bands that come from there—maybe it’s just the pervasive influence of the Carbonas—that gives them a similar vibe, and if you love bands like the Carbonas, Predator, and GG King, this is a no-brainer. While Bukkake Boys and Hyena are notable exceptions, I love the way these Atlanta punk bands embrace melody and avoid the tropes of hardcore while borrowing its intensity. That being said, Nag’s vibe is more sinister than any of the bands I mentioned above. While they don’t use synth, the mechanical quality of the rhythms and the eerie, paranoid vibes remind me of the early era of Devo captured on Hardcore Devo. Dead Deer is a worthy addition to the healthy pile of great punk records Atlanta has produced over the past couple of decades.
Razorblades & Aspirin #10 zine Latest issue of Razorblades & Aspirin, which has established itself as one of the most important zines in the current punk scene. As ever, there’s a heavy focus on photography, including interviews with photographers Chris Boarts Larson, Alison Braun, and Matthew Kadi, and tons of beautifully reproduced (often full-color) photographs throughout the magazine. I know I complained about the copy editing in the last issue, but the writing in this issue is excellent at every level, not only well edited but also the interviews are deep and insightful, even if you aren’t a huge fan of the bands being interviewed. There’s also a photo essay on the recent Black Lives Matter protests in Richmond and lots of talk about and reflection on the protests and other current events throughout the zine. While some of my favorite zines over the past ten or more years have been self-consciously nostalgic, Razorblades & Aspirin feels focused on the here and now. Essential reading, if you ask me.
The U.N.I.T.: What’s It All For? 12” (4Q Records) This is the first I’m hearing of this hardcore band out of Texas, though they have a few earlier cassette releases. The sound is burly and heavy with a similar mix of influences as Warthog… I hear Scandi-style hardcore in the faster riffing, but at least half of the record is mid-paced, sometimes in a moshable way (see the outro to “Evil Days”), but more often in a fist-pumping way akin to Impalers’ mid-paced parts (shout out to Jeff for that observation). Sick artwork and packaging on this one too, so if you like your hardcore big and burly this 5-song, one-sided LP will do you right. Note: limited edition of 250 hand-numbered copies.
Kuro: Collection 12” (DTK Records) The latest classic Japanese band to get the “unofficial reissue” treatment is Fukuoka’s Kuro. For me, Kuro is one of the best Japanese hardcore bands of all time. While they never released an album, their Who the Helpless 8” EP is one of the most feral and crushing early Japanese hardcore records. The sound resembles Fuckheads-era Gauze or G-Zet in that you can tell Discharge is the base of the soup, but the playing is more precise, a little cleaner, and with an emphasis on heaviness and grit rather than pure density. People often remark that there’s a Motorhead-esque quality to a lot of the best Japanese hardcore, and that’s the case here, though the vocals are shredded, up there with John Brannon or Jerry A in intensity. This collection brings together pretty much all of Kuro’s discography, leading off with the peerless Who the Helpless EP. If you’re into 80s Japanese hardcore, you should school yourself on Kuro, and if you need a lesson, this LP is a fine place to get it.
Jenny Diver: demo 7” flexi (Estaría Chido Poder Volar) This 7” flexi preserves the aggressively eclectic demo from Mexico City’s Jenny Diver on a durable physical format, and I’m thankful for it. When I say “aggressively eclectic,” I mean you get everything from a melodic punk song that could have been on Lookout! Records (“El Rock De La Década”) to a blistering eight-second thrash explosion (“Lamento Boliviano Vol. 2”) to a drum machine-led, reggaeton-influenced track (“Perreocore”). Despite the eclecticism, everything feels natural here, hanging together because of the charismatic vocals and sense of joy oozing out of every track. It’s loose, lo-fi, and as unpretentious as they come. 100% punk.