ABC Gum: New Arcade 12” (Let’s Pretend) Debut vinyl from this band out of Bloomington, Indiana. As I was listening I thought the vintage, 60s-style production and songwriting chops reminded me of the Cowboys, and indeed the Cowboys share members with ABC Gum. The vibe here is a little different, combining the naive-sounding lyrics and vocals of Television Personalities with hooky American power-pop like the Nerves, the Speedies, or the Shoes. Like the Cowboys, ABC Gum tread a lot of ground across this LP, ranging from angrier tracks like “On Your Side” and “My Wild Life” to poppier tracks like “Lovey Quicksand” and “Lack of Sleep,” ending with the quirky, organ-driven “New Arcade.” The production is spot-on and the hooks are plentiful, so if you’re into quality, retro-sounding power-pop I’d grab this along with that new Whiffs LP.

Nukkehammer: A Distant Hissing in Your Ear 7” (Solar Funeral) Latest EP from this band out of Columbus, Ohio, coming a mere eight years (!!!) after their debut. I was a fan of Nukkehammer back then, and after spinning A Distant Hissing in Your Ear I’m even more of a fan now. While the record doesn’t sound out of step with the times, it also doesn’t feel constrained by the current scene’s trends and styles, as you might expect from a band that has been around for so long. The standout track for me is the opening “Kills by Nuclear,” which captures the manic style of peak-era Gauze (albeit through a grainy filter), but the wild-sounding “Skeletal Hand of Reagan” and brutal, Corrosion of Conformity-esque “Chainsaw of Storms” are also totally ripping. There’s a lot to digest on this EP, but if you’re the type who demands more from your hardcore than just a competent take on an established style I recommend picking this up.

Mobs: Kill ‘em All 12” (Fan Club) Compilation release from this 80s Japanese hardcore band, bringing together their first two 7”s with a handful of rare demo tracks. I don’t remember hearing anyone talking about Mobs ten years ago, but they’ve surged in popularity over the past few years thanks to YouTube and Discogs making it easier to hear them. Their first EP, Diabolism, is a solid slice of early Japanese hardcore. Like a lot of Japanese hardcore from this period, it’s indebted to Discharge (particularly the first track, “Dead People Having Sex”), but the murky production and uniquely Japanese vocal phrasing mean it sounds very different from the Discharge-inspired bands from, say, Sweden or Finland. The two demo tracks on the a-side are cool if you’re a fan of Diabolism, as they’re along the same lines, only with a rougher sound and more UK punk influence. While Diabolism is cool, for my money Mobs got a lot better with their second EP, Projection of Astral Body. With much-improved production and more complex and engaging songwriting, it finds Mobs establishing their own style. While it’s not as raging as something like Gauze or G.I.S.M., if you’re into the quirkier end of Japanese hardcore this EP is an essential listen.

Putzfrau: Demo 2019 cassette (Edger) Demo cassette from this new band out of Portland featuring members of Suck Lords. If you’re a fan of Suck Lords, you’ll want to check this out, as these folks know how to put together a great-sounding hardcore recording. Putzfrau has a very different vibe than Suck Lords, though, putting the emphasis on speed rather than anger. These tracks are blazing, too, lightning-fast and packed with thetight little rhythmic tics that make Koro so great. Only one song breaks the one-minute mark, and while it’s ostensibly the mid-paced song, it’s still faster than at least 90% of hardcore that I hear. Totally ripping!

Doldrey: Invocation of Doom 12” (Iron Lung) Five tracks of brutal, grimy death metal-infused hardcore (or is it the other way around?) from this band out of Singapore. Particularly during their churning mid-paced parts, Doldrey reminds me of Innumerable Forms; I guess it makes sense that Doldrey would catch Jensen from Iron Lung’s ear, since he plays guitar in Innumerable Forms. While Doldrey has all the heaviness that you want from a death metal band, their mosh-able rhythms and economical compositions (only two tracks break the 3-minute mark) are tailor made for an attention span shaped by hardcore. Like everything on Iron Lung, Invocation of Doom is worth hearing, but I’d be sure to check it out if you’re a fan of classic death metal.

The Whiffs: Another Whiff 12” (Dig! Records) Second record from this power-pop group out of Kansas City, and it’s one of the most accomplished examples of the genre I’ve heard in some time. The downfall of many a modern power-pop band is a weak vocalist, but the Whiffs have not one but three capable singers. Not only that, but they’re able to nail incredible three-part harmonies that will send chills up your spine. While the Whiffs are accomplished players, Another Whiff has a dirty, home-recorded quality that keeps their songs sounding fresh and organic. They’re also adept at balancing out the sweeter moments in their music. For every gentle moment like the country-tinged “Please Be True” or the beautiful pop song “She,” there’s something like the Velvets-y guitar solo on “My Vision of Love” or the high-energy rock-and-roll of “Now I Know.” In fact, for something that fits comfortably in the “power-pop” subgenre, there’s a huge amount of variety on Another Whiff. Rather than rewriting the same song over and over, the Whiffs have crafted a lengthy album (fourteen tracks!) that doesn’t overstay its welcome. While Another Whiff isn’t as punk as, say, the Exploding Hearts, if you’re a fan of the heyday of American power-pop—bands like the Flamin’ Groovies, Big Star, and the DBs—you should check out Another Whiff.

Gino & the Goons: Do the Get Around 12” (Drunken Sailor) Latest full-length from this long-running Florida punk/garage band with a bulging discography. While I checked out their singles on Total Punk, I’m not familiar with Gino & the Goons’ long history, so I won’t be able to tell you how Do the Get Around stacks up against their previous records. I can tell you is this is a raw and primal slice of rock-and-roll. Gino & the Goons sounds like a seasoned band, able to pull off a broad range of garage rock styles, from the Chuck Berry-esque “Take It Off” to the more melodic, Ramones-y “Pills in My Pocket” to the swampy “Better Believe.” The recording is loose and grimy, but it adds to the feeling that you’re in a room fragrant with the smell of spilled bear and sweat. Gino is also a great vocalist, with a library of unique tics and inflections that give each song that little something special it needs to stand out.

The Tits: Great Punk Tits 12” (Distort Reality) Compilation LP and first US release from this Japanese noise-punk band who recently toured the US. I hadn’t heard of them before the tour, and when I looked them up on Discogs, it surprised me to find how extensive their discography is, with several demos, 7”s and flexis, and an LP. There isn’t much info on Great Punk Tits, so I’m not sure what comes from where, but you can hear some progression across its sixteen tracks. While you could describe everything on this LP as noise-punk, the earlier tracks have more of a traditional Japanese hardcore sound a la the Execute or early Lip Cream. As you get further into side 1, the Tits get crazier and more unhinged, moving more toward a sound that reminds me of Indignation-era Confuse or Creation and Destroy-era D-Clone. With powerful production, great dynamics in the arrangements, and a noteworthy vocalist, the Tits are worthy of those lofty comparisons. Despite their tour, I haven’t heard a ton of hype about the Tits, but I’d put this up there with Physique and Extended Hell as some of the best raw hardcore I’ve heard this year. Highly recommended.

Merrygoround: 1983 7” (Bronze Fist) Vinyl reissue of the 1983 cassette by this band from Himeji, Japan. I was familiar with Merrygoround’s No War flexi (I own it but haven’t spun it in a few years), so I was excited to see this release, particularly since the packaging includes cool photos and a short but informative history of the band. Like the original cassette release, one side of this 7” is a live recording, while the other is a studio recording. The live recording has a rough sound with the bass up front. Since the bass seems to carry the melody for a lot of the songs, these tracks have a punkier feel that reminds me of Trash-era Stalin. The tracks on the b-side are listed as a studio session, but given that the recording quality is even rougher it might be a rehearsal room recording rather than multi-track. Regardless, the more even mix and aggressive approach reminds me of Fuckheads era Gauze or perhaps Kuro, whom the band lists as an inspiration in the liner notes. While Merrygoround is a deep cut, the packaging and presentation here is on point, making this a solid buy for anyone into raw Japanese hardcore.

Dark Thoughts: Do You Dream 7” (Peterwalkee) Brand new two-song single from every hardcore punk’s favorite melodic punk band, Dark Thoughts. I can see why “Do You Dream” gets the a-side as it might be the poppiest Dark Thoughts song yet. The approach is still the same, but whereas the vocal melodies used to have to fight the riffs and the blistering drumbeats for your attention, “Do You Dream” seems comfortable being a sing-along. The b-side, “It’s Too Late” (which is exclusive to this 7”), is more riff-driven and Ramones-y, and it’s just as good as any other Dark Thoughts track. This single is very short, but it does its job getting me salivating for the upcoming third full-length.

Future Terror: Plague 12” (Ryvvolte Records) Debut vinyl from this crust band from Richmond, Virginia. While the world has no shortage of d-beat bands at the moment, Future Terror stands out with a heavy, metallic sound that reminds me of Extreme Noise Terror or Doom. For me, the danger for metallic crust is that it gets too polished and antiseptic, but Future Terror is raw and nasty. While the recording is clear and heavy, the grimy guitar and bass sounds and throat-shredding vocals don’t sound anything like “stadium crust.” The raw, “yelling into a cave of despair” vocals could fit with Morbid Angel or Napalm Death as easily as any crust band, and if you loved Skemäta’s vocals I’m sure you’ll be on board. So much of crusty hardcore these days is about trying to be raw and primitive, so I’m stoked to see a band aim for something a little different and nail it.

Warp: Traffic Control 12” (Thrilling Living) Debut vinyl from this Bay Area punk band. Warp plays music that’s right in my sweet spot, with all the catchiness of a classic punk band, the energy of a great hardcore band, and the complexity of something you could label “post-” something or another. Maybe I’m flattering myself since I play guitar in the band, but Warp reminds me of Sorry State’s own No Love, particularly on tracks like “Sheet Cake” and “Makeup,” which are both catchy but tough-sounding rather than melodic. That being said, they throw some unexpected ingredients in to the mix like the staccato anarcho rhythms on the title track and the swirling, psychedelic double-tracked guitars on the climactic closer “Goat.” The lyrics are also brilliant, surreal yet thought-provoking. The lyrics to “Traffic Control,” “Cellophane,” and “Sheet Cake” are worth the price of admission alone. For instance, here’s the full lyric for “Cellophane:” “Stick of butter, butterball. Throw a brick of butter, butter on the wall. Broken bucket with a big ol hole. Don’t bet on a bucket that’ll never get full. Sorry, baby, he’s silver cellophane.” I used to teach a college-level introduction to poetry course, and I could have spent an entire class period on that one. I doubt you’re surprised Thrilling Living has put out another record I Love, but I’ll confirm this one’s a keeper.

Acrylics: Sinking In 12” (Iron Lung) Full-length debut from this California hardcore band with previous releases on Neck Chop and Iron Lung. Their first release came out way back in 2014, so it’s unsurprising that they’ve changed, but Sinking In is a stark leap forward. Acrylics always had an arty, off-kilter edge to their music, but on Sinking In, hardcore seems like just one of several influences rather than providing the over-arching framework for the entire aesthetic. Burners like “New Face” and “Awake” recall Bad Breeding’s richly textured anarcho-hardcore, while tracks like “Retreat” lean in to more of a noise rock influence. There are also two instrumental interludes (one spacey and ambient, the other mechanized and industrial) and they bookend LP with two psychedelic guitar freakouts that bring to mind Destruction Unit’s total sensory overload. Sinking In is more than just a mass of cool sounds or a heaping riff salad, it’s an ambitious, realized album with an ebb and flow that feels considered yet natural.

Slumb Party: Spending Money 12” (Drunken Sailor) Second album from this post-punk band out of Nottingham, UK. These days I’m skeptical of bands playing post-punk-influenced music. There’s been such a glut of that stuff over the past decade, so much of it mediocre and forgettable, that I’m reluctant to check out something unless it’s recommended from a trusted source. I’d seen some chatter about this new Slumb Party record and I’m glad I checked it out. Rather than the poppier or goth-y sound that a lot of bands that get described as post-punk go for, Slumb Party remind me of quirkier, artsier bands like early XTC, Essential Logic, and Suburban Lawns. Like those artists, Slumb Party’s music is interesting and memorable without being melodic as such. Rather than building songs around melodies, they coalesce around rhythms and textures, prompting you to move your body more than sing along. I also love the varied instrumentation. While bass, drums, and vocals are a constant, they’re accompanied, alternately, by guitar, organ, and saxophone. This gives Spending Money a lot of variety, not only from track to track but often from moment to moment. I’ve already spun Spending Money a few times, and its variety and complexity will keep me returning to it for a while.

Neon: S/T 12” (Square One Again) I was a huge fan of Neon’s demo tape, so I was looking forward to their debut vinyl. Thankfully it does not disappoint! Along with Mozart (with whom Neon share members), Neon is at the forefront of a new brand of hardcore that takes tropes that are big parts of the genre for certain fans—heaviness, tightness, and precision—and chucks them right out the window. There have always been hardcore bands that sound loose, raw, and wild (Italian bands like Negazione and Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers spring to mind), but Neon’s take on the genre feels like an important political move. In a technology-obsessed world that demands humans act more like computers (a subject Neon addresses on the track “Bodies”), Neon’s music feels human, organic and alive rather than mechanical and regimented. Wrapped up with those tropes is also a long history of misogyny in hardcore, and Neon’s self-described “ugly girl music” does more than just reject that misogyny, it sees through it and finds the possibility for free and radical self-expression in a genre that can seem calcified. Moreover, the music just rips. The LP is full of catchy bass lines, inventive guitar playing, furious drumming, thought-provoking lyrics, and vocals as memorable as they are unconventional. Challenging politics, brilliant and exciting music, stunning packaging… what more could you want from a punk record?

Bombardement: S/T 12” (Symphony of Destruction) Debut vinyl from this French d-beat band. Bombardement takes a lot of inspiration from Discharge, as do a lot of bands these days. However, Bombardement doesn’t sound like many other modern d-beat bands. First, the recording is not self-consciously raw. This 12” has a big, clear, and modern sound that is heavy and thick without sounding polished or anything like stadium crust. Second, Bombardement seems to borrow more heavily from the Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing era of Discharge than the earlier singles and Why? MLP. Just listen to the track “Greed Prevails.” The main riff is a descendent of “Drunk With Power,” which is a strange Discharge track in how the riff seems to float rather than rip, rage, or crush, and Bombardement accentuates that quality with an excellent, lengthy guitar solo section in the middle. While I love the moments on this record that feel stretched out, Bombardement can also write a grade A ripping d-beat track, as evidenced by “Wheel of Destruction” and “The Brink of Collapse.” While much of the d-beat world’s attention seems focused on releases that are very noisy and/or psychedelic, Bombardement explores a whole different corner of the Discharge aesthetic here and, in the process, delivers a crushing record.

Warhead: Cry of Truth 7” (Break the Records) Reissue of this all-time Japanese hardcore classic, originally released way back in 1991. Basically, if you like Japanese hardcore of any stripe you should own this record. Cry of Truth was one of the early records I discovered as I started digging deeper into the Japanese hardcore scene. I love how it combines the almost melodic riffing and gang vocals of early Death Side with a sound that’s faster, looser, rawer, and more straightforwardly punk. The main riff for “Fight with No Fear” is an all-time classic, and “You in Corruption” is another standout with its epic chorus (it’s just two voices yelling “ugh!” (or maybe “yeah!”?) at one another in the two stereo channels), ripping guitar lead, and dramatic ending. The visual aesthetic is also perfect, a look that everyone wants to achieve and so few do. While these tracks appeared on the Warhead collection LP on 540 a few years back, I’m happy to see this back on the shelves with its brilliant original presentation.

Disclose: Nightmare or Reality 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you how great Disclose is, or to convince you that La Vida Es Un Mus is doing the lord’s work by bringing another of their records back into print. The cult of Disclose is strong, and for good reason. Despite being more or less ignored in their time, they’ve become one of the most influential bands on 2010s punk. Nightmare or Reality (like the other two LPs that LVEUM has reissued) is a highlight of the band’s discography, coming at the tail end of what most people would consider their classic era. While Disclose had been releasing music since the early 90s, their final several years (1999 or so to 2004) were productive. Not only were releases coming out steadily, the band seemed to experience a burst of creative energy, experimenting and exploring their sound without losing their essential voice. Once again, kudos to LVEUM for keeping this material in print in an edition true to Kawakami’s original vision.

Celda: demo cassette (Destrozado) Demo cassette from this band from Mexico City. Celda’s big, crashing chords (particularly when they pair them with fast 1-2 beats) remind me of ripping 90s hardcore like Deathreat or Talk Is Poison, though they infuse that sound with the modern pogo-hardcore of bands like Gag or Blazing Eye. It’s a raw, scrappy explosion of anger, though they still make time for a great melodic guitar lead on “Dr. Pisquiatra.” Perhaps this isn’t an essential grip for a dabbler in hardcore, but if you’re interested in the contemporary Mexican hardcore punk scene, this is well worth hearing.

Confuse: Fuckin’ All Media 12” (Fan Club) Another Confuse bootleg rolls off the pipeline, this time compiling the band’s later material: the Spending Loud Night 7", Contempt For The Authority and Take Off The Lie 7", Stupid Life 7", and tracks from the Violent Party Omnibus and Neo compilations. The last Confuse bootleg we carried had truly atrocious cover artwork, but thankfully this one is better. As I've said, there are no bad Confuse releases, and if you love Japanese hardcore and/or noise-punk you should be familiar with all of their material. One thing I love about Confuse is how much they changed from release to release, and that’s on full display here. Spending Loud Night is one of the band’s nastiest recordings, a wash of hiss and treble that barely even qualifies as music. That stuff is great and very important for pushing the boundaries of noise not music, but I love Confuse’s releases with cleaner recordings even more. Case in point, the Contempt for the Authority 7”, which has a crystal clear recording that highlights how raw and crazy Confuse were even better than the noisier and more primitive recordings. The three tracks from compilations here are also essential (particularly the track from the Neo comp, which is the cleanest recording Confuse ever got), and the LP ends with the Stupid Life EP. While “General Speech” is a classic Confuse hardcore ripper, Stupid Life finds the band drifting away from traditional hardcore punk, delving even further into the noisy chaos. The title track even reminds me of 90s noise rock. This reissue includes an insert with lineup and recording info, reproductions of the original sleve artwork, and top-notch sound quality.

Hellish View: Reaper’s Hand 7” (Desolate) The insert for this record reads, “inspiration: Disclose, Disclose, Disclose,” just so you know what you’re getting into right off the bat. Interestingly, though, Reaper’s Hand starts with a mid-paced track, “A.P.O.D.,” that reminds me more of Amebix than Disclose. From there, though, it’s a wash of raw noise. It’s fitting that we’re writing about this in the same update as the reissue of Disclose’s Nightmare or Reality, as that record must have been a big inspiration on this one. While Hellish View doesn’t elaborate on that sound, they nail it with the chaotic, layered production I love to hear from this style of music. If you can’t get enough Disclose worship, this 7” should be up there with the new Physique EP on your list of buying priorities.

Zorn: Hardcore Zorn cassette (self-released) Latest 4-song recording from this metal-punk band out of Philly. It’s always been tempting to dismiss Zorn as Devil Master Jr since they’re from the same city and have a similar sound and image (and Devil Master’s bassist Cassidy even provides the artwork for Hardcore Zorn), but I don’t think Zorn is redundant by any means. That’s particularly true of Hardcore Zorn, which I haven’t been able to stop playing since it hit the internet. While I’ve seen Zorn referred to as blackened punk or hardcore, the ornate song structures and complicated riffing on Hardcore Zorn remind me more of dark, technical thrash like Forbidden or Testament, albeit with a hardcore/punk energy and vocal delivery and a dash of gothic catchiness thrown in to sweeten the pot. I’m hesitant to pull this apart too much because everything fits together so seamlessly and perfectly. If you’re a fan of the early Devil Master stuff this is a no-brainer, but I encourage anyone with an interest in both metal and punk to check this out. It’s infectious.

Current Affairs: Object & Subject 12” (Tough Love) Object & Subject collects two earlier releases—a demo tape and a single—from this Scottish post-punk band featuring members of Anxiety, Shopping, and others. If you’re a die-hard Siouxsie & the Banshees fan (as I am), that will be the first comparison that leaps to mind as the singer sounds a lot like Siouxsie and the music—while hardly a Banshees rip-off—uses tropes like tom-heavy drumming and chorus on the guitar. Also like the Banshees, there’s a good balance here between pop elements and more brooding, atmospheric passages. To my ears, “Breeding Feeling” is the hit with its big chorus, but the spare “Cheap Cuts” and the more angular, punky “Eyes” are also great. My only complaint is that two of the songs appear here twice in versions that aren’t too different from one another, but it’s a complaint more in theory than in practice, as I’ve played the whole thing a bunch of times without skipping a track. If you’re a fan of recent records by Pleasure Leftists or Public Service, odds are you’ll get a lot of mileage out of Current Affairs.

Oblaka: Insight 7” flexi (Symphony of Destruction) Oblaka is a hardcore punk band from Yakoutsk in the Sakha Republic of northeastern Russia, known as “the coldest city in the world.” Looking at it on the map, it seems very far from anything we’d think of as a cosmopolitan urban center, but Oblaka's blackened crust sounds like it could have come from Japan or the UK or just about anywhere else in the world. The straightforward riffs and relentless d-beating reminds me of a grittier version of Doom, but the vocals are crazier, alternating between gutteral grunts and stranger, pained vocalizations that recall the creepiest, grimmest black metal. With a runtime of only three and a half minutes, Insight is over way too soon, but hopefully this flexi is a teaser for more to come.

Benzin: demo cassette (self-released) Demo cassette from this new band from Berlin who plays catchy, spazzy, hyper-fast hardcore exactly how I like it. Track lengths hover around the one minute mark, yet the tempos are so fast that each song still seems to feature more twists, turns, and changes than a whole season of your favorite soap opera. Despite the blistering speed, catchiness is a priority, with memorable riffs and vocal hooks that remind me of CCTV or classic tracks by the Bags. If your tastes lean toward the fuzzy area where fast garage-punk and 80s-inspired hardcore bleed together—AKA you like the aforementioned bands and/or anything from Henry Fiat’s Open Sore to the Circle Jerks to Acid Reflux—this is a recommended pickup.

Haiboku: Un Nuevo Poder 7” (Destrozado) Un Nuevo Poder is the second EP from this band out of Mexico City, and I’m bummed I missed the first one because this is killer! Haiboku worships at the altar of late 80s Japanese hardcore: their first EP’s artwork is an homage to the underrated Half Years 7”, their name is Japanese, and you can even find a sick Gudon cover on their BandCamp site. More than just referencing this style, though, Haiboku nails it with a sound ripped straight from the early Selfish Records catalog, particularly bands like Gudon, Lip Cream, and Outo. Where there are guitar leads on every track, the music doesn’t have the epic Death Side influences of most bands that rep this style of Japanese hardcore. Instead, Haiboku trade in sloppy, fast drumbeats, gnarled vocals, and gang choruses. It sounds exactly like music like this should sound. If Haiboku was from a large Western metropolis, people would have hyped them to death by now, but I’ve heard no chatter about them. I’m hoping that changes, because this band deserves all the attention we can throw at them.

Bato: Ravages of Time 7” (Not for the Weak) Debut vinyl from this hardcore band out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. I grew up in the Virginia Beach area so I’m always interested in hearing good new music from there, but traditionally that’s been in short supply. Bato’s brand of fast and angry 80s-style hardcore reminds me a lot of that region’s greatest export: the almighty Socialcide. Like Socialcide, they take the most inspiration than the faster-than-fast 80s greats (YDI, Deep Wound, Pick Your King) but also have a whiff of straight edge hardcore in their style (particularly more early 80s-sounding bands like Straight Ahead and early Youth of Today). The songs hover around the one minute mark, heavy on the rage and light on the tough guy posturing. If Bato was around in the mid-00s I’d expect to see them on the next volume of No Bullshit.

Confuse: People Are Nuclear Poisoning 12” (Fan Club) Fan club release compiling the early material by one of the all-time greats of worldwide hardcore, Japan’s Confuse. This 12” compiles their Indignation cassette, the Nuclear Addicts flexi, their tracks from the Jisatsu Omnibus compilation, and three live tracks (including one unreleased song). Every official release by Confuse is mandatory listening. Along with Disorder, Chaos UK, Shitlickers, and a handful of others, they pioneered taking Discharge’s stripped-down formula and removing any remaining bells and whistles, distilling hardcore punk down to a kind of abstract expressionist stab of rage. The band’s debut cassette-only album Indignation—presented in its entirety here—is my favorite Confuse release. The guitars are high in the mix on this session, and they are wild and unhinged, up there with Negazione’s Tutti Pazzi EP as some of the most crazed and inspired guitar noise of all time. The vocals are also downright feral, and the music is a chaotic swirl of noise, distortion, and feedback. It is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard in my life. Confuse’s later releases—including what’s compiled on the b-side of this LP—tend to highlight the drums, and while they're still great (up there, in fact, with Mob 47 as far as this style goes), they're a little more familiar and less magical. As I said, though, there is no bad Confuse material, so let’s hope they follow this collection with another volume featuring the balance of their discography.

Extended Hell: Mortal Wound 12” (Media Disease) After two beastly 7”s, this debut 12” from New York’s Extended Hell annihilates all expectations. If you have any doubt bands are still making exciting, intense, and artistically vital hardcore in 2019, I would invite you to listen to this LP and convince me it’s not all of those things and more. Stylistically, Extended Hell lies somewhere between the best of the neo-Totalitär-type Swedish bands (think Herätys, Stress SS, etc.) and the brutal, apocalyptic crust of Framtid or Disclose, with the former's finesse the latter's power. While that’s a great stylistic spot to be in, Extended Hell isn't notable because they’ve combined two tasty ingredients, but because they’ve made them their own, spicing their bruising hardcore with some of the most creative and memorable riffing in recent memory. Moments like the primitive non-riff that drives the title track, the Buzzcocks-esque 2-note guitar lead in “Bitter Defeat,” and the almost melodic guitar leads in the chorus to the closing “Dissident” are what I live for, the reason I listen to so many new records: because there might be something as cool as this on it. Given hardcore’s narrow parameters it’s inevitable that we see a lot of records that are great for what they are, but you can't dismiss Mortal Wound so easily. I predict you’ll be seeing this record on a lot of best-of lists come December, and it deserves all the accolades it (hopefully) gets. If you only buy one new hardcore record this year, Mortal Wound would be a fine choice.