Pleasure Leftists: The Gate 12” (Feel It) Fourth 12” release from this Cleveland post-punk band, coming a full four years after their last one, The Woods of Heaven, on Deranged Records in 2015. If you are familiar with Pleasure Leftists’ previous records, you know they have a well-developed style: a melodic take on post-punk with powerful, Siouxsie-esque vocals, heavy chorus on the guitar, and memorable bass lines over a steady drumbeat. A lot of bands have copped this style, but Pleasure Leftists were way ahead of the curve when their first record came out in 2011. The Gate continues to explore that framework, with the band finding new wrinkles without changing their style. The opening track, “In Dreams,” is one of the most melodic the band has ever done, with a sound fit for mainstream radio, while tracks like “Try the Door” and “Phenomenon” feature complex, almost math-y interplay between the guitar and bass. Pleasure Leftists are very Rust Belt in their approach, continuing to ply their trade and hone their craft despite the prevailing winds of larger musical trends. Pleasure Leftists fans will certainly want to check out The Gate, but even if you’re new to the band this is as good a place as any to dip into their discography.

Asid: Pathetic Flesh 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Debut vinyl from this UK hardcore band. Asid is a 5-piece with a big and burly sound, and while they scatter a few interesting lead guitar parts across Pathetic Flesh (like the dive bombs on “Cave to Pressure” or the more metallic lead on the title track), they use the extra heft to make their simple and brutal riffs sound even burlier rather than adding rhythmic or harmonic complexity. This bulldozer approach gives moments of Pathetic Flesh an early death metal vibe, which I imagine isn’t an influence so much as a common approach of making music as primitive, brutal, and punishing as possible. More obvious influences are early Agnostic Front (particularly on the first track) and S.H.I.T.’s catchy pogo-hardcore (“Bootlicker”). For me, the highlights are the off-kilter main riff on “Paranoia Puremania” and the cacophonous closing track “Riastrad,” which reminds me of the reprise of the title track at the end of Discharge’s Why?. While Asid doesn’t reinvent the wheel, Pathetic Flesh maintains the standard of quality we expect from La Vida Es Un Mus.

Pscience: S/T 12” (Space Taker) Debut LP from this New Orleans band featuring a bunch of familiar faces from the city’s fertile garage-punk scene. The sound here is punky new wave with a raw, late 70s-sounding recording. While some synth lines sound like something Ausmuteants might come up with, Pscience has a grimier sound closer to bands like the Units, Nervous Gender, or Metal Urbain’s catchier moments. Any song might contain a memorable guitar, synth, or vocal line, with all three often competing for your attention. I love when bands have a layered sound like this; every time you listen you discover something your ear hadn’t caught before. The vocals and lyrics are also great, spitting out witty critiques of modern consumer culture from what appears to be a scientist’s perspective. If you follow the current New Orleans punk scene and / or if you like a lot of the catchy new wave-influenced punk coming out of Australia over the past few years, I recommend checking this out.

Anemic Boyfriends: Fake ID 7” (HoZac) Reissue from this early 80s Alaskan punk band… in fact, Anemic Boyfriends might be the only punk band I’ve ever heard from Alaska. While this single borrows the front cover artwork from the band’s “Fake ID” single from 1981, it collects the a-side from that single and the b-side from the band’s first single from 1980, presumably because these were the band’s two strongest tracks. “Fake ID” is a ripper for sure, a Runaways / Dolls / Stones-influenced proto-punk (in sound, not chronology) track with a catchy riff, memorable vocals, and seedy lyrics that, even being sung by a woman, sound a little creepy in 2019. Still… hot track. The b-side is similar (right down to the lyrics) and while not as strong is still well worth flipping the record over for. Whether you’re checking this out because you like Detroit-influenced proto-punk like the Dogs or Destroy All Monsters, because you’re interesting hearing early punk made by women, or because you want to hear what an Alaskan punk record sounds like, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Constant Mongrel: Experts in Skin 7” (Upset the Rhythm) After lighting up the DIY punk scene with their recent LP on La Vida Es Un Mus, here’s the follow-up single from this Australian post-punk band. The a-side is a brooding post-punker with a Crisis-type catchy lead guitar line repeated for the entire length of the track. While the guitar doesn’t modulate at all, the song gradually builds in intensity, climaxing with a burst of saxophone in the final section. The b-side is more pop-oriented, with a punkier guitar sound balancing out the more melodic vocals. It’s a brief single, but worth your while if you’re a fan. Oh, and it’s limited to only 400 copies so don’t sleep.

Pobreza Mental: Ya No Me Pertenezco 7” (Toxic State) After an excellent demo back in 2017, we get the debut vinyl from New York’s Pobreza Mental. I’m glad this one stayed in the percolator for a while, because it displays a notable amount of range across its five tracks. I hear some of the off-kilter rhythms of contemporary Spanish punk bands like Una Bestia Incontrolable, a lot of the wild sounds of early South American hardcore, and some catchy UK82-style riffs. While some moments sound primitive, others like the inventive drumbeat in “Tormenta” and the ripping guitar solo starting “Nowhere to Go” are more ambitious. While Ya No Me Pertenezco is unpretentious in its delivery, this is a record packed with surprising twists and turns. And, as per usual with Toxic State, the gritty recording, beautiful artwork, and handmade packaging are all 100% on point.

Detainees: S/T 7” (Double Man) More killer 80s-style hardcore punk from Pittsburgh. While Loose Nukes are more raging and Drug Lust are a little heavier, Detainees work the catchier end of the 80s punk angle. The five songs here bop along at a pace that’s sprightly but not harried, the riffs have a classic 80s punk feel, and the vocals are raw but melodic, often following the same melody as the guitar riffs. It reminds me of the catchier bands of the early to mid 00s hardcore scene: Regulations, Social Circkle, Acid Reflux, etc. 5 songs with the no-bullshit presentation you expect from this style.

End Result: The Seven Year Locust Returns 12” (Alona’s Dream) Vinyl reissue of this 1982 cassette, which the band only circulated among their friends in the Chicago area. While I’ve seen End Result’s name crop up in discussions of early Chicago punk, they sound nothing like the big names I associate with that scene: Naked Raygun, Effigies, Article of Faith, Big Black, etc. The label’s description pegs End Result as a no wave style band, but they don’t sound like the Contortions or DNA. Instead The Seven Year Locust Returns sounds like a total deconstruction of music. The tracks appear chronologically, the first from September 1980, and the last track coming from July 1982. This running order emphasizes their process of deconstruction; while the first track, “Children Die in Pain,” reminds me of the bleakest moments of early Joy Division, it’s by far the most conventional track on the record. While you’ll hear guitar, bass, and drums (as well as some trumpet and more ambiguous noises), there’s nothing here that sounds like a conventional rock band. Sometimes it’s formless, like the Velvets-esque jam “Let Them Eat Cake,” while other tracks hang around a minimal structure reminding me of minimal synth music. It’s clear End Result were trying to go as far out as they could, and each successive journey took them further and further away from whatever rock-isms they may have began with. The one constant is the menacing, often frightening, vocals, which remind me of Tomata Du Plenty from the Screamers or Bruce Loose from Flipper. The only catch is the recording is very primitive. While I’m not positive, these sound like primitive rehearsal room recordings, which blunts the impact somewhat. Still, historians of Chicago punk and/or the wider no wave / outsider punk scene will find value here.

Cortex: Spinal Injuries 12” (Sacred Bones) Reissue of this great 1983 Swedish post-punk LP. While the track “Mayhem Troopers” sounds so familiar I’m certain I’d heard the song before, mostly I’m coming to Spinal Injuries fresh, and I’m blown away. According to the booklet accompanying the record, Cortex were a little older than your typical punks, with their leader Freddie Wadling having followed underground music and art since the late 60s, appreciating landmarks like the Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, and Can as they happened. Interestingly, though, Cortex’s depth of knowledge doesn’t manifest itself in a self-conscious eclecticism, but as a confidence in Cortex’s own unique vision. While their 1981 debut single (included with this reissue as a bonus 7” with picture sleeve) was still formative, Spinal Injuries sounds like a band who has found their voice. By 1983 the world is well into the post-punk era and the record has some of the same trappings as the early Chameleons or Bauhaus, but it sounds like Cortex came to their sound honestly by combining campy pop of glam rock with proto-punk’s drive and UK punk’s heaviness. In fact, I wouldn’t describe Spinal Injuries as a post-punk record (and certainly not a goth record), but a work of idiosyncratic genius like Eno’s Here Come the Warm Jets or the early Television Personalities records. Spinal Injuries doesn’t sound like those records at all, but has a similar way of drifting between timeless and very much of its time. This is a fascinating record, and one I’m very thankful to Sacred Bones for introducing me to. This one will certainly live near my turntable for a good long while.

Kriegshog: Paint It Black b /w White Out 7” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Japan’s Kriegshog return with another two-song single. This time around Kriegshog bring in a new guitarist and, consequently, their sound changes subtly. Whereas before Kriegshog’s signature was the pummeling, Framtid-style wall of sound, these songs lean harder on the riffs themselves rather than on tones and atmosphere. Thus, rather than beating you over the head, these songs inspire you to move your feet, urging you out of your chair with dramatic dynamic shifts. Even on such a short record there are numerous highlights, like the odd, galloping rhythm of “Paint It Black,” the noise guitar popping up near the end of both songs, and the main, fist-pumping riff in “White Out.” And the packaging is beautiful, with clear vinyl housed in a clear printed bag.

Cyberplasm: The Psychic Hologram 12” (Iron Lung) Debut vinyl from this band out of Olympia, Washington, playing a potent combination of d-beat influenced hardcore and industrial music. If you’re thinking “that sounds similar to L.O.T.I.O.N.” you’re not wrong, but Cyberplasm’s music stands on its own and there’s plenty of room for multiple artists to explore these styles’ intersection. After a short intro track, The Psychic Hologram starts with its most d-beat moment, “Dopamine Machinery,” which centers around a killer, Inepsy-style d-beat rock-and-roll riff. From there, Cyberplasm plays with a lot of different sounds, with each new track offering some new stylistic wrinkle, whether it’s dropping a catchy, S.H.I.T.-type bass line, a blistering G.I.S.M.-style riff, wild noise textures, an inventive drum machine pattern, or a memorable synth line. Your ear might take a few listens to make sense of the diversity, but I’m happy to put in a little extra effort for a band so dedicated to pushing at the edges of punk’s musical boundaries.

S.A.G.A.L.: Suckup Aholics Gain Acrobatic Licks 7” (Hardcore Hard) Debut 6-song 7” from this Korean band that sounds exactly like Totalitär. If I would split hairs, I’d say S.A.G.A.L.’s vocalist has a deeper voice than Poffen and the snare sounds ping-ier than I remember the snare on any Totalitär record sounding, but for all intents and purposes this sounds exactly like Totalitär. I tend not to find soundalike / “worship” bands very interesting, but a few bands like Finland’s Selfish nail their tribute so perfectly they’re well worth listening to. I’d put S.A.G.A.L. in the same category. So, zero points for originality, but five stars for pretty much every single other aspect of this record.

GLO: Discoackel 7” (Ken Rock) Reissue of this 1979 Swedish punk rarity. Stylistically, GLO lives somewhere between the Lurkers and early Sham 69, with simple but memorable riffs with just a touch of Chuck Berry rock-and-roll flair. Discoackel is dumb teenage punk you’ll love if you like the sound of young kids going wild with no thought to making anything artful or progressive. GLO’s debut is raw, honest, and in the moment, reminding me of a great party. That’s about all I can say about this one… if you love this type of punk, you’ll get a kick out of this one.

GLO: NERW 7” (Ken Rock) Reissue of the second single from this Swedish punk band, original released in 1980. While their debut single was a great blast of primitive teen punk, GLO get some upgrades here. The recording is thicker and more powerful and the songs are faster, reminding me more of the Kids or the Rude Kids’ amped-up rock-and-roll than the more oi!-ish rhythms of the debut. The songs are straightforward but effective, and “Det Kan Jag Garantera Dej” adds some lead guitar, pushing the song over the line from interesting to “must-hear.” If you’re into owning reissues of obscure Euro-punk 7”s, this should definitely be on your list.

Droid’s Blood: Be Free 12” (Drunken Sailor) Longtime Sorry State fans might recognize Droid’s Blood as the subtitle of the second Broken Prayer album that we released back in 2015, and indeed Droid’s Blood features two former members of Broken Prayer and continues to develop BP’s unique hybrid of synth-punk, new wave, post-punk, and hardcore. If I had to narrow down Sorry State’s 100-ish releases to my five favorite, Broken Prayer’s Misanthropocentric would be one of them, and Be Free is just as good or better. I’d be hard-pressed to even list everything I love about this band because I listen to them all the time and every time I find something new that blows my mind. Let’s start, though, with Scott Plant’s incredible lyrics, which have grown more cryptic as of late but remain as vivid and as thought-provoking as they ever were. Droid’s Blood have a great hardcore band’s gift for building and releasing tension by throttling the speed and density, but the extra layer of synth gives them even more dynamic range and makes the freakout parts a heady swirl of melody and timbre. Yet, despite how dense, how aggressive, and how chaotic it can sound, you’ll walk away from Be Free with at least a few earworm bits following you around. (Every time I listen to this record I repeat “look at the shape of the star child’s skull” over and over to myself.) If you’re familiar with Broken Prayer, hopefully you’ve already picked up Be Free, but if you haven’t, I can’t recommend this record enough. Droid’s Blood are without a doubt one of the most unique, challenging, creative, and important bands in punk rock right now.

Lifelock: 2018 EP 7” (Brain Solvent Propaganda) Demo-on-7” from this d-beat band out of Singapore. I suspect that all but a few hundred (maybe even a couple thousand) members of the earth’s population can dismiss Lifelock as straightforward d-beat, but I think they have an interesting thing going on. The riffs and song structures owe a great deal to Discharge, to the point where you can usually figure out which Discharge track they based any given song on. However, the production is more in the vein of Disorder or Confuse. The bass carries the riff while the guitar is an unbroken wall of distortion. I can’t even tell what the guitar player is playing until they rip into a solo, at which point it becomes barely more discernible. While it’s not dissimilar to certain eras of Disclose, I still don’t walk away from this EP thinking “I’ve heard this exact thing a million times before.” Furthermore, the energy level is high, and the EP doesn’t have an ounce of fat. Recommended for the d-beat lifer.

Languid: Submission Is the Only Freedom 12” (Brain Solvent Propaganda) Latest EP from this Canadian d-beat band. Apparently they’re a Dischange worship band, but to be honest I can’t recall ever listening to Dischange in my life, so I’m not the person to judge how successful they are at that part of their mission. What I can tell you, however, is that this is some raging and heavy d-beat crust. If the Lifelock EP that Brain Solvent Propaganda also recently released is all about the treble, then this Languid LP is all about the bass. The guitars are ridiculously heavy. The guitar sound reminds me of Celtic Frost’s heaviest moments because it has the dull scrape of a ship running aground. Aside from that notable aspect of the band’s sound, this is raging but straightforward d-beat that I can’t imagine that any existing fans of the Brain Solvent Propaganda label won’t love.

Yleiset Syyt: S/T 7” (Open Up and Bleed) 6-song 7” from this band from Helsinki, Finland. Discogs says they had an LP released in 2017, but this is the first I’ve heard them. This is one of those records that, right when I saw the cover art, I knew I would love, and I was not disappointed. Yleiset Syyt play fast, mean, and catchy hardcore that fits in well with their country’s tradition of producing great hardcore bands. Their songs range from blistering fast burners like “Sininen Hekuma,” whose million roll a minute drumming reminds me of Jerry’s Kids, to catchier, street punk-y songs like “Hyväntekijä,” which would be a standout even on Appendix record, and I consider that band the undisputed masters of this style. The production is rather polished compared to US bands who play in a similar style, but rather than making the music sound bland, it just better highlights the craziness of the drumming and the subtlety of the (excellent) guitar work. There’s nothing like being blown away by a 6-song hardcore 7” by a band you’ve never heard of, and I’m stoked that’s still happening in 2019.

Slaughter: Nocturnal Hell 7” (Urban Grandier) Official reissue of the first EP from this legendary Canadian metal band. According to the label’s description, Nocturnal Hell was one of the first death metal records to appear on vinyl, but to my ears it’s not as singular as the pioneering records by bands like Possessed and Death that would come out thereafter; which isn’t a comment on the record’s quality, just a note that it’s still apparent here which ingredients go in the death metal stew: thrash metal, early black metal, and hardcore punk. I hear bits that remind me of Celtic Frost, GBH, and DRI, bringing together the most evil and sinister-sounding elements of all of those bands’ sounds. This is a record you should know if you’re interested in the history of death metal, but even without the historical context this is a ripper.

Malhavoc: Age of the Dark Renaissance 12” (Urban Grandier) Vinyl reissue of the 1986 demo by this cult Canadian metal band. Interestingly, Discogs notes that Malhavoc began “as a straightforward thrash band in 1983, […] moving toward playing industrial metal by the late 1980s.” I’ll take their word on the latter, but Age of the Dark Renaissance is anything but straightforward thrash. Malhavoc is unique in that they seem influenced as much by the cult underground metal of the period as the spacey, spooky sounds of classic horror movie soundtracks. It’s not uncommon to hear a spooky intro on an old metal album, but on Age of the Dark Renaissance these bits make up a big portion of the record’s running time and don’t feel like intros or transitions, but fully-developed pieces with just as much merit at the metal they sit alongside. That metal is raw, sinister and brutal, betraying the influence of bands like Hellhammer and Bathory, but those songs are also veined with more complex, proggy rhythms that remind me of Voivod. As if that weren’t enough, Malhavoc is also very adept at dropping into an anthemic chug worthy of an early Metallica record. It all adds up to a unique and exciting metal record. Age of the Dark Renaissance also has killer packaging and the extensive liner notes I love, making this a worthy purchase for any lover of cult 80s metal.

Cereal Killer: The Beginning & End of Cereal Killer 12” (Drunken Sailor) Australia’s Cereal Killer has been kicking around for a few years now, most notably producing a vinyl collection of demos on Neck Chop and Anti-Fade. Now they’re back with their first 12” vinyl. While Cereal Killer features members of bands like Ausmuteants and Wet Blankets, they’re very much a hardcore band. However, they take most of their inspiration from bands on the more punk end of the hardcore spectrum… I’m thinking Circle Jerks, Zero Boys, Minor Threat, and the like. The riffs are catchy and straightforward, but the drumming is what takes them over the top. Like Jeff Nelson or Lucky Lehrer, Cereal Killer’s drummer is all about dramatic accents and tight, technical fills that, rather than weighing the songs down with show-off moves, elevate them from solid punk tunes to jump-out-of-your-seat blasts of excitement. This is timeless hardcore punk that would have stood out in the 80s or at the height of the No Way Records era, moments when this style was much more in vogue. Even if Cereal Killer isn’t quite in step with the zeitgeist, I’m happy to throw this on in the here and now.

Curleys: S/T 7” (Total Punk) 6-song debut EP from this Gainesville band on Total Punk Records. I don’t associate Total Punk with the 6-song 7” EP format, but this record combines a lot of my favorite aspects of garage-punk and US-style hardcore into a nasty little ripper. The label’s description mentions Wimpy-era Queers, and that’s also the first comparison that jumped to my mind when I heard this record thanks to the rawness and the snot factor. However, Curleys have more USHC in their DNA than the Queers did, also reminding me of punky, first-generation hardcore like the Teen Idles or the early Necros. Like most Total Punk singles it’s over before you know what hit you, which only makes you want to go back for more.

Groinoids: Lost 12” (Limited Appeal) LP compiling a 1988 session from this Boston band whose track “Angel” appeared on the legendary This Is Boston Not L.A. compilation LP in 1982. Six years is a lot of time, and the Groinoids of 1988 sound nothing like that track, which is OK because the session compiled on Lost rules. The sound here is heavy and metallic, but unique; there’s some of the heaviness of the early Melvins records, lots of Celtic Frost-style primitive metal (including that band’s penchant for odd, off-kilter changes), and a handful of Kiss-influenced hard rock riffs. Just a few years later a similar set of influences would coalesce into the whole noise rock / AmRep scene, but Lost isn’t quite that yet. The band still has one foot planted in the 80s punk scene, as evidenced in their singer’s snotty and sarcastic vocal style, which I like better than grunts and yowls that would become the standard for this style of music. I also love the gritty recording, which reminds me of the early Pentagram tracks collected on First Daze Here. If you come to Lost looking for something that sounds like Gang Green or Jerry’s Kids you will be disappointed, but lovers of raw, gritty, and misanthropic noise rock will love this.

Hierophants: Spitting Out Moonlight 12” (Anti-Fade) I missed out on Hierophants’ debut LP from 2015 and their many 7” releases, so I’m coming to Spitting Out Moonlight fresh and I’m really impressed. I immediately recognized the two vocalists from their other projects (most notably Ausmuteants and Parsnip), and while there are elements of both bands’ sounds in the mix (and fans shouldn’t hesitate to check out Hierophants) it’s hardly the whole story. I’d call Spitting Out Moonlight aggressively eclectic, as every track flirts with a different branch of the post-punk family tree. I hear bits of Tubeway Army-style synth-pop, some 60s-inspired jangle of Television Personalities or the Times, Talking Heads / Gang of Four-style punk/funk, some Wire-esque cold post-punk (“Stoned” even nicks part of its vocal melody from Wire), and even space rock on the instrumental outro to “Memory Card.” Hierophants excel at all of them, particularly the janglier and poppier tracks, and the stylistic diversity makes for a lively listen. If you’re a sucker for all the great punk and garage coming out of Australia, make a point not to miss this one.

RMFC: Hive 1+2 12” (Erste Theke Tonträger) LP compiling two cassette releases from this bedroom project from Australia, though the sound is three dimensional and organic enough that I’m surprised all of this racket is being made by one person. I can’t imagine there’s a piece of writing about RMFC that doesn’t mention the Coneheads, because the singer’s robotic monotone sounds very similar. Musically, though, RMFC aren’t as jittery; instead, most of their tracks remind me of Andy Human & the Reptoids’ futuristic take on catchy garage-punk. The songs are top notch and the recording is raw in all the right ways, so where is RMFC’s Total Punk single?

Breakout: Say Hello 12” (On-High) It’s been a whole five years since we last heard from Texas’s Breakout, when they released a pair of strong oi!-influenced hardcore EPs, one of which came to us courtesy of the great Grave Mistake Records. Six years is a long time in the hardcore scene, and indeed Breakout have changed a lot since those two EPs. While oi! is still a big influence, they’ve more or less dropped the hardcore from their sound. I hear traces of “New Age”-era Blitz on Say Hello, as well as the Business’s poppier moments. Rather than putting the melodic guitar lines front and center, though, Breakout have a denser sound, with two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals fighting for space in the mix. It reminds me of early Leatherface because it sounds chaotic on first listen, but (with some effort and attention) your ear parses out the criss-crossing melodic lines. Parts of Say Hello also remind me of bands like H.D.Q. and later Government Issue who worked to graft a pop sensibility onto hardcore, dropping its macho aggression without sacrificing the energy and intensity. While Say Hello doesn’t sound like any other record I can think of, try it if you like scrappy melodic hardcore.

Scab Eater: Ultra Vires 12” (Symphony of Destruction) Debut 12” from this Australian hardcore band that has been kicking around for a while now. Ultra Vires has been getting hype, and with good reason… it’s an intense and desperate-sounding record. Scab Eater remind of early Agnostic Front in that they write mid-paced parts that are total earworms, but when they kick into the breakneck tempos, they’re a little looser, giving those parts that dangerous, close to the edge feeling that I love. Ultra Vires wouldn’t have been out of place on Youth Attack Records; like a lot of the bands on that label, Scab Eater seem equally interested in hardcore’s power and (black) metal’s grainy textures and dark vibes. Brew yourself up a pot of black coffee, put this on, and hate the world.

Slant: Vain Attempt 7” (Iron Lung) Debut 7” from this band featuring members of Scumraid and Bloodkrow Butcher. Slant don’t sound like either of those bands, though; they’re a fast and catchy hardcore band blending elements of harder UK82 (think the Partisans or Ultra Violent) and USHC. The riffs are straightforward but catchy, reminding me of LP-era Negative Approach, Out Cold, or SS Decontrol, but with harsher vocals that sound like early Warhead. It takes a sophisticated grasp of songwriting and arrangement to make meat and potatoes hardcore sound this great. Here’s hoping Vain Attempt isn’t a one-off, because the world needs more hardcore like this right now.

Heterofobia: Queremos Ver El Mundo Arder 12” (Drunken Sailor) Debut 12” from this band out of Monterrey, Mexico with a unique sound combining elements of hardcore punk and death rock. On most tracks it sounds like the drummer and vocalist are from a vicious hardcore band inspired by South American classics like Olho Seco and Ataque Frontal, while the bass player wandered in from their goth band practice and they’re all playing along to guitar parts played back on a barely functioning four track. The guitarist for Heterofobia is the star of the show for me, squirming, crawling, and writhing their way through these tracks, creating a vibe as dark and as heavy as Part 1 or Rudimentary Peni. I’m sure I’d love it even if there were someone moaning through their best Rozz Williams impression, but the way Heterofobia combines that darkness with the drummer and vocalist’s savagery is something special. The riffs and songs are memorable, but it’s the sound that sells this one. Highly recommended.

Headsplitters: S/T 12” (Desolate) Debut 12” from this New York hardcore punk band that impressed me when they toured with Forward last year. With sixteen tracks (still at 45RPM though!) this is one of the longer hardcore 12”s I’ve heard in some time, and it’s clear that Headsplitters are full of ideas. In contrast to many hardcore bands who seem to have one or two ideas they wring dry, Headsplitters have a ton going on. Their default mode is a thrashy take on 80s hardcore that reminds me a lot of Direct Control. Not only are Headsplitters also a three piece but also they have a similar way of writing riffs and, like Direct Control, while their songs seem to be all about speed and power there’s a subtle melodicism and sense of song craft underpinning everything. However, that only partially describes this record. There are also two instrumentals (one guitar, one piano!), more metallic songs like “Burning Winds,” and an anthemic, almost street punk element that comes out on tracks like “Desensitized” and the killer opener “Faces Change.” While it’s all hardcore punk, I love that Headsplitters aren’t basing their entire existence as a band on just one classic record. Throw in some killer artwork and you have a top-notch hardcore punk release.

Raw Power: ’83 Demo 12” (Ugly Pop) First-ever vinyl release for Raw Power’s legendary 1983 demo, often called the “Brown Studio Demo” after the studio where they recorded it. These tracks have surfaced on previous CD reissues and this version of “Fuck Authority” appeared on the Welcome to 1984 compilation, but I’m pleased to have a stand-alone vinyl release of this session in my collection. What to say about this record? While by the time of Screams from the Gutter, Raw Power will have morphed into one of the tightest, catchiest, and most powerful hardcore bands of all time, this demo tape captures them at their earliest, most primitive stage. They re-recorded a lot of these songs several times, but many of the tracks are substantially different on this recording, which has more in common with the unhinged sound of early Negazione or Wretched. Beyond the visceral thrill of hearing a band playing this wild and loose (which is a big part of why I’m such a big fan of early Italian hardcore), many of the little quirks that would become signature aspects of Raw Power’s sound are already apparent here: the drummer’s creative use of cowbell, the wild lead guitar, and those thrilling moments when guitarist Giuseppe grabs the mic and delivers one of his throat-shredding vocal performances. If you love early Italian hardcore, I can’t imagine you won’t be stoked to pick this up.

Porno Glows: 12” EP (Violent Pest) Debut vinyl from this Chicago punk band. I liked their demo tape from 2016 so I was excited to hear this, and it does not disappoint. While Porno Glows features the former vocalist of Big Zit, I wouldn’t describe them as a hardcore band. Instead, they remind me of second-wave UK punk bands like the Users, the Cortinas, or the Killjoys. Like those bands, Porno Glows sounds like a rock band playing straightforward, high-energy rock-and-roll (rather than any particular punk sub-genre), and also like those bands there’s a near-total lack of pretension in the way Porno Glows present themselves. They just sound like a band making songs, and if you take the time to listen to them closely, you’ll hear that those songs are superb. The riffs are often simple, but they put together the songs in clever and engaging ways with great bass lines and memorable lyrics. It’s a shame that Porno Glows don’t seem to have a clear stylistic home in the 2019 punk scene, because they’re making punk rock that sounds timeless.

Negative Gears: S/T 12” (Static Shock) Debut release from this new Australian band. I was unaware of Negative Gears, but this 12” knocked me out. The label’s description hits the nail on the head comparing this record to Diät and Institute (I would also throw in their label-mates Low Life as another big one), as Negative Gears play post-punk with punk energy, hooks, and a noise artist’s sense of sonic texture. The mastering on this record is super hot, emphasizing the deep and propulsive bass grooves. On that sonic bedrock Negative Gears layer lots of catchy single-string guitar lines (again, very reminiscent of Institute or Crisis songs like “UK 78” and “Frustration”) and a subtle layer of synth near the back of the mix. It’s the perfect combination of catchy and richly layered. I have zero time for bargain basement post-punk, but like the aforementioned bands, Negative Gears do it right.

Felchers: S/T 12” (General Speech) Debut release from this band out of Kentucky whom I’d never heard of before, but General Speech's strong pedigree is enough to pique my curiosity. Indeed, this Felchers record is something unique and awesome. As the label’s description notes, while much of this record is rough, fast, and mean, Felchers don’t sound like a hardcore band so much as a punk band who has slid into hardcore by taking their energy, aggression, and nihilism as far as it can go. You won’t find breakdowns or d-beats here, just pure punk energy. Another way that Felchers sound somewhat out of time is their vocalist, who doesn’t bark, shout, or growl, but rather yells in an exasperated way, like your parent chewing you out after you’ve done the single dumbest thing you will ever do in your life. The lyrics are vivid and dripping with sarcasm, and there are far too few contemporary punk bands exploring this Jello / Doc Dart style. The recording sounds clear, raw, and in the red, like a feral punk band overloading the board at their town’s cheapest recording studio (i.e. the only one they could afford). If you’re a fan of off the beaten path punk rock, I strongly encourage you to pick this up, or you can wait 20 years until someone compiles the best unheard late 2010’s punk.

Outo: S/ T 12” (Limited Punk Releases) More Japanese bootleg vinyl, this time collecting Outo’s LP, their Many Question Poison Answer 7”, and their contributions to the Hardcore Unlawful Assembly, Thrash Till Death, and My Meat’s Your Poison compilations. There are 26 tracks, making for a lot of Outo! If you aren’t familiar with Outo, I’d put them firmly in the second tier of great Japanese hardcore punk bands. While they never made a record as classic as Death Side, Bastard, or Gauze, they certainly ripped. They had a fast, metallic sound that was as fast as SOB or Systematic Death, but with a metallic complexity to the riffing. Their recordings are also great, which showcases said complexity. In a large dose like this their songs can, perhaps, sound same-y, but I can’t imagine someone could point to one second on this disc and say it’s not killer. Like a lot of recent Japanese bootlegs, this one features rather dodgy black and white cover art (which is a shame, because most of Outo’s records have awesome full-color sleeves), but excellent sound presumably derived from a CD reissue. While it’s a shame this reissue loses some of the magic of holding an original in your hands, I don’t see this material getting an official vinyl reissue any time soon, so you’d best jump on this chance to get this in your collection.

Data Control: It Was Nothing 12” (Den Magiska Cirkeln) Second album from this Swedish group that has been kicking around their country since 2013. Longtime Sorry State followers might remember Thurneman, with whom Data Control share members, but that record is nearly ten years old now, so that reference doesn't mean anything to most of you. Anyway, Data Control take their name from a Husker Du song, and like the ‘Du, they started out as a hardcore band and have morphed into something more melodic, but with a similar darkness and energy about it. While there might be pop songs at the center of some of these tracks, beats get shifted askew and bass lines travel away from the main melody, pulling your ear in multiple directions at once. The first time I listened to it I felt a little confused, but each subsequent time I’ve grown more intrigued. That’s great music, right? It challenges you, pulling you in slowly and gradually revealing itself. Like the Porno Glows record I also wrote about in this update, it’s not clear to me exactly who Data Control’s audience is, but if you’re a person who loves the bands that fall in the cracks between scenes, I recommend checking out It Was Nothing.

Artcore #38 zine wNeuroot: /Nazi Frei 7” (Artcore) If you’re still weeping yourself to sleep over MRR ending its print edition there’s always the long-running Artcore fanzine, which will scratch any discerning punk’s itch for record reviews, band interviews, historical retrospectives, and the occasional rant, all without the need to keep track of a power cable. I imagine that if you’re in their target audience, you already know what Artcore is all about, but I’ll mention that this time around you get interviews with people like Red Death, Rat Cage, No Problem, and Ugly Pop Records, histories of punk from South Wales and the midwestern US, and a ton of other content. And as with the past several issues you also get a 7” record, this time a new EP from 80s Dutch hardcore legends Neuroot. If you’re reading this, then that probably sounds pretty darn great to you, and I can confirm that this is another top-notch Artcore experience.

Chrome Skulls: The Metal Skull 7” (Vanilla Box) Debut 7” from this new band out of New Jersey with a heavy, bulldozer crust sound a la Framtid or Anti-Cimex. When a band goes for this style, I know within five seconds of dropping the needle if they’re legit, and Chrome Skulls are legit… this is raw, noisy, heavy, and brutal in all the right ways. While it’s on the nose, I particularly like the relentless “Public Animal,” where the guitarist does this great dissonant harmony worthy of HNSNSN-era Discharge themselves. Chrome Skulls also have a S.H.I.T.-esque ability to work a pit-clearing mid-paced part into the crusty melee without making it sound out of place in the slightest. If you’re a fan of labels like Brain Solvent Propaganda and Konton Crasher, this is gonna do it for you.

Public Acid: 152 Seconds of Public Acid 7” flexi (Artifact Audio) A brand new two-and-a-half minute explosion from one of my favorite current hardcore bands, North Carolina’s own Public Acid. If you’re a fan of their killer LP from last year (and a lot of us are!) you’ll need this brief but essential addendum. 152 Seconds is Public Acid’s first recording with their current live lineup (their guitarist Kai played both guitar and bass on the LP), and the sound is denser and more chaotic. While the record is brief, I’m not sure I could take it being any longer because, by the end of these two tracks, my heart rate is elevated and I feel like I’ve been sprinting for all 152 seconds. I swear this record is so exciting that I catch myself forgetting to breathe while I’m listening. Also, I want to note that while flexis have a reputation for sounding bad, this sounds incredible, and just as good as any hard vinyl record in my collection. I suppose I understand not wanting to shell out for such a short record, but 3.2894737 cents per second of Public Acid is a bargain in my book, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll play this at least four times in a row every time it hits the turntable.

Jay & Yuta: Condemned Compilations cassette (Little Winners) I have zero background information about this mysterious little cassette on the Australian Little Winners label, but man is it good! Jay & Yuma is a collaboration between two musicians (one sings in English and one in Japanese), and Condemned Compilations covers a lot of stylistic ground over its run time, from early Cabaret Voltaire-style primitive studio experiments to danceable new wave to UKDIY-inspired pop. Despite the stylistic diversity, the quality is uniformly excellent, and the eclecticism makes it an exciting listen. It’s almost like taking a stranger with superb taste, stealing their iPod, and putting it on shuffle… you don’t know what’s coming next, but you know it’ll rule.

Itchy Bugger: Double Bugger cassette (Little Winners) Itchy Bugger is a solo project by Josh from Diät, Idiota Civilizzato, the Love Triangle, and a million other bands. Their limited LP from 2018 (consider yourself lucky if you nabbed one!) was one of my favorites of last year, so I was excited to hear this new material. Itchy Bugger takes a lot of inspiration from the UKDIY movement, but rather than copying those bands Itchy Bugger borrows their central conceit of making personal, experimental pop music with low fidelity. There are ten tracks here and they’re great, an unexpected but beautiful mix of mechanical drum machine rhythms, simple and melodic lead guitar, and intimate, hushed vocals. Sometimes the songs are simpler and more straightforward a la my favorite Kiwi pop, while on other tracks Itchy Bugger stretches out and sounds a little shoegaze-y. Maybe I’m projecting this, but now that Josh has moved back to Australia his music also seems to have traded Berlin’s gray skies for Australia’s golden sunshine. An excellent album I plan to listen to a lot this summer.

Goose: Twentysixteen cassette (Little Winners) Another mysterious cassette from Australia’s Little Winners label, and again it’s excellent. Goose are a good fit for the label as, like Itchy Bugger, their music sounds like it’s grounded in the tradition of UKDIY and bedroom pop. Some songs brood, some glide, some groove, and some tinker. Like everything on Little Winners, there’s an intriguing and satisfying fusion of the immediate and the experimental. If that sounds like your kind of thing, I encourage you pick up all three of the label’s new releases.

Micro Edge: ’83 Demo 12” (Ugly Pop) Archival release from this 80s hardcore band from Toronto. I had heard Micro Edge’s name mentioned in the recent Tomorrow Is Too Late book on Toronto hardcore and on the Turned Out a Punk podcast, but this is the first time I’ve heard them. While I wouldn’t put this on the first tier of 80s hardcore classics, it’s an excellent release that proves that the well of great 80s North American hardcore is virtually bottomless. Micro Edge combine elements of California hardcore and skate rock with the tougher east coast sound of bands like Agnostic Front, the Abused, and Minor Threat. ’83 Demo reminds me of Ill Repute’s What Happens Next? LP, but with more of an east coast toughness and attitude. The music is excellent and will scratch your itch if you love obscure 80s hardcore, but the packaging here is at least as interesting. The beautiful layout is full of the 80s skateboard imagery I love, and the insert is actually issue #6 of the 80s skate / music zine Bong Out. In addition to a short history of Micro Edge, it also gives us some thoughtful and hilarious insight on how today’s skateboard culture compares with the 80s. If you’re an adult who has skateboard decks hanging on your walls as decoration (which, I must admit, I am), you will love this.

Urochromes: Trope House 12” (Wharf Cat) It’s hard to believe that this is the first Urochromes full-length. The band looms large because of their distinctive sound, but this is the first time they’ve given us a stand-alone 12” release that doesn’t compile tracks from previous releases. I’m not sure what the word on the street is, but to me Trope House is a masterpiece, one of the most distinctive, forward-thinking, and exciting punk records of the present era. While punk is still groggily emerging from the retro binge of the 00s, Urochromes sound like no other band I’ve ever heard in my life. They are a hardcore punk band in that they play fast most of the time, but like the best “outsider” hardcore bands (early Meat Puppets, Crucifucks, Spike in Vain, etc.), they come to hardcore naturally, not by emulating other musicians but by groping for the perfect form to express their agitation. Trope House sounds like you’re playing some classic art rock record by Roxy Music, glam-era Eno, or early Peter Gabriel on 78RPM. Each track is a whirlwind of virtuosic drum machine programming, layers of chaotic lead guitar, and Jackie’s distinct vocals and lyrics (the chorus for the first track goes, “oooh oooh that’s my millieux”). Strangely, there are three covers on the record (the Lemonheads, Bikini Kill, and the Leather Nun), but I didn’t even realize that until I looked at the insert because the songs are warped beyond recognition. I don’t think I’ve given you any sign what Trope House sounds like, because it doesn’t sound like anything else that I’ve heard. However, if you pride yourself on knowing the most out there and progressive punk rock, you need to hear this immediately.

Plasticheads: Nowhere to Run 12” (Ugly Pop) Debut vinyl (I believe) from this new Toronto punk band. This record has been getting hype, and it’s easy to see why. Plasticheads are one of those bands that sits right on the bubble between the fastest garage-punk and the catchiest hardcore. 80s bands like Zero Boys and Angry Samoans come to mind, but more recent bands like Carbonas and the Spits are a closer comparison as the frantic 90s garage of bands Teengenerate, Guitar Wolf, and the Rip Offs is a big ingredient in the stew. Like most rock music, the key to doing this sound well is having a great drummer, and this one can hammer the ride cymbal just as quickly, accurately, and gracefully as the master Dave Rahn himself. The next time you’re bursting with energy and so excited about whatever you’re about to do that you can’t sit still, put this one on… it’s the perfect soundtrack to those all-to-rare moments of exuberant joy.

Overdrive: On the Run: Demos and Rarities 12” (Splattered!) Archival release from this NWOBHM band, compiling their collectable 3-song single, two unreleased tracks from that session, and an earlier 4-song demo session featuring the future guitarist from English Dogs (!!!) on bass. This is definitive NWOBHM, taking the sound of early 70s hard rock like Deep Purple, Rainbow, and UFO and updating it with punk’s immediacy and energy. The sound is grainy and raw (like they recorded it in a cheap and primitive studio), and while the compositions are ambitious (not unlike early Iron Maiden), the arrangements and the execution are occasionally ham-fisted. Honestly, while it’s great music, even early Iron Maiden and Diamond Head can sound too slick and polished, but Overdrive has the same primitive charm as punk bands like Vice Squad or Attak. This might be too deep of a cut for some, but if you love exploring the sounds played by the denim-clad youth of late 70s England, this is right up your alley.

Warthog: Live! cassette (Shout!) 8-song live cassette from perhaps the best current hardcore band in the game, New York’s Warthog. This comes to us on the same label that puts out those excellent Beat Sessions cassettes, and while this is a recording of an actual live gig rather than a proper studio session, it maintains the level of quality we expect from Shout! While all 8 tracks have appeared on Warthog’s previous records, the vibe here differs from Warthog’s studio records. Everyone in Warthog seems to be a virtuosic musician and their studio recordings are clear and meticulous, but this tape hits you like a jackhammer. Chris’s vocals are savage, often overloading the mic and creating and overwhelming wash of sound that tramples you like an opposing army. To me, a great live record doesn’t feel redundant because it captures something that just doesn’t come across on studio recordings. By that measure, this tape qualifies as a great record by one of hardcore’s greatest current bands.