Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes is more than pleased to bring you this 7" split with GEFYR and RAT CAGE!
GEFYR is from Hudiksvall, the same small town in Sweden where TOTALITÄR originally formed. While they play a similar style as their hometown heroes, GEFYR has more of a thrashy sound (à la NO SECURITY.) We were completely smashed up by their 2022 debut LP. This record has lived close to our turntables since its release, and it's a privilege to release their new batch of material on this split EP here in USA. We were lucky enough to catch them play at Scarecrow's gig in Uppsala and they absolutely ripped!!!
RAT CAGE hails from Sheffield, UK, and needs little to no introduction. Anyone who has witnessed this band live knows they are a total powerhouse. RAT CAGE were also featured on our previous release, 'Screaming Death.' This new split EP marks their 10th vinyl appearance to date! While other bands may lose intensity or momentum after so many releases in their discography, RAT CAGE manages to maintain a consistent series of killer output -- each release just as fresh and absolutely raging as the last.
2 bands delivering uncompromising, relentlessly raging hardcore in the Swedish käng style, but each with their own unique flavor and personality. Bunker Punks approved. Vinyl comes housed in textured, offset-printed cardstock foldover sleeve. Includes additional GEFYR insert with English translation of Swedish lyrics.
Our take: If you’ve been following the Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes discography so far (and you should be... Jeff and Usman from Sorry State and Scarecrow run the label), you’ll know exactly what to expect from this split: ripping, riff-soaked hardcore punk. Sweden’s Gefyr is first up. Gefyr is from the same city as Totalitär, and how similar they sound makes you wonder if there’s something in the Hudiksvall water supply. The riffs are totally dialed, the light-on-distortion guitar sound (don’t worry, there’s plenty on the bass) highlighting how hooky they are. The vocals are just incredible, shredded similarly to Poffen from Totalitär’s, but with their own personality. As for Rat Cage, it’s their second appearance on a Bunker Punks release after the Screaming Death compilation, but surely you’re familiar with them already. These three tracks continue the emphasis on hooky vocals we’ve heard on the past several Rat Cage releases, and as on those records, they explore their roots in late 70s / early 80s UK punk without compromising the intensity of their earlier material. You gotta love the “aaaah-ah” vocal part on “Thatcher’s Back,” particularly when it’s laid over a paint-peeling No Security-style riff and leads into a gnarly breakdown. Each band contributes three tracks, and it’d take a real stick in the mud not to walk away satisfied.