C30 C60 C90 Go!
I breeze with the sleaze on my cassette...
Before we dive into this week’s ear damage - a quick moment from BOW WOW WOW about blowing up the music industry.
Just a quick reminder, you don’t need a PR person, a manager, a booking agent or any of that shit to be in a band, release records, do a zine, play shows etc. I know that is obvious but lately it feels like needs to be stated with more regularity.
Here’s this week’s noise - in a programing note, next week I’m gonna drop my top picks of the year, and then I’ll probably take the rest of the year off for the holidays - though I will be visiting my hometown of Toledo, OH and may try to track down the house the NECROS used to practice at, the remains of the spot where I saw GG ALLIN, Jeff Nelson from MINOR THREAT’s Christmas decorations and other random midwestern punk nonsense.
ANCIENT FILTH - No More Hiding LP
Rip’n Boston hardcore punk with occasional toe dipping into rock leads, complete with wah-wah pedal - light on the distortion in that early 00s meets early 80s sort of way. Lyrics take a personal bent on depression, the cops, suicide etc. Think No Way Records, think REGULATIONS, think AMDI PETERSONS ARME. Am super into this.
ANDY PLACE AND THE COOLHEADS - EP
Quality pop in the 70s punk manner from these Portland punks - THIN LIZZY guitar bits layered over CHEAP TRICK meets the ADVERTS song writing backing up some rather brilliant melodies. A little lighter than what you normally see from Black Water Records but if you are down with some of the 70s pop rock meets pub rock bits hinted at in the recent ANGEL DUST record, I think you’d certainly enjoy this slab of vinyl.
Nine snarling mid tempo sorta plodding songs about eggs from Cleveland. Somehow it makes sense.
What a totally delightful record - I feel like I don’t see too much of this sorta pop punk in the CRIMPSHRINE meets DILLINGER FOUR sorta style being cranked out as of late. You know pop punk that is actually punk. Rough and tumble recording, quick and punchy song writing, snotty ass vocals - just a perfect record.
CLEAN NEEDLE - Too Many Cooks CS
Five raw blasts of raging hardcore punk from Mississippi - lotsa speed, snarling vocals and all the other tasty things that make life worth living. Sure it sounds like it was recorded on a boombox in a basement but most good things do…
Blasting PDX punx onslaught - big riffs, searing leads, anthemic choruses, and vocals dripping with venom. Equal parts ULTRA VIOLENT and mid-period POSION IDEA. Rules.
DAYDREAM - Reaching For Eternity LP
This is really cool - like a USHC influenced take on FLUX OF PINK INDIANS. Chaotic guitar bits, pogo inducing rhythms, chanted distorted vocals - it sounds both classic and modern in the same moment.
El Destello - Destruiremos Su Civilización CS
To look at this tape cover you’d assume that the contents would be pummeling, distorted to the hilt d-beat but its almost the polar opposite - instead we find five tracks of jangly, lo-fi, new wave from Barcelona.
THE DISSIDENTS / VITRIOLIC RESPONSE - Split EP
For their part, Philly’s DISSIDENTS contribute two original tracks of East Coast Pogo Attack meets black clad peace punk with a twist of the more sonically punk side of riot grrl and then a RUDIMENTARY PENI cover. Vitriolic vocals to match the lyrics - I’m down. On the flip we have VITRIOLIC RESPONSE from the UK who crank out two blasts of DOOM-esque hardcore punk. Nice little split.
THE DOMESTICS - East Anglian Hardcore EP
There aren’t a lot of record labels these days where you know exactly what you are going to get when you order a record from them, that said when you see something from Kangaroo, you know exactly what you are getting - raw, fast, primitive hardcore in the classic sense. No bullshit, no metal, no funky breakdowns - just face smashing and neck stomping thrash. If you are like me and feel that you should probably own every VOORHEES or OUT COLD release then this is for you.
Five tracks of apocalyptic gloom and doom from Ireland - think ZYGOTE, AMEBIX, etc. A dour romp through the moors, the soundtrack to sharpening your battle axe, the sound of bonfires and pagan rites while celebrating the solstice. Fucking great.
FOG- A Black Cloud That Swallowed The Dove CS
Moody and gloomy anarcho punk from New Zealand - in one moment it gives you the same feels as OMEGA TRIBE with the malaise to be found in THE MOB’s discography.
Spanish punk which, to me at least, sounds like what GISM would sound like if you strip away all the metal solos and distill it down to this thunderous, thumping pummel. Heavy eco/anarcho punk vibe to the lyrics sung in both Basque and Spanish.
Manic in that same way that NOSFERATU is but a bit less hardcore and more garagey if that makes sense - nine blasts of high speed, chaotic punk from Texas. Its my first taste but I’ll gladly take a second helping. Good stuff.
Melodic and angular punk with slight dalliances with indie rock in that mid 90s DC/Dischord sort of way from Brazil. Lots of quiet/loud and chaotic/melodious moments creating a nice sense of tension and power.
MALCRÍA - Fantasías Histéricas LP
Mexico City hardcore punk - raging thrash paired with dissonant breakdowns. It feels a lot like some of the late 90s stuff coming out of Spain - bands like ZANUSSI or E150. It takes some of the more classic and expected bits of punk song writing then flips it on its head to create something compelling and fresh sounding.
Down-tuned crust-as-fuck existence style grind from Indonesia. Just seven tracks but its like a drill press to the skull - thats a good thing.
Just five tracks on this little dinner plate of a record - swaggering NYHC in that MADBALL meets COMBUST meets… well you know the vibes. More groove than velocity with plenty of gang vocals - the sort of thing I blast when at the gym to make me wanna just fight nerds.
PANDEMIX - Love Is Obliteration 12”
Cool Boston band that leans hard into the Crass records thing but with its feet still planted in US crusty hardcore - not as artsy as say POISON GIRLS and decidedly more aggro than FLUX OF PINK INDIANS but still drinking from the same well and the influence of those two is heard loud and clear. A really great release.
Light and airy post punk dipping hard into new wave from Barcelona - soft and tender vocals, dancy drums and plenty of synths.
PHYSIQUE - Overcome By Pain EP
I’m always excited to see another release from these Olympia noise merchants - for the unfamilar, take that heavy crasher crust feeling of the likes of Japanese maniacs GLOOM and cram it through a US filter a la ATROCIOUS MADNESS and sprinkle on a little DOOM and this is what you get. This release is a little slower with thicker, more bassy production but its still ever bit as glorious as their prior records. PUNK LIFE IS SHIT! SILENCE EQUALS DEATH - WE MAKE NOISE!
Super excited to see RED DONS drop a new EP after nearly six years of silence - moody and melodic punk with a heavy nod to 2nd LP ADVERTS and blending that with some of the same sonic ideas RIKK AGNEW was throwing down and twist of WARSAW depression making for a tasty and brilliant cocktail of punk.
RUNNAMUCKS - Back to the Muck EP
I got extra excited when I thought this was brand new RUNNAMUCKS stuff but it appears that this was actually recorded back in 1997 and only now seeing the light of the day - regardless its really exciting to hear these new to my ears songs from these Florida ragers. If you don’t know them, think JERRYS KIDS without the slow bits, CHARLES BRONSON without the breakdowns - just 4000mph hardcore punk with no bullshit strewn in-between.
Grooving Italian hardcore that feels more like a matinee at Coney Island High in 1996 than EUS ARSE playing a squat in 1984. Stomping grooves, big breakdowns, snarling vocals - think CROWN OF THORNS, MADBALL, OUTBURST etc.
SOFT SHOULDER - It's All A Small World After LP
Arizona band that sounds so much like THE FALL that it is almost like is this just THE FALL. Quirky, angular in both its musical approach, lyrical approach, vocal approach - weirdo pop of the sort that I find totally compelling.
Ταραχές / Eristetyt / Etuaste / Kavala SS - Finland Vs Greece 4 Way Split LP
Two Greek bands, two Finnish bands - nineteen tracks of fist banging, pogo-inducing, head thrashing hardcore thrash. This would be a great compliment of international hardcore punk to the recent Screaming Death split with DESTRUCT, SCARECROW, DISSEKERAD and RAT CAGE.
Metal punk - or is it punk metal? Heavy lean into early CELTIC FROST while keeping it inept enough to remain more on the punk side of the table.
Turkish punk with a heavy nod to UK82 style street punk (think VICE SQUAD) with plenty of tinges of flanged out, dark wave spooky punk flare. Explicitly anti-state, anti-cop lyrics with an emphasis on the need to push back. Good stuff.
VACANT - We Wear Our Traumas Well LP
I’m supper amped on this new Minneapolis band featuring the legendary Pignose from ASSRASH on vocals - the production on this is just massive, really helping to power the GBH meets POISON IDEA style riffing. Reminds me a lot of Pittsburgh legends CAUSTIC CHRIST in how musically intense and heavy it is - a total juggernaut of ferocious hardcore. Absolutely brilliant.
Give my love to the Glass City! In DC now and my folks moved this way a few years ago so don’t get back much but spent my first 18+ years there. Thanks so much for what you do - love your reviews and especially the print stuff which I know is a ton of work.