Consensus Madness - Endeavors

On its debut album, Chicago-based Consensus Madness fills a rather large void in today's punk rock scene. Certainly there are more than a few contemporary bands that could trace their spiritual and stylistic lineage back to The Clash, Sex Pistols, Stooges, Buzzcocks, or Black Flag. There's a whole subgenre devoted to worshipping at the church of the Ramones. But when was the last time you heard a new band and thought, "This is like a modern-day Bags"? Well, Consensus Madness slots into that space nicely with a powerful, rapid-paced sound that meets at the intersection of first wave punk rock and early hardcore with a touch of post-punk/new wave to boot. On Endeavors (out on Iron Lung Records), the band breathes new life into a classic sound. OG California punk vibes co-exist with a distinctly Midwestern sensibility, and you can feel the urgency in the music, vocals, and lyrics. A younger version of me would have been won over simply by a band attempting this sound. But what impresses me is how well Consensus Madness pulls it off. These tunes are killer, and the band sounds tight and energetic. And lead singer Sarah is the real deal. She may be following in the footsteps of Alice Bag and Poly Styrene, but she's no copyist. She's an original in her own right with charisma for days. If you're looking for a band that's got something important to say about life and the world in 2026, crank tracks like "Let's Go To War," "Living and Dying," and "Superfund" as loudly as possible and join the resistance. At a lean 10 tracks, Endeavors will hit you with everything it's got and leave you wanting more. A superb debut!

-L.R.

https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/endeavors-lungs-309
https://open.spotify.com/album/36KSCzUoDmty2Qe3zgNDKf
https://www.instagram.com/consensus_madness/

Piss Poor - Under Attack

I love the band name Piss Poor since that was one of my dad's favorite adjectives when I was a child in the '70s and '80s. And based on the name, you can probably surmise that this Connecticut-based band (another Jeffrey Thunders jawn!) doesn't fall into the easy listening category. Out on cassette tape on Big Neck Records, Piss Poor's new EP is as old school as it gets. Think OG hardcore a la early Black Flag and Void with a touch of Germs reckless danger and Samoans get-bent attitude. The band tears through 6 tracks in 7-and-a-half minutes in a bruising style that very much lives up to a title like Under Attack. You know what to expect: guitars that go through your bones, stabbing bass lines, and a singer who really knows how to holler. This is relentless, real deal stuff from a band that's poised to make some serious noise. Fucking excellent, pure and simple!

-L.R.

https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/under-attack

Pig Rides - These People Are Not Your Friends

How about some hardcore punk, kids? You know I don't write about this sort of stuff very often, so when I do, you can be sure I'm really feeling it. Pig Rides hail from Cleveland, Ohio and feature members of a couple bands I've written about before, Kill the Hippies and Wild Wings, as well as Sockeye, Muzzle, Pill Time, TV Drugs, and many more that cannot be listed for legal reasons. These People Are Not Your Friends is the band's new EP/tape, and it freaking rips. This is my kind of hardcore: fast, ferocious, and pissed, but it still feels like it came from rock 'n' roll. These songs sound like the product of breathing the Rust Belt air while rolling around in the gutter. The drums and bass hit like a ton of bricks. The guitars have just the right amount of heaviness to them while still being built for speed. The vocals are properly demented and delivered from a genuine place of rage. Each song vehemently punches you in the mouth. This is your soundtrack to the world falling apart and you insisting on going down fighting. Pink is the new black, so get yourself a cassette while supplies last.

-L.R.

https://pigrides.bandcamp.com/album/these-people-are-not-your-friends
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4wJxwFw26RRIqBQO1rSGaC

N.E. Vains - Running Down Pylons

Since we're getting to that time of the year where I have to start working on my end-of-the-year best-of lists, first drafts are already underway. I took a leap of faith and saved a spot in my top LPs list for N.E. Vains, trusting that they wouldn't throw me a curveball and make this new record sound like Sugar Ray. I can breathe a sigh of relief: the band's debut long player Running Down Pylons (out on Big Neck Records) is a certified banger and precisely what you would expect from a meeting of the minds involving TJ Cabot, Jeffrey Thunders, and friends. 

The last time I checked, these guys were called The Vains. But because they are decent and reasonable humans, they added the "N.E." to avoid confusion with The Vains from Cincinnati. There may be some mystery as to what the "N.E." stands for. "New England" and "North Eastern" seem like obvious answers, but I haven't ruled out "Nominally Egregious," "Naturally Effervescent," "Notable Errors," "New Earmuffs," "Naval Excellence," and "Not Evil" as additional possibilities. New Haven meeting Moncton sounds like an American Hockey League match-up from 40 years ago, but in the case of N.E. Vains, it's a creative partnership between two of the coolest dudes in punk rock which began a few years ago on the Facebook Budget Rock group (possibly the only music group on Facebook not overridden with obnoxiously pretentious gatekeeping a-holes). Shandy Lawson (lead guitar), Bill Bates (bass) and Elvis Belushi (drums) were enlisted to round out the lineup, and the rest is history. Tragically, Bates passed in 2023. Scott Fitch, a notable New Haven musician and engineer, has ably filled in on the band's subsequent recording sessions. 

Running Down Pylons is, as expected, a fun punk rock record that you should not be legally allowed to play under a volume that would likely annoy anyone within earshot. We can loosely call this "garage punk," but to me, it's just great punk. I'm hearing lots of '70s punk and early '80s hardcore influences, but the overall sound is really unique. This is not just another band trying to be Teengenerate. Whatever quarantine-fueled madness inspired these songs was something akin to genius. 10 of 11 songs clock in at under two minutes, and every single track totally cranks. The thing about a TJ Cabot–fronted record is that you're not just getting run-of-the-mill punk rock lyrics. Instead you can expect lots of amusing, wild, and presumably true stories from the life and mind of this Atlantic Canadian luminary. Favorite tracks for me include the pissed-off opener "Kicked off the VPN," the ferocious title track, the blistering "Pinched Nerve," and the mid-tempo stomper "Six for Thirty Six." But honestly, the whole album kicks ass. 

So here's where I get to the predictable part of my review and say that there aren't enough records like this anymore. But I say it because it's true. This is killer punk rock, plain and simple. If you don't like this, there's something wrong with you. I would say that I would gladly listen to TJ Cabot sing the phone book, but he might be the one person to actually take me up on that. Running Down Pylons is limited to 300 copies, so move fast if you want to be able to say you owned it when pandemic nostalgia is all the rage in five years.

-L.R.

https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/running-down-pylons
https://mitchkramerband.bandcamp.com/
https://tjcabot.bandcamp.com/

Big Life - The Cost Of Progress

On its new album, Detroit-based Big Life has hit the nail on the head when it comes to the present state of things. Songs about a techno-fascist ruling class turning the masses against each other and profiting from a dumbed-down, bitterly divided populace would have sounded like the stuff of dystopian fiction a few decades ago. Now it's just our everyday reality — to the point where it almost feels like the great dystopian novels undersold their warnings. On The Cost Of Progress, Big Life rages against the nightmare of contemporary life and the forces that sow dissension. Musically, this band channels the mid-to-late '80s hardcore of SST and Dischord Records, but everything about these songs screams now. This is an angry record — but totally in a good way. Rather than just fuming over how fucked up things have become, the band comes across defiant and determined — pairing its rage with some genuine hope that things could get better if only we admitted there was a problem and collectively tackled it. There's a freshness to these songs that is sometimes missing from modern takes on '80s hardcore. This is not just a bunch of guys listening to their old Husker Du and Dag Nasty records and trying to revive a sound. This is a furious, fiercely intelligent, and genuinely inspired set of songs that you can truly feel deep in your soul. Our good friend Ryan Allen plays guitar in this band, and let's just say that this is very different from the music he typically releases. But it's every bit as good. Crank up the volume, sing along at the top of your lungs, and let the anger flow!

-L.R.

https://biglifehc.bandcamp.com/album/the-cost-of-progress
https://open.spotify.com/album/4UK5Rat7sMpCgSfyn1x1Fl
https://www.instagram.com/biglifehc/

Cult Crime - "Throwaway Kids"

Toronto's Cult Crime continues its assault on your senses with another ripping single. "Throwaway Kids" brings to mind the dawn of hardcore punk — when bands were starting to play harder and faster but still a kept a foot planted in rock 'n' roll. A la last month's "Desperation," this track is blistering, ferocious, and chock full of raw energy. This, my friends, is punk fucking rock as it ought to be. A full album on Ugly Pop is shortly forthcoming, and I can't wait! If you dig DOA, Zero Boys, early Black Flag, etc., Cult Crime ought to be your new favorite band.

-L.R.

https://cultcrimeband.bandcamp.com/track/throwaway-kids
https://www.instagram.com/cultcrimeband/

Dross - Nightmare World

This blog doesn't often live up to its name, but today's post ought to do the trick. You may recall I was crazy about a band called Dead Meat back in lockdown times. The London-based foursome released two great EPs of Bloodstains/Killed By Death style punk/hardcore and then called it a day. Band members Adrian Alfonso and Fisher announced the intention to start another group along the same lines. A couple years later, Dross has emerged from the ashes of Dead Meat. Adrian and Fisher found the perfect partners-in-crime to sustain the musical vision that began with Dead Meat. On vocals is the mighty screamer Paul Froggatt from The Cavemen. Cunha from the brilliant Trash Culture is pounding the skins. On its debut release Nightmare World, Dross kicks up a sound so bleak and ferocious that it makes those Dead Meat records sound like easy listening. Meeting at the intersection of trashy punk and early '80s hardcore, Nightmare World races through ten blistering tracks in less than 19 minutes. Froggatt, one of the most extraordinary punk vocalists of contemporary times, is fully in his element singing these songs about despair, misery, rage, violence, and the utter hopelessness of modern existence. The song titles alone ("End It Tonight," "Drug Fucked," "Losing My Grip," "Hateful Hellhole," "I'm Worthless") tell you pretty much everything you need to know about this album. And in case there was any doubt about Dross's modus operandi, a faithfully raging cover of Tapeworm's classic Killed By Death cut "Break My Face" makes it all crystal clear. Oddly enough, Dross will already be playing its farewell gig in less than two weeks as Froggatt readies a move to Melbourne. Nonetheless, Nightmare World is a thrilling debut that is absolutely for you if fast, scuzzy, and super-intense punk rock gets your heart racing. A vinyl release is coming later this year on No Front Teeth Records! 

-L.R.

https://drossdrossdross.bandcamp.com/album/nightmare-world
https://www.instagram.com/dross.uk/

Moral Panic - Validation

Who's ready to get pummeled senseless? Moral Panic is here to hit you in the mouth forcefully and repeatedly! On its third album, Validation, the New York–based trio leaves low fidelity behind, tearing through nine cuts of hard, fast, and blistering punk rock that's too rock and roll to be hardcore yet too intense to just be rock and roll. Singer/guitarist Daniel Kelley has found his hottest rhythm section yet in Michael Dimmitt and Eric Robel. As a trio, Moral Panic is a machine built to obliterate anything in its path. The "bigger" sound of this release really suits the hard-hitting songs (none of which exceed two and a half minutes). Kelley's vocals are nothing short of furious, and his guitar leads are pure fire. When it comes to this style of raging and aggressive punk rock, you just won't hear it executed better. Both prior Moral Panic albums are well worth your time and attention, but the group is firing on a whole ever level with Validation. Get it now from Alien Snatch and Reptilian Records!

-L.R.

https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/moral-panic-validation

https://moralpanicnyc.bandcamp.com/

http://www.reptilianrecords.com/products/729524-moral-panic-validation-lp

https://www.instagram.com/moral_panic_nyc/

https://www.facebook.com/moralpanicnyc

Wild Wings - Foil Landscape

Ohio's reigning champions of psychedelic, art-damaged, post-apocalyptic space punk have returned! Foil Landscape is the third release from Youngstown-based Wild Wings. This four-song 12" is the band's first vinyl release and the debut release on the brand-new label Color And Time Tonight. This label intends to specialize in punk rock, hardcore, noise, psyche, and outsider rock. Wild Wings could be categorized as all of the above and then some. Foil Landscape is a formidable follow-up to 2018's tour de force SHOWBIZZZ. The promotional material recommends it to fans of My War, Chrome, Acid Mothers Temple, and The Germs. I couldn't have said it better myself! Wild Wings cook up a mind-melting concoction of Rust Belt proto-punk, '80s hardcore, and heavy rock which they launch into the deepest realms of the universe. As always, Kenny Halbert's songwriting acknowledges familiar influences even as it fully disregards convention. I always love a band that can write a three-minute song that feels epic (imagine, then, what they can do in five minutes!). If you crave sludgy hard rock, spastic hardcore, and a mind-fuck trip through space and time, it's all on the menu -- sometimes all within a single song! In so many cases, music this adventurous and creative is just that. But in Wild Wings' case, it all comes together perfectly. Foil Landscape plays like a psychedelic punk symphony in four movements. It's not just original -- it's fucking great! The songs are top-notch; the playing is powerful and dynamic. This is music that goes through your bones and transports you to new worlds. 

For five decades, Northeastern Ohio has lent itself to a particular aesthetic within the punk rock universe. Wild Wings embody that aesthetic in every way. If you are an Ohioan punk historian or simply someone who longs for that moment in time when hardcore was forging a bold new path for itself, Foil Landscape is the album for you. Hit up Color and Time Tonight's online shop to order a copy on clear vinyl. And be on the lookout for upcoming releases from TV Drugs, Sacred Hate, and Vaxer!

-L.R.

https://wildwings.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/WildWings69
https://colorandtimetonight.com/
https://www.facebook.com/colorandtimetonight

Pack Rat - Glad To Be Forgotten

Pack Rat is the one-man project of Pat McEachnie -- drummer for the late, great Corner Boys and current hardcore heavyweights Chain Whip. Like almost every other person in the world, he found himself with some downtime last year. So he bought a guitar and proceeded to write and record a full-length album all by himself. Out now on Drunken Sailor Records, Glad To Be Forgotten is not quite as "pop" as Corner Boys or as hardcore as Chain Whip. But it certainly shows the influence of both bands as McEachnie tears through 10 tracks of frantic, super-snotty punk rock accompanied by earsplitting low-budget synthesizers. For a first attempt at fronting a band (in this case, a one-man band!), this is a remarkably good effort that should appeal to fans of the Killed By Death aesthetic. Vocally, McEachnie sounds like he's on the cusp of madness on most of these tracks (Who wasn't in 2020?). Glad To Be Forgotten, which ought to have you shouting along in delight and/or pogoing around the house, is anything but forgettable. Vinyl won't ship until next month, but pre-orders are open now. Hop on it!

-L.R.

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/glad-to-be-forgotten-lp
https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords
https://packratpunk.bandcamp.com/album/glad-to-be-forgotten

Klobber - Clap Time!

Here's something I'm always in the mood for: some great straight-forward punk rock that walks the fine line between '70s punk and early hardcore. Klobber hails from Madrid but has a sound that brings to mind North America circa 1980. Its latest album Clap Time! was recently released on Madrid-based label Take The City Records. I highly recommend it to fans of Zero Boys, Adolescents, D.O.A., early Black Flag, or the more recent Night Birds. Klobber plays tight and powerful tunes with melody and conviction (at times they summon the spirit of The Clash, which is fine by me!). If you misconstrued the lyrics to "Only In It for the Beer", you might dismiss Klobber as a party band. But nothing could be further from the truth! This is a band with something to say about the state of the world, and Clap Time! addresses topics ranging from racial injustice to pandemic life to the pervasive nature of addiction to the media's role in manipulating the masses. Powering through 10 tracks in 22 minutes, Clap Time! is the quintessential old school hardcore punk long player. The tunes rip hard, but they're catchy as hell. Without a doubt, this is one of the year's best punk rock records!

-L.R.

https://takethecityrecords.bandcamp.com/album/clap-time
https://www.facebook.com/people/Klobber/100037550725654/
https://www.facebook.com/takethecityrecords

Nervous Triggers - "Good Run"

With most of our hardships and struggles, we can usually rationalize with the words, "But it's not the end of the world." But what if it actually is? That is the premise behind "Good Run", Nervous Triggers' new single and the band's first new music in nearly four-and-a-half years. On this release, the Jersey Shore surf-punks reflect on the ultimate worst-case scenario: the fiery demise of a failed human race. It's a dire message, but not one without some wickedly dark humor ("Running out the clock on the human race/But at least Bill Gates can escape into space") and spot-on social commentary ("And my long-term plan for managing debt/Is the inevitability of a merciful death"). Musically, "Good Run" is textbook beach punk: powerful, melodic, and more than a little dark. The last time I encountered new music from Nervous Triggers was when they released "Do The Drool" -- a song that terrified me largely because I knew that the dystopian nightmare it envisioned was already well on its way to becoming a reality. It was a great song, but it was kind of hard to listen to! It's odd that a song about the obliteration of humanity would be easier for me to stomach, but there's always that hope that "Good Run" is more of a warning and less of a prophecy. Or to paraphrase a line from this song, perhaps this is a reminder for us to get our living in as fast as we can. That's a good life philosophy even if you aren't pessimistic about the fate of humanity. I've always avoided the lazy Night Birds comparison with Nervous Triggers, but I must mention that Joe Keller guest stars on this release on "surf punk backing vocals" and delivers the goods as expected. "Good Run" is the first song from Nervous Triggers' pre-COVID recording sessions to see the light of day, and I've got a feeling more tracks are on their way. For now, have some fun with the end of the world!

-L.R.

https://nervoustriggers.bandcamp.com/album/good-run
https://www.facebook.com/nervoustriggers

Dead Meat (II)

Last year I went absolutely wild over the debut EP from London punk supergroup Dead Meat. This band hits that sweet spot where the tougher side of '70s punk rock meets the roots of hardcore. The good news is that Dead Meat is back with a second EP on No Front Teeth Records -- again recorded by Ben Perrier. The bad news is that this is the final release from Dead Meat. As you can imagine, band rehearsals are challenging to arrange with members living in different countries and some even residing on different continents! But given the Killed By Death vibe of Dead Meat's recordings, it seems rather appropriate that their final output will be measured by just two EPs. Dead Meat's second EP is very much like the first one. It includes four ripping tracks which all run well under two minutes. The tunes are raw and mean but also catchy as hell. If you like punk tunes that make you wanna bob your head even as they punch you in the mouth, this is definitely the record for you! While this will be the final release from Dead Meat, Adrian and Fisher are working on a new band in a similar vein. And Vince and Jake will continue to assault the world's collective eardrums with the mighty Kool and the Gang Bangers and The Cavemen. Standard copies of Dead Meat II will be spray-painted on a leather sleeve by Marco NFT himself. That means that no two copies will be alike -- record collectors are gonna go crazy! Supplies are limited, so get your orders in! 

-L.R.  

https://deadmeatpunk.bandcamp.com/album/dead-meat-ii-ep
https://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/large-grid

MAGA Youth - self titled

Post election 2016, it was declared by many that a Donald Trump presidency would lead to a revival of the angry, politically-charged punk rock that characterized the Ronald Reagan years in America. While I would argue that political punk rock never really went away, I understood the point. Four years later, I would say that these predictions have been largely realized. In many genres of music (not just punk), artists concerned with social justice and resisting the rising tide of white supremacy and fascism have had a lot to write about. If you're inspired and energized by political punk rock, there's plenty of it out there. Whether or not any of it stacks up to the Reagan era stuff is a matter of personal opinion. This brings me to the mysterious MAGA Youth. This band consists of five old punk rockers who decided to re-do actual political punk songs from the '80s and revise the lyrics to reflect life in the Trump era. That's a pretty neat idea in my book. The band's debut EP is made up of updated versions of classic tracks by Reagan Youth, Wasted Youth, Youth Brigade DC, 7 Seconds, and DayGlo Abortions. These guys have taken the hardcore punk sound of 30-40 years ago and made it topical for 2020. There's a lot of political punk that I just can't get into because it doesn't speak to me musically. But MAGA Youth definitely hits the old school punk sweet spot for me. These songs have me pumping my fist and raring to go. And if the band decides that a second EP is necessary, there will be no shortage of old songs or new problems to choose from! All money collected from the sale of this EP will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center to fight hate groups, teach tolerance, and seek racial justice. 

-L.R.

https://magayouth.bandcamp.com/album/maga-youth

https://www.splcenter.org/

Deseos Primitivos - self titled

It has been a while since I've reviewed any straight-up punk rock, but I do have something good for you today! Oakland's Deseos Primitivos have just released their debut album on No Front Teeth Records in the U.K. and Going Underground in the USA. On this full-length debut, Deseos Primitivos tear through 12 tracks of powerful and aggressive punk rock that brings to mind first generation LA punk and early '80s hardcore while still coming across as fully contemporary. This my kind of old school punk. It rips hard, but it's got a touch of melody as well. It's got hard-hitting guitars, a blistering rhythm section, and really strong lead vocals. The lyrics, sung in Spanish, address themes such as "revenge, homelessness and gentrification, colonization, and sensual tales of taboo dreams". This band is not fooling around. With passion and fury, they create music that speaks to their reality. If you enjoy fist-pumping, sing-along punk rock anthems, this record is full of 'em!

-L.R.

https://deseosprimitivos.bandcamp.com/album/deseos-primitivos
https://www.facebook.com/deseosprimitivos/
https://www.goingundergroundrecords.com/products/pre-order-deseos-primitvos-deseos-primitivos-vinyl-lp
https://www.nofrontteeth.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/No-Front-Teeth-Records-117591658310943/

Night Birds - Fresh Kills Vol. II

Man, does time fly! This blog has been around so long that I reviewed Night Birds' Fresh  Kills Vol. 1 when it was still new! I originally imagined myself doing this blog for a year or two, maybe 3 or 4 tops. Nine years later, I just can't bring myself to stop. Don't I have anything better to do with my time? Apparently not! So here I am reviewing the second volume of Fresh Kills, which released today on Bandcamp with all proceeds going to the IDF (Immune Deficiency Foundation). This is a very simple and great idea for a digital collection: it compiles all of Night Birds' singles released since 2013. Included are the entirety of the EPs Maimed for the Masses, Monster Surf, and Who Killed Mike Hunchback? along with several comp cuts and unreleased songs for a total of 20 tracks. Stephen Egerton mastered these recordings, which sound absolutely phenomenal. Now if you've been a Night Birds fan all along, you probably own most of this stuff already. But if you don't, this is like getting a whole new Night Birds album for a $5 download - and in the process you're benefiting common variable immune deficiency research!

There's not much to say about Night Birds that I haven't said 16 times before. This is one of our great modern-day punk rock bands, and just the other day I found myself contemplating how Night Birds have some of the best lyrics in punk music ever (How prophetic was "Left In The Middle", written well before the unthinkable events of 2016?). Let the fans debate whether Born To Die In Suburbia or Mutiny At Muscle Beach is the best point of entry for Night Birds exploration (I might be a troublemaker and make my case for Roll Credits). But if you own and love all the albums and are wondering if Fresh Kills Volume II is really worth buying, the answer is absolutely yes! The Maimed for the Masses tracks hold up great and are highly underrated in my book. "Last Gasp", which I once referred to as a "throttling ode to autoerotic asphyxiation", remains a Night Birds classic. Some of the demos released as Who Killed Mike Hunchback? are arguably superior to the album versions. The instrumental tracks off of Monster Surf show off the band's sick chops. And if you want to hear Night Birds cover the likes of Effigies, GG & the Jabbbers, and Big Boys, this is definitely the collection for you.

For more information about the great work being done by the Immune Deficiency Foundation, check out the IDF web site. The $5 (or more) that you pay for Fresh Kills Vol. II will go to a worthy cause. Go ahead: complete your Night Birds collection! All downloads come with a PDF of liner notes!



-L.R.

https://night-birds.bandcamp.com/album/fresh-kills-vol-ii
https://www.facebook.com/NGHTBRDS

Chain Whip - 14 Lashes

14 Lashes is the perfect name for Chain Whip's debut album. Every song on the record hits with force and fury, and each successive strike will leave you begging for more. This Vancouver foursome originally self-released this album last summer. Now it's getting a European vinyl release on Drunken Sailor Records - a label that's no stranger to modern classics of punk rock. This is an absolutely flawless hardcore punk record in the style of the early '80s. It rips through 14 tracks in less than 20 minutes, each song a pummeling shot of power and aggression. This album features all the marks of great hardcore: punishing guitars, insane drumming, and super pissed-off vocals from lead singer Josh. And yet these songs aren't just raging - they're really fucking good! Even as these guys shred your eardrums, they're sneaking in legit hooks. On top of that, this is a perfectly produced hardcore record. It sounds raw but totally powerful, and those guitars and drums hit so hard. You could put any of these songs on a playlist with DOA, Poison Idea, Circle Jerks, etc. and they would fit right in. 14 Lashes is an angry record for angry times. Play it at a ridiculously high volume, and you will be properly fired up to take on anyone or anything. Official release date is June 26th, but you might wanna jump on this now while copies are still available!



-L.R.

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/14-lashes-lp
http://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk/products/670873-chain-whip-14-lashes-lp-drunken-sailor-records-drunkensailor-128
https://chainwhip.bandcamp.com/album/14-lashes
https://www.facebook.com/chainwhipyvr/
https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords

Fried e/M - Modern World

Are you ready for a kick in the teeth? How about 11 kicks in the teeth?! Modern World is the long-awaited debut long player from Missouri's Fried e/M, and this thing will absolutely pummel you! Each track is a short & intense blast of total sonic aggression. The sound is reminiscent of the earliest American hardcore: fast and blistering as hell, but still rooted in old style snotty punk rock. The guitars, drums, and bass all hit so hard. And the vocalist is absolutely phenomenal. This dude is no run of the mill screamer. Every word he spits out exudes attitude, indignation, and a complete disdain for everything and everyone. None of these songs even get close to two minutes in length. And they're all total rippers. Remember when you listened to punk rock for the pure nihilistic thrill of it all? Fried e/M sure does. If you're into the Circle Jerks, Germs, The Lewd, early Black Flag etc., you need to be all over this shit!



-L.R.

https://friedem.bandcamp.com/album/modern-world
https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/modern-world

Dead Meat - self titled

Essential new band alert! Dead Meat may be a new name to you. But regular readers of this blog will certainly recognize some of the principals involved. Vince from Suicide Generation is on lead vocals. Adrian from The Speedways is on guitar. Jake from The Cavemen smashes the drums. And Ben from Los Pepes recorded these guys. Man, that's a lot of star power! And the songs do not disappoint. You can stream the band's debut EP over at Bandcamp. Dead Meat plays great straight-forward trashy punk rock that's raw, tough, and catchy as hell. This band slots right in there in that Bloodstains/KBD territory smack dab between first wave punk and early hardcore. Cool song titles like "I'm An Infection", "Leave Me To Die", and "I Give Up" will give you a good idea of Dead Meat's vibe. The EP is not downloadable (unless you are crazy enough to actually spend £1,000!). But No Front Teeth Records will be releasing it on vinyl soon! Meet the hot new punk band of 2020! 



-L.R.

https://deadmeatpunk.bandcamp.com/album/dead-meat-ep 

Sore Points - "Not Alright"

Whew! Sore Points are back with a new 7", and they have not tempered their sonic fury in the slightest! "Not Alright" is the Vancouver trio's third release overall and first with Slovenly Recordings. The band's sound burns hotter than ever on this four-song EP (longest track: one minute, 43 seconds!). As always, Sore Points seem to exist in an eternal 1980 - when first wave punk and early hardcore smashed straight into each other and spawned some of the most exciting records ever cut. The band isn't fooling with the formula at all. This is fast, furious, and absolutely blistering punk rock fueled by pummeling guitars, a rapid fire rhythm section, and just enough melody to get your toes tapping. I think "On The Wire" is the "hit", but I swear "Not Coming Back" is the most thrillingly scorching track Sore Points have recorded to date. If you dig hardcore punk rock but wish more of it still had a foot in rock and roll, this is the band for you. LP on Deranged is top-notch, but this is the best stuff yet from Sore Points!

 
-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/sore-points-not-alright-ep 
https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/sore-points-not-alright-ep 
https://www.facebook.com/Sorepointsband/ 
https://www.facebook.com/slovenlyrec/