Kia ora, allies, acquaintances, and soon-to-be nemeses. Welcome to part deux of ICWT’s year-end round-up, which focuses on some of 2025’s standout EPs. If you haven’t checked out the first part of this end-of-year soirée, please do. Part #1 of this punk pageant spotlights my favourite full-length albums from the past 12 months.

Part #1 of ICWT’s year-end coverage also includes a very long-winded introduction, crammed with self-effacing caveats. However, I can sum up those caveats pretty handily in two short sentences:

1. I claim no specialist knowledge or critical expertise when it comes to punk or hardcore.
2. What I provide instead is abundant enthusiasm for the cause.

Essentially, if you want to know what a wizened ol’ hermit who’s allergic to social media thinks are the raddest punk and hardcore releases from 2025, then you’re in the right place. The EPs below are the ones that stood out for me this year and, fingers crossed, some of them will resonate with you, too. Obviously, an EP (vinyl, cassette, or digital) is the perfect format for all punk and hardcore releases. An EP’s compressed running time – and all the creative heat crammed therein – results in many bands delivering their most visceral work. Below, you’ll find ample evidence to support that fact.

If you’ve not visited ICWT before, keep in mind that this column focuses on Discharge fan fiction. Or Disclose fan fiction. Or Shitlickers fan fiction. Or Doom fan fiction. Or Totalitär, Gloom, Framtid, Bolt Thrower, Amebix, or Anti-Cimex fan fiction. The point being, I zero in on the uglier-sounding stuff. I wholeheartedly encourage you to check out plenty more EOY lists for a more comprehensive picture of punk and hardcore in 2025. I’m just here to talk about shitnoise.

I don’t rank my EOY lists these days. But not for any profound reasons. Deciding who’s better or best just doesn’t fit with my idea of punk’s general vibe. But that’s just my view. I’ll (very) happily read every other EOY list, ranked or otherwise.

I included a long list of thank-yous in the introduction to this two-parter, which I won’t repeat in full; I know you’re busy and likely keen to get to all the noise. Suffice to say, cheers to the music-makers, record-slingers, bloggers, vloggers, and podcasters who continue to fight the good fight. And a ‘tip of the hat’ to the Last Rites crew for allowing me to sully this site’s well-earned rep.

Thanks to you, too, of course! I appreciate you taking the time to visit ICWT more than you can imagine. I’m not joking when I say I’m a hermit. I live a very small and insular life. Writing about music offers me a crucial link to a community of fellow fans, which helps me feel less isolated. Here’s to all the deafening bands and tendrils of noise that connect us.

You’ll undoubtedly be familiar with much of the music below. But I hope you discover a couple of previously unheard releases to sink your teeth into.

Whatever you’re up to at this time of year, have a good ’un. Stay safe. Be well. And all the best for ’26.

Kia kaha.

Note:

1. Most years, I write an entirely separate EOY article celebrating noisy music from Down Under. There are a couple of Kiwi and Aussie bands below, but if you’d like to check out all the great NZ and Aus punk from 2025, you can find Down Under(ground): ’25 right here.
2. Regular readers might feel a sense of déjà vu while reading some of the blurbs below. You’re not losing your marbles. Like any ecologically conscious citizen of the Earth, I’m all about reusing, recycling, and repurposing. Ergo, some previously published blurbs have been re-edited and included below.

ICWT: ’25 EPs

Sadly, two of the EPs I wanted to hear most this year – Portal Tomb and Extensive Slaughter’s split cassette, and Asocial Terror Fabrication and Katorga’s 7” split – never got within my reach. At the time of writing, neither is streaming online, and sourcing copies from the Northern Hemisphere is always a bit tricky/pricey for someone (like me) who lives at the ass end of the world. I’m sure both of those splits would have hit home for me big time. But them’s the breaks. I fully support musicians’ decisions about how to distribute their music. If ‘no streaming, cuz’ is their preference, so be it.

There are other glaring omissions below as well. I had to do some hasty re-editing of this post when a few of the EPs I included (like No Fucker’s 2025 EPs) disappeared from view after the YouTube channel they featured on went up in smoke. That was a bummer. But it’s no biggie. There’s still a lengthy list of great EPs to dig into below.

As I said in the intro of my ICWT ’25 LPs post, Discogs reports that approximately 10,500 punk and hardcore records were released this year. Obviously, that doesn’t account for the umpteen releases posted online by DIY bands and labels who don’t give a flying fuck about Discogs. The point is that, out of the thousands of potential candidates, I’ve highlighted 40 EPs below. I look forward to hearing about your favourite EPs from 2025 to see how many excellent releases I’ve egregiously overlooked.

Keep in mind that the following releases are in no particular order.

Rigorous Institution – Tormentor

Rigorous Institution’s 7-track maxi-EP, Tormentor, mixed stenchcrust, anarcho-punk, post-punk, and all manner of paranoiac and psychedelic elements into a boiling cauldron of Hawkwindian atmospherics and hell-hammering primitivism. Tormentor explored shadowy artistic avenues while probing the recesses of your mind. The songs within were laced with sonic sorcery; the eldritch/esoteric adventures evoked a crazed druid incanting wildly, while cleaving your skull in two. Tormentor proved, once again, that Rigorous Institution’s music is as creative as it is crushing.

Label: Roachleg Records
Bandcamp: Tormentor

PERSONⒶ – Perfection “Tour Asia Version”

PERSONⒶ’s 8-song Perfection cassette was the perfect blast of rabble-rousing, anarcho-driven noisecore to end the year on. Recorded at D4MT Labs, Perfection’s tracks thrashed and crashed as PERSONⒶ welded knuckle-dragging punk to mangled electronics, soundbites, samples, and spoken word broadsides. Perfection featured a super-urgent mix of personal and political lyrics, with PERSONⒶ’s energy and passion cranked up to electrifying/exhilarating levels. Also: terrific “Over The Edge” cover.

Label: The Seats Of Piss
Bandcamp: Perfection

Gnostics – Revelation

Honestly, I don’t know if Gnostics’ Revelation debut is technically an EP or a demo. But what I can tell you with the utmost certainty is that Revelation was very much a revelation in and of itself. Gnostics’ first release called to mind bonfires in the darkness, febrile nighterrors, and arcane secrets spilling from the mouths of corpses. Gnostics dripped existential dread as the band mixed stench-heavy guitars, murky atmospherics, and anarcho-punk into primordial crust. Tune in for the folk horror, stick around for the end-times fever dreams.

Label: Roachleg Records
Bandcamp: Revelation

Black Dog – Sewn into Confusion

Canadian group Black Dog describe their music as a “D-BEAT RAW FUKKING NOIZE PUNK ASSAULT”. They also list their hobbies and interests as a “D-BEAT RAW FUKKING NOIZE PUNK ASSAULT” and their most significant accomplishment as… you guessed it… a “D-BEAT RAW FUKKING NOIZE PUNK ASSAULT”. Unsurprisingly, Black Dog’s Sewn into Confusion EP featured a blizzard of head-splitting and fuzz-throttled noisecore. Every track on Sewn into Confusion offered a flamethrowing emotional exorcism, and Black Dog’s savage sonic barrage was an all-consuming firestorm. RAW FUKKING NOIZE PUNK – 1000%.

Label: Iron Lung Records
Bandcamp: Sewn into Confusion

Zyclone – Visions of Impending Death

Reliably on-point label General Speech released Zyclone’s Visions of Impending Death EP. Zyclone’s lineup features members of Guerra Final, Psych-War, and Electrika, and the band put their previous experience making eviscerating music to excellent use on Visions of Impending Death. The EP was akin to diving into a pool of broken glass. D-beat, Scandicore, and TNT-strength hardcore scuffled and tussled, and Zyclone’s bass-driven tracks charged forth at bloodthirsty pace. Smitten with Anti-Cimex and Poison Idea? Say hello to your new crush.

Label: General Speech
Bandcamp: Visions of Impending Death

Fog – Spring

Spring was the third release from Aotearoa New Zealand four-piece Fog, and if you’re a fan of the adventurous bands associated with labels like D4MT Labs or La Vida Es Un Mus, Fog will likely excite your neurons, too. Fog interlace anarcho-punk and peace-punk with icier post-punk, and the band’s political and more intimate tracks are exhilarating, combining the familiar with the new. Spring was another creative coup for Fog, and it’s worth underscoring that the band’s imaginative music is only going from strength to strength.

Label: R.I.P. Peace, Always Never Fun
Bandcamp: Spring

Destruct // Svaveldioxid – Split 7”

Destruct and Svaveldioxid collaborated on one of this year’s most violent and vitriolic split releases. Svaveldioxid served up heavyweight kängpunk, with their aptly chainsawing tracks recorded at the famed Sunlight Studios. Destruct have long perfected the art of sounding utterly massive while delivering blisteringly raw songs, and the band’s signature brand of audio assaultiveness was dialled up to jaw-breaking levels on their contributions. Destruct and Svaveldioxid’s decimating riffs and bombarding percussion were utterly ruthless. A juggernaut, all round.

Label: Prescription, Children of the Grave Records
Bandcamp: Destruct // Svaveldioxid

No Sector – Mercury Poisoning + Peracetic Split

No Sector released two excellent EPs in 2025. The live-wire songs on the Aotearoa New Zealand band’s instant classic Mercury Poisoning 7” blended UK82’s grit and Scandicore’s sizzle with protest punk’s passion. No Sector’s split with Canadian band Peracetic featured more high-energy guitars, with No Sector’s unique vocalist, Caroline, injecting anarcho punk’s eccentricity into the band’s sheet-metal sound. It was great to see No Sector catch the attention of punk scribes from far-flung corners of the world this year, too.

Label: Mercury Poisoning (Razored Raw), Split 7″ (Sewercide Records)
Bandcamp: Mercury Poisoning, Split 7″

Arson – Burning Future

If you consider albums like A Holocaust in Your Head or Noise Attack Devastating Tokyo City to be sacred texts in the crust/noise/raw punk canon, then you’ll no doubt worship Arson’s Burning Future EP, too. The NYC band’s deafening debut dialled up the sonic shrapnel on songs that felt like a dentist’s drill hitting a nerve. Arson’s combination of crasher crust and noisecore featured torrents of ultra-distorted riffs and howling vocals; a carnage-strewn fiesta for fans of top-tier ear-fuckery.

Label: General Speech
Bandcamp: Burning Future

Yellowcake – Apparitions of War

Arizona four-piece Yellowcake’s 2024 EP, A Fragmented Truth, was an absolute knockout. The band’s 2025 follow-up, Apparitions of War, was even better. Apparitions of War saw Yellowcake’s d-beat further abraded by crasher crust and über-discordant raw punk, with the EP’s tracks stripped to their marrow. Apparitions of War’s caustic, lo-fi production meant Yellowcake sounded more abrasive than ever as they detailed the eternal failures of the human condition – a perfect storm of harsh and horrible noise.

Label: Total Peace
Bandcamp: Apparitions of War

Internal Rot / Mutilated Cop – Split EP

Australian “blastasfuk” crew Internal Rot have been serving up hardcore-friendly grindcore since 2010 – see the band’s 2020 LP, Grieving Birth, for a stone-cold genre classic. Best Aussie grind band? Too right, mate! This year, Internal Rot teamed up with Seattle band Mutilated Cop (a side project for a few members of Caustic Wound) for a psyche-shattering split. Every one of Internal Rot’s excoriating songs maximised its hostility while dialling up the velocity, while Mutilated Cop delivered squalls of harsh and haemorrhaging audio violence via ENT-worthy songs. This shit(noise) rules.

Label: Nerve Altar
Bandcamp: Split

Disterror – Revealing Darkness

Cancún, Mexico, band Disterror’s last significant recording, Catharsis, was released a decade ago. The band’s long-gestating follow-up, Revealing Darkness, drew inspiration from the likes of Sacrilege, Voivod, Gastunk, and At the Gates. Disterror sounded even grimmer and colder on Revealing Darkness, with the band’s extreme metal/punk amalgam of thrash, death metal, and crust featuring much icier riffage and more soul-scouring vocals. The longer Disterror exist, the deeper they explore the darkest, most negative-sounding caverns of metalpunk.

Label: Self-released
Bandcamp: Revealing Darkness

Pollute – No Peace for the Peaceful

I really enjoyed Pollute’s high-velocity 2024 album, Microplastics, Massive Profits, and the band’s three-song 2025 EP, No Peace for the Peaceful, was another tour de force. Pollute’s worldview was plugged-in and on-point, and the band’s d-beat and hardcore carried as much musical heft as it did philosophical weight. Like all of Pollute’s releases thus far, No Peace for the Peaceful was catchier than the latest world-ending plague. The band’s pounding drums, stampeding guitars, and guttural growls constructed a blistering wall of noise.

Label: Self-released
Bandcamp: No Peace for the Peaceful

(Thanks to Christopher for pointing me in Pollute’s direction, once again.)

Farce – Sights of War

Sights of War was the fourth album from corrosive-sounding Finnish band Farce. Sights of War was filled with dissonant waves of static, garbage-can percussion, and half-buried, inter-dimensional vocals. D-beat was slammed face-first into broken concrete – and stripped of much of its structure – while lyrically, Farce’s anti-militarist sentiments tore into the ceaseless suffering and unending machinations of war. A total noise assault. Max-aggression. Max-devastation. The end of humanity starts here.

Label: Sistema Mortal
Bandcamp: Sights of War

Condumb – S/T

Philadelphia band Condumb has ties to Sheer Mag, Kinetic Orbital Strike, Poison Ruïn, and Quarantine. That’s a broad spectrum of punk right there, and Condumb slotted into the ‘noise for noise’s sake’ category. The band’s self-titled 7” tipped its hat to Confuse, Disclose, Chaos UK, and like-minded worshippers of manic musical mayhem. D-beat hacked into bitter crust and raw hardcore thrashed and crashed on Condumb’s vitriolic songs. Expect lacerating guitars, pounding drums, and inhuman howls.

Label: Stupid Bag Records, Self-released
Bandcamp: Condumb

Fuckin’ Lovers – Crucifixion of the Masses

Philadelphia noise punks Fuckin’ Lovers came roaring back in 2025 with their Crucifixion of the Masses 7”. Fuckin’ Lovers channelled Confuse, Swankys and Disorder via their buzz-sawing raw punk and ultra-distorted hardcore. Fuckin’ Lovers’ latest tracks were like scorching hot sewage: blistering, filthy, and a disgusting delight to imbibe. Crucifixion of the Masses was recorded at D4MT in NYC, and mixed and mastered by Shige at Noise Room in Tokyo; how much more of a recommendation do you need? Hard noise for harder days.

Label: General Speech, Discos Enfermos
Bandcamp: Crucifixion of the Masses

Cotgrave – Never Believe!

Tokyo band Cotgrave crammed 10 songs onto their first 7”, Never Believe!. Formed by former members of Voĉo Protesta and Crocodile Skink, Cotgrave’s self-produced 2025 EP was stacked with super-primitive hardcore. Nods to Scandi raw punk featured, as did the strapping sound of 90s Japanese crust, and Cotgrave mixed abundant anti-war sentiments with plenty of ‘fuck the system’ attitude. An unrestrained noise assault purpose-built for fans of Life, Framtid, Frigöra, and more.

Label: Self-released, Broken Noise Records
Bandcamp: Never Believe!

Tramadol – S/T

If you love the peak years of Anti-Cimex or Discharge, then prepare to clutch UK band Tramadol to your bosom. The West Yorkshire group’s self-titled 7” featured a formidable blast of the hardest hardcore, with the EP’s four songs blending Motör-charged basslines with six-string salvos, clobbering drums, and barking vocals galore. Hooks? You betcha! Plenty of ‘em; all jagged, bloody, and dripping with venom. Tramadol’s breathless d-beat was withering. Tough as tough gets.

Label: Donor Records
Bandcamp: Tramadol

Total Con – Who Needs the Peace Corps?

Total Con squeezed nine rapid-fire tracks onto their first 7”, Who Needs the Peace Corps?. Every track featured a neck-wrecking display of hardcore’s fundamental strengths – hook-laden anthems, roiling instrumentation, raging lyrics, and warp-speed tracks. (And Who Needs the Peace Corps? also featured the best cover of “Riders on the Storm” you ever heard.) Total Con’s mantra – “MAXIMUM VOLUME. DEATH TO CAPITALIST HARDCORE!!!!” – is one for the ages. Demented, disturbed, dysfunctional; top-notch hardcore.

Label: Static Shock Records, Unlawful Assembly
Bandcamp: Who Needs the Peace Corps?

Bad Breeding – Blood Manifest

Bad Breeding specialise in recordings filled with calls for solidarity and fierce critiques of the exploitative cruelties of late-stage capitalism. The band’s Blood Manifest EP was recorded over a single weekend, and the Stevenage-based anarcho-hardcore crew sounded tanked-up on smash ’n’ grab energy. Blood Manifest featured three face-melting songs plus a 5-minute dirge that was as annihilating as any of the EP’s faster tracks. Full-bore hardcore with insightful and impassioned lyrics; Blood Manifest was another knockout from one of the UK’s most politically and musically astute bands.

Label: Standard Process
Bandcamp: Blood Manifest

Corpse Gas – 4 Track Promo

Los Angeles crasher crust outfit Corpse Gas has ties to similarly strident bands such as Anguished Life, Dust Collector, and End Result. Corpse Gas are very much in the self-described “Kill the Poser! Noise for Scum!!!” camp when it comes to crafting ear-piercing ditties. The band’s 4 Track Promo was a shit-fi funfair, and Corpse Gas’ exceptionally dark (and extremely fuzzed-out) tracks were pitch-perfect, blizzard-like noise nuggets – ideal for masochists and/or fans of Confuse, Shitlickers, Gai, and Gloom.

Label: Self-released, Phonophobia Records
Bandcamp: Corpse Gas

Axon – S/T

Axon’s self-titled 7” featured full-on and full-bore Japanese-inspired hardcore. With a lineup featuring members of Mutant Strain, Reckoning Force, and Homemade Speed, Axon’s take on Nippon hardcore was on-point and riff-tastic. Axon’s shrieking guitars, sizzling leads, and growling vocals displayed the unmistakable influence of groups like Gauze, Death Side and Nightmare. However, Axon also syphoned plenty of creative fuel and rhythmic intensity from the blistering depths of US hardcore. See within for buried hooks and plenty of other bruising attributes.

label: Not for the Weak Records
Bandcamp: Axon

Burning Chrome – S/T

Minneapolis/NYC band Burning Chrome formed after the breakup of Zero, a band heavily influenced by the blazing yet melodic arc of Japanese hardcore. Burning Chrome’s rocketing riffs ticked many of the same boxes, but the band’s self-titled EP was also crustier and rawer. There were still plenty of Burning Spirits-styled guitar gymnastics on display, but Burning Chrome’s lower-fi sound added a welcome layer of grit and gruffness to their debut. Ripping. Raging. All-fire.

Label: Desolate Records
Bandcamp: Burning Chrome

Cascades – Tyrannical Lust

Montréal label Sore Mind has released some phenomenal music over the years, and Cascades’ Tyrannical Lust EP was another prime slab of squalid stonk. Cascades’ bombardments were replete with lo-fi, ultra-guttural crust, and stenchcore’s fetid odour infected every note here. There was a bona fide old-school crawl to Tyrannical Lust; a slow, steady, and deliberate desire to crush all comers – step by mind-mangling step. FFO Amebix, Axegrinder, Zoe, and Filth of Mankind. First-rate noisome noise. Rank. Rotten. Decimating.

Label: Sore Mind, Filth Holocaust Records
Like Weeds: Tyrannical Lust

Sistema Obsoleto – Esmagado Pela Engrenagem Capitalista

Sistema Obsoleto hail from Macedonia, and the band’s lyrics are in Portuguese. You didn’t need to speak Portuguese to understand what Sistema Obsoleto’s debut EP, Esmagado Pela Engrenagem Capitalista (Crushed by the Capitalist Gear), was all about, though. Sistema Obsoleto’s hot-tempered tracks radiated enough anger and energy to power a small city, and the tone and tenor of the band’s chainsawing riffs and spitting vocals spoke to punk’s universal truths. A barrage of Anti-Cimex-worthy hardcore.

Label: Neon Taste Records
Bandcamp: Esmagado Pela Engrenagem Capitalista

End State – Their System Won’t Be Fixed

End State’s Their System Won’t Be Fixed cassette was basically a giant fucking tease. Recorded at NYC’s D4MT Labs, Their System Won’t Be Fixed only featured three songs, each an A1 example of filth-streaked crustcore. If you’re a fan of Tower 7, Flower, or State Manufactured Terror, you’ll love End State’s similarly red-raw, eruptive sound. Their System Won’t Be Fixed was an extremely tasty amuse-bouche. I can’t wait to hear more.

Label: Self-released
Bandcamp: Their System Won’t Be Fixed

Traumatizer – Nuclear War Machine

Traumatizer’s Nuclear War Machine EP was a pedal-to-the-metal triumph. Traumatizer tore through cyclonic tracks, with the Haarlem-based group’s d-beat and hardcore evoking the thrashier side of bands like Sacrilege or Ripcord. Every song on Nuclear War Machine detonated with maximum audio violence, and Traumatizer’s gruff-voiced singer Anna delivered a throat-ripping performance. Metallic riffs and relentless percussion collided throughout Nuclear War Machine, and with five blown-out tracks in 10 breakneck minutes, the EP was a non-stop radioactive riot.

Label: Discos Enfermos Records
Bandcamp: Nuclear War Machine

Hellshock – XXV

Hellshock’s XXV EP saw the band diving deeper into the caverns of end-times metal. Crust punk wasn’t ditched entirely, of course, and XXV still stank of stench-a-tude. Hellshock hacked into all comers with death metal-worthy riffage, and with more portentous passages and XXV’s monolithic production, Hellshock had never sounded heavier. XXV was one of Hellshock’s densest and darkest releases, and it proved that a quarter century in, the band continue to bend metalpunk to their will – as aggro and colossal as ever.

Label: Black Konflik Records, Agipunk, Black Water Records
Bandcamp: XXV

Nagasaki – S/T

Swedish band Nagasaki’s “Evil Neanderthal Råpunk” is, unsurprisingly, raw and primitive, sounding like the Shitlickers wrestling with System Fucker, or Totalitär scrapping it out with Ferocious X. Nagasaki’s self-titled 2025 EP felt tighter and more structured than the band’s first release. But everything within was still akin to a distortion-lashed brawl, and no one in their right mind would call Nagasaki’s ferocious kängpunk listener-friendly. Riffs and percussion rained down like radioactive fragments. Vicious, harsh, obnoxious – shitnoise reigned supreme.

Label: Blown out Media, Fucked Noise Sound
Bandcamp: Nagasaki

Zouka / Sanoa – Split Cassette

Mostly aligned in sound and vision, Japanese bands Sanoa and Zouka joined forces on a ripping six-song split cassette in 2025. Sanoa’s tracks mixed classic 80s Swedish HC with the strength and stamina of contemporary d-beat champs like Physique. Zouka, on the other hand, delivered a harsh noise attack that paid tribute to their prime inspirations, Zouo and Gouka. Paint-stripping hardcore met off-the-chain raw-core. I’m keener than mustard to hear what Zouka and Sanoa do next.

Label: Sistema Mortal
Bandcamp: Zouka / Sanoa

Spirokete – Song of Spirokete

NYC band Spirokete’s 2025 release, Song of Spirokete, was a certified ear-munter. Song of Spirokete wrapped råpunk madness around d-beat mayhem, and then marinated the result in an acid bath. Distortion choked the hell out of Spirokete’s filthy songs, with most tracks dissolving into blistering maelstroms of lo-fi noise that stung like a bladder infection. Song of Spirokete featured tasty blasts of max-fuzz/wildly-fucked riffage; lovers of screaming feedback and crashing crust apply within.

Label: Distorted Sedition
Bandcamp: Song of Spirokete

Hektiks – Obliteration

Hektiks are a four-piece band from Vienna, Austria. The band’s excellent Obliteration featured 60-second-ish screeds of distorted crasher crust, and everything was raw-fi and blown-out – à la Gloom, Disclose, Confuse, and Atrocious Madness. Tinitus-inducing, nerve-shredding, and most definitely challenging, Hektiks’ debut was everything you’d hope for from such a noisenik release. The seven relentless minutes here are about as much as you/I/we could bear. Obliteration should come with a health warning: gruesome stuff.

Label: Ingen Framtid
Bandcamp: Obliteration

Dismay – No Guilt

Phoenix, Arizona band Dismay featured on two gnarly-sounding EPs in 2025. The band’s split with Tacoma, Washington, group Dekrepit felt like soaking in a hot tub filled with hydrochloric acid; rawer-than-raw punk, in other words. Dismay’s No Guilt EP was even better. No Guilt was also blistering-raw, but Dismay’s d-beaten ordnance sounded much heavier. No Guilt’s songs were definitely corrosive, but they’re also markedly concussive. Raw punk with a hefty punch; tip-top noise.

Label: Self-released
Bandcamp: No Guilt

Tormentum – The Wake of the Horde

Tormentum’s The Wake of the Horde EP featured more of the four-piece Mexican band’s apocalyptic stenchcore. Tormentum have never sounded better; heavier than a hydraulic press slowly crushing a cinderblock, and filthier than the depths of a plague pit. Tormentum’s Neanderthal noise nodded to Bolt Thrower, Deviated Instinct, and Stormcrow, with The Wake of the Horde’s gruff and guttural four tracks mixing cavernous crust and gravel-gargling death metal. Squalid and storming metalpunk – so fucking good. Also, KILLER cover art by Nicholas Arjulian. FYI, Tormentum are getting better and better with every release.

Label: Drunk Scum Records
Bandcamp: The Wake of the Horde

Ruined Virtue – A Garden Without Birds

After releasing a promising demo in 2024, Sheffield-based Ruined Virtue returned in 2025 with their A Garden Without Birds EP, which eclipsed that promise and more. A Garden Without Birds’ four tracks featured blazing metalpunk that tipped its hat to UK veterans like Broken Bones and English Dogs, while sounding much heavier, harder, and steelier to boot. Ruined Virtue leaned hard on intensity and aggressiveness, and A Garden Without Birds was the definition of a short, sharp, demolishing EP.

Label: Televised Suicide
Bandcamp: A Garden Without Birds

Angstmäler – 4 Track EP

Angstmäler’s 4 Track EP was released late in the year, but there’s no way I was going to leave it behind. Angstmäler have ties to bands like Traumatizer and Robber, and the Haarlem-based band also deal in lughole-ruining music. Angstmäler’s 4 Track EP was crammed with blown-out and feedback-soaked noise that felt like being trapped inside a turbo-charged concrete mixer. A crude, untamed, and smokin’ storm of contemporary hardcore. As disorienting and driven by rage as the world outside your door.

Label: Brain Rotted Records, Under The Gun Records
Bandcamp: Angstmäler

Laughing Corpse – Beyond Recognition

Label Sorry State released several great LPs and EPs this year, and Laughing Corpse’s Beyond Recognition was my favourite. The dark and demented debut from the Washington, DC, band featured six hardcore tracks that sounded like they could have been unearthed on an alternative-universe version of Dischord’s famed The Faith / Void split. All the hardcore here was rip-roaring and action-packed, which was great, of course, but Laughing Corpse also explored dark and demented avenues, which was even better.

Label: Sorry State
Bandcamp: Beyond Recognition

Laager – Total Paranoia

Canadian band Laager released an excellent self-titled EP back in the pre-pandemic days. Six years later, Laager returned with their Total Paranoia EP, and the band’s bulldozing approach sounded much the same. Blunt and brutal crust smashed into heavily armoured d-beat, and if there was a difference to be noted, it’s that Total Paranoia’s latest tracks sounded more stripped down and indebted to Discharge than Laager’s previous endeavours. Rock-solid, blood-pumping metalpunk from the frozen north.

Label: Self-released
Bandcamp: Total Paranoia

Empart – Extremenoisehardcore

Austin, Texas, band Empart’s 2023 EP was entitled Speedfuckingnoiseattack, and that’s precisely what you’ll find within. Same–same with Empart’s gut-punching 2025 EP, Extremenoisehardcore. The EP’s blowtorch tracks fused d-beat and the most brutal raw punk imaginable in a raging storm of mind-rupturing noise. Monstrous vocals, blown-out everything, and absolute mayhem screamed, howled, and growled throughout. Through chaos we must travel to reach the heights of catharsis, or something like that, right? Extremenoisehardcore was a genuine test of your mettle. Speed freaks, see within.

Label: Self-released, Pogo Till You Drop
Bandcamp: Extremenoisehardcore

Mercy – EP

I don’t mean this as any kind of insult, but Mercy’s 2025 EP featured real meat and potatoes hardcore. Sometimes, that’s all you need. The seven songs on Mercy’s EP were all comprised of unadulterated, rampaging hardcore; the classic kind, fuelled by looking around and feeling justifiably angry at everything. There was no thick-necked, mosh-bro bullshit here. Mercy’s tracks were short, fast, and stripped to their most astringent essentials. All-fire hardcore, for when only the purest rage and aggression will get you through.

Label: Sound Grotesca
Bandcamp: EP

Cervix – Tape #2

Tape #2 was the follow-up to Birmingham, Alabama d-beat band Cervix’s 2024 demo, which also sounded/felt like having your ears reamed out with steel wool. Tape #2’s sandblasting tracks rode the line between static clatter and battering noise, and Cervix’s crudity was one of the band’s best strengths. I don’t know much about Alabama, aside from the usual cliches, but Tape #2’s contents were certainly caked in sweat and baked in brutality. Raw crust, noise, and the grottiest gunk.

Label: Ragdoll Records
Bandcamp: Tape #2

Axe – Il cimitero è dappertutto

For Italian band Axe, “music without politics has no meaning”. As such, the band explicitly aimed to bring anger, war, tension, and suffering to life on their debut EP, Il cimitero è dappertutto. Pitch-black crust and equally dark raw punk were Axe’s primary weapons, and the band’s fevered aesthetic certainly painted vivid scenes of violence and torment. Dual, often-echoing vocals added colour and texture to Axe’s grim audio palette, with the band’s driving songs evoking the passion and punch of classic Italian hardcore.

Label: Sistema Mortal
Bandcamp: Il cimitero è dappertutto

Smog / Krigssystem – Split

Smog and Krigssystem’s split 7” featured two max-distortion tracks from Macedonian noise-monsters Smog, and four assault and battery blasts of d-beat from Greek band Krigssystem. Both bands delivered an absolute noise-punk massacre, heavily indebted to the rawest, most feedback-soaked work of Discharge and Disclose. Smog and Krigssystem’s split was off-putting, confrontational, and unapologetically obnoxious; all excellent qualities to embrace when it comes to delivering the rawest noise around. Fans of toxic static and utterly mutilated punk, dig in.

Label: Phobia Records
Bandcamp: Smog / Krigssystem

Tormented Imp – S/T

As others have pointed out, UK hardcore band Tormented Imp sound like a dream-team mash-up of Totalitär, Poison Idea, and Death Side. Tormented Imp’s 2024 debut was a ripper, and this year’s self-titled 7” was even more whirlwind fun. Tormented Imp’s latest amphetamine-powered tracks threaded Burning Spirits-worthy pandemonium around turbo-charged punk. The band set speed, aggression, and barking vocals front and centre, and Tormented Imp scattered viscera-strewn hooks throughout their brick-wall tracks. Mayhem. Madness. Murderous fun.

Label: Donor Records
Bandcamp: Tormented Imp

Sistema de Muerte – S/T

Montreal band Sistema de Muerte’s first release caught the ear of many this year. Sistema de Muerte’s 5-song EP sounded big, beefy, and barreling, and the band disgorged its Spanish-language lyrics with both gusto and animus. Sistema de Muerte didn’t hide their talents under a bushel or behind a wall of feedback, either. The band’s debut was loud, proud, and powered by ten-tonne riffage and top-speed percussion. Hammering hardcore that comes highly recommended.

Label: A World Divided
Bandcamp: Sistema de Muerte

Visions of War / Phane – Split 7”

Long-lived Eurocrusties Visions of War hooked up with Vancouver-based Phane for a short and snarling split this year. As usual, Visions of War spat out troglodyte crust; all ultra-guttural barks and red-raw, filthy riffage. Phane’s metal-charged UK82 approach ripped, and the band delivered a storming Abrasive Wheels cover to boot. Visions of War and Phane’s split was over and done in less than 10 minutes, but that just meant there was time for another spin. Doom meets G.B.H. or Varukers meets Hiatus. You know the deal. Brothers in arms making an ugly racket.

Label: Phobia Records
Bandcamp: Visions of War / Phane

Thanks for reading ICWT’s year-end coverage. To be honest, I am kind of sad I didn’t get to write about all the demos I loved this year*. Bands like Sayon, The Damage, Dukkha, Aberrate, Exit Ploom, Knotwork, Barren Soil, Bone Geer, and a heap more all deserve a hearty shout-out. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more lists to come, but we’ll see how it goes. For now, cheers for stopping by and thanks, as always, for supporting DIY music and (my) ramshackle commentary. You rule!

(*I feel the same way about a bunch of great reissues from 2025, too. Maybe they’ll turn up at some stage. Who knows!)

The post Rudimentary Dweebi: ICWT’s Favorite ’25 EPs appeared first on Last Rites.

750-ish days later…

How’s things? It’s been a while, huh – something like 23 months, but who’s counting!?! Apologies for the pause in proceedings, but you know how it goes. Life gets busy, the chores begin to stack up, and then, out of nowhere, an existential crisis knocks on your door. Uh-oh.

Anyway, it’s good to be back! I look forward to writing hundreds of thousands more words about virtually indistinguishable bands who are all in desperate need of a shower. If this is your first visit to ICWT’s unwashed shores, here’s the deal: I’m here to recommend music that’ll hopefully bolster your emotional fortitude while exorcising your inner turmoil. Deafening tunes + catharsis = ICWT. Biff, bang, boom. It’s a simple equation. Zero ego, max noise – voila!

Fair warning: if you’re a fan of rigorous taxonomic accuracy, you will find ICWT very frustrating. I don’t pay close attention to pernickety sub-genre delineations, and ICWT is a very broad and welcoming church. Ergo, don’t get hung up on the word crust in the title of this column. Crust is more of a vibe than a pinpoint marker around here, and the line between the sub-genres (or bands) covered is often more semantic than sonic. Think of ICWT as a sewer pipe or a particularly pungent vessel: All I really care about is pouring the filthiest noise into your earholes.

Obviously, the world’s changed a lot since the last edition of ICWT. But don’t panic; I don’t have the physical stamina or mental acuity to delve into an in-depth monologue about the current nightmarescape. (Suffice to say, holy fuck.) I also appreciate that you’re not here to read about political machinations – be they international or domestic – so I’ll cut to the chase.

Many of the bands featured in this column have a socially conscious worldview. If your values align with a progressive or open-minded outlook, then by all means, step this way.

That said, if you favour nihilistic music or enjoy bands with an end-of-days Weltanschauung, ICWT also features plenty of grouchy groups who’ll satisfy all your misanthropic desires. (And listen, I get it, the world’s on fire and Armageddon beckons, who wouldn’t be feeling a little crotchety right now?)

Lastly, I haven’t forgotten anyone who’s looking to escape all of the political and social tensions that surround us. If you’d rather switch off and simply be pounded into dust by heavyweight punk, let me assure you, ICWT highlights untold bands only too happy to oblige.

Point being: if you care about everything that’s happening, or you’re over everything that’s happening, or you’re simply looking to hide from everything that’s happening, ICWT is here to help. Sound good?

This edition of ICWT is longer than I initially planned. Mainly because I’m out of practice when it comes to writing punchy blurbs. I apologise for any rough patches below – I am a little rusty. Although, in my defence, snappy rhetoric and snappier witticisms aren’t my forte; I am a long-winded dirtbag by nature.

These days, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to reading punk rock round-ups, and I am fully aware that an old hermit like me isn’t the first cab off the rank. All of that means I appreciate you stopping by even more: a hearty cyber-hug to you and yours for (re-)tuning in to ICWT.

As always, thanks to the Last Rites crew for hosting this garbage. (I’d also like to apologise in advance for any and all reputational damage caused by my return.)

Be well. Kia kaha.

PMA – all the way.

Ayucaba – Operación Masacre

Barcelona-based Ayucaba’s members originally hail from Latin America, and the band’s Operación Masacre LP is one of this year’s finest punk releases – if not the finest.

Ayucaba mix the guttural snarl of UK82 with the riff gymnastics of 80s metal, and Broken Bones, English Dogs, and the late-80s work of The Exploited have all been cited as inspirations. Japanese groups like Ghoul, The Clay, and Execute have also been referenced, and it’s the astute blend of all those international influences that makes Operación Masacre such a phenomenal LP.

Ayucaba’s former bassist Cromi steps up to the mic on Operación Masacre, swapping roles with current bassist Mateo, who sang on Ayucaba’s first couple of releases. No offence to Mateo, but Cromi’s voice adds a lot more personality to Operación Masacre’s songs. Cromi’s super-abrasive howls strip skin from bone, and in Operación Masacre’s quieter moments, Cromi’s murmurs will make you feel like someone’s walking over your grave. (See Inyeccion’s 2022 LP, Porqueria, for more of Cromi’s vocal talents.)

The best Latin American punk is often characterised by its stripped-down rawness, both instrumentally and lyrically. Ayucaba’s latest songs feature plenty of raw passion and battery-acid melodies, but there’s also a great deal of songwriting sophistication to Operación Masacre. There’s real depth to the songs here, and repeated listens to Operación Masacre’s anthemic tracks reveal more and more fine-tuned details.

Obviously, punk bands with grander creative ambitions haven’t always delivered engaging releases; sometimes, a more studied release loses punk’s crucial sense of urgency. The good news is that none of Ayucaba’s artistic decisions feel forced, and the band’s fusion of metal’s primal attributes (including some downright scorching speed metal solos) with punk’s instinctive bite feels like a natural fit.

It’s hard to find fault with Operación Masacre; everything here, from songwriting to arranging to recording, right on through to the album’s excellent screen-printed artwork and design, feels carefully considered. That said, for all its creative finesse, Operación Masacre is still fucking feisty and equally ferocious, and it retains all of the immediacy and explosiveness of the best hardcore punk.

Raise your fists, throw a few bricks, or hurl yourself across the room; this is what punk rock’s all about. Operación Masacre es un absoluto tour de force.

(Metadona Discos, Educación Cínica)

Desolacion – S/T

Argentine four-piece Desolacion features a few members of Buenos Aires-based crust outfit Ruinas. If you’ve not heard Ruinas before, I recommend the band’s self-titled 2016 album, which isn’t wildly different in tone or texture to Desolacion’s recent eponymous debut.

Desolacion’s first release is pretty much a dream come true for fans of the heaviest lineages of punk and hardcore. Desolacion’s downtuned coalescence of super-dark stenchcore and crunchy, metallic crust evokes the classics, ticks all right malodorous musical boxes, and lays down a thick slab of monolithic metalpunk. What more could you want?

Is Desolacion’s debut innovative? Not on your nelly, mate. However, all the bulldozing riffage – and gloomy atmosphere shrouding all – is pitch-perfect for fans of vintage or contemporary groups, such as Stormcrow, Amebix, Warcollapse, Cancer Spreading, Swordwielder, Fatum, and more.

Everything here is heavier than a tank but also, crucially, as raw as a gut wound, which brings stenchcore’s fundamental strengths – noise and noisomeness – to the fore. Desolacion offer a solid mix of thrashing riffs and doomier dirges, backed, of course, by the resounding echo of rack and ruin, and society in freefall. In sledgehammering crust terms, Desolacion’s debut is an obvious end-of-year contender. Long-in-the-tooth crust fans will lap this up, but I’d also recommend Desolacion’s debut for anyone looking to dip their toes into stenchcore’s stink for the very first time.

A demolishing debut, if ever there was one.

(UP the PUNX Rec, Nothing to Harvest Records, Tvmbalavalla Discos, Disastro Sonoro)

Destruct // Svaveldioxid – Split 7”
Shitcontrol – Hungriga, Frusna och Lamslagna

North Carolina label Prescription recently (co-)released the 7” split of the year, featuring two of hardcore’s gnarliest bands: Richmond, Virginia’s Destruct and Stockholm, Sweden’s Svaveldioxid. Both bands contribute two new tracks and a cover of one of the other’s songs, and both sides of Destruct and Svaveldioxid’s split are equally violent and vitriolic.

Svaveldioxid are a foot-to-the-floor, Scandicore monster. The prolific band pumps out death metal-heavy kängpunk, and Svaveldioxid’s last couple of LPs, 2023’s Världselände and 2024’s Främmande Samtid Skrämmande Framtid, have featured some of the band’s harshest and heaviest songs yet.

Recorded at the famed Sunlight Studios, Svaveldioxid’s chainsawing contributions to their split with Destruct are annihilating. Svaveldioxid waste no time on fripperies or subtleties; they just hammer their latest ferocious tracks home in the most immediate – and old-school – fashion possible. Prepare thee for battering drums from Hell, cut-throat vocals from Hades, and the brutalist kängpunk exploding from the halls of Valhalla.

Destruct are one of the best d-beat/hardcore bands in North America. The group’s full-length releases – Echoes Of Life, Cries The Mocking Mother Nature, and To Stop The Conflict (the latter seeing Destruct pair up with Tokyo crust legends LIFE) – have all been utter triumphs. Why? Because Destruct have perfected the art of sounding utterly massive while delivering blisteringly raw songs.

Destruct recorded their latest tracks at Minimum Wage Studio, where Ultimate Disaster tracked their phenomenal (and similarly pummeling) 2025 LP, For Progress…, which I’ve raved about elsewhere. Destruct’s signature brand of audio assaultiveness – think feral Swedish mangel throttling the crustiest Japanese crust – is once again dialled up to jaw-breaking levels on their split with Svaveldioxid. Anguished howls, decimating riffs, and bombarding percussion strike with ruthless and relentless aplomb. As always, for all Destruct’s primitivism, their latest tracks hit like giant fucking juggernauts. Somehow, Destruct sound more intense with every subsequent release. Scorched earth d-beat par excellence.

(Prescription, Children of the Grave Records)

Prescription also released Hungriga, Frusna och Lamslagna, an eight-song cassette from the Swedish crew Shitcontrol. The tracks on Hungriga, Frusna och Lamslagna were recorded on a 4-channel Portastudio, which adds a nice and raw old-school flavour to the proceedings. Shitcontrol’s Discharge-style approach is about as direct as direct gets – no surprise given Shitcontrol lineup features diehard punxs from Anger Burning and Discontrol – and while nothing here is going to reconfigure the parameters of kängpunk or råpunk, that’s not really the point. Shitcontrol simply deliver classic rage-driven hardcore. It’s full-frenzy noise – wild-ass mayhem set to slay your woes.

(Prescription, Brus Tapes, Mosslik, Misslynt)

Hellshock – XXV

To answer your first question: no, the addition of Tragedy’s Todd Burdette to Hellshock’s line-up has not added a whiff of fist-pumping crust to the Portland veteran’s latest release, XXV. Much like Hellshock’s self-titled 2022 album, XXV sees the band continuing to shed their d-beaten/encrusted epidermis, diving ever deeper into the caverns of end-times metal. Punk isn’t ditched entirely, of course. In much the same way that bands like Stormcrow or Sanctum combined a reverence for Bolt Thrower with crust’s full-throttle aggression, XXV still stinks of stench-a-tude.

Opener “Breathe” starts with a wash of synth and a dash of melodic riffage, but Hellshock are soon hacking into all comers with their death metal-worthy riffage. Tracks like “Dead Hands” and “Complete Outsider” see Hellshock incorporating more stylistic shifts via slower, more portentous passages. And production-wise, Hellshock have never sounded heavier on doom-choked and bass-heavy behemoths like “Oblivion” or “Dead Hands”.

XXV isn’t shiny or clean by any means, but there’s no question that Hellshock have reduced their guttural rawness in favour of amplifying the overall mass of their sound. Whether that works for you is obviously going to be a matter of taste – or down to which era of the band appeals most – but there’s no doubt XXV is one of Hellshock’s densest and darkest releases, both conceptually and sonically.

If you’re hoping for Hellshock to return to the swamps of crust, you’re out of luck, my friend. But if you want to hear Hellshock continuing to bend metalpunk to their will, you’re going to love the bleak and bruising XXV.

A quarter century in, Hellshock sound as aggro as ever.

(Black Konflik Records, Agipunk, Black Water Records)

Exist Enslaved – Path of Esoteric Warfare

Moscow “stenchcore bastards” Exist Enslaved are named after the first track on Cathode Ray Coma, the 1994 LP from dog-on-a-string crusties Excrement of War. Unsurprisingly, Exist Enslaved reproduce the rough, gruff and tough-as-old-boots sound of that era on their sophomore album, Path of Esoteric Warfare.

I imagine it’s an interesting time to be in a punk band in Russia right now, especially for groups like Exist Enslaved, writing songs about the pointlessness of endless wars. Excrement of War aside, Exist Enslaved recall similarly-minded groups like Extinction Of Mankind or Sacrilege, with the band’s chugging guitars and echo-wrecked growls harking back to punk’s early adoption of thrash’s ram-raiding tempos. There’s something almost post-industrial here, too. Not musically, as such, but in the feel, the ice-cold atmosphere, the sound of collapsing factories and communities of survivors barely holding on. Path of Esoteric Warfare is best suited for fans of the rawer and notably bleaker end of the stenchcore spectrum.

(Mournful Bridge Records, Drunk Scum Records)

Psych-War – Psychotic Warmonger

Psych-War’s 2023 demo hit harder than many studio recordings released at the same time. Much like their bludgeoning debut, the Philadelphia-based band’s first full-length, Psychotic Warmonger, features a feast of savage riffery, and the LP defiantly spotlights Psych-War’s “FUCK IMPERIALISM”, “FUCK GENOCIDE”, and “ANTI-WAR” worldview.

Psychotic Warmonger adds a thicker layer of crust on top of Psych-War’s already crushing d-beat. Obviously, beefing up a band’s sound can also cause that band to lose some of its primal power, but that’s definitely not the case here. Tracks like “Lucifer’s Jaw”, “Starving Dogs”, and the aptly titled “Ripping Inferno” feature distortion-drilled hardcore that’ll hit the spot for fans of Anti-Cimex, early Disfear, or Progression/Regression-era Wolfbrigade. A few stench-ridden blasts of Bolt Thrower-styled riffage turn up, too, further highlighting the key components here: mass destruction + max-intensity.

Psych-War’s brutal sound attack smashes minds, once again.

(Agipunk, Archaic Records, Sore Mind)

Nagasaki – S/T

The latest release from the stable of New Mexico label Blown Out Media is the self-titled EP from Swedish band Nagasaki. The Stockholm-based trio are very much vibe-matched to Blown Out Media’s previous array of ferocious audio sadists. Nagasaki’s self-described “Evil Neanderthal Råpunk” is, unsurprisingly, raw and primitive, and the two tracks off their EP that are currently streaming online sound like Shitlickers wrestling with System Fucker. Or Totalitär scrapping it out with Ferocious X. Or Anti-Cimex scuffling with Contrast Attitude. You get the point, right?

Nagasaki’s second release does sound tidier than their first. But everything is still akin to a distortion-lashed melee, and no one in their right mind is going to call Nagasaki’s kängpunk listener-friendly. Riffs and percussion rain down like radioactive fragments, and I think it’s safe to say that Nagasaki’s latest release will be a råpunk riot throughout. Vicious, harsh and horrible – shitnoise reigns supreme.

(Blown out Media, Fucked Noise Sound)

No Sector / Peracetic – Split 7”

It’s great to see Aotearoa New Zealand band No Sector getting more North Hemisphere exposure with their recent 7” split with Canadian outfit Peracetic. No Sector are from my hometown, Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), and the band’s excellent Mercury Poisoning EP, released earlier this year via stalwart Wellington label Razored Raw, caught the attention of several punk-friendly scribes in Europe and the US.

No Sector’s new split 7” is released by Canadian label Sewercide Records, and it sees the band mixing the volatile energy of UK82 with fuzzed-out Scandicore. No Sector’s idiosyncratically-voiced singer, Caroline, adds a crucial dose of anarcho punk’s unconventionality into proceedings, and with more high-energy guitars matched to No Sector’s signature uniqueness, their side of the split with Peracetic is another solid win for the band.

Peracetic sound nothing like No Sector, and the Canadian band tear through five red-lining songs on their side of the split. Every one of those songs is a raw punk brawl featuring blown-out riffs, crashing percussion, and screaming vocals. Where No Sector go eccentric, Peracetic go berserk; it makes for a fun 7” split featuring differing visions of punk from bands who are nonetheless united in a single mission: spreading the hardcore word. Good times. Great stuff. Guaranteed.

(Sewercide Records)

Moribund Scum – First Cold Days In Hell

Plenty of promising bands only stick around for 10 minutes (i.e. one killer demo or a kick-ass 7”) before they implode. German crusties Moribund Scum deserve a hearty round of applause for (a) hitting the 15-year mark in 2025, and (b) still sounding like they’re up for the fight on their latest LP, First Cold Days In Hell.

Moribund Scum’s mega-gruff music leans hard on the sewage-streaked crustcore angle, rather than the polished stadium crust approach. The band sound as politically charged as ever on First Cold Days In Hell; tracks like “Running On Fumes” and “They Come With Pitchforks” provide chest-pounding deathcrust, while others, like “Fragile Manhood” and “Dismantle”, deliver rabble-rousing stenchcore. No one’s going to accuse Moribund Scum of reinventing the wheel, but First Cold Days In Hell proves that there’s still plenty of creative fire in the band’s belly. First Cold Days in Hell is sure to resonate with fans of bombarding crust à la Fatum, Instinct of Survival, Cancer Spreading, Visions of War, and kin.

(Bomb-All Records, Up The Punx)

Cristø – Fragments Of The Inferno

If you hold Sacrilege’s Behind the Realms of Madness in high regard, or love
Lifeless Dark’s more recent Forces of Nature’s Transformation, then Los Angeles band Cristø’s new 7-song EP, Fragments of the Inferno, is likely to grab your attention, too. With new vocalist Natalie on board, Cristø’s latest release slams metallic d-beat headfirst into old school thrash, and then slathers on a coating of broken glass and a pile smashed-to-fuck hopes and dreams.

Cristø’s hardcore chug-a-thon – and accompanying retro-activity – recalls English Dogs and Broken Bones, which essentially means you can expect blazing solos matched to battering, street-level riffage. It’s worth pointing out that Fragments of the Inferno sounds grittier and a lot heavier than Cristø’s self-titled debut – thus, it’s a more impactful release all round. Take a peek at Fragments of the Inferno’s cover art to reveal all you need to know. A solid 3.5 skulls outta 5. NO GODS / NO MASTERS – for sure.

(Self-released)

Deadsky – Reapers Call

If you’re a fan of label Profane Existence’s signature output, you’re going to love Deadsky’s Reapers Call LP. The Pittsburgh-based band are DIY diehards, and Deadsky go old-school on their first full-length. The band draws inspiration from the weightiest strains of d-beat, crust, and sub-basement 80s thrash. It’s a heavyweight sonic mixture that’s driven hard by an equally heavy political punch, meaning Reapers Call hits home on more than one level.

Reapers Call‘s opening track, “Class War Now”, says it all, really. Within, ruthless crust launches a brutal assault, while speed metal solos pierce the air. From thereon in, Reapers Call sees metal’s might and hardcore’s rage battling it out on apocalyptic-sounding tracks. Reapers Call‘s is dark as the current shitgeist. Genocide, oppressive politics, and capitalism’s myriad ills are all unpacked on Deadsky’s neck-wrecking songs. There’s also an echo of the wasteland here, too; the same vision of broken cityscapes and ruined lives conjured by legendary bands from across the pond – see Amebix, Doom, Axegrinder, and Antisect.

Deadsky’s debut is a ripper, a rager, and a heavyweight death-dealer. Tune in for classic crushing crust.

(Profane Existence)

Sickness of Greed – All That’s Before Us

US band Sickness of Greed lifted their name from one of Japanese behemoth LIFE’s gnarliest tracks. Of course, LIFE are one of the greatest crust bands to have ever walked this shattered earth, and if you’re a devotee of the long-lived Tokyo band’s discography, then Sickness of Greed’s All That’s Before Us cassette is going to hit the spot, too.

LIFE aside, the work of numerous Japanese titans – see Deceiving Society, Framtid, Abraham Cross, or Defector – has likely inspired the visceral creative pursuits of Sickness of Greed. (And you can also throw the max-filth of grot-bags Extreme Noise Terror into the mix, too.) All That’s Before Us sounds thoroughly obnoxious and equally untamed – two big stinkin’ ticks right there. Tracks like “No Sanctuary”, “The Case for Violence”, and “Do We Accept Hell?” are pedal-to-the-metal blasts of crashing/smashing crust that show zero restraint when it comes to tempo, temper, or ferocity. Imagine being run over by a contaminated dump truck; that’s All That’s Before Us in a nutshell. Cruddy noise for cruddier times. The perfect prescription.

(Sore Mind, F.A.R. Company, Filth Holocaust Records)

Sacrosanta Decadencia Occidental – Danzas No Solpor Do Mundo

Sacrosanta Decadencia Occidental (SDO to their friends) are a Spanish crust band that sings in Galician, the language of their homeland in northwestern Spain. SDO are steel-clad enough to have their own Metal Archives page, and while the band’s first full-length, Danzas No Solpor Do Mundo, features more than enough extreme metal to warrant that MA inclusion, SDO’s sound primarily echoes a myriad of colossal crust and stenchcore bands, such as Disrupt, Contagium, Stormcrow, Amebix, Sanctum, and more.

Danzas No Solpor Do Mundo is a muscular album packed with very strong songwriting. D-beat, blast‑beats, and whirlwind guttural crust keep Danzas No Solpor Do Mundo’s tracks barrelling along at top (often grindcore) speeds. However, there are also acoustic passages and subtler vocal moments within, meaning SDO offer a real point of difference among the stench/crust pack.

It’s all that volatility and variance that make Danzas No Solpor Do Mundo a more interesting release. SDO take unexpected turns and mix short, eruptive songs with longer neo-crust-ish tracks. SDO also make time to translate their anarchist critiques of the capitalist system, the war machine, and the unstoppable ecological destruction right outside your door. English and Spanish lyrics are available on SDO’s Bandcamp page, revealing a band fuelled by hate but still deeply concerned about a wide range of issues.

Also worth mentioning is Danzas No Solpor Do Mundo’s detailed artwork, which was hand-drawn by SDO’s singer/lyricist María and guitarist/synthlord Edu, and took more than a year to complete. The intricate illustration deftly captures SDO’s trip across modernity’s hellscape on their first full-length LP.

Danzas No Solpor Do Mundo showcases a lot of artistic ambition, but crucially, SDO hold tight to those key ingredients (and those all-important apocalyptic atmospherics) that crust fans crave. In one sense, SDO serve up forward-thinking stench-punk. In another, they remain firmly rooted in traditional crust. Ultimately, Danzas No Solpor Do Mundo is the best of both worlds.

(Crust As Fuck Records, Global Help Records, Deviance, Hecatombe Records, Svab, Ruido Y Pasión Records)

Kato – Ihmiskulttuuri

Everything you need to know about the St. Louis, Missouri, band Kato is located approximately 5883.42 miles from the band’s home base, and 42 years in the past. That’s when/where Finnish hardcore label Propaganda Records released their famed Hardcore ‘83 compilation. That comp, and every other lauded Finnish punk release from the early 80s, provided all the fuel for Kato’s breakneck 2023 demo (released by the always interesting Roachleg Records).

Kato’s first full-length LP, Ihmiskulttuuri, is out via Feral Kid Records, and much like the band’s demo, Ihmiskulttuuri is simultaneously ice-cold and red-hot. Kato feed d-beat and raw punk into a screaming wood chipper, and the result is a fast/furious avalanche of max-fuzz guitars and howling vocals – i.e. a blizzard top-tier, Finnish-inspired noise. Expect absolute chaos, intensity, and zero pauses for breath: Suomi (via St. Louis) hardcore all the way.

(Feral Kid Records)

Acid Casualties – Flags are False

I’m still trying to shake off my last bad trip, from back in 1999, so mark me down as both an acid casualty and a fan of New Jersey hardcore crew Acid Casualties. The band’s Flags Are False LP is blistering. The live-wire tracks within are universally explosive, but for all the album’s unbridled chaos, Flags Are False still feels tight and honed to the edge.

Flags Are False is über-abrasive – there’s no hi-fi polish here – and like recent releases from bands like Necron 9 or Cicada, Acid Casualties cut through all the posturing and bullshit of hardcore. There’s no unnecessary, roid-rage filler on Flags Are False – although, if you burst a few veins while listening to the album, that’s more than understandable. Acid Casualties shove throat-wrecking howls, concussive drums, and full-force riffs down the neck of 90-second songs, and every in-your-face tune is set to annihilate the stress of hope-crushing days.

Feel free to choose your own idiom for this one; take no prisoners punk, or straight-for-the-jugular hardcore – either works. Acid Casualties don’t hold anything back on Flags Are False’s rampaging tracks; the band’s first full-length is a triumph of no frills, but full-fury, hardcore.

(Iron Lung Records)

Feral State – II

The second full-length album from Leicester, UK band Feral State, II, sounds burlier than the band’s self-titled CD from 2022. The drums hit harder on II, the riffs are weightier, the bass is more jagged, and the vocals are more guttural. All of that is a big plus if you’re searching for thrashing d-beat that draws plenty of sonic darkness from metal and a lot of thematic grimness from crust’s usual roll call of concerns: war, misery, poverty, angst, etc.

Plenty of outwardly brutal tunes on II also have genuine hooks – see “Slow Decay”, “Nuclear”, or “Survival Game” – which adds another layer to several of Feral State’s Discharge-inspired tracks. In fact, it’s highly likely that if you dig the heaviest and catchiest releases from Stoke-On-Trent’s finest, then you’ll be happy to embrace the rowdy hardcore bangers that Feral State deliver.

(Self-released, Noise Merchant)

Contracharge / Drogato – Today’s Empire is Tomorrow’s Ashes

Today’s Empire is Tomorrow’s Ashes is a 10-track split LP featuring Chicago’s Contracharge and New York’s Drogato. Both bands are play crust punk, but as we all know, crust can be dished up in many ways. Some crust is served on a fancy plate, accompanied by numerous studio trimmings. While other kinds of crust sounds like its been tossed out of a garbage can full of writhing maggots and dirty needles. Contracharge and Drogato deal in the latter kind of crust. The sort of noxious noise beloved by patched-ass, broken-toothed, piss-stained, dumpster divers. The best type of crust.

Contracharge’s “d-beat audio terror” is born from the gutters of mangel and råpunk. Their brawling contributions to Today’s Empire is Tomorrow’s Ashes are red-raw – in sound and vision – and Contracharge’s songs are gravelled enough to leave a nasty road rash. Drogato bring rawer “drug-laced anarcho crustcore” to the table on Today’s Empire is Tomorrow’s Ashes. The band deliver gut-punching tracks – sometimes, at a grindcore pace – which ooze as much contagious disease as they do abject wretchedness. Contracharge and Drogato both paint very grisly pictures of modernity, but then, you paint what you see, right?

(Hey Fuck You Records)

Disturd – Vision

Kobe crust colossus Disturd has been kicking around for close to a quarter of a century, and the band’s foreboding music will sound familiar to fans of fabled Japanese label Crust War – see Crust War heavy hitters like Axewield or Zoe. Disturd’s full-throated roar has an old-school accent, heavily influenced by Amebix, Axegrinder and Antisect. (Or, for a more Japanese flavour, think SDS, Acid, or Antiauthorize.) Disturd don’t go in for pointless theatrics or wanky showboating. Instead, the band’s aesthetic choices are plain and simple. Disturd pick the war hammer up, give it a few swings, and then bring it down, again and again, pulverising skulls, smashing bones – a ruthless pummelling.

Disturd’s sound is heavy, gritty, and apocalyptically grim. The band’s latest release, Vision, features six tracks recorded in a single session engineered by Palm guitarist Akira Inada. (A few tracks here are rerecordings of older songs, while others are brand new.) Vision is another mind-mangling release from Disturd, with the band upping the dose of thrashier tracks and seeing their metallic crust chuggin’ along at full steam. As usual, Disturd bring the doom – and plenty of gloom – and Vision maintains a bleak and brooding mood throughout.

Disturd have made a lot of use of the signifiers of vintage crust, but for all their referencing of the past, the band don’t sound like a tribute act. Sure, Disturb are thoroughly old school, but they’re not uninspired. Disturd are traditionalists, in the best sense, finding the perfect way to bludgeon fans with their intimidatingly dark crust.

(Black Water Records, Grind Bird Records)

Alright, so here’s the deal. Vision isn’t streaming online, as yet. I’m one of those dicks recommending an album – or a 10” in this case – that I own a copy of but have no means to share. Apologies for that! Here’s a YouTube rip of Disturd’s recent-ish split with 惡AI意 instead – just to get you in the zone.

Distress – Under Pressure Of Reality

Back in 2006, St. Petersburg band Distress’s Progress/Regress LP caught my ear with its rough-hewn blend of late-80s/early-90s UK crust and booze-fuelled Scandicore. I haven’t kept track of the band over the years – although I did check out Distress’s 2018 split with the Swedish kängpunk outfit Irritation – but it was good to catch up with Distress again via their latest/third full-length, Under Pressure Of Reality.

Musically, Under Pressure Of Reality falls somewhere between Discharge and Anti-Cimex, with a healthy dose of rough-hewn metal added to the mix – think Wolfbrigade. Obviously, plenty of modern crustcore bands aspire to sound like Wolfbrigade, and the addition of more metal – along with beefier production values – means Distress circa ’25 sound like a herd of charging rhinos. Under Pressure Of Reality sees gritty trad-crust crashing into bass-grinding metalpunk, and lyrically, it’s all about the struggle; the philosophical and physical challenges of surviving the current epoch. Under Pressure Of Reality isn’t breaking any new ground, but it’ll no doubt appeal to fans of Skitsystem, Warcollapse, and, of course, the aforementioned Wolfbrigade and kin. A rock-solid release all round.

(Selfmadegod Records)

Nullpolitik – S/T

Alas, alack, Nullpolitik are another great-sounding band lost to the trials and tribulations of underground punk. Admittedly, the short-lived Aotearoa New Zealand band split up yonks ago, but it’s still worth mentioning the “lost recording session” that Nullpolitik left behind.

The group’s 10-song, self-titled cassette includes covers of Shitlickers and Totalitär, and if you slap those two bands together, you get a rough enough reference point for Nullpolitik’s sound. Essentially, the band take a spoonful of raw punk and sprinkle it over a helping of d-beat. It’s not a complex or even unique recipe, but Nullpolitik cook things up with plenty of crusty gusto and Japanese noisepunk levels of heat and aggression. Add in gruesome vocals and you’ve got yourself another tasty helping of Southern Hemisphere punk.

Is it sad that Nullpolitik are no more? Not really. As I’ve said a million times before, the death of one rungus New Zealand punk band routinely leads to the birth of another gnarly outfit with much the same lineup – and on it goes, stonk after stonk, gronk after gronk, ad infinitum.

(Razored Raw, Limbless Music)

ICWT Recommends…

My sole motivation for writing this column is to share great music. However, I also like to support other writers (or podcasts, etc.) that I’ve enjoyed, in the spirit of DIY camaraderie. Does that sound a little passé? I don’t know. I’m an old school fool, a simple man with a simple plan. To be honest, I don’t read or listen to a vast range of extreme music commentary because much of it falls outside my orbit of interest – I’m not a fan of metalcore or chest-thumping hardcore, for example. Still, you do you. If you love that stuff, enjoy!

In any case, I will strive to include more writing or pod/vid-chat recommendations in each edition of ICWT. Here are a few to get you started.

My go-to US record store is Raleigh, North Carolina, stalwart Sorry State Records. (Shout-out to staffer Usman for reliably shipping noisy LPs 8,584 miles to my front door. Usman also helms the label Perscription, home to that killer Destruct/Svaveldioxid 7″ mentioned above.) If you haven’t already, you should definitely sign up for Sorry State’s weekly newsletter, which features a host of always-interesting write-ups about brand new and vintage releases, and plenty of great recommendations.

I’m mentioning Sorry State because the store/label’s guv’nor, Daniel Lupton (see also killer hardcore outfit Scarecrow), recently featured as a guest on a great podcast episode from the 185 Miles South crew. Episode 268 counts down the best European hardcore 7” releases from 1981 to 1985. Handily, 185 Miles South put together a playlist of the 7” releases that you can check out on YouTube. The feature-length episode is a deep dive, and while some hardcore fans will obviously have something to say about 185 Miles South and Daniel’s opinions and their choices of what EPs to include or exclude from the final list, that’s also kind of the point.

Episode 268 is meant to spark a good-humoured debate about the music we love. Additionally, the episode presents an excellent opportunity to become more informed about EPs that you (and I) may have never heard of. Here’s the link to the show, enjoy!

Webportal DIY Conspiracy got underway in 2005. Since then, many of the site’s contributors have worked extremely hard to unpack the culture and values of punk rock via scores of reviews, interviews, and in-depth articles. Many of those articles have explored the intricacies of lesser-known scenes, which is a testament to DIY Conspiracy’s commitment to supporting the underdogs rather than following trends or publishing more corporate-friendly content.

Recently, DIY Conspiracy has published a couple of excellent articles. DIY – The Counterforce: Building a DIY Punk Infrastructure Against Corporate Platforms features a conversation with Martin Force about “DIY punk on the web, the Fediverse, DEMO FEST 2025, and keeping hardcore punk out of corporate hands”. You don’t have to agree with all the opinions expressed within, but it’s a great interview covering a wide range of topics that politically-minded punks likely mull over now and then. Super interesting!

Also well worth checking out is Dirty Wombs: Southeast Asia & Japan Tour Report 2025. Dirty Wombs are a Greek hardcore band that draws a lot of inspiration from the ‘Burning Spirits’ style of Japanese hardcore. The group’s tour journal takes in shows/adventures in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Japan. It’s a great article, with plenty of social, cultural, and political reflections within. I’ve visited Japan and I found the country to be fascinating, beautiful, and also packed with contradictions. I was particularly interested in reading Dirty Wombs’ take on the nation. Also, I can confirm that Japan is the Mecca for record nerds. Punk, metal, jazz, whatever you fancy, Japanese record stores will blow your fucking mind.

I’ve sung the praises of Terminal Sound Nuisance enough times to sound like a certified stalker. But no apologies, kid. The blog covers the kind of crust-caked noise I like via engaging write-ups that feature a few wry jokes now and then. Recently, Terminal Sound Nuisance has been running a series entitled Japanese CRUST (compilations) Against the Millennium, which has provided plenty of fun thus far. Even if you’ve already heard the music mentioned, it’s always interesting reading Terminal Sound Nuisance (and MRR) scribe, Romain Basset, detailing releases and providing tidbits of info you’ve likely never thought about before. Nerd-level brilliance, really.

Lastly, it’s always worth noting Analog Attack’s ‘What Are You Listening To?‘ livestreams. If you can’t watch the livestream, all the WAYLT episodes are archived on Analog Attack’s YouTube channel. There is always an entertaining range of guests – from bands, labels, and punk-friendly media outlets – and host, Mike, and co, chat about new releases as well as plenty of obscure gems. Always interesting, What Are You Listening To? frequently brightens my day.

The post In Crust We Trust: Vol 32 appeared first on Last Rites.

A Note about Love, Hate, and Painkilling Punk.

This month’s ICWT is a two-parter. Why? Well, there’s been an avalanche of new releases recently, and a single edition won’t cut it. But you also deserve a treat for showing a massive amount of resilience in the face of everything. The world is awash in horrible happenings, and life is indescribably tough. I wouldn’t blame you for feeling like you’re drowning in despair, and for all those reasons, I’m upping the positive vibes with a double dose of negative noise.

What to say? Everything is fucking awful. Sifting through endless media analyses or deciphering tit-for-tat propaganda about unconscionable atrocities is exhausting. Whether it’s sickening massacres or desperate people punished for the sins of others, the innocent are always used as political footballs until they are brutally discarded. War is Hell, ad infinitum. Hug your besties and your fam.

In times like these, music matters more than ever. Not because I think some shit-fi 7″ will miraculously heal intractable geopolitical divides. I’m not *that* insane. But on a more intimate scale, the connections we make with music – and the connections we make with each other via music – can help to repair smaller schisms within ourselves and in our relationships.

I say it all the time, but noisy music, whatever its flavour, is a healing elixir. Punk’s blunt realism bolsters our strength, lifts our spirits, distracts us where needed, and fuels necessary outrage, too. Punk (and metal) are some of the most potent emotional remedies around; in fact, I recently read an article that underscored how the music we love is also a powerful painkiller.

Horrible music isn’t going to solve any hot-button issues. But maybe some of the music below will provide that crucial shot of something to help you, me, or anyone struggling to make it through another grim day. That’s a solid reason to keep tuning into the latest noise.

Happier news: Next month’s ICWT will be another two-parter. The end-of-year list season is almost upon us, and I’ll be posting a couple of features covering (1) my favourite LPs and (2) my favourite EPs and demos. I know some people find all of the end-of-year celebrations to be an absolute yawn-fest, and if that’s you, I’ll see you in 2024. For everyone else, I’m looking forward to spotlighting my favourite releases from the past year. Trust me, there’ll be plenty of nasty noise to enjoy.

Alright, here is ICWT:31 – Part 1. I hope a few fist-raising tunes below can tempt you away from the endless doomscrolling. I’ll see you soon with Part 2, which features more electrifying noise.

Various – Screaming Death

North Carolina label Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes’ most recent release, Screaming Death, is a pulverizing four-way split featuring US bands Destruct and Scarecrow, UK group Rat Cage, and Swedish ragers Dissekerad. An “international bombardment of non-stop käng … in the tradition of classic hardcore compilations [like] Thrash ‘Til Death” is Bunker Punks’ mission statement for Screaming Death. And that’s a mission Screaming Death succeeds at, time and again. Destruct’s bulldozing approach is devastating, ditto Scarecrow’s MO, and alongside the applauded Rat Cage and Dissekerad, every band contributes fresh, albeit filthy-sounding, tracks to Screaming Death. The shared link: every group’s take on raw hardcore is equally demolishing.

Screaming Death is bludgeoning throughout, and the split’s artwork – with evocative visuals provided by musician and visual artist Joe Boyd-Brent – mirrors the musical intensity within. Clearly, people consume music in many different ways nowadays. But a flawless split like Screaming Death highlights that the format is still a crushing means of expression. Everything you love about a rock-solid split is here: ferocious tracks, great artwork, a go-to label or two, and, of course, a lineup of absolutely killer bands. Crammed with hammering tracks – and backed by a mountain of authenticity – Screaming Death is the best split I’ve heard all year. Prepare thy mind to be cleaved in two.

(Bunker Punks, Skrammel Records)

Dead Moon – Going South

In 1992, Nirvana approached Portland, Oregon, trio Dead Moon to open for them on their uber-successful Nevermind tour. Dead Moon said thanks but no thanks because they’d already pledged to tour the far-flung backwater of Aotearoa New Zealand and Dead Moon’s singer/guitarist Fred Cole (RIP) had an ironclad rule, “Never cancel a gig you committed to for a better one.” That decision – turning down a mega-star band in favour of playing tiny venues for a handful of fans half a world away – forged an undying love and respect between Dead Moon and their diehard Southern Hemisphere fanbase. Dead Moon may have ended their run many years ago, but the band remain true legends down under.

Dead Moon’s 1992 tour of New Zealand saw Fred, bass guitarist Toody, and the drummer Andrew (RIP) play a host of shows in shithole bars and slightly cleaner rock clubs across the nation. I saw the band on that tour – in a jam-packed bar in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) – and the sheer intensity of Dead Moon’s all-fire garage punk that night was withering. To this day, that show remains the best gig I have ever seen. Dead Moon blew my mind and, by all accounts, blew the minds of everyone who witnessed that 1992 tour.

Dead Moon’s new double LP, Going South, captures one of the nights on that tour. Recorded on cassette by soundperson Graham Bennett in the South Island town of Invercargill (a place Keith Richards famously labelled “the arsehole of the world”), Going South sees Dead Moon firing on all cylinders in front of 40 or so fans. Audience sizes never mattered to Dead Moon; they played their guts out regardless, delivering sweat-soaked punk, night after night, for decades. Going South conjures cherished memories, but more importantly, Going South is a visceral living showcase, documenting why Dead Moon are so revered.

Dead Moon may be gone, but their discography lives on. Going South is another reminder of the pure pleasures of sweltering rock ‘n’ roll.

(Mississippi Records)

Dust Collector – Night Shocks Carnival

Night Shocks Carnival, the latest release from Los Angeles ‘noise fuckers’ Dust Collector, takes a couple of tracks from the band’s excellent Demo 2023 cassette and slaps ’em on the punkest of all formats – a flexi. I’ve been pretty enamoured with everything Dust Collector have released thus far. The band’s Under The Scalpel Blade meets Spending Loud Night sound is rawer than a urinary tract infection. However, while Dust Collector deal in primitive punk, their stripped-back tracks often exhibit a punchy, pogo-like oomph. Night Shocks Carnival‘s two songs (“Scalpel Life” and the flexi’s bass-pumpin’ title track) feature raw-bone noisecore with super-caustic guitar and acid-dripping vocals. If this is your first interaction with Dust Collector’s coarse/crude wares, Night Shocks Carnival is as great a place to start.

(Fall Down Laughing Records)

Voltage – Claustrophobia

British Columbian band Voltage’s 2022 demo, The War to End All Wars, led with a Dis-charged uppercut, and followed that up with a hefty Motörcrust wallop. Voltage’s new EP, Claustrophobia, is heavier and burlier (both welcome additions), while musically, Claustrophobia follows a similar brute-force punk ‘n’ roll path. The five songs here have rock-solid hooks, and they hit hard, too; “Claustrophobia” batters, “Sanctuary” pummels, and “Can’t Stay Clean” clobbers, etc. Voltage’s songs land with savage impact, and while Claustrophobia is a bruising encounter, its short, sharp tracks are made for repeat listening: a knockout release all round.

(Blown Out Media)

Secretors – Comparing Missle Size Vol.1

At the time I’m writing this line, there’s only one track streaming off Secretors’ upcoming Comparing Missle Size Vol.1 EP. But if you think that will stop me from ranting and raving about that band, you haven’t been following ICWT for long; I make similarly dubious decisions constantly.

Secretors features a bunch of members from other bands you definitely like, and Comparing Missle Size Vol.1 EP is the group’s follow-up to their 2019 flexi and cassette, Antidote For Civilization. I guess I can’t claim to tell you much, considering I’ve only heard one song. Still, that track, “Comparing Missle Size”, is a raw hardcore number with bellowing vocals and blasting bass and while it feels like it’s about to lose control, “Comparing Missle Size” holds it together to hit the target dead centre. Let’s not beat around the bush: Secretors’ ties to Roach Leg Records are intimate, and like all of Roach Leg’s releases, Comparing Missle Size Vol.1 is going to blow the roof off, or the doors in, or (choose your own expression to denote the EP’s crater-sized impact). No question, Secretors are a band steeped in anti-war sentiment, but like many of their ilk, they arrive armed to the teeth in creative terms.

(Roach Leg Records)

Lexicon – Poison Head

Twelve months ago, Seattle hardcore band Lexicon released their Devoid of Light LP, which quickly found a place on my end-of-year ’22 list. The group’s new Poison Head 7″ isn’t out until the end of the month, but if the two preview tracks streaming – “Antiquated Life” and “Illusion Of Choice” – are any indication, Lexicon have honed their ‘hardcore-infused noise-crust’ to an even deadlier degree. “The perfect meld of Japanese noise, British chaos and American muscle” is how label Iron Lung sells Lexicon’s sound, and they’re not wrong; this is full-throttle, triple-threat hardcore, for sure. Lexicon’s latest tracks are off-the-chain and yet, as always, somehow tight as a gnat’s ass. Production-wise, the band pushes every slider into the red, and once again, Lexicon’s crasher crust and max-distortion raw punk radiates solar-flare strength. I think it’s safe to bet that Lexicon’s Poison Head 7″ will once again slay the hardiest hardcore connoisseurs. Violent. Vicious. Fucking impressive.

(Iron Lung Records)

Kontusion – S/T

East Coast world-eaters Kontusion released their self-titled demo digitally and on cassette in 2022. More recently, stalwart label Sentient Ruin Laboratories have stepped up to the plate, once again, deeming Kontusion’s demo worthy of re-release on multiple formats, including silkscreened, single-sided vinyl for trve diehards. Kontusion’s drummer Chris Moore (Repulsion, Coke Bust) and vocalist, guitarist and bassist Mark Bronzino (ANS, Mammoth Grinder) cite groups like Terrorizer, Napalm Death, Discharge, and Convulse as prime influences. It’s no surprise to find Kontusion’s demo spews forth a red-raw mix of butchering death metal and mangled hardcore torn asunder by guttural primitivism. Imagine the crudest punk and ugliest metal distilled to pure bile and hate. Disgusting, disfiguring, and destructive. Kontusion’s demo is perfectly demented.

Quarantine – Exile

Exile is the latest powerhouse release from American hardcore crew Quarantine, and it’s even nastier than the band’s first-class 2021 LP, Agony. Many bands have been referenced regarding Quarantine’s aggressive approach – see United Mutation, Negative Approach, Gudon, YDI, Jerry’s Kids, and plenty more hardcore champs. The common denominator between every band cited is an uncompromising approach to music-making, and that’s Quarantine to a T.

Exile‘s OTT intensity makes for a skull-splitting experience. Quarantine’s approach is unyielding, wholly feral, and wild guitars, a roaring rhythm section, and vicious vocals deliver tracks at neck-snapping speeds. Having studio kingpin Arthur Rizk in the mix ensures Exile hits like a sledgehammer, and tightly-wound creativity and precise execution sit alongside plenty of sharpened hooks. Even better, there’s also an eccentric edge to Exile that keeps things thrumming with nervous energy. A 45rpm MLP delivered at a million mph. Blow thy speakers; Exile is another cacophonous classic.

(La Vida Es Un Mus, Damage United)

Socio La Difekta – Promo 2023

Japanese five-piece Socio La Difekta found immediate success. The band’s 2021 EP, Kreski (released by Beach Impediment Records), rocketed off the shelves for three good reasons:

1. Socio La Difekta features members from bands like Unarm and Malimpliki, and the group’s musicianship is ferocious but equally precise.
2. The band has a powerful dual vocal setup, with singers Nanae and Iŝimura working in different (but similarly fierce) registers to brilliant effect.
3. As a definite point of difference, Socio La Difekta’s songs are all sung in Esperanto.

Socio La Difekta’s latest release, Promo 2023, features five more tight but loose tracks, including a cover of “Factory” by long-lost Dutch punks Jezus And The Gospelfuckers. As before, Socio La Difekta work to their savage strengths, combining raw crust with rawer hardcore, and tracks like “Ne kaptu!,” “Libera maŝino,” and “Ama letero” are as rabid and riotous as the band’s previous work. Released to accompany Socio La Difekta’s recent Japanese tour with UK punks Subduded, Promo 2023 is another instant success from a super-engaging band.

(Self-released)

Ego – Grob

Italian label Agipunk Records has released two of my favourite records from the past year: Warkrusher’s essential Armistice LP and Misery’s equally mandatory The Early Years compilation. Ego’s Grob LP sounds very enticing, too. It’s been a while since I pressed play on the Berlin-based band’s 2020 LP, Ego​-​ism, which was tagged as a demo but featured ten well-constructed songs. Back then, Ego’s dark punk drifted into post-punk and darkwave territory. Although, the band also put their foot down and upped the d-beat where required.

Grob sounds heavier and features more of an apocalyptic tenor than Ego-ism. Fair enough, too. A lot of grim events have plagued Europe in recent times. Grob‘s evolution in sound sees Ego filtering their previous influences through a harsher and gloomier lens. But Grob still adheres to Ego’s core creative aesthetic, using dark art to explore even darker themes.

(Agipunk)

Høax / Motron – Split

If you’re a big fan of umlauts and “röck’n’röll madness!” you’ll have a ball with the fuel-injected split from Italian mönsters Høax and Motron. Released by a million and one labels, Høax and Motron’s split release contains 14 hook-heavy tracks, and every one of them (covers and all) mixes d-beat and raw rock, calling to mind groups like Inepsy, Poison Idea, Overcharge, and Motörhead. Five-piece Motron’s tracks sound crustier, raspier, and much more guttural, which suits my tastebuds more than Høax’s contributions. But all credit to power trio Høax, too, who put plenty of grit and gusto into their songs. If you’re hunting for punchy and propulsive punk, you get a mix of both right here.

(Born To Waste Records, Missing The Point, Bologna Punx, Phobia Records, Angry Voice Records, Pasidaryk Pats Records, Nothing To Harvest Records, ZAS! Autoproduzioni Records)

Tupperware – Summer Tour Tape ’23

To paraphrase Philip K. Dick, sometimes the only appropriate response to reality is to go insane. That message feels like something Olympia, Washington, band Tupperware have very much taken to heart. The group’s Summer Tour Tape ’23 (yes, I know I’m late in covering this one) was a nice in-house treat for those who attended Tupperware’s shows a few months back. For those yet to witness the band in full flight, a digital hook-up will have to suffice. Tupperware’s previous EPs featured claustrophobic tracks that crackled with as much mania as they did mayhem, and the band’s tour tape continues that tradition. Musically, Summer Tour Tape ’23 is laser-focused in its psychosis. Vocals screech on wild/weird tracks as Tupperware drag you into the depths of their madness. As mentioned, Tupperware’s insanity seems the only rational response to a world in flames.

(Self-released)

Yellowcake – Can You See The Future?

Yellowcake’s Can You See The Future? EP was originally released on cassette back in 2022. The Phoenix, Arizona band’s 7-song release was well-received by scores of fans, and thus, it’s not wholly surprising to see Can You See The Future? getting a vinyl re-release by labels Not For The Weak Records and Suicide of a Species. In many ways, Can You See The Future? is the perfect punk 7″ – vicious, energetic, and deafening; what more do you want? Explosive tracks whiz by at top speed as singer Genesis’ blown-out vocals punch through flaming walls of Scandi-inspired hardcore. Yellowcake’s tracks are dark and grim but also hot enough to cauterize a wound. Guitarist Raul’s riffs are as sharp as buzzard’s talons, and Can You See The Future? is equal to the hype. (FYI: much-loved Californian label Transylvanian Recordings have recently re-released Can You See The Future? on cassette, too.)

(Not For The Weak Records, Suicide of a Species)

Phane – Police System
Svaveldioxid / Parasit – Split
Cimiterium / Slavery – Split

Czech Republic label Phobia Records has released plenty of murderous music in the past 12 months, and here’s another batch of bangers.

Canadian punks Phane specialize in “charged hardcore”, which is to say, fans of GBH, Broken Bones, and The Varukers will find a lot to enjoy on Phane’s Police System EP. There’s obviously a strong throwback echo to Phane’s punk, but it’d do the band a disservice to say they were simply mimicking the past. You could argue that rather than simply emulating anything, Phane are, in fact, refining a much-loved street punk recipe; honing its ingredients, and dusting with other inspirations, to heighten the taste. Expect anthemic 80s punk, but Phane’s Police System EP also features plenty of modern hardcore muscle.

Australian band Cimiterium also look to the past for inspiration with their scorched-earth stenchcore calling to mind Deviated Instinct, Hellbastard, Axegrinder, and most importantly of all, the chuggin’ riffage and rawness of Bolt Thrower. Phobia Records recently re-released Cimiterium’s self-titled 7″ from 2022, and the four songs within are replete with rotten-sounding/gravel-gargling metalpunk. That release comes highly recommended, as does Cimiterium’s upcoming split with Czech Republic crusties Slavery, who share an affinity for thickset metallic crust that stinks to high heaven. At the time of writing, tracks from Cimiterium and Slavery’s split are streaming on the bands’ respective Bandcamp pages, but their collaboration is due for release via Phobia at some point soon. Fans of Warcollapse, Contagium, Cancer Spreading, Hellshock, and Stormcrow take note.

Last but not least, keep an ear out for the 7″ split from Swedish kängsters Svaveldioxid and Parasit. Like Cimiterium and Slavery’s upcoming release, Svaveldioxid and Parasit’s collaboration features two bands in sonic and philosophical sync. Svaveldioxid and Parasit’s foot-to-the-floor d-takt features a similarly old-school – but still highly effective – plan of attack. Svaveldioxid released a great EP earlier this year (Mental Skyttegrav, out via Blown Out Media), and the band’s split with Parasit features the same heavily built d-beat that gets straight to the point in the most brutal way possible.

(Phobia Records)

Nagazaki – Due​ñ​xs de Nada

Bogotá-based five-piece Nagazaki recorded their Due​ñ​xs de Nada cassette at their hometown’s famed Rat Trap House. (Home, studio, and creative hub for the much-adored Muro and kin.) As Nagazaki’s UK distro Noise Merchant Records says, strap yourself in. Due​ñ​xs de Nada features seven howling tracks that explode with the heat and ferocious energy of Colombian raw punk. Nagazaki’s vocalist Alex sounds like they’re about to spontaneously combust, while guitarists Bichas and Wilson’s lacerating riffs burn like battery acid. Nagazaki’s third release in as many years is their best work yet. Propelled by unfettered rage, Due​ñ​xs de Nada is a searing reminder of street-level punk’s passion. Inferno hardcore: light a match and watch it burn.

(Z-X Produce, Noise Merchant Records)

Jim Jones and the Kool-Ade Kids– Trust Me​.​.​.

I didn’t envision that much-respected Colorado metal label Dark Descent Records would be the ones to reissue Jim Jones and the Kool-Ade Kids’ debut. The Michigan band’s first release, Trust Me​.​.​., was originally issued by Wa Records in 1986, and an original LP pressing sells for a hefty sum nowadays. All credit to Dark Descent for putting Trust Me​.​.​. back within the reach of most of us, and while the album exhibits plenty of cough-syrup heaviness, it isn’t a max-metal release like Dark Descent’s usual output. There’s is plenty of recognizable metal here, with raw thrash and proto-death metal appearing throughout, but crossover hardcore plays a significant role, too. Jim Jones and the Kool-Ade Kids formed with a hardcore mindset. Still, as guitarist Paul Pretzer explains, “By the time we were writing and recording Trust Me…, I was just trying to combine my love of music like Black Sabbath, with that heaviness, with my love of bands like Battalion of Saints, who were aggressive and raw.” Trust Me… is pretty much the perfect representation of that; think Corrosion of Conformity’s early adventures or imagine Black Flag at their sludgiest covering the entirety of Paranoid. Not every album lost in the mists of time warrants a repress. But Trust Me… deserves the attention.

File under ‘rad reissue’, alongside Мир’s 1985 LP, Mindecision, which Beach Impediment Records kindly re-released earlier this year. Much like Мир, Jim Jones and the Kool-Ade Kids deserve to have the volume turned up on their contributions to the cause.

(Dark Descent Records)

B​.​O​.​R​.​N. / DRACULA – Split

It wasn’t that long ago that I was writing about Alabama outfit B.O.R.N.’s excellent Belligerent Onslaught Relentless Noise EP, and here they are again, appearing on a split release with New Orleans band Dracula. As I said a few months back, B.O.R.N.’s raucous racket is pitch-perfect for fans whose lugholes are beyond any hope of repair. B.O.R.N.’s four contributions here are absolute scorchers, a white-hot fusion of crasher crust, ear-shattering hardcore, and primitive d-beat. Dracula’s tracks feature plenty of visceral rawness, too, but the Louisiana band dangle legit hooks amongst their otherwise dis-rockin’ d-beat. B.O.R.N.’s concussive music deserves more attention, and while I hadn’t heard Dracula before, their ‘freak rocker’ approach catches your ear as much as it batters you senseless.

(Bloodlust)

Repression – War Comes Home

Repression’s three-song demo from 2022 sold out in the blink of an eye. The trio’s new War Comes Home EP underscores precisely why. Repression’s new six-song 7″ digs deeper into their “Burning Spirits-by-way-of-Boston” sound with thundering bass, face-smashing drums, and uranium-tipped riffs raining down like artillery shells. Vocalist Delivan rips their throat out, and tracks like “Nuclear Tomb,” “Eradicated”, and “Actionable Threat” are all volatile combinations of thrash, hardcore, and barrelling metalpunk. War Comes Home is a significant step up from Repression’s demo, featuring more explosive tracks fleshed out by a heavier and, dare I say it, even more swaggering sound. That’s a hard recommendation from me.

(11 PM Records)

Mutant Strain – Murder of Crows

Mutant Strain’s self-titled 2020 LP was an absolute ripper, the perfect combination of punk’s audio assaultiveness and its gritty visual aesthetic. The North Carolina band’s second LP, Murder of Crows, delivers another on-point mix of blazing hardcore framed by terrific artwork and design. (And it’s no surprise to see on-point label Sorry State Records supporting Mutant Strain again, too.)

Murder of Crows features an in-your-face barrage of incendiary instrumentation backed by the firestorm vocals of Mutant Strain singer Maryssa. Every member of Mutant Strain sounds in lockstep, musically, and yet every member also sounds wholly unleashed. High-voltage hardcore flys by at dizzying speeds, but while Mutant Strain’s tracks are often jaw-droppingly fast, they’re not so fast that you can’t appreciate the skill required to balance their explosiveness with their tightness. Mutant Strain’s debut was killer; Murder of Crows is even better.

PS: The LP version of Murder of Crows features impressive front/back cover art by Jack Sabbat, a double-sided poster, an illustrated booklet, and more visual treats. Well worth your money, believe me.

(Sorry State Records)

Kontaminate – 8 Song EP

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Richmond, Virginia, d-beat band Kontaminate. The band’s 2021 demo, Blood Hunger, featured five ultra-violent tracks that were frenzied yet focused. Kontaminate’s new 8 Song EP sounds even nastier, and it ever-so-slightly alters the band’s line of attack. Kontaminate’s latest songs are still minute-long maelstroms boiling with the anger and frustrations of life. And hardcore’s snarl still drives Kontaminate’s d-beat. However, the abrasiveness of raw punk is more apparent, and Kontaminate’s 8 Song EP sounds even better with that extra layer of roughness and harshness. Eight songs, ten minutes; a brain-smashing experience throughout.

(11 PM Records, Broken Skull Records)

Mindclot – Profit Over People

Mindclot’s Profit Over People EP is the St. Louis, Missouri band’s third release. Crust punk is a primary ingredient here. However, Mindclot add plenty of blackened hardcore into the mix, both vocally and instrumentally, on songs like “Poison” or “Distrust”. D-beat raises its head, too. But in the main, tracks like “Exploit Us” and “Hypocrisy” lean into super-dark hardcore with their spitting vocals combining with a doom-shrouded atmosphere. Listening to Mindclot’s back catalogue, they’re clearly improving step by step. Profit Over People‘s heavyweight tracks are the band’s best thus far. Chomsky would be proud, I’m sure.

(Self-released)

Mazandaran – S/T
Stiff Meds – Tales From the Slab

UK label Quality Control HQ is a go-to source of belligerent yet cathartic hardcore, and here are two more prime examples of that. Mazandaran deliver howling protest punk from the perspective of the Iranian diaspora. The band’s self-titled EP draws from Persian mythology and utilises tales of heroic battles with demons to frame significant issues today, like theocratic oppression and the fight for freedom from political persecution. Instilled, as it is, with a revolutionary message, Mazandaran’s rabble-rousing hardcore is, of course, punk as fuck.

Stiff Meds’ Tales From the Slab LP features 12 songs that hurtle past at whiplash speeds. Fastcore, you’d call it. Pop a pill, down a pint, cue up some video gore-fest, and repeat. Tales From the Slab‘s maelstrom tracks are packed with whirlwind riffs, throat-shredding vocals, and supersonic drums. Fuelled by the legacy of bands like Siege, Infest, and Napalm Death, Stiff Meds’ sound is similarly blistering. Tales From the Slab delivers a high-velocity kick to the cranium – fast enough, for sure, to put you in the morgue. As a bonus, purchase the LP version of Tales From the Slab, and you get an exclusive live set on the B side.

(Quality Control HQ)

Suffocater – Deadlights

I read an interview with the Salt Lake City, Utah, band Suffocater, where they listed the bands and records that had inspired them. In the mix were groups like Slayer, Acid Bath, Eyehategod, Coalesce, and Botch, and you can hear all of those bands on Suffocater’s new Deadlights album. Not explicitly, nor in terms of mere mimicry, but Suffocater’s hardcore/metal mix is the sum of its influences. There’s music here that’ll suit the metalcore crowd but also post-metal devotees and straight-up burly hardcore fans. Sometimes Suffocater even drift into neo-crust territory (see “Morphine” or “Bodiless”), and sometimes they fire off barrage after barrage of steel-tipped riffs (“Embitter”). The point is that there’s a lot here to consider and consume, meaning Suffocater are a band with depth.

(Self-released)

Demolishing Demos

Below are a bunch of demos that caught my tinnitus-ravaged ear recently. I’ve kept the blurbs short ‘n’ sweet so I can cram in a little more noise. Thanks for visiting ICWT. Fingers crossed, I’ll see you next month. Be excellent to one another.

Bitter Hate – Demo 2023

Straight outta Nova Scotia, Canada, Bitter Hate’s Demo 2023 features a stench-heavy discharge of d-beat, grind, and hardcore. The lo-fi murkiness of Bitter Hate’s Demo is one of its finest features. There’s every chance the next time we hear from Bitter Hate, the band might have polished a few of their edges. But there’s absolutely no need to clean this shit up.

(Sordid Bin)

Human – Earth Demo 2023

Human sound inhuman. The Fresno, California band’s Earth Demo 2023 hisses and spits like a creature sent to punish us all for our myriad sins against the earth beneath our feet and each other. Fuzz-fucked noise punk gnaws on red-raw punk while split-second songs shriek and howl. Awesome.

(Self-released)

Skill Issue – Total Doom Demo

Pennsylvania band Skill Issue deliver fired-up LGBTQ+ hardcore for the freaks and weirdos among us (that’d be me, and likely you, too). Skill Issue’s Total Doom Demo isn’t as bleak as its title sounds, though. It’s crammed with genre-ignoring hardcore that tears into the prejudices and hurdles that folks who are so often sidelined or overlooked face. Hardcore resistance for hardcore fans.

(Chooch Bear Tapes, Richter Scale Records)

Accusation – Demo

UK band Accusation’s demo features stripped-down, mosh-ready hardcore. Recorded by Violent Reaction founder Tom Pimlott, Accusation’s demo will appeal to those who view Boston as the holiest city in the Straight Edge Empire. Blast, breakdown, blast, breakdown, blast, breakdown, repeat. Load’s a fun, innit.

Necron 9 – Demo II

Necron 9’s second demo for 2023 features more gutter-raw sonics crackling with urgency. Again, the four songs here twitch and buzz with nervous tension, and Necron 9’s lo-fi abrasiveness accentuates the nerve-tweaking desperation of anxiety. Great stuff.

(Unlawful Assembly)

Dimension – Demo

Dimension’s six-song demo is fierce and frantic. The Massachusetts band’s tracks are, primarily, no-frills rippers with venomous vocals, relentless drums, and jagged chords aplenty. Sometimes Dimension put their foot to the floor, and sometimes they attack at a slower pace or from a different angle. Either or, Dimension’s demo is all killer, no filler.

(Iron Lung Records)

The post In Crust We Trust: Vol 31 – Part 1 appeared first on Last Rites.

To be honest, even on ICWT’s ‘best’ days, this round-up of noisy releases was always a turd in the paddling pool of trusted music journalism. Trust me, I’ve seen the stats –> this column is cult. And not the fkin cool kind of cult, either. Sadly, that’s not likely to change. Time off hasn’t encouraged this old dog to learn any new tricks. The same dad-punk bullshit endures, and I still have terrible taste in music.

The good news is that ICWT’s primary goal remains the same: to shout about recent punk, hardcore, and metalpunk releases. I tend to focus on harsher recordings, where raw is the operative word. I should also point out – lest some tight-ass fanboi writes in… again – that ICWT is a very broad church of noise. So don’t get too hung up on the ‘crust’ part of ICWT.

Feel free to reach out about releases you think I should know about. I’m not some all-knowing insider, just a bumbling enthusiast. I’m also not on social media. So hot tips about upcoming or recent releases are always welcome. If you do reach out, I’ll probably never respond. But don’t take it personally, my friend. I have crippling social anxiety (hooray!), so awkward silences are very much on-brand for yours truly.

I’m stoked to be kicking off this edition with a killer collection of releases from groups like Flower, Gel, Genogeist, Physique, Destruct, Anguished Life, and plenty more scorching bands. There’s a mountain of music below. But only because I’m playing catch-up. Future editions will contain fewer blurbs, and I’ll keep a closer eye on quality over quantity.

As always, cheers to the assorted reprobates at Last Rites for tolerating the namby-pamby musings of a tofu-munching, soy-milk-drinking, rainbow-hearted cuck like me. I am the (fucking) worst. Ja bless your patience and forbearance.

Lastly, a huge thanks to you – yeah, you. Life is hectic, and let’s be honest, there are infinitely cooler cats than me writing about similar underground music. Thus, I am eternally grateful to anyone who takes the time to read a single word I’ve typed. (And a hearty cyber-hug to those who messaged and encouraged me to reanimate ICWT’s corpse.)

Stay safe out there. Be well. And remember, go easy on yourself.

Enjoy the noise.

Before I dive into the releases below, I want to note the sad passing of Glen Lockett, aka Spot, the legendary in-house producer and engineer at SST Records. Spot helmed plenty of pivotal releases, including personal favs like Damaged, My War, What Makes a Man Start Fires?, Zen Arcade, Slip It In, New Day Rising, and many more formative jams. Spot’s handiwork remains a crucial sonic marker for untold punk bands, and his influence echoes well outside the borders of hardcore. RIPower, brother.

Genogeist ‎– Technophobia

The 2018 demo from PDX metal-punks Genogeist promised great things. Thankfully, the band more than delivered on their self-titled 2019 LP, which featured intimidating levels of bulldozing crust. Genogeist’s latest world-eating release, their four-song Technophobia EP, plugs right into the band’s post-apocalyptic aesthetic. As per, tracks like “Desolate Realm”, “1000 Tears”, and the bass-rumbling “World Beyond” tip their hat to Japanese legends S.D.S, Effigy, and Total Steel-era Sacrifice. Sledgehammering stenchcore (think Sacrilege or Deviated Instinct at their absolute heaviest) slams into grimdark cyber-crust as distortion-smashed riffs and gravel-gargling vocals conjure cities crumbling into dust and decay. Authentic, authoritative, and highly recommended; Technophobia churns with pitch-perfect, end-times punk.

(Blackwater Records)

Flower ‎– Hardly a Dream

New York City band Flower’s long-awaited Hardly a Dream LP is an instant classic. Check out that Rudimentary Peni-esque artwork, and tune into Flower’s powerful (Nausea via Sacrilege) sound. Hardly a Dream is bursting with fired-up anarcho-crust that’ll prove instantly addictive if you’re an admirer of Flower’s aforementioned influences or a devotee of Amebix and the almighty Antisect.

Hardly a Dream‘s expressive tracks cut through the vacuous distractions of modernity to unearth the festering sickness and lies that pollute our weary souls. Tracks like “Victims of Progress”, “American Alms”, and “Filth of their Confines” sculpt vivid dystopian hellscapes. But while Flower’s atmospheric tracks explore a world torn apart by shotgun capitalism’s insatiable greed, the band’s music remains as pulverizing as it is galvanizing. Flower’s definitive crust scours our rawest wounds while exposing society’s darkest ills. The tools of resistance are here, scattered in the ruins of our hypocrisy. Hardly a Dream is phenomenal.

(Profane Existence)

Physique ‎– Again

Physique’s 2019 EP, The Rhythm of Brutality, was a veritable hit with crusty ne’er do wells. I think it’s safe to say the PNW d-beat cohort’s latest release, Again, will enjoy an equally frenzied reception. Physique stick to their dissonant MO on the 15-track full-length, with the influence of groups like Disclose, Framtid, and Kriegshög underpinning Physique’s abrasive guitars, bass, and nail-gun drums. The group’s points of interest remain the same (the horrors of war and myriad tortures/torments of late-stage capitalism) with tracks like “Modern Life’s Battlefield”, “Wheel of Fascism”, and “Alternate Future” brimming with hemorrhaging distortion, cavernous growls, and an abundance of foot-to-the-floor action.

Physique explore grim spheres. But the band never sound defeated by the darkness. The raucous tenor of Physique’s crasher crust and barreling raw punk sounds more than up for the fight. Again‘s harshness mirrors the brutal realities many are forced to endure. But the album is cathartic and replete with fist-in-the-air defiance. Maximum mayhem. Maximum ferocity. Another rip-roaring triumph from Physique.

(Iron Lung Records)

Destruct ‎– Cries the Mocking Mother Nature

Destruct’s 2020 full-length debut, Echoes of Life, was an absolute jaw-breaker, and the Richmond band’s new LP, Cries the Mocking Mother Nature, is another knockout. Japanese heavy hitters like Framtid or Bastard are obvious comparisons, with Destruct’s furious alchemy sounding utterly massive yet blisteringly raw. Cries the Mocking Mother Nature‘s visceral bite is akin to a feeding frenzy; the album is, essentially, crammed with thunderbolt tracks. Songs like “Destabilize Control”, “71,000 Warheads”, and “Exhaustive Butchery” are overflowing with bloodthirsty vocals, decimating riffs, and pounding percussion. Once again, Destruct dial up their hot-blooded intensity while amplifying their cold-blooded ruthlessness. Cries the Mocking Mother Nature is a cranium-splitting tour de force.

(Grave Mistake Records)

Anguished Life – S/T
Svaveldioxid – Fred På Jorden

New Mexico label Blown Out Media is a reliable supplier of red-raw hardcore. Here are two recent releases plucked from Blown Out’s catalogue of negative noise.

The three-track flexi from the Californian crew Anguished Life serves as an entrée for the band’s 10-track LP due out later in the year. Anguished Life features members from several groups I’ve raved about in recent years – see first-rate ensembles like Tortür, End Result, and Dust Collector. Recorded at LA studio space 1753, Anguished Life’s flexi is certain to grab the attention of connoisseurs of rough-hewn hardcore. Bellowing vocals, a concussive rhythm section, and radioactive riffs galore carve a destructive path. There are no pointless embellishments or laboured fripperies here. Anguished Life’s flexi is simply ten tonnes of fuckin’ oomph. That aforementioned LP can’t arrive soon enough.

The latest release from Blown Out Media is a deafening compilation from Swedish mangel-merchants Svaveldioxid. The band’s Fred På Jorden‘s cassette features songs from previously released EPs, splits, and compilation appearances (from 2015 to 2022), plus a few unreleased rehearsal recordings. I’ve heard everything bar those rehearsal tracks before now, and I can confidently report that what you’ll encounter is gruesome-sounding (and old-school accented) kängpunk that’s driven hard by heavily distorted guitars, pounding percussion, and cut-throat vocals. Expect belligerent and barbaric Scandi punk, smashed to hell by cudgel-wielding crust. Fvk, yea.

(Blown Out Media)

Swankers ‎– Live at Taguatinga​,​ DF (June 14 1992)

Über-abrasive Italian label Sistema Mortal has dug into the fetishized world of hard-to-find obscurities, reissuing the sole demo from Brazillian crossover band Swankers. The Swankers existed for a few years in the early 90s, with the band’s repertoire consisting of their little-heard Live at Taguatinga​,​ DF (June 14 1992) demo and a couple of compilation tracks. Live at Taguatinga is one of those long-lost releases that punk collectors get all fizzy in their pants about. Fidelity-wise, the demo is very much of its time and place, with Live at Taguatinga‘s lo-fi glitches compensated by high-energy performances and a sweaty crowd jacked up on cheap beer and bad coke. Live at Taguatinga‘s crudity is its strongest selling point and it reeks of authenticity. Expect barbwire thrash-punk bristling with grit and gristle. Another filthy gem unearthed.

(Sistema Mortal)

M.O.A.B. ‎– Massive Ordnance Air Blast

Massive Ordnance Air Blast is the debut from Seattle, Washington duo M.O.A.B. (Spoiler alert: the 5-song release is K.I.L.L.E.R.) Available digitally via the band’s Bandcamp page – and set for physical release by Roachleg Records, dependable purveyors of rampaging noise – Massive Ordnance Air Blast features an aptly explosive mix of dirty bomb d-beat and pick-sliding hardcore. Feral tracks like “Born in Hell”, “Psychochemical Warfare” and “System is a Rotting Corpse” deliver precisely what you want from a maelstrom-like debut. All the amp-wrecking distortion and violence and vitriol hit like a runaway train. Everything about Massive Ordnance Air Blast ramps up the expectations of more furious noise to come. Your move, M.O.A.B.

(Roachleg Records)

G.I.S.M. ‎– Military Affairs Neurotic

The influence of Japanese legends G.I.S.M.’s debut, Detestation, is all-pervasive. Detestation mixed extreme rawness with maxed-out distortion as G.I.S.M.’s misanthropic frontman Sakevi and guitarist Randy Uchida (and co) tore through psychotic songs. However, G.I.S.M.’s follow-up, 1987’s Military Affairs Neurotic, follows a different line of attack.

Recently reissued by Relapse Records, Military Affairs Neurotic is a scorching album. However, there’s no disguising it’s a schizophrenic LP too. Uchida’s energetic shredding plays a more prominent role, and all of his NWOBHM-worthy riffs and skyrocketing solos mean Military Affairs Neurotic is a lot more ‘metal’ than Detestation. Of course, those flashier acrobatics are injected with plenty of snarling hardcore, and a couple of proto-industrial soundscapes add to Military Affairs Neurotic‘s idiosyncratic tone. There is a dissonance between Sakevi’s ghoulish barks and Uchida’s melodic riffage, but honestly, that simply underscores Military Affairs Neurotic‘s uncompromising brilliance.

Sure, Military Affairs Neurotic isn’t as ‘off-the-chain’ as Detestation. But G.I.S.M. still exhibit an unyielding focus on truly eccentric creativity. Everything from Military Affairs Neurotic‘s uniquely brittle production to its provocative artwork and outré songcraft reinforces G.I.S.M.’s status as groundbreaking subversives.

(Relapse Records)

Dis-kkrimiination ‎– Life or Conquest?

Californian band Dis-kkrimiination’s fourth release, Life or Conquest?, crams more unwashed, dog-on-a-string d-beat into your lughole. If the triple Ds of speaker-melting noise – Disaster, Disclose, Discharge – float your boat, you’ll be well-acquainted with Dis-kkrimiination’s grim Weltanschauung. Unsurprisingly, Life or Conquest?‘s six buzzsaw tracks favour abject filth and brain-battering abrasiveness over any subtlety or shading. Life or Conquest? hurtles along at top speed, picks at our worst scabs, and is gut-wound raw throughout. What’s not to love? Recommended for the shower-phobic and fans of shitty, homemade tatts. Great/grisly stuff!

(Self-released)

Eteraz ‎– Destined to Kill

The rabid new Destined to Kill flexi from Pacific Northwest disbones crew Eteraz slays all-comers in record time. (Note: I’ve also seen the band’s music tagged as crasher crust, thrashing hardcore, and crossover punk. Take your pick, it really doesn’t matter. Eteraz’s blazing approach is a sub-genre melting pot.) Destined to Kill follows on from Eteraz’s 2022 full-length, Villian. That album’s Persian-sung lyrics added a compelling metre to Eteraz’s monster-sized missives, and Destined to Kill‘s two tracks feature the same gnarly cadence. Eteraz ramp up their Discharge via Gloom onslaught with more echo-tweaked vocals and more of a scorched metal (aka shred-heavy) aftertaste. Best of all, while Destined to Kill is resoundingly primitive, Eteraz’s songs are executed with impressive dexterity and precision. Two songs aren’t enough. Destined to Kill will leave you hungering for more ear-slaughtering noise. TBH, that’s no bad thing.

(Iron Lung Records)

Zorn ‎– S/T

The best thing about Philadelphia band Zorn’s debut album isn’t all of the mind-mangling hardcore within. Don’t get me wrong, Zorn’s howling riffs and spitting vocals are a fuckin’ blast from go to whoa. But, to my ears, what makes Zorn’s first full-length is the way the band threads bone-chilling deathrock into songs like “The Spell of the Fairytree”, “To the Altar”, and “Wörm”. Zorn sound best when they’re simultaneously channelling Christian Death, peak-era Discharge, and some hitherto undiscovered thrash titan. It’s an inventive mix that sees Zorn carving out a distinctive voice; always a bonus in the crowded metalpunk league, which is crammed with indistinguishable bands. If you’re on the hunt for driving punk that features bitterly cold melodies but inferno-like instrumentation, Zorn’s self-titled debut comes highly recommended. All hail the Lords of Ice and Fire.

(Sorry State Records)

Varoitus – Ikuinen Sota
Visions of War/Simbiose – Split

Czech Republic label Phobia Records has an excellent strike rate. Sure, most of the label’s releases aren’t reinventing the wheel. But that’s clearly not an issue given our undying love of underground punk’s well-worn tropes. In any case, you add Varoitus’ Ikuinen Sota 12″ and Visions of War and Simbiose’s recent 7″ split to Phobia’s catalogue of success.

Varoitus’ Ikuinen Sota LP is the group’s third release, but it’s my first encounter with the Swedish band. Ikuinen Sota is constructed from “Helvetin Hardcore”, which, essentially, means a blackened blend of d-takt, råpunk, and kängpunk. The hook here is that Varoitus’ råpunk is razor-sharp, with ice-cold cutting riffs mixing with steamrolling bass and drums. Varoitus’ music has a migraine-inducing/anxiety-twisting tone that’ll gnaw at your nerves while worming its way under your skin. Venomous and insidious; a double dose of malicious punk.

Belgian crusties Visions of War have released plenty of unsanitary music over the years. (See the band’s ordure-dripping full-length Shit Parade or their equally pungent King of Swines LP.) Visions of War’s latest venture is a five-song split with Portuguese metal-crust band Simbiose. Visions of War’s three tracks are a lot grimmer and grubbier than Simbiose’s contributions, which isn’t a huge surprise given the steadfast filthiness and heaviness of Visions of War’s sonic arsenal. To be frank, I only hit play to check out Visions of War’s new songs – which were as rank and rotten as I’d hoped for – but Simbiose’s tracks will likely find favour with fans of thrashier/beefier hardcore.

(Varoitus – Phobia Records, Bye Bye Productions. VOW – Phobia Records, Loner Cult, Deviance, Scream Records, Up The Punx Records, Not Enough Records, Breeding for Extinction, Missing the point, Profane Existence.)

Electric Chair ‎– Act of Aggression

There’s a palpable buzz around Olympia, Washington’s Electric Chair. Of course, hype is the mind-killer. But Electric Chair have the bones and the talent to overcome any obstacles in that regard. The band’s previous EPs built a real head of steam, which has reached boiling point on Electric Chair’s full-length debut, Act of Aggression. Electric Chair cram 11 tracks into 15 minutes, which should give you some idea of the band’s throat-gripping fervour. Volatile and violent are apt descriptors for much of Act of Aggression, but for all the album’s explosiveness, songs like “Fatal Disease Pt. II”, “Palm of My Hand”, and “Security Camera” also feature clever pivots, pull-backs, and shrewd six-string gymnastics. Act of Aggression‘s full-force momentum captures the raw intensity of a sweat-soaked basement show. However, remember this: Electric Chair are smarter than your average bear, and there are deeper rewards buried in Act of Aggression‘s cyclonic tracks.

(Iron Lung Records)

Warkrusher ‎– Epitaph (bonus tracks)

Warkrusher’s Epitaph EP sat high on the list of my favourite 7″ releases from 2022. The only problem with the Montreal crust band’s EP was that it was far too short, which Warkrusher have *somewhat* remedied by adding three tracks to a limited edition cassette version of Epitaph. Two of those bonus tracks are covers, with “Grind the Enemy” (Axegrinder) and “Darkness on Streets” (Coitus) being aptly riotous interpretations. Warkrusher’s self-penned track, “Silence”, is another earth-quaking fusion of guttural crust and thickly armoured (and Ye Olde-inspired) stenchcore. Warkrusher are a formidable-sounding outfit whose anvil-heavy sound perfectly amplifies their brute-force strengths. A full-length album from the band can’t come soon enough.

(Audacious Madness Records)

Salvaje Punk ‎– S/T

The self-titled debut LP from NYC’s Salvaje Punk has been described as “the missing link between No Security and Parabellum, with lyrics belted out in Spanish by a Colombian madman”. I don’t know about the veracity of those ‘madman’ claims, but Salvaje Punk’s vocalist Diego definitely sounds like he’s off his meds, and that’s an absolute bonus right here. There’s plenty of truth to those No Security and Parabellum references too. No Security’s maniacal approach rings loud, and in Parabellum’s case, Salvaje Punk clearly draw inspiration from the rawest/earliest years of extreme metal. There’s a lot of gut-driven rage here. A lot of heat. And a lot of passion. But what radiates most is the sheer uncompromising nature of Salvaje Punk’s ‘ultra-hardcore’. You don’t need to speak Spanish to appreciate the intensity of Salvaje Punk’s message. Genuine punk (like this) cuts straight to the heart.

(Toxic State Records, Burning Paradise Productions)

Gel ‎– Only Constant

Gel’s much-anticipated (and instantly sold-out) Only Constant LP is a full-throated free-for-all. The band’s label, Convulse Records, said Gel’s latest release is comprised of “hardcore for the freaks by the freaks”, which feels (and sounds) wholly accurate. If you got a contact high off the recent LPs from Electric Chair, Illiterates, or Personal Damage, then Only Constant is going to bake your cookies too. It helps that Gel has two guitarists delivering a relentless deluge of hook-spiked riffs. But it’s the band’s singer, Samantha Kaiser, who seals the deal with her impassioned vocals. Fans who’ve waited patiently for Gel’s next move have been amply rewarded here. Energetic tracks like “Honed Blade”, “Worn Down”, and “Out of my Mind” are propelled by oodles of spite and insurgency. Only Constant is deranged, deafening, and definitely an untamed brawl. Time to get your freak on, and on, and on.

(Convulse Records)

Illiterates ‎– No Experts

Pittsburgh band Illiterates describe themselves as the “dumbest band in hardcore.” Of course, that’s complete horseshit. Sure, Illiterates’ No Experts full-length is a straightforward slab of knuckle-dragging hardcore. (The kind of tough-nut noise that old dogs like me listened to in the 80s, while we sat around waiting for nuclear armageddon.) However it clearly takes a particular skillset to write and record zero-bullshit rockers like “24 Hours”, “Weather Capital”, and “Nice Things”. Illiterates’ rousing vocals and lean ‘n’ mean riffs are as catchy as BA.5, while the band’s fast, loud, and hulking velocity is exhilarating. Not everything has to be earnest. Not everything has to explore painful issues. Sometimes shit just rips, and No Experts is the perfect example of that.

(Sorry State Records)

Axxe Crazy – Black Winds Blowing, an Indifferent Sky
People’s Temple – I’m With the People’s Temple
3D & The Holograms – S/T

If you’re a fan of vitriolic punk, it always makes sense to keep a close eye on the roster of New York label Roachleg Records. Here are three recent Roachleg-birthed bangers that are well worth your time. Starting with the gutter-dwelling New Jersey posse Axxe Crazy.

Axxe Crazy’s recent über-guttural soirée, Black Winds Blowing, an Indifferent Sky, is the second release from the Asbury Park band (their first release, Pounding Noise, is also a skid-marked punxx’s dream come true). Crust, crust, crust + noise, noise, noise = Axxe Crazy’s creative equation. Unsurprisingly, Black Winds Blowing, an Indifferent Sky reeks to high heaven. Gunge-streaked riffs detonate amongst a piss-and-vinegar barrage of concussive metalpunk. Squealing solos tear through the blown-out battlefield haze as Neanderthal vocals grunt and growl. A-grade shitnoise that’s purpose-built to satisfy that twisted voice in all of us. De-fuxxing-licious!

People’s Temple’s recent 7″, I’m With the People’s Temple, has a different tone and timbre to much of Roachleg’s catalogue. Chiefly because the EP’s contents aren’t choked by withering distortion. People’s Temple have a spikier, more hook-driven 80s accent. (Roachleg describes it as ‘snotty hardcore from a band that claims to hate American hardcore’.) Of course, the line between love and hate is wafer-thin, and I’m With the People’s Temple‘s short, sharp, and stripped-back tracks are 100% snot-nosed hardcore.

3D & The Holograms are based in Sydney, Australia. The ocker rockers’ self-titled LP is freak punk fiesta that buzzes like shitty meth. With members drawn from acts like Research Reactor Corp and Tee Vee Repairman, 3D & The Holograms specialise in shuddering paroxysms of bad-trip hardcore where everything sounds wrong – like nails on a chalkboard wrong – but in the best possible way. Outsider punk for diehard nerds. Acid-spiked noise for the end of days. Tasty, mate.

The Passing ‎– Eternal Void

Los Angeles four-piece The Passing’s recent Eternal Void EP strikes a balance between the hiss and static of their 2019 demo and the gloomier and burlier hardcore on their 2020 EP, which was released by Caligari Records. Eternal Void‘s tracks lean into the darkest corners of paint-stripping raw punk, with “Recurring”, “Scythe”, and “Ultimate Deception” replete with charging bass, barbwire riffs, and plenty of caveman coughs and ‘urghs’. The tone here is caustic, bleak, and squalid; fans of Extreme Noise Terror or Sore Throat’s rawest sonic shrapnel take note.

(Self-released)

Personal Damage ‎– Atrophy & Entropy

Personal Damage’s Atrophy & Entropy LP is super-fast, super-mean, and wholly obnoxious. The hurtling hardcore within follows a lean-yet-muscular path cut by the likes of Jerry’s Kids, Adrenalin OD, and Circle Jerks. Tracks like “Head First”, “Death Cults Bliss”, and “Psychologic Crisis” (where echos of the Adolescents or Agent Orange appear) are studded with shout-along vocals and catchy melodies. (Meaning Atrophy & Entropy is big on energy, but even bigger on neck-yankin’ hooks.) The album’s propulsive songwriting and crisp/crunchy production might be inspired by the classics, but make no mistake, Atrophy & Entropy features abundant contemporary punch. Clearly, Personal Damage know their history. Atrophy & Entropy abounds with hardcore’s quintessential strengths.

(Test Subject Records)

Träumer ‎– World Burn

If you’re a fan of Crow’s Bloody Tear LP, you’ll appreciate the pacing and the phrasing of Träumer’s recent World Burn cassette. The Californian band released a ferocious self-titled tape (via 1753) in early ’22. A year or so on, Träumer’s second release features equally aggressive tracks – including a couple of covers of RIP and Disclose – which hold fast to Träumer’s go-hard or go-home methodology. World Burn was originally released to accompany a brief tour with fellow noiseniks NÜTT, and the tape’s filled with wretched howls, grotty-ass riffs, and enough artillery-strength drumming to flatten a mall. World Burn is rock-solid, and if you haven’t already, you should make time to check out 1753’s Bandcamp page. The LA studio space/label has released a long line of raging recordings, including releases from Personal Damage, Future of Despair, Clone-z, and Tort​ü​r.

(Self-released)

Warcycle ‎– Manifesting Barbarity

This blurb is another vain attempt by yours truly to extrapolate measure and meaning from 90 seconds of max-distorted hardcore. I don’t know why I do this. But I’m working with what I’ve been dealt. Some bands and labels like to hold their cards closer to their chest, and that’s their prerogative. One song streaming is better than none. In fact, one song streaming off of Warcycle’s new Manifesting Barbarity 7″ is more than enough to compel me to shout about the Western Australian band’s all-fire action.

Warcycle’s 2019 Legalised Onslaught EP, and the band’s 2020 split with Indonesian raw punks Zudas Krust, were both battering-ram releases. From the sounds of Manifesting Barbarity‘s eponymously titled track, Warcycle’s wall-of-noise assault is gaining strength as time goes on. “Manifesting Barbarity” is an absolute crusher, and hopefully, at some point, I’ll be able to nab a physical copy of Manifesting Barbarity and enjoy the rest of Warcycle’s hammering fare. For now, it’s safe to say if you’re a fan of Contrast Attitude, D-Clone, or Framtid, you’ll love Warcycle’s similarly crashing crust. (Note: that’s some aesthetically on-target artwork from Xavier Gillard too – things definitely sound dark, bloody, and beastly.)

(Televised Suicide Records, Desolate Records)

Public Acid ‎– Beat Session Vol 10

Public Acid’s Easy Weapons (2018) and Condemnation (2020) EPs met with a wild reception. (Sold out in seconds, press after press). The North Carolina band’s music is a high-pressured mind-meld of Japanese hardcore’s blunt-force trauma and Italian punk’s primitive prowess. But those are just the base ingredients for Public Acid’s red-lining releases. The band often mangle their sound even further with waves of feedbacking noise, all of which you can sit back and enjoy on the tenth volume of Shout Recordings’ Beat Sessions.

Beat Session Vol 10 is unhinged, with Public Acid delivering another pipe-bomb of a release. Super-distorted guitars and throat-slit vocals boil in a mayhemic storm of brutal hardcore. Like Public Acid’s previous endeavours, Beat Session Vol 10 is both an uncontrollable firestorm and a precise surgical strike. Maniacal riffs and demented solos warp songs that sidestep melody in favour of embracing the wild heart of chaos. Beat Session Vol 10 is guaranteed to cure (or, more likely, to confirm) all of your ills.

(Shout Recordings)

I’m ending this edition of ICWT with a round-up of recent demos that have tickled my tinnitus. (Note: I’m going to be doing the same in future editions too.) I love the gut-driven gusto of demos, but I always have a million LPs and EPs to talk about. Here’s my solution: a six-pack of shorter/faster/one-pass blurbs – ka-boom.

Vida Muerta ‎– Demo 1

More eviscerating noise from Italian label Sistema Mortal. German/Italian trio Vida Muerta features members from Nukelickers, Visions of Chaos, and Oväsen Frontera Kollaps, who’ve all released bloody-raw cassettes via Sistema Mortal. Vida Muerta’s Demo 1 features four ear-piercing (and decidedly metal-barbed) trawls through the bowels of d-beat, crust, and super-dark hardcore. Evil is as evil does.

(Sistema Mortal)

F.O.M.O. ‎– Demo 2023

Portuguese band F.O.M.O.’s Demo 2023 is primitive af. The eight songs here are all shit-fi nightmares that’ll prod at every nerve fibre you’ve got. Of course, that’s no criticism. F.O.M.O.’s bare-boned and bass-rumbling racket is ‘fueled by hate’ and thus purposely obnoxious. No question, F.O.M.O. does a hell of a job of sounding ugly as sin.

(Anoise Records, Enfermo Distro)

Consumed ‎– War Business

Consumed are a gruffer-than-gruff stenchcore trio from Monterrey, México. The band’s hope-smashing War Business demo is heavy as mortar barrage and features raucous instrumentation, rasping vocals, and the customary range of apocalyptic anxieties. (‘War is a business, and business never ends’ – you know the deal.) Don your flak vest, and strap on your bullet belt, the crust war never ends.

Ps: I loved this one. If you’re a stan of horrible stench-ridden noise you might swoon a little too.

(Self-released)

T.H.C. ‎– Total Hardcore Demo

Colombian punks T.H.C.’s Total Hardcore Demo pays no heed to polite musicality or listener friendliness. What Total Hardcore Demo does do, however, is confirm that Colombia’s punk scene is still red-hot and soaked in sweat. The eight d-beaten songs here are as disgusting as dumpster slop. But if rotten raw punk is your tipple of choice, you’ll lap this sonic vomit up. Absolute badassery.

(Self-released)

Snarling Dogs ‎– Demo

Snarling Dogs’ demo is fittingly growling and biting, but the Pittsburgh band also throw plenty of catchy melodies into the mix. There are downright rockin’ riffs scattered throughout Snarling Dogs’ demo, and some wouldn’t sound out of place on records from the likes of the Wipers, Hüsker Dü, or The Replacements (at their punkiest). Snarling Dogs find a solid balance between hard hooks and hardcore.

Turbo ‎– Demo 2023

Turbo’s Demo 2023 kicks ass. The group is from the NWOBHC school of UK bands, and thus Turbo would feel right at home on Quality Control HQ’s roster. Chunky riffs, barking vocals, and pummeling percussion shape Turbo’s muscular sound. If acts like The Chisel, Arms Race, the Flex, and Violent Reaction have previously piqued your interest, Turbo’s full-force hardcore has a similarly strong flavour.

If you made it this far, top marks, kid. I owe you one. To be honest, this isn’t the first edition of ICWT I wrote in ’23. I sketched out a previous edition earlier in the year, but for some very unexciting reasons, I didn’t publish that column. I didn’t want (some of) the blurbs I wrote for that edition to go to waste, though, because there were some great releases mentioned, so I posted those blurbs on my dusty old blog a few weeks ago. If you’re interested in seeing if you’ve overlooked a few gems from earlier this year, you can find those blurbs right here… Tomorrow’s Ashes #4.

See you soon, mate(s).

The post In Crust We Trust: Vol 25 appeared first on Last Rites.

Below you’ll find my favorite full-length releases from 2020, and as an extra special bonus treat, you’re also getting a separate end-of-year edition dedicated to ear-splitting EPs and reissues. Feel free to let me know your favorite punk, hardcore, or metalpunk releases from 2020. I’m definitely not any kind of all-knowing scenester, and I’m guaranteed to have overlooked a few killer releases this year.

A lot of writers choose to summarize the year in the introduction to their annual end-of-year lists. But I’m not going to wade too deep into the existential challenges this year has brought to bear. From the current pandemic that’s wreaking havoc on lives and livelihoods to the political and conspiratorial insanity exacerbating social schisms, life has often felt fraught and fragile in 2020. The tragic death of much-loved Power Trip frontman Riley Gale hit hard this year, as did the loss of six-string ‘Atomic Punk’ Eddie Van Halen. And let’s not forget COVID-19 killed all the sweat-soaked shows, which are the lifeblood of underground music for most fans around the globe. Venues and bars have also struggled to survive, and many bands and labels have found themselves in perilous positions too.

It’s been a bleak year, for sure. But it hasn’t all been bad news. In 2020, unflinching activism has highlighted crucial injustices that have been downplayed or dismissed by those in power for far too long. Some of the best releases ICWT covered this year featured fierce reporting from those battle lines. Although, it has to be said, some musicians talked of feeling overwhelmed by 2020’s roll call of catastrophes and many spoke of feeling torn between optimism and nihilism. I’m sure you can relate.

There’s no getting around the fact that 2020 further heightened tense divisions within niche scenes like punk and metal. However, quarrels aside, all punk and metal fans share a common understanding that the music we love is optimized to exorcise our anxieties. The music featuring here is definitely a beacon to hang onto while the world burns. And everyone reading this end-of-year article instinctively knows that – no matter how hateful or hostile the music below sounds – it’s also purpose-built to bolster our resolve as the darkness closes in.

Sure, punk and metal have a few ugly issues to contend with. But look at how fans and bands rallied to support their own and other communities this year. Every single thing we did to help each other in 2020 exemplifies the camaraderie that underground music fosters.

And speaking of underground music. COVID-19 clearly impacted on release and recording schedules in 2020, but I didn’t have any issue finding plenty of interesting music to talk about. It was easy enough compiling a healthy-sized end-of-year list. But, as usual, it was painful having to cut great releases so the end result wasn’t too overwhelming. I did cheat this year by including a few ‘honorable mentions,’ which is really just code for: don’t skip on these. They’re all worthy end-of-year contenders too!

Generally, I don’t rank my end-of-year punk rock lists because (a) punk’s not a competition, and (b) ranking anything is subjective nonsense, right? Still, I love a good list, and I decided to rank my favorites this year because I’m not arguing the music below is ‘the best’ of anything. I’m merely underscoring – as enthusiastically as I can – which releases were my favorites in 2020.

Most of ICWT’s end-of-year coverage skews towards the blood-vessel-bursting end of the music spectrum, which is another reason you don’t see me claiming to have conjured an all-encompassing list of ‘the best’ punk albums of 2020. My list is just a slither of the punk rock pie, and it favors horrible noise over melodic releases. You’ll find a few catchy and quirky recordings below. But if you’re hungry for chirpy or breezy punk, you best look elsewhere.

I spent many years writing features, reviews, and similar columns to ICWT before I started scribbling this beast. I wanted ICWT to be snappy, punchy, and relatively upbeat. But I feel like I’ve painted myself into a corner writing relentlessly positive reviews. I don’t genuinely think overlooking issues is healthy for any music scene, so I’m going to pump the brakes on that approach in 2021. I also realize that while familiar genre descriptors definitely help to point folks in the right direction, I frequently feel like I’m just shuffling the same well-worn phrases around the page. I still love writing about great music, but to be honest I’m frustrated with my writing. So next year, I’m looking to be more critical and creative.

Many (but certainly not all) of the blurbs in this end-of-year 2020 double feature are reworked versions of reviews I’ve previously published. I’m writing this – as well as three other EOY articles (I know, why the fuck do I do this to myself?) – while moving into a new rental and battling a few health concerns. I don’t have the time to write umpteen brand new think-pieces. But every word remains as sincere and as trustworthy as when I first wrote it.

A hearty hug goes out to my benevolent overlords at Last Rites for allowing me to continue to sully this site’s reputation. And thanks to anyone who shared or mentioned ICWT over the past year. Cheers to Sorry State Records, D-beat Beater, Negative Insight, Terminal Sound Nuisance, Maximum Rocknroll, and all the blogs, YouTube channels, distros, and labels who turned me on to so much great music in 2020.

Of course, without you, there’s little point in writing any of this. So thanks to everyone who’s paid a visit to ICWT this year. I’m incredibly grateful we get to celebrate some of the rowdiest punk, hardcore, and metalpunk releases from the past 12 months together.

All right, it’s time to raise a toast to some of 2020’s most nightmarish noise.

Have a great festive season. Stay safe. Be well. I’ll see you soon.

Hail Santa.

HONORABLE MENTIONS 2020

Misantropic – Catharsis

Misantropic’s long-awaited Catharsis LP is stacked with enough creative firepower to sink a battleship. The album blends a host of noisy ingredients, including crust, neo-crust, d-beat, death metal, thrash metal, and thickset metallic hardcore. Admittedly, that’s a lot of different elements at play, but they all seamlessly coalesce on Catharsis‘ breakneck tracks, which feature massive riffs, screeching solos, and blasting bass galore. Add in singer Gerda’s impassioned vocals, and Catharsis has all the makings of a contemporary crust classic. (Scream Records, Insane Society Records, Halvfabrikat Records)

• Bandcamp

Loud Night – Mindnumbing Pleasure

Loud Night’s Mindnumbing Pleasure LP sold out in a split-second flat, and if Inepsy-style mêlées are your thing, you’re going to love Mindnumbing Pleasure‘s brawling tracks. Loud Night wrap punk’s ferocity around metal’s virtuosity, with the band’s intoxicating songs featuring giant hooks that dig in deep and drag you along for the ride. Expect maximum Motörcharged mayhem, Venom’s vicious bite, high-octane harmonies aplenty, and shred-heavy Japanese hardcore. Rabid metalpunk – par excellence. (Vinyl Conflict)

• Bandcamp

Clock of Time – Persistent Planet

Berlin band Clock of Time recorded their Persistent Planet LP a mere eight months after they formed. You might expect a few signs of nervousness or a couple of glaring missteps, but Clock of Time features experienced musicians from groups like Diat, Vexx, and Useless Eaters, and Pestilent Planet is, in fact, staggeringly good. The creative and emotional depth here is astonishing. Post-punk and deathrock intermix, recalling the heights of gloomy 80s dramatics, and Clock of Time’s urgent songs feature a sublime fusion of ice-cold tension and warmer melodic release. Phenomenal, all round. (Static Shock Records)

• Bandcamp

Terminal Nation – Holocene Extinction

Terminal Nation could just as easily feature on a metal end-of-year list as a punk or a hardcore one. The band’s mammoth-sounding Holocene Extinction LP speaks to a world in peril, and Terminal Nation’s fearsome mix of metallic hardcore, death metal, and powerviolence is crushingly heavy in both sonic and psychological terms. Bonus points to Terminal Nation for staying true to the course (and the cause) in Arkansas, where you can imagine the progressively-minded messages on Holocene Extinction aren’t always welcomed.

• Bandcamp

Phantom Hymn – The Future as Nightmare

Phantom Hymn is a solo project from Ian Makau, who also plays in heavy-hitters like Dödläge, Frecuencia de Muerte, and the almighty Genogeist. Phantom Hymn’s The Future as Nightmare full-length blends sledgehammering crust with bitter hardcore, and there’s plenty of black metal boiling in the album’s Stygian depths too. An ominous aura shrouds all and, much like with Makau’s other bands, all the rampaging noise on The Future as Nightmare evokes savage scenes of societal collapse. FYI: make sure to check out Phantom Hymn’s similarly caustic 2020 EP, Catatonic Bliss. (Self-released)

• Bandcamp

Kobra – Confusione

Italian punks Kobra combine angry and agitated anarcho-punk with blown-out hardcore – and the band occasionally dip their toe into more avant-garde territory too. Kobra’s outstanding Confusione LP features ten hyperactive tracks where saxophone squalls add weirdness and wonder to a number of the songs within. Rough as sandpaper and raw as a broken heart, Kobra sound frantic and trapped in a dark and disconcerting state throughout. DO NOT HESITATE to check out Confusione if wild anarcho-punk or early Italian hardcore are firm favorites. (Iron Lung Records)

• Bandcamp

TOP 25 EAR-WRECKERS 2020

25. Declaration – What Is the Reason for Tomorrow?

Singaporean four-piece Declaration look to the past for inspiration – specifically, Discharge’s roughest/rowdiest years. Declaration’s What Is the Reason for Tomorrow? album was smashed out in a single day in April 2020, but the always riotous release sounds like it could have easily been recorded in some rundown industrial estate studio back in 1982. Harsh barks, distorted guitars, and a crashing rhythm section means unadulterated dis-beat sits front and center on Declaration’s high-speed blasts of ferocious noise. Bare-boned hardcore that exemplifies d-beat’s greatest strengths. (Full Force Hardcore Destruction)

• Bandcamp

24. Carroña – Lucha Necia

Melbourne punks Carroña explore systemic injustices and personal struggles as they expound on migrant life in modern-day Australia. The band’s self-styled “Immigrant Caos Punk” mixes crust-caked d-beat with lo-fi hardcore, and the inherent rawness of Carroña’s Lucha Necia full-length is downright nerve-shredding at times. You don’t need to speak Spanish to decipher Carroña’s message either, because their songs emit a powerfully evocative sense of rage and frustration. Outstanding punk rock records wrap hard truths around more challenging music, and Lucha Necia defines that fact. (Self-released)

• Bandcamp

23. Warwound – WWIII

WWIII is both the final and the heaviest entry in UK punks Warwound’s discography. Not many bands polish off their career on such a hard-hitting note, and it’s impressive just how fired-up and pissed-off Warwound sound on WWIII. All-guns-blazing crossover punk and violent metallic hardcore tussle it out within, and there’s plenty of old-school d-beat and crust to enjoy too. Warwound’s full-strength tracks are chock-a-block with whirlwind noise and energy. You couldn’t ask for a better (or more decimating) closing number. (Vile Records, Sanctus Propaganda)

• Bandcamp

22. Straw Man Army – Age of Axile

Sorry State Record’s regular newsletter turned me onto a lot of fascinating music this year, including Straw Man Army’s genre-trampling Age of Axile LP. Straw Man Army features members of the similarly anarchic NYC hardcore band Kaleidoscope, and much like Kaleidoscope’s releases, Age of Axile defies easy categorization. It’s a punk LP, for sure, but it’s also wildly inventive and draws influences from well beyond punk’s borders. Strange rhythms and unorthodox melodies combine on unpredictable tracks, and there’s a strong undercurrent of tension here, between the dark and the light, adding significant depth to Straw Man Army’s songs. (D4MT Labs Inc Neurosonic Research)

• Bandcamp

21. Exploatör – Avgrundens Brant
Parasit – Samhällets Paria

I know it looks like I’m cheating sitting Exploatör and Parasit side-by-side on this cacophonous countdown, but hear me out. Both Swedish bands feature veteran punks with plenty of maelstrom-making experience under their belts, and Exploatör’s Avgrundens Brant and Parasit’s Samhällets Paria LPs were both released by Phobia Records in 2020. Exploatör and Parasit also dish out similarly gravel-gargling d-beat and crust, and both Avgrundens Brant and Samhällets Paria are overflowing with time-honored and brass-knuckled hardcore delivered at a fittingly demolishing pace. Tune in for guttural riffs, growls, and thundering drums, straight from the halls of Valhalla. (Phobia Records, ByeBye Productions)

• Exploatör Bandcamp
• Parasit Bandcamp

20. Moribund Scum – .​.​.​Only Death

The latest album from bulldozing German crew Moribund Scum, .​.​.​Only Death, wraps grimy death metal around even filthier crust. All the resulting stench-ridden sound pollution is aptly crude and coarse and as putrid as a corpse left rotting in a ditch. Sewage-streaked songs combine brute-force riffs with pick-slides and nerve-tweaking solos, as gruff vocals bark out politically charged lyrics. Harsh, hoarse, and always thrashin’, ..​.​Only Death is Moribund Scum’s most vital work yet. Perfect for fans of early Bolt Thrower, Deviated Instinct, Instinct of Survival, etc. (Repulsive Medias, Deviance, Eskaramuza Distri, Angry Voice, Up The Punx, Missing The Point, Svoboda Records, Fallen Crow Records, Bomb-All Records)

• Bandcamp

19. Cadenaxo – Lenguas Podridas

Cadenaxo hail from Tenochtitlan, Mexico, and the group’s infectious Lenguas Podridas LP is a rip-roaring free-for-all of lean and mean hardcore. If you enjoy the energy and aggression of Impalers or Vaaska, you’re going to dig Cadenaxo’s turbocharged tone and temper. Lenguas Podridas foregrounds big riffs with bigger hooks as blazing d-beat and raw hardcore fight it out in the gutter. Lenguas Podridas‘ short, sharp, and anthemic tracks will have you leaping about your lounge room in record time. Tune in for zero-bullshit, shout-along hardcore that goes straight for the jugular. (11 PM Records)

• Bandcamp

18. Oily Boys – Cro Memory Grin

The long-awaited full-length from Australian punks Oily Boys, Cro Memory Grin, features full-throttle and frequently eccentric songs. There’s plenty of boisterous riffs and teeth-smashing attitude right here. But even better is when Oily Boys set to giving your lizard brain a workout, diving into noise rock or harsh psychedelic punk, and throwing in all sorts of hard-edged anarchic noise. Maximum live-wire intensity abounds as the band’s offbeat-yet-always-sizzling hardcore fries your fucking neurons. Utterly demented tunes for that lunatic lurking inside us all. (Cool Death Records, Static Shock Records)

• Bandcamp

17. Scheme – S/T

Canadian d-beat band Scheme features members from filth-dealers like Napalm Raid and Mass Grave, and the band’s self-titled debut is a spine-snapping triumph. Scheme’s stripped-down tracks are constructed from brain-bending kängpunk, which is slathered in noxious-sounding crust, and then everything is battered about by mangel-driven madness. Authenticity is the key right here. No posing. No play-acting. No posturing. Just relentlessly hammering raw punk for when you’re aching for some of the most violent noise around. (Slow Death Records)

• Bandcamp

16. Collapsed – S/T
Nightmare Fuel – A Vaccination for the Social Plague

Here’s two storming releases replete with concussive crust that nods to bygone days while opening its arms to Armageddon. Collapsed’s self-titled debut is an absolute monster, with fetid death metal slamming into anvil-heavy crustcore throughout. Apocalyptic prophets Nightmare Fuel also paint grim scenes on A Vaccination for the Social Plague, blending raw death metal with even more rancid stenchcore. Both bands’ releases are equally belligerent. Both feature impressively heavy production values. And both releases feature trampling tracks that’d make Stormcrow or Sanctum damn proud. (Self-released)

• Collapsed Bandcamp
• Nightmare Fuel Bandcamp

15. Permission – Organised People Suffer

Permission’s Organised People Suffer reaffirms the UK band’s well-earned reputation for delivering unconventional but always on-point hardcore. Permission’s idiosyncratic tracks see serrated riffs and assaultive percussion assailed by volatile twists and turns. (Think Die Kreuzen covering Negative Approach, while peaking on an extremely bad batch of acid.) Insanity boils. Intensity roils. And Permission’s chaotic songs shudder and judder throughout. Organised People Suffer is as unique as it is psychotic – and as manic as it is wholly imaginative. (La Vida Es Un Mus)

• Bandcamp

14. Coriky – S/T

I’m a sucker for a definitive Dischord Records release, and Coriky’s self-titled debut has all the makings of just that. I guess that isn’t too surprising, given the band features Fugazi vocalist/guitarist Ian MacKaye and bassist Joe Lally, along with MacKaye’s partner and The Evens bandmate vocalist/drummer Amy Farina. Coriky’s jazz-like agility sees them winding catchy hardcore around shorter bursts of dissonance, with the band’s spiky songs displaying a musical and lyrical richness that’ll be familiar to fans of MacKaye, Lally, and Farina’s previous work. Coriky certainly aren’t Fugazi 2.0. But if you love Fugazi’s more reflective tracks, you’ll likely love Coriky too. (Dischord Records)

• Bandcamp

13. Rash – Hivemind

Rash’s full-length debut, Hivemind, is a consummate example of tough-as-steel hardcore. Of course, there were plenty of other examples of just that in 2020, but what nudges Rash into the lead is the bludgeoning noise rock and other raucous experimentations embedded in the band’s high-velocity tracks. Hivemind is plenty punishing and pulverizing, and if you’re hungry for gut-punching hardcore, your appetite will be sated. But there’s another layer to Hivemind, and unexpected swerves ensure the album never becomes predictable or comfortable. A-grade unruliness meets unorthodox disruptiveness. (Convulse Records)

• Bandcamp

12. Lái 来 – Pontianak

Melbourne band Lái 来 explore religion, gender issues, feminism, and LGBTQIA+ rights at home and in SouthEast Asia. The band’s Pontianak LP injects fierce opinions into aptly ferocious tracks as Swedish-inspired d-beat and raw hardcore are locked in battle throughout. Lái 来 make clear that the personal is always political, and Pontianak is duly stacked with shredding tracks that tear into oppression and prejudice. With lyrics sung in Bahasa Indonesian and English, Lái 来 eclipse any potential language barriers by radiating intense amounts of passion and outrage. Pontianak is pitch-perfect for these troubled times, and it’s fucking flawless to boot. (Ruin Nation, D-Takt & Råpunk).

• Bandcamp

11. Absurd SS – S/T

Absurd SS features musicians from groups like Giftgasattack, Warvictims, Final Slum War, Nocturnal Scum, Earth Crust Displacement, and more. The band take a staunchly anti-war, anti-fascist, and anti-capitalist approach, attacking manifold injustices while unpacking the grim realities of conflict and modern life on their self-titled debut. Heavily influenced by the rawest veins of Japanese and Swedish hardcore, Absurd SS’ ultra-brutal crasher crust is filthier than an Obscene Extreme Fest port-a-potty. Absurd SS’ “Dis-Noize Apocalypse” also drifts into mind-scrambling grindcore territory on occasion, meaning the band’s debut LP is the perfect cross-genre extreme punk companion. Gruesome-sounding punk for when only the most hideous noise will suffice. (Rawmantic Disasters, Burning Anger)

• Bandcamp

10. Genöme – Young, Beautiful & Free

Young, Beautiful & Free – the sophomore LP from Malmö punks Genöme – is even heavier and burlier than the band’s fierce debut. Ripping metalpunk leads the charge, with vocalist Aanna’s powerful voice punching through walls of blown-out crasher crust. It’s clear that Genöme’s songwriting has developed, but they retain the necessary rawness of their anger and the coarseness of their sound. If you’re seeking lawless crust to liberate your mind and body, Young, Beautiful & Free‘s off-the-chain tracks will have you kicking in doors and dancing in the streets, and maybe even throwing a can of soup or two. (Not Enough Records, Phobia Records, Ryvvolte Records, Up The Punx)

• Bandcamp

9. Mutant Strain – S/T

Mutant Strain’s recent self-titled LP perfectly captures their red-hot vitality. The North Carolina band recorded all the catchy songs on their vinyl debut live, in exhilarating batches, recording as if playing a sweaty live set with zero drink breaks allowed. Unsurprisingly, Mutant Strain’s LP features plenty of punch, with all the explosive instrumentation and passionate vocals charging the atmosphere with electrifying energy. Mutant Strain’s high-voltage rock ‘n’ roll is delivered at hardcore’s pace, and all the wild riffin’ and swingin’ hooks demand repeated listens. Quadruple bonus points for killer packaging and artwork that tips its hat to Crass-like happenings. (Sorry State Records)

• Bandcamp

8. Disease – Death Is Inevitable
Tortür – Never Ending Grief

Macedonian trio Disease and Los Angles three-piece Tortür have a lot of noisy things in common. Both bands released albums in 2020 that worshipped at the altar of Disclose, and both of the bands’ releases featured music that’s a full-bore bombarding assault on the senses. Both bands also mixed scorching instrumentation with system-smashing determination, and the ear-piercing rawness of Disease and Tortür confirms they both love noise-not-music in equal measure.

Disease’s Death Is Inevitable LP drowns witheringly corrosive d-beat in waves of screaming distortion – with the band delivering songs at a perfect nose-bleeding pitch. Tortür’s Never Ending Grief LP also mixes throat-slit yowls with speaker-wrecking primitivism, and all the chainsawing music therein is about as obnoxious as obnoxious gets. Devotees of barbwire-wrapped punk will likely lap up all the migraine-inducing råpunk, d-beat, and crust here. No question, Disease and Tortür’s manifestations of audio warfare are both ear-fucking treats.(Rawmantic Disasters, Blown Out Media, Ryvvolte Records, Burning Anger)

• Tortür Bandcamp
• Disease Bandcamp

7. Lebenden Toten – Synaptic Noise Dissociation

It doesn’t get much better than renowned Portland noise-merchants Lebenden Toten when it comes to delivering wholly disorienting punk rock. The prolific band’s über-harsh sound features face-melting levels of dissonance, static, and feedback-drenched noise – and plenty of delirious weirdness too. Lebenden Toten’s 2020 live LP, Synaptic Noise Dissociation, is a breathtaking cacophony and another bracing reminder of how the band tap into pure unhinged chaos and yet remain tight as a gnat’s ass. Synaptic Noise Dissociation offers 13 skin-stripping tracks filled with brainpan-boiling punk, battery-acid-strength riffs, and music that’s utterly beautiful in its raw ugliness. 100% I.N.T.E.N.S.E. 100% I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E. (Iron Lung Records)

• Bandcamp

6. Destruct – Echoes of Life

Destruct’s first two demos were jaw-breaking victories, and their 2020 full-length, Echoes of Life, is a goddamn knockout too. Destruct prowl like a hulking/rabid beast, slamming Japanese raw punk influences into Discharge’s bruising momentum. Blasting bass and bloodthirsty vocals tear through walls of heavily muscled punk, and if eviscerating hardcore is your kink, you’re going to soil your knickers right here. Destruct ramp up the intensity throughout Echoes of Life, growing ever more ruthless and relentless. Even better, Echoes of Life finds the perfect balance between sounding utterly massive and remaining blisteringly raw throughout. Staggering. Obliterating. Bulldozing noise for the ages. (Grave Mistake Records)

• Bandcamp

5. Geld – Beyond the Floor

Generally, I’m relatively zen about being an enthusiastic hack rather than a gifted writer. But I’m definitely aware of my shortcomings at this time of the year. Trying to illustrate how impressive many of my favorite 2020 releases are is a tough call for the articulately challenged (i.e., me), and that’s doubly true when it comes to Geld’s breathtaking Beyond the Floor LP. Paranoiac, pyrotechnic, and hallucinogenic all work as descriptors for Geld’s off-the-chain musicality (which the Melbourne band combine with brain-frying creativity on Beyond the Floor). Geld deliver wilder and weirder tracks than ever on the LP, and while Beyond the Floor often explores the hinterlands of psychedelic punk, it remains plugged into the heart of blistering hardcore. Throat-ripping d-beat locks horns with schizophrenic punk throughout, and the result is a genre-trampling triumph. (Static Shock Records, Iron Lung Records)

• Bandcamp

4. Muro – Pacificar
Muro/Orden Mundial – Sonido de la Negación

There’s no point separating Colombian punks Muro’s latest full-length, Pacificar (which, FYI, feels like another instant classic) from their Sonido de la Negación split with Spanish punks Orden Mundial. Both releases underscore Muro’s ability to sculpt songs that are cleverly composed yet still sound incredibly visceral and primitive. Much of Pacificar is as frenzied as a shark attack, and the LP palpably evokes the inequalities and injustices of inner-city Colombian life. Muro’s hard-as-nails Sonido de la Negación split with Orden Mundial was released in the memory of Orden Mundial’s bassist Martí. Recorded during a bitter Berlin winter, Sonido de la Negación is, unsurprisingly, still a scorching release. Muro and Orden Mundial hammer sharp hooks into incendiary hardcore, with each band matching the other’s passion and aggression every step of the way.(Adult Crash, Beach Impediment Records, La Vida Es Un Mus)

• Muro Bandcamp
• Muro/Orden Mundial Bandcamp

3. 偏執症者 (Paranoid) – Out Raising Hell

Swedish berserkers 偏執症者 (Paranoid) released a surprise new album in 2020. Fittingly, for these ominous times, Out Raising Hell was an apocalyptic riot, through and through. The album was conceived during some very dark times, with the band even considering ending their career, but Out Raising Hell shows no signs of fatigue or of Paranoid feeling weighed down by the world. If anything, Out Raising Hell sounds angrier and fiercer than ever, with Paranoid tearing through gut-driven tracks stacked with råpunk, d-beat, Japanese noisecore, and, of course, raw black metal. Out Raising Hell is a certified off-the-leash ripper, with its feral-sounding songs spiked with an abundance of venomous hooks. (D-Takt & Råpunk Records, Konton Crasher)

• Bandcamp

2. Subdued – Over the Hills and Far Away

As Maximum Rocknroll rightly pointed out in their review of Subdued’s Over the Hills and Far Away, “The hype is completely justified on this one.” Subdued’s atmospheric balladry exudes an 80s-like authenticity as bone-chilling crust, hardcore, and anarcho and peace-punk coil around each other on Over the Hills and Far Away‘s grim-toned tracks. The album is unquestionably Subdued’s most polished work to date, but, crucially, it retains the coarse anger and evocative anguish of the band’s earlier releases. Over the Hills and Far Away evokes windswept moors, crumbling cities, and lost souls trying to piece together shattered dreams. Subdued’s bleak yet cathartic music offers a sublime mix of seething volatility and poetic yearning, which are both tightly bound in dark gothic tension. (Roachleg Records, La Vida Es Un Mus)

• Bandcamp

1. LIFE – Ossification of Coral

Essentially, I marked Ossification of Coral down as my album of the year as soon as it was announced. I know that suggests I maintain zero critical distance when it comes to the Tokyo crusties, and that’s entirely accurate, my friend. Luckily, LIFE don’t make it very difficult to justify my bias. The band have released some outstanding music over the past 28 years, including a couple of phenomenal full-lengths in The World Lies Across Them and Violence, Peace and Peace Research. LIFE are true inspirations, holding fast to their beliefs, and unlike a lot of other punk bands who’ve let their convictions slide over the years, LIFE still practice what they preach.

LIFE have made significant sacrifices while always delivering uncompromising music, and Ossification of Coral is wholly uncompromising too. Press play, and you’re greeted by a torrent of reverb-drenched, politically-charged punk. LIFE’s anti-war message is readily apparent, but as Ossification of Coral‘s title suggests, so are strong environmental concerns. The LP also sounds HUGE – certainly, the biggest and baddest LIFE have ever sounded – with blown-out raw punk and withering levels of distortion mixing with crasher crust and unhinged snarls.

Every song on Ossification of Coral features scything riffs, pounding drums, and enough cacophonous, bass-heavy noise to grind you into the earth. Crucially, LIFE also make room for a little diversity, dropping in Burning Spirits-worthy solos, catchy albeit crushing melodies, and a smattering of hard-nosed Scandinavian noisecore. Everything you want from LIFE is here: raw passion, rawer anger, and a guitar tone that’ll strip the enamel off your teeth. Ossification of Coral is stacked to the gunnels with consummate crust, proving, yet again, that LIFE are the very definition of lifers. (Desolate Records, Acclaim Collective, Not Enough Records, Distro Rakkos, Punk Bastard Records)

• Bandcamp

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Destruct – Echoes of Life

The first two demos from Richmond punks Destruct were jaw-breaking triumphs, and the band’s full-length debut, Echoes of Life, is an absolute knockout too. Drawing inspiration from Japan’s noisiest punk grottos, Destruct slam Disclose-driven rowdiness into Discharge-fueled d-beat on tracks like “Wars of Attrition” and “(Symbols of) Human Failure.” The influence of Totalitär and Anti Cimex resounds on feral scorchers “Corrupt Dreams” and “Drain,” and violent vocals smash through walls of heavily built hardcore on “Mutual Destruction” and “Why Not Love.”

No question, Echoes of Life is obliterating. If you’re seeking anguished howls, decimating riffs, and bombarding percussion, there’s plenty of that. Plus, if you’re wondering what being crushed by a bulldozer feels like, see within as well.

Destruct’s music features familiar signifiers, but the band aren’t simply repeating an oft-told tale on Echoes of Life. Destruct sound ruthless and relentless while ramping up the intensity, and best of all, Echoes of Life sounds utterly massive and yet blisteringly raw throughout.

Formidable. Staggering. Pummeling. Echoes of Life is—as the kids say—fucking sick.

Out now via Grave Mistake Records.

Raspberry Bulbs – Before the Age of Mirrors

Six years on since their last LP, New York band Raspberry Bulbs remerge with a four-track recording filled with lo-fi blackened punk that’s as dissonant and unconventional as their previous work. The band’s fourth LP, Before The Age of Mirrors, features astringent tracks scattered with hooks—albeit jagged, tetanus-inducing ones. “Missing Teeth” and “Doggerel” sound like the Stooges covering Deathcrush, and Raspberry Bulbs channel Rudimentary Peni reinterpreting Transilvanian Hunger on “They’re After Me” and “Given Over to History.”

Nightmarish imagery arises from Raspberry Bulbs’ weird fiction fixations, and strange and paranoiac eccentricities reign supreme throughout. Sheer terror. Sheer insanity. Sheer brilliance.

Zodiak – TKY 2020

The three-song debut from Tokyo band Zodiak is the fourth release in French label Symphony of Destruction’s “Flexickers” series. Zodiak deal in searingly raw Japanese hardcore—the kind of world-eating noise that fans of Zyanose, Disclose, and Confuse devour. The vocals on Zodiak’s TKY 2020 7″ are provided by Californian singer JonCon, whose band Odio specialize in crusty Japanese-inspired cacophonies. TKY 2020 is best suited for admirers of nose-bleeding noise, lacerating guitars, and fierce grunts and growls. A+, all round.

Löckheed – Conflict Delirium

Just as I was about to submit this month’s feature, New Mexico label Blown Out Media announced their first release for 2020, Löckheed’s Conflict Delirium EP. Blown Out Media had a phenomenal 2019, releasing some of the year’s best raw punk recordings, including rip-roaring releases from Project GBG, Disapprove, Röntgen, and Step to Freedom. See below for the hammering new Löckheed track streaming on Bandcamp. See you next time for a fuller review of Conflict Delirium.

MobAttack – Warfare

Californian trio MobAttack’s full-length debut, Warfare, is their best release yet. The band’s extremely raw and rough-hewn hardcore is inspired by Discharge and Antisect as much as Disclose and Svart Parad, and Warfare is duly primitive and propulsive. D-beaten tracks whizz by in a rush of hoarse vocals and distorted / duct-taped riffs. Warfare is crude and coarse, with every second being more disordered than the last. Ear-splitting fun, obviously.

Affect – Fucked Reality

Swedish duo Affect’s second release, Fucked Reality, is a kängpunk free-for-all featuring the kind of stubborn shitnoise you have to scrape off the rim. Fucked Reality doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: full-tilt Disclose-worship meets amp-melting madness. Don’t waste your time looking for subtext or subtleties, because Fucked Reality is simply a whirlwind of mind-mangling Scandi noise. You get five obnoxious tracks and all of them are as raw as pissing razor blades.

Exploatör – Avgrundens Brant

Phobia Records are releasing Exploatör’s second LP, Avgrundens Brant, and the label are calling it the “album of the year!“. That’s a bold claim, given we’re only three months into 2020. But there’s no denying that Avgrundens Brant is a tour de force that’ll likely be a strong contender come year’s end.

Exploatör features members linked to well-known groups like Warcollapse, Brainbombs, Krigshot, Dissekerad, Disfear, Totalitär and more. Obviously, we’ve all been stung by all-star line-ups letting us down, but Exploatör avoid any ego-stroking or overcooked endeavors and concentrate on delivering a stampeding mix of d-beat, crust, and strapping hardcore.

There’s nothing fancy, showy, or even overly ambitious here—just veteran punks showing a deep appreciation of the pure joys of hurtling guitars, crashing percussion, and gruffly barked vocals. Heavyweight tracks barrel along at a demolishing pace, and while it’s way too early to decide if Avgrundens Brant is the album of the year, if you’re looking for definitive raw hardcore, Exploatör provide plenty of that, and more.

Scavengers Circle – Beyond Repair

Formed by two members from Swedish band Suffer the Pain, Scavengers Circle drop an anvil-heavy debut in Beyond Repair. Smashed out in a single session, the six-track EP is gut-driven and features tracks that growl and prowl like a pitiless beast. D-beat, crust, and Motörcharged riffing provide plenty of horsepower, and fans of Wolfbrigade, Martyrdöd, and abundant Dis-this or Dis-that bands will enjoy Scavengers Circle’s grim and gritty hymns.

That’s not the end of things, though. There are gravel-gargling vocals and heavyweight kängpunk and stenchcore here that’ll prove alluring for deathcrust enthusiasts as well. In fact, Beyond Repair pretty much tramples over sub-genre boundaries as Scavengers Circle intertwine a raft of off-the-chain metal, punk, and hardcore influences. Great stuff.

Despairer – Unburdened

Unburdened is the second EP from Seattle four-piece Despairer. The band’s hefty metallic crust is constructed of big riffs and expressive howls, which share an aesthetic connection to groups like His Hero is Gone, Tragedy, and From Ashes Rise. Similarly, Despairer inject a lot of heartfelt passion and dynamic handiwork into their songs, and the four tracks here are all emotionally bruising encounters that mix angry, scathing, and rousing passages of music.

Despairer are dramatic without being melodramatic, delivering hot-blooded d-beat, crust, and powerhouse hardcore. Unburdened is animated and action-packed, but most of all, it’s evocative and soul-stirring.

B.E.T.O.E / End Result – Nuclear Stockpiles
Purgä – Noise from Hell

If music that sounds like an ear infection feels isn’t your thing, look away now. The MO of prolific Venezuela via Barcelona d-beat and raw punk band B.E.T.O.E is simple: take one chainsawing guitar, add incomprehensible yowls, and throw the lot into a concrete mixer with piledriving drums and bass. B.E.T.O.E share their latest split release with Los Angeles trio End Result, whose skull-splitting demo was covered in the last volume of In Crust We Trust. B.E.T.O.E and End Result’s Nuclear Stockpiles split is a fuzz-fucked massacre, which obviously makes it a dream come true for diehard Disclose, Shitlickers, and Confuse nerds. It’s crude, chaotic, and as ugly as your cum face—guaranteed.

The new flexi from New York Latino punks Purgä is as abrasive as hospital-grade bleach. Noise from Hell delivers six tracks in less than six minutes and the reverb-choked racket features eye-ball-melting levels of distortion. Purgä don’t so much play raw punk as attempt to corral pure pandemonium. Dissonant. Teeth-rattling. And plenty of killer bass lines, too.

Impulse – 6 Track Tape

There’s no Dis-guising Russian trio Impulse’s primary influences. Discharge provide plenty of propellant for the “Sovtek Noise Terror” that Impulse deliver. The band’s 6 Track Tape features an impressive assemblage of heavy-duty d-beat matched to equally hard-wearing hardcore. Screeching solos materialize amongst pulverizing riffs and snarling vocals, while percussion rains down relentlessly.

Admittedly, unrepentant Dis-worship can all sound very similar. But Impulse do a good job of adding an ice-cold edge to their sound. File alongside Fatum, Step to Freedom, Regime, and the plethora of other titanium-strength punk bands emerging from Russia these days.

Skumstrike – Execution Void

The members of Montreal metalpunk three-piece Skumstrike hail from Singapore, Ireland, and Canada, and the band’s influences are aptly multinational. You can hear groups like Shitlickers, Sodom, Framtid, Aura Noir, and Sabbat in their sound, but Skumstrike hurl their inspirations onto a gasoline-soaked pyre, light it up, and bathe in the inferno.

The power-trio tear through five powderkeg tracks filled with Mad Max-worthy blackened thrash / punk on their new Execution Void EP. Filthier than Skumstrike’s previous Pure Coercion EP, Execution Void also slathers on a thicker layer of crust, and Skumstrike don a heavier-gauge bullet belt, too. The band’s latest batch of tracks are foot-to-the-floor rampages. Fans of steely metalpunk, start your engines. Freewheel burning awaits.

Leech – Venus

Straight outta Funabashi, Japan, Leech specialize in blink-and-you’ll-miss-em blasts of grindcore, hardcore, and breakneck powerviolence. All of the band’s previous releases are fast, fierce and, like all red-raw powerviolence, an acquired taste. Leech’s latest batch of furious audio anarchy (i.e. their new Venus EP) features seven hideous-sounding tracks. As per, everything here is barely recorded and every track detonates like a lo-fi hand grenade. Expect bellowing vocals, churning guitars, and plenty of crust-caked abrasiveness.

Orphanage Named Earth / The Throne – Split

The latest release from Polish label Sanctus Propaganda is a thundering 12″ split showcasing the core strengths of fellow Poles Orphanage Named Earth and The Throne. Orphanage Named Earth’s “romantic crust” honors ancient traditions while exploring post-apocalyptic premonitions, and the band’s latest tracks—the percussive “One Tribe” and bruising “Fire in my Heart”—stick to the same atavistic path. Anyone who enjoyed Orphanage Named Earth’s well-received Saudade and Re-evolve releases will rejoice in the epic neo-crust, post-metal, and atmospheric hardcore here.

The Throne’s emotive hardcore is complementary to Orphanage Named Earth’s, but the band also dig deeper into shadowier spheres. The Throne merge raucous d-beat and blast beats in a pitch-black fusion of frenzied instrumentation. Even better, The Throne’s howling tracks here aren’t afraid to dive headfirst into far harsher and darker-sounding caverns either.

PS: Kudos to artist (and War//Plague guitarist) Andy Lefton, whose cover art for Orphanage Named Earth’s side of their split is *outstanding*.

ICD10 – Pleasure for Everyone

Word is, Philadelphia hardcore band ICD10 features a few members from Philly noisecore crew Fuckin’ Lovers, who dropped a virulent release, City Hippies, in late 2019. ICD10’s Pleasure for Everyone debut is also set to destroy your hearing and wellbeing. It starts out with a hot-shot of piercing feedback, and then heavy-duty acidic riffs and gruff, reverbed vocals kick in. Before you know it, ICD10 have burned through one stripped-down, staggering song, and then they’re onto the next bout of down-tuned audio hooliganism.

Unquestionable authenticity, maximum intensity.

Svaveldioxid – Dödsögonblick

Svaveldioxid’s 2019 full-length, Dödsögonblick, was one of last year’s best kängpunk releases. Recorded at Studio D-takt, Dödsögonblick wielded plenty of crude and corrosive punch. But D-takt studio wiz Jan Jutila decided to test some new equipment the studio had installed, so he opted to remix the album recently.

The results sound great. And don’t panic, a remix doesn’t mean Jutila has buffed or smoothed anything. If anything, Dödsögonblick’s guitars, drums, and cut-throat vocals sound even more belligerent and barbaric. Svaveldioxid were extremely pleased with the new mix as well, and the remixed Dödsögonblick, which you can listen to below, is set for release on cassette via Headnoise Records very soon.

DEMO MINI-FEST

Demos, demos, demos—I love ’em. To hell with polished edges and swanky production values; demos are all the more thrilling because they’re instinctive, rough as guts, and packed with potential. I stumble upon plenty of promising demos every month, but some have a visceral presence that lingers longer in my memory. All the releases below fall into that category, so I’m ending this volume of In Crust We Trust with a quick-fire round-up of some recent demolishing demos.

Arson – Savage Butchery Demo

UK band Arson have talent oozing from every greasy pore, which isn’t much of surprise, given the band features members from celebrated British bands like Mere Mortal, The Flex, Die, and Perspex Flesh. Unrestrained riffs and percussion set the pummeling hardcore template on Arson’s Savage Butchery Demo. But flashes of primitive punk, driving bass, and sharp songwriting swerves add abstract angles to the full-throttle aggression right here. Phenomenal.

Attestor – Demo

UK band Attestor’s demo is filled with torrents of muscular d-beat and hardcore that hit like a sledgehammer. Heavyweight hooks are threaded throughout careening tracks, and on-point lyrics examine the myriad personal and political challenges of modernity. Socially conscious and musically ferocious. An enthralling debut.

Nightfeeder – Rotten Demo

Most of Nightfeeder’s members also play in well-known Seattle punk band Deathraid. Nightfeeder’s Rotten demo combines catchy d-beat, crust, and chest-pounding hardcore, which isn’t a million miles away from Deathraid’s sound, either. Rotten features six thickset original tracks, plus a couple of differently flavored covers. If you love brawny crust ‘n’ roll, you’ll likely dig the battering brew right here.

Battlefields – 4 Track Demo

The four tracks on Pittsburgh band Battlefields’ 4 Track Demo feature mega-distorted and mega-obnoxious hardcore. Rapid-firing riffs explode in a frenzied melee, while spitting vocals and incendiary percussion detonate in mind-warping eruptions. I read someone saying that Battlefields’ demo was “too much.” I disagree. Pour it on, boys. Total audio warfare demands total commitment. An annihilating victory all round.

Targets – Demo

Also sitting high on the violent-sounding scale is Colorado band Targets’ recent demo. Expect super-negative blasts of hardcore, where the ferocity and intensity is dialed up to the nth degree. With tracks that sound as unhinged as a murder spree, everything here is blown-out and (((B.R.U.T.A.L))) as Hell. Horrible noise for when only the harshest hardcore will get you through.

Splitting Heads – Demo 2020

Demo 2020, from Chicago band Splitting Heads, is aptly cranium-cracking. The demo’s unrelenting tracks are chock-a-block with raw and bludgeoning hardcore. Plenty of clobbering and concussive old school influences are exhibited throughout, but have no fear, Splitting Heads clearly have all the drive, vigor and unabating anger of the best contemporary hardcore.

Masochism – Plague of Warfare

Masochism’s Plague of Warfare demo is released by Californian label Suck Blood, who’ve released similarly lawless music from Hate Preachers and Cruelty Bomb. Masochism’s demo throws d-beat, crust, and all sorts of septic-sounding chaos into a bass-driven meatgrinder. The result: guttural gutter hardcore that’s road-rash raw.

Echelon – Demo

Atlanta band Echelon’s recent demo features snarling hardcore +, and a little more of that killer Nicky Rat cover art we all love. Details about Echelon are scarce, although I’m sure someone plugged into Atlanta’s punk scene knows the scoop. What I can say is that Echelon’s demo is a fierce blast of scrappy and serrated hardcore, where gruff tracks that feel unhygienic and unpolished are still keenly focused. Brute-force sawtoothed noise. Highly recommended.

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