[engl] Cancer’ is a rough, melodic rock album emanating the member’s background in hardcore and metal while the band treads new paths towards a more vulnerable expression. An approach that is a natural consequence of the dissolvement, illness and struggle that have marked the band these last years - a struggle which has now resulted in a strong and honest record about survival ‘Cancer’ is produced by Jacob Bredahl and Riverhead, recorded by Tommy Hansen, Tue Madsen and Jacob Bredahl, mastered by Brad Boatright with artwork by Liz Curso. ‘Cancer’ is released on LP/CS/Digital via Sounds of Subterrania April 28th 2023.

[engl] What started as a one off project for a bit of fun on the Fuzzbrain Records Compilation LP in 2019, quickly mutated into a fully fledged band made up of four UK heads with plenty under their collective belts: Ben Woolf (Blind Authority, Lawful Killing, Frame Of Mind, Stages in Faith, Layback), Bobby Cole (The Annihilated, Churchgoers), Jon Osbourne (Mastermind), and Ollie Hudd (Fortbragg Zine). When QC heard this ‘demo’ it was so in your face we just knew we had to put it on wax, because this blend of Krackdown and Outburst era NYHC with a still distinct London hardcore sound will blow your fuckin’ face off! Live expect some crazy energy and antics that’s hard as nails. Who else is gonna do a hardcore version of the James Bond theme? Stay warned, friends.

[engl] The story of Existence dates back to 2016 when a group of young Stockholm hardcore heads wanted to get into some good old Cro-Mags worship. After some changes in personnel, the current line-up of deranged idiots has been paving the way for a violent future since early 2017. They currently share members with several other bands, including Blood Sermon and Speedway and are all active in the local DIY community in different ways, for example running Alive and Well Fest. With an EP under their belt in 2018, several tours across Europe and beyond, as well as appearances on such stages as Outbreak, the sound began to evolve leading up to the masterpiece that is the debut LP, ‘Go to Heaven’. Clocking in at nearly 40 minutes we don't think anyone can truly be prepared for this insanely epic body of work. From Slayer, to Merauder, to H8000, to Arkangel to Integrity, this is a masterclass in metallic hardcore songwriting by the strong beating heart of Stockholm HC. Songs that take you on a journey from a classic metallic breakdown riff to acoustic guitar sections to sword samples needed a hand that was not afraid of the complexity, leading to Jonah Falco of Fucked Up on mixing duties giving this the depth that it deserved. At times introspective, and at other times classic brute force, the themes of the lyrics are well summed up with the painted artwork by Nora Löwenberg of a face behind shattered glass, exploring the multifaceted nature of humanity and the ever changing place of the self in today’s global world. So if this all sounds like your kind of hardcore, then listening to this LP will truly be… heaven.

[engl] Blow Your Brains Out formed in 2019 with members of Stand United, Inside, Die Birth, Civil Defense and Soul Vice from Tokyo and Kanagawa. The band are all active members of their local hardcore communities whether it's putting on shows or running a popular radio show called Sick People. Hardcore fans were hyped for the demo with its instant hit mix of Cro-mags and Dynamo style influenced hardcore, and were excited to hear what the band would do next. However, as with all things at this time, they had to put everything on pause. Fast forward to 2023 and the band have recorded their debut 12” ‘The Big Escape’. This sees the band keep true to their demo influences but with greater flair, and will have you humming the tunes in no time at all. It was important for vocalist Kai to sing in Japanese, a language with a unique rhythm and flow that he wanted to match to the riffs, as well as to communicate about topics important to the local, as well as global community, using powerful Japanese words. ‘The Big Escape’ 12” talks about cult religions, political corruption, domestic violence, and companies that force people to work in poor conditions, as well as the suppression of citizens who resist authoritarian forces. I see through their lies and madness and act with the determination I have squeezed out, without succumbing to after-the-fact sophistry or threats. The underlying theme is the understanding that structural issues in society and politics cannot be easily solved, but it’s important to voice dissatisfaction and anger, and resist, and sometimes that’s by running away to survive, but it’s difficult to put this into practice in everyday life. However, there is hope that one day, the big escape will be achieved.

[engl] In loving memory of Darrell - you will be missed. "On Wednesday the 15th of June we lost our best friend, our Bobby. Words can’t describe how shocked and heartbroken we are. The joy, or what he would call ‘hot sauce’, that he brought to our lives has left a massive hole in our hearts. This is a photo taken at our last show on Saturday night. After we finished our set, he said “that was fucken sick, I think that was the best show we have ever played.” Darrell, we will love you forever." Love always, Greg & Steph x Eora/Sydney 3-piece Display Homes are back with new music! The asymmetric guitars, bass grooves and dynamic drums we’ve come to love on their previous two EPs are all there brighter than ever on forthcoming debut album What If You’re Right & They’re Wrong?. It’s raw but sharp, minimalist and danceable. Their pop sensibilities make it accessible while their post-punk leanings make it exciting. We’re calling it now as one of our favourite albums of the year! When I put this on I listen all the way through. The other day two times in a row. Unbelievably catchy. I will love this even years and years from now, for sure. Can’t pick a favorite song. This sounds like it could have been released in any of the last 5-6 decades. Solid, tight songs that warm the soul. I’m picking up on a wide diversity of sounds, from The Pixies to Blondie. Really glad to have stumbled across these guys! Extremely catchy, every song is a bop.

[engl] If music that feels like a massage with broken glass, then this is the rub for you! We know, we’ve withstood the pain for you but now it's finally time to share. Short, fast and raging hardcore from both of these UK bruisers. Meant to be a promo tape for Frisk’s "Stalker" LP, which as you know is already out, and meant to coincide with their jaunt around the Empire late last year but, of course, Iron Lung Records got it done just in time for the day after, haha. As chance would have it, Last Affront is coming over to the states to do a tour so now this tape is their tour promo thing. Life is a stab in the dark at best so turn the lights off and start waving your knives in the air.

[engl] Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the bomb shelter, Eteraz returns, crustier and more metallic than ever… Rabid with violence in their veins and the sonic arsenal to carry out full scale warfare on the senses. Starting in the ear and drilling its way to what’s left of your sorry excuse for a brain. There will be nothing left. Bombastic buzzsaw guitars, relentless pummeling bass, chaoticly vicious drum battery and a wildly sinister vocals make for an unholy alchemy of evil fucking hardcore. Not to be taken lightly.

[engl] There was a time when the fear of nuclear destruction was so thick you could feel it in the your lungs and walked the streets. Like at any moment some ICBM would rain fire on your town and the troops would be thrust into action. Only they wouldn’t be defending the town they would use the melee as an excuse to rid their little podunk heaven of the “punker plague”. Those freaky weirdos with pins in their ear and stains on their gear. The ones that spray paint “Ronald Reagan SUCKS a big one” on the hoods of cars. The ones that don’t fit and don’t wanna… Friends and enemies, introducing ELECTRIC CHAIR!

[engl] Christoph Dallach, Andreas Dorau and Daniel Jahn present Echo Neuklang, a compilation which explores the question of how Krautrock has influenced generation after generation of musicians since its inception. A contentious genre at the best of times, the music within its spectrum is essentially intangible. The common thread running through it is a compulsion to seek out the new. Beginning in the year 1981 and extending as far as 2023, the music in this collection demonstrates how the idea of what passed for Krautrock in the 1970s has been interpreted or reinterpreted by a diverse array of artists with distinct approaches in the decades which followed, without recourse to any generic conventions.

[engl] The band got together again in 1986 on the occasion of a party to move out of a shared apartment. A video was recorded of this last concert, which the band knew nothing about until 2012. The recordings were taken from the video, edited and are now on this LP. Two songs are unreleased to date. No doubt without an absolute contemporary document! Comes with lyric sheet and liner notes.

[engl] Time for another prime dose of potent, chorus-drenched anarcho-punk from one of its finest modern exponents: A Culture Of Killing return with their third album, bigger and bolder than before with a foreboding sense of deathrock gloom dialed all the way up beyond 11. Their usual array of nods are all present and correct (The Mob, Zounds, The Cure), but this time everything feels… grander? More fully realised? Impressive, given their first two albums have been hoovered up and hailed by those in the know, but maybe we should banish any lingering doubts that the mysterious Italian band might be moving beyond merely echoing the classics and closer to creating a new benchmark for the genre. Look, all of this is a very fancy way of saying that ACOK are pretty fucking great and no one else can touch ‘em right now when it comes to this sort of goth-tinged post-punk. New instrumentation, new ways of relating to each other as a band, new ways of grabbing your attention as a listener and making you want to press the record grooves into your brain and use your nerve endings as a stylus. From new wave-styled Burundi beats and furious call-and-response vocals to dubbed-out grooves, there are new influences that are more than welcome in the band’s sound, but the songs themselves are their finest thus far (‘2 Years’ and ‘The Last Train Home’ are simply magical). It says a lot about this LP that it’ll hold its own with the output of both Crass Records and 4AD; it’s a strong step forward that’ll win ‘em new fans and embolden existing ones to say things like ‘best band in the world right now’ and ‘sell your home to buy a copy if you have to’. Especially if you don’t technically own your home. You get the idea. Is there a Crass-shaped hole in your life that’s been empty since you wore out your copy of ‘Penis Envy’? An itch that only the purest of peace punk can scratch? This is the record for you. I don’t use the word ‘essential’ much but… oh, well, I’ve given the game away there, haven’t I? Get it, get it now.

[engl] 'Morphing Polaroids' is the debut album by Japanese born Saeko Okuchi alias Saeko Killy for Hamburg- based Bureau B. After moving to Berlin in 2018 Saeko Killy found herself in the orb of Club Sameheads, where she made herself known as a DJ and live performer. After releasing her first EP " ???????? ?? – Dancing Pikapika" with the label Chill Mountain from Osaka in 2021, followed a fruitful Jam session during the pandemic lockdown, resulting in the eleven titles collected together here for the album 'Morphing Polaroids' produced by Brussels DJ and selector soFa elsewhere. The LP is a contemporary Leftfield Clubsound, effortlessly combining elements of Dub, Post-Punk and Kraut with electronic Beats.

[engl] GAMES OF POWER lives inside a crystal clear recording by long time friend and Edmonton wizard Nik Kozub, bringing Home Front’s follow up to “Think of The Lie” to euphoric heights and gritty lows. Produced again by Jonah Falco remotely and between sub zero 10 kilometer runs in Edmonton in late February with co-production by Nik Kozub, Home Front have put their best mirror shined boot forward.” (Jonah Falco)

[engl] First things first - you don’t need me to tell you about the significance of Australia in the history of punk. I mean, what am I, Jon Savage? Google it yourself, FFS. Instead, let’s just agree that the speedy, feral racket thrown together by the likes of The Saints, Radio Birdman and The Scientists in the mid-late ‘70s is AT LEAST as deliriously entertaining as anything concocted by their UK/US counterparts, sowing the seeds for seemingly endless garage-inflected noisemakers in the land down under. No one likes using words like ‘tradition’ or ‘heritage’ here - the punk rock clusterbomb is far too messy for any of that business - but also emerging from Australian rock’s primordial soup is the addictive sneer of Stiff Richards. Like their predecessors, the band are a gleefully wracked mess of full throttle energy and barrelling power chords, with songs like ‘Kids Out On The Grass’ and ‘Point of You’ proving at least the equal of ‘(I’m) Stranded’ or ‘Aloha Steve And Danno’. Nine tracks in less than 30 minutes, all winners and all determined to leave you flipping over couches and smashing your TV set. And let’s face it, you may as well; there’s nothing good on. It all builds towards frantic closer ‘Fill In The Blanks’, which rattles around your speakers like the UK Subs trying to play Ed Kuepper riffs at the centre of an earthquake, before grinding to a halt as a voice says, “That’s the one.” Does it sound self-satisfied? Hey, it’s got good reason to - this is the best no-frills garage rock party since Gino & The Goons’ ‘Do The Get Around’, and the only appropriate response is to declare yourself betrothed to Stiff Richards because you can’t imagine your life without ‘em. Don’t believe me? Sort out your ears and get ‘State Of Mind’ in ‘em. Rock’n’roll as it’s supposed to be played.

[engl] Split System, the Aussie group featuring Jackson Reid Briggs (Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters) on vocals and Arron Mawson (Stiff Richards) on guitar, took the punk world by storm with its debut EP this past spring. That was hardly surprising given the talent involved. But whatever my expectations were for Split System, the Melbourne-based outfit far exceeded them. Not just another "super group" (also on board are guitarist Ryan Webb [Speed Week], bassist Deon Slaviero, and drummer Mitch McGregor [No Zu]), Split System is straight-up one of the most powerful and exciting punk rock and roll bands of recent memory. The band's EP was a smasher, and now debut album Vol. 1 emphatically follows suit. My god, this record is a monster! Essentially Split System's sound is classic Aussie punk. That may sound like nothing new, but this band executes the style with a force and fury rarely heard these days. It doesn't hurt that Jackson Reid Briggs is one of the best rock and roll screamers going. He's got a fire inside of him. Meanwhile, Mawson and Webb form one hell of a guitar tandem. And that rhythm section is insane. These are all brilliant players who come together to make an extraordinary band. Vol. 1 comes storming out of the gates with "The End" and never lets up. Of course we knew some of the previously-released tracks ("Hit Me," "Demolition," "Climbing") were going to rip. But the newer material is just as good and will just about melt your face off. Songs like "Ringing In My Head" and "Grip" are pure energy and ferocity, while closing track "Feelings" has a mellowed-out Saints feel. This band knows how to rock and roll, and there are literally no songs on this album that don't entirely kick ass. Sometimes we think of these all-star groups as "side projects," but such categorization would sell Split System woefully short. If we're talking about the top three or four punk bands in Australia right now, this has to be one of them!

[engl] Originally part of 2021’s Faust Box Set release commemorating the bands 50th anniversary Momentaufnahme I and II are now set for their own stand alone release by popular demand. This is for all those that missed out on the limited edition box set release. They collect together music recorded at the band's studio - a converted schoolhouse in rural Wümme between 1971 and 1974 in a similar vein to the way in which 'The Faust Tapes’ (released in 1973) was assembled. These two albums range from minimal electronic pulses, ambient dreamscapes, vocal collages to heavy drone, ritualistic percussion and psychedelic grooves. Highlights include the hypnotic space jams of ‘Vorsatz’ and ‘Rückwärts Durch Die Drehtür’, the delicate acoustics of ‘I Am... An Artist' and the radiophonic workship-esq 'Weird Sounds Sound Bizarre‘. Let’s let founding member Jean-Hervé Peron explain more.... Faust? were originally a group of musicians, each following our own inspirations, desires, illusions: many facets, many directions, different styles, different languages. We often had to struggle with the clash of our egos but there was also a natural tacit understanding of each other's role. We had the privilege to work with a great producer and an extraordinary recording engineer. From spring 1971 to spring 1974 we existed as a group. Then Faust became a Gestalt with various incarnations. Momentaufnahme? Don't panic here, it is only German for 'Snapshot’. Momentaufnahme I and II present a collection of unreleased snapshots which offer a wonderful insight into the world of Faust. Some tracks are extremely raw and experimental, others are fully rounded productions. So far we have MA I and MA II but we plan to do more of these when we come up with more material or new ideas.

[engl] Originally part of 2021’s Faust Box Set release commemorating the bands 50th anniversary Momentaufnahme I and II are now set for their own stand alone release by popular demand. This is for all those that missed out on the limited edition box set release. They collect together music recorded at the band's studio - a converted schoolhouse in rural Wümme between 1971 and 1974 in a similar vein to the way in which 'The Faust Tapes’ (released in 1973) was assembled. These two albums range from minimal electronic pulses, ambient dreamscapes, vocal collages to heavy drone, ritualistic percussion and psychedelic grooves. Highlights include the hypnotic space jams of ‘Vorsatz’ and ‘Rückwärts Durch Die Drehtür’, the delicate acoustics of ‘I Am... An Artist' and the radiophonic workship-esq 'Weird Sounds Sound Bizarre‘. Let’s let founding member Jean-Hervé Peron explain more.... Faust? were originally a group of musicians, each following our own inspirations, desires, illusions: many facets, many directions, different styles, different languages. We often had to struggle with the clash of our egos but there was also a natural tacit understanding of each other's role. We had the privilege to work with a great producer and an extraordinary recording engineer. From spring 1971 to spring 1974 we existed as a group. Then Faust became a Gestalt with various incarnations. Momentaufnahme? Don't panic here, it is only German for 'Snapshot’. Momentaufnahme I and II present a collection of unreleased snapshots which offer a wonderful insight into the world of Faust. Some tracks are extremely raw and experimental, others are fully rounded productions. So far we have MA I and MA II but we plan to do more of these when we come up with more material or new ideas.

[engl] Cacophony is the second Rudimentary Peni album. Released after the band returned from their first hiatus following a series of personal events that changed the band forever. The thirty track LP keeps turning heads 34 years after its release. Far from writing another “Death Church” the band embarked on a truly bizarre quest. To record an album based on the life and writings of horrors absolute king H.P. Lovecraft. A dense cacophony of total free songwriting. Dark, gothic, intricate, unexpected head-scratching punk. The short bursts of music twist and turn at every corner – the vocals are part classic Blinko and part spoken word, the guitar is full of distorted awkward tones and the every inventive bass and drums are locked together creating a truly unique album. Cacophony is the benchmark of outsider Punk and the influence and cult nature of this album grows with every passing year. This reissue stays close to the original version, with Nick Blinko’s incredible cover art, including a 11” x 11” 8-page lyric booklet.

[engl] Sealed Records re-issue the 1985 Alternative’s album If They Treat You Like Shit - Act Like Manure originally released on Corpus Christi Records. Recorded at Southern Studios and Co-produced by Pete Wright from Crass and featuring Annie Anxiety and Pete Wright on backing vocals. The album is full of provocative protest songs with intelligent lyrics, effective use of samples, melodic tunes and dual female / male vocals. It’s urgent, passionate and memorable. A must own release from that classic mid 80’s UK anarcho punk era. Remastered from the original tapes.

[engl] Downpilot is ostensibly the solo project of singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and recording/mix engineer Paul Hiraga. For the last four albums, Hiraga has recorded and mixed single-handedly, which has given his work a seasoned clarity, and his seventh album, The Forecast, is the boldest, most exquisitely crafted Downpilot album to date. A trip across multiple decades with influences subtly ranging from the melodic Laurel Canyon-esque ballads (“Balancer”), to Baroque and Sunshine Pop of the late 60s and 70s (“Strangers Hotel”), to 90s Britpop (“Red Desert”), all with a 21st- Century spin, it’s nothing less than an achievement that The Forecast hangs together so wonderfully as a cohesive body of work. The crystalline intro to “Black Eye”, the album’s opener, showcases Hiraga’s voice, which has a richness and raspy expressiveness that has never sounded better than it does on this album. “Black Eye” is one of Hiraga’s finest songs to date with one of the catchiest choruses in the Downpilot catalog. Hiraga has long been exploring a range of themes in his songwriting: the inevitability of change, the mystery and beauty of nature, the varied histories of places and people, the complexity of human relationships, and the uncertainty of the future. He is a Seattle-based artist, and the Pacific Northwest is a palpable presence – it has gotten into his blood, and it seeps into the songs. With the sparse and delightfully rhythmic “Totems,” he evokes the distant past of the region, interweaving it with individual and personal narratives. The intoxicated twang of “Night Shade” underpins a lament on things lost, while shimmery guitar and three-part vocals on “Balancer” take a bow to CSN, making a layered bed for a poetic love song. The melodic chorus of “Strangers Hotel,” a symphony of strings, piano, and obscure oddball keyboards underpins a philosophical exploration of memory and the nature of reality. One of the albums most exciting moments appears with “Red Desert,” a desolate urban vision with a transcendent violin from virtuoso Melinda Rice, who contributes string parts on several songs. Hiraga has also included longtime Downpilot members Jeff Brown and Anne Marie Ruljancich (Walkabouts) along with Terry de Castro (The Wedding Present) to add a few vocal nuances throughout the album, with Brown’s harmonies adding a soaring quality to “Favorite Neighborhood.” Ending with the title track, this may not be the sunniest of forecasts but it is not without hope. Ultimately this is a life-affirming album that dips effortlessly into different styles while maintaining Downpilot’s unmistakable musical identity. Loyal fans will not be disappointed, as the The Forecast contains plenty of signature sounds, themes, and motifs. But this new collection of superbly crafted pop songs could also open the field to new listeners.

[engl] By now people know that most of the music coming out of Olympia WA is important in some way, be it artistically or politically. PHYSIQUE manages to hit both points by channeling the classic DISCHARGE/Kawakami (RIP) model of poetic, simplistic sloganeering and carefully crafted, noise fueled D-Beat punk music. "Punk Life Is Shit" exists to fight the nightmarish reality of inept politicians, capitalism, colonialism, gender struggles, Jesus useless Christ and impending nuclear war that we all live in. 3rd pressing is 150 copies on opaque turquoise or radiation yellow vinyl with an etched B-side, 22x22 double sided poster and digital download card all housed in a 24pt reverse board jacket. Photography by Yet Demeanor, Art by Bee, Fucker and Devin N.D.B.. Recorded by Joey at Left Field. Mastered by Will Killingsworth.

[engl] After a cassette and a full lenght called “Another Whiff”, here is the long awaited next album of these Kansas City Powerpop Sensations! HEY YOU! Get a whiff of this: Scratch ‘N’ Sniff by The Whiffs — the second album by Kansas City’s foremost power pop foursome is upon us! Not unlike their first album (Another Whiff), and as rock critic Jon Harrison heralds in the album’s liner notes: “this sophomoric offering provides all of the things you love about The Whiffs.” … Now, if you’re asking yourself ‘what do I love about the Whiffs’? Here’s a clue: SONGS. You love The Whiffs’ songs! And now Scratch ‘N’ Sniff’s got 13 new boffo numbers brimming with the hook-laden, never-far-from-the-bar pub-rock snarl The Whiffs nail everytime. The Whiffs are less recording artists than a band of journeymen, from the drums Jake Cardwell (C&C Drum Co.) built-by-hand, to Joey Rubbish’s home recording studio (Club Sandwich). It’s only natural Scratch ‘N’ Sniff is a homegrown production from the floor (tom) up, and was recorded in the band’s living room. The songs are all their own too. Whether penned by Cameron (Rory), Campbell (Zach) or Rubbish (Joey), they all stink of The Whiffs broken-in power pop confectionery. A close listen will reveal the cracks of many-a-can and roommates laughing at vocal takes. As such, everyone’s invited to Scratch ‘N’ Sniff and dive in!

[engl] The Paint Fumes are back for good! Take a sip and get high on their hooks and sing-a-longs.#Paint Fumes have survived a decade of being in Paint Fumes. No small feat for a group that's released 3 albums for 2 distinct luminary labels (Slovenly and Get Hip Records), and swayed their way between opposite ends of a sonic spectrum (garage and punk; old and new) on a nofucks-given wrecking-ball pendulum. Evolution occurred steadily from their earliest primitivism to more tuneful rockers. Road dogs when allowed to be, they toured exhaustively (including stints with legends King Khan & BBQ Show and Shannon & the Clams). Throughout, they racked more hospital stays—not to mention near-death experiences— than advisable by even the most nihilistic breed of rock'n'roll life-or-deathers. And yet now, after all the years and rigmarole, they've never sounded this good! Real Romancer, Paint Fumes' 4th LP—and first for Dig! Records (US) and Bachelor Records (EU)—is a whole new world of glam stompin', duel-guitar with added bass hammerin' sounds taken to anthemic heights previously unexplored by this born too loose group. If leader of the pack Elijah Von Cramon's description of the band as “panic attack punk and power pop nightmares” rings true, this is Paint Fumes' KBD-benzo treat-all for a 12 song long wet dream.