[engl] Do you ever sit in your room and just stare at the wall repeating a mantra to yourself? Because it’s all you can do to not totally wreck everything in sight? We do that too and most of the music that’s playing sounds like this PAPRIKA record. This is their mantra: “Destroying Shit… Ruining Lives…” To be repeated over and over while digesting this deliberately paced rampaging hardcore punk record. “Let’s Kill Punk”, with it’s massive sounding production, is all outward facing hostility projected larger than life onto you sorry public inhabitants. Creepy crawl to hell or die trying, punk. 300 on black, 200 on opaque brick red.

[engl] Driving, violence infused noise punk coming out of the beautiful grime of New Orleans with sweaty, angry songs about colonization, greed, excess, exploitation and the “Insane Machine” that is America’s political system. Pure punk music. This demo fucking rules, okay?

[engl] With a creation far bigger than the sum of its parts, the 3 members that make up Partisan have produced a lavish and far-reaching album with their latest release 'Savage Peace'. Already having several other well received releases under their collective belt and with a line-up consisting of members of Oathbreaker and Rise And Fall, they have covered a lot of ground and are building on some very solid foundations with their unique amalgamation of musical styles. Although it may be easiest to sum up the band as a post-punk group, this would be doing them a massive disservice as they clearly have influences that extend far beyond those boundaries. This translates into their sound and makes for a very refreshing approach that pays homage to some of the greats from the early 80s punk scene but also allows them to break new ground while maintaining a high degree of stylistic consistency. Being seasoned veterans of the Belgian underground scene, it is clear to see how they have managed to amass such a high level of musical aptitude and translate it into their songwriting. The 8 songs on 'Savage Peace' form an accurate representation of where the band currently are in their musical journey. Being open and honest, they have shed some of the more aggressive aspects in favour of a stripped down approach yet they still manage to keep the same sense of urgency; a feature which has always been present in their sound. Part of the reason for this and adding an extra degree of natural charm is the fact that it was recorded live. This has been showcased extremely well by their well thought out production and mixing choices (Michäel Neyt, Jetson) and mastering (Jack Shirley, The Atomic Garden, San Francisco, USA). The bright sounding guitar, full bass and punchy drums create a cohesive sound upon which the vocals sit superbly. The overall balanced and rich tone gives the listener a satisfying experience and makes for a truly original sounding record. Thematically, the album explores ideas of doubt and acceptance. An extremely relatable subject matter, it not only allows the band to voice their interpretation but also lets the listener to delve into a world where they can ruminate on these topics. This existential quandary weaves an eye-opening look at the fragility of our individual and collective lives and how we navigate through these situations in order to find some sense of peace and hope.

[engl] More than 3 1/2 years after "deathinteresse" was unleashed on the hardcore-punk crowd, PATSY O'HARA have returned with their 2nd full-length, "...sings the bourgeois blues". It has everything the genre has to offer in one powerful set of 11 songs (nearly 48min.). Nothing sounds stale and they have their own distinct sound while building off the ideas of the music they love to listen to. "...sings the bourgeois blues" is a huge improvement on every level, with the group's hybrid mix of upbeat hardcore, punk, post-rock and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll - melting together to near perfection throughout their latest effort. The quintet puts on a riveting spectacle, with beatific swells of atmospheric and rocking hardcore - over the top, epic intertwined guitars - beautiful groovy bass lines - galloping, punchy drum patterns - demented, raspy screaming vocals. The band knows how to effectively build up a song, tension that mounts to a breaking point. It leads to many exciting moments, as the boiling point tips over, leading to an explosion of aggression. PATSY O'HARA switches off between fast-paced death 'n’ roll mayhem and slower mini-epics. There are also various interludes that move along the album. Recorded and mixed at the mighty Tonmeisterei, the production is full and lush. This, along with the fantastic dynamics between all the band members and the compelling songwriting, makes for a successful sophomore album. Thick 180gr vinyl comes with an outstanding and eyecatching gatefold-sleeve with reverse side printings, black innersleeve and includes a digital download card. Not sure, but the point remains that this release is a killer - so stop reading and pick it up right away!

[engl] Here we have it, the debut release from the Austin, TX hardcore punk powerhouse known as PEACE DECAY. "Death is Only..." features six tracks of the blazing and pummeling hardcore ferocity you'd expect from a group consisting of current and former members of VAASKA, SEVERED HEAD OF STATE, GUERRA FINAL and many more acts the great nation of Texas has bequeathed to us, the hardcore faithful, over the past few decades or so. Mastered by Jack Control at Enormous Door, each record comes in a full color matte jacket adorned with cover art by vocalist Enok Vazquez and also features a stunning 11" x 17" collage by Barcelona visual artist and analog collagist JFKollages. Much like death, this initial offering from PEACE DECAY is only the beginning.

[engl] Hardcore from Cape Town, South Africa. Thrashing punk and metallic hardcore are bashed together to create a sonic onslaught rooted in aggression, terror and despair. Solos, synths, guitars and drums rapid fire through the record, while new vocalist Adri Jordaan brings a relentless vocal performance, bringing a hint of death metal into the mix.

[engl] Permission storm onward with new themes of helplessness and disorientation. Ever present in their approach, aesthetic, and musical execution, the whirlwind eight songs dash on top of pogo inducing acceleration, the brief sluggishness of open strings and blister producing snare thuds. A few uncharacteristic moments produce a fine payoff knowing Permission are capable of exactly what we imagined them to be. Fantastic off kilter hardcore punk and absolutely not to be missed live.

[engl] The latest record from London's Permission perfects their thin savage sound that they've been refining for three records now. Restless manic hardcore, squirming with fury. While some hardcore attacks with sheer force or repetitive brutality, PERMISSION’s riffs whip back and forth like loose firehose, and though there may be some spiritual ancestors in the likes of weirder, more discomfiting ends of 80s hardcore like DIE KREUZEN or MECHT MENSCH, PERMISSION’s angle of attack, their style of itchy marshalled chaos, unpredictable yet never disjointed, is very much their own. (Joe Briggs)

[engl] Tasty new 7” from Bristol’s favourite chain gang, Perp Walk. Giving you the fast and stompy hardcore to make sure that the only “walk” you’ll be doing in the pit is the TWO-STEP if know what I’m saying?! The Perps have explored their options with these three tracks to break the meat and potatoes hardcore format. Longer songs that give ya a more complex song structure - mixing up song dynamics to keep ya guessing what is coming next, and there’s even a homage to the B52s. EP closer The Gavel is a primo example of Perp Walk’s potential - it’s got swagger chopped up with straight up speed, and then an end section that comes at you hard with guitar leads feeling like something Fucked Up may have done at their peak in 2006. If you don’t want to walk too far from the righteous path of chain hardcore but your heart tells you that there must be more to the mosh in 2023, then you might be ready to dip your crusty ass into the refreshing pool of the Perp Walk.

[engl] The new EP from Bristol’s Perp Walk is a grade-A example of punk-leaning hardcore. Off the back of gigs with Punitive Damage, Fucked Up and Sheer Terror, this release on pink vinyl shows a band in impressive form. With regular shifts in speed and queasy guitars, The Chain of Infection is striking for its skillfully crafted approach. It’s a jarring, rager of a record played with precision, that doesn’t let you get comfortable - nor should it. Don’t hold back!

[engl] Even though they have a song called “Moment of Silence” this record has everything but. Pure crazed thrashing punk that brings back the feelings of rough 90’s hardcore with a patchwork of personal and political rapid fire lyrics, manic drumming, distortion on everything and noisy samples between songs. Make no mistake this ain’t some paper thin ADAT recording though, “Free Your Mind!” is fucking pummeling. Like when the 00's came around and hardcore bands starting recording on tape again and everything got saturated back to how it’s supposed to be. Warm, crunchy and bombastic. This record rips your face off. Damn it though, I liked having a face. 500 copies of custom etched 140gr black vinyl housed in a 24pt reverse board jacket with a massive poster and download card inside.

[engl] Violent Ritual is the third EP from Los Angeles’s Personal Damage, originally released on a small run of self-released cassettes in 2022 and now upgraded to vinyl courtesy of Sorry State. Violent Ritual offers five tracks of Personal Damage’s trademark snot-fueled, short-fast-and-loud hardcore punk, the longest track clocking in at a mere 80 seconds. While the songs are short, they’re hardly insubstantial, packing albums worth of excitement into each delicately constructed and tightly wound composition. Pedal-to-the-floor fast parts are punctuated by Lucky Lehrer-style rhythmic inventions, each song building toward a climactic guitar solo and/or call-and-response chorus. While so many contemporary hardcore bands de-emphasize the vocals, they’re Personal Damage’s most potent weapon, with all three members contributing to the dynamic vocal arrangements and every track offering a chance to shout along. While the first four tracks blazes at early Gang Green velocities, the closing “Banned from Society” stretches things out ever so slightly with a classic SoCal rhythm and the record’s most anthemic vocal. Violent Ritual is the most potent dose yet from one of the 2020s’ most exciting hardcore punk bands.

[engl] The long awaited return of contemporary D-Beat champions, PHYSIQUE with “Again” - their first release since 2019. PHYSIQUE offers 15 tracks of steamrolling, discharge-fueled, crasher crust, seamlessly overlapping the time honored and ever-present D-Beat themes of war and government oppression with their own take on the brutalizing and soul-crushing realities of everyday modern life. With lyrics like: “Free yourself / Hope is the enemy, the enemy of change / Take your hope, smash it to pieces”, the overwhelming sense of life’s inevitable collapse and the dissolution of all the things we hold dear hits at the very core of modern existence. As you slog through the rut, a little more hope is lost each day. Life is empty and without purpose. One can't help but ask - “Again?” But D-Beat is protest music at heart, and “Again”s desperation is complimented by a surging pulse of relentless energy that reminds us that as brutal as life may be, we can't resist the fury of noisy protest that brings us back - again - to scream and shout the "never agains" of our predecessors and ourselves alike.

[engl] Physique is back with a quick followup to their debut album, “Again” (out earlier this year on Iron Lung Records) with six pounding D-Beat fueled crusty maelstroms that shout protests of a hellish reality, mental fatigue, greed, desperation, the illusion of choice and modern fascism. The steamroller continues… Limited on 600 copies.

[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] Sometimes a band just builds a kind of momentum where they just produce more and more rippers and Olympia's PHYSIQUE are clearly locked into a serious groove. 'THE RHYTHM OF BRUTALITY', their third 12" in a year and a half, and released in time for their upcoming rampage across Europe, is another uncompromising slice of crasher crust ugliness, guitars hissing and squealing in anguish, searing radiation-buzz noise crudely marshalled into seven nasty hardcore salvos, from the punchy d-beat of 'We Make Noise' to the punishing stomp of the title track and 'Miserable Existence', with its propulsive rolling punk beat half-drowned in feedback filth. PHYSIQUE slam together a knack for disgusting sonics with rock solid riffs for a rawpunk record in the vein of Disaster or Fader War that will scour the paint from your walls.

[engl] Hardcore Punk band from Berlin