Houseghost
Another Realm
Rad Girlfriend Records (2022)
Houseghost sprung up in late 2020, releasing their debut near Halloween. Two years later the ghost returns with more stories from Another Realm. The band features members of other bands and play poppy punk with a lot of harmonies. It’s peppy, catchy stuff that’s more about singalongs and pogoing than spitting vitriol. The band also has a theme or, arguably, a … Read more
Human Issue
Faceless. Nameless
Rad Girlfriend Records (2022)
Hunter Martinez is a scene vet, playing drums and/or guitar with Decent Criminal, Dwarves, and Slaughterboys, among others. In Human Issue, Martinez takes the lead. That’s not to say this is some dude-with-an-acoustic vanity project. Human Issue is a full-on punk band, with Martinez joined by a wide cast of collaborators on the 6-song EP: Rikk Agnew (Adolescents, Christian Death), Crow Jane (Egrets of … Read more
Hurry Up
Dismal Nitch
Comedy Minus One (2022)
“American Weirdos” sets the tone quickly on Dismal Nitch, the second album from Hurry Up, with a refrain of “American weirdos/ Don’t need no more heroes.” A three-piece from Portland, OR, the lineup features Kathy Foster (Thermals), Westin Glass (Thermals), and Maggie Vail (Bangs), each sharing songwriting duties and vocals. Recorded shortly before the pandemic hit, this record does sometimes feel … Read more
Icare
Charogne
Hummus Records (2022)
Swiss band Icare once started out as a studio project with no real intention to play live. Somewhere between their debut (Khaos) and their sophomore album, Charogne, this changed. The band wanted to play live. Of course you do that by playing one 43 minute long song. That sounds like solid logic right? It is a ballsy move indeed. What strikes … Read more
Iván Castell
The Rise Of The Synths
9AM Media Lab, Castell & Moreno Films (2022)
The Rise Of The Synths is not an album but it has everything to do with music... synthwave to be exact. This documentary is directed by Iván Castell, a Spanish film maker with a passion for the genre. This film was funded by a crowd funder campaign in 2016, it took 2 years to complete hitting the film festivals on and … Read more
Joyce Manor
40 oz. to Fresno
Epitaph (2022)
Joyce Manor is one of those bands that I always follow, a band that shaped my tastes in my earlier years of digging into pop punk/emo subculture. Let’s say I would like to thankgod, ‘cause 2022 is a year where a lot of good stuff is coming out and unfortunately 40 oz. to Fresno is not so good for me. Well it's … Read more
Joyride!
Miracle Question
Salinas Records (2022)
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, a little birdy put this record on my radar in late 2021 and I enjoyed it, but kind of set it aside until its proper release. I liked it on first listen but, today, it just hits harder and deeper. Maybe it’s the right place and time as I manage stress … Read more
Ken Mode
Null
Artoffact (2022)
KEN Mode have always favored a dark and oppressive path for their extreme music aspirations. From their early days up to the release of the seminal Entrench, the act from Winnipeg, Canada has not held anything back. In 2013 it would be difficult to imagine how KEN Mode could surpass their seminal works. The release of Success in 2015 felt like a slight … Read more
Kid You Not
Here's To Feelin' Good All The Time
Bypolar Records, Sell The Heart Records (2022)
If it was 1993, this would be called emo. But a lot has changed in scenes and sounds since then, so I won’t go there. Instead, I’m going to call Kid You Not elastic punk. Here’s To Feelin’ Good All The Time is constantly shifting complex moods but it always stays strong, dynamic and somewhat positive. It’s about our relationship with the … Read more
La Armada
Anti-Colonial, Vol. 2
Mal De Ojo Records (2022)
I’ve been reading about the atrocities in Ukraine as I listen to Anti-Colonial, Vol. 2. Let’s just say that every act of imperialism is unique but combining listening to this record definitely highlights the brutal impact when a state tries to conquer a people. This record isn’t just political hardcore. It seethes with anger and inherited trauma. It’s a fucking bloodletting. … Read more
La Fraction
De L’Autre Côté
Crash Disques, Fraction Productions, General Strike, Gestalt, Konstroy, Maloka, Mass Productions, Mescufurus, Stonehenge Rds, Tranzophobia, Trujaca Fala, Twisted Chords (2022)
La Fraction returns after years of absence! If you responded with the same: “huh?” I ushered when I learned this, there is not much to be ashamed about. I had never heard of this band before. However, after listening to De L’Autre Côté I am a bit sad I did not hear of this band earlier. Better late than never, … Read more
Laraigne
The Brightside Of It All
Snappy Little Numbers (2022)
Oh, Canada! Hailing from Geneva and now back and forth between Toronto and the beautiful city of Montreal, Greg Laraigne weaves well-crafted stories into a tapestry of lore and social commentary. The album apparently was ten years in the making while he also perfected his trade as a well-respected man in the field of tattooing. Easy comparisons are made to Wilco, Uncle … Read more
Left Hand Black
Lower Than Satan
Sick Taste Records, Sunny Bastards (2022)
Left Hand Black formed in 2019 and took the horrorpunk scene by storm with their first release, the self titled Left Hand Black album during the dark days of March 2020. The Swedish four piece are made up of former members of metal band Lake Of Tears, punk rock band Overdrive Solution and horrorpunks The Dead Next Door so they were already well established in the Gothenburg … Read more
Lex Lüger
Rey Del Terror
Independent (2022)
I swear that the artists and albums I choose to review are getting harder and harder to research... I like to base my reviews on the facts I can find about out the artist but with this one I'm going in kind of blind. What I do know is that Lex Lüger is a musician from Spain, I'm not sure … Read more
Loop
Sonancy
Reactor (2022)
The legends of old return! Loop were one of the visionaries acts of the late ‘80s, alongside other paragons like My Bloody Valentine and Spacemen 3. Despite their short-lived existence, Loop managed to shake the post-punk and indie rock scenes. Taking on many elements from the new wave lineage, Loop were not content with confinements. Their tools in escaping these boundaries were noise … Read more
Lore City
Under Way
Lore City Music (2022)
Under Way is a two track EP from the duo Lore City who are, Laura Mariposa Williams and Eric Angelo Bessel, currently based in Portland, Oregon. Released in October 2022 it is 11 minutes and 17 seconds of dreamy, experimental, gothic, psychedelia that will have you reaching for the play button again as soon as it's over. I'm not one for … Read more
Los Morts
Slasher
Monsterbilly Records (2022)
Prolific Peruvian horrorpunk ghouls Los Morts released this 4 track EP, Slasher on the most sacred of horrorpunk holidays... halloween! The 31st of October is the day that many horrorpunk bands look to release material but the year that Los Mort do not, will always make halloween that little bit emptier so all praise to zombie Jesus that Los Morts have had … Read more
Love Forty Down
Don't Be A Stranger EP
SBÄM Records (2022)
I don’t come across a lot of punk bands with “love” in their name. Whether it’s justified or not, that led me to expect something a bit more dramatic and heart-on-sleeve than this. The music is more post-hardcore meets melodic punk, a la Hot Water Music meets Iron Chic. It’s built around singalong, harmonized choruses with some build-up and progressions that mix up … Read more
