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Reviews by Nathan

103 total search results — Page 5 of 6

WAR//PLAGUE – Temperaments of War EP

Review — February 16, 2015

Over the course of their last few records these Minneapolis crust punk stalwarts have really honed their metal chops. I’ll do my best to avoid any “who put their metal in my punk” type of argument and just say, as someone who prefers my metalpunx leaning more to the punk …

Gay Kiss – Preservation Measures

Review — May 11, 2015

In this current age of ‘80s hardcore worship overload, it’s refreshing when something this original comes along, even if said originality is the result of a convergence of styles. Phoenix, AZ four-piece Gay Kiss grind and groove forth with teeth-clenching, throat-ripping, temple-piercing rage on their new LP, Preservation Measures. …

Dark Ages – Vapor

Review — May 18, 2015

“You have been wasted. You have been taken for a ride.” That line from the title track of the new Dark Ages LP accurately sums up the feeling you get listening to it. Which is to say it’s difficult to compartmentalize exactly what’s going on here. (Not surprisingly there’s a …

Barcelona – Extremo Nihilismo En Barcelona

Review — June 1, 2015

Similar to how Sorry State, Vinyl Rites, Lengua Armada, or Katorga Works do here in the US, Hackney, London-based record label La Vida Es Un Mus (subtitled Discos Punk) tend to work with bands that challenge the constraints of traditional hardcore and punk, which in turn sets them apart from …

Asid Bateri – Demo

Review — July 21, 2015

Here's some of that good ol’ raw punk that was en vogue a few years ago. You know, those salad days before everyone started going gaga for the gothic, post-punk, all-weird-all-the-time trend that’s hot right now. (Personally, I like both styles quite a bit so I’ve got no complaints. I’m …

Blazing Eye – Blazing Eye EP

Review — August 3, 2015

This is some of that rhythmic punk that's making the rounds lately. Kind of like Dawn of Humans (with whom they are currently label mates) but more on the crusty and menacing side than the weird and experimental. Blazing Eye is a quartet out of Los Angeles that share membership …

Vaaska – Todos Contra Todos

Review — August 10, 2015

I've been meaning to check out this Austin, TX-based band for quite some time now (they’ve been active since 2009) but for whatever reason I’ve never gotten around to it. So much punk, so little time I guess. They have released a string of EPs and splits up until this …

Rixe – Coupes et Blessures EP

Review — August 17, 2015

Well this was bound to happen. With so many hardcore acts flirting with Oi! for the last few years it’s not surprising that somebody finally came out like, fuck it, we’re just going to be an Oi! band. It’s not the first time by any means—there’s been the PDX crusties’ …

Broken Prayer – Misanthropocentric AKA Droid's Blood

Review — August 31, 2015

I incorrectly said this band was from North Carolina when I talked about their last record, when in fact they’re from Chicago. So I’d like to take a moment to say I’m sorry to Broken Prayer. (Up until recently I had a tendency to assume that every band on Sorry …

Ivy – A Cat's Cause, No Dog's Problem

Review — October 5, 2015

Before I heard this I didn’t know a lot about this band other than that they were definitely not the indie-pop trio of the same name. I picked this 7” up based strictly on the artwork, the title, and the fact that Katorga Works is a fairly trustworthy label. Visually-speaking …

Deadmen – Anger Rising

Review — October 12, 2015

This is some metalpunx ouf of New Jersey. Superfast and snotty as all hell. Like some spikey-haired snot punk singing for a grind band or something. There’s sweet breakdowns too, which lend it a hardcore vibe. Maybe I’m way off-base, but that’s what I’m feeling. Not always my favorite thing, …

Pestilent Endeavors – Adult Onset Death

Review — October 26, 2015

This is a cool tape sent in by Mr. Food Fortunata, the fine gentleman behind the always enjoyable and reliable Saginaw, MI-based publication Ear of Corn fanzine. A lot of these tracks—and there are a whopping 21 of them, although mostly very short—remind me of early Mudhoney, something for …

Pontius Pirate – Pterodactyl Island LP

Review — November 9, 2015

Every so often I go through a phase where I’m listening to a lot of pre-Independent Wormhole Saloon era Butthole Surfers. Such was the case when this 17-song slab-o-wax landed in my mailbox via Food Fortunata, the genius behind Ear of Corn fanzine. I promptly ripped this to …

Mercy Killings – Snuffed Out

Review — November 16, 2015

This is the second 7” from this new-ish congruence of Richmond, VA old-timers. The band flexes a pedigree that includes Wasted Time, Government Warning, Direct Control and a whole bunch of others. Eight minutes in total of bulldozer USHC in the most straightforward sense. No fucking about whatsoever; …

Various Artists – Post Teens / Rose Cross - split 7"

Review — December 14, 2015

Nice little split 7” here from Dead Tank that I’ve admittedly been sitting on way too long. Technically this is a 2014 release, although I don’t think it started hitting the shops until 2015. Rose Cross is really awesome. One of my favorite discoveries of this past year. They’ve been …

Corrective Measure – Demo 2015

Review — May 2, 2016

Five song ripper from this quartet out of Maine. If the cover art is any indication these guys wear a lot of Nike. A cartoonish drawing of a baldy wearing both a Nike tee shirt and Nike sneakers adorns the J-card. Anybody who’s seen my recent drawings knows I can …

Rata Negra – Oido Absoluto LP

Review — April 17, 2017

This is some killer punk out of Madrid, Spain on that throwback tip. If you had told me this was some recently excavated ‘80s gem getting the reissue treatment I’d have no reason not to believe you. Even the band photo used on the cover—which itself looks like it was …

S.H.I.T. – i EP

Review — April 24, 2017

After making some waves around ye olden DIY hardcore scene circa 2014, these Toronto-ians took a little hiatus from recorded output (sans a couple live tapes). But now they’re back to kick of 2017 with this quick, four-song ripper. The titles of which all start with the letter I – …

Rixe – Baptême Du Feu

Review — September 11, 2017

More killer punk from everybody’s favorite French Oi! perfectionists. Baptême Du Feu (which translates to Baptism by Fire) is the third Rixe 7” now and they show no signs of fatigue. They’re as urgent and powerful as ever – a gruff and spirited sound that pushes adrenaline into overdrive. “Paris-Est” …

Katastrof – Katastrof

Review — November 21, 2017

Oh Jesus Christ fuck yeah! It’s been a minute since I checked in on Scandi-core, a genre that at one time ruled my turntable. These days it has to be top shelf to grab my attention, and, well, when the lead singer of Totalitär teams up with the guitar player …