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I juni så skrev jag i min recension av samlingsplattan ”Greetings from Sweden vol 2” att PX-30 är ett band jag ska hålla ögonen på framöver. Vilket jag försökt att göra. En fullängdare har funnits tillgänglig på streaming sedan ungefär samma tid som samlingen släpptes. Men tack vare det finfina skivbolaget ADULT CRASH så finns den numera också på underbar vinyl.
De två spåren som PX-30 bidrog med på ”Greetings from Sweden vol 2” skvallrar rätt bra om vad man kan vänta sig på denna fullängdare. Kompromisslös aggressiv hardcore med väldigt politiska texter. Allt framfört av musiker i högform och en desperat och snorförbannad sångare. Låttitlar som ”Omgiven av idioter” och ”Pappa betalar” eller textrader som:
”Härskat och söndrat i över 13 år. Vill slopa konceptet offentlig sjukvård. Irene Svedonius kan suga mitt arsel. Hon följer sin dröm och drömmen är varsel” talar sitt tydliga språk. Lyriken är som ni förstår ren och skär punkpoesi.
Jag kan bara konstatera att PX-30 är ett band som man får fortsätta att ha koll på för denna platta är helt enkelt grymt bra. Är arg hardcore med politiska texter din melodi så är det bara att kolla upp bandet. Köpa finfin vinyl gör du av ADULT CRASH. (Anders Bergström)

MRR #494 - July 2024

PRISÃO’s 2020 debut EP was one of my favorite debuts from a modern hardcore band in the last couple of years. It has everything I love about hardcore: intense, raw, stompy, and with direct lyrics. With this second EP, PRISÃO managed to raise the bar even higher and has made another modern classic. They have a strong Swedish hardcore influence, as the members also play in killer Swedish bands VIDRO, AXE RASH, NITAD, and WARCHILD, but the singer Lucas, of Brazilian origin, lays down the vocals in Portuguese, so it has a lot of qualities found in Brazilian hardcore classics like OLHO SECO or CÓLERA. The lyrics are straightforward; no beating around the bush and no metaphors, just straight facts in the form of one-liners, much like DISCHARGE in their golden era. Also, visually, they are a very well-put-together band that ticks all the boxes for me. It doesn’t rely on the tiresome tropes that plague the modern scene, and it has its own vibe. This one will make it to my best of the year for sure!
(João Seixas)

DIY Conspiracy Aug 16th - 2024

The long-haired singer who graces the cover of Prisão’s latest EP is Lucas, also guitarist of Stockholm’s hardcore band Vidro. The other three members also come from ripping bands around town—Hilda plays in Axe Rash, Nikki in Warchild and Viktor used to pound the drums in Nitad.
Debuting with a demo in 2022 and bringing out their latest EP in April 2024, Prisão isn’t your typical Swedish hardcore band, though—Lucas is originally from Brazil and spits out his deep-seated fury in Brazilian Portuguese, addressing the injustices that infuriate punks in the Global South. The four tracks on the EP are short, fast and bursting with rage. Prisão’s knuckle-dragging hardcore sound makes no compromises, ripping into all forms of authority, conservative traditions, and any kind of prison—both mental and material. Absolute fucking beast! (Mittens XVX)

185 Miles South:

This is a serious contender for my EP of the year. The whole mission statement of this band is established within the first 15 seconds with the fast drum fills, the yell, then the guitar break into the fast verse. The singer is a full on wildman who can BLEEHH with the best of them. I love on the third song “Body Burden” when he just kind of inserts a BLEEHH where you’d think another verse bar would be.

Remember on the 1981 episode of 185 Miles South when I said that if your singer is boring, you should lock him in a room and make him listen to “Lost Cause” by Negative Approach on loop? This dude sounds like the end result of that task, especially on the 5th track “Out Of Body” where we witness his descent into madness, like a proverbial Apocalypse Now in Hardcore form.

This thing is just straight up stellar 80s influenced roots hardcore - maybe think Urban Waste meets the Mob 47 7” meets the Direct Control demo. Or maybe just crank this thing and I’ll just STFU and crank this thing again too.

Forced Narrative Zine, Sep 2024:

Spoiler alert: you’re gonna die. Well, what do we got here? Problems (hailing from Oslo) released
their demo back in 2009, then some other stuff and - wow - a record back in 2016. Naming your
band Problems and your first - well - full-length “No Solutions”: that’s my kind of humor. “Beg
For Release” was released on vinyl in July. Fuck Problems (that’s their Bandcamp handle),
they’re certainly not here to waste your time. Heart attack Norwegians. Just imagine sounding
exactly like the cover artwork from that first Negative Approach 7” looks. Pure nihilistic vocal
frenzy with a brick shittin’ production (great mastering job by Will Killingsworth) and some out
of control riffing. 7 songs, 11 minutes. No prisoners taken. Sharply dressed boys and then it’s
like...hard as bricks, pissed as fuck. Early Touch & Go, SST, Dischord and Taang! (!!!), but make
it more ferocious (hey: we’re in 2024 at least). In Germany we say: niederträchtig. Behold, I am
dropping some FFOs now: prowlin’ and howlin’ human ills hardcore. Maniacal laughter
hardcore with some sweeping d-beat parts and chaotic solos. Bloody Dead-Stop-with-rabies and
some serious septic wounds worship type hc from the North. Getting beat up in a dark alley kind
hardcore (Negative Approach or Tear It Up playing softly in the back). Ok, hell yeah, you’re
starting to get the idea. The.vocalist.does.not.want.to.become.your.friend. Or yoga teacher. Or
whatever, the fuck, the world is going to shit, do you like society? Hell no! hardcore.
But don’t let them fool you entirely: of course this is über-aggressive, but there’s some cool
glammed out rock n roll riffs woven in that make for a catchy listen. Think: short bursts of
gloomy Poison Idea epicness or an early Turbonegro nod thrown in (that gets run over by a very
out-of-control freight train asap, that’s for sure). Just listen to that sweet, punchy main riff in the
title track or how they turn the opening track “Repetitive Stress” upside down by incorporating -
what? Some sort of semi-breakdown?! Anyways: this is peak level harrowing-but-make-it-
memorable type hardcore punk songwriting. I suppose this is not their first band...Scandinavian
hardcore punk rules, ok?!

MRR #476 - January 2023

One of the best demos of the year, now getting the vinyl treatment from Adult Crash, and I’m grateful. Stockholm’s PRISÃO is a bit of a supergroup (members of VIDRO, AXE RASH, and FERAL BRAIN, among others), but don’t let that distract you from their power. Throaty, abrasive hardcore punk sung in Portuguese…it’s just relentless, fist-pounding hardcore punk. Like, I don’t know what the fukk else you could want.
(Robert Collins)

Sorry State Newsletter

Denmark’s Adult Crash Records brings us this debut from Stockholm, Sweden’s Prisão. If you’re thinking that Prisão doesn’t look like a Swedish word, you’re right… Prisão’s vocalist is Lucas—also the guitarist in Vidro—who is from Brazil and sings in Portuguese for Prisão. Prisão fits right in on Adult Crash’s roster full of exciting Scandinavian bands whose music is rooted in gritty 80s hardcore. While Lucas’s other band Vidro fuses subtlety and power, Prisão has no time for the former, with a stomping, bruising caveman attack. Not that it’s dumb… the riffs and beats are smart but straightforward, the band dragging their knuckles as they march toward their muse. It’s burly and mean, but not tough-guy shit… music made for purging the grinding monotony of the straight world. Totally killer.

Quarantined Hardcore Fanzine #8 - September 2023

Stockholms PRISÃO pounds out that straight dupa-dupa style hardcorepunk that all the trendy bands did a few years ago and now are all gone. Difference is PRISÃO does it with way more finesse and mix it up with tons of other parts, even some slower parts that almost sound like the 82-83 NYHC mosh parts. Adult Crash keeps snatching all the great swedish hardcorepunk bands right in front of my eyes, need to teach him a lesson soon.
Seriously though, he does a great job in documenting swedish hardcore and PRISÃO is just the laatest in a long line of bands. This EP looks great, sounds great and I can imagine PRISÃO are even better live in a small room packed with smelly punks. Yet to find out.

Devolution

9½ minuts terapi:
Københavnsk-amerikanske Indre Krig har længe været en eksklusiv fornøjelse, men langt om længe har hardcorebandet indspillet og udgivet noget, du kan holde i hånden.
En af de gode ting ved punk- og hardcorescenen er, hvor organisk den er. Det gør sig måske generelt gældende i undergrundsmiljøet, men det giver altid en vis glæde, når man har set et band arbejde sig op fra ingenting og så nå store opvarmningsgigs og komme til udgivelser. Så langt er Indre Krig ikke endnu, men deres meget personlige tilgang til hardcoren kommer for første gang ud over scenekanten og ud på anlæggene, hvilket vi håber på betyder et skridt tættere på de større koncerter.
Man kan nok allerede nu høre, at vi er rimeligt tilfredse med ‘Destroyer’.
Som man kan høre på den knap et minut lange ‘Blister’ er der rigeligt med energi på EP’en, der følger op på den ubetitlede firetracksdemo fra sidste år, og som giver os endnu mere af det, vi godt kunne lide ved første udspil.
Selvom det går stærkt er der også mulighed for at lege med elementerne, som ‘Blister’ også demonstrerer. Omtrent halvvejs får vi et nærmest surfet guitarbreak fra Erling – bandet er naturligvis så punk, at de ikke bruger efternavne – og det er små touches som dette, der giver os mulighed for at få hovedet ovenvande momentvis, inden man igen trækkes ind i den kaotisk hvivlende moshpit som ‘Destroyer’ er skabt til.
At instrumentalisterne er dygtige og formår at skabe flow i kaos er utvivlsomt, men en anden styrke Indre Krig lægger for dagen, er forsanger Chloë. Særligt på ‘Claustrophobia’, der starter ud med en dyb indånding, kommer hendes vokal til sin ret.
Tracket er bygget op omkring usikkerhed, selvhad og frustration, og Chloë formår at få skreget det hele ud på EP’ens længste track. Stemmen varieres og moduleres mere end den gør på de andre tracks, og selvom man ikke ligefrem kan påstå, at to minutter og ni sekunder er længe, klæder det alligevel Indre Krig at lave en længere struktur i sangen. Afslutningen består af sætningen “I'm sorry” gentaget i det nærmest uendelige og det er en smertelig genkendelig oplevelse. Hvis dårlig samvittighed og tankemylder kunne sættes på melodi, er det denne.
Generelt er Indre Krig – hvilket navnet også antyder – fokuseret på hvad, der foregår inde i mennesket. Det er en stressende og rasende omgang og på den måde ret god til at afspejle de tidspunkter i livet, der måske ikke lægges op på instagram. Det er altid godt at få tanker frem i lyset i stedet for at lade dem fylde indvendigt og man får en klar fornemmelse af katarsis hos musikerne og hvis man er heldig, kan det måske også overføres til lytteren.
Det er befriende at høre nogen skrige “I'm insecure” og flere burde gøre det.
(Tobias Holst)

Sorry State news letter Oct. 15th '22

I feel like I am fairly easy to please when it comes to hardcore, but I am also stubborn as hell. If a band’s formula includes too much, I probably won’t like it, unfortunately. I think this is why I don’t tend to like bands playing a contemporary hardcore style. I usually hate breakdowns. I think what I might dislike the most is when a band busts out the “pogo part.” Don’t get me wrong though, every now and again there is a band who does this but they execute it with extreme hardcore precision, and it rocks my world. INDRE KRIG is one of these bands. They caught my ear with their demo cassette in 2021 and I’ve been anticipating a follow-up since. SCARECROW was lucky enough to play with them in Copenhagen, and they were fucking amazing. Locked tight, with a powerful intensity. They were easily one of the best bands I’ve seen this year. After we returned from the tour I saw some buzz about an upcoming EP, which we finally have in stock! INDRE KRIG’s live energy was perfectly translated onto this hot ass slab. I think it’s a brilliant mix. The guitars are fucking blazing loud, but everything is still clearly heard. I really like the bass tone on this one too. I don’t really hear much distortion, and I really appreciate that. I feel like 99% of bands these days distort the bass to hell. When I listen to old records, like 99% of the time, the bass has a pretty clean tone. The bass on this EP is nice and warm, carrying along the riffs below the super bright guitars. The drums aren’t the loudest thing on this recording, but they are still perfectly audible. I’m not sure how available this EP is right now? I haven’t looked into it much. If you miss copies from us, you can jam it here in the meantime and hang on tight for the US press from Beach Impediment. Alright that is all for today, thanks for reading and thanks to everyone for the support! (Usman)

Sorry State - record of the week Oct. 21st. '22

Usman and Angela both chose this new EP from Copenhagen, Denmark’s Indre Krig as their staff pick last week, and I’d like to add my voice to the chorus of SSR staffers singing this record’s praises. The bar for great punk in Copenhagen is pretty darn high, but Indre Krig distinguishes themselves with a sound that it as catchy as it powerful. They can sound super tough on a track like “Pinball Eyes” or “Halitosis,” but it’s not all rage… there are subtle hints of melody all over the record, and Indre Krig has a way of generating those goosebump moments you want from a great hardcore record. Check out the subtle lead guitar melody in my favorite track, “Claustrophobia,” or the climactic moment when “Pinball Eyes” returns to its crunchy mid-paced intro riff. I also love that the vocalist’s style matches the band’s approach, moving from a Boston hardcore-style growl to a more plaintive, slightly melodic style on “Claustrophobia.” The playing is as razor-sharp as the composition, and the subtle balance between being raging and hooky, straightforward and left-of-center works beautifully. A totally brilliant record.

Just Some Punk Song blogspot - Oct. '22

I'M SO SORRY...
Indre Krig are a new band to me. They're from Copenhagen and they appear to have surfaced last year with the Demo '21 ep. It was 4 tracks of hard hitting, no nonsense Scandinavian punk, short songs blasted out with great gusto by vocalist Chloë.
They recently returned with a new ep titled Destroyer. It's the same energetic blitzkrieg of wall of sound noise, we're treated to 6 songs of blink and you'll miss it hardcore. I believe their name translates to English as Internal War and there seems plenty of inner conflict on display on the ep, especially on the track I've chosen to highlight below.
The ep's available on vinyl from Adult Crash Records and it's streaming here: https://indrekrig.bandcamp.com/album/destroyer.
Built around insecurity, self-hatred and frustration, this song is the longest on the ep (just topping the 2 minute mark). It's pretty much a cry for help from a ticking time bomb about to explode. It's called Claustrophobia...

(Mick Fletcher)

Record Shop Base (through Google Translate)

"INDRE KRIG", a new female vocal hardcore band from Copenhagen, Denmark!! Debut EP with 6 tracks released in 2022 from ADULT CRASH!! A four-member band including former NUCLEAR DEATH TERROR member Christina on bass!! A lively band has arrived!! Aggressive & straight forward female vocals, raging hardcore!! With outstanding speed hardcore, crisp female vocals are strong and energetic!! TORSO, PERMANENT RUIN, Female vocal raging hardcore fans like PUNCH, RAD, SLANT, etc., should definitely check it out!! It seems that the US version will also be released from BEACH IMPEDIMENT, so keep an eye out for it in the future!! K-TOWN RAGING HARDCORE PUNK!! Artwork by Nicky Rat is also cool!! With insert!!

Last Rites - Best Of 2022

Indre Krig brought exhilarating K-Town hardcore to the table on their 2022 EP Destroyer. Indre Krig got a solid buzz brewing with their 2021 demo, which, at that point, saw the band’s various members scattered across Europe and the US. Destroyer met with equal applause, and the EP’s six songs celebrated the instant appeal (and exorcising release) of hook-heavy hardcore. Destroyer featured plenty of aggression, but Indre Krig’s catchy songs and crunchy riffs were also just a hell of a lot of fun. Remember fun? Here’s some of that – extra loud and extra intoxicating.
(Craig Hayes)

2022 Year End Top Tens By Maximum Rocknroll:

Six tracks of blazing K-town hardcore. INDRE KRIG set themselves apart by gesturing towards melody without ever becoming melodic. This allows for some surprisingly memorable riffs and vocal hooks to take root. INDRE KRIG translates to “Internal War,” which is befitting of the anguish that courses through this release. There is a level of nuance here that is rarely seen in hardcore punk. It’s devastating in the best possible way.
(Matt Casteel)

Quarantined Hardcore Fanzine #8 - September 2023

So Here's the cassette now available on 12" vinyl. If you missed out on NUKIES and didn't read my review of the cassette, the Stockhom bastards play freat fast hardcorepunk with both rockvibes and d-beat influences. If I got it right, it's the guitar player from Axe Rash and Power Face and that might give you a hint. But I think NUKIES is a lot better. This is more my style and the vocals are fucking awesome, kind of reminiscent of Bootlicker vocalstyle that I totally love. I'm glad theu left out the Donald Duck image for the record cause it was kind ofcorny. The reworked old anti-nuclear image is way cool though. This is a muct if you dig classic Swedish hardcorepunk.

MRR #476 - January 2023

Fun fact: did you know that TOTALITÄR’s hit “Multinationella Mördare” was originally a very popular Swedish children’s song, one that all school kids have had to memorize since the mid-’80s? That explains a lot, doesn’t it? NUKIES —”nukie” being either the endearing term for a nuclear weapon or the name of a Star Wars creature—are a brand new band from Stockholm playing käng hardcore punk. Can’t You Tell That This is Hell includes nine songs of rocking and anthemic Swedish hardcore with a clear guitar sound and typical TOTALITÄR-ish blazing riffs. With the heavy rock’n’roll influence openly at the front, especially with the mid-paced headbanging numbers and the emphatic solos, SKITKIDS is an obvious point of reference, and I would locate NUKIES between them, INFERNÖH, and LARMA on the grand käng scale. This is definitely a hardcore ripper, the production is great for the genre, the catchy hooks are here, all very pleasant but I sometimes wished that it hit a bit harder. This was released on tape for some reason (quality-wise, it could definitely be on vinyl) by Adult Crash, a Danish label that was very active indeed on the hardcore front in 2022.
(Romain Basset)

Sorry State Newsletter:

Like the classic Japanese hardcore compilation Thrash Til Death, Öresund HC Omnibus presents an EPs worth of material from four different bands, including individual front, rear, and insert artwork for each. I love this style of compilation since it feels like playing four killer 7” EPs right in a row, but costs about half as much as four 7”s. It’s great value for money, especially when the bands are well-matched, as they are here.
Denmark’s Adult Crash Records has been one of my favorite labels for many years (in fact, several of Sorry State’s own releases have European pressings on Adult Crash), and if you have followed them, you have a good idea of what these bands sound like. While some of Adult Crash’s bands here and there lean toward particular styles like d-beat, oi!, or UK82, everything on the label is fast hardcore punk, and Öresund HC Omnibus follows the pattern. All four bands—Zyfilis, Nonplus, Junta, and Hag—have earlier releases (though Nonplus only had a demo tape)—so you might come to this record looking for new material by a band you already like, or you might like the sampler aspect of it... either way you’ll be satisfied. All four bands play sprightly and catchy hardcore punk, but each group brings in its own wrinkles. Zyfilis has their explosive guitar leads, Nonplus a gnarlier sound that borrows from the rawer end of the Totalitär school, Junta’s manic hardcore exudes desperation, and Hag’s fist-pumping hardcore punk will appeal to fans of their fellow Swedes Axe Rash. All four bands are killer—like everything on Adult Crash—and you can’t go wrong with this if you want to get hip to four great contemporary hardcore bands from this part of the world.

MRR #477 - February 2023

The description is pretty much the same as the review: four killer hardcore punk EPs on one 12” record. Please don’t let that dissuade you, dear reader, because these are four killer hardcore punk EPs on one 12” record, and you’re going to need all of them in your earholes. ZYFILIS is bombastic and completely without nuance—harsh shouted vocals dominating the white-noise guitars. NONPLUS hits like ’90s Swedish D-beat with in-your-face femme vocals (even better than the demo tracks, in my humble opinion). JUNTA is wild, swinging D-beat, and then the second track is like moshing through molasses and I’m hopelessly stuck. And then, just when you think you survived, Sweden’s HAG rips through four hyper-speed modern hardcore stomps. The format rules, the content is mandatory. (Robert Collins)

Razorblades and Aspirin zine

Four more taut blasts of crucial POISON IDEA influenced Swedish hardcore from these ragers from Stockholm. Here we find these maniacs tightening up the structures a bit and for me, this is a step up from the writing on their LP Warning from last year, which says a lot given that was on my top releases of the year. You need this in your life. (Michael Thorn)

Quarantined Hardcore zine

Time for one of my favorite contemporary Swedish hardcore bands to follow up their amazing debut album. If I were them I would be pretty damn nervous entering the studio. And pretty damn certain when exiting, cause this EP's a fucking ripper! Pure and simple. You get four frantic hardcore tracks, perfect for punx on speed. And the rest of us can well imagine what them chemicals feel like, because Exil is weird, moody, violent, all at a ripping pace. I love how it sounds like the guitar gets punished. I love that they write songs with an average of well over two and a half minutes in a time when most bands only last for a minute. I love that the bass seems to get the same treatment as the guitar. I love the minimalist production. If you have one guitarist in the band, you don't need any extra rhythm track when the solo comes. Meat and potatoes, no fucking fancy schmancy. Every song rules, but "Chaos" is my favorite. Perfect artwork. What are you waiting for? Oh, and get the "Overdose" promotape from Adult Crash, if it's still available. 2 unreleased tracks from the EP session together with 4 other tracks. Sweet!

MRR #471 - August 2022

EXIL returns with another fine smorgasbord of crisp, tight Swedish hardcore. Great artwork and no bullshit. In case you don’t have a clue, this features former members of DS-13, E.T.A., the VICIOUS, and more. It has that clean-but-heavy guitar roar and enunciated vocal style you’d expect from those previous bands, but this isn’t an ancient throwback to, like, 2001. My favorite track has to be the closer, “Can’t See Your Face,” for being dirtier and having an almost Hell Comes to Your House creepy-crawl bad vibe. It’s such a copout to write after reviewing Swedish bands, but this is definitely “skol!” worthy. (Rotten Ron)

Sorry State Newsletter:

Following up their 2020 7” debut, UK’s finest are back to bless us with 7 more inches of rigorous brutality. Seeing as the lads in this band are at the helm of some of the greatest bands Sheffield has to offer, it’s no surprise the four tracks on this 7” are anything but monstrous ass kickers. STRAY BULLET blends together the perfect cocktail of Swedish and USHC, packed from start to finish with profoundly catchy riffs and topped off with disgustingly perfect vocals that sound like they are going to rip through the speakers to eat you at any given second. A truly essential piece of wax to add to your arsenal to say the least.

MRR #480 - May 2023:

Latest release from Sheffield’s STRAY BULLET consists of four tracks of a fast ’80s USHC/Swedecore approach, meeting the UK82 style of contemporary UK hardcore. Fierce combustion of straight-ahead, full-speed hardcore with its own groove. Solid recording quality that doesn’t resort to hiding underneath low-fidelity or any other gimmicks. Absolute no-bullshit, in-your-face hardcore, and they mean it.
(Daiki Kusuhara)

Michael Thorn’s Top 10 Punk Songs of 2021

The most depressed and dour band on earth continues to march on! In so many ways this has become an anthem for hopelessness I feel in the face of the pandemic. “Maybe we were just fucked from the get go. Maybe we were born like this” A song for the times indeed.

MRR #469 - June 2022

Latest record by Copenhagen’s THE WAR GOES ON, a band consisting of ex-members of the acclaimed NO HOPE FOR THE KIDS. Discount Hope is bleak, dark punk that sounds like it was written by the kids of the black hole. Yet the band isn’t from the suburbs of Orange County, but a Scandinavian city that either gets no sun during the day or the sun doesn’t go down at night. Despite the songs consisting of darkness and bleakness, it still has this catchy pop sensibility (something difficult to achieve unless you’re from Southern California) without having the SoCal bro punk vibes—the lack of SoCal bro punk-ness does seem to add a character that is rather unique. Perfect background music to these dark times. Highly recommended.
(Daiki Kusuhara)

MRR #467 - April 2022

Besides their demo, this is the first full-length album that Copenhagen’s PLANET Y has released. There’s not much I can find on the group except a consistency in their album artwork: a post-industrial collage with a looming, orange sun. The twin vocals remind me of HYSTERESE who I reviewed a while back, but the instrumentation is much rougher on En Plads i Solen, which translates to “A Place in the Sun.” I really like the glassy guitar line in “Plasticsolen (Plastic Sun);” also the guitar and bass chugging verse of “Dør på Klem (Door Almost Open)” that sounds like the verse from NEIL YOUNG’s “Rockin in the Free World,” which somehow works here. It took me a few listens, but I think this despairing yet hopeful, charming yet in-your-face album is simply great.
Willis Schenk

2022 Year End Top Tens By Maximum Rocknroll

I have loved RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA since I first saw them live in 2004 and their LOS CRUDOS-like intensity conquered my heart. Now after all these years, they finally released a full-length, and they still have that intensity, and also the ability to build up a great album. Some top-quality material here with lots of soul. Seriously.
(Arto Hietikko)

Terminal Escape Blog - February '14

From the SOLLID DECLINE split you knew that Austria's RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA were the real deal, but I went back and blasted that shit after IRA dropped a couple of years ago and...I swear it's even better than I remember. And this record...? These Austrians didn't just maintain over time, they have gotten better (and better) - this is essential hardcore punk, and they deliver with an energy rarely equalled. An energy that's simply hard to find in a lot of the squirmy post-mysterious guy stomps of the modern era. I like those stomps, but this record (presented here in cassette for, naturally) just fukkn rages. And sometimes that's actually what I need. I need to rage, because I have a lot of it.

MRR #468 - May 2022

When they released their self-titled 12” on Adult Crash Records back in 2019, AXE RASH stirred the punk pot with their high-intensity Swedish hardcore power, and they are back with Contemporary Ass, a well-deserved follow-up. They fit somewhere in between the raw aggression of Swedish mangel à la TOTALITÄR, with subtle hints to early ANTI-CIMEX and a more bouncy USHC-styled stomp to it. The icing on the cake is the vocals, which are as vicious as they can be and deliver a raging ass-kicking throughout the five tracks; they’re a standout factor in comparison with other contemporary mangel-worshipping bands. One of the most promising bands to come out of the punk department in Sweden in later years, and this is very telling because there are mangel-styled bands spawning left and right. AXE RASH got me hitchin’ for more!
You will pay!
João Seixas

MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL #15, July 1984

A new Danish outfit that specialises in tasty mid-tempo punk with an interesting post-punky flavor. The overall sound is heavy, the lyrics are political, and there are some cool rhythmic shifts and guitar frills. 'Laederhalse' has especially catchy vocal arrangements, whereas "Schlüters Kabinet" is a thrashed out blast. Jeff Bale

Sorry State Newsletter September 2020

So recently I heard that this EP by one of the unsung rippers of Danish hardcore is finally getting a proper reissue by the great label Adult Crash. I first heard Kalashnikov on the PEACE/WAR comp when I was a teenager. The amount of killer bands on that double-LP compilation was overwhelming upon first listen, but Kalashnikov’s track “Schlueters Kabinet” appears pretty early on side A. After hearing familiar US hardcore like Articles of Faith and Neon Christ, I just remember thinking, “Who is this band? It RIPS.” For the longest time, after looking up who the band was in the booklet insert, my underdeveloped teenage brain assumed that Kalashnikov must be a punk band from Russia purely based on the name… even though it clearly says “Denmark” right next to the band name in the track listing. I’m such an idiot sometimes.
In the years following my digestion of this great punk comp and before great resources of information were so readily available online, I came to discover that Kalashnikov was from Albertslund in Denmark and that their track on the comp was taken from their eponymous 1984 3-track EP. As is the case with many great 80s punk/hardcore acts, Kalashnikov’s discography is pretty short: One 7” and one LP. It’s funny, because I remember Daniel bringing up that this reissue was happening at the store one day, and before realizing I was already familiar with the band, he said “Oh, Kalashnikov is total ‘Jeff-core’!” It’s really true. They play raging hardcore with melodic sensibility, but lurking beneath creeps a dark and ominous atmosphere. In particular, vocalist Charlotte delivers a more catchy vocal approach that to me is not too far off from their Danish contemporaries Electric Deads. But diving deeper into their catalog besides songs like “Schlueters Kabinet”, Kalashnikov dials back the tempo for these plodding, tribal rhythms that have noticeable leanings toward goth and post-punk influences – almost like Siouxsie and the Banshees. Especially on their LP Sub Version, some songs reach the 5-minute mark. For me though, the blending of these two vastly different sounds totally flows, gives the band more dimension, and warrants repeated listens.
I do feel like people’s awareness of this great band is a little bit underneath the radar. Especially considering that the cheapest copy of Kalashnikov’s debut EP currently for sale on discogs is $700 and some people are trying to get a GRAND for it, I feel like a proper reissue has been due for quite some time now. Sorry State should be getting distro copies soon. Personally, I can’t wait.
If you’re unfamiliar, here’s that fabled track that I first heard many years ago: https://kalashnikov1984.bandcamp.com/track/schl-ters-kabinet - Jeff

Maximum RockNRoll #448 - September 2020

Adult Crash out of Denmark has finally reissued KALASHNIKOV’s classic 1984 EP. It’s rare to find a bona fide classic that hasn’t been reissued or booted at this point, especially one this good, and the original has been climbing in price for a while now, so I’m beyond excited to have this. Originally known as DIARRÉ (you can guess as to that word’s meaning in Danish), they had three excellent songs on the Lorteland tape compilation (“I Hate the New Romantics” is my personal favorite) before recording this EP in 1984 and an LP in 1985. The obvious hit here is the hard-charging “Schlüters Kabinet,” which also appeared on the P.E.A.C.E. compilation, but the other two tracks are great, albeit at a post-punk pace. An essential record now available for a reasonable price.
Shivaun Watchorn

Land of Treason

A Danish punk band that were active in the mid-1980’s. Some might remember them for the super-catchy song “Schlueters Kabinet” that was their contribution to the P.E.A.C.E. compilation of 1984; this is a repress of the 7″ from the same year, and includes that track, alongside two other songs that are equally as memorable. Two Thirds fast paced protest punk, (with one track that has a choppier post-punk vibe), a great example of the transitional moment from the early ’80s anarcho/street punk (Charlotte Bagge’s vocals especially gave them an element of No Future/Riot City) towards the sped-up energy of the thrashier hardcore era that was waiting around the corner.

Sorry State Newsletter September 2020

Stockholm, Sweden’s Power Face have a few records out already (including an LP on Really Fast Records!!!), but this is the first time I’ve heard them. While it’s not so on the nose they sound like a “worship” band, parts of Door Slammed Shut are a dead ringer for peak-era RKL. Like RKL, Power Face sounds kind of metal but they aren’t afraid of major keys, their guitarist and drummer are serious rippers (I love the accents on the ride bell! That’s classic a classic Bomber move…), and their vocalist sounds raspy and snotty but can still lead an anthemic sing-along. This reminds me of the catchy and ripping punk that No Way Records made a name for themselves releasing in the mid-2000s, and if you’re still spinning your Government Warning records, I think you’ll get plenty of mileage out of Door Slammed Shut.

Land of Treason

Stockholm degenerates who ramp-up the hard rock into the red, and add a snotty skate-punk edge. What starts out with a Stooges type groove sudenly breaks out into an old school thrasher, bringing to mind, more than anyone, early RKL (always happy to welcome RKL back into my mind. Such an outstandingly f-a-b band). Placing a rock on the accelerator, the intensity doesn’t let off; this one crashes, combusts, and blazes bright, for sure. For fans of Annihilation Time, Turbonegro, and Government Warning.

MRR #453 - February 2021

Enthusiastic Stockholm Swedes POWER FACE play a turbo-charged kind of metal-punk, reminding me a little bit of SoCal skate bands from the early ’90s. If you strip away the wild, spit-caked vocals, the music is honestly pretty generic melodic punk/hardcore, which they play well. Are these guys signed to Fat Wreck yet, or what? (Jason Harding)

Sorry State Newsletter September 2020

Assisted Armageddon is the second LP from this Danish band featuring former members of Hjerte Stop and No Hope for the Kids. If you’ve heard those two bands, Assisted Armageddon sounds like the two of them mashed together, with the big melodies and soaring vocals of No Hope for the Kids combined with the shorter songs and leaner approach of Hjerte Stop. If you haven’t heard those bands, The War Goes On reminds me of the most melodic early 80s Southern California punk… bands like Channel 3, M.I.A., and Social Distortion. Those bands contributed DNA to pop-punk, but The War Goes On doesn’t sound like a pop-punk band to me… they’re too gritty, angry, and political, and their melodies are dark and sophisticated. That being said, when Usman heard this he said it sounds like it could be on Hellcat Records, so maybe I’m just old. However, if you’re like me and have fond memories of the early 2000s when Kick N Punch Records was ruling everything and thousands of punks were newly able to locate Denmark on a map, and/or if you played that No Hope for the Kids LP to death, this LP is full of anthems perfect for autumn 2020.

Land of Treason

The second 12″ by this Danish punk that have been around since 2008. A great balance between melodic hookery and a gritty, rough-edged urgency. A timeless quality, it goes all the way back to Naked Raygun and Agent Orange, (maybe even a very slight touch of Abrasive Wheels/English Dogs); and then picking-up an element of somone like, say, Manifesto Jukebox… and No Problem, on route back to 2021. Apparently, aside from their early US and UK punk influence, they equally draw inspiration from classic Danish rock and pop of the ’80s – which is not exactly my area of expertise, so I couldn’t possibly comment…. except to say, I’m now curious to check-out Danish chart songs of the 1980s…

MRR #456 - May 2021

Hailing from Copenhagen, THE WAR GOES ON is on their second album with Assisted Armageddon. Dark and catchy as hell punk rock that owes as much to the US as it does to the UK, but with a somewhat “pop” sensibility. They strive for big melodies yet have a gritty approach to them. If you know HJERTESTOP or NO HOPE FOR THE KIDS, you know what you are in for, as the members share duties in both bands. To sum things up, this album could be on Hellcat Records.
João Seixas

Maximum RockNRoll #447 - August 2020

An assembly of esteemed UK hardcore hardy perennials here in the form of STRAY BULLET, including but not limited to Crawford Mackay (CLOCKED OUT), Fergus Daffy (NO PULSE) and Brian Suddaby from umpteen bands of which RAT CAGE and HEAVY SENTENCE are the most recent, I guess. They’ve all found themselves in Sheffield with an urge to kick out careening, consistently brisk hardcore, bordering garage punk for the longest, closing number “Consider It Worn.” Sounds like some ’90s bargain bin relic to me, and that’s meant in a good way—bands like OUT COLD or NINE SHOCKS TERROR that are adored by small coteries of heads but whose releases can still be scored relatively cheaply. Chug-into-a-brickwall rhythm parts square up against high-pitched, almost-indulgent guitar solos and Mackay sounds as ready to blow his top as was the case during CLOCKED OUT’s existence. (Noel Gardner)

Land of Treason

A brand new Sheffield hardcore act with a rip-roaring 6 track debut EP. The sound of the North: both Nothern Hemisphere (as in Scandi hardcore – Totalitar and DS13) a and also Northern England (not a million miles away from their neighbours Rat Cage). It’s fast, ugly, raw and proper life afirming.

Maximum RockNRoll #450 - November 2020

This recent release from Swedish outfit KASSHUVE proves that all you need to make great music is pure aggression. In an age of ever-constant overproduced and glamorous pop songs, this EP stands out as an anomaly of fucked up noise. The vocals are delivered in a constant guttural scream. Piercingly overdriven guitars, thick bass, and pummeling drums. Its lo-fi recording aesthetic adds to the overall noisiness and fuzz. The EP is rough and raw around the edges in all the best ways. The band wears their influences on their sleeves, but still creates something hard-hitting and fresh.
Tyler Sovelove

Land of Treason

A riotous debut EP, eight tracks of full-throttle Scandi hardcore thrash (by way of Malmö, Sweden). Fast, aggressive and urgent, keeping close to the tried and tested formula of Uncurbed, Meanwhile and DS13. And very punk.

SORRY STATE

Record of the week:
Bummed that Warthog hasn’t released an LP yet? Well, this debut LP from Denmark’s Cesspool might help tide you over. I wouldn’t say Cesspool is biting Warthog’s style, but they deal in a similar market of mid-paced, pit-clearing riffage, punishing drumming, and charismatic vocals. In a typical hardcore band, the fast parts are the base and the breakdowns are the sauce, but Cesspool flip that equation, only bubbling over into a full-tilt thrash a few times over the course of these 8 tracks. However, I don’t see anyone complaining because these riffs are burly as hell, edging right up to being dumb but staying on the tastefully crowd-pleasing side of that line. The production is also huge and powerful, but with the perfect amount of grit. Throw in cool packaging (including a sick black-on-silver poster insert) and you have one crushing hardcore record.

RAZORBLADES AND ASPIRIN no. 8 - winter 2020

Oh København, so much to answer for...straight forward, high energy hardcore P-U-N-K. This ain't no Frites Modern and it's too Poison Idea-by-Motörhead to fit in with that early '00s Kick'n'Punch style - there's a delightful beefy muscularity to this which makes me think they'd fit in with the vibe of Rival Mob or Dead Stop, even if they don't sound excactly like them.
Great debut, now do more...

Maximum Rocknroll #454 - March 2021

Copenhagen’s new hardcore outfit CESSPOOL sets a very simple goal for the listener: a boot to the face. We Hide Among You is composed of eight tracks of slam-dancing, pit-clearing anthems of mid-paced hardcore in the fashion of WARTHOG or TARANTULA. Their strong suit is the heavy groove they achieve and a strong sense of musicality. Clear your room and feel the stomp of CESSPOOL.
Joao Seixas

RAZORBLADES AND ASPIRIN no. 8 - winter 2020

Seven blasts of skull-cleaving käng punk attack. Powerful Swedish d-beat hardcore with really intricate bass work - if you're familiar with 90's Portalnd rippers Detestation, this is along that line of thought - it punches along at a more mid-tempo clip, but still is really enticing. These tracks originally appeared on a split tape with Muro.

Sorry State

Debut vinyl from this Danish hardcore group. These tracks appeared on a split tape with Colombia’s Muro, but I don’t think many of those made it to the US. I love a six-track 33rpm hardcore 7”, and Zyfilis do it right with this EP. They alternate between bruising pogo-hardcore a la Gag and catchy d-beat punk that reminds me of Vaaska or Larma’s catchier moments. My favorite track is “Samhälssystemets Kyrkogård,” which has a catchy, fist-pumping rhythm that reminds me of Toxic Reasons’ great Kill by Remote Control album. If you’re into a catchy, fast punk like Toxic Reasons or Electric Deads, it’s worth giving these Danes a listen.

RAZORBLADES AND ASPIRIN no. 8 - winter 2020

Ripping tupa-tupa punk rock from Colombia - melodic without losing a sense of aggression. Heavy UK82 vibe through a South American punk filter - think Ultra Violent, think Uproar. It's quite amazing how much good stuff is coming out of Bogotá these days.

Sorry State

Cadena de Odio is the debut vinyl from this Colombian punk band featuring members of Muro. As with Muro, Uzi’s gritty DIY aesthetic belies how rich and varied the music on this record is. I hear elements of UK82 punk, straightforward hardcore, and a little modern pogo-hardcore, but Uzi has digested these influences and incorporated them into their sound. The aesthetic and vibe is like Muro, but while Muro gravitates toward the epic feel of classic Japanese hardcore, Uzi’s street punk influences are their main calling card. A lot of Cadena de Odio doesn’t sound too different from the Casualties (particularly when they throw in a simple, melodic lead guitar line), but filtered through the prism of raw, modern DIY hardcore. If you’ve been feeling the recent spate of Muro records, this shares the same sense of excitement and urgency.

Land of Treason

Columbian fury and virtiol, featuring members of other Bogotá hardcore punk and post-punk bands such as Final, Muro and Tumbas. A debut release of meat and tatties fast-paced punk rock given a huge uplift by the sheer intensity of feeling in the vocals (what is about Latino/S. American punk? so from the gut…) and shook-up even more by discreet melodies that snag you along by the ear lugs and drag you into a back street alleyway to give you a proper duffing-over. It is gratefully recieved. Sort of like Futuro meets Lebenden Toten, with the noise factor dialed down, and the addition of UK82 drum patterns.

Razorcake

Caustic and catchy slam-punk from Colombia. City Baby Attacked by Rats re-charged for a new era of disenfranchised and increasingly volatile youth. The perfect soundtrack for flipping cop cars over, also featuring a member of hardcore heavyweights Muro. What more do you need to know? Get this! Juan Espinosa

MRR #442 - March 2020

I am an enthusiast about the current Bogota punk scene. I am impressed by everything I hear coming out of there, and this band is no different. Aggressive vocals, intense lyrics, distorted guitar, and creative drums — the golden ticket to UK82 land! This first LP that has been released demarcates a territory in the current punk scene, and puts Bogota on the map once again. Natha Viccari

Your Last Rite (Best of 2019 list)

The self-titled debut from Danish trio Deformation featured jacked-up K-Town hardcore, which was as raw as salt in a wound. Deformation’s debut had a gloriously caustic edge, and having the LP mastered at Tokyo’s famed Noise Room studios only added to its mind-melting abrasiveness. High-speed ferocious fun. 10/10.

RAZORBLADES AND ASPIRIN no. 8 - winter 2020

Don't get me wrong, I love me some d-beat. I love the thought of a sea of studded and charged black leather clad miscreants casting forth fists in the air and raging against the system, etc. The problem I have is that so often people half-ass it, rather than taking the simplistic off-kilter drumming style the Buzzcocks (ahem) developed and injecting it with a sense of urgency and passion. It's become just a plodding, boring formula and I find myself staring into my mezcal just wondering where it all went wrong. Copenhagen's Deformation suffer not from this fate - everything is done right on this record. Blazing riffs, vocals splattered about with a sense of urgency, and drumming that just hammers home the point - all glazed in a vital ooze of distortion.

Maximum RockNRoll #455 - April 2021

DEFORMATION plays on fire, with machine gun ripper drum fills and the slight swagger of HUMAN WASTE. This is straightforward echoing D-beat with the effects of some recent Finnish hardcore outfits and the stern delivery of later AVSKUM, and there are also some mid-tempo moments that recall metallic ’80s hardcore. DEFORMATION is from Denmark and this three-piece is tearing it down like when I first heard GLORIOUS? It clobbers, it annihilates, it changes up, this could be from any time between ’85 and today. Furthermore, this cover art is amazing. A skull barfing bombs and within the recess of its head is the ever-fuming industrial engine of pollution and greed. The three members of DEFORMATION play tight as DISCLOSE with the vibe of UNCURBED at twice the speed. 300% D-beat metal punk up the world zoo. I went from concluding early this was just okay to realizing it absolutely smolders.
Jason Ryan

Land of Treason

A Danish trio with a burning spirit via K-town. A churning wall of high velocity hardcore rage with echos of the many bands tied-in with the From Ashes Rise family tree (leaning to the Brad Boatright side – so, lessTragedy, more No Parade), with an extra helping of D-beat, all the while keeping together a style and sound that is distinctly their own. There’s something serious and exciting going down amongst our Danish comrades these days…

DIYCONSPIRACY.NET

Usually, you can’t wrong with Scandinavian d-beat, especially for a band that features former members of Skitkids, Stress SS, Infernöh, Arsle, and Herätys. These guys from the Swedish province of Skåne certainly have some solid reputation for delivering a wicked blast of aural chaos in the past, and now with Larma they start a new legacy that is promising indeed!
Full of emotion, genuinely pissed and threatening, this shit knocks you over and set the place on fire. Ripping like there’s no tomorrow, Larma falls somewhere between the manic d-beat style of Totalitär backed up with totally crushing Swedish-language vocals and pulverizing riffage in the tradition of Japanese “burning spirits” school of dark arts. The 11 songs on here fly by pretty quickly with a great deal of variety, ranging from the aforementioned old school hardcore and käng punk essentials to their own sheer brutality and originality, making this a relentless attack on the senses for those who still like their hardcore raw and unadulterated. Larma, unlike any of the d-beat clones out there, is catchy in all the right ways and just reeks of fun & high-octane hardcore energy.
Basically, in their debut LP released through the Copenhagen based Adult Crash label and coming back straight from the K-Town Hardcore Fest 2019, this new Swedish gang have managed to flip the monochrome monotony of d-beat on its drunken head to provide something really exciting that will please even the most picky and stubborn hardcore punk listeners out there. Definitely one of the best käng/crust/d-beat infused hardcore records I’ve heard in a while, you really have to get this.

NO ECHO

Sweden’s Larma might be a new band but just knowing their pedigree is a clear indication of the spicy Swedish meatball of hardcore fury they are bringing to the party. Featuring former members of such powerhouses as Skitkids, Stress SS, Infernöh, Arsle, and Herätys they tear through 11 tracks of high octane and absolutely blistering Swedish hardcore.
But this isn’t all-go-no-slow paddle thrash—instead they’ve taken the lessons that Totalitär set out before us to heart. While this does rip and rage it never goes full bore into a mindless whirlwind of hammer to face battering territory but injects a constant feel of catchiness and hooks. Occasionally, they downshift into these absolutely brutal, skull stomping, Oi!-styled breakdowns—for example the song “Avståndets Psykologi.”
D-beat is such weird thing—so often it falls quickly into this sort of plodding and inept take on Discharge or more often into this metallic crustlord territory played by extras from the Lord of the Rings. This is not to say that I have anything against the Uruk-hai or inept music in general, lets be clear on that point. However, its just when something that is infused with Minor Threat levels of energy and musicianship comes along it just makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I take notice. In a world of orcs and goblins, Larma rises above the fray appearing at the dawn like Éomer at the Battle of Helms Deep to smash the pretenders and save the day.
They are just a magnificent display of what is possible with the Buzzcocks' glorious invention—that simple pulsating beat. While it is early, for me this is a serious contender for Album of the Year.
(Michael D. Thorn)

Your Last Rite (Best of 2019 list)

Larma’s self-titled album exceeded expectations. The Swedish band tore through 11 high-octane tracks with blistering kängpunk, d-beat, and plenty of Totalitär-worship on display. Best of all, though, Larma had a gift for dropping big fat hooks into otherwise red-raw maelstroms. Impressive stuff.

MRR - 2019 Year-End Top Tens, Part One

Only the Swedes can pull this off, if they weren’t from Malmö I don’t think it would be as good. Putting a mark on where HERÄTYS left off. (Hafiz Bastard)
TOTALITÄR is a funny thing. There are so many bands trying to do it, that it’s almost a genre unto itself, but the truth is that few get it right. In this case, the members of LARMA get it very, very right. True Swedish Hardcore Punk Mangel. Ripping from start to finish. Not one dud track. Play it loud and play it again. (Greg Benedetto)

Sorry State

Fuck, I think I just played the fuck out of this record as soon as we got it in the shop. After taking a break for a couple months and revisiting, I can tell you with 100% certainty that it kicks so much ass. Swedish HC brought to you by some of the same folks that brought you Skitkids (among others). (Eric)

DIYCONSPIRACY.NET

I’ve never been a fan of garage punk but sometimes I find some new bands that manage to crank up some jangly tunes to make the heart swell.
Planet Y hail from Copenhagen, Denmark, and come at you swinging some upbeat guitar driven music, inspired by Scandinavian 70’s melancholia and hints of early West Coast punk-rock melodies, as the press-release goes. If you’re already tired of all the noisy, metallic and brutal stuff out there, Planet Y could make for a great listening experience, especially for those of you into bands like Masshysteri, Gorilla Angreb, or No Hope For The Kids. I’m also sure these guys will be a real fun to see live!
By Mittens XVX

Maximum RockNRoll #455 - April 2021

Scrappy hardcore with just a bit of jangle from this Copenhagen band. A quicker and madder X with the spirit of DEAD MOON. The vocals and sharp guitars bring to mind Poly Styrene and the best of X-RAY SPEX or the VICIOUS. The nine tracks blast quick for a strong listen.
Tim Janchar

SORRY STATE RECORDS

Second EP from this group out of Malmö, Sweden. As on their earlier EP, Snor seem to walk the line between noisy pogo-punk in the Gai / Swankys tradition and noisier d-beat, fusing the two styles in a really effective way and adding in some nice little touches like reverbed-to-hell vocals (that still carry a little bit of melody) and complex arrangements with a lot of starts and stops and cool little changes that gives it a slight USHC flavor as well. Like the Profoss EP released at the same time on Adult Crash, this has an absolutely perfect recording with exactly the right balance of fuzz/noise, heaviness, and clarity. I feel like this is one of those records that, when you put it on, you think it’s going to be kind of a one track pony, but when you listen closely you realize there’s actually quite a lot going on and plenty to love. Because of that complexity it’s not likely to become the flavor of the week (people tend to prefer things that are simpler and immediately graspable), but if you seek out the interesting, innovative and strange in your hardcore I highly recommend this one.

MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL #421, June 2018

Reverb-heavy hardcore with D-beat tendencies (think DESTINO FINAL) that is absolutely elevated by the playful, high-pitched vocals. The interplay between the vocalist, who sounds like the singer for a lost early '80s Spanish punk band, and the band itself, who are dishing out completely straightforward grim-sounding hardcore, it's just fantastic! Given the wordplay in the record title, it's clear that the band has a sense of humor, but rather than giving in to the joke, the record is played completely straight, which makes it a very compelling listen. The last track ("Mro Zna Noc") is probably the best, a nasty mid-tempo snarl of a song like IGGY POP meets LEBENDEN TOTEN with the singer going completely nuts over the top, wailing and shrieking. Somehow her completely disarming vocals take on an unexpected and wholly welcome edge of menace, like she'd been playing at crazy all this time but holy shit, she might actually be dangerous. Great EP! (AU)

KINK RECORDS

Nach einer LP und diversen 7"s kommt hier eine weitere 6-Song 7" der Band aus Göteborg/Schweden. Auf dieser gibts schnellen, räudigen Highspeed Hardcore-Punk, alles schön rotzig und mit ordentlich Wut im Bauch!

KINK RECORDS

Nach der tollen LP im letzten Jahr kommt hier eine neue 7" von GLORIOUS? aus Malmö/Schweden. Darauf gibts, wie erwartet, 4x schön rauen und räudigen Hardcore-Punk mit Crust-Einschlag in bester Discharge, Disclose oder Disaster Manier!

KINK RECORDS

Neue Band aus Schweden mit ihrer Debüt 7" auf Adult Crash in Europa und Beach Impediment Records in den Staaten. Auf dem Debüt gibts 5x schnellen, räudigen Hardcore-Punk, der sich irgendwo zwischen Totalitär und Herätys bewegt. Knallt ganz gut!

TURIST I TILLVARON, no. 4 summer 2017

Det här är fjärde singeln från hardcorekrigarna i Damaged Head. Här langar de ut sex moshvänliga låtar som uppmanar till dans, headbanging och luftgitarrshow. Jag gillar nog crossoverpärlan "Smoke them out" bäst men samtidigt är de rakare attackerna i "Gone" och "Häxprocess" feta.

NEW DARK AGE BLOG

The record that has been in the works for more than four years from these K-town degenerates is now ready. We are proud to present the dark and rough reality that is THE WAR GOES ON. Made up of people responsible for bands like NO HOPE FOR THE KIDS, HJERTESTOP, and many more K-town classic hardcore bands. This record sees singer Ronni Dybdahl delve further into the depths of darkness and gloom than ever before, and come back with an anthemic hard pounding street punk record that somehow blurs the lines between Oi!, Punk, and Hardcore....

SORRY STATE

Debut LP from this new Danish band that features former members of No Hope for the Kids and Hjerte Stop. If you were a big NHFTK fan (and who wasn't in like 2004?) you'll immediately recognize the distinctive vocals, but The War Goes On is a little different. While the dark melodies and catchy vocals are very much intact from NHFTK, the music is generally faster and more straightforwardly punk a la Hjerte Stop... maybe I'm just listening for it because I'm aware of the members' backgrounds, but it does sound like those two bands smashed together. It's extremely well-written and recorded, to the point where some of it actually reminds me a bit of Bad Religion's stuff from the early 00s after they returned to Epitaph and kind of re-punked-up their sound. I'm sure that comparison will be a big turn-off to some people, but it does serve as fair warning: this is pretty slick stuff, but I wouldn't say it's overproduced by any means. I can't help but feel like if this has come out 10-12 years ago they would be, hands-down, one of the biggest bands in the worldwide punk scene, but the sound of this, to me at least, doesn't seem to be where a lot of people's heads are at in 2016. There are advantages and disadvantages to that; on the one hand it sticks out more for sounding very different than most of the recent stuff that has passed across my turntable, but at the same time it doesn't have the force of the zeitgeist behind it. It's definitely a well-crafted, engaging record, so use the info above to determine if you're someone likely to be blown away by it.

WINTERVIEW issue #3, winter 2017

I have listened to this one for so many times that I find no sense in writing anything about it. It simply is an essential record for anyone claiming to be punk in 2017. True melancholic punk rock from the ashes of NO HOPE FOR THE KIDS with the most authentic suicidal lyrics ever written.

DEAD PULPIT

Lesion is a Copenhagen, Denmark based black metal, punk, and crust band who formed in the spring of 2014, from the looks of things. Lesion play a raw, and filthy style of music that incorporates elements of hardcore, punk, black metal, and crust within their sound. Musically, Lesion will appeal to fans of All Pigs Must Die, Impalers, Protestant and other like-minded bands.
Since their inception in 2014, Lesion have released a six song demo in April of 2014, contributed two songs to the Uden For Cirklen compilation, and a four song EP in July of 2015. II is the band's latest seven song EP, which was released via Adult Crash Records on February 6th, 2016. On II, Lesion offer up seven tracks of raw and chaotic sounding hardcore, punk, black metal, and crust. Overall, II is a killer EP and should not be missed. Highly recommended! Enjoy!
(Chris Morris)

KINK RECORDS

Zweite 7" der Band aus Kopenhagen auf Adult Crash. Wie schon bei der ersten 7" gibts hier rauen Mid-Tempo Hardcore-Punk mit Black Metal und Crust-Einschlag. Alles ziemlich LoFi, bewegt sich das Ganze irgendwo zwischen HOAX, SUMP und HELLHAMMER.

LIVING IN THE CITY #4

Great EP by a to me more or less unknown Swedish band. How on earth did this escape my attention? No clue, but it's hardcore at it's best. It kinda reminds me of spanish hardcore beasts Glam, well... Except the vocals. They are more in some Umeå'ish direction. Yet there's so much more to it check it out...

Sorry State Newsletter Nov. 2021

The other night, my buddy and I were talking about Regulations and how that shit is still totally killer. He then asked me if I had ever heard the Neu Ronz EP, to which I responded, “Nah, what’s that?” He described it to me as "Otto singing in a band with dudes from Nitad and Raped Teenagers." I thought to myself, "Well, fuck... what’s not to like?" I listened to it all the way through, my brain literally exploded, and I have not stopped listening to it since. This Neu Ronz 7" came out in 2015 on Adult Crash, and somehow, even with me working at Sorry State and us regularly stocking releases from Adult Crash, I never heard it. I could kick myself. I’m such an idiot. I always tend to embellish, but this is one of the most killer hardcore records I’ve heard in forever. A Swedish supergroup masterwork. Each song is about a minute flat. You can totally tell there’s Raped Teenagers folks involved because all the riffs have that catchy and kinda wonky quirkiness about 'em. But when you take that wonky, turbulent rage and top it with Otto from Regulations’ hooky vocals that we all know and love, you get a perfect and potent combination. Each song is a hit. It’s like a totally weird and leftfield take on hardcore, but also approachable ear candy at the same time. I love it. Do yourself a favor and play this over and over 'til you puke just like me.
Now I just need to lock down a physical copy of this EP. Anyone got one they wanna part with in USA? Preferably on red vinyl. nerd emoji
-Jeff

Sorry State Newsletter Aug. 2024

And speaking of Swedish hardcore, my staff pick is this Neu-Ronz 7” we just got copies of at the store. I think I already wrote about this record for a staff pick a few years ago. But shiiit, I don’t care. Here we go again! Do people know about this record? To me, it seems like a record that kinda flew under the radar when it first came out. The always reliably killer Adult Crash label released this EP back in 2015. Crazy that the record is already almost 10 years old. But honestly, I don’t think I ever heard it when it first came out. I remember showing Daniel at work one day, and having not heard the record either, he similarly flipped the fuck out and was like, “This RIPS.”

Right after hearing it, it became my mission (and Daniel’s as well) to track down a used copy of the Neu-Ronz 7”. I figured that since the record was on Adult Crash and seems relatively inexpensive on the second-hand market, it wouldn’t be too terribly difficult to track down. Over the years, I would check the used bins whenever I would visit punk record stores out of town. Whether it was Vinyl Conflict in Richmond, or Sit and Spin in Philly, or wherever, I just could NOT find a copy. Not only that, but I would ask the clerks at the record stores and people seemed to have no idea what band I was talking about haha. My difficulty finding the record only heightened its allure for me. I guess its scarcity makes sense. The EP is the sole release by Neu-Ronz, and it was only released on Adult Crash in Europe. So really, the only way the record would have made its way over here is if distros had imported copies. Maybe people would know the record better if it had a US pressing a decade ago?

Okay, so let me talk more about the story with this record and what it actually sounds like. How I first heard about Neu-Ronz is several years ago, my buddy and I were talking about Regulations and how those records from the early 00s are still totally killer. He then asked me if I had ever heard the Neu-Ronz EP, to which I responded, “Nah, what’s that?” He billed it to me as Otto singing in a band with dudes from Nitad and Raped Teenagers. He sent me a YouTube link back then those couple years ago and as soon as it started playing, it knocked my fuckin’ socks off. A Swedish supergroup of sorts, you might say? For any skeptics, let me just emphasize to you readers: this record RIPS. It’s like a lost gem. 6 songs, all about a minute flat or less. The immediacy with which the band launches into these songs will rip off your lid right off your dome. If you’re familiar with 80s Swedish ragers Raped Teenagers, you’ll hear that these folks are involved because all the riffs have this catchy, while also a signature wonky quirkiness and off-kilter rhythm about the way they play. Still, this record is a focus of turbulent rage, and of course is topped with Otto’s hooky vocals that we all know and love. It’s an explosive combination. If you’re anything like me, once you grab this EP, you’ll play it over and over ‘til you puke.

Funny enough, I finally locked down my copy of this 7” when me and the dudes from Public Acid went record shopping in Portland while on our west coast tour earlier this year. We went to Blackwater, and I went straight to the 7” used “N’s” section. And there it was… like a golden nugget glowing in the bins. I think it was like $3. I was so stoked. No one in Public Acid knew anything about the record either haha. Then, only a few months later, Scarecrow played K-Town festival and Jakob from Adult Crash had a table where he was selling the titles on his label. Come to find out that he had several dead stock copies of Neu-Ronz 7” available. My first reaction was like… “Are you KIDDING me?” I was sneaky and bought a copy for Daniel while he wasn’t looking. Talking to a bunch of Swedish friends at K-Town, Neu-Ronz was not just a recording project, and the band did in fact play shows. Apparently, they only played around 10 gigs. Lucas from Vidro told me they would count in the first song super fast, and then would just tear it up for like 7 or 8 minutes without stopping. That would be the whole set every time. Perfection.

All this exposition is to draw attention to the fact that I guess Daniel discussed with Adult Crash that next time Sorry State ordered their new titles, that we’d also like to get a fat stack of dead stock Neu-Ronz 7”s. We got ‘em, baby. So, now’s your chance! If my glowing endorsement isn’t enough, the record also only costs $5. Shit, ya know what? Grab that Instängd Konkret Och Brutal 7” while you’re at it.
-Jeff

ARTCORE FANZINE

Taking their cures from American hardcore bands of recent years that have looked to the past for their inspiration, such as Night Birds, Off!, Void Control and Psyched To Die, you wouldn’t think that Dry Heaves were from the U.K., or this decade for that matter.
From the opener ‘Weekend Warrior’ through ‘Cold Sweat’ and the title track, the snot flies on side one, doffing their caps to the likes of Circle Jerks and Angry Samoans, but throwing an element of garage punk into the mix, with just enough New Bomb Turks to give it that edge. And overall they come closest to TKO nutjobs The Randumbs.
Side two spews forth more three chord swagger on the likes of ‘Rip Off’ and ‘The Fear’, with shredding chords and tight hi-hat and snare, and the album closes with the two killer tracks from their recent 7"; ‘Monotony’ and ‘Killers In Uniform’, gobbing and sneering to the end.
The package is wrapped in some neat punk rock artwork courtesy of Danny Tremor, and you should expect to hear more from this lot, or at least you would if they were from America. Fans of the above; pick this up post-haste, or if you’re still not sure, check it out here...

BLINDEAD

I was always under the impression that this was a Danish band. It could be the artwork on the “Gi’ore” 7", or the fact that said 7" was on Adult Crash that fooled me, but most likely it was the music – a little bit in combination with the other stuff. But they’re not from Denmark but from Sheffield, UK. Not that it matters, but my opening rant gives you an idea on what to expect musically. Anyway, Dry Heaves mix classic hardcore with some UK82 styled punk rock and the result is… well, like that. Regulations and Black Flag have been thrown around as comparisons and I’m not really gonna argue that. It’s snotty and catchy.

PLASTIK BOMB

Hardcore Explosion ! Zwei der besten skandinavischen Hardcorebands dieser Tage teilen sich eine LP - das kann nur verdammt krachen. HÅRDA TIDER kommen aus dem schwedischen Malmö und kreuzen in ihren Songs die Härte von POISON IDEA mit der Brutalität von DISCHARGE. Sie verpassten ihren 3 Songs einen harten Groove und singen auf Schwedisch. NIGHT FEVER sind eine selbstzerstörerische Maschine aus der dänischen Hauptstadt Kopenhagen. Ihre 3 Songs sind fast so wild wie ihre geniale "New blood" LP. Die 3 Songs bewegen sich nah an der Ekstase. Das gilt natürlich auch wieder für den durchgeknallten Gesang. K-Town Hardcore ! Das Coverartwork passt perfekt zur Hardcore Insanity beider Bands. Diese LP hat alles, was Hardcore braucht. Sie ist roh, wild, kompromisslos, robust, mit Attitüde und kommt von Herzen.

RELUCTANT MOSHER #4

...They've also dropped 3 more ragers in a split with their buddies from over the bridge to Sweden, Hårda Tider. K-Town Hardcore has some old fashioned rock and roll riffing but obviously cranked up to the max. It's a great calling card, similar to "This is Copenhagen" off "New blood". The other two tracks follow on from the frantic mess created on the "Vendetta" LP. By the way, the Hårda Tider side is killer too, as you'd expect me to say! This may be a little too (old school) "metal" for some people but I love it and notice loads of other people raving about it too - so don't just take my word for it! There's some great releases reviewed in this issue but this is the one I'm listening to the most. Someone bring them over to the UK 'cos live they're something else!

SLOB ZINE

Death Token consists of three guys who have been playing an evil fusion of Spanish, Japanese and Scandinavian hardcore at it's very best (or should I say worst?) for the better part of ten years...
The release itself is a compilation or EP-discography of Death Token – including a bunch of demos, outtakes and previously unreleased material burned on to two pieces of lightning white vinyl during some satanic, bloodsmothered ritual (or so I've heard from reliable sources*).
A raw, sadistic ass-wooping of twisted hardcore from pus ridden and mold reeking torture chambers with undertones of Oriental inspired psychadellica here'n'there. Although not always explicit violent the music is always shrouded in some menacing massmurder mentality always lurking in the dark corners of this wicked record.

SPASTIC FANTASTIC

U.X. VILEHEADS is the latest in the line of great Hardcore bands coming out of Sweden and a veritable who's who of Umeå hardcore.
Marcus on bass is of course known from bands like REGULATIONS, TRISTESS, INSTÄNGD and so on. Andre on drums played The VICIOUS, TRISTESS, DS-13, INVASIONEN, The LOST PATROL BAND and many more.
Fredrik on the shredding guitar did not only record the record but has also played with such bands as INSURGENT KID, AMBULANCE, DÖDSDÖMD, SÄNKT and whole bunch of others. Torbjörn on vocals is a newcomer compared to the other guys but he has already cut his teeth with bands like ATTYDPROBLEM and MANBOYS. After releasing two succesful 7" on Deranged Records and Adult Crash Records it was time to release a full-lenght. The record is a 12-song attack of relentless Hardcore/Punk in the vein of OFFENDERS, RAW POWER, TOXIC REASONS and MINOR THREAT.

SORRY STATE

After two killer 7" EPs, Umeå, Sweden's UX Vileheads unleash their debut LP. While the Vileheads have always played a killer mix of straight up 80s USHC and UK82 punk, the latter element is even more conspicuous on this material, making it the band's catchiest to date. No other current band so effectively combines the gritty energy of Minor Threat and early Black Flag with the fist-pumping singalongs of the UK Subs. Those who are familiar with the band and its members no doubt have high expectations, and Hardcore XI summarily exceeds them. Quite simply, this is a perfect hardcore LP.

COWABUNGA RECORDS

I just had to carry this after getting a personal copy 1st. So I'll admit, when the 1st 7'' came some years back I was hesitant to checking em' out because it was yet ANOTHER band w DS 13 and Regulations guys. I mean, the whole members of card by that point for me personally just wore thin and really meant jackshit. But I bought it eventually and was into it more than I thought I'd be. Then came the Catch 22 EP and I was by that point won over by their fairly authentic take on USHC. Now, their 3rd release is this-their 1st LP. I sure hope this is not a swansong record because this one is the best yet. Still more of the same early Dischord meets NY sound as shown on previous efforts but the late 70's/early 80's punk influence is just as equal I would say. Daniel (SS honcho who did this US press) said it pretty good when he compared this to Flag crossed w UK Subs. A truly classic sounding LP but of course not from then but now! The recording is slick too, which took me a few listens to accustom myself to but that's not even really a complaint! One of the my top 10 LP's of 2011, which is saying a lot as I felt not a lot of HC stood up well on LP last year.

LUKIN ZINE

9/10
Första låten Blind sparkar igång med ett surfgitarrsaktigt intro innan den fullkomligt exploderar i den gamla skolans hardcore som U.X. Vileheads alltid har hanterat så fint. Nonchalansen i Torbjörns röst är ett sådant bra element i hela upplägget, att man nästan kan se hans osnutna uppsyn gapa bakom mikrofonen enbart genom att lyssna på plattan. Tänk Dischord, tänk 80-tal och tänk hardcorepunk, för U.X. Vileheads är varken mer eller mindre än just det.
Förr i tiden brukade jag höja Regulations till det band i Sverige som hanterade den här sortens hardcore bäst av alla, men nu har det verkligen poppat upp så många bra svenska band som hyllar den amerikanska 80-tals-HC:n att jag varken vet ut eller in. Jag menar lyssna bara på Sänkt, Negative Lifestyle och Wallrides, för att nämna några. Och så har vi ju då de okrönta kungarna i U.X. Vileheads, som med den här fullängdaren sätter pricken över alla tänkbara i:n. Låtar som Kitchen knife, Fist itch och Television är så bra att man glömmer bort precis allt annat. Hjärnkontorsutrensning utan dess like, jag är tom, jag är dum och jag älskar det.

RAZORCAKE

On this latest EP, Nitad take the mid-tempo hardcore they've dealt in the past and take it one step further. The three tracks on the A-side just grind and churn their way into your noggin', while the lone track on the B-side, "Leva Bara För Att Dö," adds a bit of post-punk to the mix to twist things up even further. Great stuff from a great band that continues to find new an interesting little cubbyholes to dive into and explore. - Jimmy Alvarado

SLAVESTATE, APRIL '11

Den senaste i raden av singlar från Stockholmspunkarna Nitad ger mig nostalgiska rysningar i ryggraden. Nostalgi förknippas oftast negativt med återanvändning och retro, men i Nitads fall betyder de att de (fortsätter) förvalta ett arv från Rövsvett, Svart Snö, Zero Boys och dess likar. De gör det på "En ding ding värld" på ett väldigt bra sätt, med överdosering av jävlaranamma, och det är mer den kompromisslösa inställningen bandet har till sin musik än nåt annat man fastnar för.
B-sidan som fylls av ett enda spår, "Leva bara för att dö", sticker ut och musiken har den stämning en sådan titel förtjänar; ödesmättad, nihilistisk och ångestfylld. A-sidans tre spår är däremot en jämn kavalkad av rak, oproducerad och osminkad punk i åttiotals-tappning. Ett extra plus för den dova punksången, har inte hört nåt så skönt sedan just nämnda Svart Snö var som bäst. - § § § § Ronnie Hammarstedt

LUKIN ZINE

8/10
Det som alltid är skönt med Nitad är att alla släpp låter som just Nitad. Moddes gurglande stämma uppbackad av råskitig hardcorepunk med en förkärlek till 80-talet. Just den skitiga och på gränsen till löjligt grötiga ljudbilden är upplyftande i sin ovilja att kompromissa med allt vad finkultur heter. Tänk Zero Boys och Fy Fan! i en trekant med Svart Snö så är du i Nitads bakgård och klipper gräsmattan med en smått infernalisk precision.
Den nya given, En Ding Ding Värld, innehåller fyra låtar som handlar om den sedvanliga vardagsturismpolitiken, där man ska bryta sig loss från rutinens helvete och börja leva samt tänka själv. Lättare sagt än gjort, men med Nitad som soundtrack så känns steget något lättare att ta. Nitad fortsätter med andra ord att pissa blod och förbanna hela världen och alla dess invånare, och även om de i det sista spåret, Leva bara för att dö, visar upp en lite nyare sida så låter det som sagt ändå alltid som Nitad. Att omslaget är dregelframkallande och även finns i en screenprintad version som är limiterad till 90 exemplar gör ju endast allt så mycket bättre.
Betyg: 8/10

SORRY STATE RECORDS

On their previous 7"s, Sweden's Nitad kind of alternated between burly US hardcore and a more punk-inspired sound that was akin to early Fucked UP, but on this 7" they've brought it all together into a truly original sound that is just ripping. They've added some scorching lead guitar into the mix that really takes it over the top... the leads aren't rocked-out, they're just melodic and weird in an almost post-punk kind of way... fucking killer!

Terminal Escape Blog - March '24

Refreshing to hear a band just blaze through gnarly hardcore tunes. Sweden's SELF ABUSE (not England's SELF ABUSE) do not concern themselves with pushing limits of weirdness of creativity, and they seem to have little interest in your opinion of their sounds, they are too busy annihilating the foundation of thick and crunchy riffs left to them by three decades of predecessors. Early '80s USHC? Meet early '80s Northern European punk rock. This'll put hair on your chest, and "Senseless Violence" is the soundtrack to my life until further notice.

halifaxcollect.blogspot.com

Hailing from Sweden, U.X. VILEHEADS deliver their brand new EP, Catch 22 to avid punk fans across Europe and America. Utilizing a snotty, raw style, they churn out a decent four song record, with plenty of shouting vocals and squealing guitars. Falling on the old school side of influences, a variety of 1982 UK era bands as well as Scandinavian punk can be heard running throughout their songs.
The recording quality is actually pretty audible for this type of release, but still muddy enough to maintain the gritty punk sound which fits Catch 22 pretty well. Quick chord changes, simple drumming, and thick bass lines build up U.X. VILEHEADS' style, which is highly reminiscent of a horde of other similar punk bands from past and present. Maybe not the most original approach, but still executed well.
"Kill For Peace" is easily the best song on the record, with classic punk style vocals and guitars, all played at medium pace with solid percussion keeping time. I can already picture a bunch of leather, stud, and boot-clad dudes pogoing around, spilling beer all over each other while boisterously screaming the lyrics.
The b-side opener, "No Salvation" is no slouch either, as U.X. VILEHEADS approach their fastest speeds yet, with booming backing vocals and some staunch anti-religion lyrics. Following again in punk rock fashion, the vocals shout "Do what they say, obey your god/Do what they say, obey/No way!"
Catch 22 reminds me a little of Abrasive Wheels, but with a slightly different twist. There's plenty of 80's punk rock worship on here, but U.X. VILEHEAD pull off their songs pretty well. Definitely worth a listen, even though it falls short on imagination and creativity. - Nick Alfonse

Sorry State

2nd EP from this new-ish HC punk band from Umeå, Sweden, and it rages even harder than their first! Featuring former/current members of bands like Instängd, Tristess, and Regulations, you know that these guys know their way around a classic-sounding punk tune and they drop four ragers on this little slab. It's rare to hear punk rock that is as raging as it is catchy, but this EP absolutely fits the bill, providing the perfect soundtrack to your next violent circle pit.

Suburban Voice blog

People from Regulations, ETA, DS-13, etc etc--and pretty much the kind of fast, no-BS hardcore punk you'd expect. The skate punk-sounding "Kill For Peace" provides a slight departure. It isn't the Fugs song but it takes a similarly sarcastic approach. Not oozing originality but the playing sounds quite inspired and exhibits skill. Enough to make me want to track down their other 7".

Maximum Rock N Roll

If it ain't broke... don't fix it. There's been plenty of skepticism about bands revisiting old sounds rather than treading new ground. Fuck that. If it works, go with it. These old-timer Swedes (ex-members fo REGULATIONS, DS-13, TRISTESS, etc.) have made something new out of something old. Taking cues from old US bands like the FU's and DYS and then adding some old UK flavor (ABRASIVE WHEELS?) as well as some old LA snarl. It's fast as shit, but each song stands alone and sticks to the sides... all killer, no filler. Like VIOLENT ARREST these guys have used history and experience to create something special. Ripppppping.

Accept The Darkness vol. 4

Oh my god that fucking title song! Uuaaararrrgghgg! Every word desperately delivered in that out of breath, hopeless and shrills shout resonates through your brain, its fucking perfect. You could be a dick and throw this 7" as yet another "old-style" American HC worship 7" by another "members-of" band from Sweden, but you'd be oh-so-stupid if you did. Most of the songs on this 7" actually run in a more dirge like execution, like the more powerful songs on those early XClaim! 12"s, but with the added twang, screetch, attitude and turmoil of So-Cal punk. When things get speedy and wild though, it is equally reminiscent of early Chaos UK and Disorder singles as it is of SS Decontrol and the F.U.'s. This is house show, beer throwing, lets-go-fucking-wild inducing stuff that ironically contradicts the kneejerk "Baaahston sXe" familiarity of that wide-eyed n' shrill vocal delivery. The lyrics are the kind that you sing along every word to while another punk house's living room is breaking into shambles and nobody could care less. "Catch 22, catch 22, WHAT THE FUCK, AM I GONNA DO!", I love this band, you probably will too. This has a much more unique take on the influences than most bands with similar influences take. This is up there with the CRAZY SPIRIT 7", CRIMEN DE ESTADO/SUDOR 12", and RAYOS X tape as one of my absolute favorite releases of the year.

Razorcake

The title track has nothing to do with Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel of the same name. Nor is the song “Kill for Christ” a FU’s cover. However, this is the second EP from these guys, and though it’s a little less blatantly urgent than the first EP, they’ve added more tension by slightly slowing some of the songs down and getting a little more musical. The title track is a burner with its fast attack and vocal delivery that’s convincingly desperate. “Kill for Peace” is pretty good, slightly longer, and reminds me of the Regulations and ETA. I like how they build up “No Salvation” with the vocals shouting, “Do what they say, Obey your god, Do what they say...” over and over with the drums underneath before they bring in the rest of instruments in one quick wave. “Down Again” ends sort of like the record began: a mix of fast and slow with urgency throughout. Yes, this is hardcore, and everything is laid out without pretension, but if you listen a little closer than usual, there’s more power here than just a burst of “1-2-3-Go!” Tempos change and guitars go quiet while the drums momentarily take over. A tried and true formula, but played with conviction, for sure. – Matt Average

hardcorepunkreviews.blogspot.com

Now for some new punk from Sweden. the band plays some great hardcore punk and just keep getting better and better. the UX Vileheads have released another 7" (which was good too) along with this one. this one was released in 2010 on both Sorry State (USA) and Adult Crash (i think Denmark). they just released a 12" and i've heard a few tracks from it, they sound great. i'll have to buy that new 12" sometime. i just found a great blog about there band that the singer updates.
overall: 8/10 strongly recommended

aparasiteslife.blogspot.com

Hell yeah, second ep by U.X. Vileheads with several celibrities from the Umea Punrock scene. Members of Instängd, DS-13 or Regulations (to just name a few) with great powerful punk tunes between the 70s punk and the good old 80s hardcore. Four catchy and melodic songs with a great rough recording, that simply fits to the oldschool impression, I got. On top of that, the artwork is killer, striking and underlines the simple grace overall impression I received while listening to this youngsters the first time. Please record the LP soon, buddys!
7/10 points Maz

Bis Auf Messer

Featuring former/current members of bands like Instangd, Tristess and Regulations, you know that these guys know their way around a classic-sounding punk tune and they drop four ragers on this little slab. It's rare to hear punk rock that is as raging as it is catchy, but this EP absolutely fits the bill, providing the perfect soundtrack to your next violent circle pit.

Lukin Zine

9/10
Det var inte speciellt längesedan som jag recenserade U.X. Vileheads-debuten med den något självklara titeln First EP, och nu är det då redan dags för uppföljaren Catch 22 att också silas genom mina hörselgångar. Titelspåret sparkas igång direkt med en mullrande rytmsektion för att sedan explodera i en instrument- och mikrofonorgasm som tagen ur en replokal i Washington D.C. under hardcorens glada och skitiga 80-tal. Fucking perfekt!
Om man säger att både Black Flag och JFA kläms in här, eller att man ska tänka sig en häxblandning av E.T.A. och Teen Idles så tror jag alla är med på vad U.X. Vileheads handlar om samt att det knappast är något lågvattenmärke. Jag gillar även att det aldrig går i den fastlimmade gaspedalens tecken, utan det här är mer som ett slag i ansiktet där förövaren inte springer iväg utan väntar på att få slå ner dig igen så fort du åter har kommit på fötter. Jag tycker att hela Catch 22 är något renare än First EP, men man vänjer sig väldigt snabbt då det även den här gången är svårt att värja sig från den högkvalitativa hardcorepunken som bara öser sig ut ur högtalarna. U.X. Vileheads har fortfarande inte speciellt mycket att berätta rent textmässigt, utan vardagspoliticerar sin omgivning i svart för att sedan dränka den i en alkoholosande jag-bryr-mig-inte-så-dra-åt-helvete-mentalitet, vilket passar det skitiga upplägget alldeles ypperligt. Bäst blir det i det frustrationsartade titelspåret Catch 22 och i den religionspessimistiska No salvation. Det enda som egentligen återstår nu är att ställa frågan: När kommer fullängdaren?

Lowcut spring '09

Remember that early 90s notorious HK goreflick where an Ebola-infected Anthony Wong goes on a deranged killing spree? Well, that's sorta the image I was left with after listening to these 8 brutal tracks. Over-the-top aggressive speedy hardcore that sets new standards for the K-town scene, can't really remember when I experienced such a sickass explosion of desperate energy. I've witnessed Love Potion many times on a stage, mostly an insane display of chaos and nihilism that I never thought could be captured on vinyl which would give justice to their wild live performances. "Ejaculator" proved me wrong. Dead wrong. This EP is probably the best produced release by any Danish hardcore act.
The very best of 80s Boston and Japanese harcore seem to be channelled through Love Potion like a succubus with an unhealthy deathwish. I really like how some of the lyrics reflect the daily life of singer Klaus in tunes like "Welfare Warfare" and "Unholy Smoke", but my fave is probably "We Will Return" about that infamous and semi-legendary support gig the local noise sickies Womanhead (with Klaus on drums) played with Aids Wolf at Lades. No love lost here, haha. Speaking of Lades, get your sorry asses to Love Potion's release party for "Ejaculator" on April 16th! I mean, how can you resist buying a 7" with a kid munching on a cup of cum? Stay tuned for a Love Potion interview in Lowcut.
http://www.myspace.com/lovepotionfuckyou
If you dig: Systematic Death, Death Token, Jerry's Kids, early Poison Idea
5/5

No Way

Brutal Danish Hardcore punk in the early COC Vein, with guttural nasty vox over some power driven dark hardcore. This could be a great record for fans of FRAMTID, WORLD BURNS TO DEATH, and also DEATH TOKEN (think it has members from them). Good stuff for sure, 8 songs. More bang for the buck.

Hardware

Raw and destructive as fuck K-town Hardcore punk out to destroy...think POISON IDEA meets MOTÖRHEAD on crack! Classic 9-track EP

New School Free Press - April 27th '09

Just looking at this record makes me feel like I need to take a shower: The cover of Love Potion's Ejaculator EP displays a Norman Rockwell-esque depiction of a pre-pubescent kid in a straw hat, grinning mischievously as he happily chows down on a soup can, full to the brim with what appears to be male ejaculate (hence the title), some of which is pouring out of his ears. Messed up, right? Well, if the cover alone makes your stomach churn a little, try actually listening to it. This record is a full-on, raw punk assault on your fragile, otherwise innocent ears. Hailing from K-town (Copenhagen), Denmark, Love Potion's amphibious, peerless style can shift between D-beats, mosh breakdowns, thrashing speed, and full-on black metal aesthetics at the drop of a hat. It's an explosive combo of incredibly tight music, and tastefully done production that's still punk, but does the music justice. The vocals are growling, rough, and slightly overdriven; just enough megaphone-efect to scare the shit out of animals and small children. The guitar tone is huge - like having your face right up to a Marshall stack - and not afraid to noodle on the high notes at the right times. The bass and drums are tighter than spandex on an art school chick, with machine gun flls and licks that, for some listeners, may be equally arousing. The frst track, "Overdose," hits you with such wall-of-sound guitar tone and stomping beats that you'll be fist-pumping and thrash-kicking in place in front of your turntable. "Time To Die" has an insane, screeching metal take on the "My Sharona" rif, and song titles like "Stabbed in the Face" give you a hint as to what kind of aural violence is being unleashed on this disc. Any fans of raw, fast Scandinavian punk have no choice but to hear this shit. - Max Quinn

Heart First/Euro-Trash Motherfuckers Distro

LOVE POTION - Ejaculator 7"...musikalisch eine der besten Platten, die 2009 in Europa rauskamen, totales Inferno der Kopenhagen-Band mit dem Schlagzeuger von DEATH TOKEN, eine Nachwuchsmetaller an der Gitarre und einem männlichen Model am Gesang. Cover vielleicht nicht das Allerbeste aus dem Jahr 2009. Fucking furious shit here.

SHORT FAST + LOUD #22

Massive fast hardcore assault that brings to minda poisonous mix of POISON IDEA, FLESHREVELS and BASTARD. The vocals are absolutely seething and there's all kinds of sinister guitar work going on under the massive riffs. Fuck yeah! The lyrics to "Stabbed in the face" make me happy. This is burly shit and these fellas losenone of their crushing power even during the brief moments when they slow down to pace to rock out for a bit. Ugly as fuck and a fresh breath of grimy vilence that ain't got shit in common with a lot of the over-polished bullshit bands that fail to properly deliver this style of heavy rock dosed hardcore. A brutal ass kicking on wax not enough for you? The cover artwork features a kid eating a bowl of semen until it comes out of his ears. I know you're sold now!

Mountza #4, January '10

You are sailing on the open ocean, where the tornado "Love Potion", the fatal call of the submarine gods, catches you unprepared. The fight will last forever cause tornados such as this one enjoy seeing you suffer, Horny mermaids will jump on the deck of your gashed raft to give you the kiss of death. The waves will take your half-dead body. This is the most honoured end you can have and Love Potion will be glad to serve you!

Bleeding Edges Blogspot '11

Man this is a case of don't judge a book by its cover if I ever saw one. The cover is a pink old timey looking painting of a kid eating soup, but it's colored white...terrible. However, the music on here is brutal Japanese influenced hardcore that're heavy and fast as fuck. It reminds me a lot of Severed Head of State or World Burns to Death (when both bands were at their peak). With a record called "Ejaculator," you can be sure they're not all serious, but this record seriously rules. This came out last year, but you can probably still find it. They have a new record out, which I need.

Hjernespind

Ex members of Asbest and current member of Death Token. Brutal Danish hardcore punk in the early COC vein, with guttural nasty vox over some power driven dark hardcore. Good stuff for sure!

Jesuschristheadlock

The final blow to the skull of good taste this week comes courtesy of Italy's Smart Cops, with their Cominciare a Vivere EP. Formed from the ashes of hardcore behemoths La Piovra and Ohuzaru, the Cops are less abrasive (and screamy) than either of those outfits, and have mastered the fine art of writing a decent hook. The follow up to their self-titled EP, Cominciare a Vivere tells the tale of a woebegoten officer of the law that, in an attempt to find himself, become addicted to heroin. All of this is delivered at a rocket-fire pace in an abrasive-yet-tuneful '80s hardcore style that should please fans of Negative Approach or gutter trash punk rock in general.

Sorry state

Second EP by Italy's Smart Cops, and if you loved their first EP as much as I did, you'll be pleased to know they've only gotten better at their concoction of garage-y punk and 80-style hardcore. Even better, this time they've given us a concept record about a cop who "finds himself" by becoming addicted to heroin!

Crucial Attack

Second EP by Italy's Smart Cops, and if you loved their first EP as much as I did, you'll be pleased to know they've only gotten better at their concoction of garage-y punk and 80-style hardcore. On this 7", Italy's Smart Cops play more fast, yet garage-influenced, punk rock from guys who did time in La Piovra and Ohuzaru, bringing to mind Career Suicide, The Regulations and Government Warning. Even better, this time they've given us a concept record about a cop who"finds himself" by becoming addicted to heroin!

NO WAY

2nd EP by Sweden's Instängd after their face-ripping debut on Sorry State. Konkret Och Brutal is definitely along the same lines with searing, blown-out guitars and ultra-catchy, monotone vocals, but there's a little more emphasis on catchiness and a little less brutality here than on Mitt Svar På Ingenting. Definitely a killer and totally essential record.

MAXIMUM ROCK N ROLL #303, AUGUST '08

This ear-shattering blown-out mess is some of the best sounding hardcore to come out of Scandinavia since AMDI PETERSENS ARMÉ. INSTÄNGD is a bit of a departure from half the members' other band REGULATIONS. It's loud and fast and is more remiscent of traditional Scandinavian hardcore. Definitely top-ten material. (PL)

HC HOLOCAUST

Instangd's new wave of Swedish hardcore-punk that goes back to the roots of the '80s hardcore rawpunk. This is the 2nd offering from these Umea hardcore-punks paying homage to Scandinavian classics like HEADCLEANERS/HUVUDTVATT and even MINOR THREAT.

RAZORCAKE #46

Definitely more accessible than last year's release on Sorry State Records, Instängd is still bringing the raw, noisy hardcore Swedish punk without fail. Sure if you don't know Swedish, you might not know what they're hollering about. But I'm pretty positive they're pissed off about that same that make everyone plug in and make a whole lot of racket (Daryl)

SHORT FAST & LOUD #20

Killer hardcore out of the freezin cold of Northern Europe, Sweden to be exact. Instängd manage to blaze through six cuts of hasty, very powerful plus all-out blistering early 80's hardcore at its best.
Think of a mixture of basic Circle Jerks, Reflex From Pain and the like. If someone would've played this EP to me and i didn't know any better, i would've bet this is Amipunk straight out of '83. Yep, you see, this is music that grabs you by the throat immediately and beats the the fuck out of you. Dare I say that this scorching EP is even better than Instängd's first effort, the "Mitt svar på ingenting" 7" from last year? Of course cuz I'm the fucking critic.
All things considered, this gem is a must have!!

SHORT FAST & LOUD #22

Six caustic teeth-rattlers from these noisy Swedes. Fuckin' raw hardcore that sits somewhere between past distortion maestors from these boys' own frozen homeland and early US hardcore punk like THE CIRCLE JERKS. Absolutely filthy recording but with power to spare, this record has a sound similar to pressing your ear next to a blown out speaker in a 100 watt tube head turned up to 11 while someone punches the back of your head. No crusty d-beat trends or bullet belt wearing wolf skulls to be found - just savage catchy distortion punk that would make an excellent soundtrack to a fist fight or any other drunken punk debauchery. Damn nice record.

NO WAY

8 Tracks of old school Mid west HC mixed with thrashy euro hardcore from Copenhagen, Denmark - Home to so many good bands. If you're a fan of the 1st Violent Minds ep, this is right up your alley. Pissed off hardcore for pissed off punks. Awesome cover art too.

HAVOC

New on Adult Crash records, successor label to Kick N Punch, this is K town hardcore as you would expect it. Fast and furious in the early Dischord style. For those of you who feel the copenhagen bands got a little too melodic, here is a return to form that will reinvigorate your enthusiasm for this cities raging hardcore scene.

MAXIMUM ROCK N ROLL #303, AUGUST '08

Fuck yes! RIPPING HEADACHE from Copenhagen, Denmark tears you a new asshole on his current EP! The men administer brutal guitar pain and crush you with a vicious vocal attack. Ferocious bass playing and monster drumming pound you into the ground like a tent stake! RIPPING HEADACHE write s good lyrics. Read some of the words to "Way too far": "All that bullshit you put inside our heads / Sometime, somewhere, you knew we had to break....once again, too blind to see / You helped build your worst enemy / War and terror makes me want to laugh / Hope this generation is going to be the last." Yes sir! That's disheartening shit! This is a great record, punks! Get your copy now! (BR)

RECORD SHOP BASE

From the Denmark's passionate place, Copenhagen's "K-Town", the birth place of the Gorilla Angreb, Hjertestop, Death Token of those hot bands, here comes the "Ripping Headache' s new comming single of 2008!!! With the Crasy Rocking Fast Hard core punk with the hint of US Midwest HC-80x Euro Trash Hc mix, it is just so cool!! Eight track!! Released from the new Copenhagen born label "Adult Crash Records"!! The first 2008 EP from this band from Denmark with the US's raw HC thrash taste!! Fast HC punkrock with the Rough and Powerful, speedy, Eye catching but yet unrefined. If you see the cover image, and if it makes you curious, than you shoud give it a check!

RAZORCAKE

These guys thrash things up nice and noisy-like, delivering the goods tight as hell and giving bands like DS-13 a run for their money. In all, it made me wanna pelt the nearest slam pit with aebleskiver, which is one heckuva compliment, considering how much I dig those spherical gobs of goodness. - Jimmy Alvarado

BLEEDING EDGES

Well, RIPPING is a pretty good start to describing this record. I had heard that this was put out by a new label from one of the guys who did Kick N Punch, and that label was always solid so I picked it up. Glad I did, because this definitely has that real raw early 80's feel that a lot of the KnP releases did. They kinda remind me of Cut The Shit, but more raw and chaotic. Solid debut for the band and the label.

SHORT FAST & LOUD #20

Ripping, pissed off old school hardcore from Denmark that takes its influences out of early 80's US hardcore as well as out of basic European punk. Antidote, The Clitboys, Rebel Truth, Headcleaners and, for the younger readers, Amdi Petersens Armé.all rolled into one - these eight cuts of non-stop simple and fast hardcore are raging from start to finish. Pure genious.