REVIEWS: HELL CAN WAIT, VAMPIRE SLUMBER PARTY, [slab] feat. Cass SEWER CATS, AUTOGRAMM

Brighton, London, Manchester, Vancouver

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HELL CAN WAIT – 2023 EP (self-released)

Formed in 2021, Brighton’s HELL CAN WAIT’s emotional, hardcore pummelling comes fully formed. “(Hell Can Wait’s) lyrics tackle a wide range of themes, from personal struggles and resilience to societal injustices and the human condition. (Their songs are) a call to action, encouraging listeners to confront their inner demons, challenge the status quo, and find hope in the face of adversity.”

After slowly trickling out tracks, HELL CAN WAIT finally unveiled the full EP at the end of 2023. Yeah, I know we’re well into 2024, but words don’t write themselves and ChatGPT this ain’t. Five tracks of gravel-gargling, metallic, emocore with tilts toward delicacy, opener Abbey Gardens serves as a sturdy example. Judicious use of gang shouts and heavy, chugging guitars kick it, but this set is all about the build-ups. Disparity‘s gentle guitar strokes find their way to a fast hardcore romp, while Blossom showcases a brutal breakdown and some unexpected riffage. Shine ends on an emotional catharsis via a shimmering interlude, leaving the brighter riffs of Drowning In You to get stuck straight in for a more melodically hopeful feel.

It’s worth noting that these songs are not hardcore quickies, but some neat twists and an overall sense of weight should hold your interest. High-end production usually hampers hardcore with unnecessary sheen, but here, it only serves to enhance HELL CAN WAIT’s dense, bludgeoning roar. An exhausting yet curiously heartwarming experience. Striking sleeve art, too.

https://hellcanwaithc.bandcamp.com/music

VAMPIRE SLUMBER PARTY – McFly Family Photo EP (self-released)

”’McFly Family Photo’ is a song about not giving up. It’s about getting up, dusting yourself off and trying again and again and again. It’s about laughing in the face of self-doubt. No matter how many times you fail. No matter HOW much it feels like you’re disappearing. Writing and recording it was cathartic, for all of us. It was empowering. And I can’t wait to play it live and sing it from the bottom of my heart. And, hopefully, mean it.”

from promo

London’s VSP continue to hone their style, the vocal trade-offs from bassist Closey adding spice to McFly Family Photo‘s wistful, summery pop-punk. Akin to an introspective MEGA CITY 4, though still less glum than 2022’s patchy Funeral Pop album, frontman Yusuf continues to be invigorated by the full-band expansion. Best Buds is a sprightlier proposition and, despite coming from an early BLINK 182 kindergarten, still can’t shake that melancholy vibe. They really step up their game though, with the supremely catchy I Want An Alien This Christmas. The happiest the band has sounded, those old-school keyboards, power-pop chorus, and backing vocals, add a refreshingly breezy, radio-hit vibrancy. Way cool, and the best yet.

Released February 16th 2024, so go check it out

https://vampireslumberparty.bandcamp.com/album/mcfly-family-photo-single

SLAB feat. Cass (THE SEWER CATS) – Defibrillator single (self-released)

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[slab] is a Manchester based alternative rock band renowned for their expansive post-rock sound. Praised by Guy Garvey of Elbow as one of his ‘favourite power trios’, [slab] gained recognition with their debut EP ‘Ready for the Light’, which was featured on 6Music.

The Sewer Cats are a garage punk duo celebrated for their raw energy and passionate performances. With a dedicated fan base within the DIY punk scene and a reputation for pushing boundaries, The Sewer Cats continue to captivate audiences with their distinctive sound and uncompromising approach to music.

from promo

Manchester’s instrumental three-piece [slab] team up with THE SEWER CATS’ Cass, who applies her considerable vocal qualities and uncompromising lyrics to this choppy punk moment. More urgent than their previous indie-rock/post-punk soundscapes, a RUTS-like, razor-edged guitar stands tall, supported by a propulsive rhythm section, all brooding emotion and pent-up frustration. Cass’s expressive vocals simmer on the glowering verses, bursting forth with shrieks of despair on the chorus, contrasting with a more controlled musical backing than THE SEWER CATS looser, garage-punk forays. A keeper.

Released 5th April, so out now

https://slabis3.bandcamp.com/track/defibrillator

AUTOGRAMM – Diana/Licht Aus single (Beluga Records)

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AUTOGRAMM follow last year’s exemplary Music That Humans Can Play album with this tidy double A single, released to coincide with a recent European jaunt.

These Vancouver heroes continue to make late 70s & early 80s, synth-driven power-pop sound fresh and heart-warming. Diana is a fidgety, Euro-synth hit with a catchy, new-wave chorus; KRAFTWERK with a (human) heart. Injecting a little DEPECHE MODE warmth and some B-MOVIE atmospherics, they prove their loyalty to the six-string with some twangy, post-punk guitar action towards the end. Licht Aus is about as obscure as a cover version gets, being that of 80’s German new wave band NICHTS. The original’s new-wave core remains, but AUTOGRAMM give it an austere makeover, emerging as a neat slice of jerky, Euro-pop minimalism.

A band with all the tunes, it’s like listening to actual radio hits from back in the day. I fucking love ’em.

Released February 19th 2024 by Beluga Records on 7″ vinyl and streaming

https://autogramm.bandcamp.com/album/diana-licht-aus

header photo: HELL CAN WAIT

THE BABY SEALS – Chaos album (Trapped Animal Records)

irate interjections, angry exhortations

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Formed in September 2014, THE BABY SEALS “emerged from a pub chat in Cambridge among Amos, Kerry and founding member Jaz, sparked by the idea of creating a band that humorously explores the challenges of everyday female experience.” A pandemic and maternity leave conspired to pause their momentum but they’re back, with the follow-up to 2017’s self-titled EP.

We all know how it’s gonna end, he’s gonna come in our face

Yawn Porn

THE BABY SEALS set the blunt, feminist bar high on opening track Yawn Porn ‐ think THE SLITS if they’d wrote garage-pop nuggets –  which also serves to highlight the band’s knack for a memorable hook. I gotta say, it’s refreshing, if a little jarring, to hear catchy choruses with titles like My Labia Is Lopsided But I Don’t Mind (“my la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la labia…”). Either way, it’ll win you over with some coruscating guitar noise, a full-on rock ending, and this warning: “If you go downtown, don’t you dare close your eyes…“. Yikes. The equally unflinching Nipple Hair mixes power-pop verses, HIVES‘ garage revs, and riot grrrl ire, a dreamy, hippy bridge rendering it especially moreish. Subtle 60s vibes also pop up on Mild Misogynist‘s chorus harmonies and keyboards, a little psych slipped into the self-explanatory Vibrator. The latter oscillates between slow burn sinister and riot grrrl grunge, snazzy keyboards and a predictably orgasmic crescendo hoving into view to, well, finish you off. Who knew we had such a wonderland?” Quite. On an album laden with hooks, ID’d At Aldi is the smash hit; a fizzy, garage-punk delight destined for playlist supremacy. The snarling lip-curl of Invisible Woman, all dirty bass and tribal drums, bursts into a scuzzy, garage-rock dirge with atmospheric backing wails, spoken verses, and a repetitive chorus that really sticks.

I can still see you, you’re a motherfucking queen!

Invisible Woman

For all the defiant, garage-pop froth on offer, the two slower numbers should see Chaos endure, though I did meet the six-minute title track with an eye-roll. Still, given that I recently reviewed an album containing a seventeen-minute-long song, I figured the times they are-a changin’. From dark and dreamy beginnings, Chaos builds to a moody jam punctuated by angry exhortations and irate interjections, the guitar pivoting from draggy single notes to discordant noise, a la SONIC YOUTH. The album closer, It’s Not About The Money, Honey, simmers in its own juices, a deceptively simple seether with haunting vocals reaching their apotheosis on this banger among bangers.

While Chaos may possess some of the trappings of a garage punk album – loose drums, down ‘n dirty bass, song structures – the guitar has a habit of freaking out with some scratchy noise, versatile vocals pivot from snarl to politely spoken, brooding to pop-melodic, and they know when to poke a sharp stick in the eye. Armed with a mix of 60s sass, noise-rock excoriations, and gleeful, garage punk, THE BABY SEALS are here to splat custard pies in the face of patriarchally-enforced social niceties. Refreshing.

Released 19th April 2024 on Trapped Animal Records in multiple formats

https://thebabyseals.bandcamp.com/album/chaos

STRAIGHT ON VIEW – Gotta Step Up EP (Strange Mono Records)

Go!

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Driven by a desire to spread positivity and constructive ideals, Straight On View aims to leave a lasting impression on the punk landscape. Messages of unity and understanding through their music. “The most important things I took from youth crew were having a positive outlook and being constructive with your thoughts and actions.” – reflects Eliot. “If we want to change things, we have to bring people together and break down the divisions between us.”

butchered from band bio/promo

Philadelphia hardcore crew STRAIGHT ON VIEW – named, presumably, after either the LÄRM album or the UNITY song, or both – come out fighting for a positive mental attitude. With classic titles like Don’t Push Me (Push Yourself) they do, thankfully, have a little negativity for flippers:

Creep creep the price goes up. The fun never stops. Buy for a thousand sell for a thousand and one. I’ll make a disneyland of your favorite memories. Before you know it, Black Flag is playing Chuck E Cheese. Some advice if your life is in the shitter: Could be worse, you could be a flipper.

Eight short songs of fast and ultra-fast, youth crew sublimity that picks you up, dusts you down, and barks: “You got this!” Classic hardcore drums, stomping bridges, lightening fast riffs, solos, and semi-tough vocals. A CHAIN OF STRENGTH/MINOR THREAT motivational speaker to get you through hard times, with a little chunky COKE BUST despair for balance. The only thing missing is an occasional ‘Go!‘. Absolutely ripping.

Released on limited edition cassette on April 5th 2024 by Strange Mono Records. All proceeds to benefit PAWS.

https://strangemono.bandcamp.com/album/gotta-step-up

EUNUCHS – Harbour Century LP (self-released)

salty sonic tributaries

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Sydney, Australia’s post-avant-art-rock-baroque experimentalists (I made that up) follow up 2021’s ambitious The Castration Of Gods album with…

‘Harbour Century’ is a manifestation of the odd personalities Eunuchs encountered in Sydney and the truthfully ambiguous stories they’ve embraced. Lead singer Linus Hilton recounts: “I went to a fortune teller who urged me to release 55 minutes and 55 seconds of impressive music within the next year for great luck over the next 55 years.” Motivated by this revelation, the band embarked on 55 days of intense music writing, capturing the essence of Sydney. In a way, it reflected with lush arrangements, incorporating dozens of instruments like harp, vibraphone, and horns.
In a unique twist, the band drew inspiration not only from musical sources but also from the built environment around Sydney Harbour, local businesses, and memorable characters. As Kristo Langker elaborates, “We recorded some parts of the record underwater in Sydney Harbour, using a hydrophone.”

Taken from album promo

Harbour Century is not what you might call your typical Personal Punk fare, but how could I resist a nautically-themed concept album of unsettling atmospherics and orchestral shenanigans, utilising copious amounts of instruments? I’m only human. Magic Death Sea Nemesis opens proceedings, dragging you under choppy waves with off-beats, mangled guitars, stark brass, and wind-swept beach sounds. MR BUNGLE-esque carnival madness completes the turbulent picture and, frankly, hearing those vocals go from frustrated rage to gentle croon in their Sunday-best Mike Patton is a real thrill. The theatrical Pat A Dragon sweeps and swoops like a dead-eyed seagull, one moment dreamily unhinged, the next a frenzied prog-fest, agitated vocals suffering a Nick Blinko breakdown. Tempting, right? A haze of unease threads its way through the more traditional Estuary Of Dreams, a lullaby of crooning and delicate horns, conjuring up a savant BAND OF HOLY JOY through a BEIRUT gauze. The drunken, smoke-filled barroom of Siren can’t help its awkward, off-beat moments, or another opportunity for a demented finale, while Magnificent Stallion veers through a playground of boozy croon and eccentric jaunt, bolstered by burnished, sea-glass brass.

I am the heroin king of the piazza… the heroin king of the harbour…

Heroin King

Gnome And Fortune‘s elegiac evocation of a warts ‘n all sea-faring life (“leave shame at the door”), told through expressive theatrics and vocal acrobatics, may be relatively restrained, but the images invoked are no less vivid. Roiling like a ship on rough seas, the propulsive Bird Angel Dynasty‘s frantic, distorted sounds around Patton-esque vocals explore shades of a crazed RUDIMENTARY PENI, or CRASS in full avant-garde, performance poetry delight. Hierophant‘s deep harpsichord noise conjures images of a colossal whale emerging from the depths to threaten a lone boat, the short-lived calm arriving before a storm of frustrated anger ‘n brass. Which leaves the seventeen-minute (you read that right) Heroin King to see out this tumultuous journey in an algae bloom of dark delights. With a gentle piano intro, harpsichord, and deep, vocal intonations – you can hear the narrator taking a drink between lines – atmospheres of squalid sex and dirty drug use abound. At times, darkly mellow, other times irate, PENI-esque mumblings build to a screaming finale before fading out with the sound of the inky black sea gurgling and swirling around midnight rock pools.

I made a snuff film at the beach…

Heroin King

More BLACK COUNTRY NEW ROAD and BLACK MIDI than BLACK FLAG – think avant-garde sea shanty, experimental film soundtrack, and Lynchian musical theatre all mushed together – you will, however, stumble across the ghastly apparitions of Nick Blinko and Mike Patton. Harbour Century is a wildly imaginative vision – oftentimes unhinged, other times beautiful – filled with eccentric characters brought to life by a wealth of unorthodox arrangements. So, set aside the twenty-minute hardcore albums, an hour of your time and immerse yourself in these salty, sonic tributaries. A masterpiece.

header photo credit Darwin Schulze

Released digitally and on vinyl 5th April 2024

https://eunuchs.bandcamp.com/album/harbour-century

SNUFF – Off On The Charabanc album (SBÄM Records)

getting emotional with snuff

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I ain’t got all my peace of mind
At least I’ve got some
I’ll always carry a spare
There’s always more to come
I’ll chuck my lucky legs in my baggy shorts
Stroll up the hill and have a chat with Byron
Chat about sepsis on a sunny evening
It’s a never event and you’d never believe me

Charabanc

From cheeky cover versions, Chas ‘n Dave-style knees-ups, classic punk melodies, and sporadic hardcore blasts, SNUFF have carved out their own singular style over the last 38 years. The addition of Hammond organ and brass added a touch of class, mind. Buffing up those elements into a soulful, wall-of-punk-sound, the special sauce is Duncan Redmonds’ sparkling songwriting, never more evident than on this brand new album. Essentially, a full band/acoustic split, Off On The Charabanc follows last year’s stripped down Come And Have A Go If You Think You’re Rachmaninoff and 2022’s Crepuscolo dorato…, singer and drummer Duncan stating this is his “expression of love for folk music.” While that may be obvious in the acoustic songs, SNUFF’s penchant for bringing to life the stories of ordinary folk fits the brief throughout.

The full-band side contains the solid brace of Charabanc and Yellow Lights, presenting a finely-tuned SNUFF capable of knocking out true, soul-punk classics. The Hammond sound and minimal brass add warmth to the former’s wistful tones, while the latter is one long, gorgeous pop hook, both songs imbued with a touching melancholy. Before all that, though, the album opens with the instantly catchy Go Easy, one of their trademark, punk knees-ups with a singalong chorus and seasoned melodies. Elsewhere, the short, fast, gang-shout banger of Booster has real bite; the fizzing Purple Prisoner‘s electrifying, Hammond-laden instrumental, a freewheeling 60s psych-out. The raucous surf-romp of Fireball, a shouty lark, with deep, farting brass, limbers the band up for the gloriously OTT cover of Children Get Ready. Originally a 1968 reggae song by THE VERSATILES, transformed here into a punk-soul-blues-brother vs. scout group party anthem, with ‘triumphant final song of the gig’ written all over it. The touching minimalism of The Skip closes the set with a cheeky wink and an arm around the shoulder. Duncan delivers his playful yet poignant lyrics with a warm resignation, accompanied by gently building military drums, acoustic guitar, and a little harmonica. A real moment and a fitting mood setter for the arrangements to come.

I’m ready for you now, come through, come through
Take your boots off, make yourself at home
Help yourself to trinkets and souvenirs
That Chas ‘n Dave tape’s got your name on.

The Skip

Cello, organ, brass, and backing harmonies fill out the acoustic songs, adding much to the ‘stripped down’ form, the ponderous pace of Go Easy the only weak link in an otherwise moreish clutch of songs. In fact, hearing Charabanc and Yellow Lights in this way serves to accentuate their strength, the vocal harmonies and instrumentation working to render the former more rousing than wistful, the latter’s melancholy vibe cutting deeper. The mellow version of Reach (from 2000s Numb Nuts) adds a touching, bittersweet breeze not present in the original, while the twinkly guitars and sombre tones of Toxic are a sweet treat. All Over Now (from 2003’s Disposable Income) is a song transformed. A stirring, choir-style outing with some mighty vocal harmonies, and a masterclass in how it should be done. Fittingly, given Duncan’s folk aspirations, the album ends with a melancholy ode to the mountains and fells of North Yorkshire. As close as SNUFF get to the quiet folk of Simon & Garfunkel, An Arm and a Leg to Kilnsey Crag invokes the lonely beauty of Yorkshire’s high peaks. Who’da thought?

Start slow then power onwards
A country mile
Blink of an eye
down to Whernside
Pen y Ghent and on to Kilnsey Crag
Silence in Malham Cove
Dropped by to say hello

An Arm And A Leg To Kilnsey Crag

Experience has rendered me an acoustic sceptic. Usually, such outings add little, emerging as a shadow of their former selves, but not so here. The tight, varied ‘electric’ set includes at least three all-timers, the acoustic side exploring different atmospheres to great effect on a perfectly balanced album of two halves. The true delight of Off On The Charabanc is the air of bittersweet melancholy that flits throughout, invoking a brand new experience: getting emotional with SNUFF.

Released March 22nd digitally, vinyl and CD released March 29th 2024

https://snuffuk.bandcamp.com/album/off-on-the-charabanc

https://snuffband.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-off-on-the-charabanc-vinyl-cd-bundle

NEFARIOUS ARTISTS – The Evolution and Art Of The Punk Rock, Post-Punk, New Wave, Hardcore Punk and Alternative Rock Compilation Record 1976 – 1989. Welly Artcore (Earth Island Books)

flex your sub-heading

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Nefarious Artists is a field study of over 500 punk rock, post-punk, new wave, hardcore punk, and alternative rock compilations from their beginnings in 1976 as major label samplers and live showcases of the ‘new wave’ through their rapid evolution into a documentary art form of D.I.Y. punk rock creativity and expression.

Following the streets-eye-view tour diaries of Directions To The Outskirts Of Town, Welly Artcore pulls a blinder, stumbling across a subject not yet explored: the punk rock compilation. Punks from all eras will have at least a passing acquaintance with the format, despite the millennium’s largely successful attempt to kill it with the sampler CD. I have my favourites: Crass Records‘ Bullshit Detector series, Meantime Records‘ Spleurk!, MDC’s tectonic plate-shifting P.E.A.C.E., and Words Of Warning‘s Mind Pollution, released in 1991 so not in this books’ time frame. Across over 400 pages, the author zeroes in on the form’s embryonic beginnings in 1976, charting its bumpy rise through to its inevitable stumbles at the tail-end of the eighties.

nuggets

Helpful overviews of contextual political and cultural events notwithstanding, Nefarious Artists does what it says in that oh-so lengthy sub-heading. With over 500 vinyl releases covered in chronological year groupings, many given full-colour, sleeve art reproductions, Welly concentrates less on pungent opinions – though never fear, they are here – and more on detail. Bands, producers, inserts, sleeve descriptions, and record labels: Chiswick, Stiff, Good Vibrations, Cherry Red, Bomp, Fast Product, Virgin, Dead Good, Posh Boy, Crass, Mortarhate, Dischord, Secret, Ralph, Bluurg, Touch And Go, Words Of Warning, Meantime, Raw, BYO, Rondelet, Pax, Xcentric Noise, No Future, Riot City, Sub Pop, Loony Tunes, and more. Whether you’re a Rebellion-attending archaeologist, a true DIY believer, or both, there’s a lot to get stuck into. Documenting such a phenomenon reveals a fascinating insight into the evolution of the differing styles, charting punk’s humble beginnings in pub rock, power-pop, and rock ‘n roll as the major labels attempted to cash in. 1976’s The Best Of American Punk Rock Recorded Live At CBGB’s 7″ EP kicks things off, notable as the first compilation ever to feature the term ‘punk rock’, the fact that it was a major label sampler carrying a deeper irony when you consider the subsequent journey the format went on. Welly (un)covers many a crucial, and not so crucial, underground nugget, as well as the records I gushed over as a box-fresh teenager in my local record shop. For every Let Them Eat Jellybeans, there’s a New Wave, for every Spleurk! a Cash Cows, for every Flex Your Head a Short Circuit, and for every Party Pooping Punk Provocations a Twenty Of Another Kind.

Meanwhile, in Europe the punks were still more concerned with squatting and building cultural centres to house their DIY ethics and punk scenes…

Welly on the 1986 Emma Squat Benefit double LP, Amsterdam

Welly’s interest in US hardcore in full effect, he charts the development of geographically specific sounds cropping up in different US States, as well as strong showings from scenes in Japan, Sweden, Finland, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, Brazil, and elsewhere. The parameters of punk are pretty wide too: Two-Tone ska, power-pop, pub rock, electronica, experimental, and all iterations of punk, including the inevitable metal crossover; if it fits the period, chances are it’s here, with a vinyl mountain of undiscovered gems and surprising facts. I never knew that Aylesbury Goes Flaccid is notable as both the first true, UK DIY regional compilation, as well as the one an embryonic MARILLION couldn’t afford inclusion on, and, weirdly, the fact that DISCHARGE largely avoided compilations needed pointing out to me. You’ll also stumble across Mark Radcliffe, Gore Verbinski, Shirley Temple‘s daughter, a pre-BIRTHDAY PARTY Nick Cave, a pre-LEATHERFACE Frankie Stubbs‘, a pre-fame, post-punk BERLIN, Linnea Quigley, future members of DROPKICK MURPHYS and GANG GREEN, Dave Grohl‘s MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, and a young Thom Yorke.

the first punk Christmas compilation was of course Oi! because when I think of Christmas the first things to spring to mind are skinheads

Bollocks To Christmas 7″ EP

This wouldn’t be a Welly-penned tome if there were no coruscating brush-offs, most of which are saved for his favourite: Oi! Bristling at the mere mention of that most pisstakeable of subgenres, almost all such showings receive a dry tongue-lashing. Though I enjoyed some of the bands back in the early 80s, Oi! didn’t need any help turning itself into both a right-wing thug-fest and a Viz caricature, but Gary Bushell waded in anyway via his ludicrous sleeve notes and Sounds writeups. Welly deadpan’s his way through the releases: Carry On Oi! (“…even the liner notes were written in a cockney accent“), the iconic-for-the-wrong-reasons Strength Thru’ Oi! (“the back cover sported a variety of bald goons being hilarious“), Oi! Oi! That’s Yer Lot, (“side one closed with the surprise entry of BLACK FLAG and Revenge, which saw skinheads everywhere think they were Oi!, buy their records, then sell them again“), saving his parting shot for Chaos En France Vol 1, dubbing it “Oi! Le Album“.

Quite how a book like this hasn’t already been written is a mystery likely to remain unsolved, but there is no safer pair of hands to steer the ship than Welly fuckin’ Artcore. Sure, he may have a dryly caustic wit that can cut through bullshit with consummate ease – it’s part of his charm – but he keeps it to a minimum here, treating the subject with the research-led gravitas it deserves. Meeting such a potentially intimidating project with a forensic thirst for knowledge, attention to structuring, and an eye-catching aesthetic, Welly renders Nefarious Artists a hell of a juicy read. A keeper.

Out now in paperback, published by Earth Island books

https://www.earthislandbooks.com/product-page/nefarious-artists-by-welly-artcore

URAGANO – LP1 album (multi-label release)

deconstructed screamo, Italian style

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Sanremo, Italy’s URAGANO (translated: Hurricane) have been quietly percolating through their underground scene over the last ten years. This debut album follows several EP’s and a split single.

“LP1” stretches the canvas of vectorial post-hardcore, painting with broad strokes of deconstructed screamo, post-metal accents, and electronic shards. It’s a record that refuses to simply blend genres; instead, it decontextualizes each element, reassembling them into a cinematic experience that shifts and twists with each track.
The lyrics weave an amalgam of daily narratives and cryptic metaphors, confronting themes of alienation and perpetual discomfort, making “LP1” a vinyl experience that fragments yet captures the very essence of Uragano’s spirit.

taken from album promo

Once the fittingly titled Intro Emo is out the way, this cunning debut is endlessly restive. Here’s the thing, though: as mathy and intricate as it gets, it’s never too big for its boots – and, crucially, never loses heart. The judicious use of synths adds atmosphere, grounding otherwise complex songs from disappearing up their own baroque backsides. Sure, Capo Danno may be all off-beats and blasting hardcore, Pinguino a heavy-math, stop-starter brimming with angular guitars and yelped vocals, but those keys, man… they add a spooky, often cinematic texture to the otherwise frenetic clamor. By the time you get to the near-eight-minute Indonesia, you’re inviting them to bring it on. From the proggy intro, passionate, spoken vocals, atmospheric interlude, and distorted background vox, Indonesia is a layered masterpiece that, as fresh and inventive as it is, still feels of the DIY underground; like it could have shared a split with ACTIVE MINDS in the 00s.

DJENT 1‘s sound effect-laden slow-core merges with post-punk guitars and propulsive rhythms, extending neatly into DJENT 2‘s intensity. Repetitive chants and gang shouts conjure the ghost of Spanish legends SIN DIOS, aided by that perfect-for-punk, Mediterranean accent. The disjointed No Hype crams quiet/loud dynamics, vivid keys and delicate, indie-rock stylings into two minutes, and Encore bursts straight in with a heavy-duty screamathon, multiple tempo changes boosted once again by those stark synths. Finally, at well over eight minutes, Finale‘s doomy, cinematic soundscape builds layer upon layer for a fitting epic that never feels its length.

Agitated, anxious, intelligent, exciting. Other adjectives are available, but if MR BUNGLE utilising 90s, Ebullition-style screamo on a soundtrack for a surrealist band biopic is “vectorial post-hardcore”, I’m in.

Released on January 25th, 2024.

Vinyl version co-released by: Dischi Decenti (Italy) Nontiseguo Records (Italy) 1a0 (Italy) Ripcord Records (Scotland) Remorse Records (France) Bus Stop Press (France) Saltomortale Records (Slovakia) 5feetunder (Denmark).

https://uragano.bandcamp.com/album/lp1

HUMMER – Time To Pack Up EP (Horn & Hoof Records)

tying up loose ends

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Warrington-based HUMMER began life in 2004 as S.F.R. Following a name change, line-up shuffles, and a University break, the band picked up again as a trio in 2015, releasing 2 EPs and a full-length album over the subsequent seven years. The band played their final gigs in 2022:

Work on the “Time to pack up” EP, began some 6 months on from the last gig. It contains a batch of newer songs which were only added to HUMMER’s live set in the last couple of years, so had not yet been played quite to death live or committed to any recordings previously. Think of it as just a last hurrah and a tying-up of loose ends, and hopefully, it’ll put everyone over until the reunion that may or may not happen when one or more of the band turns 50…

Butchered from promo

Gruff punk grapples with the finest traditions of UK melodic punk rock on HUMMER’s final recordings. That said, they get stuck straight in with the nippy, RANCID style of Apocalypse, all runaway bass, guitar solos, and fizzing, punk rock glee. That four-string freewheel continues through the catchy, bar-room battle of See You When I See You, sharing similar sonic territory to OUR SOULS’ criminally under-heard I Won’t Tell You The Same Lie EP. The style shifts on Fair Wind, Clear Mind to a muscular melodicism akin to later VANILLA POD, most notably in the vocal inflections, while Integrity keeps the quality high with biting vocals, and that ever-present noodly bass having the time of its life. The clumsily titled, razor-sharp anthem Hypunkrocksy shares subtle, LEATHERFACE guitar melodies with classic punk solos and vocal trade-offs, leaving the more measured Token Political Song to sign off on a subdued HOT WATER MUSIC note.

HUMMER serve up six tracks of gruff punk grit, acting as a fine epitaph for their passage through the UK punk scene. Top stuff, but one thing’s for sure: that bassist is a fuckin’ diva.

Released on February 16th 2024, digital only

https://hornhoofrecords.bandcamp.com/album/time-to-pack-up

Header photo credit: Phukin Photos

STREETS TO OURSELVES – Crash single & video (self-released)

safety in numbers

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Toronto, ON’s STREETS TO OURSELVES began life as the solo project of Daniel Peachy. Now expanded to a three-piece, they are set to release the follow-up to 2020’s single-hander Suspension Of Disbelief. Crash was “produced by Sam Guaiana (Silverstein, Bearings, Intervals, Between You & Me) and mastered by Mike Kalajian (All Time Low, Neck Deep, Hot Mulligan, New Found Glory).”

If Crash is any indication, this newly expanded project has shifted from Peachy’s more introspective emo to an unabashed pop punk template. That said, throaty bass, crunchy guitars, muscular vocals, and chuff-tight drumming wrestle the polished production to the ground, emerging as a full-throttle ride. Aided by some unexpected guitar twists – check out that metally soloing at the end – the whole thing feels meaty, achieving something the genre rarely manages these days; it leaves you wanting more.

The video fits the goofy brief, showing the band being all daft ‘n stuff. I was, probably unhealthily, endeared to it when I spotted an EVERY TIME I DIE wall hanging behind the drum kit, but whatever, after a little jaded eye-rolling, I was completely won over by Crash‘s hooky, pop-punk heft.

Released February 23rd 2024

https://streetstoourselves.bandcamp.com/track/crash

BIG HUG – A Living You’ll Never Know EP (self-released)

food for thought

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London-based BIG HUG’s crisp follow-up to last years Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time sees them fully embracing their indie-rock/emo sensibilities.

The contrast between this and their debut can be detected as soon as the warm, trickling atmospherics of instrumental Pyrrhic Opposites flow into Cruellemonde De La Hi Fi. Maintaining an inner vibrancy, spiralling guitar floats atop off-beats on a patient piece of rising-and-falling moodiness. The relaxed, jazzy signatures of Nothing Changes are bolstered by guitar intricacy and an introspective vibe, the twitchy denouement as angsty as it gets. Gary On Earth‘s gentle guitar spirals and bass noodling flow like water through an airy slice of cerebral, indie rock. The vocals walk a line between muscular and delicate throughout, building on the James Dean Emo Bradfield tones evident on their debut.

Thoughtful, relaxed, seemingly invigorated by a sense of hitting their stride, these four sparkling new tunes take time to worm their way into your brain, smuggling in the occasional jagged shard. Food for the head and the heart, lovers of 90s indie rock and emo of the Jade Tree variety will melt.

Released on 1st March 2024

https://bighugband.bandcamp.com/album/a-living-you-ll-never-know