The 2019 demo by this Washington, D.C. group had its very own thrills already, but their debut 7" on 11 PM Records is a different kind of beast altogether, way more focused in its vision and benefiting from increased production values. The opening track Blood Runs Through is the prime example here for what makes them special - a general catchyness and sense of melody rarely heard in contemporary hardcore punk collides with straightforward riffs that often seem to originate from the oldschool "heavy" metal playbook rather than classic hardcore, woven into slightly eccentric song structures that always have a surprise or two up their sleeves. At their best, they kinda come across like an unlikely fusion of Cülo and Naked Raygun.
Damn, that's some top-notch quality oldschool postcore shit here, the kind capable of transporting middle-aged fucks like me into higher spheres, elaborate yet unpretentious and with a melodic sensibility that evokes the glory days of Volcano Suns, Moving Targets and Mission of Burma. The monumental opening suite, on the other hand, kinda reminds me of Dragoon, the opening behemoth of Bitch Magnet's final album Ben Hur. Otherwise, 90s Dischord influences rule supreme here with ubiquitous echoes of the likes of Autoclave, Bluetip, Hoover, Crownhate Ruin, Kerosene 454, early Jawbox… you name it! And yeah, of course there's also a bit of Fugazi going on but i'd say they're far from a primary influence here. Hungry Man are able to pull off all that without coming across like a dull ripoff and rather like a band who values its influences, yet perfectly stands on its own two feet, speaking into the present day with their own voice.
A kickass little demo from some Buenos Aires group or person, standing with one foot in the contemporary puddle of lockdown-induced DIY garage punk, the other one immersed deep into layers of early eighties hardcore punk with a little bit of that certain KBD-style grime on top. Simple, economic and effective.
One of Spain's best kept secrets has finally made it into the garage punk big league as evidenced by their new 7" on Slovenly Recordings, containing what is without doubt their strongest set of tunes yet, confident and catchy as fuck while keeping their distinct weirdo edge intact, finding a perfect middle ground between the particular eccentricities of acts like Erik Nervous, Reality Group, R.M.F.C. or Neo Neos.
It's been a whopping five years since this Paris group's debut EP but the wait has paid off handsomely on their first full length release, delivering an endless stream of high-octane melodic (garage-)punk smashers in the vein of groups like Cheap Whine, Short Days, Red Dons and Telecult… you might also sense a hint of Marked Men, Royal Headache or The Thermals. In a few instances, the songwriting doesn't quite cut it and that's when they veer dagerously close to shallow pop punk territory. However, when they hit, they hit hard and even manage to evoke a subtle retro 60s power pop vibe along the way.
A spectacular first impression of a Copenhagen group playing a rather unconventional mix of post punk, hard- and postcore incorporating a rare sense of melody and a strong psychedelic, almost shoegaze-y undercurrent. Also, thinking of the Copenhagen scene, you can't help but register a faint echo of early Iceage and Lower.
Metdog's fourth extended play is yet another treasure trove of playful and easygoing garage punk… let's not talk about eggs again here. Admirers of R.M.F.C., Research Reactor Corp. or Satanic Togas will aprove of this, just as i'm gonna make an exception here and give my full approval for the use of auto-tune or vocoder or whatever that shit in the closing track is… fucking art, i guess.
