Now i suddenly remember that, like, two weeks ago, i was thrilled as hell to see a new Nourishment EP being released and then apparently failed to bookmark it and forgot about it in the last couple weeks’ relentless flood of new releases. Happens to me all the time. Well, better late the never i guess. The sonic parameters on this one stay roughly the same for the US-based blackened-/dungeon punk group, althought the production values appear to have been improved a tiny bit here. As before, the new record captivates with a distinct spin on the genre that once again appears to take plenty of inspiration from contemporary, dark goth-infused post punk and oldschool death rock.
Incredible new Dungeon Punk-related material from a mysterious group operating out of some unspecified dark forest located somewhere in the US. These folks approach the whole blackened punk thing from a heavily post punk- and goth/death rock-leaning angle, shrouding their fully developed, well-rounded song architecture in a beautifully fucked-up, blown-out Lo-Fi aesthetic, altogether reminding me of a couple of fairly recent genre entries by the likes of Conifère, Unsheather and Bloody Keep.
The excellent 2-song demo by this Philadelphia group has me hooked already with Head Full Of Glue being a deliciously spiky and abrasive lump of noisy dungeon-esque, blackened hardcore punk with vague similarities to groups like Piss Wizard, Dick Hick and Jeg Hüsker, wrapped in a thick layer of white noise. The second track Stone Fruit is even better – a clearer sound lets even more weirdness bubble up to the surface in a post punk-ish tune seamlessly fusing the aesthetics of egg- and dungeon punk, which among other thinks i’m pretty sure will thrill fans of that recent Molbo comp on ETT.
Horror-/dungeon-themed Garage Punk from Houston. Blown-out, smelly and abrasive, this shit strikes me as a mix of early Strange Attractor, Neo Neos, Lumpy & The Dumpers, Stinkhole and Research Reactor Corp. What the fuck’s not to like about such a proposition? I’d much rather listen to that than whatever shit you’re listening to.
An awesome dungeon-themed artifact comes to us from a Montreal group who take a major leap from their more purist black metal-leaning 2020 debut tape to a more ambitious punk-flavored endeavor that also aligns pretty well with the more blackened subsection of the current dungeon punk landscape, most notable last winter’s Bloody Keep LP and the likes of Warlock Corpse or blackened synth punks Drýsildjöfull, though Conifère certainly put their very own flavor on their epic crusades by way of a strong late nineties post- and emocore undercurrent being the common thread running all the way through this tape.
Having already tasted some of their new LP in the form of a perfect teaser EP a couple weeks ago, we finally get to hear the full debut LP by the dungeon punk wizards of Karlsruhe, Germany and oh boy, we’re in for a fucking treat that combines a couple of new recordings of tunes already heard on their 2023 demo with plenty of equally strong new material into a breathless thrill ride that’s further helped along by a perfectly fitting and outright filthy lo-to-mid-fi production that sounds as if the whole thing had been recorded in some fucking parking garage. There’s tons of sparkly psychedelia to the garage rock of the opening track Locket, a primitive proto punk punch and simplicity in Tear it Up while tracks such as As Loud As Me and My Dawn lighten things up with unexpected flashes of melodicism, the latter of the two having a distinct vibe of early The Men to itself. Contrast to that the hardcore-meets-motörpunk attacks of Give Me Beat and All This Heat, the oldschool Sabbath leftovers fused with the space rock abandon of late Destruction Unit in Supression, which is simultaneously being embedded into some vague post punk context á la Nag. The dungeon punk hymn Fomo Boy remains every bit a destructive force as we’ve already gleaned from the demo and the new track Inte Mer Hem following that one has much of the same momentum and qualities. Fuck me, this thing slaps.
Well, dungeon punk’s supreme overlords Poison Ruïn need no introduction at this point i guess. On their newest EP you can clearly sense an effort at expanding upon their sonic palette and pushing the boundaries of their very own subgenre, resulting in a somewhat more muted record, trading in some of the anthemic battle hymns for more of a melancholy post punk vibe in tracks such as Attrition and Sanctuary, making this a record less densely packed with obvious hits. Nonetheless, rippers like Execute and the title track Confrere are sure to turn into undeniable fan favorites and high-octane staples for the years to come and anyway, don’t get too concerned now ‘cos it’s all great and classy shit just as we’ve come to expect from this group and these new songs will grow on just the same.
File under: Poison Ruïn and their aftermath… Unsheather from Bellingham, Washington tackle the aesthetics of endless struggle facilitated by heavy armor and weaponry from much more of a raw hardcore angle – less epic and way more primitive and unpolished, which is probably a good strategic starting point anyway in this still kinda early phase of the ongoing dungeon punk saga as the eleborate atmospheric epics of genre’s supreme overlords will sure take a good while to find a worthy challenger. Until then, i’m glad to savor any bit of grim, medieval-themed axe-wielding fun along the way and Unsheather are an excellent choice for that!
An effortlessly ass-kicking debut EP from an Oslo, Norway group that runs the gamut from the buzzsaw hardcore punk of the opening track Ritalinbjørner to breakneck-speed fuzzed-out garage punk in Laserkrieg, having some similar energy to, say, The Gobs, Kid Chrome and S.B.F.. Stygg Bebi then has some distinct dungeon-esque eggpunk-meets-deathrock vibe reminiscent of stuff like Powerplant, Kerozine or fellow norwegians Molbo. The latter tendency then culminates in the closing track Shament, a catchy anthem built from pure goth-y post punk ear candy leading up to a somewhat black metal-ish conclusion. Fuck me this is some strong shit!
Not kidding, this is some honest to god oi! shit right there yet this stuff also couldn’t be more far removed from what you’d normally expect out of the genre, also marking a sharp departure from this Los Angeles group’s (rather unremarkable, if you ask me) earlier output. Rather, this record strikes me as another welcome addition to the small but growing canon of the emerging dungeon punk bubble, kinda like what a simplified Poison Ruïn might sound like if they dialed down the post punk and went all-in on the oi! elements. Add to that a singer who seems to channel some sort of alternate-reality true metal Frankie Stubbs clone and what you get is a new favorite batch of tunes for crushing the world’s injustuces with righteous anger and primitive, blunt weaponry.
