the end of the year list with the records I was mostly impressed with (so far...).
and by the way music ain't a competition so fuck top tens.... ;)
It seems Bootlicker make this list every year. Great Hardcore Punk with D-Beat influence that doesn't sound like everybody else... This time with some garage too... I'd say... Great band, never disappoint.
CANAL IRREAL - s/t LP (Beach Impediment)
Martin Sorrondeguy (of Los Crudos / Limp Wrist fame) team up with some other known Chicago punx to unleash this beauty of a punk beast. It's mostly hardcore punk with some post punk and even danceable elements thrown in there... All done with taste and gusto.
THE CHISEL - retaliation LP (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Awesome and catchy Oi! with some uk82 hardcore bursts. A great highly enjoyable album...
FARMACO - descolonizar 7" (Discos Enfermos)
Fast deranged hyper speed tuneful angry but catchy hardcore d-beat punk meets speed metal. An amazing wonderful slab of punk from Barcelona.
FROZEN SOUL - crypt of ice LP (Century Media)
Mid tempo death metal that really resonate darkness and coldness. This masterpiece comes with an iconic artwork too.
GEL - violent closure 7" (Atomic Action / Crew Cuts)
Straight to the point, intelligent and angry hardcore punk the way we like it.
GOLPE - la colpa è solo tua LP (Sorry State)
You know you have a great punk release when all the tunes are immediately recognizable and anthemic. And that's exactly what the new Golpe's album is about: stomping d-beat with great songwriting and memorable lyrics to sing a long. Although Tadzio sings and masterfully plays every instrument in his own recordings, he also knows how to select good punks for Golpe's shows.... I can guarantee this band's live shows are a blast too... Greatest Italian album of the year!
GULCH - split 7" w/Sunami (Triple-B)
Actually my favorite band capable of blend pummeling death metal riffs with punk d-beat rawness and stomping power violent hardcore punk. It's impossible to resist headbang their tunes. And yes, on the other side you will find the powerful beatdown of Sunami with their best material to date.
IMPAKTO - decadencia humana CS (1753)
1753 is a great label that unleash tons of great releases... This one of course is no exception: raucous, dark, cavernous, aggro d-beat sung in Spanish.
INYECCION - demo 2021 CS (Planeta Destrozado)
Unrelenting and crazy great punk chaos from Chile and Argentina with dual vocal attack!
THE JUAKINNERS - maxo d-beat juakin stiller CD (Chicken Attack)
Latino pummeling D-Beat attack duo (they are both named Juakin!). Really powerful rhythm session.
LEATHERS - reckless CDEP (Artoffact)
It's the Eighties again! Gorgeous synthpop.
MOLLY NILSSON - extreme LP (Dark Skies Association / Night School)
Molly Nilsson's music stands on its own. The Swedish born, Berlin based artist lands at her 9th album reflecting on the extremities of the crazy world w live in... Off kilter, melancholic and moody synth pop at its best. J'adore.
NARC - personifying the antithesis of american values CS
Salt Lake City's Narc delivers a banger after another during the whole EP. Socio political and pissed off, this sounds punk from the first scream to the latest. This band reminds me that crusty aggro core of the mid to late Nineties of such bands like Skaven, Carcinogen, Misanthropic, Antischism etc. Yes this EP is that good...
OGRO - s/t CS (Mendeku Diskak)
Basque's Ogro really live by their name by delivering some brutal pummeling dark caveman punk.
OI BOYS - s/t LP (Les Disques De La Face Cachée, Hidden Bay, Dans La Vide, Maloka, Kanal Hysterik, Amour Entre Chien Et Loup)
France desolate and decaying coldwave. I absolutely enjoy this band's sad and melancholic songwriting. Urban sadness for city punx.
REPEAT OFFENDER - summary execution 7" (Mendeku Diskak)
Repeat Offender keep the great premises of their first demo and unleash another slab of fucked up angry pummeling high quality stomping hardcore.
xSAVAGEx - split 7" w/Brainpan (Nerve Altar)
The great thing about Savage (now xSavagex) is the fact they are immediately recognizable both in terms of sound and songwriting... Yes, they master the art of power violence like few others... Ferocious on its own.
SCHROTTERSBURG - dalet CD (Zoharum / Bat-Cave Productions / DIY Kolo)
Amazing post punk from Poland. I listened to this album all year long and I still enjoy it. Top class.
SCULPTURE CLUB - wrath LP (Funeral Party)
Salt Lake City's Sculpture Clup delivered such a gem of a romantic post punk filled with catchy and extremely well written tracks. Believe me when I say this album is literally packed with beautiful songs...
SHOW ME THE BODY - survive 10" (Loma Vista Recordings)
I admit I never listened to Show Me The Body before, but I was stocked by this EP and I'll definitely dig in their previous releases.... Singular, angular, personal, aggro noise punk.... Unpredictable, powerful and utterly personal.
STOLEN - this hell called earth EP (Bandcamp)
Extremely tight one man power violence project: bass, drums, vocals and electronics. Aggressive, well recorded and executed blasts.
TAQBIR - victory belongs to those who fight for a right cause 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Punk is meant to be confrontational, otherwise is just a mere music genre like many others. Period. End of discussion... Taqbir members are originally from Marocco and are supposed to be based in Europe now. They intentionally keep their identities secret for safety reasons, due to their direct confrontation of the repressive religion, politics and beliefs of their country of origin. Apparently recorded at their home in Tangier, it was self released by the band on tape and then put on vinyl by La Vida Es Un Mus. Musically Taqbir stands out too: being angry and punk as fuck, d-beatesque but with a modern maybe post punkish itch. Great band.
THEY LIVE - summer of love canal 7" (625 Thrash / Blast For Humanity)
Buffalo's They Live is probably one of the most criminally underrated power violence / fastcore bands ever existed. Being active for over a decade between 1995 and 2006, they unleashed brilliant and pulverizing stuff, but it seems they rarely get remembered by the average pv listener... But don't worry, they're back stronger than ever with an extremely unrelenting, tight, ferocious and well written EP that rips a huge lot! Masterclass... Bravo!
TRAUMA MODEL - sanity on a razors edge CD
Kingston's Trauma Model introduced me to the fine art of slam death beatdown. A super brutal release by three intelligent yet funny fellas... Greatness in brutality.
URBAN CARNAGE - nihai infilak 7" (Psychocontrol / Black Against Night / Night Animal / Blastbeat Worship / Give Praise / Zas!)
Blasting hardcore power violence from Istanbul, Turkey. Direct and abrasive and Sakatat members inside!!! You can go no wrong with these blasters...
WEAK TIES - find a way LP (Contraszt! / Per Koro)
Rage is not a quite thing... Weak Ties made it clear with a powerful and aggressive slab of hardcore punk with power violence influences and high dynamics. This album grows in me at every listen. What a ripper.
WORLD PEACE - come and see LP (Twelve Gauge)
Very well written and amazingly produced power violence from San Francisco. Angry and groovy.
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