HAGAR THE WOMB

Self explanatory. A four song Peel Session from HAGAR THE WOMB, female fronted anarcho punks from London. Excellent, but unfortunately missing the commentary from Mr. Peel. You can't win them all.

JOHN PEEL SESSION 20 FEBRUARY 1984

TOON DISASTERS

I've often praised the power of a well crafted mix tape, and Toon Disasters is exactly that. Excellent combination of deep cuts (10,000 HURTS, OCEAN ZOO, RED SCARE, RUGGED EDGE) thrown together into the mix with whole releases from Canadian shitpunks GROUPOEM, Florida's unsung STEVIE STILETTO, VIXEN (the true gem on the tape is this five track slab from '83 - killer female fronted NWOBHM styled jams from Hawaii) and more independent metal/punk from Philadelphia's BLACKTASK. Throw in rippers from WRETCHED, VICE SQUAD, STIGMA and CAPITALIST ALIENATION with a couple of burners from '80s christian band UNDERCOVER that will almost make you wonder if it's worth looking into the world of religious "punk," and you have one bad ass 90 minute tape. Good job, and enjoy.

TOON DISASTERS

DESTRUYE, HUYE, KREA

The folks at Alta Intensidaz Tapes can seemingly do no wrong. The MIERDA tape rules, SENTENCIA still gets regular spins at TEHQ, and this gem from 2009 is perfectly raw Spanish styled punk, surging forward with the subtlety of a tidal wave. The bass at the start of "Jode Lo Maz Ke Puedaz" personifies the ramshackle descriptor, this is lo-fi punk at it's absolute best.

ODIO TU KUMBIA MODERNA

YEAR OF THE RAT

I write often of an affinity for bands that remind me of hardcore in the lost decade of the '90s, and bands like Prince Edward Island's YEAR OF THE RAT convince me that I am not alone. From the PENI by way of DEAD AND GONE dirge of "Hominidae" to the understated phenomenal bass that drives "Truth," these fools crank out serious jams, and spend less than four minutes proving that you need to be on their team.

CTRL+ALT+DEL

NIGHTSLUG

This one is just ugly, a roar of low end rage that will churn your stomach. Nasty sounds from Germany featuring THE NOW DENIAL and BURIAL members, NIGHTSLUG take nearly a quarter hour to lumber through just three songs - but before you dismiss this as some second rate stoner wet dream let me introduce you to the guitars that haunt the higher registers while you are being bludgeoned. And allow the painful simplicity of the riffs to transform themselves into a wholly unique monster when treated with such brutality. And sit down for seven minutes with the eponymous B side...this is a different animal entirely.

NIGHTSLUG

VAARALLINEN

I know what you're here for, you greedy fukks. You want more noise, more fists in the air, more breakneck speed Scandinavia in your face, and you want it to be from somewhere very far from your house so you can feel exotic. I'm here to help. From Lion City, the bizarre and magical first world city state at the tip of peninsular Malaysia comes VAARALLINEN, ten tracks of hardcore fury in the Finnish tradition (and language) that do not let up for one fukkn minute. Vocals are a wash of reverb and the tempo is relentless -  I fully expected this to kill (members from EXKORIATOR and PAZAHORA sets the bar pretty high) and my expectations were left languishing in the dust after the first track. "Rotta Hakissa" is the standout here, but the whole tape is a creamer. 

VAARALLINEN

Hard copies available through Blood Of War and Cactus.

REPLICA

REPLICA are the best. This doesn't mean that your favorite band is somehow bad, it just means that any time I see REPLICA live or listen to this demo, they are the only thing in the world. I never want anything more than what they are giving, and there is nothing missing...they are the best. The band kinda came out of nowhere, B from NO STATIK making some noise with a lady from Philadelphia and then before I knew it they were a fukkn machine. The first show at Thrillhouse was only five songs, shorter than this demo cassette, and the room was absolutely leveled...B and Alicia were joined by Dharma from DUCK & COVER and Juliana from Brasilian '00s thrashers INFECT, whose work I have been a fan of for a solid decade. So that REPLICA was good - really good - came as no surprise, but I don't think anyone was prepared for them to be this good. This is hardcore with teeth, and with more originality on this five song banger than most bands manage to eek out of their entire futile careers. Dharma is an absolute animal, and her live rage somehow manages to transfer to cassette without losing a shred of intensity. The riffs just kill, going from bursts ripped from the hearts of DBeat maniacs to the chaotic urgency typically found in the mid '90s, all propelled forward by B hitting the drums with a determination that just screams for you to get out of their way (makes me realize how lucky I am to do time with him in NO STATIK). "Last Judgement" touches on a catchy hook (it's mostly the bass), and when they play this jam live the joint erupts in gloriously uncontrolled spastic elation, and then they close the demo by pounding "Sandy Bottoms" into the ground. The most straight forward song on the demo, Dharma uses that last 0:59 to make sure that you have been paying attention, she takes a basic track and makes it exceptional with a snarl that will give you chills. Press play, and you won't need anything else until it's over. Because REPLICA are the best.

REPLICA

A show filled with the best bands tonight in Oakland. Terminal Escape veterans SICKOIDS from Philadelphia might be the sickest hardcore juggernaut in North America right now, and locals EFFLUXUS and HUNTING PARTY typically have the same effect as REPLICA - once the set starts, everything else stops and nothing else matters. That's what the best bands can do.