Featured Releases: August 5, 2024

Paranoid Maniac: Garden Plot cassette (self-released) Second cassette EP from this killer Raleigh hardcore band. In case you were wondering whatever happened to Sorry State’s Das Drip and/or you’re curious about how Paranoid Maniac fits into the Raleigh hardcore family tree, this band is basically the final lineup of Das Drip with the vocalist swapped out for Jeff from Essex Muro and DE()T and longtime staple of the Triangle noise scene Alex Swing on second guitar. While Paranoid Manic definitely takes up where Das Drip left off, there are a lot of differences too. Paranoid Maniac takes a lot of influence from gnarly 80s Japanese metal-punk, and while that’s something I might not have picked up on if I was coming to this recording cold, when you compare the more pulled back rhythms here to Das Drip’s nervous energy, the difference is pretty clear. Paranoid Maniac is also way more maximalist than Das Drip was, their sound a cacophony of musical ideas producing constant unexpected collisions. The bass, vocals, and the two guitars often pull in different directions, and if that wasn’t enough, it sounds like they’ve added some additional harsh noise elements to the recording just to make things even dirtier and crazier. The dense but clear recording makes sure everything hits, and the packaging on the physical tape is a real object d’art in the way so many cool small-run noise releases are. While this isn’t retro enough that someone who gets excited at the mention of 80s Japanese punk should rush out and grab it immediately, those of us who see rooting through the past as an ideal way to springboard toward new musical horizons should definitely check out Garden Plot.

Light Metal Age: self-titled cassette (self-released) Light Metal Age is a new project featuring Ian from the sadly departed Gen Pop, and fans of that band should definitely be interested. My favorite moments in Gen Pop’s music recalled the icy, serene pop of Wire’s second and third records, and Light Metal Age leans even further into that, but it’s a long way from homage as there are a lot of different sounds on this hefty 7-track EP. “What He’s Done” and “Weathervane,” for instance, have some of the stoned jangle of the first few Pavement albums, while “Oakland 2017” is a nine-minute Eno-esque synth meditation that carries so much feeling it almost feels religious. It’s clear, though, that Light Metal Age isn’t about sound and style so much as the songs themselves, and the promotional blurb for the tape focuses on the psychological and therapeutic motivations for these songs rather than the musical influences. Gen Pop fans should be sure not to miss this, but anyone with a taste for the arty underground sounds on labels like Post Present Medium and Cleta-Petra could be a potential fan.

N.E.O.: S/T 12" (Media Nox) Debut record from this band from Helsinki, Finland, and it is a total ripper. While N.E.O. definitely sounds like a contemporary band, the way they synthesize many of the most interesting strains in the worldwide punk scene reminds me of how so many of the classic Finnish bands from the 80s did the same thing. The foundation here is energetic, stripped down hardcore punk, with dashes of other sounds keeping things interesting, like the crossover-ish intro to “Kulutusjuhla” and the cool, post-punky guitar lead that ends the final track, “Kukan Ei Vastaa.” The recording is crisp and clear, and the playing is incredibly tight and powerful... in those respects, they remind me of Kohti Tuhoa, and I think fans of that band will find a lot to like here (speaking of which, Ville Valavuo from Kohti Tuhoa mixed and mastered this record). Even if you aren’t familiar with the contemporary Finnish scene, these airtight songs and the commanding vocals will win you over. I don’t think too many people in the US are hip to N.E.O. yet, so check ‘em out and get on the train before this record is impossible to find.

Traumatizer: S/T 7" (Neon Taste Records) While I associate Neon Taste Records with the punkier sounds of bands like Chain Whip and the Imploders, they have a pretty solid sideline in gnarlier sounds, of which this debut 7" from the Dutch band Traumatizer is a fine example. The core of Traumatizer’s sound is rampaging, everything-in-the-red d-beat, with at least a toe in the corner of this sound where it meets tougher, graffiti-letter type hardcore. The pedal is on the floor for the entire first two tracks, but when they get to their theme song “Traumatizer,” the style widens with a cool, John Carpenter-through-a-fuzzbox synth intro and some Death Side-esque lead guitar histrionics. The straightforward parts will peel paint, but it’s the subtler moments in these six rippers that really catch my ear.

Gimic: We Are Making a New World 7" (Crew Cuts Records) This is the second EP from this scorching and unique band from Bristol, England. If you haven’t heard Gimic yet, I’d put them in the category of bands like the Minutemen and NoMeansNo who clearly pull a lot of inspiration from the abstract qualities of energy and intensity that are a hallmark of hardcore punk, but who are indifferent—maybe even hostile—to the other formal conventions of the genre. In other words, they make a kind of boundary-less hardcore punk, largely avoiding d-beats, power chords, and breakdowns in favor of a sound that’s all their own. And like the Minutemen and NoMeansNo, the level of musicality is super high, rhythmically and melodically inventive, but never in a show off-y or virtuosic way... it’s more like these are just punks forcing themselves to develop the unique aspects of their playing as far as they can. The lyrics and vocals are similarly impassioned, trying desperately to wrench sense from the decaying environment we all live in. Gimic might not be for everyone, but if you have a taste for progressive and passionate punk, I think they’re one of the best bands going, and these three songs are their most powerful statement yet. Let’s hope they keep ‘em coming.

Disarm: Existence Demo 1985 12" (Beach Impediment Records) True Sorry State heads know that, while we’re strongly associated with North Carolina (and rightly so!), I actually grew up in eastern Virginia and only moved to North Carolina in my early 20s. So I feel more than a twinge of hometown pride when I listen to Virginia Beach’s Disarm, whose 1985 demo Beach Impediment just lovingly re-released on vinyl. Honestly, though, I’d be into Disarm no matter where they came from, as their influences and aesthetic are like catnip for me. Their sound is a kind of Americanized take on peace punk, reminding me a lot of California’s Final Conflict and Richmond’s Unseen Force, and while most of the lyrics deal with the kinds of social issues you might expect, there’s a healthy side of skateboarding too... three of the band’s members were hardcore skaters, and their drummer Mike Crescini eventually went pro for Vision. Disarm also had strong connections to the 80s Raleigh scene, as their bass player Bryan S was from Raleigh and had previously played in UNICEF, and many of Disarm’s out-of-town shows were in North Carolina. In the booklet, Disarm also lists the No Core compilation as one of their most important influences, alongside European hardcore bands like Wretched and Anti-Cimex and, of course, your standard punk and early hardcore classics. Speaking of the booklet, it’s beautifully done, up to the standard of top-shelf reissues on Radio Raheem (which makes sense, since that label’s co-owner Chris Minicucci handled the layout), compiling a bunch of archival material along with a detailed interview conducted by hardcore historian Tony Rettman. The music here is great, and the packaging is killer. If you have a personal connection to Disarm’s story like I do, this release is essential, but anyone with a taste for obscure 80s hardcore archival releases will get a lot of enjoyment from this.