Featured Releases: January 21, 2025

Electric Masochist / Smog: Split 12" (Burning Anger Records) Burning Anger Records brings together Macedonia’s Smog and Berlin’s Electric Masochist for this international hardcore split 12". Both bands sound inspired by Disclose, but put their own spin on things. Smog has the relentless d-beating drums and fried guitars, but their vocals are unique for the style, a higher-pitched howl that sounds more like primitive early black metal than Kawakami. The production is drenched in noise and reminds me of Paranoid’s harshest material, but the vocals give this one a fiendish atmosphere all its own. As for Electric Masochist, I saw them play in Berlin a few years ago and I remember thinking, “wow, they sound EXACTLY like Disclose.” On these four tracks they still sound quite a lot like Disclose, but their voice comes through a little more. This is true of the first two tracks, which have more complex, swingier riffs that aren’t as straight Discharge-inspired. I also really like the lyrical approach on the track “Out of My Way!,” which takes the impressionistic Discharge lyrical style and turns its focus on a treacherous night out in Berlin. Both bands give fans of the genre everything they’d want plus a little extra, and I just love the textured fold-over sleeve. Any d-beat maniac will be mighty pleased with this one.

Fine Equipe: Moral D’Acier 10" (Offside Records) Fine Equipe is a new studio project from some folks in Syndrome 81, and just as their Mentalité 81 project turned their attention toward early 80s US-style hardcore, Fine Equipe puts the classic late 80s straight edge / youth crew sound through these musicians’ distinctive filter. As with Mentalité 81, all the genre’s aesthetic signifiers are there—dynamic arrangements with instruments constantly dropping out and careening back in, big breakdowns, and gang vocals—but the French language and these musicians’ peculiar aesthetic sensibilities make this feel like more than a mere retread. I think the folks on the 185 Miles South podcast hit the nail on the head when they compared this to the late 90s Boston band In My Eyes. Like In My Eyes, Fine Equipe has a very classic take on the youth crew sound that minimizes the aggro and heaviness and flirts with Gorilla Biscuits-style melody (especially when the guitarist plays around in the upper octaves) without sounding poppy or wimpy. While the Mentalité 81 release was frustratingly short, we get 9 whole minutes of music on this 10” EP. For folks whose tastes encompass both the Syndrome 81 cinematic universe and the Revelation Records classics, this may well blow your mind. For those of you who find yourselves in one of those camps but not the other, this is so spot on that I think you’ll at least like it, if not full-on love it.

Wet Specimens: Dying in a Dream 7" (No Norms Records / Brain Slash Records) Dying in a Dream is the latest dispatch from this Albany, New York band who has been very active, releasing a spate of material over the past several years. I haven’t checked in with their recordings in a while, but Dying in a Dream caught my ear when I checked it out, with a sound that’s undeniably hardcore punk, but doesn’t sound like anyone else I can think of. The first track, “Dying in a Dream,” is built around this tense, skittering drumbeat that has a tension I associate with anarcho-punk, but the harsher textures also make me think of S.H.I.T., another master of building tension. The next track, “Curtain Call,” is another slow burn, with the addition of horror movie synth helping to evoke the feeling of wandering alone in some creepy-ass woods. Then the two tracks on the b-side turn the focus to charging d-beat, but keeping the progressive tinge you hear on the a-side and climaxing with the stretched-out mid-tempo part that ends the record. Dying in a Dream is heavy, raw, and aggressive just like you want DIY hardcore to be, but Wet Specimens push way past the established formulas that bog down so many other groups.

Impotentie: Zonder Titel Deze Keer 12" (Roachleg Records) Roachleg Records brings us the 3rd release from these punks who are based in Canada, but of Belgian heritage, singing in Dutch and turning their lyrical attention toward Belgium’s history and politics. I’d strongly recommend reading the label’s description for this release, as it succinctly outlines the political and social impetus behind each of Impotentie’s releases so far. They say that Zonder Titel Deze Keer focuses on themes of bleakness and hopelessness, but fortunately the music doesn’t sound dour. In fact, Impotentie’s songwriting chops have only improved, with Zonder Titel Deze Keer rich with interesting sounds, compelling melodies, and inventive arrangements. A cursory first listen might leave you thinking “this sounds a lot like Rixe” thanks to the similarly fuzzy guitar sound and penchant for catchy gang choruses, but the similarities end there, and there’s a lot more to this record than a cool guitar sound and catchy choruses. The guitarist has a real way with a melody (“Nat Vuile Land” almost sounds like early Blink 182 until the gruff vocals kick in), and there are a ton of unique moments like the monk-ish backing vocals in “In De Koolmijn” or the way “Wijken” has this woozy sound to it like the tape is dragging or something. Each song feels rich and substantial, and that Impotentie doesn’t beat you over the head with the same ideas for the entirety of Zonder Titel Deze Keer means that as soon as it finishes playing, you just want to hear it again. Anyone into raw and catchy international punk really needs to hear this.

Dream World: demo cassette (self-released) 5-song demo cassette from this new band from Richmond, Virginia. For Sorry State’s readers, “Richmond” is virtually synonymous with “ripping hardcore,” but Dream World is a little different (though still very punk). I got to see Dream World live before I heard the recording, and my main takeaway was how their music conveyed a tension I rarely hear in today’s hardcore punk. Rather than playing all-out fast and hard, their songs tend to ride along at this dramatic three-quarters tempo, just at the precipice of full-on explosion, but not really falling off the cliff until the final track, “Blood Philanthropist.” Part of that tension comes from the drumming, which I just love. The songs are based around these eerie pulses, but the drummer constantly interjects all these little fills and accents within the pulse, like he’s just itching to go off, straining against the songs’ measured tempos. I’ve heard people mention Icons of Filth as a comparison point for Dream World, but I think these songs sound like no one but themselves. Fans of contemporary punk in the anarcho mold should definitely give this a listen, but I think there’s something here that rises above the “recommended if you like” formula.

Various: Vending Machine: Live at ABC cassette (Archfiend Records) Vending Machine is a compilation featuring nine punk groups from Los Angeles, and it’s one of the most thought-through and well-executed compilations I’ve heard in some time. The projects on the tape are deeply connected; all of them are affiliated with the ABC rehearsal studios and House of Tomothy venue / record label / recording studio, and many of them share members. The standardized recording style provides further cohesion, with each band recording their contributions live-in-the-studio, Peel Sessions-style, during one of four marathon recording sessions. Most bands get three songs to show us what they’ve got, though Big Shot and Advoids get four tracks, and Sacred Bathers provide electronic interludes during the transitions between songs. Thanks to all, this, Vending Machine listens differently than most compilations... it’s almost like each band kind of bleeds into one another, as you might hear the same synth player or bassist on two consecutive bands’ tracks. In terms of style, most of the bands on Vending Machine fall broadly within the arty DIY punk spectrum... think bands like Uranium Club, Spread Joy, Shopping... bands that aren’t inaccessible, but definitely left of center. The only band I was familiar with was Rearranged Face, and while their three tracks sound great, they’re only one of many highlights on this substantial 32-track collection. The tape also comes with a booklet insert with artwork from the bands and some information about the project, much of which I’ve summarized here. Since Vending Machine isn’t streaming and it’s so embedded in its own peculiar world, in all likelihood, not many people are destined to hear it. If it sounds interesting to you, though, I strongly recommend making the extra effort it takes to get a physical copy.