News

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Welcome back! I would have to assume that most of our regular weekly readers are suffering through Sorry State Newsletter withdrawal right now. I know I am, and I fuckin’ work here! To be fair, while our last newsletter dropped in mid-November, I did not contribute a staff pick for that particular week either. Whoops!

It feels crazy to me that we’re already more than halfway through December. And the holidays are approaching already too? Before we know it, I guess in the next couple weeks we’ll be coming up with our “best of 2024” or “year in review” lists. My brain is not prepared for such things.

But what’s been going on with me lately, you ask? Well, to be honest, it’s been a not-so-great last several weeks. I was lucky enough to sustain an injury in November. I had a stupid mishap where I managed to fracture the bone right around where my knee joint happens to be, and as a result, I’ve been getting around on crutches while I recover. I’m not currently in any pain, but I still can’t put enough weight on my bad knee to be able to walk. It totally sucks. It’s more majorly inconvenient than anything else. Like just not being able to do normal human things… like being able to hold doors open in order to pass through them, for example haha. I’ve been spending a lot of time on the couch not doing much of anything, so it feels like I don’t have any awareness of what’s been going on in the world around me for the last month or so. Life has been feeling a lot like Groundhog Day over at my house… I even had to miss out on the string of shows that Public Acid did with Dillinger 4 and Paint It Black. That was a bummer. Luckily, all my friends, family, and co-workers have been very accommodating while I’m in my current state. Needless to say, I can’t wait to be back on my feet soon.

Sorry for the big crybaby confessional back there! Granted, things could be much worse, but I haven’t been in the greatest frame of mind as of late. But you know what makes me feel like I can’t help but get a big smile on my face? Listening to the new Tiikeri 7”.

While lying around at home with my knee propped up, our buddy Lucas from Vidro sent a video to Scarecrow’s group chat, informing us that he was in Turku, Finland at a gig watching Tiikeri play. I was mad jealous. I later jokingly posted a picture with the new Tiikeri record along with the caption “it turns all your bad feelings into good feelings!” Maija, a friend who lives in Finland, responded and said, “Just had that energy spike tonight!,” having been at the same show as Lucas. See!? Tiikeri heals us all.

Sorry State has already had this new 4-song 7” from the Finnish songsmiths in stock for several weeks. I still feel like I’m playing catch-up, and now I feel like I’ve compulsively listened to this EP enough times to feel like I’ve digested the songs properly. Readers who are already familiar with Tiikeri, don’t fear! This new record will not venture into wildly unexpected territory. We know what to expect with this band: saccharinely sweet, melodic punk tunes in the finest traditions of ‘77/KBD style Finnish punk, but with an inevitable injection of more modern pop punk influences.

This new EP, titled Tee Se Itse, which I believe translates to “Do It Yourself”, is quite appropriately titled, having been self-released by the band. Tiikeri’s imagery and graphic design has always grabbed my attention. Daniel illuminated something to me, a discovery he made during his more recent deep dive into early Finnish punk: Tiikeri’s signature use of cartoony imagery and graphic design is heavily influenced by the Hilse LP, a classic early Finnish punk compilation. When I saw the layout for the zine that accompanies this compilation LP, I was I like “IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW.” Pretty cool to learn.

Tee Se Itse is a new leap for the band visually, showing their first dose of color use in the cover art! For me, that classic black and white aesthetic with a single “spot color” is always a classy look. The cover design is also filled up wall-to-wall with pop-art text displayed in several different fonts. Now, I personally can’t read Finnish, so I did my best to translate. It basically says “this is a 17.5 cm record (which is funny, because I had no idea in metric that this measurement is basically 7 inches), which plays at 45 RPM.” Then it says something like “genuine DIY price of 5 euros, specific to the punk EP. DO NOT PAY MORE!! It’s not punk.” Hilarious, because Sorry State sells the record for $10. Guess we didn’t get the memo? Tiikeri’s sort of devout attitude about “do it yourself” and “punk is love” and all this seems to be delivered with an exaggerated sense of earnestness. But the heavy-handed punk mythos feels so pure-hearted, yet dogmatic, that to a certain point, do I detect a tiny feeling of “winking at the camera” from Tiikeri? I dunno, maybe a little bit. I think the band may secretly be super cheeky and funny.

Enough about the artwork. Let’s talk about the songs. “Kyytiä Kihoille”, the first track on the A-side, boldly opens with basically a capella vocals with a lone clean guitar as accompaniment. Ordinarily, I’d probably react like, “what the fuck?” But somehow, with Tiikeri making this choice, I accept this vulnerable introduction just before the band launches into their signature up-tempo ’77-punk attack! “Punkkari Oon” is maybe my favorite track on the record, with an amazing chorus with swooning “oohs and aahs” backing vocals—a song so catchy that you’ll find yourself infected with the melody for days afterward. The lyrics in the chorus declare, “Let others shout otherwise, I’m still always a punk.” Hell yeah, I can relate.

The first track on the B-side is titled “Rokenrollia”, which I can only assume translates into something to do with rock’n’roll. This is probably the main song that feels like it’s hitting a new stride with the songwriting. Appropriately titled, it opens with a proper rockin’ sounding riff and groove, and to me it sounds like Tiikeri is dipping their toe into a bit of power pop influence. The opening sounds kinda like the Exploding Hearts or something! This song definitely feels fresh from Tiikeri, and I wouldn’t mind if they wrote some more rockin’ tunes like this on records to come. Then the title track, “Tee Se Itse”, closes out the record. The singer checks his tuning in a “doe-rae-me” sort of fashion before it launches right into the vocal hook. A song that feels like fans of the band will IMMEDIATELY be singing along to at their gigs. Hell, I know I would be. You ever listen to a band that sings in an unfamiliar language and the hooks are so catchy you find yourself singing along even though you have no idea what they’re saying? Just me? Alright, well, Tiikeri generates this effect on me.

A bit long-winded to musically describe a band that I’m sure anyone who’s interested has already devoured. Yeah, sure. But it’s been a while, so I had to return with excessive verbiage. Anyway, I’ll leave you now. As always, thanks for reading. Punk is love, baby.

‘Til next week (year?),

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

As I’m writing this, my bubbling anxiety is taking a physical toll as I prepare to go out of town. But it’s the good kind of anxiousness. This happens to me every time I get ready to go on tour. Meat House is getting amped up to hit the road with Bloodstains from California. Shaved Ape, which is really just one pissed off primate backed up by us Meaty boys, will also be in tow. Just 5 gigs, but I’m sure they’ll be killer. I’m sure many of you have already scooped a copy of Bloodstains’ debut LP. They’re fucking great, and I’m stoked for them to rock the East Coast. First show of tour kicks off in NYC on November 6th! Hope to see you fuckers there.

I’ll keep what’s going on with me on the personal front brief, but I did wanna mention how much fun the Halloween cover show was here in Raleigh a few nights ago. Scarecrow all dressing up and overcompensating with our over-extended devil locks, attempting our best jab at classic-era Misfits, and having a bunch of friends up front shouting along to the songs made it a night to remember. I think we raised a good chunk of money to donate toward disaster relief in Western North Carolina, so big kudos to Usman for handling all that.

I wanted to talk this week about the debut LP from Raleigh’s own DE()T. Yep, that’s the word “debt” with the “b” missing, to be clear. DE()T has been playing gigs in the area for quite a few years now. The band contains a bunch of familiar faces who have played in many other bands in Raleigh and elsewhere. The band’s synth player, Matt, now lives in Richmond but is still constantly traveling back and forth to the keep the dedicated “De()t-Heads” happy. Their demo tape came out pre-pandemic, and now in 2024, they finally have a proper release on vinyl! Their LP is entitled Think Of Your Future, released on local label Simp Records. I gotta say, I’ve seen this band live countless times, but dropping the needle on this LP for the first time I was super impressed at how the record sounded sonically and how impressively air-tight the performances are. Stoked that my dawgs threw the fuck down.

How do I describe DE()T? The lazy description would be like “synth/garage/punk”, but I think to just say DE()T sounds like The Spits would be selling the band short. It’s freakier than that. It’s more intense than that. It’s much more interesting than that. The band walks a thin line between incredibly hooky and catchy—even danceable—songwriting, but mixed with a super chaotic, abrasive, and dark atmosphere lurking beneath the surface. The singer/guitarist Colin’s vocal style weaves between a demented, somewhat bored, aloof groan, but then all the sudden he unleashes a totally gnarly throat-scraping snarl. The opening track on the record, “Lambs To The Slaughter,” starts with this cold, low and creepy synth riff. When the track kicks in, the guitar strikes this counterbalance with these sharp, jagged, dissonant stabs that are rhythmically syncopated against the synth part. This sort of dark, pulsating rhythmic feel reminds me of the darker side of post-punk, not unlike Killing Joke. But then, a track like “Why Should It Be Absurd?” amps up the tempo and gets more toward hardcore territory. I guess I might throw out the Screamers as another influence, but DE()T to me is so guitar forward that it’s difficult for me to directly associate them with bands that have a synth as a dominant instrument. The synth just adds another layer to the sonic palette of the band’s sound. Sonically, this record just sounds super crisp, expertly captured by local engineer Missy Thangs, along with Colin from the band mixing, having an extensive recording pedigree himself. Jonah Falco’s job on the mastering also doesn’t hurt.

And I gotta say, as much as I love the catchy synth melodies and the bright guitar work that goes totally off the rails, the rhythm section just kills it on this record. The drumming is so damn tight and in-the-pocket, with slick, heavy-handed, murderously fast snare rolls. Nothing soft or feathery about the drumming at all, totally slammin’, driving with razor sharp rhythmic intensity. And the way the bass pulses on the intro to a song like “Stayin’ In” just sounds so heavy, laying a foundation for the menacing groove while the guitar scratches these dead notes. Seriously, what gets me about DE()T and the way the band constructs their songs more than anything is how they so cleverly arrange each instrument’s role in the band. The method with which each player takes up space in the mix is so expertly thought out. It feels like the band has a seasoned maturity in the way they play off of one another. This record is a unique of blending of interesting, wonky and powerful elements of several corners of the punk genre and is chock full of great songwriting by these dudes.

DE()T also has a follow up 7” EP that I’m pretty sure Sorry State is going to be putting out at some point? That’s all on the horizon. I will take this opportunity to let you know that DE()T is going on tour later this month in mid-November—a run of mostly southern cities, I’m pretty sure. Make sure you catch them if the band is coming to your city!

That’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week (or probably not since I’ll be on tour),

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I feel like I’m already starting to get the post-October blues over here as I’m writing this. Halloween hasn’t even happened yet and I’m starting to feel the dread! I think myself, and everyone at Sorry State, has just been so busy that it feels like the month has gone by super quickly. In previous years, we’ve even done an extra special “spooky edition” of the newsletter, but it feels like I haven’t felt as much of the Halloween spirit going around as I’d like. Oh well.

On Halloween night, however, we are doing a cover band gig that’s also a benefit to raise money for disaster relief in Western NC. The good cause is killer, but I’m also just stoked to dress up and play some of my favorite Halloween-centric punk tunes. I’m in a 45 Grave and Misfits cover band. The last couple of practices we’ve had, I’m feeling really stoked on how it’s coming together. Also currently, our Swedish buddies Christoffer and Wilhemina are hanging out in Raleigh! It’s so rad that after meeting them in Sweden while Scarecrow was on tour that they decided to make the trip to come visit. The Swedes have invaded Sorry State and it will be rad having them around for the Halloween festivities. Hell yeah! If any locals reading the newsletter wanna know where the location of the gig is going down, please reach out!

Okay, so I ask you all to indulge once more as I talk about horror movies! The other night, I went to a screening of Nightmare on Elm St 3—The Dream Warriors at Alamo Drafthouse. Perhaps the best horror sequel ever? I mean Freddy and Dokken, what else could you want? The theater was sold out, and it was so awesome to see the movie on the big screen and have everyone react and laugh at all the right beats in the flick. Another thing about the Alamo is that they have a pretty killer selection of VHS available for rental! Naturally, I gravitated toward the classiest selections available. I debated writing about one of these movies I rented. Who could resist the strength in advertising on the box art for Ghoul School? “Sex! Babes! Rock and Roll!” All things relevant to my interests haha. This movie started pretty rough, but ended pretty strong. A fun romp with the most rudimentary but ambitious gore special effects. Would recommend. Then again, I also rented Chopper Chicks In Zombie Town. Also pretty killer. Why don’t they make movies like this anymore?

In the end, for this week’s newsletter, I decided to talk about the classic to end all classics, Evil Dead 2. I rewatched my copy at home the other night and I realized I need to remind myself to at least watch this banger once a year. I gotta say, it’s probably my favorite movie of all time. I mean shit, me being the total nerd that I am, I’ve got the fuckin’ chainsaw tattooed on me with “Groovy” above it. I just love it. It’s the perfect blend of absolutely insane violence with goosebump-inducing creepiness, but simultaneously totally hilarious. A perfect balance of insane groundbreaking effects, psychedelic gore, otherworldly atmosphere, all centered around a claustrophobic setting of being stranded in an isolated, dilapidated cabin in the woods. Not really a zombie movie, though some people lump it into that category. Demonic possession is probably closer? Word to the wise: if you read from the Book of the Dead, a creepy ancient book that happens to be bound in human skin, you may find that an unexplainable force takes over your friends and watch them become inhabited by a Kandarian Demon. Just sayin’.

What’s interesting about the Evil Dead franchise is that there are 3 films, each filmed in a different decade—one for the 70s, 80s and 90s. And each film has an element of retelling, or even reimagining the story of the initial film. Evil Dead 2 is basically a remake, but with slightly different characters. For my money, it takes the eeriness of the original and amplifies the visual spectacle. At the heart of the franchise is, of course, the majestic Bruce Campbell, who plays the main character, Ash. His performance comes across as a fairly innocent and brave protagonist in the original Evil Dead. But in this sequel, Campbell’s performance is heightened to a William Shatner-level of exaggerated, fourth-wall breaking absurdity. Just his physical comedy, when his hand becomes possessed and he’s forced to basically give a convincing yet slapstick “fighting with myself” performance… He’s flipping over himself and beating himself up, the whole nine yards. It’s great. Then when he chops off his own hand with a chainsaw? The close up on his face with that glint of his eye of total madness… Then the final gag, when he traps the severed hand and weighs down the bucket with a paperback of “A Farewell to Arms”… I mean, COME ON! It doesn’t much more brilliant than that.

I think that might be as much as my brain can muster for this particular “staff pick”. I highly suggest you make a point to revisit the Evil Dead.

Welp, until our next meeting post-All Hallows’ Eve,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Sorry if you all missed me last week. Sometimes life’s too busy for me to coherently recommend records effectively haha. But hey, screw that, I shouldn’t make any excuses. I did want to chime in and mention that the new Yellowcake record is amazing, but it seems like Daniel and Usman already covered that last week.

So, what’s been going on with me? Currently, I’m still fried from the Ejaculators show last night. Even with my lack of attendance in doing a staff pick last week, I’m still trying to throw this thing together last minute. Those dudes stayed up with me drinking beers and jamming records, but then left and went to get gyro at this Greek restaurant that’s open til 4am, and then I was awakened early this morning to the sound of my needle scraping and “Beat My Guest” by Adam and The Ants playing at maximum volume. At least they were getting hyped. As for me, I’m feeling sluggish as hell. I would love a falafel NOW.

Meat House is going on tour in just a few weeks with Bloodstains from LA, and also Sorry State’s household primate Shaved Ape will be along for the ride. Just a few gigs up and down the East Coast. I’m stoked as hell for those shows.

Speaking of package tours (lol), I don’t even think I’ve mentioned that Public Acid is doing a run of dates with Dillinger Four and Paint It Black. Pretty wild. Very appreciative they invited us to play these shows. With our heavy noisy ass guitars, it will be an interesting complement to those bands. Hopefully, the people that are coming specifically to see either D4 or PIB won’t absolutely hate us haha. I’m sure it’ll be killer. I’ll have fun no matter what.

I must admit, after John Scott choosing Maniac Cop for his staff pick last week, I wouldn’t say I was “jealous” exactly, but I thought to myself: “Damn, I coulda been talking about movies this month in the newsletter all along!” Maybe people who come to the newsletter for records (specifically punk and hardcore) don’t care to read about movies. I’m hoping there’s some crossover here, though. As I’m sure is the case for many of you readers, when October rolls around, I start getting really excited. I love this time of year. The weather finally starts getting cooler. I love wholesome activities like going to a pumpkin patch and selecting the perfect gourd for carving. I love all the corniest aspects of the season as Halloween approaches. If any of you have seen my entirely self-driven committed endeavor to transform Sorry State’s storefront into a spooky alternate universe with decorations, you’ll know exactly what I mean. I’m talkin’ “Monster Mash.” I’m talkin’ cheesy old school spooky sound effects records with cartoon Frankenstein and Dracula as cover art. I’m talkin’ Misfits and The Return of The Living Dead soundtrack on repeat. But of course, my favorite thing is to try and binge as many horror movies as possible. I wouldn’t say my VHS habit is quite as concerning as my record collecting, but I have amassed a few tapes over the years.

So all that said, I’m gonna talk about Dead Alive. People who dig horror love this movie, right? If you know those movies from the 00s that were super popular with like hobbits ‘n elves and all that shit, the same guy who became famous for directing those movies also directed Dead Alive. In the late 80s and early 90s, Peter Jackson got his start in New Zealand making some pretty fringe independent flicks. Dead Alive was originally released in New Zealand with the alternate title Braindead. For all intents and purposes, Dead Alive is a zombie movie.

A quick synopsis without too many spoilers: The movie opens with some Indiana Jones looking explorer types in the desolate Skull Island where they have captured a rare Sumatran rat-monkey. Unbeknownst to them, this genetic hybrid is a plague-carrying beast with a vicious temper. Back in the small community of Wellington, we meet our leading man Lionel, who lives with his elderly mother. Lionel meets the lovely Paquita at the local grocery, and these two go on a date to the Wellington Zoo. Lionel’s mother, jealous of his new flame, spies on them at the zoo and gets unexpectedly bitten by the Sumatran rat-monkey, thus infecting her with the plague. As her body begins decomposing, mother effectively becomes the living dead. Lionel, attempting to hide his mother’s newfound condition, tranquilizes her and still arranges a proper funeral. However, with her sedation wearing off, Lionel’s mother arises from her grave, bites the local priest, a nurse, and a local hoodlum grave robber, also infecting them with the plague. Lionel hides the four afflicted zombies in his basement back at his mother’s mansion. However, when his uncle unexpectedly arranges a huge party at the mansion after the funeral, bringing an overwhelming number of guests, the zombies break loose and infect everyone at the party. Thus, a chaotic mess of blood, violence and hilarity ensues.

If you’ve indulged me this far, I’ll just say a few more things about the movie. Over the years, this has become one of my all-time favorites. Peter Jackson’s blend of comedy and over-the-top splatter gore is such an odd sensibility, but truly expertly executed. Really, the acting in the beginning of the movie is so campy that almost feels as if the actors were given direction to ham it up on purpose. It feels almost like a frickin’ soap opera. With so many incredibly corny one-liners, there’s a lot of sorta wink-at-the-camera performances by the actors. But for me, this is brilliant because it settles you into an eye-rolling, corny, but false sense of comfort as the movie unfolds. More sequences jack up the budget for buckets of red corn syrup and pus-like goop, eliciting reactions of disgust, and you realize that Jackson is amping up the intensity scene by scene. It’s a brilliant crescendo, all building to the final sequence. Seriously, when the party inside the mansion transforms from a dance scene out of Grease into a glorious splatter-tastic zombie invasion, it’s such an amazing payoff. A splatter-fest to end all splatter, this sequence must have broken some kind of record for most over-the-top bloody gore special effects in movie history. Bloody disgusting—maybe even difficult to stomach for some, but still somehow not offputtingly dark or gruesome? Clever slapstick comedy levity with laugh-out-loud jokes will keep you along for the ride. For my money, it’s a TON of fun. Or maybe I’m just desensitized at this point? I’ll leave you with this: If you’ve never seen this movie and can make it through to the end… you’ll never look at a lawnmower the same way again.

Welp, that’s all I’ve got for ya this week. As always, thanks for reading. Hope you watch spooky movies before the season’s over.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Once again, it feels like it’s been a while since I’ve checked in. We’re well into October now, and I always love this time of year. The weather starts getting a bit cooler, and as Halloween approaches, I get excited to binge trashy horror movies. We’ll be decorating the storefront here at Sorry State to get into the spirit. There’s also gonna be a Halloween cover show on the 31st, which I’m excited about. It’s gonna be a benefit gig, with all proceeds going toward support for disaster relief in Western North Carolina.

Before that gig though, I wanna reiterate that The Ejaculators are coming to play Raleigh on October 20th along with Meat House and DE()T at RUMAH. Should be a killer gig. Don’t miss it!

Also, I think this is the first time I’m announcing that BLOODSTAINS from Southern California are coming to play Raleigh as well! Along with support from Norfolk’s ragers RECKONING FORCE, and also semi-locals SHAVED APE and MEAT HOUSE. At King’s on November 10th! A rager for the season, I feel sure.

What else have I been doing since the last time I wrote for the newsletter? I suppose I haven’t even talked about Public Acid and Invertebrates’ Midwest tour surrounding Unlawful Assembly fest in Milwaukee. It was a short run of shows, but MAN, did we have a blast. I would hop in a van and travel with the combination of mofos in those 2 bands any day. Between duckpin bowling in Indianapolis while goofing off and talking like Fonzie, getting extra cheesy at the Mars Castle, and my first experience with reluctant hospitality and excessive taxidermy at the Third Man Records’ green room… there was more tomfoolery than most HCPMF’s would be able to handle.

So, let’s talk about Cicada. I was obviously previously familiar with this band because they’re based out Richmond. I often run into the dudes in the band at shows and stuff. I’ve seen Cicada play in Richmond several times and always thought they were great. But on this Midwest tour, Public Acid gigged with them in Chicago, and also at the fest in Milwaukee. Firstly, we played together at The Empty Bottle in Chicago. The sound was excellent, and granted, it had been quite a while since the last time I saw Cicada, but fuck… they just blew me away. They opened with a cover of “Easy Targets” by Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers and fuckin’ nailed it. My jaw hit the floor. The crowd just totally exploded with energy. Then during their set at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee, the guitar player Brendan had a moment where he played alone, spiraling on this long, drawn-out guitar riff which was an extended rendition of the opening track on the band’s demo tape. With like total command of the crowd, I just watched all these kids creepy crawl over/dogpile onto one another in this mess of anxious, violent, anticipatory energy. It was so raging and insane. I just stood there after they finished playing, just going, “Holy shit.” And experiencing Cicada live on this trip was all before I’d even heard their new EP.

Cicada has a new 7” entitled Wicked Dream, appropriately released on the Unlawful Assembly label. Sorry State always tries to stock as many copies of the new releases on Unlawful Assembly as we can, but they often can only afford to give us a handful of copies. I half expect this new EP to be sold out by the time this edition of the newsletter comes out. The primary recorded output by Cicada I’ve digested over the last year or so is the band’s demo… ya know, which clocks in at under 4 minutes of music total. The cassette I have is pretty lo-fi from a recording standpoint. It totally works for them and still sounds totally raging. But after seeing Cicada in Chicago and experiencing how powerful the band sounded, I personally hoped the recording on their new 7” would do them more justice. Admittedly, the recording on this new record is still pretty raw. But I would say it’s a sonic facelift compared to the cassette. And granted, Cicada having a super modern, slick sounding record would probably sound totally weird and out of place.

How do I describe Cicada’s music to one of you readers who might be unfamiliar? I mentioned CCM earlier, which I think is a fairly detectable influence. The way I feel about Cicada when I hear them is that they draw from some of the MOST weirdo, outsider bands within outsider music, and blend those reference points into a potent and effective Molotov cocktail. How appropriate that a label based out of Milwaukee put out the band’s record, because surely whoever writes the riffs in this band must be a fan of Die Kreuzen. Like, MUST be. Then, the singer Jordan has this vomitous but burly low-pitched growl that for sure makes me think of United Mutation. But beyond these 80s hardcore comparisons, I think there is something unique and special about what Cicada is doing in the current landscape of hardcore punk. It feels true to form, but also completely fresh and out of left field. It’s chaotic, frantic, and dissonant. But still, there’s something about the way the band stitches musical ideas together that feels clever. It’s intelligent, while managing to definitely NOT be prog-y in any way. These songs still go for the throat in the most maniacal of fashion, but also, the band is playing their asses off. It doesn’t feel like the band is throwing riffs at the wall in a noisy mess and seeing what sticks. In fact, the conviction and intention with which these songs are put together makes me kinda… jealous, I guess? Maybe if you’re the type of hardcore listener whose platonic ideal is Agnostic Front, then Cicada will surely not be the band for you. But for me, this band is ticking ALL the boxes. Dare I say, best current hardcore band in America? Honestly, I might.

Enough gushing. But if you’re able to get your hands on a copy of this 7”, whether from Sorry State or elsewhere, I give it my highest possible recommendation.

That’s all I’ve got this round. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Man, how long has it been since the last time we sent you fine folks a newsletter? 3 weeks or something? Sorry to deprive you Sorry State readers for so long! I guess Scarecrow’s been outta town a bunch. And also, Daniel’s been busy taking all these flights to places like Denver purely for pleasure, no business ventures whatsoever. Hehe. I want to report any fresh personal updates, but at this moment I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around what the hell has even happened since the last time I checked in…

I think since the last newsletter, Scarecrow made our way to and from Pittsburgh for Skull Fest. Had a pretty damn good time, I must say. My main highlight would be seeing Meanwhile live for the first time. They threw the fuck down, and all the punks ‘n crusties went nuts. Always good to see old friends as well. Thanks again Krystyna for having us. (I have no idea if she reads this or not haha.)

I had a birthday pass by since we last spoke. Another trip ‘round the sun, as they say. Don’t quite feel like an old man yet, but yeesh. Lifer status incoming. I did lock down a pretty significant birthday gift for myself. Nice 7 inch-size platter with some bricks on it, if ya know what I’m sayin’. I’m stoked.

There are some local gigs in Raleigh coming up I want to mention. Hopefully by next newsletter I’ll have flyers made. Firstly, Ejaculators are… coming (oof, didn’t think about that as I wrote it), and I’m stoked for those KBD-style synth-laden punks to debaucherously throw down in Raleigh. That show is October 20th at RUMAH along with Meat House and DE()T. Then on November 10th, BLOODSTAINS are playing at Kings. Meat House is doing a run of East Coast dates with them as well. Hopefully those start getting publicly announced soon. The gig on November 10th is Bloodstains with Shaved Ape, Meat House and Reckoning Force. Get HYPED.

We’ve had a smattering of new inventory arrive at the shop lately. I decided to choose a record for my staff pick that I had little-to-no prior knowledge about. This Indikator B 7” on Doom Town Records has really grabbed my interest. I’m pretty sure we stocked a tape by this band a couple years ago. I’m pretty sure the band is from Croatia? Someone can correct me on that if I’ve been misinformed. I don’t know why, perhaps because of that Koridor record we also got from Doom Town, but I half expected Indikator B to sound like post-punk. It’s not at ALL. This 7” is like a raging hardcore record. And when I say it sounds 80s, it like—REALLY—sounds old. Something about the dark, yet thick, warm sounding recording really captures a vintage feel and kinda cold, tense atmosphere.

I’m not even sure exactly what to compare the sound of the music to. The label description says something like “Indikator B carries on the classic sound of Yugo-punk tradition” or whatever. I’ll be honest and say that I need to be more thoroughly educated about 80s punk and hardcore from this region of the world. I guess one band I know from that general region is UBR, and I think musically that’s a pretty good jumping off point for describing Indikator B’s style. And even though UBR is from Slovenia and not Croatia, I swear there is one riff that sounds like Indikator B totally lifted from one of the tracks on the UBR 7”. Hey, ain’t complaining. But then, in terms of the feeling of darkness, I guess I do detect a bit of Midwest US hardcore sensibility like the dissonance of Mecht Mensch or something.

The pace of most of the songs is that kinda bouncy, what I often call “in-between” speed of playing. Like, super groovy, mid-fast, almost UK82 speed with thick, pounding drums keeping that rhythm in the pocket. One thing that stands out to me is that even compared to the band’s detectable influences, the vocals are NOT just grunting or screaming. The singer is actually carrying a melody most of the time, which to me is a big selling point of the band’s songwriting. Of course, I have no idea what the singer dude is saying in the lyrics, but there’s a few of these unexpectedly catchy sing-along moments with some “AH-AH-AH’s”. It’s killer.

Anyway, the inspiration for me to continue advocating for this Indikator B has run dry, so I’ll just leave it there. But I would really hate for this record to fly under the radar because people aren’t paying attention. It’s a great record. I highly recommend checking it out.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week (uuuh right?),

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

It’s been a crazy last week or so. Raleigh catching the edge of that hurricane has made for some terrible weather for several days straight. My phone was buzzing with flash flood warnings left and right. One morning when I woke up, after the storm had been particularly bad overnight, there was standing water in my apartment. Crazy shit. Hey, what’re you gonna do? But over the weekend as I was writing this, everything cleared up, the sun was shining, and the store seemed like it was slammed busy! People be havin’ that cabin fever, I suppose.

Public Acid had to unexpectedly cancel and didn’t end up playing Armor’s record release show this past Saturday. After making this decision, I unfortunately decided to stay in Raleigh and missed the gig. I’ve been seeing clips and photos of the Invertebrates set, and it looks like my homies tore it the fuck up. Gave me a dose of F.O.M.O. for sure. At the time this newsletter comes out, I would imagine the Argh/No Knock gig on August 12th in Raleigh will be taking place in real time—possibly as you’re reading! Wish I could use this platform to announce ahead of time that The Losers from San Francisco were added to the gig last-minute! Hoping it ends up being a killer gig. 3 ripping touring bands? Hell yeah.

Speaking of ripping bands, I think I’m late to the conversation on this Malakili band. I knew that they’re from Portland. Sorry State has stocked a couple tapes from them over the last couple years, and we just got in the band’s debut LP released on Black Water a couple weeks ago. I’ll be honest, I never really gave those previous tapes a proper listen. Maybe the band’s name threw me off? But I saw the cover art on this new LP: a skeleton in his bedroom surrounded by empty beer cans… I thought to myself, “This is relevant to my interests.” And man, I don’t know what I expected, but I threw this thing on and to my surprise, this record is just straight up, go-for-the-throat, ripping hardcore!

At first, just because of the style of hardcore that Malakili plays, I wondered if this band possibly featured folks from the Brain Squeeze/Alienator crew, but upon further research it doesn’t look like it. The guitar playing stands out to me immediately. Furious riffing that makes me think of Swedish käng influence straight out of the modern hardcore landscape of the Herätys/Infernöh/Larma variety. But I think to simply describe Malakili as a “d-beat” band would be somewhat of a misnomer. There’s a definite US hardcore flavor in the mixture of ingredients. The guitar sound is pretty clean, like the guitar is plugged straight into the front of a cranked Marshall. The singer’s voice is kinda high-pitched and more snotty and snarling, definitely NOT a deep, burly growl. The vocals are double tracked too, which gives it this seasick, off-kilter feel when the singer kinda gets in and outta time with himself.

But because of these stylistic factors that stand out to me, I think Malakili has more in common with a band like The Hell, or maybe even another contemporary example like The Massacred? Also, though, the band’s blend of snotty US hardcore and käng riffing, along with this perception of disorderly nastiness reminds me a lot of Gas Rag. Malakili surely has slightly more polite lyrics than Gas Rag, but you get what I’m sayin’ maybe? I think of them sounding more aligned with bands of this ilk than they do bands going for straight Discharge influence. Perhaps due to their environment, I do hear a bit of early-era Poison Idea creeping its way into the band’s style. There is a Poison Idea poster hung up on the skeleton’s bedroom wall after all, haha. There’s a couple mid-paced stomper tracks that sound way more like “Pure Hate” than they do “Protest And Survive”. You pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down?

Anyway, if you were like me and sleeping on Malakili for whatever reason, I would definitely recommend giving this record a shot. A sleeper ripper in its own right.

That’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

We’re back again! Sorry for the lack of newsletter content over the last couple weeks. I’m sure you missed us! What’s new in Jeff world? I dunno. Public Acid drove up and had a nice weekend in Long Guy Land last weekend. We played with Integrity. Kinda funny. Highlights include me getting totally hammered and attempting my best spineless HB strut while raging to Invertebrates with no sense of self-preservation. I’m still a little sore. They played an after show at this tiny, brightly colored, 90s-themed Nickelodeon dive bar in Long Island. A wild time indeed.

There’s a gig in Raleigh on August 12th with Argh all the way from Chile and also a new band from NY called No Knock, which has members of Fairytale and 80HD. Scarecrow is also playing. Spread the word! Hoping it’ll be a rager. Then that same week, Scarecrow will head up to Pittsburgh to play Skull Fest. Hope to run into some homies there. Can’t wait to see Meanwhile play.

And speaking of Swedish hardcore, my staff pick is this Neu-Ronz 7” we just got copies of at the store. I think I already wrote about this record for a staff pick a few years ago. But shiiit, I don’t care. Here we go again! Do people know about this record? To me, it seems like a record that kinda flew under the radar when it first came out. The always reliably killer Adult Crash label released this EP back in 2015. Crazy that the record is already almost 10 years old. But honestly, I don’t think I ever heard it when it first came out. I remember showing Daniel at work one day, and having not heard the record either, he similarly flipped the fuck out and was like, “This RIPS.”

Right after hearing it, it became my mission (and Daniel’s as well) to track down a used copy of the Neu-Ronz 7”. I figured that since the record was on Adult Crash and seems relatively inexpensive on the second-hand market, it wouldn’t be too terribly difficult to track down. Over the years, I would check the used bins whenever I would visit punk record stores out of town. Whether it was Vinyl Conflict in Richmond, or Sit and Spin in Philly, or wherever, I just could NOT find a copy. Not only that, but I would ask the clerks at the record stores and people seemed to have no idea what band I was talking about haha. My difficulty finding the record only heightened its allure for me. I guess its scarcity makes sense. The EP is the sole release by Neu-Ronz, and it was only released on Adult Crash in Europe. So really, the only way the record would have made its way over here is if distros had imported copies. Maybe people would know the record better if it had a US pressing a decade ago?

Okay, so let me talk more about the story with this record and what it actually sounds like. How I first heard about Neu-Ronz is several years ago, my buddy and I were talking about Regulations and how those records from the early 00s are still totally killer. He then asked me if I had ever heard the Neu-Ronz EP, to which I responded, “Nah, what’s that?” He billed it to me as Otto singing in a band with dudes from Nitad and Raped Teenagers. He sent me a YouTube link back then those couple years ago and as soon as it started playing, it knocked my fuckin’ socks off. A Swedish supergroup of sorts, you might say? For any skeptics, let me just emphasize to you readers: this record RIPS. It’s like a lost gem. 6 songs, all about a minute flat or less. The immediacy with which the band launches into these songs will rip off your lid right off your dome. If you’re familiar with 80s Swedish ragers Raped Teenagers, you’ll hear that these folks are involved because all the riffs have this catchy, while also a signature wonky quirkiness and off-kilter rhythm about the way they play. Still, this record is a focus of turbulent rage, and of course is topped with Otto’s hooky vocals that we all know and love. It’s an explosive combination. If you’re anything like me, once you grab this EP, you’ll play it over and over ‘til you puke.

Funny enough, I finally locked down my copy of this 7” when me and the dudes from Public Acid went record shopping in Portland while on our west coast tour earlier this year. We went to Blackwater, and I went straight to the 7” used “N’s” section. And there it was… like a golden nugget glowing in the bins. I think it was like $3. I was so stoked. No one in Public Acid knew anything about the record either haha. Then, only a few months later, Scarecrow played K-Town festival and Jakob from Adult Crash had a table where he was selling the titles on his label. Come to find out that he had several dead stock copies of Neu-Ronz 7” available. My first reaction was like… “Are you KIDDING me?” I was sneaky and bought a copy for Daniel while he wasn’t looking. Talking to a bunch of Swedish friends at K-Town, Neu-Ronz was not just a recording project, and the band did in fact play shows. Apparently, they only played around 10 gigs. Lucas from Vidro told me they would count in the first song super fast, and then would just tear it up for like 7 or 8 minutes without stopping. That would be the whole set every time. Perfection.

All this exposition is to draw attention to the fact that I guess Daniel discussed with Adult Crash that next time Sorry State ordered their new titles, that we’d also like to get a fat stack of dead stock Neu-Ronz 7”s. We got ‘em, baby. So, now’s your chance! If my glowing endorsement isn’t enough, the record also only costs $5. Shit, ya know what? Grab that Instängd Konkret Och Brutal 7” while you’re at it.

That’s enough. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Another week, another barrage of bleak and depressing news in this fucked world. Some good moments too, of course. “I Shot The Devil” by Suicidal Tendencies has sounded pretty good lately *winkwink. I wonder… what’s the campaign budget for squibs? Who cares.

Hey! I’m booking a show here in Raleigh on August 12th. ARGH is coming all the way from Chilé, and also No Knock from NYC, which I believe has couple of the same members as Fairytale. The show’s at RUMAH. Hoping at least some of you newsletter readers are local, and I can spread the word through this channel. Come to the gig!

Public Acid heads to play with Integrity in New York on July 27th, but the same day NFTW recording artists Bato are playing in Raleigh as well. Don’t miss that. Then Scarecrow plays Skull Fest. Then Public Acid plays Unlawful Assembly. AAAAHHH.

Sorry to start off so negative. Maybe it’s because I’m also listening to this new Subdued record on repeat ad nauseum. But trust me, I have nothing negative to say about this new record. The other night, I was once again a guest on the Analog Attack show What Are You Listening To? The host Mike beat me to the punch talking about the new Subdued on the podcast. So now’s my opportunity to further express my thoughts.

Obviously, I was also way into Subdued’s previous 12” Over The Hills and Far Away. I’ve even been lucky enough to catch them play live a couple times: once on stage in Copenhagen, and the other time was outside, under a bridge in Richmond. But I gotta say, when I first threw this new record Abattoir onto the turntable, it really blew me away. I was like holy fuck, this is a great record. For me, easily their best yet. Whereas I feel like the anger represented in current hardcore can either feel like performative posturing, or if earnest, perhaps a bit corny?... Subdued just feels DEAD serious. Almost in a way that I can’t explain. The vocalist Jack feels less like he’s yelling, and more like he’s pontificating from a pulpit, delivering observations of vile realities in a manner both poetic, and simultaneously like a frenzied stream of consciousness. When the record gets into the third track “Vulturemen,” the lyric delivered so bluntly as “Living in a world with evil bastards who are always wanting more.”—A simple enough sentiment, but spat out with such a palpable feeling of disgust that you believe every word. Even just hearing the repeated refrain of “Nothing good can survive. It dies. It dies.” I just sat there listening, staring at my turntable going, “FUCK.”

Clearly, the band’s influences are rooted in UK anarcho punk. I’ve heard people compare Subdued to Icons of Filth or Exit Stance, which I hear, I suppose. But musically, I feel like I hear the band merge a lot of disparate musical ideas. Slow, dirgey mid-paced riffs with tribal rhythms. Melodic, yet eerie and spider-weaving arpeggiated guitar work. And then brutalist explosions of speed and intensity. The heavy slow parts aren’t too metal. The melodic parts aren’t too cheesy. And the fast parts aren’t too reminiscent of all other “raw or d-beat or whatever.” I love the intro to the track “Children of God” that opens with this lone, trudging bass and when the guitars enter, they play this unexpected “lick” I’d guess you’d call it? It’s so killer. And all these theoretically opposing musical sections don’t clash or feel unfocused. They are blended smoothly and seamlessly, like a natural extension of the band’s unique vision. This record isn’t just a mirroring of the English anarcho punk sounds of yesteryear. It’s like a bleak reflection in its own right—like a cold, psychedelic nightmare.

Most of Subdued is based out of London. But now Cody, who plays in Nosferatu and I’m sure many other bands, has joined on 2nd guitar. Nicky Rat makes the commute to play in Nosferatu, and now Cody makes the commute to play in Subdued. Why not, right? Interesting punk world we live in these days. But I think the recording of this record was split between London, but was mostly recorded at D4MT Labs where the likes of Tower 7 and Straw Man Army do their recordings. The sonic signature of D4MT recordings really suits Subdued, I’d say. 8 songs is the perfect length as well. 12” EP, best format. The peaks and valleys you journey through over the course of Abattoir feel like the perfect amount of sickness for one to stomach. All ending with the grand finale: a pulsing monotonous build into nothing, with the echo of “WE DESERVE ANARCHY NOW.” We do, don’t we?

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. Another showstopper from La Vida Es Un Mus. Who woulda thought? You need to hear this new Subdued. It’s really great.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Hope everyone reading this stateside had a good time on America’s bullshit holiday. July 4th, aka National Hot Dog Day… Hey, don’t get me wrong. I love a good veggie wiener with mustard. I was supposed to drive up to Richmond and play an outdoor gig with Public Acid, but my fuckin’ tire exploded while I was driving 70 mph on the highway. It was fucking scary. All I had for a spare tire was one of those shitty donut tires, so I couldn’t make the rest of the trip. I saw clips of the gig online, and it looked like a blast. Explosions going off in the background while my dawgs in PubAss ripped a 4-piece set without me. Wamp wamp. I was bummed. I’ve got the shit-eatin’ blues, I guess you could say.

So yeah, if that last little ‘wink-wink’ of a sentence wasn’t good enough to clue you in, I’m talking about The Cheifs for my staff pick. One of the unsung great bands of the early Hollywood punk scene. The other day at work, I was blasting The Cheifs as Daniel was walking into our warehouse. He said something along the lines of, “Good call, stoked to hear The Cheifs today.” For me, the HCPMF appeal of the band is universal, and yet, it seems I rarely hear people talk about The Cheifs (except for a bunch of my punk friends in LA haha).

I remember my first exposure to The Cheifs was on the Who Cares compilation LP. This comp features great tracks by bands like AKA, Suspects, and Civil Disobedience—all of which are bands whose only recorded output was on this comp. I was familiar with Shattered Faith prior to my first exposure to this compilation, but the main reason I discovered the record many years ago was because of Political Crap. Now, for those that don’t know, Political Crap was one of Duane Peters’ first bands. Love him or hate him, I was super into everything revolving around Duane Peters when I was a teenager. Come on dude, he’s the master of disaster! I listened to everything from US Bombs, Die Hunns, you name it. Okay sure, so now those bands don’t hold up for me much these days, but I was just devouring everything I could find when I was a kid. Of course, I was also way into Duane because of his skating. I first saw him in the Black Label video Blackout from 2003, and even back then I was like, “Who is this gnarly OLD dude shredding pools?” Then to discover later on that he had a punk band from 1980 that sounded like an unhinged, youthful version of Black Flag? I was sold. Say what you want, “Slow Death” is an all-time banger.

Anyway, The Cheifs also have 3 songs on the Who Cares compilation, all of which I loved when I first heard them. I came to find out later that The Cheifs’ self-titled 7” single, released on Playgems Records in 1980, is the stuff of legend. Funny enough, Darby Crash is credited as a “creative consultant” on the record? Interesting. And amongst record nerds and KBD heads, this 7” has become quite the coveted collectors’ item. I’d love to have a copy one day. The A-Side track “Blues” is such a killer song. A song that feels like it should be a “hit” in the punk lexicon. Granted, it’s a rough recording and much more obscure than bands that appeared in Decline of Western Civilization, for example. But I mean shit, all of the band’s songs are killer. I just think The Cheifs were great songwriters. Aggressive attitude and style of playing, but still that hooky, sing-along tunefulness we love in our early LA punk, vocal harmonies and all. I would imagine they were super influential on the Orange County sound that would emerge a year or 2 later.

A 13-song compilation LP entitled Holly-West Crisis compiles all The Cheifs’ recorded material. This LP was first released by Flipside in the 90s, and included the band’s legendary 7” single, as well as the songs from both of their compilation appearances. But most importantly, the first 6 songs on the compilation are a recording session from 1982 that were previously UNRELEASED. So crazy, because a bunch of these songs are just as good as the songs on their early 80s vinyl releases. The title track “Holly-West Crisis” is like a long-lost gem and a perfect opener for the whole record. Really, the 13 songs on this compilation function like a perfect full-length LP for The Cheifs… even though the separate recording sessions do sound pretty different from one another. It’s awesome though, because you get all the ragers in one half-hour dose. Since the early 2000s, Dr. Strange Records seems like they have ALWAYS kept Holly-West Crisis in print. And gawd bless ‘em for it, I say! Overlooked yet not difficult to find? I don’t get it. I guess the cover art has gone through several iterations over the years, but the record is available for $20 or less at any given moment. That’s a beautiful thang. The album cover pictured in the thought bubble in my photo above is the artwork from the latest version pressed in 2022, which Sorry State is currently stocking. Not my favorite graphic design in the world, but I much prefer it to the purple artwork on the copy I used to have many years ago.

Yeah dude, you gotta blast some Cheifs this summer. “Knocked Out” or “Eddie’s Revenge” is gonna sound really good out of your car stereo while you’re cruising to the lake, rockin’ those sunglasses with the top down.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Well shit, it’s been a while huh? Hope all you Sorry State readers out there weren’t hurting too badly without a newsletter for the last better part of a month. Scarecrow only made our triumphant return home from our Nordic European tour less than 2 weeks ago. But still, I only just now feel like I’m settling back into normalcy. Without going into crybaby mode too hard, I will say that the post-tour blues hit me really hard this round. I gotta say, this tour was easily one of the best punk-related trips I’ve ever been on in my life. This is due greatly in part to spending a grand majority of our travels alongside our good friends in Vidro. While watching them play every night, the conviction, intensity and energy they deliver in their performances is truly inspiring. Made me wanna throw a couple extra high-kicks into my repertoire during Scarecrow’s set. My attempts are surely much less cool looking or graceful haha. Beyond how great they are as a band, everyone in Vidro—Lucas, Vendela, Melody, and Staffan—are all just a bunch of sweeties. The smartest, the funniest, the coolest. We all feel like family now. Stay tuned for the upcoming sitcom where all live in a big house together. Shenanigans will ensue.

I won’t go into a full-on tour diary, but here are a couple tidbits I’ll mention:

• In Uppsala, we got to see Gefyr play, and they ripped. PX-30 also were so killer—they have the same guitar player as Herätys, so of course I geeked out on him.

• Visiting Finland for the first time was amazing. I finally got to see Tiikeri play inside of a bicycle shop, which had me smiling ear to ear for their entire set.

• I got to touch and listen to an original copy of The Fix Vengeance in the home of a super funny, sweet and welcoming Finnish married couple, who we found out probably have one of the best hardcore punk record collections in the world.

• Kohti Tuhoa’s set in Helsinki was incredible.

• After Finland, you obviously must take the overnight party boat back to Sweden. There was late-night karaoke on the ferry. Melody from Vidro did impressive renditions of the Jackson 5 and KISS (awesome). Usman did an equally impressive performance of “Walk” by Pantera (LOL). Usman hates Pantera btw.

• Our show in Stockholm (where Vidro is from) was a killer gig. Red from Scarecrow joined on guest vocals for Vidro, and Vendela from Vidro jumped up and sang with Scarecrow for a song. Such a special moment.

• In Oslo, we got to play the legendary Blitz venue that’s been around and hosted bands in Norway since the 80s. Daniel’s bass got stolen in Norway, but that’s about the only bad thing worth mentioning (oof).

• Our show in Gothenburg was great too. We played with Slan, whose EP Usman and I released on Bunker Punks. I for one definitely partied hard that night.

• Then we were off to K-Town. Christina and everyone who helps organize the fest at Ungdomhuset are amazing. Maybe the best punk festival ever.

• Got to party with the homies in Invertebrates in Copenhagen for 3 days. They absolutely crushed when they played.

• Danced my ass off during Mujeres Podridas.

• Larma was insane. Most ripping band I’ve seen in years.

• Visiting Cliff Burton’s memorial, nearby where the bus accident happened in the Ljungby area of southern Sweden.

• Lastly, our driver Wilhemina fucking rules. Was so rad getting to hang out with her, and also meeting and talking about hardcore with her partner Christoffer (from DS-13 and more recently, Exil).

Alright, so that bulleted list ended up being longer than I thought. So yeah, life back in Raleigh has been dull by comparison. But I’ve been stoked to see friends, and definitely have enjoyed being back working at the record shop. Also, The Spits/Electric Chair gig here in Raleigh was killer the other night. Looking forward to hopefully equally killer local gigs in the months to come. One more thing, Usman and I are proud to announce our new release on Bunker Punks: the Gefyr / Rat Cage Split 7”! Available directly from our webstore or Sorry State if that’s more convenient for ya. We’re stoked on this one. 2 ripping bands from Sweden and England, respectively.

Sooooo, time to talk about what record I chose for my staff pick for fuck’s sake? Apologies for the long intro. I went with the debut full-length by The Dark, entitled Sinking Into Madness. Perhaps this record needs little support or exposure from little old me, seeing as you folks already seem to be gobbling up our copies here at Sorry State. But I think this is a great record, so why not give it a little attention? The Dark, based mostly out of the Los Angeles area and partially Orange County as well I believe, has been a band for quite a while. The band’s previous vinyl release was a 7” called Demons, which came out in 2018. And I remember really loving the band’s series of demo tapes, which now feel like they came out about 10 years ago. Wild. I remember there being a little buzz around when those initial couple demos were floating around. Not only that, but the band’s sound and aesthetic gave this illusion of a veil of mystery. Like… who were these characters lurking in the shadows making this evil sounding hardcore? Which was a funny thought for me to have back then, because the names of the people of in the band are totally credited on the j-card lol. Maybe the band only seemed obscure and hard to find because of their lack of internet presence? But for example, Corrina the drummer of The Dark also plays drums in Tozcos. Which is interesting, because now following Toxic State’s breaking out of their usual scene and starting to release non-NY based bands… first Tozcos, and now an unexpected full-length from The Dark. Imagine that.

Speaking of that first demo by The Dark, listening to this new LP, I was like, “Huh, these songs sound familiar.” Turns out that the first 4 songs on Sinking Into Madness are the same 4 songs on The Dark’s first demo. That said, those are great songs, and definitely deserving of a sonic facelift from the raw recording on the cassette. Okay, let me talk more about what I think the music sounds like. Compared to everything I hear in the current hardcore punk landscape, I think The Dark are doing something super unique. The Dark is a fitting name, because I hear a lot of influence from the creepier, darker depths of Japanese hardcore. The Dark in particular seem to borrow from the more metallic, plodding side of Japanese punk, reminding me a bit of Blunt Sleazy-era Execute. They straddle raw punk influence, while incorporating glam-influenced, chugga chugga guitar stylings a la Randy Uchida. Then again, I also hear like GBH.

Unlike their earlier recordings, the vocals are less the heavily effected and sit more up front in the mix. Still a bit of delay on the vocals, but all the instruments sound heavier and punchier with more weight to the sound. The vocals have more clarity, while still maintaining a demonic and vomitous atmosphere, yet also a feeling of creepy, desperate emotion over the powerful riffs behind them. And while the familiar songs on the A-side are great to revisit, the new songs the band have written on the B-side sound fresh and powerful. The opening B-side track “Face In The Mirror” to my ears leans into a bit of that Orange County influence, with these eerie, arpeggiated chords that make me think of something off of Weathered Statues by TSOL. Then probably my favorite track on the record, “Heartless,” opens with this sassy, chuggy mid-paced riff that straight up sounds like Judas Priest or Motley Crue. Maybe the band would hate me saying that haha, they’re probably still thinking about Randy Uchida writing those riffs. But that shit fuckin’ BANGS. Makes me wanna hop on a motorcycle and mow down posers with a battle axe or some shit. FUCK and the double kicks behind the dissonant Die Kreuzen-y riffs on “Nightmare”? Get the fuck outta here, it’s so killer!

As always, Toxic State did a beautiful job with the all-screenprinted packaging. From what I can tell, it doesn’t seem like The Dark plays live super often. Hopefully this LP will get the band some well-deserved love and implore them to play some fests or maybe even tour? I would love to see them play. Do yourself a favor and snag this LP while you can.

Okay, that’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week (hopefully),

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Another week, another newsletter, amirite? Only this time, a few of us are certainly trying to squeeze this thing in real quick before leaving the country. By the time this newsletter is available for your viewing pleasure, I’ll be in Sweden along with Daniel and Usman. Crazy talk. I can’t wait for Scarecrow to embark on our journey along with our friends in Vidro. Seeing the beautiful Scandinavian countryside once again. I’ll also be going to Finland for the first time!! So stoked. K-Town is gonna be sick. And my homies in Invertebrates will be there too? LFG.

Speaking of Invertebrates… I know their LP was “Record of the Week” last week. I know Usman wrote about the record in his staff pick as well. But I think it would be a glaring misstep—a DAMN shame I say!—if I didn’t take the opportunity to also share some love for the new Invertebrates record. Considering my last staff pick was all about how I was feeling ill, SICK to Survive would have been a perfect theme for last week. Yet another missed opportunity. Oh well.

Let me start by saying that Invertebrates made the hardcore record that I feel like I’ve been waiting to hear, but that no other band was making. I think it’s one of the best executed hardcore punk records I’ve heard in years. 10 songs in under 14 minutes and a crushing blow. I remember hearing the Invertebrates demo tape a few years back. Particularly the first track “Down Under,” to me it sounded like the songwriting was leaning toward other contemporary bands not unlike Bootlicker: that kind of restrained, bouncy fast-paced UK82 style a la The Partisans. I think Sick To Survive is a different beast altogether. To the point where people who loved the demo might be taken aback. In a good way. Sure, I have an inherent bias because I’m also in a band with 3 out of 5 active members in Invertebrates. Call it nepotism. Whatever, sue me. I love watching my friends do cool shit. Now by comparison, Public Acid likes the heavy stuff. I feel like we incorporate some metal influences. But to me, Invertebrates is devoid of any of the trappings I find with modern hardcore, whether bands are d-beat/crust/grind… whatever. Invertebrates got no crust. They got no metal. They got no spines? Haha.

I remember Will (who plays guitar in Invertebrates) telling me that he was listening to a ton of Career Suicide when writing the songs he contributed to this record. I can totally hear that. Especially just the urgency with which a song like “Lost Illusion” starts with. Immediately ripping. I’m just like: “YES!!! HARDCORE!!!” But I think the grander idea of what I’m getting at, and what this LP really electrifies in my brain synapses is the same feeling I got when I would listen to bands that I associate with the initial 80s hardcore punk revival of the early 2000’s. A special time, if you ask me. And I gotta say, as much as I love watching my boi Chubb play that Discharge beat style, I just love his drumming on this LP. The stylistic approach just seems right up his alley. My man is on FIRE. The speed and ferocity is outta control, but dialed and focused simultaneously. In the pocket. And this record is FAST. The band is hitting some really intricate rhythms that most degenerate punks I’m sure would find difficulty playing. Just listen to the intro of the title track “Sick To Survive,” with its blistering snare rolls back to back, but then everyone drops out into this quick hiccup-like pause that makes your heart feel like it skips a beat. Clean guitars are played fast furious, no “buh-nah-nuh” bullshit. If you know what I mean, then you know. Real deal non-stop right hand exercise. But also some left field, spaced out psychedelic sounding leads on a song like “Bated Breath.” The band also launch into some unexpected, quirky chromatic parts like the intro to “Shit Pit”. Super cool. As much as this record is dead serious in its commitment to total rippage, there are moments of levity. Straight rage and super fun. What a concept.

I don’t know man, there’s something special about this record. And it seems like the punk community at large agrees with me, because it’s already selling really well. At risk of sounding cheesy, I think this record embodies a spirit. Invertebrates is the truth. From the heart, pure and genuine HARDCORE. Now, as I mentioned, I play in a band with 3 of the people in Invertebrates and consider them close friends. Merm, who absolutely tears it up on the bass, is also an old friend seeing as I’ve known him since his North Carolina days. Max the singer I’ve only gotten to know in the last several years. He’s even travelled with Public Acid overseas. Max is a talented artist, a good friend to most everyone who knows him, and a fixture of the Richmond punk scene. One of the few mofos I know who is actually FROM Richmond. The kinda dude who you think to yourself, “You know what? Max should really sing for a band.” Might as well be the best band. Man, okay, so a song like “Humid Crypt” on this record has this long, building crescendo that breaks into this crushing mid-tempo part that ends the song. Dare I say “breakdown?” It’s one of my favorite riffs and moments on the entire record. And there’s something about it where, sure, it is no doubt mosh-inducing. But the thing is, it doesn’t come across like bone-headed dumb tough guy hardcore. It really reminds me of authentic Richmond area hardcore, that blend of ripping fast with hardass dance parts that still feels totally punk. I hear a little Direct Control, even a little Wasted Time maybe? But even more than that, I hear like Unseen Force. So, watching a bunch of Richmond local punks tear it up at the gig, dancing hard as fuck when that riff in “Humid Crypt” drops, all while Max is beckoning the crowd while wearing a Direct Control shirt? That’s what I’m fucking talking ‘bout. Real HCPMF shit.

Anyway, I’ll quit gushing like a dork. Buy this record. I’m sure you probably have already.

‘Til I’m not sure when?

-Jeff