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Hello, and thanks for reading.

I don’t have much time to write today, but I would like to make the time to correct something that I was wrong about last week. But first, let me quickly mention these brand new reissues from T.H.E. Rutto! The OGs are sought after, so I am happy it has finally been reissued and I can add them to my collection. I first heard of RUTTO from their second EP cos it appeared on the ‘Finnish Drunks’ bootleg 12”. I’m not sure if it’s cos I’ve spent more time with this EP, but I prefer it over the first one. I would check both out though if you aren’t familiar, and don’t sleep on grabbing copies cos there are only about 250 of each in the States. Alright moving on, I’m not sure how many people read what I write. If you do and you read about the KAAOS / CADGERS split last week, then please know that I was wrong about the pressing information I shared!! The person who told me the discs were the same pressing was completely wrong. Vote V. told me the first pressing was made in 1981 with a total of 200 copies. The bands made their own covers and shipped them to him. After 4-5 months, he had sold out and repressed the record in Spring of 1982. Finnvox (the pressing plant) had a minimum of 200 discs, but Vote bargained with them over the phone to have his pressing of 150 made cos he was tight on money. He also told me he had to borrow money from a friend to press the second batch! Funny to know that and see what they re-sell for nowadays. Anyway, again the band made their own covers and mailed them to him. The CADGERS cover remained the same while KAAOS had changed their cover, which meant the second press was not numbered like the initial one on the KAAOS sleeve. As you can see from my staff pic, I am huge fan of Finnish hardcore so I had a strong urge to correct what I said. I find it frustrating that I was given the wrong information, and I am embarrassed I shared it with such confidence. I want readers to be able to rely on my Staff Picks for accurate information, so please forgive my mistake. I will do better next time to fact check my findings. Cheers and thanks for your understanding.

Hello, and thanks for reading. This week I was not sure to make the focus of my Staff Pick. When in doubt, I can’t fail with using a photo of a hot ass slab. I chose this slab cos it is brand new to my collection, aka I’ve been playing the fuck out of it. To be honest, I never thought I would secure a copy of this pressing. They are pretty damn hard to find. I got this copy direct from a Finnish pen-pal of mine who fucking rules. I am grateful for the slabs and flyers he has granted me, alongside the many stories and info he has shared with me. According to discogs, there are 200 of the first version of this legendary split and 150 of the following version, which is pictured here. When I got the disc, I was curious when I noticed the matrix and center labels were identical for both versions. I wondered if they were pressed at the same time or if it was actually repressed like discogs says. Well I learned from someone else that discogs is wrong, surprise. I notice errors on discogs often these days, however I don’t take the time to correct them haha. If you are familiar with this pressing, you already know the CADGERS covers were identical for both versions, while the KAAOS cover was different. I learned that Vote V. from P. Tuotanto ran out of KAAOS covers after the first 200 copies, which is why 150 more came out a bit later featuring a different cover. Once I learned this, I decided I won’t worry about finding a ‘first press’ cos they are essentially the same record! Plus, it seems as though I have the sleeve that is harder to find...

Speaking of rare, I mentioned the VARAUS reissue we were getting a little over a month ago, but I intentionally left out the part about all the copies being on an exclusive SSR color!!! Why spoil all the fun at once? I can’t even express how fucking cool this is to me. I know Jeff and Daniel feel the same. VARAUS is a fucking killer band and their records are extremely sought-after in collector’s circles. That our shop in Raleigh, USA plays a role in the reissue of this rare 80s Finnish slab is simply unreal. I doubt we will have any copies in stock by the time you read this, so I hope you are like the other SSR fanatics who check the New Arrivals on our web-store each day. I also mentioned we were getting the ‘new’ KAAOS 7” in the same Staff Pick. I wish I had some details on that for you today, but I have none at the moment.

Alright, time to write about something we do have in stock, BOMBARDEMENT! I don’t know shit about this band, aside from that they are French. I did interview them briefly for the 2020 SSR Mixtape cos Daniel featured a track of theirs. I remember not really caring for them at first to be honest, but vividly remember listening to the finished mix tape and their track stood out in the sequence. After I found myself pleased with their new LP, I went back into their catalogue of another LP, 7", and demo. Damn, you can hear the band’s growth from recording to recording. This is awesome cos a lot of times bands get fucking boring after a record or two, and that’s not the case here. Instead, each BOMBARDEMENT record is like an enhancement from the previous release. It’s hard for me to relate BOMBARDEMENT’s sound to other bands, but maybe I could put the sound somewhere between MEANWHILE on their ‘Ghostface Democracy’ 7" and CIMEX’s ‘Criminal Trap’ 12". They keep the songwriting pretty straightforward, but the songs are not short. This drawn-out writing style reminds me of something a classic band would do. I feel like most bands playing this style nowadays keep their songs around 80-90 seconds. The recording itself sounds really good. Everything is super clear, and the tone is very pleasing to my ears. The voice of the front person sounds more calloused than the previous record, making this record hit harder for me. While the songwriting is simple, BOMBARDEMENT maintains a pummeling energy that keeps it exciting for me rather than getting boring. And when the guitar plays the occasional all-out lead, it hits the spot for me. Alright I’m about out of time now, I wanted to mention this BOMBARDEMENT LP cos it’s 100% worth checking out. Grab a copy if you dig it! I hope all my friends and loyal SSR subscribers got a copy of the VARAUS E.P. Thanks for reading. Peace!

Hello and thanks for reading,

I’m sitting down to write my Staff Pick pretty close to the submission deadline, so please excuse my lack of information and attention to detail. I decided to put together this image of some LPs I was jamming earlier this week. See what they all have in common? Yes, that’s right, DISCHARGE. Surprise? Anyway, The MERCENARY 12” has been on heavy rotation for me. So, it will be the star of my Staff Pick. To be honest, I’m not sure I ever heard their tracks from the Atlanta’s Burning cassette they did until this record pressing. Which is whack cos my old band with Jeff played that fest. I remember when the first demo tape came out, I was pretty excited cos the style was right up my alley. When I finally heard the second demo that appears on this 12" compilation, I was impressed by how much the sound and song-writing improved. I played the B-side over and over again. It’s a shame that stuff was only a cassette until this 12" reissue. They explain the details inside the LP of why this was the case. They also write a bit about Ruby (R.I.P.), the vocalist of MERCENARY. I only had a handful of conversations with Ruby ever. Although the writings about him in the LP are not written in a grieving fashion, it was still saddening to listen to the LP. I’m glad Mark from Beach Impediment did this reissue. Like I said I barely knew Ruby, but to me this is an important homage to him and his life. His memory has been materialized, and his legend will live forever. I hope you may rest easy wherever you are now, Ruby.

As for the other hot slabs in my photo, they don’t need an introduction right? Every single one is hot as fuck. Haha, now that I am looking at the photo again, I realize that each record is one of my favorites from the band. Aside from DISCLOSE, there is stuff I listen to instead if I am craving DISCLOSE. Even though this split was released in 2001, I still think it is legendary. ENGLISH DOGS and DISFEAR have been reissued somewhat recently, but I honestly fear that the TOTALITÄR / DISCLOSE split will never be reissued. It was on Your Own Jailer records, and nothing has ever been reissued from that label. I think self-titled DISFEAR 7" is so damn good and traditional sounding. It’s hard to pick if I prefer this full-length ‘Soul Scars’ or that EP. ‘Soul Scars’ is just so fucking good, damn. I was about to do a bit of nerding on DISFEAR, but instead you can click here and read my previous nerding about DISFEAR from last year. Unfortunately we sold out of the ENGLISH DOGS reissue and haven’t been able to restock, but we have copies of the DISFEAR reissue in stock. I would grab a copy of that alongside this MERCENARY 12" if you been sleeping. Alright, that about does it for this week. Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone for the support! Peace.

Hello and thanks for reading,

I really can’t remember when I first heard “Stockholm’s Mangel” but I know I checked it out cos of MOB 47. I had no idea who the other bands were previous to my listening, but quickly AGONI, CRUDITY, and DISCARD became some of my favorite Swedish bands. At the time, I did not know all three bands shared members. The DISCARD tracks were later reissued on a 7" in 1990, and a few times again after that. The CRUDITY tracks were bootlegged a few times, once on a 7" and once on a 12" split with DISCARD. I’m not sure when they came out, but I can tell you the 7" sounds like shit haha. I remember when I got my copy I was so bummed on the sound; you can’t crank the volume at all without it distorting. My homie Chris (What up Mofo!!!) said to me he thinks the 7" was around 1997, and the split was around 2000/2001. So the 12" might have good quality sound if they used the “Stockholm’s Mangel” CD reissue from 2000 as a sound source. No idea though, maybe that boot came before the reissue. I got the CD version cos I thought I’d never secure the LP version. They don’t pop up much, especially in the USA. Well, sometime over the pandemic, I was lucky to score the LP pressing within the USA. The entire reason I bought this shit was for CRUDITY pretty much. Don’t get me wrong, I love AGONI and DISCARD, but I wanted to blast the CRUDITY tracks in specific from the vinyl pressing. That band rips so hard, it’s insane to me. Hilariously, there is a fucking error in the track list on the CRUDITY side. In the middle of their tracks, all of a sudden an AGONI song plays that already appeared. And the CRUDITY track that should be in that spot is nowhere to be found. I was so fucking bummed to discover this... hahah. I was surprised no one has noted it on the Discogs page to be honest. Getting back on track, AGONI was never reissued aside from that “Stockholm’s Mangel” LP/CD on the label Swedish Punk Classics in 2000 (which I think is just the dude from Distortion Records). I think this bit of mystery added to my obsession with the band. The tracks from “Stockholm’s Mangel” were on their own demo tape as well back in the ‘80s but I have never seen much info on it, aside from this pixelated photo of a j-card I’ve seen in a few places online. The only other stuff I’ve heard from them was when they changed their name to AGONY and they were playing metal by this time. Unfortunately I didn’t care for it but I loved their first demo so much. It stood out compared to other Swedish bands with their super blatant DISCHARGE worship. I know bands like DISCARD and SKITSLICKERS worshipped DISCHARGE, but they had their own twist. Alongside the DISCHARGE riffs and aesthetic, DISCARD brought a pummeling speed with their D-beat. And SHITLICKERS of course worshipped every element of DISCHARGE but they added an extra element of noise and chaos. To me, AGONI’s first demo is right on the nose DISCHARGE worship. The riffs, the somewhat relaxed tempo, the lyrical content, and the overall aesthetic was pure DISCHARGE. The only thing they didn’t have was a ‘Dis’ name haha. I never even knew about the existence their second demo until this reissue was announced. The record comes in a gatefold sleeve with liner notes and band photos printed inside. I was bummed to fold it out and see there wasn’t a word written in English haha. My nerdy ass was looking to do some learning... Luckily, Daniel used his phone to do this translate thing, which was amazing. However, here now I have one better for you: complete English translations direct from the label! The compilation features three demos and five tracks recorded live in 1985. Aside from the first demo which I talked about already, I had never heard any of this stuff. Well really for the second demo, I think less than twenty people ever heard it in the history of the world. We are so lucky one guy saved a copy after all these years. They explain this stuff in the liner notes I linked above. The second demo is not ‘right on the nose’ like the first one, but man is it good. You can hear some foreshadowing of the metal to come on their following tape (which starts off the B side of the compilation.) There is some more attack on the guitar picking and the riffing is a bit more complex, which pushes the second demo away from the blatant DISCHARGE elements, but man is it damn good. Damn. I am biased though. I told you how much I obsessed over the band so hearing anything unreleased like this is going to make my day. So inside the cover there is no photo for the j-card of the second tape. Maybe there never was one? They also mention there never was song titles, so they just made ‘em up for the reissue. They also used that same pixelated photo I mentioned earlier of the first demo inside the gatefold. Man, AGONI tapes must be rare as fuck if no one can muster up originals in Sweden for scans, etc. All the more reason you should just buy this now! Haha. Alright, I think that’s all? Forgive me if I bounced all over the place in my writing. I felt confident in the topic at first but later found myself second guessing what I am writing. Anyway, as always, thank you for the support and thanks for reading. Peace!

Hello and thanks for reading. I’ve been moving the past few weeks, very slowly. It’s an hour drive one way, so I only have good opportunities on the weekend. Most of my belongings have moved but only a small portion of my records are at my new spot, which is why I said “very slowly,” haha. I move just a few boxes of LPs at time, so my selection is mad limited at my new crib. I’m pretty much just diving back into shit I haven’t jammed in ages. I just got done with that first WASTED TIME compilation, and now I’m moving onto my favorite (and only) SPITS LP. I didn’t get into THE SPITS until 10+ years after this came out, but I probably would not have liked it until later in life. I remember when my friend from ATX came to visit soon after I moved to Raleigh, and he called me poser for listening to something that was not blazing HC hahah... I first fell for this band when I heard “Let Us Play Your Party” and eventually I tracked this LP down. While that song closes out the A-side of the record, I really love the B-side. It’s actually just ended, and I’ve dropped the needle on B1 again.

Anyway, we have plenty of great records (and tapes) to write about, but I will embrace my inner fanboy and write about this TERVEET KÄDET book. I’ve raved about this label Finnish Hardcore in several Staff Picks, so it’s no surprise I am thoroughly impressed with their latest release. While this book is not loaded up with interviews and liner notes, it is brimming with fucking sick (and HUGE) photos. There is still bits of info surrounding each photo, however. I am grateful again for the English translations, cos there is some cool info/trivia about TERVEET KÄDET during these early years. The book itself is over 100 pages long, and it’s hand-numbered out of 600 copies. I could be wrong, but I think most of these photos have never been released. Some of them I recognized from TK records though, and of course they mention this in the book. I know for certain this book features photos by only one person, Heikki Kemppainen, spanning from 1980 to 1984. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about this person, and there is not much to learn about their history in Tornio, Finland from what the book says in the English translations. Alright I’m jamming SKITKIDS ‘Onna For Pleasure’ now, and it’s time for me to get back to work. If you are a fan of classic Finnish HC or TK in specific, I would grab a copy of this book cos you will not be let down! It’s not like that Sakevi book that has a shit ton of garbage that came later that no one gives a fuck about, haha or that one F.O.A.D. book where the last like 15 pages were just ads from the label... the name of that book escapes me at the moment. Anyway, thanks for reading, peace.

Hello, thanks for reading and thanks for the support. I will write briefly about a record that I have been playing a lot. This week we got these hot-ass SYCOPHANT slabs in at Sorry State. I didn’t know anything about this release beforehand; I had zero anticipation for the release because of this. It’s always a great feeling to be completely caught off guard by a release. I love it so much. It’s also kind of whack this was completely off my radar since we carried the cassette version back in June of last year, whoops. I am not really a fan of the single-side 12” but I am glad this release now has a vinyl version, cos it’s way too good to only appear on cassette. The recording itself sounds excellent, especially the drums. Every instrument sounds clear and pronounced but somehow everything is blended well together into a nice wall of sound. I don’t mean the band is noisy by that wall of sound reference, but that each instrument seriously compliments each other. They bring out the best elements, making the band as a whole sound really full. It sounds like almost too pro haha but it is fucking excellent. Anyway, this band’s “style” is right up my alley, so it was no doubt I’d immediately like it. I am relatively easy to please if you are playing DISCHARGE style, but you must have riffs forreal... and SYCOPHANT has riffs indeed. Although they play like DISCHARGE with the constant D-beatage, it sounds like they have more similarities to the Swedish bands who followed suit. While they mostly remind me of DISCHANGE or MEANWHILE, some of the riffage is really reminiscent of TOTALITÄR. If you like any of those bands and I haven’t heard this record yet, I’d check it out now! But wait, that means everyone should listen to this record, cos who the fuck doesn’t like TOTALITÄR, right? Alright thanks for reading and I hope everyone is staying safe, peace!

Hello, if it wasn’t obvious I don’t have a therapist it will be evident after this week’s Staff Pick. Whenever I am down and depressed, I find it hard to listen to music. That is probably some unconscious self-destructive behavior that has been slowly programmed into me. A program that wants to negate any possible feelings of enjoyment, so that my idea of suffering can continue on as long as possible. It’s hard to break the cycle, the chain of depression. Whenever I am back, it feels like I never even left. Sometimes it’s hard not to believe life is a constant struggle with a few good times sprinkled in here and there. I don’t know, maybe that really is the case.

I like BURNING SPEAR a lot, especially ‘Rocking Time’. This is a record I can listen to no matter what my state of being might be. Honestly, it is therapeutic for me when I am feeling down. He mostly sings of struggle in his songs. I experience a lot of emotions when I listen to his songs, but in the end, I find it grounding. I know his struggles were far greater than mine, and it reminds me the world is a big fucking place. It reminds me I am just a very small piece of this world. I will come and go, while the Earth will remain. When I start to feel small, the feelings that plague me also shrink. It leaves more space for wonder... it allows me to remember my appreciation for the vast beauty and the scary power of the Earth we inhabit. It reminds me I am grateful for my existence, grateful for the experiences I have had and the love I have shared with those who are close to me. Maybe life is a constant struggle, but that should make the good times even more glorious, really. From my experiences, I have learned anxiety and depression typically come from dwelling on the past or worrying about what the future may bring. I worry a lot. When you worry, you are just letting the happenings right before you slip through your fingers. So, the worry of the future has suffocated any possibility of enjoying the now. But we must seize every moment for its great worth and experience, we must trust as little as possible in the future. Just remember to do as that great poet said back in the day and “Carpe deez nuts.”

Hello, and thank you for reading. Today I will be talking briefly about my favorite, Suomi hardcore. I was pleased we got some of the SEKAANNUS 12”s in stock. The Finnish Hardcore label is an excellent label that has me eternally excited for what they have up their sleeve. While the original ‘Kutsu’ 7" from 1985 does not sell for exorbitant prices like some other Finnish slabs from the same era, it doesn’t make this reissue any less important to me. This EP was originally released as a single-sided, three track 7". The session was recorded at Laser Studio, where some of the greatest Finnish bands like MELLAKKA, DESTRUCKTIONS, POHJASAKKA, KAAOS, and APPENDIX recorded between 1983 and 1985. This 12" reissue features an additional three songs(!!!) from the same session that were not originally released on the 7". These tracks have remained totally unreleased prior to this 12". I was wondering why they weren’t released on the original record. They aren’t played poorly, which often times would be the deciding factor for a song not making the cut. Haha, well kind of... Many of these classic records are from sessions where each song was recorded in only one take, but that was usually due to lack of money for a “real-deal” recording session. Anyway, I learned from the label that the band only released a single-sided 7" cos a double-sided one was too expensive, so that mystery is solved. The Finnish Hardcore reissue comes with a booklet that’s got great information on the band’s history and the recording session where ‘Kutsu’ was recorded. And of course, it includes all the original artwork plus bonus material such as their appearances in a few zines. In true Finnish Hardcore fashion, this reissue was clearly made with a tremendous amount of love, care, and attention to detail. This is another top-notch archival release that deserves a place in every record collection, really.

I first heard SEKAANNUS on their split with MASSACRE. While both bands played faster (and sloppier) hardcore on this release, the SEKAANNUS sound changes quite a bit in the next year leading up to ‘Kutsu.’ In the booklet, they talk about the sound and how the band was leaning more towards FLUX OF PINK INDIANS than DISCHARGE at this point. While I enjoy the early stuff, the ‘Kutsu’ tracks are very cool, especially in that they stand out from other Finnish bands during that time. Regardless of this evolution, one of the unreleased tracks on the B-side is still a raging D-beat track. It’s sick to hear them play locked-in like that cos they sounded pretty sloppy early on while they were trying to sound like DISCHARGE, haha.

Alright next, have you seen the “new” KAAOS 7" on Fight Records? I have and I want one bad... but I don’t have one, yet. We tried to get copies but the initial run sold out pretty quickly. No surprise there. However, we have a nice stack of copies of the repress secured for us!!! Not sure when they will ship, but if you still need a copy, don’t worry; we got you covered. I don’t know much about this 7" but I know it’s an unreleased session from 1982. There are two songs from this session that have appeared on their split with CADGERS and on the “Systeemi Ei Toimi E.P.” compilation. But those tracks were recorded at a different studio, so these are different versions which I think were recorded later. I’m pretty sure one song has never been released at all, but I could be wrong. The Fight Records page says the other track was never released as a KAAOS song but given to BASTARDS and they released their own version, which is pretty sick. They also say it’s actually the guitarist of BASTARDS playing on this entire session. Anyway, I can’t wait to get our copies, nerd out, and blast these unreleased tracks of raw Finnish hardcore. Keep your eyes and ears open for updates.

Still in the world of FInnish hardcore, have you seen the VARAUS ‘Tuomittu Elämään E.P.’ reissue?!! So fucking cool. Feral Ward did that 1/1 LP (which was essentially the same tracks as the 1996 ‘Requiem’ CD reissue) but it’s cool Lärmattacke Records is doing just the EP like the OG, especially now cos the Feral Ward reissue is difficult to come by. When I first saw this EP reissue, I lost my mind cos I didn’t hear about it at all until I saw it for sale on their site. And then I lost my mind again in confusion why it said there was only 150 pressed on black vinyl, alongside some “limited” color variants... I went to check out and they wouldn’t ship to USA, again losing my mind haha... Luckily I secured copies for me and some friends. However in the end it won’t even matter, hehe. Of course SSR inquired about distro copies even though there was a small quantity made. I learned that the plant had “lost” a portion of the records and was in the process of pressing the compensating copies, so at that time there were no copies available for wholesale. Luckily we asked at a good time cos we have a very nice stack secured for us. If there are no delays, expect to see us with those two monstrous distro stockpiles in the beginning of April. Alright, that’s it for this week. Thanks for reading, and thanks so much for the support.

Hello and thanks for reading.

Last night I was on Instagram and I saw Ryvvolte had just dropped some stuff into their distro, including this cassette from LIFELOCK. This is a live tape from Pink Noize in 2015. I think this tape is excellent and not super common to come by so I thought I’d mention it. I picked up a copy when they were initially released cos I had already become obsessed with LIFELOCK via their debut EP. You just never know what yer gunna get when buying a live cassette haha. The tape has good sound quality, which is why I would recommend you pick up a copy if you are a fan of LIFELOCK but don’t have it. If you don’t know this band but like DISCHARGE and DISCLOSE, I would recommend you check the link above and definitely check out their 2018 EP as well; the tone is insane. I feel like this band is so good that you don’t need to be obsessed with D-beat to like them, so if you pass ‘em over based on aesthetic I might have another look if I was you. Alright thanks for reading, I hope everyone is well. Peace.

Whenever I match up bands for HC Knockouts, I pick em from the same country, and I do my best to pick bands that were active at the same time or at least within a few years. I felt bad when A.O.A. and ANTI-SYSTEM faced-off some time ago cos A.O.A. was Scottish while ANTI-SYSTEM was English. I guess they were both a part of the United Kingdom? But still, I’m sure the countries and especially the cultures differ a lot. This is the case again with this week’s Knockout between OI POLLOI (Scotland) and CHUMBAWAMBA (England). I’m sure a lot of people don’t know why I think this Knockout is particularly great, but a devoted OI POLLOI fan would likely understand. I heard OI POLLOI in my late teens. When I heard ‘em initially, I had no idea they were a band that began in the ‘80s. Their sound changed a lot over the decades. They’ve had dozens and dozens of members, with the vocalist being the only constant member. They started out with an anarcho sound, moved into hardcore, toughened up a bit in way too after that, and somewhere in there they incorporated much, much more of an Oi! sound. If I remember right, they intentionally leaned hard into this style to pull over all the fence walking skinheads in their area and at the gigs. I don’t listen to OI POLLOI much anymore, but when I first heard em when I picked up their “Total Resistance To The Fucking System” compilation 12". The photo above is from a page in the booklet that came with the record. This comp featured two EPs and some extra tracks. One of those EPs is Carson? which originally came out in 2003. I still like this EP a lot actually so I wanted to link it. Alright, those extra tracks… if I remember right they are all cover songs. At the time I don’t think I knew THE SPECIALS, so I’m not sure if I understood ‘Concrete Jungle’ was a cover, a really cheesy cover... But they also cover RUDIMENTARY PENI’s ‘Rotten To The Core’ but under a new name, ‘Shhh…It.’ At this age I loved “Death Church” through and through so I lost my mind at this haha. I definitely did not know CHUMBAWAMBA was initially an anarcho-punk band. I probably never even heard their name aside from that hit single from the ‘90s. I’ve listened to a lot more of their releases since and I don’t really like their shit very much, but there was a rip of a tape I heard that I obsessed over for a long time. I’m not sure anything about it but I found this link on YouTube of the same songs. Anyway, I guess I haven’t explained any of the beef OI POLLOI has with CHUMBAWAMBA, so I’ll just leave you with the rest of that page from the booklet cos I don’t wanna write anymore about this pretty much meaningless Staff Pick. I hope every one is doing well, take care. - Usman

I thought 2021 was a great year for releases, the best year in a while in my opinion. Or maybe I am just paying more attention... 2020 had a lot of solid releases, but 2021 was like a relentless onslaught of hardcore. But maybe we just got pummeled with releases cos everything was held up in vinyl production in 2020. I mean it’s not like that situation has changed at all... everyone I know is waiting insane amounts of time for record pressing. My label with Jeff is waiting on two records whose test presses we approved in October, and there’s still no sign of the actual press date... Anyway, I think 2022 is off to a great start, and is already competing with 2021 in the name of excellent releases. Not to mention, the dank reissues are coming outta the woodwork too!!!

Anyway, AXE RASH. This name I’ve heard before… makes sense since it appears their first release was in 2015. And of course, they played K-Town festival this past year. But foolishly, the music I have never heard until this past week. Daniel was lucky to land an advance copy of this hot ass slab (!!!) from the label. So sick. I was working at the warehouse and heard this ripping shit from afar like last week. I immediately approached the turntable and inquired about who the fuck we were listening to. It ripped. What a nice pleasant surprise. NFTW Records is unleashing yet another hot ass slab onto our insatiable ears. While the last beast they put out was not necessarily “my bag” (but still sooOOOoOoo ripping), this AXE RASH 7" is right up my fucking alley. This EP is like the turkey of the alley, striking out every pathetic pin that thinks they can hang. This band has fucking riffs. It reminds me (very) slightly of SKITKIDS, but less “rocked” out. A more recent contemporary for comparison I think would be ARSLE or LARMA, but honestly LARMA is so good... too good. I don’t think any bands can really compare. Seriously. If you missed that one somehow, check it out immediately and buy yer ass a copy now! If you missed it, ARSLE was another great one on Adult Crash from some time ago, featuring members of other raging Swedish HC bands you probably already know and love.

You know it’s kind of funny. I am working my way into AXE RASH’s discography now, and the previous 2017 EP is not really like this most recent EP. I think the song writing is good, but it doesn’t catch my ear like ‘Contemporary Ass’ does. I think it compares to bands like Glue and maybe Strutter a bit more than how I compared them to those mängelin’ bands I mentioned above. But moving onto the 12" that came out 2019, I hear much, much more similarity to their latest EP. To me their style evolved a lot from the first EP to LP, in a good way. And then, from the LP to the new EP, they perfected this sound into one hot ass fucking slab. Very stoked this EP has a pressing in the States, so we can all get on our hands on a copy, and fast. I don’t have much else to say right now, but I would suggest you check this EP fosho and grab a copy if you enjoy it. I think deserves a place in every collection. Before I part, I’d like to leave you with this link. And I’d also like to let you know that the latest LETHAL MEANS 12" is back in print on clear vinyl! Thanks for reading, cheers!

Hello, and thank you for reading.

I had no idea what to write about this week. There have been plenty of good releases lately, but I don’t think I have taken anything in enough to give it “justice” in a Staff Pick. Instead of writing about nothing, I am writing about ANGER BURNING, a band who has been on endless repeat since I first heard them. I’m sure most people have heard of this band, cos they are not new by any means. But if you don’t know them and don’t care for Discharge worship bands, I would just stop reading now. Of course you will miss out…

I picked up a copy if their Warcharge E.P. when it was released on LVEUM, just cos the cover looked sick. I had no idea what it would sound like. I don’t think I knew anything about LVEUM at this point, and it was probably their first release I picked up. When I got home, I put it on immediately and got my wig split. Got damn, this shit is raw as fuck, pummeling Discharge attack!!! It never, ever gets old to me. And they do that shit where the toms are loud as fuck and blown out… fuck. It’s straight forward, just plain evil Discharge type hardcore. All their records sound pretty different actually, while the song writing style remains the same. They released a split the same year as this debut EP. Man it’s insanely raw, even more so than the Warcharge E.P. Listener beware, haha. Sometimes I think it might be my favorite of their records, but it’s always easy to say the release with the fewest songs is best from a band cos there is little room to get bored or be disappointed. They went Kawakami style on this one for real, though. It is so nasty with leads layered on leads, sounding like nuclear rain just like Kawakami’s guitar solos.

They have two other splits later but I am not as familiar with them. The sound is really different on them. Not saying I don’t enjoy them, they just aren’t my go-to. My go-to is their When 12”. This record is perfection. Maybe it’s too on the nose with their track ‘When’ and ‘When (Reprise)’ but holy shit, it is fucking excellent. Seriously, it doesn’t matter how much cheese is on it. The production is excellent. It’s not blown out at all; it is pretty “raw” in the actual meaning. You can hear every instrument clearly… the sheer brutality.

Well, that is all I am writing today. You probably already heard this band, but maybe this is nice reminder to keep ‘em on your playlist. Or maybe yer getting to hear a new band of interest now that you missed at first. All their records are regular punk prices, heads up. And if you do like the links I dropped, don’t forget to check out their tracks on this split as well, the power in the recording is fucking insane. Thanks for reading. Peace.