Back catalogue: Punk/Hardcore

Review: With a title paying homage to London's cultural epicentre for the hippie and mod movements that would serve as precursors to the punk rock revolution, The Carnaby St. EP offers up a seasoned cross-Atlantic meeting of sonic minds between two seminal punk acts on either side of the sea. With legendary UK Subs frontman Charlie Harper and long-time bassist Alvin Gibbs linking up with Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome for a balls-to the-wall blowout celebration of some of the most quintessential cuts from the British Invasion that initially put them on their life-long trajectories, here the mutual veterans tear through faithful yet feral renditions of The Rolling Stones' 'Paint It Black', The Yardbirds' 'For Your Love', and our personal favourite; 'Taxman' by The Beatles. 3 covers, 7 inches and decades' worth of punk rock legacy.

Review: Following the announcement in October 2020 that the OG line up of seminal homegrown punks The Damned featuring Dave Vanian (vocals), Brian James (guitar), Captain Sensible (bass), and Rat Scabies (drums), would reunite for their first batch of reunion shows in over four decades, the pandemic quickly disagreed and forced the members to push back their run until November 2022. AD 2022: Live In Manchester delivers the group's iconic set at Manchester's O2 Apollo made up of 21 classic cuts from their 1977 debut full-length Damned Damned Damned and its same-year sophomore follow up Music For Pleasure (the only two projects all four original members performed on).

Review: AD 2022: Live In Manchester is the long overdue live album from seminal homegrown punk legends The Damned, who announced plans in 2020 to undertake a reunion tour with the original line up of Dave Vanian (vocals), Brian James (guitar), Captain Sensible (bass), and Rat Scabies (drums), but naturally had to put things on hold due to the pandemic. Finally making good on their promise and reuniting for the first time in over four decades to descend upon Manchester's O2 Apollo in November 2022 for an immense set of 21 tracks taken from the band's first two (and only) albums to ever feature the classic OG line up; Damned Damned Damned and Music For Pleasure, both initially released in 1977, feast your ears on a true fly-on-the-wall experience if you were one of the many miserable millions to not experience such an iconic rarity in person that night.

Review: Mothership by Dance Gavin Dance showcases many moments of brilliance that remind us of the band's potential to dazzle and innovate within the post-hardcore scene. The album presents standout songs like 'Here Comes the Winner' and 'Man of the Year, where the band's creativity and cohesion shine. These tracks highlight a mature, refined sound with Will Swan and Matt Mingus laying down intricate rhythms that complement Tillian Pearson's evolved vocal ability. His command over the melodies and his ability to tap into a raw, more aggressive vocal style is a significant evolution from his earlier work with the band. The album, while experimenting with different sounds and humor, retains a playful, experimental spirit that Dance Gavin Dance is known for. 'Man of the Year' wraps up the album on a very high note, combining powerful performances from Jon Mess and Tillian. Ultimately, this album offers glimpses of the band's ability to push boundaries and craft music that's both unique and engaging.

Review: Few pioneering punk acts from the 70s portrayed the debaucherous ethos of the lifestyle more than The Dead Boys, so much so, that drummer Johnny Blitz almost lost his life on April 19th 1978 after being stabbed five times during an altercation. Covering his medical bills by organising a four-day benefit at the iconic New York City venue CBGB's, the band's own performance on May 6th featured New York Dolls' Jerry Nolan handling skin duties for nine songs while the remainder were covered by OG Blues Brother and comedy legend John Belushi (who was an avid supporter of the city's punk scene). Tearing through a set of material made up from Young Loud & Snotty, as well as We Have Come For Your Children (which would be officially released just a month later), with a few Dolls covers for good measure, Night Of The Living Dead Dolls is a piece of authentic punk history, reliably captured with questionable audio clarity just like those attending CBGB shows had come to expect. Complete with additional liner notes detailing the iconic night in full.

Review: Following on from 2022's blistering self-titled debut full-length, Bielefeld based German post-punks (heavy on the punk) Dead Years return with their hypnotic, coldwave-tinted sophomore effort Night Thoughts. Taking influence from the likes of The Wipers, X, Masshysteri, and Feral Trash, yet imbued with the frosted 80s hue of Joy Division or The Cure, the trio conjure a macabre sonic balancing act between speedy, frenetic hardcore-indebted punk and ethereal, meandering shimmers of muted proto-dream-pop. For those who like their darkwave with a bit of distortion and bite, or punks who don't mind a dollop of reverb and echo every now and again.

Review: Exciting horizons from the UK's Deadletter, who debut their first album Hysterical Strength via SO Recordings. The band formed in the wake of the suicide of a friend and soon took after the likes of Joy Division, Talking Heads and Wire to produce a contemporary take on their distinctly British post-punk sound. With lyrical themes touching on noir fiction, hope in ostensible hopelessness, and finding beauty in the quagmire of pain that defines much of the collective now, Deadletter is a purloined epistle to the UK, one that will ultimately be returned to the sextet sender, but not before a thorough touring spate and album release fallout.

Review: The seminal Austin Texas punk band Dicks' Kill From The Heart album gets a full and proper reissue. Formed in 1980, Dicks original lineup included Gary Floyd (vocals), Glen Taylor (guitar), Buxf Parrot (bass), and Pat Deason (drums). The influence of this album spread far across other key bands after Dicks breakup in 1986. Mudhoney, Butthole Surfers and The Jesus Lizard all regularly played covers of Dicks' songs. The band reunited a handful of years ago to wide spread appeal. San Francisco's Superior Viaduct records should be applauded for putting out this genuine slice of life.

Review: Originally released in 2004, Miss Machine would serve as the revitalised sophomore effort from mathcore visionaries The Dillinger Escape Plan. Following the departure of original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis after their groundbreaking 1999 debut LP Calculating Infinity, and their collaborative Irony Is A Dead Scene EP with Faith No More/Mr. Bungle/Fantomas vocal absurdist Mike Patton, the band would enlist the hulking, feral Greg Puciato, a frontman with a far more intense shriek than his predecessor while also coming from the school of Patton's eccentric dynamism with his expansive range. The resulting work would chart an entirely new course for the collective, with Puciato retaining his presence throughout their next five full-lengths, while the newfound balancing act between dissonant, mind-melting polyrhythmic hardcore and avant-garde industrial jazz-prog, would become their future sonic playground. Yes, much of the Dillinger Escape Plan identity was carved out before Puciato's arrival, but Miss Machine is often cited as the album where all of the jagged, oddly shaped pieces finally fit into place.

Review: The Donnas' major label debut, Spend the Night, released in 2002 on Atlantic, reached number 62 on the Billboard charts. But it wasn't just major label backing that boosted sales Spend the Night is packed with Donnas devastators like 'Who Invited You', 'Take It Off', 'You Wanna Get Me High' and 'Pass It Around', all killer hooks and pop power. The big mystery is why it didn't make them superstars. This reissue includes 'Big Rig,' originally on the LP but not the CD, and features lyrics and a Freddy Krueger guest appearance. Now available on hot pink vinyl!

Review: Following the release of their cracking third full-length Blacked Out in 2024, Seattle punk n' rollers The Drowns revisit their origins with a reissue of 2018's much-adored debut LP View From The Bottom. Though hailing from the grunge capital of the world, the band bear more sonic similarities to folk-punk troubadours Dropkick Murphys than the type of icons who've worked with Seattle legend Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Murder City Devils) who handles remastering duties, beefing up anthems such as 'Eternal Debate' with extra snarl and soul. Complete with updated artwork offering a more artsy minimalist companion piece to the original, this version also comes with a newly added cover of 'Satyagraha', the opening cut from hardcore punk legends 7Seconds classic 1989 LP Soulforce Revolution.

Review: Returning with their follow up to 2022's exceptional high watermark Hygiene, the fifth full-length from Albany, New York based post-hardcore heroes Drug Church promises to be their most introspective and scathing work to date. Initially formed as a side-project to frontman Patrick Kindlon's Self Defence Family, while guitarist Nick Cogan would soon find himself equally busy with his side-project turned hardcore megastars Militarie Gun, the seasoned veteran status of all core members allows their compositions to sonically weave through the intersectionality of their musical backgrounds. Coalescing the jagged aggression of Black Flag with the frenetic grunge of Mudhoney, while offering crunching nods to Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and especially Pixies, with regard to Kindlon's constant to-and-froing from absurdist shrugs to unhinged displays of utter terror, Prude promises Drug Church's reliable brand of accessibility and aggression, only with both ends of the spectrum maximalised to the point of ouroboros self-devourment. This is the RevHQ exclusive variant, limited to just 300 copies pressed on yellow and black splattered wax.

Review: Dead Kennedys' best frontman Jello Biafra's onetime collaboration with the band D.O.A. produced this hardcore punk gem - 'Last Scream Of The Missing Neighbours' - which fused the best of both bands' sounds, while namechecking every popular and/or political scandal at the time, such as Willie Horton, the Iran-Contra Affair, Oliver North, and the US crack epidemic. Just six tracks on this indelible EP, now reissued via original label, Alternative Tentacle do well to satirize the powers that be in true punk fashion, culminating in the 14-minute military meat-grinder that is 'Full Metal Jackoff'.

Review: Revered as one of U.S. hardcore punk's most humorous, yet politically outraged projects, Last Scream Of The Missing Neighbours is a gem by Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and the band D.O.A., in a collaborative effort that spans every blood-boiler from the gentrification of Colorado to the then nascent (putatively C.I.A.-fuelled) crack epidemic. Less concerned with a piercing sonic aesthetic than getting its lyrical point across, this mini-album was a conduit and awareness-raising exercise in the battle against capitalist doublespeak and is best known for its culminating in the closing fourteen-minute dramaturgy 'Full Metal Jackoff', decrying everything from racial scapegoating to the U.S. military-everything complex.