Review: As we're currently in an era where the post-punk scene infinitely leans on the latter more than the former, with the gravel-throated anti-Tory doctrines of Idles, the Swedish comedown swagger of Viagra Boys, and closer to home, the pub-feed munching debauchery of The Chats all making for global success, another unhinged Aussie property taking full advantage of the machine usually designed to keep them from the airwaves is Amyl & The Sniffers. Building off of 2021's banging sophomore effort Comfort To Me with last year's snarling lambast at armchair music critics and defenders of "true punk" on 'U Should Not Be Doing That', the group relink with producer Nick Launay (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) for their fever pitch anticipated third full-length Cartoon Darkness. Recorded at Foo Fighters' 606 Studios in Los Angeles, the mission statement succinctly described by the real-life Amyl (Amy Taylor) reads as "driving headfirst into the unknown, into this looming sketch of the future that feels terrible but doesn't even exist yet. A childlike darkness. I don't want to meet the devil half-way and mourn what we have right now. The future is cartoon, the prescription is dark, but it's novelty. It's just a joke. It's fun." If you're not already on the Sniffers shitlist, rest assured by the end of the year, you'd want to be.
Review: RECOMMENDED
It's 1982 and the band Bad Brains have already been playing on the road for three years, getting "unofficially banned" from Washington D.C. clubs (hence the song title 'Banned in D.C.') and generally sticking their flag in what was the relatively unchartered territory we now know and love as hardcore punk. Cue the long-awaited debut album, self-titled of course, released on cassette only (long before that was a sign of retro-loving hipsters), and destined to soundtrack many a night at the legendary CBGBs.
Often referred to as The Yellow Tape, Bad Brains is Bad Brains at their rawest and least apologetic. Their first release that was longer than a single, it's at once a throwback to the formative years of both band and (sub)genre, and also a great example of how little things date when they are genuinely honest.
Review: Following on from the unprecedented success of their 2022 debut full-length God's Country, Oklahoma City sludge-metal meets noise-rock four-piece Chat Pile now expand their scope (which initially took their home to task for its homeless and opioid crises), to take aim at the world at large for all of its follies from oil-drilling, to the shoulder shrugs of war, deforestation and genocide. Imbuing their sludegcore heft with gothic grunge melodies while also increasing their heaving tonal bedlam to nauseating degrees, Cool World genuinely sounds like the soundtrack to our own self-designed end times, and what better clarion call to see us over the horizon than Chat Pile's signature industrial-tinged bombast led by frontman Raygun Busch's harrowing, howling spoken word sermons.
Review: Since signing The Exploited in 2021, iconic metal/punk label Nuclear Blast have gone to lengths to reissue the three latest albums from the legendary Edinburgh oi-punks, who by the arrival of 1987's Death Before Dishonour, had moved towards an even more aggressive form of crossover thrash hardcore. This direction would continue to be pursued throughout their 90s output, with The Massacre in 1990, Beat The Bastards in 1996 and most recently (although 21 years and counting currently) 2003's vicious statement of latter-day intent Fuck The System. Coming seven years after its predecessor as well as marking the band's seventh overall full-length, it's the only album to date to feature guitarist Robbie Davidson and bassist Mikie Jacobs, while the project and its subsequent tour cycle would be marred in controversy due to the band being refused entry into Montreal, Canada in October 2003. This led to the cancellation of the show and a full scale riot of 500 fans smashing windows and destroying cars, ultimately leading to their Mexico City date also being cancelled for safety reasons. Is it really shocking to imagine that's how The Exploited's fans would react when they felt that burned? Juno don't condone, we're just not that surprised.
Review: If there was a ever a genre of music that made you feel old through its own ageing process, it's pop-punk and emo. The soundtrack to a 1001 American coming of age movies in the 1990s and, to a lesser extent, the noughties, the high energy, high-emotional quality that runs through these tunes can't help but cast the mind back to what now feels like a more innocent time. But, as the songs made clear, we were actually wrought with complicated self-doubt and uncertainty. 1999 was a peak year for this, with Blink 182, Sum 41 and Avril Lavigne vying for chart positions in the UK alongside dominant trance and dance beats. The Get Up Kids were less visible in Britain, but among the noise this Kansas city crew dropped Something To Write Home About. Achieving significant acclaim Stateside, the record would go on to influence the birth of Fall Out Boy, the Wonder Years, and Taking Back Sunday, among others.
Review: Bristolian post-punk extraordinaires IDLES make their triumphant return with a grand declaration on their "love album" Tangks. Where 2021's immense Crawler saw the gravel-voiced Joe Talbot pull back from socio-political issues in favour of a more introspective lyrical approach which examined fatherhood, drug addiction and the life-altering impact his mother's passing would have, this time around the band seek to show their massive gratitude to their family, friends, fans and the world at large that has granted them such an opportunity to pursue their passion on their own terms. While continuing their ever-expanding creative partnership with hip-hop producer Kenny Beats (who received some credits on Ultra Mono before being tapped to solely handle desk duties on Crawler), a more open and collaborative ethos has welcomed in Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, REM) as well as their own dentist/crossdresser/half-naked guitar guru Mark Bowen to help anchor a sonic undertaking that looks to run a victory lap around every audible guise IDLES have adorned thus far. From James Murphy and Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem providing banging backing vocals to disco-punk lead single 'Dancer' to the jittering, muted minimalism of 'Grace', in which Talbot bellows the project's rallying cry - "Love is the fing", on album 5 the band look to finally distil their jagged, rough, endearing and motivational brand of post-punk-positivity in such a manner for all to cherish and embrace.
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