Halftime Score: LPs
Kia ora, friends/frenemies.
Apologies for starting on a downer, but let’s be honest, there’s no end to the industrial-scale atrocities or intimate dramas currently draining hope from our lives. Sadly, I can’t fix any of those issues. But I can throw a few deafening tunes your way.
I hope that the music below provides some audio relief in these troubled times. At least, that’s my plan with this two-part, mid-year round-up.
I want to put a smile on your dial by spotlighting some of my favourite punk and hardcore releases from the past six months. This isn’t a ‘Best Of…’ article, and I have zero interest in ranking the albums I’m recommending. This is just a bit of fun, not an in-depth critical appraisal of anything.
Below you’ll find a lengthy list of full-length releases, while Part Deux of this double-header will feature EPs, demos, and reissues. Admittedly, I haven’t started writing Part Deux yet. But have no fear; it’ll turn up in due course. (Keep an ear/eye out.) Every release below – vinyl, tape, or digital – has been hand-picked by yours truly to help bolster your emotional arsenal. Noisy music definitely reinforces my resilience, while offering a quick cathartic fix, and I hope the mountain of mayhem below does the same for you. Lord knows we could all use more fortifying music at this point.
You’ll notice (very quickly) that my choices are heavily biased. I fully admit to favouring the sewers of crust, stenchcore, d-beat, noise punk, and raw hardcore. Basically, I love songs that sound like “Stench and Death”, the promo track from Cimiterium’s upcoming Somnambulist 7”, which I only stumbled on a few minutes ago. See below…
I do like eggier punk, too, but I’ll leave discussions of that sphere to more knowledgeable correspondents. There are a couple of artier LPs below, but in the main, it’s all punk and hardcore releases that sound like they desperately need a shower, or releases that feel like you’d have to don a hazmat suit to enjoy.
I exited the world of social media a couple of years ago, which has been a boon for my mental well-being, but an utter disaster for my profile as a writer – whoopsie. Not (doom-)scrolling on social media does mean that I miss hearing about tasty releases from time to time. I’m sure I’ve overlooked a few gems below, but there are close to 40 ear-gouging records to check out, so I don’t think I’ve shortchanged you in any way.
Other caveats to consider: I am a grizzled old hermit, and you are a fuck-ton cooler than me. I claim no underground expertise, nor do I proffer any deep sub-cultural insights. I am a very obscure blogger, not an on-trend commentator, and I fully realise that you’ll be well aware of most of the releases listed below. All I hope is that you’ll unearth at least one unheard banger – something to gladden your weary heart.
That’s the Ts&Cs done and dusted. It's time to dig into all the noise.
As always, thanks a million for stopping by. I sincerely appreciate your time and attention.
Take care out there, and hey, go easy on yourself.
Kia kaha.
xx
Contrast Attitude: Discharge Your Noise
Contrast Attitude’s Discharge Your Noise LP/CD is the Japanese band’s first full-length release since 2009’s ferocious Apocalyptic Raw Assault. Contrast Attitude’s discography is stacked with everything you love about the most virulent/chaotic strains of Japanese hardcore, and Discharge Your Noise sees the band amplifying the most abrasive elements of D-beat, raw punk, and crusty hardcore. Contrast Attitude’s frontman and guitarist, Gori, has been plying his trade for decades, but there’s no hint of exhaustion here. Contrast Attitude’s maelstrom sound continues to tear all comers limb from limb.
(Desolate Records, Why Records)
Various: Still No P.E.A.C.E Still WAR
There have been scores of benefit compilations in recent times. I guess that’s no surprise, given the world’s falling apart, and there’s no political will from the powers that be to help anyone aside from their wealthiest donors and/or favoured ass-kissers. In any case, the new-ish Still No P.E.A.C.E Still WAR comp is an absolute ripper. The comp features 22 bands from around the globe, with red-hot contributions from groups like Warthog, Muro, Bad Breeding, Sial, Rat Cage, and more. A great cause + great music = win-win for fans and, crucially, for those most in need.
(Warbad Records)
Kaleidoscope: Cities of Fear
Kaleidoscope are one of NYC’s most captivating hardcore bands. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from them, too, meaning Kaleidoscope’s energetic Cities of Fear LP is a welcome return. Written and recorded at NYC’s D4MT Labs (always a sure-fire indicator of top-notch punk), Cities of Fear’s combination of live-wire anarcho-punk and acid-fried hardcore is utterly engrossing and often eccentric. Kaleidoscope ignore artistic limiters, reworking their expressive sound from tough to outré to anxious to seething, all within the space of a single song. Cities of Fear is an intense experience, musically and emotionally — pure creative magick.
(La Vida Es Un Mus)
Ultimate Disaster: For Progress…
Richmond, Virginia band Ultimate Disaster’s For Progress… LP is a bulldozing release. Indebted to a roll call of definitive Dis-prefixed bands, Ultimate Disaster’s latest batch of bludgeoning songs sound huge, and they hit even harder. For Progress… brings the D-beat hammer down again and again in devastatingly heavy fashion. Ultimate Disaster’s approach is raw and relentless, but more than anything, it’s utterly obliterating. Ruthless. Remorseless. And downright homicidal. Primal hardcore at its best.
(Grave Mistake Records, Kick Rock)
Lanquid: Shove Their System Up Their Ass
The fourth full-length release from Canadian berserkers Lanquid is a masterclass in stripped-down, extreme-intensity D-beat. Every feral song on Shove Their System Up Their Ass LP feels like power-drilling your pineal gland. One belligerent track after another kicks the door in and then repeats the same punishing process. What more could you want? Expect lughole-smashing tracks that combine off-the-chart energy with incandescent rage. Best D-beat LP of the year? You betcha! Brute-force punk par excellence.
(Desolate Records)
Malaise: S/T
The self-titled cassette from the Olympia, Washington band Malaise features cut-throat crust. Malaise’s sound is dark and grim, and with dual singers howling their respective heads off – and excellent use of stepping on and off the gas – Malaise offer enough points of difference to stand out from the pack. Blistering guitars power filth-caked tracks, and all of the mangling mayhem here is as raw as an abscess. Primordial punk that’s purpose-built for bum-flapped crusties and fans of scabrous hardcore. Tasty stuff.
(Desolate Records)
Tàrrega 91: Ckaos Total
Much like their prime musical inspiration – that’d be peak-era Discharge – Tàrrega 91 don’t waste a single second on any unnecessary fripperies or any masturbatory showboating. Tàrrega 91’s Ckaos Total LP features tried-and-true D-beat played with authentic passion. Distilled to their purest essence, Ckaos Total’s songs are all scorching blasts of rebellion and rage. The righteous sense that political bodies are actively punishing us for their failures is writ large right here. Tune in if pummeling protest punk is your jam.
(La Vida Es Un Mus)
Lifeless Dark: Forces of Nature's Transformation
Lifeless Dark’s Forces of Nature’s Transformation album was released in mid-December 2024. However, like many fans, I didn’t secure an LP copy until early 2025. Forces of Nature’s Transformation is a triumph of apocalyptic stenchcore, although end-times crust or super-dark thrashcore work as apt descriptors, too. If you hold bands like Amebix or Sacrilege close to your heart, Forces of Nature’s Transformation will also satisfy your desires. In fact, anyone who loves listening to punk bands fully embracing metal will be awed by Forces of Nature’s Transformation. The album is a genuine tour de force.
(Side Two Records)
Alienator: Meat Locker
I’m a big fan of Portland, Oregon, label Black Water Records, and while I wasn’t familiar with Alienator’s previous releases, I took Black Water’s advice and secured a copy of Alienator’s Meat Locker LP as soon as it dropped. As Black Water said, “If you hear this record and it does not make your top 10 list for 2025, chances are you just don’t like hardcore, period”. True that, brothers and sisters. Meat Locker is a pit-fueled free-for-all where dive-bombing riffs, neck-snapping drums, and growling vocals boil in a vat of thrashin’ hardcore. Bonded by blood, indeed. Sonic slaughter, guaranteed.
(Black Water Records)
Kürøishi: Egocide of the Warmad
Egocide of the Warmad is the fourth LP from Finnish band Kürøishi. The Oulu-based group marries Burning Spirits guitar harmonics to epic – i.e. Tragedy/His Hero Is Gone-styled – hardcore. Egocide of the Warmad’s high-octane songs feature giant riffs, barking vocals, and rocketing solos (as well as plenty of sizzling pick-slides). Fans of mammoth-sounding crust and/or monster-sized D-beat should dig in, forthwith. Bonus points for the Akihiko “Sugi” Sugimoto artwork, too, of course.
(Fight Records, SPHC Records, Break the Records)
Aftermath: The Cutting Begins
Swedish stenchcore outfit Aftermath point to creative influences like Cancer Spreading, Swordwielder, and Plague Thirteen. Unsurprisingly, Aftermath’s The Cutting Begins LP is an intimidatingly heavy (and markedly brooding) album that sounds like it was crafted in the darkest and dankest dungeons of crust. Much like Aftermath’s Garbage Day 10″, The Cutting Begins’ songs mix gravel-gargling vocals and death metal guitars on dirge-like/doom-laden songs. Harsher than shattered dreams. Heavier than a woolly mammoth’s nads. The Cutting Begins is a colossus.
(Phobia Records)
The Massacred: Nightmare Agitators
The Massacred’s Nightmare Agitators LP is about as hardcore as hardcore gets. It’s a nail-studded baseball bat hammered into your cranium, and an anvil-heavy experience all round. That said, while the Boston band unleash hell on their first 12” release, The Massacred also inject nuance into Nightmare Agitators’ violent songs. No question, Nightmare Agitators is a raging beast, but amongst all the gnashing of teeth and slashing of claws, there are hooks – and even goddamn melodies – ensuring the LP isn’t just a one-dimensional attack. There was a lot of hype around this release, all of it is well-deserved.
(Active-8)
Nisemono 偽者: S/T
NYC’s Nisemono features musicians who’ve played in well-known bands like L.O.T.I.O.N. and Warthog. Japanese hardcore – sprinkled with a heavy dose of kängpunk – is the primary focus for Nisemono 偽者. The band’s self-titled debut sounds (pretty much) how you’d imagine Death Side covering Totalitär would sound, with every driving element dialled up to 11. Blazing riffs and solos fire off in all directions while Scandi hardcore’s insanity battles it out with Japanese punk’s intensity – what’s better than that!?! Ferocious. Red-hot. Rapturous punk rock.
(Toxic State Records)
Headsplitters: Curse of Life
Released by the always interesting New York label Toxic State Records, Headsplitters’ Curse of Life LP features a lot of heavyweight ingredients. Headsplitters might be a raw hardcore band in taxonomic terms, but super-grimy metal adds abundant weight and density to Curse of Life, and all that heaviness is a key component of the album’s impact. Plenty of raw punk bands sound brittle, and they hardly leave a mark. But not Headsplitters. Curse of Life’s bass-blasting tracks bludgeon and batter with murderous intent. Curse of Life is a knockout.
(Toxic State Records)
MEM//BRANE: S/T
MEM//BRANE’s self-titled LP explores a host of the world’s ills, not least the never-ending assault on the trans and queer communities. MEM//BRANE deliver their urgent missives at maximum volume with maximum passion, and backed by a withering storm of classic metallic crust. The band mix harsh ‘n’ heavy stenchcore with hurtling D-beat, and there’s enough sociopolitical weaponry and instrumental armaments here to sink a battleship.
(Self-released, District06 Records)
Destruxion Amerika: Gritos Norteño
Destruxion Amerika features members of Nosferatu, Tower 7, Kaleidoscope, and Straw Man Army, and the band’s Gritos Norteño LP was recorded at NYC’s D4MT Labs. If that hot gossip hasn’t got you buzzin’, you must be dead inside. Destruxion Amerika play spiky and über-fuzzy hardcore, and while the band lean into their artier eccentricities, they still sound fierce and passionate. Gritos Norteño’s raucous songs are lean, mean, crude, and catchy. Perfectly pitched for those seeking a mix of woozy punk and bass-driven hardcore. Weird, wild and wonderful.
(Unlawful Assembly, Planeta Destrozado)
Electric Chair / Physique: Split 12”
The 12” split from Electric Chair and Physique is touted as a “celebration of love, unity and noise”. Love and unity clearly play important roles here, but it’s the torrents of noise that’ll grab you. Electric Chair’s contributions sound as rough and tough as you’d hope, with the band threading quick-fire melodic hooks into helter-skelter tunes. Physique deliver some of their most strident tracks yet. The band’s foot-to-the-floor contributions feature wall-of-noise riffage and howling vocals that construct a rampart of stentorian D-beat. Brutal, thundering, unrelenting – the best of the best.
(Iron Lung Records)
War//Plague: The Rot Thickens
Here’s what I said about War//Plague’s The Rot Thickens earlier in the year: “The Rot Thickens is heavier than a funeral – and angrier than a cut snake – but more than anything, the album reeks of War//Plague’s uncompromising integrity. In an age where social media fads and fleeting trends often govern a band’s next move, it’s heartening to tune into authentic music. In a world full of deliberate distractions and endless misinformation, it’s a huge relief to be able to put your faith in something honest and true. Sorry to sound so sincere. But fuck it, them’s the facts. Here’s to saying you give a shit and meaning it.”
(Phobia Records)
Necron 9: People Die
Necron 9’s People Die LP isn’t as lo-fi as their previous releases, but it’s still raw enough – and filthy enough – to sound like it’ll give you contact hepatitis. Necron 9’s latest tracks mix mid-paced and all-guns-blazing passages, but whatever the ultimate pace, every one of the band’s songs is a nasty nugget of ultra-coarse hardcore. Necron 9’s primitive/frenzied sound mirrors the tension, anxiety, and endless frustrations of these bewildering times. Grimy. Grity. Tasty. A rough-hewn gem.
(Unlawful Assembly)
Nightfeeder: Live in Saint Etienne
Seattle band Nightfeeder’s Live in Saint Etienne LP is part of a burgeoning ‘live series’ curated by French label Kick Rock. Nightfeeder features members who have played in groups like Disrupt, State of Fear, and Deathraid, and Nightfeeder’s fists-in-the-air tracks are similarly blunt, brutal, and as tough as steel. We’ve all listened to live punk recordings that sound far too tinny, but thankfully, Live in Saint Etienne is beefy and weighty. Throughout, D-beat batters crust, while crust bludgeons hardcore; Live in Saint Etienne’s ten-tonne tunes will leave you concussed for days.
(Kick Rock)
Pisssniffers: S/T
Do you want to take a punt on what Pisssniffers’ self-titled LP sounds like? It’s not a trick question – I’m pretty sure you’d guess right. The Athen’s band’s Disclose-worshipping raw punk is akin to battery acid – acrid, abrasive, and fittingly, Pisssniffers’ tracks sting like a UTI. Face-melting distortion and lashings of harsh feedback are the key components here, and even better, Pisssniffers’ tunes are heavy in all the right places. If you’re a follower of any of Kawakami’s other disciples, you’ll no doubt lap this noxious noise up, too.
(Chaos & Anticonformity Records)
Forced Starvation: S/T
Technically, Forced Starvation are a grindcore band. However, all of the group’s members hail from the underground punk scene in Aotearoa New Zealand, and they’ve all served time in heavyweight bands that’ve appealed to both punk and metal fans. Forced Starvation’s debut features 17 minutes of rabid sonic sewage that evokes wretched imagery and calls to mind a host of modern-day horrors. As I previously said about the band’s first release, “Forced Starvation’s debut oozes squalor while radiating anger…it’s a brutal onslaught – top marks for making such obnoxious noise”.
(RSR Records)
Verdict: The Rat Race
The sophomore album from “all-star” Swedish D-beat band Verdict ticks many of the same boxes as their first LP – but that’s no problem, my friend! Verdict includes members who’ve played in much-loved groups like 3-Way Cum, Meanwhile, Warcollapse, Dischange, Exploatör, No Security, Totalitär… are you getting the point? Experience counts, and Verdict put their mangel-ready skillset to excellent use on The Rat Race, delivering a non-stop barrage of pummeling kängpunk. Verdict might be old dogs, but The Rat Race proves there’s plenty of bite and bile still in ‘em. The band’s debut was great; The Rat Race is even better.
(Phobia Records)
Exploatör: Apokollaps
Like Verdict above, Exploatör's who's-who lineup features lifers who’ve played in groups like Warcollapse, Totalitär, Meanwhile, Disfear, Krigshot, No Security, and more. Again, like Verdict, Exploatör’s members make excellent use of their years in the underground by crafting zero-bullshit tracks that foreground their fiercest features. Exploatör’s third full-length, Apokollaps, will be an instant hit with fans of the aforementioned Totalitär. Similarly, Exploatör’s latest warp-speed tracks are spiked with crucial, albeit blink-or-you’ll-miss-’em, hooks. Hot stuff.
(Phobia Records)
Death Rites: S/T
The second track on Los Angeles band Death Rites’ eponymous album is entitled “Heavy Artillery”, and that’s the perfect summation of Death Rites’ sound and vision. As the band states, Death Rites provide a soundtrack to the “hellscape that is the U$A, where its citizens starve and the military-industrial complex rules all”. Death Rites cite metal-powered punks like Sacrilege and S.D.S. as inspirations. Ergo, you can expect dive-bombing guitars, gravel-gargling vocals, annihilating drums, and lyrics exploring the insanity of the human condition and the madness of the war machine. Maximum firepower. Total devastation.
(Self-released)
Deathfiend: Dark Rising
Deathfiend’s members have played in Doom, Police Bastard, and Cain, and much like those old schoolers, Deathfiend’s music is bleak and heavy. Deathfiend mix classic crust with doom and death metal, and while their second LP, Dark Rising, was originally released in 2024, it was re-released on vinyl in 2025, hence its appearance right here. Extremely grim in tone and texture, Dark Rising’s punishing modus operandi will catch the ear of any open-minded punk or metal fan. Mark "Barney" Greenway from Napalm Death adds extra vocal grit ‘n’ gristle on album track “Relieve The Torment”, underscoring Dark Rising’s crossover appeal. In a word, brutal.
(Phobia Records, Anomie Records)
Crawling For Breath: S/T
Deathcrust is a handy catch-all for Crawling For Breath’s musical methodology. There isn't a lot of information online about the Greek band, but I can confirm that Crawling For Breath’s self-titled album is a rock-solid chunk of metallic punk, with death metal leading the charge on some songs and crustier hardcore taking the reins on others. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but Crawling For Breath’s music definitely cracks a few skulls and will inspire you to raise your fists in solidarity. If you enjoy the recent-ish works of Πυρ Κατά Βούληση or Plektani, or have a fondness for Sarabante’s heaviest releases, Crawling For Breath are well worth checking out.
(Self-released)
Hellknife: Flames Of Damnation
Six years separate German band Hellknife’s last album, 2019’s Dusk of Doom, from their latest LP, Flames Of Damnation. Thankfully, the world was a shitstorm back in 2019, and it remains a shitstorm today, so Hellknife’s negativity-charged crust is still very much in the ‘right time, right place’ catagory. Flames Of Damnation is a runaway freight train – barrelling, intimidatingly heavy, and liable to decimate anyone or anything standing in its way. If you’re a fan of the Wolfbrigade school of hardcore, where the line between death metal and crust punk is erased in a rush of guttural growls and instrumentation, then Flames Of Damnation will definitely hit the spot.
(Phobia Records)
Bombardment: Dans La Fournaise
French D-beat band Bombardment have released a stack of engaging music over the past decade, and there’s no sign of the band lacking any inspiration or energy on their latest 12”, Dans La Fournaise. Once again, the key to Bombardment’s appeal lies in the way the band tweak the formula, adding catchier instrumental and vocal hooks (and plenty of those always glorious pick-slides) on otherwise classic D-beat tunes. It’s those extra flourishes that count, too. Listening to Bombardment step over D-beat’s borders while holding fast to the sub-genre’s primary attractors makes for a super-fun trip. Très bien, mon ami.
(Symphony Of Destruction)
Dishumanitär: S/T
Swedish outfit Dishumanitär make one hell of a racket for a three-piece band. The group’s self-titled LP is built around a solid base of crust punk, but what’ll grab your attention is Dishumanitär’s additional mixing of heavier stenchcore dirges with lighter shadings of neo-crust. Dishumanitär’s vocalist Hannah (see Socialstyrelsen) howls like a banshee, her passion and rage imbuing every song here with even more throat-shredding emotional heft. This is only album #1 for Dishumanitär, and things bode (extremely) well for the band’s continuing endeavours. Impressive as hell. Guest vocals and cover art by Alex CF, too.
(Global Help Records, Phobia Records, Loner Cult Records)
Asocial: Kolsvart Framtid
Swedish d-takt veterans Asocial initially kicked into gear in the early 80s, but the band closed up shop for a fair few years. Since restarting their career in 2016, Asocial has been steadily releasing new material, and much of it features admirable levels of anger, animus, and gusto. Asocial’s high-powered Kolsvart Framtid LP features more breakneck käng with gruesome-sounding vocals, red-raw guitars, and crashing percussion. It’s blistering stuff. Unbridled and uncompromising. Mangel madness reigns supreme.
(F.O.A.D. Records)
Decade/Wolfcharge: Split 12”
Decade and Wolfcharge’s 12” split sees Decade returning to their raw(er) punk roots. D-beat is still Decade’s primary fuel, but their latest tracks are more primitive and rougher-hewn – i.e. they’re harsher and more hostile, which is always a winner. Fellow Canadians, Wolfcharge, dish out classic crusty d-beat with plenty of ‘end of human existence’ vibes. Decade and Wolfcharge gnaw at the same bleak kernel of truth from different creative angles. However, both deliver scowling D-beat with similar levels of unrestrained aggression.
(Phobia Records)
Siyahkal: Days of Smoke and Ash
I don’t speak Farsi, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand (or feel) the rage that’s fuelling Siyahkal’s frontman Kasra Goodarznezhad on Days of Smoke and Ash. Siyahkal mixes politics, religion, history, and culture on their first ferocious-sounding full-length, which was recorded and mixed by the Canada-based hardcore band and then mastered by Arthur Rizk. Days of Smoke and Ash sounds massive and utterly uncompromising. The vocals and instrumentation on Days of Smoke and Ash convey anguish as much as frustration and aggression. It is a deeply passionate album that proves, once again, that hardcore can transcend boundaries.
(Static Shock Records)
Plasma: Mua Et Voi Omistaa
Mua Et Voi Omistaa is the debut vinyl release from Finnish band Plasma. If you love Finnish groups like Kohti Tuhoa, you’re going to love Mua Et Voi Omistaa. Plasma’s volcanic energy is framed by tightly melodic (yet wildly savage) songwriting, volatile and vitriolic vocals, and an astute injection of catchy riffs and bass-heavy hooks. (And you can add in plenty of punk af attitude, too.) Mua Et Voi Omistaa is spiky, snappy, and reliably snarling, but most of all, it’s super-fucking-fun. Get some.
(Nunchakapunk Records, Little Jan’s Hammer Records, Sorry State Records)
If you’ve made it this far, thanks again for sticking with me. The world is rife with inflammatory schisms and painfully strained relationships, and I’m sure, like me, on many days, you want to crawl under the covers and hide from everything. I’m not naive, and I wouldn’t suggest that any of the music above is going to change the world, but I hope you found something to help strengthen your resolve.
Be well. Take care. See ya soon.
Peace.
x
