The Short List is a periodic dive into non-LP releases with reissues, splits, EPs, live records, comps, etc
EPs:
Stiff Meds Hell Realm Quality Control HQ
June 14, 2024
Stiff Meds infuse speed into a hardcore and powerviolence blend that rips through your brain. Riffs shred as scathing vocals in the vein of Dave Byrd (Striking Distance, Set To Explode) slice sharply. If you’re new to Stiff Meds, as I am, then you get to delve into a plethora of the short, fast, loud glory with two EPs and two LPs: 2019’s A Taste of Blood (Coxinha Records); 2020’s Exciting Violence (Affair Records); 2022’s Xcess Flesh (Promo Tape); 2023’s Tales From the Slab (QCHQ). Most tracks retreat from the one-minute mark while still a good chunk got a minute and a half. In their entire discography, only one song exceeds two minutes. And the quality of each never fades.
Hell Realm, unfortunately, will be digital only. But, the EP destroys in general. Chunky songs; four songs in six minutes. Uncompromising and punishing, Stiff Meds thrash and crash with a violent belligerence. Track titles such as “Planet Hell” and “Where’s the Nuke?” paint a dastardly vivid picture while culminating a menacing atmosphere. Production leans into the raw, lo-fi attack we want in our powerviolence. Crisp tempo changes will induce much mirror moshing. Sick cover art by Ola Herbich of QCHQ.
Follow Stiff Meds on instagram
Follow QCHQ on instagram
Live By The Sword Warriors of Our Time (Demo 2023) Rebellion Records
Out Now
Driven by the extremely distinctive vocals Erick Barnes. He fronted Strongarm & The Bullies in the early 2000s. Here he joins with Wouter Davids of Razorblade/Rebellion Records. Given the immense metallic bite of Razorblade’s guitar, the metallic sense of LBTS is not surprising. Rounded out by a rhythm section consisting of drummer Sander van Baalen (Right Direction, The Devil’s Blood, The Spades, etc) and bassist, Freek de Greef (Sex Drive, De Greef Audio Studio).
It has been interesting to watch LBTS progress and venture sonically. Killer EPs began their trek with hard edged Oi! founded in a tough brickwall sound. Pillaged Hinterland and LBTS/Soldiers were two seven-inches declaring a bold new punch. They culminate in 2018’s self-titled LP. The track titles and imagery embraced the Viking/Nordic warrior aesthetic. Then, LBTS channeled that culture into the music building consecutively with more and more dark metal. Last year witnessed Cerunnos, a ten track album solidifying the band’s victorious rampage. Video of the title track above.
As 2024 is about halfway over, LBTS revisits their initial sound with two new songs written and recorded in 2023. “Warriors of Our Time” is a fast, rollicking drum beat, the punctuating snare continuously hits. The guitars are catchy and crunchy. A fluid lead grabs the leader. “March or Die” slows the speed down but doubles down on the grit. A twisting rock ‘n’ roll riff pushes the track forward like a syncopated legion marching through the mud among the smoke filled battlefield. If you dig bands like (now labelmates) Battle Ruins, Thunder & Glory, Hammer and The Nails, etc. A superb mix of American Oi!, and the crisp strings of Viking Metal.
VINYL:
Hand numbered black, 300.
Vinyl, 6-panel digipak CDs, patches, and shirts available at Rebellion Records
Follow LBTS on instagram
Follow Rebellion Records on instagram
Snooper/Prison Affair Split Seven-Inch Static Shock
July 12th, 2024
Two young punk groups pair to rip through their side of a split seven-inch. Snooper represent Nashville, TN and Prison Affair hail from Barcelona. Each band provide three songs. Snooper have a noisy electro approach. Quirky and rambunctious, their songs are catchy, especially the opener, “Company Car.” While the vocals have the Japanese/Blade Runner/Cyber Punk feel, feminine but robotic and infectious, while the music embraces a low-toned, dark feeling. “Waste” doubles down on the dark; while, “Online” goes the other direction with the perky pop sensibilities.
Prison Affair have five EPs (three of which are demos) out and a stellar reputation. Their side B is comprised of instrumentals.
A hard-driving bass guitar propels the first two, “Algo Huele Mal” and “Apuñalamiento (pero Entre Colegas).” Again, a stern, stark vibe encompasses the writing. To end the EP, “Quizás” embraces the electro approach significantly.
I am intentionally not addressing the elephant in the room. A few months ago, a friend went to see, as she described it, an “Egg Punk” band. Ugh. This led me to a jaunt into spotify and reddit rooms to have the youth explain this to me. My opinion on needing to name this can be summarized in these two bands. Each band have contemporaries like C.H.E.W., Cold Meat, Beta Boys, Sick Thoughts or The Spits because sonically these two bands sound like a new genre but in spirit, this is garage rock. Think Scientists, Kid Congo, New Bomb Turks, Les Lullies, Crocodiles with electronics and/or drum machines interwoven.
Other influences old and new are Uni (Japan), The Nurse, Katarsi, CUIR. It has been dubbed “Egg Punk” but if you mix Descendents, DEVO, Missing Persons and GO-GO’s, it ain’t nothing new. Regardless. This is a great record. Punk Rock is a wide umbrella and I embrace any variations, nuanced and blatant, if the attitude is there. The attitude is here.
Vinyl:
Static Shock: Limited purple, 1,000.
Under The Gun: Random color, 1,000.
Big Love: unlisted as of now
Buy at Static Shock (UK)
Buy at Under The Gun (US)
Buy at Big Love Records (JP)
Follow Snooper on instagram
Follow Prison Affair on instagram
Doubt Held In Contempt Get Better Records
July 12, 2024
Baltimore is enjoying quite a hardcore punk resurgence. Doubt bust through with their second EP, Held in Contempt. Twenty-twenty-two’s demo alerted the world and Held in Contempt will cement their name in the annals of hardcore punk. Doubt will embrace a stomp, but the first two singles, “The Hard Way” and “Delusion” hone the attack with a fierce, blistering tempo. Self citing Ceremony and Trash Talk but the NYHC is also strong in this. That is partially due to the pilgrimage to New York Doubt partook in to have the record produced with CORPUS engineer Aidan Elias.
The sound is a more raw and cavernous approach than the demo. vocalist Claire Abila echoes that feeling with a searing black metal quality. The six tracks harness a solid dynamic, never tiring or feeling redundant. Give props to guitarists Logan Dorics and Jon Haire who traverse the wide breadth of hardcore with two-step, fast parts, thrash swings, d-beat belligerence and breakdowns. All of these riffs are founded by the grit and thunder of bassist Pocholo Itona and drummer Nijol Benjamin.
VINYL:
CLEAR & APPLE RED SPLATTER, 200
ECO MIX CHERRY, 161
Pre-order at Get Better
Follow Doubt on instagram
Follow Get Better on instagram
Check Doubt on tour:
7/19 – Roanoke, VA @ Flying Panther*
7/20 – Greenville, SC @ Magnetic South Brewery*
7/21 – Atlanta, GA @ Innerspace*
7/22 – Hattiesburg, MS @ The Spectrum Centre
7/23 – Chattanooga, TN @ Cabanas Latin Dance Club
7/26 – Kansas City, MO @ Howdy**
7/27 – Tulsa ,OK @ Mass Movement**
7/28 – Wichita, KS @ Annex**
7/29 – Springfield, MO A Lindberg’s Tavern***
7/30 – St. Louis, MO @ Sinkhole***
7/31 – Chicago, IL @ Fallen Log***
8/2 – Springfield IL @ Dumb Records***
8/3 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle***
8/4 – Columbus, OH @ Dirty Dungarees***
*With Sad Roach
** With Prevention
*** With Rest Assured
