AYUCABA - OPERACIÓN MASACRE

 

The basic gist of AYUCABA is that they are a Barcelona-based band (albeit with I believe 2/5ths from Bogota) sharing members with bands anyone up to speed with international hardcore punk should be familiar with - MURO, INYECCION, FARMACO, among others. That alone should pique your interest. They interestingly had a lineup change recently that involved swapping their bassist and singer, and this is their first release since then. I have not listened to any of their prior releases (think it might just be a demo?) but that in itself is an interesting move that I don't hear of happening too often.

The label, Metadona Records, encapsulates their sound well with their release description - metallic UK hardcore of the 1980s like BROKEN BONES and early Japanese hardcore that drew heavily from MOTORHEAD like THE EXECUTE or THE CLAY. If you have more of a capital H predisposition, you might hear a rawer, more stripped-down INTEGRITY sans breakdowns. That set of influences is obviously not too far out of the realm of what you hear from some other current bands but the execution here really sets AYUCABA apart from anything else I've heard recently in this vein.

This release as a full length LP works shockingly well. It is very faithful to its roots, definitely wears its influences on its sleeves, but at the same time has more than enough individuality and intention in its songwriting and structure to warrant a longer format. They step right into the shoes of punks who in an earlier era blended a rabid musical intensity with an appreciation for the heavy metal of their day, and as a result pushed both genres forward in ways that are easy to take for granted in 2025. Especially on side two, melodies and soloing raise the stakes without diverting the record into boring interludes that you immediately skip after your first listen, and never approach overindulgence or a lack of economy. The production is authentically raw, maybe thin in certain respects but more notably very clear. The vocals are scathing and venomous while sounding just a little distant, all of which together nails an eighties vibe and a live feel that I don't think you hear in contemporary LPs very often.  

Fav tracks: Cocaina, Sistema = Siniestro, Oxido

FFO: BROKEN BONES, THE CLAY, INTEGRITY

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TOP DOLLAR - OBJECTS OF MISFORTUNE

 

It has been longer than usual since my last post due to work obligations. TOP DOLLAR hasn't played outside of their home base of NYC much, but it feels like everyone who comes through and plays with them has something to say about how blown away they were, or how they were one of the best bands they saw on tour. TD plays rippingly fast, straightforward and catchy but highly dynamic hardcore. They aren't trying to revolutionize anything, and they aren't LARPing as some particular 80's or 90's band either. They write really good, unpretentious songs that draw from myriad types and eras of US hardcore and that shift in unpredictable directions, build up and break down, and boil over with relentless energy. There's a wide universe out there of stale, musically cut-and-paste bands out there, and Objects of Misfortune cuts right through it all without any navel-gazing or affectation. An extremely hard balance to strike but one that seems to come completely natural to these guys. I've been listening to this record about ten times a day for weeks now and it's definitely up there for one of my favorite things to come out in 2025. 

Fav tracks: Constant Desire, Distanced

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BLACK DOG - SEWN INTO CONFUSION

 

BLACK DOG's Overthrow EP was one of my favorite releases of 2023, and the d-beat sonic onslaught continues with Sewn Into Confusion. No band right now currently is pushing this style of hardcore to this extreme. With Overthrow, a boisterous tape hiss completely drenched everything except the drums in a way that I don't think I had ever heard before. This recording is markedly different; that wall of white noise is gone, the riffs are more up front, and the violence of the actual bass and guitar distortion is kicked up another notch. It's a bit more of normal presentation but still really abrasive, and I like that the vocals still sound like they are being howled out of a dark, desolate cavern. I don't think any band uses negative space as punctuation as well as this Nova Scotia three-piece - they pick their spots for these short, hard mid-track breaks, the tracks end abruptly and completely, and then they again hit you with an avalanche of bricks. Without a doubt, one of the current bands I most want to see live.

FFO: Disclose, Physique, Gloom

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SUBVERSIVE RITE - APOCALYPSE ZONE

 

At long last... like ancient vellum scrolls in earthenware vessels exhumed by Bedouin shepherds, this UKHC/metal-punk tome was formulated and recorded in a bygone era (2022), thought to be lost, nearly forgotten, before suddenly re-emerging as if bestowed upon us by a clandestine higher power through parted clouds in a hostile sky.

This record feels like a natural progression for this group, some of whom once played in Gainesville's VERMIN, a more straightforward, stripped-down, stompy DISCHARGE-inspired three-piece. The early SUB RITE recordings take on substantially more thrash metal influence in the realm of mid-80s UK hardcore. Apocalypse Zone feels like an apotheosis: full ENGLISH DOGS worship, with a clean, thrashy aggressive sound that sprawls out with a 2-minute guitar interlude, a 4.5 minute penultimate track, extended ripping guitar solos, a brief haunting synth intro and songs that just have a lot more dynamism and detail. It reminds me of the recent LIFELESS DARK LP albeit with a lot less fat on the bone and less distortion or straight up crust influence. Not exactly my favorite style of hardcore personally but it's really well-done and I'm glad this finally gets to see the light of day.

FFO: ENGLISH DOGS, LIFELESS DARK, VARUKERS

Fav tracks: A New Era, SID

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FUCKIN' LOVERS - CRUCIFIXION OF THE MASSES 7"

 

ALLERGY was pretty much my first exposure to raw punk when I moved to Gainesville 12 years ago. I am an absolutely decrepit 29 years old now and this group is still ripping out similar sonic devastation in a new iteration. The main, obvious difference between the two bands is that FUCKIN' LOVERS is a three piece with two singers as opposed to ALLERGY's more traditional 4-member setup, and I think that's more noticeable on this record than in the past. The pair just sounds a little more distinct from each other, and tracks like "I Don't Care" and "Normal Feelings" utilize that with sing-songy hooks that set this record apart from both their past recordings and some of their main influences.

I love watching this band live. The members have a nice little chemistry, and the way the title track builds up while gyrating back and forth with effects until collapsing in on itself hit like a ton of bricks at their record release last week. I didn't love the recording of this release compared to their past output though, it hits my ears a little on the thin side and I don't think totally captures what it's like to actually go and see them play. They're hitting Europe with TOTAL NADA as I type this so if you're across the pond be sure to check em out.

FFO: Confuse, Gai, Frenzy

Fav track: I Don't Care, Arrogance, Crucifixion of the Masses

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REASON WHY - S/T

 

My favorite demo of the year so far! Think BREAKDOWN's '87 Demo and Blacklisted EP... the RAW DEAL tape... early MADBALL... STRAIGHT AHEAD.. The type of classic, real deal hardcore you crave, but is denied to you by modernity's eye-watering ecclesia of corny metalcore, overproduced "demos," empty-calories tribute bands and bad beatdown... The songs here are memorable and stick in my head for days after listening. The bass playing in particular adds some nice little flourishes here and there. The singing is catchy and has a ton of conviction. The spirit of '88 is alive.

Fav tracks: Face to Face, Reason Why

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EARLY GRAVE - SEWER BABY EATEN BY WORMS

 

I know this release has been getting buzz, selling out in most places and I'm probably a bit late posting about it. I heard bits of it in my friend's car when it first came out but didn't listen all the way through until I got the tape in the mail recently, and it was well worth the wait. It even came with a download code! You don't see that too often nowadays, at least with punk and hardcore tapes, but I do use them. 

Getting to the actual music, first of all this tape has some real nice shredding. The guitar playing is nuts and the closest thing I'd liken it to would be the sinister virtuosic chaos of HOLOGRAM or CICADA. EARLY GRAVE's sound overall to me has a bit of the bleakness and cold, nihilistic rage of classic dairyland hardcore, the frantic and spasmodic tendencies of Italian punk and a little 80s extreme metal influence, all somehow spewing out of a three-piece where the guitar player is also singing. 

Fav tracks: Frozen Blood, Terror of the Gods, Pillagers

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