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Caracol NegroBandcamp New & Notable Jun 20, 2024

ARREST - Pobre i Perillós

An already classic band from Barcelona. They have been playing since the start of the previous decade, and their music and lyrics are amazing. If you're into early 80s UK punk like the first few No Future Records releases this is for you. The band has members of TOTÄLICKERS, CRUZ, CRIMEN DE ESTADO and SIBERIA. They also have a fake band that is pretty funny called STOICHKOV. Sometimes I can feel like I'm a Barça punk too!

In this EP there's an amazing track, "Mentirán" that summarizes pretty well some things I didn't explain in the text of this column. The rise in the cost of living, evictions, and how it feels to be a poor person in this country. That's why the name of the EP means "poor and dangerous". The lyrics are translated on their Bandcamp page if you're curious.

https://arrest.bandcamp.com/album/ep-7-pobre-i-perill-s

ep 7″ Pobre i Perillós, by Arrest

ArrestBandcamp New & Notable Apr 19, 2022

ROTURA - Al otro lado

ROTURA aren't a classic from the city of Barcelona yet, but I hope they will be. Watching them play live is always beautiful, and I loved this project since the beginning. They do a powerful melodic punk, very political, and have really catchy songs that have stayed with me since the first listen.

I wouldn't say that ROTURA reminds me of specific bands, but there's always an easy comparison of the vocals with ELEKTRODUENDES, but don't be fooled by these descriptions and listen to them! They sound very different in general terms. In my opinion, the lyrics of the songs are a big part of this band, and they also have them translated on their Bandcamp page. During the last year I've been listening to them nonstop. Also, they are in the Fediverse! The only band I know from here that has Mastodon and Pixelfed accounts.

https://rotura-punk.bandcamp.com/album/al-otro-lado

Al otro lado, by Rotura

https://kiratxa.bandcamp.com/album/giza-ustelkeria

Roturadcdirkzwager

KIRATXA - Giza Ustelkeria

From Euskal Herria, this "new" band is bringing the noise to this column. I missed them and the "pomada" that Oscar always carries with him when they came to Barcelona, I hope I have a second opportunity!

Their raw punk sounds spit over nearly everything, from heroin to the military, from the countries that perpetrate a genocide that we all know to the bosses ("who doesn't want to kill their boss?"). In the song "Mare Mortum" they talk about the amount of people who are left to die in the Mediterranean Sea while they are trying to reach the coasts of this horrible country.

GIZA USTELKERIA, by KIRATXA

KIRATXABandcamp Album of the Day Feb 6, 2018

DOLENT - S/T

Let's keep the noisy sounds on; this Valencia band is SO good. One of my favorites from last year. It is a modern-sounding hardcore punk sung in Valencià created by some of the people that helped to release a lot of punk around here in the last decades. They are pretty fast, and I think the guitars have an effect that is too loud for my personal taste, but besides that, I like it a lot. I've played this so many times already! I wish I could have gotten the tape, but I'm always late, and it's sold out now.

The track "Som l'amenaça" says something like "burn the flag, destroy Spain" (this is a free interpretation), which is all I want. In my opinion this band is a little gem produced in this area of the world that has been totally overlooked, but it's worth a listen or two. You will like it, I promise! I hope they keep doing this band for so long.

https://polzedelamort.bandcamp.com/album/dolent-dolent

DOLENT - DOLENT, by Polze De La Mort

Polze De La Mortdcdirkzwager

X-Force - Demo CS

2026-01-24T01:08:35.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

A lyrical snippet, before we begin in earnest: "Because you're a fucking retard / shoving shit up your nose / because you're a fucking retard / swiggin' shit down your throat."

Let's ignore for a second that this is some of the weakest attempt at flow, rhythm, and rhyme scheme; this is straight edge for the absolute lowest common denominator. Absolutely pathetic. Everyone from Convulse Records to Rage Deposit to the four goons responsible for writing this shit should be embarrassed.

I guess it should come as no surprise that a bunch of white guys from central Indiana are high-functioning conservatives. The "street cleaning" mantra typical of this end of hardcore, its pitch and cadence ringing in harmony with every fascist excretion, has long disgusted me, but this feels particularly brain dead as the state contemporaneously makes very real moves to cleanse the streets of every single person it deems unworthy of life and freedom. I don't really think you can separate this release from the context we've been in livin' in since 2016, (and since 2001, 1964, 1865, 1776, and on and on and on), and I don't think you can ignore the parallel rhetoric we're inundated endlessly with from above, either. The mainstream has tossed out all pretense to civility and resistance, and the underground, for all its vaunted ideals, despite the lip service disdain X-FORCE directs towards "corporate" hardcore, follows suit.

Bands like X-FORCE or CONSERVATIVE MILITARY IMAGE become commonplace, people casually toss out slurs, and every capital H hardcore band has at long last re-established a safe space wherein their every whim is catered to. They lurch to and fro, from one Hoosier basement to another, and perform their apex masculinity drag show revue, unconfronted by opposing thought.

I'm the victim of an addict who was the victim of an addict who was the sister of addicts, and whatever contempt or resentment I may hold towards erstwhile parental figures, I don't wish death on any of them. In response, I chose straight edge for 13 years of my life. It allowed me structure and control in a complicated world. It allowed me solace and distance from the addiction that has plagued my family and friend groups for generations. I broke edge 9 years ago this September. I regret nothing. Straight edge made me a better person in many ways, but never better than anyone else.

This is a common theme throughout these four meandering, not at all brief tracks: superiority, supremacy. Four guys dressing up ridiculous, reactionary, crypto-Christian vengeance in X-swatches and dunks, an impotent rage lobbed against a boogeyman they'll never know within the confines of the top-40, five-band Convulse package deal tour infrastructure, and they'll never see when the tour ends and they return to the Demolisten podcast booth.

It's a bit, and a bad one, and the righteousness falls apart real quicklike 'cause at the end of the day, these people are dumb Indiana hicks too inert to have ever left their hovel, too stupid to conceive of a reality beyond their own, too scared to confront the structures and apparatus that perpetuates the addiction they vilify, and fortunate enough to have only ever experienced their carefully constructed fantasy of violence.

You can find this yourself if you really must subject yourself to this 10-minute aural atrocity. It's the sort of uninspired dog shit one would expect from this end of the spectrum, nothing ventured and nothing iterated upon in the least; hell, even THE RIVAL MOB (my least favorite hardcore band of all time until 10am today) had the good sense to rip off decent bands while hating AIDS patients, and the FUs wrote a magnum opus whilst raw-dogging the stars 'n' stripes.

The Counterforce #9

2026-01-18T20:32:57.000-05:00

By Webmaster

The Counterforce Issue #9 is has arrived. This zine compiles everything on the site since the last issue: 2025 year-end lists, columns, reviews, and an interview with K-Town Hardcore Fest. With a front cover by Bad Sasha.

Download the PDF for printing here and view more issues on The Counterforce Zines page.

THINK! Column 2

2026-01-11T17:21:26.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

ANON ANON AND ON AND ON AND ON AND ON AND ON

Yeah, no, I get it. Someone might poke fun at you. Someone might poke holes in yer not-so-tidy whities. Someone might not like you. (Or, worse yet, someone just might...)

i. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AT THE GENOCIDE FACTORY

A fun thing every December is the big, panopticon-sanctioned recap of one's consumption habits (co-sponsored by Big P-roductivity). "Look!," it says, "I'm engaged in arts and partake in culture! AMYL & THE SNIFFERS lurked in the background of my each-and-every suicidal ideation, tilting the wheel imperceptibly just this side of zero degrees, while i yearned in private desperation for just one chance glance to toss me, end over end, one lane to the next, lest I pour one more Americano for some app-developing, balding Wicker Park fuck!" And then, with dull joy, we press play on Jan. 1 (1 Jan for those elsewheres) and the cycle continues anon.

But check it: Spotify fucking sucks. There is no debating this. Daniel Ek, like all CEOs, is an anti-art dullard, part and parcel to the ubiquitous and unyielding spread of the Tech Reich. The damage they've caused to mainstream music is likely irreparable and has been enumerated endlessly*. They've invested in war crimes and ran ICE recruitment ads. If the former transgressions were not enough, the latter should leave no wiggle room. And yet, the Big discourse (online, exclusively): self-assured -righteous & -informed (look no further than above!), all sides bleating back and forth, devolving inevitably into smarmy vagueposts underpinned by logical fallacies and loosey-goosey morals, marching ever onward, far past the last hard line, full-throated in our chants of "No ethical consumption under capitalism!" The rebuttal? Fuck off.

This phrase was never intended to mean "Do nothing." This phrase was never meant to assuage the guilt of ignoring each and every hard decision. Yes, those in power have corralled us all: Nestle poisons the water and the mothers and children who drink it, and Coke kills union organizers in South America, and Bob Iger cuts the ribbon at Disneyland Tel Aviv, but it's still your choice to buy a Night Sprite for half-price entry. No ethical consumption, but not all consumption is so hopelessly, vilely unethical.

Maybe, you're right. In fact, many of you are probably right: many of the online crusaders will abandon the current cause celebre for surer victories, like online campaigns to prevent Meta from soft-blocking activists, or begging Congressmen to limp-dickedly condemn an ongoing genocide, each surely one digital signature or two from fruition.

And yes, of course, we are confronted daily by seemingly impossible choices, exacerbated by intentionally esoteric branding and the infinite conglomeration of all things into one corporate eldritch mass, the increasingly brutality swept into banality by the 24hr news cycle. No one can have any way of knowing all things,** but many have ways of knowing some things, and those things should be acted upon. Not everything is a grey, unknowable mass.

ii. GREASE

In the caverns of my cranium, a truer meaning resonates: the walls are closing in, what will you do about it motherfucker?

iii. WELL?

I think my biggest issue with all of this is the tacit resignation to this idea that all things must be done under the auspices of some vaunted authority, that truly nothing may be accomplished without their existing infrastructure. Something as simple as a list of things you like must be collated and compiled by the same machine that put it all in front of you in the first place and this feels truly fucking insane to me.

For many, some form of primal atavism and/or monk-like asceticism are unlikely, yeah?, and in any case, this desire feels unhealthily nostalgia-brained, but it's not either/or here. The technology exists for us to connect with each other outside of the genocide factory. It's been nice to see these disparate freaks with niche interests utilize Neocities, and the proprietors of this here dirt rag have been some of the biggest champions of the Fediverse. The almighty Soulseek has never gone down, you can still interact with Old School Mike and his literal thousands of hardcore punk records, then connect an aux from your computer to a receiver and make a tape, or put all of that on your phone and forego streaming altogether.

If none of these things feel right to you, the world shakes with palpable anticipation for your solution. Better or worse is irrelevant, it simply must be done.

There's little left to say this month, my brain feels addled after all that ramblin'. My journey into the depths of Thee Canon was brief and shallow this last so long, but I did dig into one frumeach. SUBHUMANS - Demolition War 7" is the first indication that Pushead's tastes and mine will not entirely align. Some starter punk bands stand the test of time, but Dick & Co. really only have a handful of songs I enjoy ("People Are Scared", "No"), not one of which is found here.

Prank's #3, however, remains as potent today as ever. In the six-song MLP era, its almost inconceivable to think that a hardcore punk album could maintain its intensity (or that a reels-addled public could keep its focus) for longer than 20 minutes, but HIS HERO IS GONE - Fifteen Counts of Arson LP is a monstrosity that lingers beyond the length of the groove.

Flyin' down the Wire is ALBERT AYLER's Live In Greenwich Village. I highly recommend it, though not in one sitting, which makes total sense as it's a collection of two separate performances recorded at the tail end of the 60s. As experimental as the Wire's previous two entries, though no less unrelenting than HHIG, this is Jazz at it's absolute apex.

'Til next time, True Believers.

*If you've got yer output hosted on this wretched platform, congratulations! You've sold out and didn't even get fractions of a penny for your troubles. Mainstream bands such as MASSIVE ATTACK and XIU XIU have pulled their catalogs from the platform. You can still do it, too.

** All this said, no one is perfect. Deep in pandemic, naive as fuck, I flirted with the possibility that Midjourney Generative AI's four imperfect squares promised. I even found a random generation of a gang of skinheads and attached it to a flier for a show I was promoting, my name along with it. I truly didn't know where these images might be sourced from, but I paid attention to what was being said around me and have never used it since. Alas, one may only use "I'm An Idiot" as an excuse so many times.

NO VICTIM - NO VICTIM CS

2026-01-11T17:18:41.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

Q: Do you still believe in hardcore?

A: How could you not?

Oh, elucidation!: https://sexfiendabomination.bandcamp.com/album/no-victim

NO VICTIM, by NO VICTIM

SEX FIEND ABOMINATION TAPES AND DISCSB

GUIDING LIGHT - GUIDING LIGHT EP

2026-01-11T16:58:13.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

Tucked into even more niche corner of the internet, my initial thoughts went something like: "Mostly good-to-great. The opener and closer aren't bad, just a little too mersh, ya dig? Would love to hear a lot more like "Lost In Voices," sub-two minutes, jangly, jammin' econo."

Not an all around bad review, though too harsh for something I've repeatedly come back to with excitement. The bass really steals the show for me and does, in fact, boom and bounce econo w/ weighty notes given sentience, like M___ WATT hisself spilled some blood or seed and some cosmic starburst went "CLAP!, Wake up!" a la oh so many myths of old. The guitars, again, jangle and crackle while maintaining some grit and edge, cuttin' straight down to the dancing bones to trigger spontaneous primal can-can in even the most unshakingest of asses. Drums: steady, rhythmic, freaky. Elise's vocals are confident, beautiful, and emotionally evocative without ever feeling affected, recalling the hypnotic highs (first hint of encroaching edge break? bong water unner the bridge, innit?) experienced during the initial digital spin of NUCLEAR FAMILY first foray (I'll thank you for one thing and one thing only, Negative Kevin. You had great taste and a terrible mouth).

I regret not putting this on my best of 2025, but you can still learn from my fuggin' mistakes, True Believers! Let it shine bright, the Light is here!

Edification/revelation imminent: https://guidinglightatx.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-ep

S/T EP, by Guiding Light

What Will Happen If We Stop?, by Fugitive Bubble

Guiding Lightemmatonkss

FUGITIVE BUBBLE - WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE STOP? LP

2026-01-11T16:50:34.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

The BUBBLE got scrubbed clean and polished, much to its own detriment. Some of the songs are still fun, but I preferred the rawness of prior outings. Just like the SUBURBAN LAWNS evoking the circus every time one of the boys needed a turn, the deeper vocals on "What Will Happen If We Stop?" are never my favorite part of the festivities.

Some real fun guitar and manic drum work all over both sides and I believe this would be an incredible piece of work to see live in a sweaty basement or abandoned tunnel or some shit, but not something I see gracing the turntable too terribly often.

Decide for yerself here: https://sorrystaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/what-will-happen-if-we-stop

Sorry State Recordstinman73

KLEPTOCRACY - DEMO 2025 CS

2026-01-11T16:24:26.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

Another incredible release from the most prolific and demonstrably punk scene going in the US, and one that won't make many top 10s 'cause art's fiscal year ends mid-November, NYC's KLEPTOCRACY kept speakers buzzin' hot and filthy for the final month of '25.

Hardly a release I'd describe as nostalgic, though one needn't stretch the imagination too wide to picture this as something unearthed from the depths of UK DIY Hardcore by Boss Tuneage or hailed mightily in a forgotten Puszone installment. Strained vocals over evil crust riffs drippin' with thick Big Apple sewer grime, really taking their time and sprawling all over the tracks but never overstaying their welcome, and the drummer has capably carried on the city's proud legacy of scissor beat supremacy while still dropping enough flourishes and experimentations into the mix to keep it interesting.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7vGP5gr0yw

CHRONOPHAGE - MUSICAL ATTACK: COMMUNIST + ANARCHIST FRIENDSHIP 7"

2026-01-11T16:11:03.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

3.75 since 3/4s of this is exactly what I want from the 'PHAGE, even while the remaining quarter waxes a wee bit AOR if we're being honest with ourselves. (Ach!let's round it up 'cause you'd be hard pressed to find an outfit so consistently earnest in their craft, or as intentional with the delivery thereof).

Two sides, four songs split evenly, soft music for harder times. Think Desperate Bicycles, TV PERSONALITIES, SWELL MAPS LIVE with Johnny P (RIP, for some time), maybe a dash of FEELIES (a real rough trade, eh?) or GREAT PLAINS Great art by thee comrade Diyana X (nee Shipp) and an actual, factual insert.

Scoop it here: https://cchhrroonnoopphhaaggee.bandcamp.com/album/musical-attack-communist-anarchist-friendship

Musical Attack: Communist + Anarchist Friendship, by Chronophage

Chronophageemmatonkss

K-Town Hardcore Fest

2026-01-12T09:40:14.000-05:00

By Martin Force

I never traveled for punk fests like an early-2000s-style anti-globalization summit-hopper, but I have definitely been to my fair share. K-Town Hardcore Fest has always stood out for me. I've been twice: once in 2018 while driving GAZM and CELL on tour, and last year playing bass with TOTAL NADA. It's big, but not too big, with all the official shows happening at a single venue (the infamous Ungdomshuset), with an additional matinee or two happening off-site (including of course the BIKE WARS!). It's all extremely well organized, draws the most international crowd and lineup I've experienced, and (most importantly for me) has very clear DIY political consciousness.

So, in November last year I was extremely encouraged to see K-Town Hardcore Fest show up in my Mastodon feed with a shiny new Pixelfed account, announcing their intention to leave Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Here at Counterforce HQ we were already in the stages of planning Fediverse Punk Month for January 2026. Getting off corporate social media really is in the air! So I reached out to the organizing collective, hoping I could get an interview done in time for January (and before they are completely overwhelmed with planning K-Town Hardcore Fest 2026!).

Thank you to Christina and Mathias for quickly getting these answers back to us!

First, I would like to give readers some context in case they are not familiar with K-Town Hardcore Fest. Can you give a brief history of the fest? How did it start, and how is it organized today? What makes it special among punk fests?

Christina: As I am the only member still in the group from back then, I’ll try to recap this one. The festival started out somehow by chance, in 2001. It was the same year as the EU summit in Gothenburg in Sweden. Back then, the EU summits were always a big draw internationally. We knew a lot of people would be traveling through Copenhagen to get there, so we decided to make two gigs we had already booked, into a mini festival “after the Gothenburg apocalypse” (or something like that!) and invite people traveling back from the protests to stay in Copenhagen for a few days. All the proceeds would be donated to the Anarchist Black Cross in the efforts needed to support expected prisoners after the riots which were more or less guaranteed to happen back then.

We spent the following months booking a handful of bands, organized a Reclaim The Streets protest and a Food Not Bombs event as part of the program and started spreading the word. We brought posters and flyers with us around Europe and to the protests that we were also attending ourselves and encouraged our friends to copy and distribute locally. It worked – and lots of people joined. I can’t tell you how it went through, cause I ended up in prison in Gothenburg and needed the assistance of ABC, haha.

I think that what makes K-Town special is that we are anchored in Ungdomshuset, and that it is 100% run by volunteers. That’s our main countercultural social center/venue in Copenhagen. This means that we are also anchored in politics and our way of organizing the festival reminds a lot of how we would organize a political event. We always had political workshops during the day, soup kitchens with cheap vegan food and often organized demonstrations in connection with the festival. For the first eight years we even offered accommodation in shared sleeping spaces for all the traveling people.

The festival was organized in the old Ungdomshuset from 2001-2006. In March 2007 the house was evicted, and the following two years were spent first on the streets, fighting for a new house and subsequently building our new space (the new Ungdomshuset). In 2007 and 2008, the festival was held in Christiania in The Grey Hall. Christiania is a “Free Town” in Copenhagen (do an internet search – it’s a long story). Those two years were a collective punch in the gut, and when 2008 was done, 90% of the collective were so burnt out that they quit. The festival attendance was extreme, and the interest in all Ungdomshuset-related events were massive.

We realized through those years, how important it is to have your own space on your own terms, where you are able to build something that the guests will also take ownership of. In Christiania we were “just” guests, and as a result people disrespected the place and, to some extent, us as a collective. It was nightmarish and the problems were endless. And because of that we “killed” the festival in 2009 and did a political workshop festival instead (we called it “DIY Festival”) with just two bands playing, if I remember correctly. In 2010 we restarted and have been going ever since, only taking a weird dive in the Covid era where we did a mini “seated festival” outdoors (with Covid restrictions) and a downscaled regular indoor Covid edition the year after, also with restrictions.

I'm in North America, where the dominant social media platform for DIY punks is Instagram, with some scenes still relying on Facebook events as well. What do you find are the main social media platforms used by punks in your local Copenhagen scene, and/or the broader international scene around K-Town Hardcore Fest?

Christina: When social media first started really getting used in the scene, Facebook was the main go-to. MySpace was also a thing, but it wasn’t until “events” could be made through Facebook that it really took off. These days I’d say that Instagram is the dominant platform. Facebook is slowly dying out, but still used by some. For a long time, gigs have been promoted on both those platforms in different ways, trying to maximize traction I guess.

We are lucky that we have always had our own platforms as well. We’ve had the ktownhardcorefest.org website for many years now, and Ungdomshuset.dk is a long running and well functioning website with a lot of traffic as well.

Mathias: Yeah it’s definitely Instagram. Facebook is being ‘kept alive’ by its event page functionality, but even that is dying out. It used to be like you could sort of trust the amount of attendees or guests listed on Facebook, but you can’t even do that any more…

K-Town Hardcore has been around since 2001, and platforms like Facebook and Instagram have only existed since 2004 and 2010, respectively. With such a deep history, I'm wondering if the collective's organizational memory remembers what organizing the fest was like before Meta's platforms came to dominance in punk, and if you have any thoughts or insight on how we got to where we are now?

Christina: When we started the fest back in 2001, we hardly had any digital platforms to rely on. The group back then was composed of extremely active people who played in bands, ran labels, booked gigs and tours and traveled a lot for both music and politics. The festival was a natural continuation of all that. We started promotion early, with “pre-posters” to spread the word about dates, and another round of posters and flyers as soon as the lineup and program was set. Flyposting was mandatory and we would bring posters and flyers with us everywhere. All touring bands coming through Ungdomshuset got a stack and were asked to put them up along their tour route. We also sent packages with posters and flyers by mail to all the main squats and venues around Europe that we worked with. We relied on people wanting to help us out and I think it contributed to the sense of being part of something, when you were helping your “sister festival” advertising beforehand. I still see those posters on the walls of squats and venues across Europe, even though less people bring them around these days. I miss the connections we made back then. The sense of community and networking that was so much more concrete, and longer lasting than it is today – maybe because it came along with commitment and human interaction?

I think that convenience plays a big part in why we are where we are today. We started using social media to gain access to a different arena, but I think a lot of people forgot how valuable the arena they left behind really was. I remember how everyone was raving about how cool it was with Facebook, and how you could invite everyone interested “personally” to a gig. I think a part of the reason why we haven’t spent all these years developing our own platforms, is that the most skeptical people tend to lean toward a less digital community and instead of embracing the digital opportunities, they’re shunned or ignored instead of captured and reshaped to fit our political goals and values. I think I belong in that category myself, to be honest.

K-Town has never been a standalone event. We’ve always been a big part of our community, active with booking gigs and the scene around Ungdomshuset. We’ve always had many talks about how to build communities and how to offer a way into activism, politics and music for newcomers. We’ve maintained a rule about analog advertisement to this day, because we recognize that only nourishing your echo chamber doesn’t build bigger and stronger scenes. We need to also catch the person finding something they didn’t know they were looking for until they found it – like so many of us did when we first started coming to gigs. You are obligated to make printed posters and flyers for your gigs when booking at Ungdomshuset. And a big part of that, is that we want to be visible to the people who are not like us, and to the potential new friends out there. We want to be a visible thorn in the eye of established society and a continuous reminder that we are here and not going anywhere. Visibility is a powerful political tool.

I think we realize the reach social media has given us, and that reach is most definitely something we will have a hard time getting by without. But then again …

Mathias: I am a bit younger than Christina, and while I do remember growing up in a time without omnipresent internet life or activity, I don’t remember organizing gigs or festivals before Meta’s platforms. When I first got involved in doing gigs, Facebook was big in Denmark, and when I got involved in K-Town many years later it was huge.

Back when I joined K-Town, it felt like a natural extension of our website to have a Facebook account and event page, and I am pretty sure that that would also show in the data. We had far more traffic on the Facebook posts and in the comments section on the event page than on our website, and that must have rewired our brains into thinking that ‘this is where we should focus our energy’. Incidentally that meant a lot more work, answering questions and DM’s and figuring out the best times to post stuff, managing debates, banning scam ticket sellers, etc. After a few years we tried to avoid interacting with DMs and comments and instead divert traffic back to our website and our FAQ section, but that didn’t really go as well as it could have.

Despite this, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, we made an Instagram account and that started to take off. In the last four years or so we have gotten quite insane reach and interactions on our posts etc – something I find both fascinating but also really weird, honestly.

Long story short we fell into a trap and were seduced by the magical numbers (data) and marketing lingo telling us that we should be where our audience is. Our journey was like this: Word of mouth > Internet/website > Facebook > Instagram > hopefully some new place that is less corporate and awful. Now we are ‘lucky’ to be in a position where a lot of people know what we are (about) and will willingly seek out information about the fest, no matter if it’s on our own website or a new platform like Pixelfed.

K-Town Hardcore Fest's statement on leaving Meta

Beyond what's in the statement, what was the motivation behind K-Town Hardcore Fest taking this position at this time? ("It was a long time coming...") Was it a matter of alternatives getting better/more awareness on your part of alternatives? Or Meta's platforms and dominance becoming intolerable? Was there a recent singular event or series of experiences (either positive or negative) that really drove the decision?

Mathias: We started talking about leaving Meta sometime in the early planning stages of K-Town Hardcore Fest 2025. We usually start planning the next edition of the fest by the end of a year, so that talk would have happened around November/December 2024 (maybe January 2025). The initial plan was to announce us leaving Meta, while at the same time using the same platforms to announce everything related to K-Town 2025. So one day we would announce some bands, and in the next post we would encourage everyone to leave with us to Pixelfed, but things got in the way of our planning... I think there were several catalysts of why we wanted to leave, but the overall influence of the internet was one of the bigger trigger points.

Christina: I think we’ve all been sick of what social media has done to our community, for a long time. Sure, it’s been great for mobilizing and spreading awareness, but it’s also been a superb tool for division, miscommunication and slander. Being positioned on the political radical left, it’s almost unbearable to see the commercialization and capitalization of punk that the SoMe era has boosted. We’re far from the days of BYOFL (Book Your Own Fucking Life) where personal contact and networking were key elements of the international punk community. Now you are almost forced to use influencer tools, pay for boosts and use strategic communication to even be seen by some, because you’re fighting against corporate algorithm tricks. Urgh. I long back to a time where active participation was key. And it’s a sad truth that most punks are just consumers now.

What drove the decision was a mix of the new reality we all faced when the yellow baby was elected again and all the tech bros lined up behind him, and the general things Mathias is also mentioning. We saw people starting to make coordinated exits, some of us exited ourselves, and it led us to have a look in the mirror and ask the question: can you defend being the oxymoron it is to be a political DIY festival, doing your main promotion on big tech platforms??

Sometimes making big decisions as a large collective can be difficult. Without hashing out any internal conflicts, can you say if this was a contentious decision among the collective? Were there holdouts or people skeptical or opposed to the idea? If so, what eventually won them over?

Christina: I think it’s fair to say that we are all a bit nervous about the move. There’s not been grave opposition within the group, but for sure some people feel more energetic about it than others.

Mathias: I wasn’t super sold on the idea of leaving in the beginning, as I liked having a direct platform from which we could engage directly with our audience. I thought we were saying goodbye to too much, by leaving…

Christina: Yeah, I think it’s a delicate balance between choosing what’s right and what’s convenient. We have more than 11,400 followers on Instagram, for example. I don’t think anyone really disagrees with the fact that the big tech companies have way too much power over punk, and that the right thing to do is to abandon them and take back control. But how to do this is another question. We’re “just” a punk festival. We’re not a network of radical internet activists. And our main priorities lies in making our festival as good as possible, while being a positive example within our community, so that people will hopefully be inspired to stay or become radical themselves. But will we change or inspire, if no one's looking?

I think idealism won in the end. And it’s a gamble, if it will truly work. But we choose to believe that it will and that we are an “established” enough event, to survive the setback in reach we will eventually meet.

I have already really respected that K-Town Hardcore Fest has a comprehensive and useful website. That's somewhat of a rarity these days (at least in North America), although I am happy to see more fests returning to having a functional website instead of relying solely on Instagram. You say you plan to use your website a lot more in the future... What do you have planned?

Mathias: Just to use it more, hah! To have more overall and general information about the fest, bands and tickets and so on. I am the main admin for the site and have to admit that I did a terrible job at keeping it up to date last year. I also really want to give it a visual overhaul soon too.

With regards to Pixelfed/the Fediverse, what has your experience been like so far? Have you found any explanations, resources, or guides that are particularly helpful?

Mathias: It’s still very new, and we haven’t really posted anything yet (but will soon enough). I hope punks will join us on Pixelfed soon – the more we are, the funner it gets, I guess.

Christina: Agree. It’s all still so new, and we rarely post anything this time a year anyways. I guess it was a good time to quit, because it gave us some time to build content and think of ways of communicating, before diving into it. Honestly, we have mostly found the Counterforce guide to be helpful and very inspiring, and I don’t say that just to flatter you – but it’s the first guide I’ve found, directed at punks and DIY organizers. I dare say that you helped us believing we could do this! Thank you for that. In Denmark, the main people interested in this stuff are not punks.

Mathias: The Counterforce zine (manifesto) was pretty inspiring, heh!

Are there any other things you are doing to try and exit Meta this year that you want to expand upon?

Mathias: Not really Meta-related, but we have discussed leaving Google too. I think we should, and that’s gonna be less difficult, I imagine, in terms of whatever ‘feelings’ might be attached to their platforms and services. We are not really saying goodbye to an audience when getting a new email account, right? But we still need time to properly research alternatives, since we are using a lot more applications than just Gmail. We have plans of making a newsletter too. So you can get all news and deadlines regarding K-Town directly in your inbox.

Christina: We are going to let our Instagram page stay up for a while, so people can still find us and see where we went. But the Facebook page will be killed entirely at some point. We will probably use the Instagram page for purposes related to the exit. That way we are not just preaching to the choir, but to the people still on that platform, when talking about the exit. Spreading materials from the Punk Fediverse month is part of that.

Fun fact: We weren’t always on Google mail… our first email address was on Riseup, but at some point (around 2010 as I remember it) they were having loads of problems with their servers and we lost access to our account and weren’t able to recover it. That threw us into the hands of Evil.inc :(

Another thing I really respect about K-Town Hardcore Fest is how international it is, both in the lineup of bands and in the diversity of the attendees. We have to admit that Meta's slick and easy social media has allowed for greater international connections and solidarity than ever before. I think that in moving away from these platforms a major challenge will be maintaining strong international connections between scenes around the world. I wonder if you all have thoughts on this challenge going forward?

Mathias: I think you are right. It’s gonna be a real challenge. Instagram made it soooo convenient to stay in touch with your international friends, or ‘add’ all the new people you met at a festival.

Christina: K-Town has always been international. But in later years it became more than it was before. Like I talked about earlier, we built the first festival on international (mostly European) mobilization, so a lot of people who have been coming every year since the beginning, are international. It was somewhat a coincidence but it’s not one that we regret :)

I like to believe that we share a special connection with the bands, volunteers and guests at the festival. We take great care in making everyone feel welcome and part of the fest. We strive to make people feel equally seen and included, no matter if you scrub toilets or play guitar in the evening closer band. I sincerely hope we succeed in that … Many people choose to come back after having played, as guests the following year, and we have many of the same volunteers coming in from all over the world every year, to participate in the annual family event. This cannot be attributed to social media platforms, but to connections and friendships between people, the feeling of being part of something valuable and important – and having a great fucking time while doing it obviously!

Booking for the 2026 fest has started. What has the experience been like so far with this change? What has the reception been like to your new position?

Christina: With three weeks left before the application window ends, we have 370 bands on our list, so I’d say nothing has changed there, haha. Generally, we have gotten a lot of positive feedback from people. No negative so far, except a bit of “whataboutism” here and there, which is hardly a criticism worth taking in.

On Instagram, we have turned off comments, because we don’t want to interact with the platform any longer, but our posts about the exit have been shared more than usual. We have a feeling that’s not a negative thing.

Mathias: 370 band requests is more than we usually get. For the past years the average has been ~300, so so far so good I guess.

Do you have any other advice for other DIY festivals or other punk projects who want to follow your lead?

Christina: Have good talks about why you want to leave. What does it cost your integrity to stay vs what do you gain by staying? Be brave and risk it. But stop being lazy. Organizing is hard work and we’d be lying if we said it was easy.

Get a website or a blog or use an existing platform, from your local political network, the squat/houseproject/venue you’re hosting at or whatever digital resource you have available. Make posters and flyers and think of ways to spread them so the people interested in coming will see them ahead of time. Who are your international friends? Who are your friends, locally? Reach out and use your network of friends!

Mathias: Yeah, start by moving away from Meta’s platforms. Pixelfed is almost a 1:1 copy of Instagram, so there’s no real learning curve. You can even import all of your content from Instagram to Pixelfed, so you keep all of your memories, even if you nuke your Instagram profile. Other than that, I agree with what Christina is saying here – and let’s all ditch Google too, ok?

Finally, please hype up the fest! Where can people go to get more into if they want to attend, play, or volunteer? Is there anything else you want to shout out or add?

Christina: Yes! Please find us here:

ktownhardcorefest.org

pixelfed.social/ktownhardcorefest
(to follow from your own account on Pixelfed/Mastodon/the Fediverse, search @ktownhardcorefest@pixelfed.social)

ungdomshuset.dk

Subscribe to our newsletter for direct mail about lineup, tickets and practical info – we promise we won’t be spamming you.

K-town Hardcore Fest 2026 will be taking place June 19-24, 2026. See you there!

DUKKHA - S/T CS

2026-01-12T16:19:23.000-05:00

By Martin Force

Lo-fi 3-piece anarcho crust. The note that came with this tape tells me they are split between Youngstown, Ohio and Pittsburgh. I imagine Youngstown is a bleak town. Halfway between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and not even on the lake. Where depressive and dark music comes from.

I love the opening riff. It's stupid and stompy. The vibe of this tape roughly fits in the current northeast crust thing happening, so if you like the new crusty bands with solid politics coming out of NY and surrounds (KLEPTOCRACY, CULTURE SHAPING VIOLENCE, etc), you'll like this too. I detect blackened punk influence. There are a lot of really dumb 1-2 drum beat with simple driving riffs that I associate (sonically) with bands like BONE AWL. I'm not a blackened guy, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about but I liked the mix here. Crust breakdowns, stompy-parts, chugging, blackened dum dum parts and a sprinkling of d-beat!

Listen or order a tape here: https://dukkhacrust.bandcamp.com/album/dukkha

Dukkha, by Dukkha

Dukkhadamieninbred

Felix's 2025 Top Ten

2026-01-11T11:11:23.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Felix L.G

#10 FUCKIN’ LOVERS - CRUCIFIXION OF THE MASSES

This band is perfect. Captures the stupidity of the style like no one else today. I wonder if they will ever decide to drop the noise and play rock and roll like the later era SWANKYS when they decided to go ‘77 mode. I could really only love this band more if they did a total musical pivot that made everyone really upset.

FFO: GAI, CONFUSE, ATROCIOUS MADNESS

#9 BLACK DOG - SEWN INTO CONFUSION

AUGH!

FFO: DISCLOSE, FRAMTID, DOOM

#8 PUFFER - STREET HASSLE

If PUFFER’s first two EPs could be described as hardcore punk with heavy rock and roll leanings, on their LP they dive headfirst into outrageous capital R - Rock. On “Never Enough” we get the first song by them with an almost WIPERS-esque nostalgic melancholy feel. Personally, I love to hear them dial it back a little and for all the instruments to have a moment to breathe. Would love to see some longer songs on the next release, maybe even an instrumental track??? I doubt they need the encouragement but guys….go nuts. I’m here for it.

FFO: AC/DC, THE SCIENTISTS, THE KIDS

#7 ELECTRIC CHAIR / PHYSIQUE - SPLIT

Like their idols, DISCLOSE, it’s hard to pick a right Physique release to listen to sometimes. If you find yourself in that struggle, this is a good go-to. They really excel at not beating riffs to death, hear them twice, they’re gone. The ELECTRIC CHAIR side includes maybe their catchiest song. A good split is hard to find, but this will be getting many re-listens.

FFO: FAITH/VOID, TOTALITAR/DISCLOSE, HERESY/CONCRETE SOX

#6 WAYS OF HIDING - S/T

I wish I had seen this band more than one time in 2025 but sadly I only caught their first show. It really made an impression though, being easily one of my favourite live sets last year. It really feels like everyone in this band is bringing their best to this project. Excellent, emotionally effective post punk that pulls on the heart strings without leaning too hard into being dark. Good listening for the next few cold, grey months.

FFO: PLEASURE LEFTISTS, SWEEPING PROMISES, MUSTA PARAATI

#5 RECALL - DEMO II

As much as I loved the 7”, the tunes on this demo fest release are, in my opinion, their tightest yet. The recording is raw, but very dynamic. The guitars are not so distorted that they go into metal territory, sounding more like the bootpunk of Boston bands like GREEN BERET or SUNSHINE WARD. All the shifts into slower, mosh territory feel very natural, which is hard to pull off in a band like this! Vocals are totally blown out, stopping just short of indecipherable, bringing to mind the distorted vocals of Japanese raw punk like KURO. Track 3, “The Butcher’s Smile”, is the catchiest punk song I’ve heard this year. The sort of call-and-response coordination between the vocals and tom rolls on the fourth track are uber satisfying. RECALL’s best songwriting yet, praying for an LP.

FFO: RÄ,KÄNG, SKIT

#4 MANTRACKER - DEMO

My current favourite new Canadian band and one that I hope releases more tunes and (more importantly) tour in 2026. Word on the street is these three saw BLACK DOG and felt a visceral need to play fast. Drums, the most important punk instrument, really pop on this recording and snare rolls go off like the rattle of armalites. Seeing them in St. John’s in an alley was maybe my favourite live punk experience of 2025. AUS ROTTEN cover is really the cherry on top. Love love love.

FFO: PROFANE EXISTENCE, PEACEVILLE, CLAY RECORDS

#3 MUJERES PODRIDAS - SANGRE Y SOL

A surprise favourite of mine when DUREX played with them at Noise Not Borders Fest in 2023. I love a speedy closed high hat, shout out to Mr. Scott who always reminds me it's the toughest thing to play on drums. They have perfected that mid-tempo DISCHARGE beat (think “state violence”, “a look at tomorrow”), sped up and so filled with hooks that its bordering on sounding like a more raw BUZZCOCKS. There are also faster songs, more in line with THE EJECTED than DISCHARGE. This LP sees the band go even further in the realm of jangly, chorus tinged post punk in the realm of bands like PURA MANIA or GENERACION SUICIDA. More blazing punk records should close out with melancholy acoustic guitar.

FFO: CRIATURAS, BLITZ, UGLY SHADOWS

#2 UZU - A QUI LA LIBERTÉ?

Montreal’s masters of mid tempo, and probably still our city’s most underrated band. All over this record are touches of the darker side of garage punk, not out of place next to bands like RED DONS, or RADIOACTIVITY. That raw speed is filtered through the melancholy SIEKIERA stutter that’s all over the recurring palm muted riffs. Track 6, “Ahktanik”, which has that punishing drone of a KILLING JOKE song. An improvement on everything that made the first LP so good, can’t wait to hear what UZU does next!

FFO: MASSHYSTERI, KULTURKAMPF, 1919

#1 ABISM - 7”

I love d-beat. I love a band that can find a way to put a new spin on a genre that's been beaten to death. The guitar tone and the squealing leads feel like something more appropriate to a noise rock record, very reminiscent of the art-school d-beat of BARCELONA. Like that band, everything here is boiled down to its essentials. Absolutely no frills, not a note or a flourish or a bend out of place.

FFO: BARCELONA, DESTINO FINAL, TOZIBABE

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

MERCY - EP
KLEPTOCRACY - Demo
TOTAL NADA - Aquí y Ahora
DURS COEURS - Crise Cardiaque
COMMITMENT - DEMO
ILLITERATES - Does Not Compute
TRENCHCOAT - DEMO

Bad Sasha's 2025 Top Ten Wholesome Moments at Shows

2026-01-10T10:39:24.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Bad Sasha

Burning the Israeli flag during FLOWER on NYE in the Freedom Tunnel
Every time STREET GLOVES + Taylor covered Search for the Sun
Steve Lake thanking Nay (HYSTERIC POLEMIX) for liking his “weird gay techno” album
Zip line and trampoline breaks between bands at Izero Fest in Poland
The floor breaking at 1 in 12 club while TOTAL NADA played and saving a piece
Everything about SCUMPUTER and ALIENATOR at Bar Patriotes
Gabba (CHAOS UK) saying “I feel a little bit responsible” while watching FUCKIN’ LOVERS
Post show karaoke at East River Studios with people crowd surfing to "Country Roads"
Literally crying while ZOUNDS played Did He Jump but never receiving an answer… was he pushed?
Varning extracurriculars (Laser tag, Dance Party)

Honorable mentions:

MOB 47 playing "Discard" and bopping heads with Claire during "Death From Above" (Winter 2024)
Losing my glasses by crowdsurfing to the front of the room during GOLPE at K-Town Hardcore Fest (worth it)
Search for the Sun celebration cake being presented (but not eaten RIP)

Jay's 2025 Top Ten

2026-01-10T11:24:25.000-05:00

By Vanislejay

2025 was a pretty good year for punk releases and as always this was a really challenging task to narrow down to just 10. This list spans pretty much the entire year, one of these dropped on January 1st, and a few dropped on December 21st.

PROGRESS? - Demo 2025

DEMO 2025

MEM//BRANE, by MEM//BRANE

MEM//BRANE - Subcutaneous EP

Aquí y Ahora, by Total Nada

MEM//BRANEIsrael Moreno

TOTAL NADA - Aquí y Ahora

Total Nadatrenchophiliac

BRUTE - Barbarism

Barbarism, by Brute

BruteEral

PORTAL TOMB / EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER - Split 7"

AMERETAT - S/T

S/T, by Ameretat

LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOSplasticwoundrecs

RECALL - Demo II

Demo II

À qui la liberté? لمن الحرية ؟ LP, by UZU أوزو

UZU - À qui la liberté? لمن الحرية ؟

Symphony of destructioncaleb

EXTRAÑA HUMANA - Bailando en la Oscuridad

Bailando en la oscuridad, by Extraña humana

Extraña humanamythsyckfan

HARAM - Why does Paradise Begin in Hell

ليش الجنة بيتبلش في الجهنم؟ Why Does Paradise Begin in Hell, by HARAM

La única respuesta: la anarquía

HARAMtrenchophiliac

I Will Do My Worst #2

2026-01-09T17:38:16.000-05:00

By Martin Force

In lieu of a year end top ten list, I present to you a dirty dozen of selections from DEMO FEST 2025. In case you missed it, over 70 bands/musicians put together a new demo in October and November this year for our 2nd installment of DEMO FEST. All those releases are available online at 2025.demo-fest.org and all proceeds from donations/downloads go to the local Montreal mutual aid group Solidarity Across Borders.

I simply could not narrow this selection down to 10 releases, so it's 12. And even that was difficult, and many excellent releases were overlooked. I strongly suggest you check out the full collection of 70+ demos (and remember to donate). In alphabetical order, here's the list:

AMARGI - La única respuesta: la anarquía

One man band from Counterforce contributor Marginal. I think AMARGI wins the DEMO FEST award for "farthest traveled", contributing from Barcelona.

BASTARD IDOL - Demo 2025

Demo 2025

Toronto-based recording project collab between Emily of TORPOR and INFLUX and Melody of HUMAN FORM. BASTARD IDOL has a live lineup with two Montreal members, and they've played one show in Montreal with a second one happening around the time this will be published... Not sure if it will be an ongoing full band but I hope so!

DISDICK S/T

S/T

Some DEMO FEST projects come about when someone realizes they should finally complete some unfinished project. DISDICK seems to have been in production hell for almost 20 year. Drum machine hardcore punk with mysterious origins. It's shocking no one has used the name before.

EGIDE - Demo

Demo

This demo was a total surprise from strangers in Quebec City. Perfectly executed mid 2000s crust. Usually time machine crust like this from Quebec (or Europe) falls totally flat for me. But not in this case! EGIDE is seemingly a recording project with members of ANEANTIX, but I hope they but together a live lineup and we see them at Varning this year.

IT CHOOSES YOU - Demo 25'

Demo 25′

Scrappy an unpretentious hardcore that only a small town like Halifax can produce. This kind of demo gives me hope for the future of punk.

NORMAL NOW - Demo

Demo

The result of a last minute DEMO FEST sprint by Kelly from RECALL/DUREX and Evan from PSYCHIC ARMOR and CELL. NORMAL NOW shows once again that Evan is a deep well of creative and weird songwriting (see also OUCH! from DEMO FEST 2020).

PICEA - Boreal Raw Punk

Boreal Raw Punk

DEMO FEST received more submissions from Homer, Alaska than anywhere else outside of Montreal. It seems like a whole crew of people there embraced the spirit of DEMO FEST and got together in several different configurations to spit out a pile of raw noisy punk demos. This one from PICEA has fit into my regular listening.

PROGRESS? - DEMO 2025

DEMO 2025

PROGRESS? is a proper new Montreal band who managed to rush out this debut recording in time for DEMO FEST. CF contributor Misery plus members of DUREX, DEADBOLT and NO WAR.

RECALL - DEMO II

Demo II

Local heroes RECALL crammed to record a raw 4 song demo for DEMO FEST and it turned out amazing. I am sure you will hear more from this band this year.

RITALIN F.M. - Demo

Demo

Consuming Mental Isolation

I thought I would hate it but I love it. From the mind of GLASS DOLLS and you'll hear familiar things here but pushed in even weirder directions. Is it just a troll or is it so sincere it hurts?

SYNAPTIC ISOLATION SYNDROME - Consuming Mental Isolation

Montreal super-group with members of PORTAL TOMB, DRIP, WARKRUSHER and BALLAST (sorry Dave but it's true). I think it was originally pitched to me as some kind of crasher crust but in my (naive) opinion they ended up with more of a blistering fast hardcore crust sound. And a fun DOOM cover. "Crust!"

TRENCHCOAT - DEMO

DEMO

The new IFO house band? Seb from DEADBOLT lineup joins Evan from PSYCHIC ARMOR and CELL plus CF contributor Corn. My guess is Seb and P-lou are finally getting to explore songwriting directions that falls outside of the DEADBOLT purview. More stripped down hardcore punk, but they still can't resist rocking with solos and bass lines.

Bonus: THE STEVE LAKE EXPERIENCE - The Feast of Stephen

The Feast Of Stephen

The Deeds of Monsters, by From Below

After visiting Montreal to play with ZOUNDS, Steve heard about DEMO FEST and immediately committed to contribute something from his bottomless pile of unfinished tracks. DEMO FEST magic. A cosmic synth-based track followed by two sprawling rainy-day tracks that are vaguely psychedelic. A great way to cap off your DEMO FEST listening experience!

FROM BELOW - The Deeds Of Monsters

2026-01-10T13:20:28.000-05:00

By Vanislejay

This is a pretty cool release, It's got some arena crust vibes but not so polished that they forgot they were punks. It's fast, great riffs, hard drumming, cool tempo changes, not too much lead guitar, everything cuts through the mix and takes it's rightful place. The lyrics are anti imperial and don't pull any punches, two songs are in English, one in Portuguese. I like it.

Members of CATHARSIS, POINT OF NO RETURN, and BELLAFEA and very cool cover art by Luciano Feijão.

Check this out if you like early TRAGEDY, FROM ASHES RISE, etc.

Released by Bitter Melody Records (US) and Refuse Records (Europe). Listen here: https://frombelownc.bandcamp.com/album/the-deeds-of-monsters

The Quiet Year, by Suzzallo

From BelowBasil

Greg's 2025 Top Ten

2026-01-08T17:01:04.000-05:00

By Greg The Builder

A list of the top 10 (mostly) punk things I loved from 2025 in no real particular order:

ULTIMATE DISASTER - …For Progress

If I HAD to pick a favorite record from last year, this would likely be it. Might be a perfect record. Live, the band is also great.

KRIEGSHÖG live at Earthdom - Tokyo, Japan 11/16/25

Love & Revenge was on my top 10 list last year and I was lucky my trip to Japan lined up with this show. This set was unreal. An experience I will never forget. The whole show was great. SKIZOPHRENIA played and might have been just as good.

CONDUMB - s/t ep

I already wrote a review explaining why I loved this record. It’s gotten a lot of play this year.

CATHARSIS - Hope Against Hope lp

Another one I gushed about and continues to stay in rotation. A band whose presence is as poignant as it was in the 90’s.

MEM//BRANE - s/t lp

I love this band so much, and another record I reviewed for The Counterforce. I believe MEM//BRANE is no longer an active band which makes me sad but I heard a rumor they are putting out another 7” in 2026 so I’ll hold on to that as a consolation prize.

URIN live at Foto Club - Philadelphia, PA 3/7/25

Prior to this show, I had heard URIN before but was generally indifferent. I went to this show because I didn’t have anything else to do that night, and holy shit I am still thinking about their set. Crushing, chaotic, and dissonant.

RASKOL live at Cousin Danny’s - Philadelphia, PA 1/10/25

I saw one of the worst sets I have ever seen by THE BERSERK at this show. I audibly booed when they finished. RASKOL on the other hand played one of the best sets I’ve seen from them. The energy was palpable as they say. The band fed off the crowd. The crowd fed off the band. I might have moshed.

ADDISON RAE - Addison lp

There’s usually one yearly moment of pop music that I cannot shake. This year there were 2 (luckily I’ll get to save ROBYN’s new record for next year’s list). On paper ADDISON RAE’s music shouldn’t really do it for me. It’s a little more mainstream pop than I typically like and I’m not a huge fan of songs about fucking, but god damn this record is great front to back. I don’t know if she has a song I don’t actually like. Great live too.

OKLOU - Choke Enough lp

The second pop offering of 2025 that I obsessed over. This is much more my speed when it comes to pop music. "Harvest Sky" might be one of my favorite songs written since "Call Your Girlfriend". My most listened to song of the year for sure.

SHAKTI - s/t lp

I don’t think this record blew me away but I do love listening to it and have a lot this year. It’s cool peace punk. "The Riz Ahmed" intro is a little weird since they just lifted it from his record and is about Britain and this band, I believe, is from Barcelona, but I guess it works. Despite how lukewarm this sounds, it really is a great record.

P-Lou's 2025 Top Ten

2026-01-05T21:34:14.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by P-Lou

Another great year for stinky people making music! I found myself listening to a lot of new music this year which is always a good thing! I am also very excited that most of my favourite releases of 2025 were made by friends. Great year for my crew, close and afar!!

Here’s my top ten in no particular order:

RECALL - Recall (11pm records)
TOTAL NADA - Aquí y Ahora (11pm recorda)
BASTARD IDOL - Demo 2025 (Demo fest 2025)
NORMAL NOW - Demo (Demo fest 2025)
HEALING - Healing demo (Roachleg records)
SPLEEN - Demo II (Roachleg records)
PUFFER - Street Hassle (Static shock records)
SUBJECTS - S/T (Youth attack)
KLEPTOCRACY - Demo (self release??)
FOOL’S BLOOD - S/T (Total supply)

This year again, the sub 10mins records reign supreme!!

Taylor Joy's Top Ten Shows of 2025

2026-01-04T10:44:08.000-05:00

By Taylor Joy

Title photo: DEADBOLT at Lopez, Nov 29, 2025 by Hamza Yahyaoui

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to both the easternmost and westernmost islands of Canada for punk in 2025 (almost made it to the Yukon for a mini-tour this year but it fell through! Maybe someday...) These tours and trips, plus some awesome shows in my home of Montreal, defined my year more than any records that I listened to, so to roundup 2025 I compiled my top ten shows (in chronological order).

New Years’s Eve Squat Show (NYC, undisclosed location) – December 31

Rang in 2025 in relatively balmy New York, getting to watch excellent bands like FLOWER, ABISM and LOVE & COMPASSION in a mess of punks, taggers, trains, burning flags and fireworks. The lack of flat surfaces in the illicit "venue" made everything extra chaotic, not entirely sure how all the people on nitrous managed to stay upright (edit: turns out maybe they didn't). Happy I finally made it to one of these infamous NYC generator shows, it was an ideal way to start the year!

New Band Show (Montreal, La Sotterenea) – February 23

Despite frosty temps and feet of snow on the ground, this year's edition of the New Band Show went off without a hitch and is becoming a Montreal winter tradition. Despite not being strictly locals, the instrumental section of POISON SPEAR made it out from PEI to knock our socks off. Tons of teenagers came out to the show, and I have this short video saved of a bunch of teens in corpse paint doing a can-can kickline during LIFELINE. The DUREX tape release show was the night before, and I think some of the energy from that spilled over into this event and made for a really fun deep-winter weekend.

VERIFY tour stop in St. John’s (Peter Easton Pub) – April 18

Wrote about this in my Atlantic Canada tour reportback but I finally made it to Newfoundland this year and it didn’t disappoint! This tour was amazing, but was also plagued by various stresses and misfortunes, so I think something about actually making it to St. John’s made the show at the Peter Easton feel extra cathartic. I fell in love with the wild weirdness of the land and the scene in St. John's.

Scorched Earth Fest (Vancouver, Rickshaw Theatre) – July 24-25

In July I traveled to Vancouver and Victoria, BC for the dual purposes of attending Scorched Earth fest and reuniting with my partner after a monthlong tour. It’s hard to name fest highlights because the bill was totally stacked, but CONTAGIUM’s reunion set was great, DEVIATED INSTINCT were delightful and managed to captivate my attention through a very long set, plus many beloved friends’ bands such as BLACK DOG, EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER, STREET GLOVES and PORTAL TOMB fleshed out an absolutely crushing lineup. The matinée show with PHYSIQUE, YELLOWCAKE and BARREN SOIL was awesome top-to-bottom, although I got the wind knocked out of me during PHYSIQUE’s set because I was stupidly standing next to a chest-height table while the crowd went nutso. Worth it!! The main shows were in a huge theatre, and while the sound wasn't ideal, the seating in the back and balcony were a real blessing for all the aging crust war vets with bad backs. Shared a dreamy post-fest beach day with two dozen punks, followed by a peaceful walk through giant trees in Stanley Park and a huge crew rolling up to share awesome family-style vegan Chinese food. It was a hard comedown back to reality after this one.

Secret Trash Fest (Charlottetown, PEI Farm Centre) – August 23

I had so much fun playing PEI in April that I begged the Secret Beach crew to bring my other band RECALL out for the inaugural Secret Trash Fest in August. I was really hyped to see east coast pv duo UNCLE play, and I really wanted to go to the beach again – check, check! The drives were long but so worth it for this little mini-tour-cum-vacay rip with my buds.

URBAN SPRAWL (SF) w/ TOTAL NADA, DEADBOLT, UNFILED (Montreal, The Squat) – September 5

Awesome, scrappy hardcore punk show at a semi-ephemeral, dry, DIY venue (not an actual squat, it’s a gym). Many people who would’ve loved this show slept on it, which is too bad, but the few attendees really brought energy (DEADBOLT’s string section moshed enough to cover everyone who was too lazy to bike to St-Henri). The night was capped by a crazy moonrise over Fattal followed by a flash thunderstorm that necessitated urgently running all the zines and merch inside during URBAN SPRAWL’s set.

Varning XVII (Montreal, Piranha Bar) – Sep 11-13

I already wrote a whole Varning roundup so check that out if you wanna hear more about it. Blabbed with friends, watched too many good bands, ate vegan poutine in a park with an international crew of spiky punks and went a little insane trying to keep up with everyone on drugs.

Search for the Sun (Montreal, La Toscadura) – Oct 30-Nov 1

I can confidently say that the Friday show of this 3-day fest was one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to: THE MOB (UK), FLOWER (NYC), SCUMPUTER (UK), STREET GLOVES, FUCKIN’ LOVERS (Philly) and UZU. I don’t love Halloween so I was happy to have something else to do, but it meant the whole city was in a party mood – everything and everyone were just buzzing. SCUMPUTER (Gabba from Chaos UK’s electronic project) got everyone jumping around and dancing, inlcuding someone beside me in a full-head zebra mask – total surreal insanity. While I can’t condone SCUMPUTER’s silly AI-generated animations, I really love seeing older punks doing what they’re really passionate about rather than just trotting out the same old-ass songs. That said, as far as old punks trotting out their old-ass songs... THE MOB’s set was undeniably very fucking incredible. Finally seeing STREET GLOVES rip alongside another drum machine punk project rather than just being a total oddity on the bill was great, and I was stoked to finally catch FUCKIN’ LOVERS again – their set at a Varning Matinée a few years ago blew my mind and is imprinted in my memory as one of the loudest shows I’ve ever been to. Seeing and hanging with the buds in FLOWER is always a treat, and I was watching alongside a few friends who had never seen them before which was pretty special. This whole weekend was kind of unreal, with way too many highlights to name.

Never Going Away (Toronto, Parish Hall) – November 15

A DIY-to-the-core show in a church basement organized by some younger folks in Toronto who are extremely on the level. Per their request we rolled up with our zine distro, which was a hit, and several people even traded us their own zines. The lineup was solid and none of the bands were all white dudes – I especially enjoyed Columbus' REGALIA and locals HUMAN FORM, and our buds DEADBOLT played probably their best set ever. While I spent my first few years in Canada perfunctorily hating on Toronto, I actually always have a nice time visiting and have been to and played some really sick shows. There are some really cool and solid people keeping things DIY!

All Locals All Ages gig (Montreal, Lopez) – Nov 29

Another all ages/dry show at a semi-ephemeral-space (a cleared-out skate/fashion shop run by a member of FAZE) that was 100% friendship, rippin’ bands, wholesome fun. The kind of show where your cheeks hurt from grinning too much. It was PROGRESS?’s first show and they rocked so hard that a lightbulb spontaneously exploded. This was the platonic ideal of the kind of shows I want to attend and play.

RECALL at Lopez, Nov 29, 2025. Photo by Hamza Yahyaoui

Final thoughts:

As a known shit-talker of both reunion bands and “too many fests”, my list admittedly does include both. I appreciate being able to see bands who are at the top of their game, and to meet and hang with punks and bands who travel for bigger events. Circulation is good for the health of the subculture and seeing really awesome bands keeps me wanting to practice, write, start more bands, and keep doing what I’m doing (but better). But I wish just a bit more of the energy and cash that went into organizing blowout weekends or flying in big-name bands went into the more quotidian local gigs, on going all-out for bands who are struggling to break even on touring right now, or organizing for the kinds of infrastructure that would make our scene stronger (like a reliable all ages venue). That’s what I want to see more of in 2026!

THINK! Top 10 (c. 2025)

2026-01-03T15:06:42.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

AYUCABA - Operación Masacre LP
BLACK DOG - Sewn Into Confusion EP
COLD MEAT - Cake & Arse Party EP
KLEPTOCRACY - Kleptocracy CS
LAME - Lo Que Extrañas Ya No Existe
NÃO - Obrigada LP
NO VICTIM - No Victim CS
PLASTIKA - Sijamski Blisanac LP
RITUAL CROSS - Ritual Cross CS
THE SHARP PICS - Balloon Balloon Balloon LP

Recapitulation: way less centered on the contiguous 48 than last year. Felt like a whole lotta spinnin' tires, but how else to navigate an auto based country's pockmarked infrastructure? Still, the rest of the world felt bright with fury and possibility.

Hopin' for more hope, resistance and less image/status obsession in '27.

Kill the algorithm 107698345891238 dead cops.

No Star no. 1

2026-01-02T17:12:51.000-05:00

By Nab

Short zine from Montreal with a lot of collages. It showcases art pieces as well as music write-ups about local bands DEATH AS IT SHOOK YOU (D.A.I.S.Y), WORKS, PERMA, THAT STATIC, and also an article on MERZBOW and Free Jazz. It’s cool and I love seeing hyper-specific interest zones dedicated to a local scene, I just wished there was more to sink your teeth into, like maybe a full interview of the bands would have been cool. I love the hand made cut and paste layout!

EXTINCTION CLUB #1

2026-01-02T16:08:59.000-05:00

By Nab

The subtitle reads “a fanzine for dead music and dead formats”, as Will shares his passion for both in this classic cut & paste zine. You’ll find an interview with Dom from NAYSAYER and TRAIL OF LIES, an old interview Will did with DEAD CONGREGATION; a super short Q+A with THE SISSY BOYS and a CRIPPLED YOUTH reprint. There’s also some record and show reviews, as well as a bunch of articles about Death Metal, Hardcore that’s not on streaming and obscure VHS stuff. I love this kind of zines that feels super honest and are just a reflection of the author’s interests

E-mail for the zine: extinctionclub905@gmail.com

SUZZALO - The Quiet Year LP

2026-01-02T16:05:56.000-05:00

By Nab

This is Rocky Votolato’s latest project with members of his 90’s emo band WAXWING. Besides being the main character in the Edge of Quarrel movie, he’s most known for his solo career and is probably one of my favourite singer/songwriter. This is the first new music we get from him in a while; actually since his kid died tragically in a car accident a couple years ago. Needless to say this is a heavy record; but it’s also beautiful, cathartic, heart-wrenching, full of love and very inspiring. Musically we get a wide array of exceptionally dynamic alt–rock/post-hardcore, very much akin to what WAXWING were known for, but also taking cues from bands like RYE COALITION, SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE or FUGAZI. I like that it has its abrasive moments, but the stellar musicianship shines through the whole record. Rocky Votolato’s voice is frankly untouchable, and carries so much emotion. Ben Gibbard from DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE also contributes some vocals on a few tracks. The songs are long overall but not dragging, it’s often an emotional rollercoaster and the music follows suit.

Available from Thirty Something Records. Listen here: https://suzzallo.bandcamp.com/album/the-quiet-year-2

11 track album

Suzzalloelectrikiki

BFD - Brothers for Decades 7”

2026-01-02T16:02:29.000-05:00

By Nab

I met Riley on tour with SINGLE MOTHERS last year and he instantly became one of my favorite people. He sang in ZERO and has this new band he drums for called BFD. I actually heard the demo when it came out and thought it was good, but we played with them when this 7inch came out and they were Killer! They play great classic 80’s NYHC that brings to mind the likes of CAUSE FOR ALARM, ALTERCATION, or BREAKDOWN. They sit in that perfect mid-paced tempo that makes the songs really groovy and dynamic Kudos to having good lyrics that are actually about something! Out on Total Supply; one of the coolest new labels for up and coming young Hardcore bands, based out of Toronto and Detroit. Hope to see them play more shows

Available from Total Supply. Listen here: https://totalsupply.bandcamp.com/album/tsr-003-brothers-for-decades

TSR-003 Brothers For Decades, by BFD

Total SupplyDavid Clark

Nab's 2025 Year In Review

2026-01-02T15:47:32.000-05:00

By Nab

A bonkers year in terms of new music. I could legitimately not keep up with the amount of cool releases coming out, especially the sheer number of ripping hardcore demos. I’m a little bummed how North-American centric my list is but it is what it is. Very proud of the record we put out with SPITE HOUSE as well.

I made a digital mixtape with my favourite songs of the year too:
https://samply.app/p/oeHknJ7Vm4ynYzmXOjt0?si=10e5fwQJH5dIFoQQTqkaVVrLSFL2

Albums

ALEX G - Headlights
BAD BEAT - LP 2025
C4 - Payback’s a Bitch
COMBUST - Belly Of The Beast
MILITARIE GUN - God Owes Me Money
SCARAB - Burn After Listening
SOMERSET THROWER - Take Only What You Need to Survive
SPIRITUAL CRAMP - Rude
SUZZALLO - The Quiet Year
THE STARTING LINE - Eternal Youth

Demos

DEAD ON YOUR FEET - D.O.Y.F.
DIRECT ORDER - Demo 2025
FRÖTHING MAD - Demo
MADMAN - The Demo
ORDER OF LIVING - Demo
PRICE OF REDEMPTION - Demo 2025
SIXLET - Demo
TRUE FRAUD - Demo 2025
WITS END - Demo I
W.M.D - Demo I

EPs

EXO - S/T EP
LEAD SPIRIT - Self Titled EP
METHOD OF DOUBT - Total Soul Ignition 7”
MIL-SPEC - S/T 12”
SHADOW TIDES - Self-Titled
THE FINAL AGONY - Deprived From Darkness 7”

Reissues

AMENITY - This is Our Struggle: Anthology 1989-2009
FORCED DOWN - Liberate
LEATHERFACE - The Peel Sessions LP
MILTOWN - Tales of Never Letting Go

Honorable mentions: KALEIDOSCOPE, ETHEL CAIN, CATHARSIS, MOMMA, FEAR OF SIN…

Top Ten Moments of Rock 2025

2025-12-31T13:05:11.000-05:00

By Hampton / Earth Girl Tapes

Let's be honest, I hardly listened to anything new this year, let alone remember it enough to discuss. My most listened to song this year was easily "Concerto In X Minor" by BRAND NUBIAN, if that helps put you in the headspace I'm in. The older I get, the more time I spend as a freak rocker, the more I put value on live performances and experiences in DIY rather than generic 4-song demos fast hardcore with flirtations of a d-beat riff. So with that I'm gonna hit you with my top ten moments of ROCK in chronological order.

Louisville Snowstorm

BAD ANXIETY and SILO KIDS embarked on a short winter tour early in January. We ended up driving right into bad weather. The first show of the tour was canceled because of snow and ice. We saw snow everywhere on this trip, but nothing like Louisville. Cars swerving, punks shoveling parking spots, so others could park, actually dangerous bad weather. After the fact we all agreed, this show should have been canceled. But the conditions just amplified the experience. Only the realest of freaks braved the weather to see us play in a detached garage, the set was bonkers and everyone was just smiling and stoked to be there. Living in the deep south, I don't experience snow. I soon won't forget white-knuckle driving the rental van while doing my best to encourage the troops that we wouldn't spin out and die, to then play the most fun set of the tour. Highly recommend Louisville in winter.

SILO KIDS vs BAD ANXIETY - Battle Set

This was the year of the battle set in Hattiesburg. Once we realized we had a big enough venue, enough gear, and bands that didn't share any members, we knew what we had to do. This show in January set the tone for the rest of the year, shows with gimmicks, having fun, doing things other scenes simply won't do. So many people say they've never seen or been a part of a battle set. Or that they haven't done that since they were 16. Time to bring it back. They rule.

ABI OOZE and JUDY AND THE JERKS

The OOZE crew and the JUDY crew went out on a nice midwestern tour this year. The tour rocked, but we capped it all off with a gig in Hattiesburg. Huge gig, everyone having fun, tossing balloons, throwing around props, people moshing with whatever object they could get a hold of. Whoops, I tried to lift Nevada from ABI OOZE onto my shoulder while they played, and they fell face first and fucked up their guitar. Whoops. SILO KIDS covered a JUDY AND THE JERKS song. Our friend Sophia played their first set EVER by playing bass for one JUDY song while I got to mosh for my own band. It was just a crazy sick gig that was a true celebration of friendship in my favorite little town in America.

PRIMAL BRAIN at Everything is Not Okay 4.5 in Oklahoma City, OK

I really like the band PRIMAL BRAIN from Oklahoma City. Amazing people making amazing music. Saw this band twice(?) this year and each time was incredible. But we're going to focus on the set at Everything Is Not Okay 4.5. You may have read my previous gripes about that fest. But one of the few redeeming factors was this set. Nothing better than seeing your friends play an incredible set, people go OFF, crawling around on stage during the mosh parts because you know all the songs. It was a blast and made me pump my fist in the air in ultimate satisfaction.

SILO KIDS at Gluesniffer Fest in Murfreesboro,TN

Similar to seeing PRIMAL BRAIN, there really is nothing better than seeing your friends' band dominate a set, command an entire room, and leave everyone begging for more. This time, I actually had the opportunity to play drums for SILO KIDS for this set, but I still felt like I got to be there as an observer to such an incredible set performed by the real current rulers of Hattiesburg. You can read more about it here. A legendary rock moment.

VIVA LA THRASH! in Nagoya, Japan

Describing VIVA LA THRASH! is not an easy task, I recommend just looking up a video online. It's two dudes, decked out in some silly gear, playing to a backing track of a weird mix of pop tunes and digital fastcore riffage. One guy just walks in a circle performing and singing and does a funny jump at the end of the song, the other member doesn't move a muscle and just plays the songs from a little device. It was like watching a comedy sketch, but played as a serious band. I knew going into this set it was going to be fun as hell and I would love it. The crowd loved every song, circle pitting with the main guy, crowd-surfing. They started the set off with an a cappella version of We Will Rock You by QUEEN with "Vi-va, Vi-va, Viva La Thrash!" for entirely too long. True weirdos doing weirdo shit. We didn't speak each other's languages, but we spoke volumes by just patting each other on the back saying "Viva La Thrash!" multiple times all night.

C.A.FEISSNER in Ashikaga, Japan

This show had it all. A competing gig in the same building with Japanese Rockabillys, muscle cars and poodle skirts and all. Friends laughing and having fun watching sick bands. An actual child moshing and the whole crowd mimicking her actions, letting her lead the crowd. And most importantly, C.A.FEISSNER from Sendai, Japan. Furious, no-nonsense Japanese hardcore punk. The front person was wearing an all white suit, holding up a custom bound book, whose contents were taken from old Japanese zines describing the burgeoning US hardcore punk scene. We were told that these zines were very influential in Japan, and here they were bound in a book, gold tassel, looking like a version of the Punk Bible. The front person was holding it up, going to the pages of BLACK FLAG, MINOR THREAT, and so on during the set. All while playing like his life depended on it. Every member of the band played like this was the craziest show that had ever happened. Not a dull moment, no moment to catch your breath, just an assault of pure hardcore punk like this was the last show on earth. It was inspiring. C.A.FEISSNER is a band you watch, and it sticks with you. In the words of C.A.FEISSNER "This is Sendai, not US".

BAD ANXIETY at the Jackson Folk Fest in Jackson, MS

This was a surreal gig. BAD ANXIETY was asked to be part of the 'Punk Block' for the 82nd National Folk Festival that was being held in Jackson, MS this year. Seemed odd, but the Folk Festival seemed like a really cool thing. A big multi-day event focusing on the music and art of the people in the area. So many incredible blues, gospel, and jazz acts performed. Booths from all sorts of local artists, even a zine making booth and a skate demo. It was rad. The stages for this event were huge. Like a big open air festival with markets and vendors, chairs for seating. This was a very 'normal' festival, and a huge one at that. This was going to be an awkward set for a very strange crowd. Before the show, we all agreed to play it like any other gig, go crazy and speak in between songs like you would with any other show. That includes curse words thrown at certain political figures, calling issues out by name, so on and so forth. Let me remind you this was in the deep south at the most normal of normal music events. Before we played, I literally had to beg for anyone who is able to please stand up and come closer to the stage, or we would die from awkwardness. Luckily, a lot of people did and we thankfully had plenty of friends there. The set was awesome, people had fun and danced, cheered us on when we called for the head of the current governor. What could have been the most awkward set of our lives ended up being extremely rewarding. So many folks afterward thanked us for saying what we said and for playing with such intensity. For some younger kids, this was their first time seeing punk live, and they loved it. They begged us for more info on how to find shows and bands. A few people in the crowd were disgusted sure, the police were called on us while we were playing. But they didn't do anything and no one cut our set short, all 12 minutes of it. The other bands on the 'Punk Block' were a noise act and a garagey kinda band. So, even there, we kinda stuck out hard. All the awkwardness was way worth it.

YAHHO in Hattiesburg, MS

This year I booked the biggest show I've ever booked. While we don't have a total count for sure, but we guess it was near 200 people, on a Tuesday, in Hattiesburg, MS. Maybe for you that doesn't seem crazy but for us it did. Everyone was there to see YAHHO, a chiptune hardcore punk one man band from Okayama, Japan. His music is very hard to describe, so I recommend just looking it up yourself. He is an insane performer and captivated the whole crowd. People were crowd-surfing the whole time, screaming like they were watching the Beatles, just an insane chaos dance party. At one point, YAHHO climbed onto the roof of the venue and just performed from up there. The crowd lost it. At the end of the night he had a line of folks wanting to take pictures and get autographs. It was an insane reception that none of us had anticipated. Even the other band on tour with YAHHO, HAVANA SYNDROME (Buffalo, NY), had a crazy set. There was a wall of death for this synth punk band. It was nuts.

Wheel of Misfortune

I love a dumb idea. I thrive off a gimmick. No more gimmicky set can be had than the BAD ANXIETY vs SILO KIDS "Wheel Of Misfortune" Battle Set. Not only was this a battle set, this had the WHEEL. The Wheel Of Misfortune is a real big spinning wheel I made that has 10 slices. Each slice has a "misfortunate" thing the band that last spun must do. Examples include - play blindfold, play dizzy, switch members, play slow. The list goes on. It was dumb, whacky, stupid, and fun. The battle part made it even sillier. Watching SILO KIDS struggle through playing a song after spinning for 30 seconds and getting dizzy was incredible. BAD ANXIETY went first and when I spun the wheel it landed on 'MIME', we had to play our first song completely silent but acting like we were still going off being crazy. It was so dumb and awesome, people moshed, we didn't make a peep.

Slim's top 10 sets of 2025

2025-12-26T11:44:04.000-05:00

By Slim

In no particular order:

PHYSIQUE @ Scorched Earth (Vancouver, BC)
YELLOWCAKE @ Scorched Earth
FUCKIN' LOVERS @ Search For The Sun (Montreal)
DECEPT @ Batiment 7 (Montreal)
WARKRUSHER @Batiment 7
UNCLE @ PEI Farm Center
DEVIATED INSTINCT @ Scorched Earth
BASTARD IDOL @ Sotterenea
ONE TRACK MIND's Ontario run
CONTAGIUM @ Scorched Earth

Columna Marginal - December 2025

2025-12-26T11:49:10.000-05:00

By Marginal

I hate this kind of list, but I'll do it for The Counterforce. I do not always discover the music of the current year, many times I find it too late. And I can't say I really loved albums I listened a couple times if they were released in December (or discovered at the end of the year). Also, I forget about music I discovered in January!

How can you do this in a proper, relaxed way? I just can't. It stresses me out to decide whether an album is better or not, but I definitely enjoyed some albums and bands this year and I hope this list puts them all together.

SÖT - Crema-ho Tot
DESTRUXION AMERICA - Gritos Norteño
LAME - Lo que extrañas ya no existe
SAYÓN - Demo 2025
LAKRA - S/T
KALEIDOSCOPE - Cities Of Fear
MERCY - EP
AYUCABA - Operación Masacre
UNIDAD IDEOLÓGICA - Choque Asimétrico
RIPCORD - Damage is Done (the reissue in LVEUM)
ZYFILIS - Don't Fear
TÀRREGA 91 - Ckaos Total

I also would like to say that I listened to LIFELESS DARK's "Forces of Nature's Transformation" frequently this year, and it's an amazing album. It doesn't matter when you read this, it will still be a great album. And same for LUMPEN's "Exterminación"! A proof that this already veteran band will be a classic from the rotten city of Barcelona.

Fediverse Punk Month

2025-12-26T11:37:45.000-05:00

By Martin Force

On the heels of DEMO FEST 2025 we are announcing another project:

January 2026 is Fediverse Punk Month!!

We encourage all hardcore punk underground DIY adherents to try spending January on the Fediverse with us. If you've been dabbling, try doubling-down. If you are already confident here, then spread the word and bring your friends. Let's get some collective momentum going!

We set up a special website at ALLPUNKSPLEASELEAVEMETA.com which has the pitch, info, and physical and digital flyers to share. Share the site, print and share the flyers, online and offline. Our guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse (for punks) is always there too.

DEMO FEST 2025 is here!

2025-12-21T14:45:57.000-05:00

By Martin Force

DEMO FEST 2025 is here. Over 70 bands and musicians spent October and November writing/recording/producing/finishing some kind of new demo and sending it in to us. Everything we received is online now:

Over 70 bands and musicians spend the fall recording these demos, released exclusively as part of DEMO FEST on the winter solstice (December 21st) as a benefit for Solidarity Across Borders.

DEMO FEST 2025 Update – The Counterforce

DEMO FEST is a benefit for Montreal's Solidarity Across Borders. You can donate from the DEMO FEST page, or in exchange for high-quality downloads of any of the demos. Browse the site, explore, find some new music for the winter, donate, and load up your mp3 player.

And please spread the word! If you host a local radio show or podcast, consider doing an upcoming episode based on the new music in DEMO FEST (and shout out the site + encourage listeners to donate).

For more information and updates about DEMO FEST, check the main DEMO FEST site and the Mastodon account: @demo_fest@counterforce.social.

Previously:

Webmaster

Announcing DEMO FEST 2025 – The Counterforce

Martin Force

Bee's Best-of 2025

2025-12-19T15:06:54.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Bee

Every time I make my year-end best-of list I struggle to remember what the hell even came out in the last 11.5 months. After pouring through my “recent acquisitions/to-be-shelved” pile of records and tapes, revisiting label websites, or what photos I took, I come up with a list that, immediately upon publication, I realize is missing crucial selections. And year and year again I lack the foresight to just write down what I liked that year. Here’s my crack at it this year.

ZYCLONE - Visions of Impending Death (General Speech/Re_Vile)
TOTAL CON - This Whole World is Gonna Pay (Brainrotter)

RECALL - Ep (11PM/Broken Skull)
EXIT PLOOM - Live and Death (R.I.P. Peace)

LAUGHING CORPSE - Beyond Recognition (Sorry State)
ENDLESS JOY - S/T (Iron Lung)
ILLITERATES - Does Not Compute (Sorry State)
WHOSE REALITY - Demo (R.I.P. Peace)

TERROR ADVOCATE - Final Demonstration (R.I.P. Peace)
BLACK DOG - Sewn into Confusion (Iron Lung)

AUTO SEAR- Speed Noise Hardcore (Sex Fiend Abomination)
PRAY TO BE SAVED - Demo (Sex Fiend Abomination)
FUCKIN' LOVERS - Crucifixion of the Masses (General Speech)
TOTAL CON - Who Needs the Peace Corps? (Static Shock/Unlawful Assembly)

BRAINBOMBS - I Need Speed/Urge to Kill (Total Black)

PUPPET WIPES - Live Inside (Siltbreeze)
VENEDIKTOS TEMPELBOOM - Huys Opnamen (Minorie)
JONAS TORTENSEN - Viser og countryrock på fynsk (Afvikling Kassetter)

AMATEUR HOUR - Går I Kras (Discreet)
BLOD - Den Oändliga Historien (Discreet)
NICK DRAKE- The Making of Five Leaves Left (Universal)
DEATH KNEEL cassette releases (Life Of Sensation)
Living Water Assembly
Spiritual Endeavour
Ink Wash Apparition
Italian Math

OCIOSA - S/T 7"

2025-12-20T16:22:05.000-05:00

By Vanislejay

I recently picked up this 7" at the EXTRAÑA HUMANA and EULOGY double release show. I don't remember hearing or seeing this band before but I've clearly been missing out. This is heavy d-beat that checks all the important boxes. Solid vocals, heavy guitars with just the right amount of soloing, a couple mid tempo parts to keep things interesting, plus it was all DIY recorded in a warehouse. There's also couple really good samples on here which is always a bonus for me.

Listen here: https://ociosa.bandcamp.com/album/ociosa

Ociosa, by Ociosa

OciosaBandcamp New & Notable May 18, 2021

EXTRAÑA HUMANA - Bailando en la Oscuridad

2025-12-20T15:54:03.000-05:00

By Vanislejay

EXTRAÑA HUMANA inhabits that sweet spot where they scratch a post punk itch but they are still solidly a punk band. Like there is a lot of delay and reverb, but no one has a fancy swoopy haircut and the hi-hat isn't the entire foundation of the drum beats. I'm saying this all in a positive tone cause this band is really solid and well worth a regular spot in the rotation. The recording is raw but everything is clear in the mix. Everyone fills their spot perfectly, a single guitar with lots of leads while the bass and drums create a really full rhythm section, and the vocals are perfect for this style. I've seen them a bunch and they were always great. Members of UZU, OCIOSA, NUCLEAR FAMILY, and a bunch of other projects. Check them out live if you get the chance.

Listen here: https://extranahumana.bandcamp.com/album/bailando-en-la-oscuridad

Bailando en la oscuridad, by Extraña humana

Extraña humanaJean-Paul DuQuette

RIGOROUS INSTITUTION - Tormentor

2025-12-19T17:42:21.000-05:00

By Vanislejay

This record feels like listening to AMEBIX in an amphitheater. Everything is there, you can hear everything in the mix, it's tight, but the sound is somehow both stark and a crushing wall. It's dark as hell, plus bird samples will get a high rating from me every time.

Listen to this loud on a dark winter night while the wind blows.

Listen here: https://rigorous-institution.bandcamp.com/album/tormentor

Tormentor, by Rigorous Institution

Rigorous InstitutionRigorous Institution

HELLSHOCK - XXV

2025-12-16T15:26:13.000-05:00

By Vanislejay

OG Stenchies dropped this huge banger in September. As if they weren't already a goat lineup, they added Todd from TRAGEDY, solidifying their place in the arena stench cannon. No songs under 4 minutes, every song has epic guitar solos, the bass sounds huge, I can hear the drum skins screaming for mercy, everything on this record sounds huge and it works.

Maybe I listen to too much raw d-beat but this record sounds incredibly polished and suits a band with a history of over 20 years well. They honed their jagged blades to slay the beasts of this hell world and it shows. I would listen to this marching into battle.

Released by Black Water in the US and Agipunk in Europe. Listen here: https://hellshock1.bandcamp.com/album/xxv

XXV, by Hellshock

DE #01 ATENTADO “todo esta oscuro” 7″, by Discos Enfermos

Hellshockcoryplaysbass

MERC - Dehumanized

2025-12-16T12:11:34.000-05:00

By Vanislejay

This is bass- and-drums modern powerviolence that stays on the rails while going way off them. When I first listened I was like, I probably would be put off by this band live. I'm not really into bands with just a bunch of angry dudes, but the art was cool, the lyrics were good, political, anti-cop, so I dug a little deeper. Before this project, a close friend of the band passed away, and it seems like this project is almost a grieving project. Men dealing with their emotions in a healthy way? (YES!!)

Then track 7 hits and it's a heavy post punk song? Ok, weird but I don't think they care what I think and that's even better. It's a good song, just like, I'm not generally a post punk fan, and track 8 is back to the pv.

Recipe in the lyrics is chef's kiss.

10/10 from me

Listen here: https://merc-pv-hc.bandcamp.com/album/dehumanized

Dehumanized, by MERC

11 track album

MERCCallMeLeo

THE COUNTERFORCE ISSUE #8

2025-11-21T19:57:54.000-05:00

By Webmaster

The Counterforce Issue #8 is here. This zine compiles everything on the site since the last issue. With a front and back cover by Sara Elbourne.

Download the PDF for printing here and view more issues on The Counterforce Zines page.

BROKE ASS COMICS ZONE #1

2025-11-19T20:13:40.000-05:00

By Stunk

LIFE IS BRIEF, PUNK RULES: A Recap of STRESS POSITIONS Fall 2025 Tour

2025-11-17T12:41:38.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Ben Rudolph, guitarist in STRESS POSITIONS

The first show of our fall tour was at Cobra lounge in Chicago. A nice and early all-ages gig on a beautiful, late summer Thursday. I pick up Steph and we head down to the venue. We are chronically on time to pretty much every gig we play. Jono, Russell and Danny are there to meet us for load in. After an hour or so of mulling around and hanging out with the other bands, people start showing up. Mostly young-ass kids who are stoked as hell to see the headliner. Our friends in the band LATTER are celebrating the release of their new EP tonight. A small cluster gathers in front of the stage trying to secure their spot for the show. I love this energy. It’s refreshing to see people giddy and ready to dance rather than jaded and drunk. It’s gonna be packed in here soon. KILL MOVES opens the show. They play a sort of mix of emo and noise rock. Changeover takes a little longer than ideal, but now it’s our turn to play. The lights on the stage are bright as hell and it’s hard to see what’s going on out in the sea of people. It seemed like people had fun even though half of them looked confused for the lack of mosh parts. Play fast or die! We rush off stage sweaty as hell. SNUFFED is next. They get better and tighter every time I see them and the kids go absolutely bonkers. Hell yeah. Everyone sings along as their vocalist Carly screams “ITS MY LOBOTOMY DREAM”

LATTER is next. They’re a somewhat newer band but have been hitting it hard this last year. They play a down-tuned medley of noise rock and punk. Hard to compare to anything in particular, but it’s powerful. Their stage show is wild as hell and the crowd is buzzing. Hell yeah. It’s so great to see a room full of sweaty young people hanging on to every word. The show ends at 11 and we’re all home by midnight. Tomorrow we hit the road for Cincinnati. The tour is just quick, six-day run through Appalachia, the final destination is Richmond where we will be playing Dark Days Bright Nights Fest.

The next day everyone meets at my place at 11. We all dote on my new pup Harley, an old anxious pitbull. She’s sad to see us go. We hit horrible traffic leaving the city, but once we get through it’s about as uneventful as a drive could be. We arrive at The Comet (again chronically early for the show) and realize no one is there for the gig yet. A few of us find a forest preserve nearby and go for a hike. My favorite pre-show ritual. We meet a friendly black cat along the trail. Must be a good sign. Steph and Danny later decide to go and do the quick hike and again meet the black cat. Definitely a good sign.

Photo by Ben

Back at the venue we are all killing time by playing pool. The Comet provides free food for bands and we all stuff down burritos. Some people hate all the waiting around you have to do on tour. I love it. It will always beat going to work. BUTCHERS DOG is the first band to play. I heard their record “Purists Piss Codes” a while ago and hadn’t seen them live yet – they did not disappoint. I met Landon and Jodie a few years back with another band. They’re immense sweethearts who are absolute punk lifers. RAZORBLADE from Pittsburgh played as well. They’re fun as fuck. Punk AF thrash stuff. They did a medley of “Come Feel The Noise,” it was fun. There was a somewhat solemn note to the evening as we found out the owner of The Comet had recently passed away. He seemed to be beloved by the community for helping create and maintain an all-ages space in town. These places are precious and not always owned by people who have good intentions so we're very happy to be able to celebrate the life of someone who contributed so much. Keeping the gigs going through grief seems like it’s exactly what they would’ve wanted.

Photos by Kaitlynne Cruz

Our gig in Roanoke the next day was unfortunately cancelled as the basement venue we were supposed to play had flooded. It’s a bummer to lose a show on such a short tour but these things happen. Finding a replacement last minute is easier said than done. We do the 10 hour drive to Richmond. It’s at least a beautiful winding route through Appalachia to help pass the time. We finally get to our hotel at around 10pm. I grabbed us some cookies from the Subway next door and we surf the TV for a while and end up watching queen of the damned. We all pass out by midnight. Hell yeah. Getting good sleep on tour is a high commodity.

Photo by Kaitlynne Cruz

We wake up early and smash the free breakfast at the hotel. A few of us use the gym. Coffee and then more coffee and it’s time to head to the venue. Load in is at 2. We get there at 145 to make sure we can snag a good parking spot. There are like 10 bands playing today so we’d rather make sure things are easy. The venue is called Studio Two Three. The building is reminiscent of an old schoolhouse. The first floor has a screen printing shop. The show will be upstairs in what seems like an old school gym/assembly hall.

Photos by Kaitlynne Cruz

At this point in my life I’ve been doing punk shit for longer than I haven’t. The buzz I get showing up for a fest is the same as it was 20-odd years ago when I first got into touring. I love scanning all the tables for merch, records and zines. I love seeing people I haven’t seen in years and reconnecting as if it’s only been a week. I owe so much to these experiences and friendships. The bill today is absolutely stacked and filled with friends. A musically very eclectic bill as well. SLOW HOLE, EYE FLYS and GREAT FALLS all blew me away.

The venue had a giant projector. All the bands got to pick what they wanted to have playing behind them. We chose a compilation video of dogs just doing cute dog shit. Who doesn’t love that?

Photo by Evan Kilgore

IRON LUNG played late in the evening. They were pulverizing. Less stand up comedy in between songs than other times I’ve seen them, but that added to the vibe of today’s set. It was relentless and punishing. REVERSAL OF MAN closed out the night. It was so cool to finally see them. The four of us grew up in Florida and never had a chance while they were still active. They were fantastic and full of the same energy that all of the lore speaks to. A bucket list band for me and Jono especially. A great way to end an epic day.

We set off for Asheville early the next morning. Again, another beautiful drive winding through the mountains.

We arrive at Static Age, again early, and find coffee. This was our first time playing here with this band so we didn’t know what to expect. The small record store filled up quickly after the doors opened. A lot of really enthusiastic young punks showed up which is always a good sign. MOCKERY played right before us and they fucking ripped. Nine minutes of raw D-beat. A killer first set for them. Look out for recordings soon. This was probably my favorite performance for us on this run. I love playing a small room. Steph and I are constantly dancing around each other trying to not knock the other over. It never gets old. The kids went bat shit, side to sides and slamming the whole time. The room was electric and we were all buzzing after. Hell yeah.

Another beautiful drive to Louisville. Tonight’s show is at warehouse spot called Camp Spaceman. The whole place reminded me of one of the big squat venues in Germany. Wall-to-wall graffiti and a sick professional PA. The stage is just high enough to dive off but not too high to where you feel far away. The gig starts promptly at 7. TOTAL FLESH were one of my favorite bands of the tour. They play fast, 80s-style American hardcore. No bullshit and catchy in all the right ways. DEADY headlined. Another band I’ve been itching to see for a while. A truly unique and refreshing band. They sounded immaculate. Their last song of the set involved inviting everyone in the crowd on stage to dance and bang on the drums. People went nuts. Good vibes all round.

We headed back home to Chicago the next day. The news that the National Guard is supposedly being deployed to our streets sets in. We’ve been reading about and hearing from friends all week about the massively increased ICE presence and their kidnapping of people in our home. For now we have a few hours in the van to contemplate the last few days and savor how lucky we are to get do this stuff. Life is brief. Punk rules.

Bread and Roses 2025 Reportback

2025-11-17T10:37:54.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Jolie M-A

In the years since 2020, there’s been a running joke that punks in NYC are in an ongoing competition to host the most insanely illegal shows. Makeshift “venues” began cropping up all over the city as organizers began outdoing one another, putting hardcore bands in tunnels and behind train tracks for one night only. The morning after, TikToks would surface of flags burning and fireworks exploding in a sea of moshers, somehow in the middle of Manhattan. When there’s not much else to turn to by way of DIY venues and everyone is sick of having shows at the same four bars that allow us, it makes sense that the underground becomes not just a necessity, but a badge of alleged authenticity and commitment to keeping a city’s scene ungovernable and raw.

In keeping with this tradition, Bread and Roses Fest set the bar for keeping the indie experience… indie. Generator shows are back, and audiences have accepted a level of danger and spontaneity in a city governed by such principles on a daily basis. And there was no one better to do it than their DIY collective, committed to holding the most punk and least-corporate event possible, truly taking “doing it yourself” to another level. Hosting almost 40 bands over three days, the event was advertised via email and a Google drive folder with handmade flyers, many of which were missing a confirmed venue. It ended up that most would be outdoor generator gigs, some permitted and some not, with a phone number to text for the coordinates. The temporary autonomous zone was real: every show started two hours late and was hosted in a pile of trash outdoors, with varying degrees of cooperating PAs and weather. They were all $20 or Pay What You Can, and rest assured, no one WAS turned away for lack of funds.

The collective, helmed by Donna of CHRONOPHAGE and Jake from BULLSEYE, did a fantastic job of getting together DIY bands from every ether of the indie and punk spectrum. It was a group effort though, with so many types of people helping out to ensure that the show could and did go on, even when logistical hurdles threatened to extinguish some of our fun. Their intent of “uniting anarchist and communist non-hardcorists and peace punks for the sake of enriching our connections and community” seemed quite successful. Indeed, they gathered some of the best and most committed underground artists across North America, with a dynamic crew of people, blasted into the chaos of an uncontrollable and spirited festival.

The first festival evening was located in an almost comically cutty “venue” carved out of a scrap of a skatepark along Newton Creek in a seemingly abandoned and industrial part of Long Island City. Walking there consisted of a pigeon-shit-splattered overpass with shattered bottles littering the abandoned sidewalk – not a bodega in sight – through a cinematic wasteland with no homes, just pure industrial filth. In order to get to the garden where the generator was set up, you had to scuttle across a broken bridge and watch your step to meet the dozens of other weirdos huddled about in clumps of woodchips, dangerously close to the poisoned body of water.

Local legend HOME BLITZ opened up the evening with his signature blend of weird-as-fuck, medieval-sounding flamboyant pop guitar genius. It was a treat to see Austin’s TOUCH GIRL APPLE BLOSSOM’s jangly, heartfelt, HEAVENLY-inspired indie pop, which got everyone moving and feeling good, bopping along to front woman Olivia Garder’s sing-song but powerfully twee vocals. A fest highlight was GOOD FLYING BIRDS from Indianapolis, who brought the party down using their multiple tambourines as weapons. The makeshift stage was squished with seven members, jamming raucously with co-singer Susie Slaughter screeching as she passed out loosies to the audience. The band refused to slow down or stop screaming and wiggling for even a second, and their Gen Z exuberance was contagious. I felt for HORSEGIRL, who were still game to go on around 2am, eschewing their usual in-ear-monitor-type professional shows for the complete disorder of Bread and Roses. They were good sports and sounded even better, with their melodic and restrained style of mainstream indie-approved guitar music successfully reaching the outdoor masses, including their compellingly soft vocals that sounded beautiful on even the scraggliest of blown out speakers.

The following day we somehow dusted off for round two, starting up at a church in Ridgewood for the day show. Catered by Food Not Bombs, I sat outside slurping their hearty soup to get brought back to life for the morning show. The basement scene showed out new bands as well as NYC faves, and the most fun was loitering outside getting to know new people who had the enduring curse and blessing of sharing the same subculture. TW33DY from Kansas City were among those new comrades, and their blend of slightly country-twinged, loud, jangly indie fuzzed out the audience with a fun “Cry No Tears” NEIL YOUNG cover. PROVIDERS played their first show, featuring Groovy Mike from VEXX, VANITY, and a million other guitar projects alongside my bandmate David from RIBBON STAGE – better known for TERCER MUNDO, POBREZA MENTAL, HYSTERIC POLEMIX and also a million other international punk bands, as well as Ava from CBS and an eponymous solo project she also performed under.

The daytime event was delightfully accessible compared to Saturday’s evening chaos, which was located behind a fence and past a park on the Williamsburg waterfront. Attendees were given coordinates to a location where someone was supposed to walk them into the show area, but I’m not totally sure if such a person existed. Real “if you know, you know” hours, and don’t expect it to be easy if you want an intentionally anti-corporate event. This involved climbing on a literal trash can to get over a fence, then walking another 100 yards down a carpet of broken glass to a small enclave of trees on top of rocks before the East River starts. We were treated to an end of summer rain that pretty much did not stop all night, lightly dusting our electronic equipment and creating problems with gear, prolonging the show’s start to at least 3 hours after alleged start time.

Miraculously, the generator held on, and RAT HENRY finally kicked it off with some stellar 39 CLOCKS-style catchy and down tempo post-punky, scrappy guitar music. My band, RIBBON STAGE then showed up for a surprise super-short set. In true B & R fashion, we were added to the lineup two days beforehand, and had only practiced with a new band lineup once before our three-song debut. Naturally, it was a mess. I didn’t love looking like a drowned rat while desperately trying to pee in the bushes before playing to an impatient crowd of some of my most beloved and annoying peers, but one has to pretend to be hardcore and not care about such luxuries.

JEANINES played after us, coming down from Western Mass to blast their saccharine and melody-laden clean indie tones through demonically loud amps, allowing Alicia’s clear and dreamy vocals to shred the whole waterfront. Other bands included the always great GALORE from SF, whose recent LP “Dirt” was one of my favorites of 2025 and quite overlooked in my opinion. Also on the lineup were MOPAR STARS, a Philly favorite with members of SHEER MAG and POISON RUIN who have an upcoming debut record on K in 2026. I think the show finished before 3am, but at least there were delis nearby if you felt like hopping the fence again to get to them.

We closed out the weekend at the amphitheater at Far Rockaway, an almost refreshingly “normal” venue by virtue of having a bathroom you could walk to close by – one that even had toilet paper lovingly provided by the NYC Parks Department. Due to permitting issues, the show had to start late and end early, but the morale was high as artists like BULLSEYE took the sunny stage. It was a lovely, sunny day and Dan Dimaggio and I took a dip in the water, which was definitely too cold at the absolute tail end of summer but still a necessity at the rock show. We didn’t put our shoes back on and indulged in the amphitheater's smooth floored safety to dance barefoot to Canada’s sweethearts, GARDEN OF LOVE. A Sunday highlight, the three piece was fronted by Donna’s frequent collaborator and multimedia artist Jane Harms who joined us from Montreal. They shared the stage with indie mainstays LIGHTHEADED from New Jersey, as well as hometown heroes the avant-garde AUTOBAHN who heralded the younger end of fest participants. I watched them while eating more nourishing yet slightly bland vegan food, provided by the illustrious Food Not Bombs squad once again.

The sun set on a successful event that brought together like-minded freaks from across the spectrum of whatever might be called "independent rock music.” The collective also graced us with a compilation tape and zine with artists who played, printed on newsprint and effectively capturing the ethos of Bread and Roses in all its xeroxed glory, available on an esoteric Youtube link. The fest’s vibe was decidedly inaccessible – yes they provided all the coordinates, but you had to will yourself to get there, descending into the “freaks only” kind of atmosphere. You have to really want to be there to be there, but somehow hundreds of people did.

Overall we were lucky to be together and have fun especially in a city with increasing brutality toward those who fall outside the mainstream, and I’m grateful to the organizers for creating such a dangerous and inclusive environment. Yes, the dream of the 90’s is dead and “indie rock” no longer exists, but for one dazzling weekend its corporate capture could be ignored to keep the DIY dream alive in NYC.

DON’T INVERT THE ART

2025-11-17T10:20:32.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Hobbes

Punks like black shirts. This is an irrefutable fact. As a food spilling person, I am of the same mindset and will always choose a shirt in the punkest shade over any other color. But is there an unknown cost we have all been paying while hiding pit stains?

Let’s get started. My friends, what comes to your mind when you see these two examples?

Do you notice something a little strange? Well, if it doesn’t bother you yet that the titular black flag is now a white flag, I will show you a few more examples to further drive my point home.

SKULL TALK

There is no condition known on this earth that causes a person to have a black skull with white eye sockets. Even upon death. I’m sorry to break it to you, but this phenomenon exists solely within punks-fucking-up-artwork. We have decided, as a genre, that we do not care about blacked out teeth and glowing white eye holes – as long as it means the design goes on a black shirt.

Even more confusing, as you’ll notice in some of the above examples, is when we take a skull that was actually adapted for a black background, and flip it anyway to go back on to a white shirt.

LET’S FIX IT

TALK TO THE ARTIST

First and foremost, it’s always worth reaching out to the artist before you change the background color or reverse the design. They’ll understand how the shapes and details behave when everything gets darker, and they can help you avoid odd-looking highlights or loss of detail. If you want extra gold stars, telling your artist ahead of time that you intend to do black shirts will be helpful in their design process.

ASK YOUR SCREENPRINTER

Assuming you’re not ordering your shirts or patches off some sketchy redbubble site, this is a great option. Screenprinters are used to adapting artwork drawn on white to print cleanly on black. They can re-balance the lines and colors properly. Just make sure you’re communicating this is your desire – and confirming that they won’t just invert the design. While preparing to write this instructional, I asked a screenprinter for their opinion on our tendency to invert designs and they had this to contribute:“Just last week a band came in with artwork of a hooded executioner, but due to their poor choice in ink colors – the executioner suddenly became a klansman. You don’t want that. Please don’t invert your art.”

DO IT YOURSELF

Armed with a touch of photoshop competence, you can avoid socializing entirely and absolutely solve this issue yourself. I’ll show you an easy trick that’ll enable you to adapt most designs to go on to black shirts for the rest of your punk life. It’s nothing fancy, and it’ll feel like second nature after running through it a couple of times yourself. Let’s go!

QUICK PHOTOSHOP DIY

We’re gonna work on our boy Ratfink here. Someone desecrated our favorite garbage rat and we’re going to fix it together so he can be properly appreciated on a black shirt.

TO BEGIN: ACCESS EDITING SOFTWARE

Pirate it, borrow it from a friend, do not pay hundreds of dollars for a digital program.You can also use something like photopea.com which is basically a free Photoshop dupe for your browser.

STEP 1: FILE > OPEN

Don’t work off the screenshot your bandmate sent you in the group chat. Find the original and open it. Ideally you want a decently large scan of the artwork.

STEP 2: REMOVE BACKGROUND AROUND THE ART

Use the Magic Wand Tool (Shortcut is the W key) to select all of the white background around the art. Hit backspace to delete those areas once they’re selected.

STEP 3: SELECT THE ARTWORK

With the entire transparent background selected (Hold shift to select multiple areas), you can isolate the artwork by now going to Select > Inverse. Now only the artwork will be selected.

STEP 4: EXPAND SELECTION

Go to Select > Modify > Expand. Try 5 pixels and press OK. This makes a sort of halo or “forcefield” as a good friend likes to call it around the artwork.

STEP 5: WHITE BORDER

Make sure you have the color white selected in your palette. Create a new empty layer behind the artwork. Use that layer to fill your selection you just made with white by going to Edit > Fill. Set it to Foreground and press OK.

STEP 6: TEST IT OUT ON BLACK

Create a black background layer and try out the design. Erase parts of the border that don’t fit, adjust the size of the border to suit the art.

Isn’t he lovely? Now you can at the very least see where his damn eyes are looking. This is a simple five-minute dirtbag method of adapting a design to be readable on a black background.. Now imagine if you were to spend some time on it, or collaborate with your artist or screenprinter. What a great shirt! I wanna wear that and spill soup all over it! Enjoy!

Three records left by the cat-sitter's boyfriend

2025-11-17T15:15:27.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by automattack

The title says it all… I went out of town, and my cat-sitter’s boyfriend left a small stack of records for me. I’d never heard of any of the bands, so I was excited to dive into them.

ATENTADO – Todo Está Oscuro EP (2009)

I drop the needle, and screechy guitar feedback fades in. I smile. The drummer starts with a proper d-beat, and the band kicks in almost immediately. It sounds terrible, and I love it. Four songs of raw d-beat worship without any of the pretentious bullshit. Crappy guitar sound, and rough production with vocals up front. Side 2 is more of the same. It’s like this record was made for me. The lyrics are in Spanish and seem to be about personal issues, like depression and suicidal ideation, rather than the typical DISCHARGE-style “war is bad.” I have to find their LP.

Listen at https://discosenfermospunk.bandcamp.com/album/de-01-atentado-todo-esta-oscuro-7

Discos Enfermosjuxnsxnmiedx

BOMBED OUT – Human Disease 6-Track EP (2008)

I was told this was an Ottawa classic, a treasure, and an important piece of Ottawa punk history. I probably would have liked this in 2008, but in 2025, it’s difficult to distinguish BOMBED OUT from all the other d-beat and adjacent bands. I like the multiple singers, uncomplicated song structures, and the unpolished production, but I want it to be faster and more raw. This one has the DISCHARGE-style lyrics about war (they are called BOMBED OUT after all), but it reminds me more of SOCIAL DISTORTION’s 1945 than DISCHARGE. Probably because the first song is also about when the US dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Not bad, but it doesn’t get me excited.

Listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS-aMVd5db0

EYE-GOUGE! – Fast Pissed Off & Proud, 2009

This is a one-sided seven-inch. I like it when bands think outside the box a bit, so the format alone piques my interest. Snotty and fast. Samples. A few covers. Even an unlisted track or two… It’s got a lot of things I like on one side of a seven-inch. A rare gem indeed.

Listen at https://eyegougecchc.bandcamp.com/album/fast-pissed-off-and-proud

Fast Pissed Off And Proud, by EYE-GOUGE!

EYE-GOUGE!Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 14, 2025

I Will Do My Worst #1

2025-11-11T17:18:10.000-05:00

By Martin Force

I get asked by other punks pretty regularly about this or that new alternative online music sharing app or platform. This question has become more common in the last few weeks which suggests the tide is really starting to turn against Spotify. That's great, but I share the anxiety of many that a mass "Spotify exodus" is likely result in people jumping to something new that might be novel but won't really be fundamentally better.

I'm going to just share an answer I gave to a question about "Bandcamp alternatives" in regards to DEMO FEST in a recent (Sept 29th, 2025) interview with DIY Conspiracy. I've abridged my answer slightly, and at the end I'll add some updates. Go read the full interview if you are interested!

Those almost 200 demos from the first DEMO FEST were all uploaded on Bandcamp, but for DEMO FEST 2025 you’re trying out a static site generator called Faircamp. It would be really interesting to hear more about that. Also, what do you think of emerging Bandcamp alternatives like Ampwall and Subvert?

There are maybe a dozen different alternatives akin to Ampwall which are trying to callback to Bandcamp’s earlier days, sometimes with a slightly more ethical business model. These projects generally offer little or nothing that’s structurally or fundamentally different from Bandcamp. A few are cooperatives, which is more interesting. But overall, they are just proposals for another centralized online music distribution business. There is nothing to stop them from becoming shitty in 5-10 years, forcing us all to find something new again. I’m not interested in options like that.

Instead, I want something that lets us have more control and autonomy over how we share music online. A project that isn’t a new centralized site, but something that is open-source and self-hostable, so we can DIY it. I want punks to be able to both share and listen to each other’s music online without having to deal with a shitty company or corporate platform.

Faircamp is a (free, open-source) static site generator. Basically, it’s a program that makes a website that looks like a Bandcamp band/label profile. All the releases and tracks are organized nicely and presented for streaming/download. It doesn’t handle any payments or sales (but you can include a link to a PayPal to receive money). To use Faircamp, you install it on your computer, give it all your wav files, art, notes, lyrics, and Faircamp will put it all together and generate the HTML files. But, crucially, you need to take those HTML files and put them on a server yourself in order to have something people can reach on the Internet. It’s a bit technical and not easy for everyone. It’s not like Bandcamp where you can log in and just drag and drop everything to create or update a profile. You can see an example of a punk site built with Faircamp here.

But Faircamp is not what I’m dreaming of. Ultimately, I want something open-source and self-hostable so anyone can set up a DIY Bandcamp. Some technical skill from a person like me would be needed to set up each site, but bands could easily just sign up and upload their music as they do with Bandcamp now. I could run one of these for my local bands here, labels could run them for releases they put out, basically any person or group could set up their own. Hosting stuff on the Internet costs money, but any of these little autonomous Punkcamp sites could decide if they want to throw benefit shows, collect donations, or take a small cut of sales. It’s the same principle behind the decentralized Ask A Punk calendars, or Mastodon and the Fediverse.

There are two projects I know of that are working on something like this. One is Mirlo and the other is Bandwagon. Both are open-source and plan to be self-hostable soon. Bandwagon is also part of the Fediverse (you can follow a band’s page from a Mastodon account) and Mirlo has plans to add Fediverse features as well. I’m in touch with the creators of both projects, eagerly awaiting when I can try setting up my own version. When that happens I’m sure you’ll hear about it on The Counterforce.

Finally, as far as I can tell, Subvert is just a zine and a bunch of graphic design and unknown money sources pretending to be a radical Bandcamp alternative. I haven’t seen or heard anything about to suggest that it isn’t just a scam.

Two updates since that answer:

1. Mirlo

Mirlo has since received a substantial grant for developing decentralization features from the NLnet Foundation (a Netherlands non-profit that funds projects to contribute to an "open internet"). This means Mirlo is well-supported for the next little while to both become part of the Fediverse, and to be much easier for someone like to use it to build my own "DIY Bandcamp". Here's their blog post announcing their plans (https://mirlo.space/team/posts/funding-federating-mirlo). Following this work, small punk scenes or punk labels or anyone who wants to share (or sell) their music online could set up their own Mirlo. And I won't nerd out on the Fediverse stuff here, but it'll be cool too!

2. Subvert.fm

I was maybe a bit harsh on Subvert.fm as I had not looked closely at their website in a minute. They are now in "alpha" (though it's only open to members who bought the $100 zine). On their blog, they have published quite a lot of internal documents, demonstrating their formation of a complex cooperative model, with artist-members, label-members, supporter-members, etc., and a share investment model that allows them to raise investor capital a bit like a start-up. I'm a bit wary of that, particularly because they mention raising $650,000, but the link to provide more info "about the funding we took, the funding we didn't accept" doesn't actually deliver that (at least not today). There's just a lot of tech start-up vibes in general once you start to poke around. But I think their motivations are in the right place. It's probably not a scam, and at least they are mostly transparent if you can read through all the docs.

But is it a good fit for punks? Besides the vibes, it's a very bureaucratic business model with a lot of potential stakeholders who will have potentially conflicting goals. I don't think it really make sense for all musicians, labels, and interested investors/supports to be in one giant cooperative. It might be an ethical approach to being a "working musician" under capitalism, but that isn't a priority for me. You shouldn't have to join a huge complex business model just to share (or sell) your demo or record online. It's also just hype right now, and I'm skeptical of hype in general.

Conclusion: be DIY online

There is a clear contrast between Subvert, which is a closed-source single centralized platform (albeit with an ethical-ish business model), and Mirlo, who are working to build an open-source platform that anyone could use to create their own DIY Bandcamp. I find Mirlo more promising for punks, because of this alignment with DIY: it's a tool that any of us can use to do it ourselves, rather than yet another centralized platform that can fall out from under us.

If you are looking for somewhere to move your music to today, Mirlo's own instance is live right now for anyone to share/sell their music, but you can also DIY a band website using Faircamp (like RECALL), or use neocities (like DEADBOLT). Or something else. Just dub some demo tapes at home. Whatever you do, just consider: are you pushing the envelope of autonomy, or just joining another centralized platform with a makeover?

As this is one of my special interests, I'll be following all of these projects and continuing to try them out. Please get in touch if you have an opinion or perspective to share!

BOOT - Varning Demo

2025-11-08T13:37:17.000-05:00

By Martin Force

BOOT (or B.O.O.T. ?) is a bit of an Ottawa supergroup. Ska Jeff (needs no introduction) joins Will from GERM ATTAK (and countless other bands) to provide the rhythm section. The guitarist Greg was also in a local-secret screamo band in Montreal in the 2010s called KALE (it was better than you're thinking).

Normally I wouldn't be that excited about another band influenced by the current Oi!/skinhead trend, especially with a name like BOOT. But... BOOT is good! There are the simple guitar melodies but there is an extra cold dreariness to the songs. It works out well when take a former introspective screamo guitarist and put him in suspenders and boots! The lyrics actually have something interesting to say, and the vocals are catchy without being too corny (I'll forgive "if the boot fits"). I liked this a lot more than I expected to and I hope they'll get to play out more in Canada + beyond.

Listen to the non-varning version of the demo on their bandcamp: https://bootonourthroat.bandcamp.com/album/demo

Demo, by B.O.O.T.

B.O.O.T.Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 19, 2022

DEADBOLT - Disillusion

2025-11-08T13:14:23.000-05:00

By Martin Force

First, this is the best sounding DEADBOLT recording so far. I've seen DEADBOLT a lot but it's rare that their live sound lives up to how hard this recording sounds. Maybe we need to get Seb a second guitar cab?

I feel safe in saying that DEADBOLT has finally slotted into the power vacuum left by GAZM and formerly occupied by OMEGAS. Few bands can straddle Montreal's punk and capital-H-hardcore scene without being trapped by whatever current trends are stagnating each one at any given time. Sonically, they are not afraid to mix influences from both scenes citing TOWER 7, WARTHOG, alongside JUDGE and CHAIN OF STRENGTH as influences in a recent interview that appears in our local punk newsletter of record La Chaine. There is also a WARZONE cover and every song has at least one obligatory but brief guitar solo (they also shout out SANTANA in that interview). Only the unhindered creativity of youth can blend influences like this without pretension and produce a coherent output. Much like GAZM did before them. It's a breath of fresh air when the rest of Montreal's Hardcore scene seems intent on starting the same mediocre beatdown-type band over and over again and won't even listen to a d-beat, let alone check out what is going on in other corners of the scene here.

DEADBOLT is really paving the way on all fronts. They also have a DIY website, which is impressive, since most hardcore bands here have an Instagram before they have a demo tape. Also, it's fantastic: https://deadbolt.neocities.org.

The tape is available for download on said website, or on Bandcamp: https://deadbolt514.bandcamp.com/album/disillusion

DISILLUSION, by Deadbolt HC

Deadbolt HCBandcamp New & Notable Jul 9, 2025

SEDIMENT - DEMO 2025

2025-11-08T11:43:14.000-05:00

By Martin Force

I was handed this demo tape at the recent Search For The Sun festival in Montreal.

It's dark anarchist crusty punk. It reminds me of earnest political early 2000s crust. The lyrics The first song ends with group vocals chanting "Can you small the oil seeping from the spoiled ground?") but musically it's not as melodic. These demo songs are pretty straight forward, unrelenting pots-and-pans d-beat, no breakdowns or octave leads. But there is an acoustic/clean guitar intro to the last song. Maybe there will be a string section added if they ever do an LP. This all sounds like I'm shit talking, but I'm a huge sucker for this stuff. I listen to that 2012 OROKU LP regularly. I would love to see this band with two guitars and extended spoken word sections/between songs speeches at an outdoor show with a lot of oogles. I thought the person who gave it to me was from Philly, but then later I learned they biked up from Vermont for the show, rather than tagging along with the various Philly bands. The photos in the insert kind of look like Pittsburgh. So I'm not sure if this is a Philly band or a Vermont band or just spread our across the north east USA. But Pittsburgh fits the lyrics and themes, earnest wrestling with the environmental destruction and decay wrought by capitalism that is particular to the rust belt. I look forward to hearing more!

I found their bandcamp, so you can listen here: https://sedimentphl.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2025

Demo 2025, by Sediment

SedimentBandcamp New & Notable May 18, 2021

THINK! Column 1

2025-11-05T15:08:48.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

i. can ya smell it?

Disappointed some months (pushing a year?) ago at the various reactions and soundbites regarding Hardcore Band A and Hardcore Band B doing "Hardcore Band" things, I incurred the memetic damage and ruminated, holistically speaking, and now, a scant 8 months later - again, read elsewhere, time is meaningless, save the record keeping for the punchout clock, I spent those months working sixty hours and tearing my knee apart and grieving the loss of my best friend, and maybe, perhaps, this is all meaningless in the grand scheme-of-Things - I believe my disappointment warrants explanation and now We find Time.

Disappointed, not, I should clarify, because of any doubt regarding the facts of the case. They happened, we know this. Disappointed instead because of the explication amongst my Hardcore Punk fellows far more aligned in vision, focus, intention, aesthetics, et cetera with myself than the accused, that the actions of Hardcore Band A and Hardcore Band B were somehow in fact Hardcore Band behavior, as though these behaviors were not rampant amongst Punk Band A and Punk Band B and Punk Band C, and likewise speckled and spattered amongst the Grindecorers and Power Violent and Bicycle Messengers and Vegan Lawyers and the list is thousands long (though, presumably, not the way FILTH envisioned).

There's no names named this go 'round, because I've named them a million times and will a million times more, but it's a grave danger to assume that this is an Elsewheres problem. As we await the downfall of embarrassing bands with embarrassing web presence, circling the tent before we all point and laugh at the clowns, keep an eye on the danger just as likely found in our own backyards, personified not by strangers, but friends and confidants with bad haircuts and questionable chord progressions all the same. The depressingly banal truth is how evenly spread said behaviors are across all subculture and, indeed, all culture and all life.

ii. are you listening?

The big project this year was to work my way through three lists: the Pushead 100, its successor - Best of the 90s DIY Hardcore according to Prank Records, and the Wire's "100 Records That Set The World On Fire (While No One Was Listening)," all distinct, yet surprisingly "in conversation" visions of What constitutes What demanding exploration. The project's purview was inevitably expanded to include the Wire's 30 album addendum, as well as all records granted the illustrious Five Mic designation by Source Magazine, but was delayed (read: abandoned) due to being a piece of shit, instead wiling away the months pulling pud (and, being charitable to myself for once, recovering). Every couple weeks, I remember this goal and, as I'm unemployed for another 3 months, I have absolutely zero reason to abandon (read: delay) this project any longer (save for an unyielding compulsion to pull pud, get the man a straitjacket!)

I've listened to the first six albums (two a piece from the initial three lists) so many times at this point that I probably don't ever need to listen to them ever again. Pushead's first two entries fucked up the curve for their cohort. What possible hope for legitimate pantheonic consideration can utter dreck like MEATMEN and SOCIAL DISTORTION have weighed against two of the greatest hardcore punk records ever conceived, included solely because Pushead balked at the idea of frontloading 7 consecutive records by the same band and, presumably, because he had never heard NOG WATT or the COMES at the time of publication?

Like a father confronted by the Old Testament God, Pus-y chose just one child: the "Fight Back" 7". Frightening, prophetic, the blueprint for a million would-be could-bes, no one has come close to replicating the message and mayhem of this record, and no one ever will. Likewise, despite their shirts adorning the barrel chests of now-erstwhile edgemen's high-gloss press photos for decades, the seeds spilled forth from the bitter fruit of SSD's "Get It Away" were smothered by the saccharine shade of GORILLA BISCUITS and UNIFORM CHOICE. Springa's unhinged ramblings over Barile's trademark crunch, the whole affair over and done before you know what hit you, they should have retired the trip Xs like a fucking jersey after Al died.

Fast forward a decade or so, Prank is here to educate. The 90s has always been unfairly maligned as an outlier in the Hardcore Punk timeline, forced repentance for pop-punk breaking into the mainstream and a greater emphasis on earnestness and feelings, but if INFEST, CROSSED OUT, and CRUDOS have failed to convince, it's unlikely IN/HUMANITY's "the Nutty Antichrist" will do much to drag you yobs closer to enlightenment. Of the six cuts in question, it's my least favorite, though not remarkably so. It's loud and chaotic, a forebear to the skinny white belt anemiacs still to come, with a petulant sense of humor and penchant for quirky samples, but once some of the songs hit 2:30 I start looking for the skip button, amusing when we consider the two track "No Reason Why" 7" by Japan's JUDGEMENT. Both clear that mark, but once the extremely 90s melodic intro finally wraps the fuck up, they hit the gas and never let up. Utter and absolute maniacism, and a pleasant start to this crash course of mostly unexplored territory.

While the Wire 100 mostly falls outside of this zine's purview, Martin gave me free reign, so blame him. An anecdote: one time, a mostly spoken word track of PIERRE AKENDENGUE's came on at work and got vetoed, but they were all fucking theater kids, preferring Sutton Foster's rendition over "Anything Goes" over Patti LuPone's, so what the fuck do they know anyway? Pete's "Nandipo" is a beautiful record start to finish, though I admittedly lack the critical language necessary to successfully contextualize it amongst its peers. For idiots like you and me, imagining some of these cuts in a mixtape nestled next to groups as diverse as 15-60-75, PARLIAMENT/FUNKADELIC, or ALGEBRA SUICIDE helps the brain grow strong.

I would imagine most of the assembled readership would be quickest to emulate the fucking theater kids transgression re: "Shooting At The Moon," the 1970 long player from KEVIN AYERS & THE WHOLE WORLD, but you'd be wrong and foolish. And dumb. A background spin may imply some degree of highfalutin, post-Woodstock, proto-AOR wankery, but every successive listen has revealed more and more. Sinister inclinations and heartbreak unrecoverable, the last dying breaths of the nuclear family, the soundtrack to societal collapse, the last flash of light before you get snuffed in a Michael Mann flick.

(The boss is breathing down my neck! Nearly 200 words over the line with still so much more to say! Til next time, True Believers!)

ANSWERING MACHINES - THE BIG CATCH CS

2025-11-05T17:27:01.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

If you didn't experience the ANSWERING MACHINES at least once in 2024 (or 2025, for that matter!), I truly don't know where you were or what you were doing (nowhere, nothing). A band so good they set up franchises and I've been fortunate enough to catch (yes pun, no pun, whichever way ya like it) both the Chicago and Tejas rosters during my fleeting time upon this dying orb; one runs shop a bit looser, the other tighter, both command the time and space they inhabit totally.

And the biggest catch? A third option: a portable dispatch from frequencies beyond, the never drab plastic slab I've fixed to gab on right here. Catchy kooky big and bouncy, meant for shuffling the feet and shaking the ass.

Self-released, listen here: https://answeringmachines1.bandcamp.com/album/the-big-catch

The Big Catch, by Answering Machines

Sewn Into Confusion (LUNGS-286), by BLACK DOG

Answering MachinesLSD

BLACK DOG - SEWN INTO CONFUSION 7"

2025-11-05T17:15:17.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

Maybe 10, 15 years ago, the memetic monks of the d-beat worldmind fired their decree down the psychic wire: "ALL D-BEAT MUST SUCK!" And, it must be said, some heretic hold-outs scattered throughout Latin America and Japan notwithstanding, the shoe-string antennae picked up the frequency and a resonant harmony was mostly achieved.

They let Washington DC and, eventually, Florida splice in endless breakdowns, and the vocal delay got cranked to indecipherable levels. The writing on the wall and the well running dry, LVEUM even started putting out Americans! They had blokes singing in Esperanto and then all of a sudden you can get LUMPY & THE DUMPERS records on five continents! Maybe things were tinged or essenced with natural flavors, but your odds of coming across 100% raw, unadulterated d-beat hardcore punk were essentially nil.

And maybe the lesson was simple: just don't let anyone from the US make d-beat, or possibly punk period, for like 3-7 years, atonement for not gatekeeping DISCHARGE or BASTARD from HardLore hard enough! Leave it to the Argentinian expats, or, in this case, the Canadians.

BLACK DOG fucking smokes. Unholy, unrelenting, uncompromising. The best record Iron Lung has put out in years. Blast it loud and often, let no one in dark blue 501 Levis within 50 miles (that's 80 anna half kms for the rest of you).

Released by Iron Lung (a label I love and respect, but please direct all confused hate mail to anyonecanbethebug@riseup.net, not da rag), listen here: https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sewn-into-confusion-lungs-286

Ehteram إحترام, by Pure Terror

IRON LUNG RecordsFittz

PURE TERROR - EHTERAM إحترام 7"

2025-11-05T17:12:46.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

Meaner, heavier, angrier, and tighter than their 2023 Blood Oath CS, PURE TERROR's "Ehteram" EP is an escalation in nearly every regard. Like the bastard child of Amy and Roger Miret (Psych, they were married! Their brood would be blessed, truly, the Romeo + Juliet of your parents' time!), this is a record that could only come from New York, a brooding combination of classic NYHC crunch and grit with the art damaged crust of the Vermiform/Gern Blandsten contingent.

Released by Toxic State Records, listen here: https://toxicstaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/ehteram

Toxic State RecordsFLXFR

SPEED PLANS - D.U.I. 7"

2025-11-05T17:07:58.000-05:00

By Ralph Rivera

Wouldn't particularly consider myself a nostalgioid, but at least I can always go back and listen to the "More Hardcore" LP.

While they still earn the "Speed" half of their moniker, they seem much more interested in following through on best-laid "Plans" with each successive release, chipping away at the more free and unhinged inclinations of the previous outing in favor of a more sanded down and sculpted vision, just outside my field of interest.

A technically good and thoroughly competent record, I'll toss it a 2/5, 1 for velocity and 1 for brevity.

Released by Convulse Records, listen here: https://speedplans.bandcamp.com/album/dui-7

DUI 7″, by Speed Plans

https://sotpunk.bandcamp.com/album/crema-ho-tot

Speed PlansGorge ponce

Columna Marginal - November 2025

2025-11-04T21:43:21.000-05:00

By Marginal

The powerful feeling after a good punk show is undeniably one of the best feelings you can have. This previous month I went to some shows that I enjoyed a lot, and I returned home a few times thinking that punk is amazing. Mostly I saw friends live, which is even better, some in projects I didn't know or that are just new.

Life is strange, and maybe even more so in our little punk corner. One day you're meeting some punks for a few hours, maybe staying at their house or playing together somewhere in the world, and after a few years with no knowledge of each other, you meet again and it's like finding some good old friends. This is what happened with NURSE a few days ago. We played together (I believe they even put on our show) in Atlanta in 2017 and stayed with them. Then in 2019 we were so lucky to play again there with them, and finally now, in 2025 they played in Barcelona (in my neighborhood!). I do not need to convince you that the show was amazing, they proved it everywhere over the last nine/ten years!

I was so excited to see NURSE and mildly curious about local bands. It was not the best day for me, I was kinda nervous, and I was ready to stay at the door the whole show. Well, that's exactly the opposite of what happened. Besides seeing all the bands, I was impressed by SÖT. I love to see people that have been part of many other projects for years doing a band that sounds as big as this one. Their sound was perfect for a melodic punk act, and there was even a MASSHYSTERI cover (and another one of THE CURE I think?), so you know what the deal is.

The next day I went to see the Berliners TERMINAL FILTH and SPEED KOBRA with their heavy crust at Blokes Fantasma, a classic punk squat from Barcelona that is at risk of eviction. They also played with SAYÓN (read review) and OFENSA. I wasn’t able to see OFENSA because I was talking with friends I haven’t seen in a long time, but SAYÓN did an amazing job. I think it was the best show I saw of them. After them, TERMINAL FILTH delivered tons of heavy sounds that smashed our heads. It was magic, I couldn’t believe how good this band was. Then SPEED KOBRA finished the job with another demonstration of musicianship and powerful vocals.

A couple weeks later DISAFFECT also visited our city! Again at Blokes, a perfect place for a punk show. These legends from the 90s still deliver an incredibly powerful anarchopunk, and I would say that more than a hundred punks went to see them on a weekday. It’s beautiful to see how different generations get together to enjoy punk! I left the venue thinking how beautiful this community is, how great it is that someone who started to play in the 90s can still come to Barcelona in a total DIY way, with the same passion after more than 30 years.

As you can see (or read), we had a lot of fun lately over here. I recommend you to listen to all these bands and support them if they come to your city (they will, I’m sure about it)!

SÖT - Crema-ho tot

SÖT is a new band with members of PÖLS and NAFRA, with mostly all the members from Almacelles or Lleida, if I'm not mistaken. You should check Almacelles on Wikipedia and then keep reading this. They have bands there, record their music, started a social center, publish easily the BEST punk fanzine in Spanish/Catalan that exists nowadays (SILENCIO TÓXICO) and are the nicest people on Earth!! These are things you don't expect from a town of around 7000 people.

The Spanish scene had many melodic punk acts like this one in its history. There’s examples like ELEKTRODUENDES and the more recent ACCIDENTE, but the list is so long. As many other punks from Spain I was also influenced by those sounds and lyrics. SÖT is a new take on that style, a bit more darker, sometimes it could be classified as post punk. Their musicianship is excellent, from vocals to drums everything is where it should be.

After a few listens of the LP the melodies of the vocals got stuck in my head, and some lyrics started to come to my mind in random situations. I love the compositions, I feel like every song has new details in every listen, and they put a lot of effort on making this a perfect album. I kinda feel like this band will be big as soon as they start to tour and release more music of this quality!

Crema-ho tot, by SÖT

https://nurseatl.bandcamp.com/album/iii

SÖTdcdirkzwager

NURSE - S/T (III)

NURSE live in 2017

Referred as III in their own bandcamp page but as "Nurse" in State Laughter Records page, I do not know what's the real name of this release. Anyway, this is a pure NURSE record, very modern sounds, mixing some kind of goth vibe with what I see as a big influence from 00s/10s NYC punk, but I may be totally wrong. NURSE have been doing this kind of sounds for a decade, they probably are writing music in their own style already.

The references could be multiple, but think about weird hardcore. DIE KREUZEN, some CRAZY SPIRIT, certain YDI parts, etc. You know what I mean, right? Well if you don't, just listen to the damn album!

Along the tracks I can hear rugosities, textures, changes and a very great production in the whole album. I love the drums and bass, they give a solid presence to the music with a very specific tone for the second, a flavor with big personality. But what amazes me the most are the guitar licks, that escape of the classic power chords played as fast as possible. Combined with the bass and the dark growled vocals they take you to a very dark place.

I hope this band keeps writing music and touring for so many years, it would be a pleasure to listen to them for another decade (if we are not totally deaf by then).

III, by NURSE

NURSEBandcamp New & Notable Jan 20, 2024

TERMINAL FILTH - Traces Towards Oblivion

When you listen to TERMINAL FILTH you have to be prepared for long songs. But that kind of songs that are a good trip, with parts that evolve in total different passages. Use this music to take that train, metro or bus in the morning in the way to work: I promise you will want to kill everyone in that shitty workplace without a single drop of coffee. These Berliners are masters of the sounds they deliver, they control precisely the timings and how every sound should be in its correct place. Of course we are talking about a crust band, maybe nearly death metal one, or just a stenchcore band that could be already a classic with their own style.

Traces Towards Oblivion is an amazing release, and since I'm not even close to an expert of these sounds I will let you decide which are the influences. If albums were wine I could recommend you to take this one with a bit of HELLSHOCK, BOLT THROWER and DEVIATED INSTINCT. But that's just my opinion and albums are not wine, so do whatever you want to. Their live show here was incredibly good, making this album be on repeat in my mp3 player. This is a must for anyone into this genre. Really. Listen to it. Please.

https://terminalfilth.bandcamp.com/album/traces-towards-oblivion

Traces Towards Oblivion, by Terminal Filth

https://beachimpedimentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/kreski

Terminal Filthyaz

DEMO FEST 2025 Update

2025-10-18T14:53:00.000-04:00

By Martin Force

DEMO FEST 2025 has begun! The deadline to submit is December 1st (you've still got lots of time), and the submission form is now posted on the DEMO FEST website. Head over there to submit or get more info about the project!

October site updates

2025-10-18T14:49:39.000-04:00

By Webmaster

MRR Review Digests zines for September (#508) and July (#506). Have been added to the appropriate zines page. Sorry September is a little late, and July was long lost but finally found!

Also made a few updates to the Directory, notably the charming neocities-style Flyer Escape Dot Dad has been added to the Calendars Directory page.

(A Sober) Varning XVII Reportback

2025-10-09T19:39:37.000-04:00

By Taylor Joy

All these excellent live photos were contributed by Rachael Shorr

A Varning from Montreal Festival is basically Christmas for Montreal punks – a highly-anticipated tradition, an international punk family reunion, and a huge party. Now in its 17^th edition, it’s currently our city’s longest-running punk fest, and lives up to its reputation of bringing in high quality bands from across Canada as well as the US, Europe and even Japan. You might think that the charged-hair, sword-wielding skeletons featured in all the posters and promo material are an exaggeration, but it’s not far from how the crowd actually appears, periodically spilling out of a shitty metal bar to stink up Montreal’s downtown tourist shopping core.

Armed with a full fest pass, I decided to take full advantage and try and do all 6 shows over 3 days, plus the Saturday punk market. Here’s my reportback:

I didn’t watch every single band but I tried to catch a little bit of most of them. First, to honourably mention some great local bands: PORTAL TOMB delivered their crushingly heavy hits well, even though bassist Ava had gone through a car windshield a few days prior to the fest and showed up with a nose cast and forehead stitches – a true crust warrior. Fuck cars!! WARKRUSHER crushed as much as ever, and I was glad to catch EULOGY again, a newer scandi-flavoured dbeat project featuring well-known local characters. I was wondering if local power-pop quartet PSYCHIC ARMOUR would feel out of place on the bill, but all the rock’n’roll nerds enthusiastically lapped up Sara and Evan’s guitar shredding.

PORTAL TOMB (left) and PSYCHIC ARMOR (right)

There were a few bands that I saw earlier this summer at Scorched Earth in Vancouver that I was excited to see again. Victoria’s HEDONIST were high on that list – I’m not a huge metalhead, but they are clearly at the top of their game right now, and their name came up again and again when I asked people for their fest highlights. Vancouver crusters EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER – were excellent and were also just a great crew to hang and enjoy both fests with. Edmonton’s LANGUID was “the sonic equivalent of drinking a beer” according to one of my bandmates. Philly’s ALEMENT also played both fests – I have seen them a few times now and had filed them in the category of “bands I can recognize are good but don’t really do it for me,” but at Varning something clicked and I was totally hypnotized by their set.

EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER (left and center), HEDONIST (right)

A high point of face-melting fun and chaos was Friday when ULTRARAT – a local raw dbeat trio that has recently re-activated, with Nick from MUECO filling in on bass for this set. Multiple power failures only added to the insanity... and at one point I looked around in the crush of absolutely annihilated punks with shit-eating grins, catching wafts of beer breath and poppers fumes and idly wondered if it was possible to break edge by proxy. I had fun though. Boston’s INNOCENT had a tough act to follow, but they delivered a high-energy set that was one of my favourites of the weekend. Overall, not enough dbeat at Varning this year!! Admittedly, I dipped before Friday’s headliners VARUKERS. I heard they were fun, satisfyingly nostalgic, and didn’t say anything stupid, which is a huge win for any old band.

INNOCENT (left) and ULTRARAT (right)

While I spent the weekend moonlighting as a cruster, I’m a hardcore punk girlie at heart so I must shoutout some sick hardcore punk acts. INVERTEBRATES (Richmond) were super fun headlining the Friday matinée, and local faves TOTAL NADA miraculously brought energy and life to the ill-advised Saturday Aftershow. The hardcore punk bands at Varning are explicitly more of a palate cleanser than the main event, but any local hardcore enthusiast who missed the matinée with PEI’s CELL DETH and POISON SPEAR really fucked up.

By the time LIFELESS DARK (Boston) and DISTURD (Japan) closed the Saturday main show, I was seriously losing steam – both bands were great but neither blew me out of the water, which is objectively kind of an insane thing to say. Especially about LIFELESS DARK whose three previous Montreal shows have been major highlights of the last 10 years for me.

Some final shoutouts: Ottawa’s BOOT who not only brought energy to one of the toughest slots of the whole fest (opening the Friday Matinée show) but also proved that your Oi! revival band doesn’t have to be a boys club. I also wanna mention TRÄUME from Poland, who headlined on Thursday – I’m not the biggest post-punk fan, but I made sure to catch them at the behest of friends who saw them while touring Europe this summer, and they were really good. I felt additionally lucky to see them, as their travels to Canada were complicated by Russian incursions into Polish airspace around their departure... as Boris reminded us during TOTAL NADA’s set, it’s a privilege to be where we are in the world, and we’re lucky to be able to come together to celebrate and share our music with each other. The world is getting shittier and scarier, and I’m really grateful to them and all the bands that traversed continents, oceans and borders to come play in Montreal.

The music was great and we had lots of fun – but a few minor caveats:

Too much smoke. Props to the autonomous actor who unplugged the extremely overactive fog machine after a huge puff completely shrouded LIFELESS DARK during the opening riffs of their set. I could barely see the drummers the entire fest, and what’s the point of Varning if I can’t watch the drummers???

The average attendee age was probably pushing 40. A friend told me that when he came to his first Varning in 2008 he also thought “why is everyone here so old” so I guess it’s always been this way? Don’t get me wrong, I love ancient crusties and I aspire to be one, but I also want the kids to be able to hear actually great bands and participate in a multigenerational scene. I made a joke about how under-25s should get discounted passes, but I am actually kind of serious.

In battle there is no sobriety. Varning is a party, and people go really hard with the alcohol, drugs and smoking, even by Montreal standards. It’s a tough fest to be sober at – I heard this especially from friends who are early in their sobriety or are just trying to moderate their partying. Piranha bar is a minefield of temptation, annoying coked-up punishers and probably some sloppy dude randomly trying to kiss you. I’m not trying to shame anyone’s consumption, just noting that it’s a pretty integral part of the whole vibe of the fest and if that’s hard for you to be around it might not be your jam.

Speaking of “some sloppy dude trying to kiss you” I heard from a few people who had to deal with creeps or unwanted invasions of their personal space... some of this can be chalked up to the venue, which is not “our” spot by any means but it also overlaps with the point above. It’s definitely the kind of show where if I’m trying to take a breather alone after roughly 10pm, I find a decoy friend to stand next to lessen the likelihood of being creeped on. Yuck.

I guess I mentioned in the intro that there was a Punk Market on Saturday. I tabled PWYC punk/anarchist zines and was a bit more successful than at the night shows (where people didn’t take many zines, but rather used them as coasters for their beer). I did up my stud count and snagged a MURO shirt that Janick was trying to unload, so it wasn’t a total flop, but honestly there’s not much to say about it other than that it happened.

But on a more positive note – the fest was really well-organized this year. In years past all of the information, announcements, set times, etc., were only on Facebook (yes, Montreal is perpetually in 2005). The introduction of a proper, consistently-updated website this year was a game changer. The organizers also tapped me to design and print paper programs with the schedule and fest info, which I think were a big hit – I saw people consulting them throughout the duration of the fest. Organizers also made sure the info got posted and kept up to date on our local online calendar. I’m really happy that the organizers prioritized accessible, non-corporate ways of disseminating all the information and I think that it was part of the reason everything ran super smoothly.

Additional huge shoutouts to: 1. Whoever updated the food recommendation list to include mostly vegan/veg options 2. The people who prepared a huge, diverse buffet of delicious and healthy vegan food to feed the bands and volunteers all weekend. 3. The stage managers, who were on top of it and kept everything even slightly ahead of schedule, making sure the main shows ended before the Metro stopped running... until the last night when shit sort of went off the rails. It was bound to happen at some point. While incredible bands and great people can make for a good fest, the level of care and organization put into Varning this year made it truly great.

DISTURD, Janick, and other random punks

Columna Marginal - October 2025

2025-10-09T20:00:58.000-04:00

By Marginal

I don't care about Halloween. It's not part of my culture and I don't want it to be part of anything around me. I openly hate the North American/British culture, which, for some reason, is cooler than our traditional celebrations that are old (very old) and beautiful, normally related to nature. The only good thing about this cultural colonization is that I can speak and write English, so I'm able to communicate with many people that I couldn't otherwise. But why is English the global language and not Catalan? The same thing will be thought by the people of Peru about Spanish, and I totally support them in their defense of Quechua, Aimara, etc. Why do we have to use a colonizer language?

Well, since I'm aware of the good part of speaking an understandable language by many people (I refuse to consider it "common", since, for me, it is a foreign language that I was forced to learn in order to be able to study, work and be an average citizen), and I'll keep writing using it, but I'm going to invite you, dear reader, to learn new languages that do not represent the capitalism and colonizers of the world. Learning a language may sound challenging, but it actually takes an hour per day to understand the basic things in about a month or two. You probably have that time! If you're a native English speaker, you can consider it this way: many of those who speak English had that time to learn so we could communicate with you. Why are you not making that effort?

Okay, let's make it easier. There's a perfect language for those who don't have much time and speak languages that come from Europe: it's called Esperanto. Yes! It still exists! It's a beautiful language with a beautiful community, a bit similar to punk in many ways. For example, people travel through the world visiting esperantists because they know they will have a lot in common, so they trust each other. Sounds a lot like punk, to be honest. Also, esperantists hold events constantly so they all meet there, and if you attend one they will love to find new people into this language and values. Very punk, isn't it?

The values and political context where Esperanto is developed can be found in many places, I recommend you to check it. But since it's the start of the month and I'm actually recommending you some music from Bandcamp, I decided to add some esperantists that make music :) I hope you enjoy them and try to translate their lyrics and titles. That's how I learnt English when I was 10: translating Green Day lyrics!

SOCIO LA DIFEKTA - Kreski

My current favorite esperantist band is SOCIO LA DIFEKTA, a Japanese band that takes the sound of the crust anarchopunk from the 90s/early 00s and brings it back. They share members with another band that also uses Esperanto as a main language, MALIMPLIKI, and also share members with other amazing bands like UNARM and BLISTERING NOISE.

This EP is a little gem for those interested in anarchopunk. Using Esperanto for their lyrics is a big stand against any colonizer culture. Remember that Japan was (and could be argued that it still is) a colonizer nation, and that the US had invaded and controlled them since World War II, changing the country forever. Also, anarchism is not the most popular political option in Japan, not even in punk, so this band is challenging in many ways all that they have around.

The music is a non-stop hardcore attack, with brilliant musicianship and the amazing effect of two vocals that turn this noisy punk act into a ferocious stance. "Polico Fikas Aĉulon" (Police Fucking Bastard ?) is an amazing starting track, and now my favorite Esperanto phrase since I even wear a badge with it. It sounds way better than in English!

I would like to reference this music with other bands that you might like, but it's just a perfect example of Japanese uniqueness brutal hardcore, an experiment with sound that doesn't feel like an experiment at all, but a very well-prepared punk act. Do you like DISRUPT, DOOM, LIFE, even some DISCLOSE? I know, they sound different, but then you will like SOCIO LA DIFEKTA. Kreski is not the only release of this band, they later released a promo recorded in their practice rooms only for their Japanese tour with SUBDUED.

Kreski, by Socio La Difekta

Beach Impediment Recordsrufus_dayglo

VOĈO PROTESTA - Neniam Konfidu Al La Stato

Japan, Japan, Japan! Fuck Japan and every state! Fuck borders! But when we talk about Esperantist punk, I think the best we can do is not get far from this territory and their amazing scene. VOĈO PROTESTA are one of the first bands I learnt that were still using this language. We played with them in Tokyo in 2018 after MALIMPLIKI and I couldn't believe what I was seeing (or hearing). That night was probably the one when I finally started to have that feared chronic tinnitus. It can be a kind of punk baptism, or the start of a punk retirement, it depends on how you want to see it. Here I am seven years later, so I guess I chose my path for the rest of my life: being deaf and lying to myself making me think I like a lot of bands that sound like white noise.

Anyway, we are here to talk about music (not noise hehe). I decided to choose this VOĈO PROTESTA release because it sounds amazing, and I feel like it's a bit overlooked compared with their previous LP Vojo Al Libereco. "Never trust the state" is the title of these songs of classic sound passed through a Japanese crasher crust filter, but very subtle compared with their other recordings. Actually, it sounds more "hardcore" than their previous releases, but they still are pretty extreme in a good way. I'm talking here as if we were friends in a bar having some beers, so don't mind my vague descriptions, this is not a scientific investigation.

Neniam Konfidu Al La Stato is a powerful album, with incredible references like the one to "Historia de un sucio policía" by IV REICH. Soldida Policia is a perfect cover and interpretation that made me jump in excitement once I listened to the first riff, a classic of Iberian punk. It amazes me to see the different sound and style VOĈO PROTESTA used here. I'm not going to lie, I love IV REICH so much, but I wish they would have sounded like this. The rest of the album continues with this reinterpretation of 80s classics that I guess are from all over Europe, especially from the Scandinavian countries. The songs are short but not too short, the mix is, in my honest opinion, perfect. And the album cover, like the previous LP is made by Teodoro Hernández: if you don't know him, you better start to check OTAN and the zines that produced over the last 20-30 years.

I heard that some people from VOĈO PROTESTA were at the Esperantist society of Tokyo, but I'm not sure about this. I hope they are still active, but I guess they aren't since I haven't heard of them in the last few years. Please check their whole discography, it's pure gold! And translate the lyrics to find a way to express anger through a non-colonizer language!

https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/neniam-konfidu-al-la-tato-lp

Neniam Konfidu Al La Ŝtato LP, by Voĉo Protesta

LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOSloberto06

Skull Fest 2025 Reportback

2025-09-18T11:44:05.000-04:00

By Greg The Builder

Photos by Joe The Photo Guy

Another humid mid-atlantic August means another Skull Fest in lovely steel city, Pittsburgh, PA. I know, I know, “another fest?” How many fests do we really need? I don’t really know, but for me at least, Skull Fest feels like the one that breaks the mold. Instead of being a weekend of punk and hardcore curated by one person’s taste, Skull Fest is a true collaborative effort. You get a mix of punk that is sure to hit all your sensibilities: punk, hardcore, hardcore punk, crust, goth, and for better or worse, even oi.

SKULL FEST 15 lineup

The amount of bands playing Skull Fest is overwhelming and you are sure to get as much as you can handle, but the main reason I love going to Skull Fest is hanging out. Most shows have an opportunity to see all your friends, there’s the punk’s picnic, the afterparty, and of course the trips to Page’s Dairy Mart for some vegan Oreo peanut butter arctic swirls or eating Spak Bros by the Sphynix with boobs statues in that graveyard.

Amerikkka’s current political climate and tightening border policies had a noticeable impact on the usual handful of international bands this year. Regardless, there were still some banger sets every night. I wasn’t there, but my collaborator on this report back, Joe the Photo Guy, said SEX DWARF (who might have been the only fully international band?) were wild Thursday night.

SEX DWARF

My weekend started Friday by missing all of the matinee show because somehow it ran way ahead of schedule. The last half of ZYCLONE’s last song was good though! Later that day, I popped into Spirit to catch SHORT LEASH (who played a surprising and welcomed 86 MENTALITY cover), and IRON LUNG. Those 2 dudes still got it.

ZYCLONE at The Courts

After some Sexless // No sex I had a lovely walk over to the Profane Existence 36th anniversary show. FLOWER played another powerful set and were followed by the first of 2 DESTROY sets of the weekend. I didn’t know what to expect from the DESTROY set but it rocked. They were tight, loud, and still angry. As a sidenote, I had no idea the guitarist of NO STATIK was in DESTROY. Sick. Upstairs from the Profane show, I caught EARLY GRAVE, a killer band from Philadelphia, PEACE TALKS, who are always great live, and UNIFORMED SERVICES, another band from Boston who has that Boston sound and does it really well. I tried to stay up for the aftershow, but I’m a morning person and I know my limitations, so I unfortunately never got to see SEX DWARF. Bummer.

PEACE TALKS

Saturday started at the Prevention Point matinee show. This is where my enjoyment of hanging out started to conflict with seeing all the bands playing. I ended up only seeing CHILDREN WITH DOG FEET, who played a very sick PENI cover, and WHO PAYS?. I also got in trouble for playing a game of Commander in an area we shouldn’t have been in, but that’s a story for another time. From there I headed back to Spirit for that night’s crust show. DESTRUCT proved once again that they are one of the best bands in this horrible country I live in. DROPDEAD ripped. After all these years the anger, passion, and commitment the message is still there. Bob gave several impassioned speeches, something I feel is missing from most shows today. I caught the first half of DESTROY’s second set and it was still good.

DESTRUCT and DROPDEAD

From Spirit I headed over to Spirit Quest where I will admit I went to the Oi show, but friendship rocks and I wanted to see my homies in SECLUSION play. Genuinely enjoyed their set. Afterwards, I hung around to catch some of NO TIME where their singer Adam (who is also a Skull Fest organizer) once again put his body on the line and broke his hand from rocking too hard.

NO TIME

Much like the night before, no matter how much I intended to go to the aftershow to see CONDUMB, a band who put out one of my favorite records of the year, I went to bed.

CONDUMB record

Sunday’s matinee show is usually my favorite show of the weekend. The lineup for this one had some last minute changes. MACHINE GUN and DEMONSTRATE, a band that proves straightedge is still punk, unfortunately didn’t play, BUT we were blessed with a second FLOWER set. Right before that bonus set was ULTIMATE DISASTER who give their fellow Richmond dwellers, DESTRUCT, a run for their money for best band in Amerikkka at the moment. UD into FLOWER was my favorite two set combo of the weekend. I would listen to a UD/FLOWER split until my turntable broke. The one thing noticeably missing from Sunday afternoon was the Evil Ways wrestling show that has happened the past few years. I think Cole puts a lot of effort and care into giving a group of people who might not know what the fuck is going on a good show. The man truly cares about the art form of deathmatch wrestling.

No photos of FLOWER or ULTIMATE DISASTER

My Skull Fest closed out with the STORMCROW gig. I caught ZYCLONE again who fucking RIPPED, holy shit that band is good live, and LANGUID, who are from Edmonton, Canada but might as well be from Sweden. Absolutely perfect ANTI-CIMEX worship. This was STORMCROW’s first gig on this side of the country, which sounds like it can’t be true but I guess it is! It was a very sick set, they sounded great and was a nice endcap to the weekend.

I did not expect to write this much about the weekend. I think how I approach Skull Fest is different from others, but punk gave me a ton of great friendships and for me it’s a celebration of that. Can’t wait for next year. Thanks to Joe for the pictures. I think he does a great job capturing “the culture”.

DE RODILLAS, PAPRIKA, and some well-hydrated homies (your author included)

The Counterforce Issue 7

2025-09-18T11:35:59.000-04:00

By Webmaster

The Counterforce Issue #7 is here. This zine compiles everything on the site since the last issue. With a front and back cover by Stunk.

Download the PDF for printing here and view more issues on The Counterforce Zines page.

A standalone zine version of the Manifesto for The Counterforce has also been added! Download a PDF for printing here.

Four Things At Once

2025-09-14T16:30:54.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

It's four things at once on my mind at 5am, dispatching, as we are, LIVE from the 3rd stage. And the bargain, True Believers, is maybe if you make up for the lost time spent shlubbing it up overnight in dank and humid Chicago alleys for two months straight makin' sin-ema (a contraction, if you'll allow it: Sin + Enema), stay productive, you're on your ass laid out like never before, but avoid the electromanic pull of the void, and maybe maybe maybe it will have been worth the last two months of your best friend's life. (Ohhhhh oh oh, I doubt it!)

Let's talk what this isn't: it's not a column, though I've promised one and it's been asked of me, no no no, this is the delicate act of balancing four things at once, and since we've established one may wax Bangsian times two in a space built for one, what's twice THAT while the Boss is away from his desk? (How's Varning?)

So, again, it's 5am, the last hard line between the real and the un-; the glow is inchin' and creepin', an old friend with yet another secret to tell, and there you are stirrin' and the leg's a throbbin' and so's yer noggin' and if you scroll for even one more fucking second you know, without question, that you've dropped your end of the bargain so stop!, STOP!, the finger hovers over the latest Crucified Freedom entry, a Croatian Hardcore Punk blog you follow to intermittently pore over in hopes a new name in an unfamiliar tongue might hop out and beckon you in your dreamlike state upon some clandestine excursion.

EGZISTENCIJALNA KRIZA - Anti-politika

EGZISTENCIJALNA KRIZA. Existential crisis. The synchronicity of it is astounding. The first four tracks on "Anti-Politika" are total mixtape bait: fast, sincere, no pose Hardcore Punk straight from Pula, Croatia. Very Italian in execution, evoking greats like DECLINO, INDIGESTI, and NEGAZIONE, bundling them up and reporting for duty at the SOLUNSKI FRONT.

LAS PALMAS - Primera Linea

Beyond the Front, we find the "First Line," specifically "Primera Linea" by LAS PALMAS, a short lived outfit from Verona, Italy. The label's write up describes the city as the country's most conservative and you can tell. Unhinged, repetitive, surreptitious, 3 tracks of catharsis boiled over. What Minneapolis' WILD COMBO would have sounded like if they got locked in a closet with only the TOTAL CHAOZ demos. Devoid of ego, the mirror pointed outwards. An absolute must listen as we journey further into chaos and arrive at "Heaven's Gate..."

PHIZ - Heaven's Gate

The latest offering from Dusseldorf's PHIZ, it's by far the most focused and produced of these dreamscape monuments, but no less primal. They fire with a higher success rate than the previously reviewed MOTHER NATURE, successfully merging their (presumably nascent) psychedelic inclinations with the burly, thinking man's Capital H as perfected by California's DIZTORT.

SOGNO LIBERO - Sogno Libero

At last, the end of the dream: SOGNO LIBERO, label-mates and members of LAS PALMAS, no less unhinged, but darker, surely. The drums are precise and ultilitarian, the guitars wail, the staccato, rapid-fire vocal delivery recalls countrymen EU'S ARSE and WRETCHED.

So, what, beyond some potentially overlapping influences, binds these seemingly disparate releases? Quite possibly sleep deprivation and mania!

But look, listen, feel: authentic, uncompromising, unrelenting. No bargaining, no reservations. Hard music for hard times, not background noise. Real punk music, whispering secrets fit only for the True Believers.

Music for fighting, that our dreams become reality.

EGZISTENCIJALNA KRIZA - "Anti-Politika" EP, self-released, listen here: https://egzistencijalnakriza.bandcamp.com/album/anti-politika.

LAS PALMAS - "Primera Linea" CS and SOGNO LIBERO - "Sogno Libero" CS released by Sentiero Futuro Autoproduzioni, listen here: https://sentierofuturoautoproduzioni.bandcamp.com/music.

PHIZ - "Heaven's Gate" EP released by DBNO Records, listen here: https://phizband.bandcamp.com/album/heavens-gate.

Follow CRUCIFIED FREEDOM FANZINE here: https://crucifiedfreedom.blogspot.com/.

SPEED PLANS - Speed Plans CS

2025-09-14T16:28:54.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Some interview I read made them seem real self-conscious about their "More Hardcore" LP, but this release sounds a fair bit safer and codified than the slab I first slobbered over. All of these got rerecorded for their big Convulse debut, so we'll see how the finished product holds up, but I can't imagine revisiting these renditions ever again.

Released by Kill Enemy Records, listen here: https://killenemyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/speed-plans-tape

Speed Plans Tape, by Kill Enemy Records

United Stare, by Kill Enemy Records

Kill Enemy RecordsFittz

UNITED STARE - United Stare

2025-09-14T16:27:40.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

YMMV on the cover art and you'd be forgiven for guessin' the whole presentation'll getcha some post-hockey jock, pre-jarhead Triple B Records flower-era BS, but goddamn. The kick off is an absolute mind-worming ass-shaker, plucked straight from the back half of a BROWN SUGAR rekkid and pulled forward into the NOW, the remaining 6/7s is pure punk rock n roll a la RADIO BIRDMAN (which they dispute, but come the fuck on), PAGANS, or that time the REPOS covered DEAD BOYS.

Released by Kill Enemy Records, listen here: https://killenemyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/united-stare

Kill Enemy Recordsmerricktall

G.U.N.N. - G.U.N.N. LP

2025-09-14T16:26:16.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Been a GUNN truther for a minute, and the half of this that sounds like BATTALION OF SAINTS, you know that sneered-up, black-leather-in-the-hot-sun type Cali shit, easily clears the mental-mythical madness I ascribe to the Shooters in question. Mixed up in all that is a bit too much post 7"-era CÜLO. Still, half is more than most may muster, and, paired with a sense of humor, moronic (complimentary) cover art, and well-curated samples, this is worth a spin or two.

Released by Going Underground Records, listen here: https://goingundergroundrecords.bandcamp.com/album/g-u-n-n

G*U*N*N, by G*U*N*N

Going Underground Recordsdingdog

BARREN SOIL - All Paths Lead To Darkness

2025-09-14T16:24:42.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Ur-crust perfection. The only time spent in the stadium is burning the fucker to the ground.

Self released, listen here: https://earnthedirt.bandcamp.com/album/all-paths-lead-to-darkness

All Paths Lead to Darkness, by Barren Soil

the big sad, by linoleleum

Barren Soil✶ sarubert

LINOLEUM - The Big Sad

2025-09-14T16:21:49.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Zillennial MASSHYSTERI, which was Xennial BURNING KITCHEN, (and the millennials skipped a gen toiling away in the mysterioid sex pest dungeon and/or KCMO glue dens), which is to say this is very good, very catchy. Repetitive (in a good way) vocal hooks, great melodic guitar work that occasionally makes way for SEEMS TWICE by way of CRASS Records no-punk diversions. Very Euro cover art, as bad as the HONDARTZAKO HONDAKINAK LP cover, both of which risk consigning an otherwise great release to bargain bin obscurity.

Thanks to Saffi's Punk Playlist for turning me onto this.

Released by Schalltraeger Recordings, listen here: https://linoleleum.bandcamp.com/album/the-big-sad

Ritual Cross, by Ritual Cross

linoleleumlinoleleum

RITUAL CROSS - Ritual Cross

2025-09-14T16:29:57.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

A harsh judgment, perhaps, but knowing some of these players from well-played but firmly "not-for-me" pop punk outfits, I just didn't know they had this in them.

Sounds like: Earth-2 ARTICLES OF FAITH's debut 7" "What We Want Is Blood."

Feels like: a brick and a knife and a boot to the temple.

Looks like: Chicago still likes hardcore.

Self released, listen here: https://ritualcross.bandcamp.com/album/ritual-cross

CF-signal-for-punks-US-letter-imposed.pdf

Ritual CrossN0VA

Interview with Listen

2025-09-05T12:41:25.000-04:00

By Slim

Years ago I meet a stranger in a dark bar in Montreal's Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood. Six years later, after many lessons, sprays and a wild chase, I am interviewing my friend and legend Listen.

He started us off:

Listen: I want to see everybody’s graffiti, you wanna talk about anarchism that’s the spirit of the medium. It’s pretty diluted these days, you can look on YouTube for tutorials or whatever.

If you have a can and a surface, anything that you and I see in the public realm, even it’s defined private property, it’s still public space.

I wish there was a more public conversation. Not we’ve decreed this a legal wall. More like those who want to paint in the public eye can have access to the space.

Slim: Is that why you do the bird?

I guess so. You know when you do something for so long that it morphs into this habitual thing? Imagine you’re cooking for yourself and you like cooking macaroni and cheese or vegan sushi. You get into the routine and because you do it enough, you put enough time in, you get really good at doing that one thing. It’s out of habit, not the intention of mastery.

You’re pushing multiple directions, there’s one that becomes easier so you continue that way because there’s less obstacles and it gets reduced to "now I’m drawing a fucking bird on shit."

It’s a disarming image. I remember sitting in a park in St Henri next to the railroad tracks. This 6 year old is running around and points to a box I painted and is like “hey Dad it’s the bird guy again.”

This is why, THIS IS WHY.

Unintentionally, because I pushed this image, I made things more simplistic in terms of a street throw up. I can pull it off in a few minutes, which is nice for major cities. To hear a child be stoked on it, that’s pretty encouraging.

What’s the largest bird you’ve painted?

If this one wasn’t the biggest it was top 5 for sure. This photo is from a while after it was painted, the ground was full of debris and rubble when I painted it. But yeah, this building burned down on the corner and the location and texture of the wall was too good to not paint. I only had a few days in town, and I was obsessed with the spot. I asked around to see if anyone would lend me an extension ladder since I didn’t travel with my own, lol. No one would lend me one so I had to get my hands on one somehow. At the time the Home Depot had a garden centre with an area with a lower fence around the skids full of soil and fertilizer. I had put several baskets of paint there before and come back after a few hours to scoop em. So I had two nights left in town, I thought I would grab this ladder and leave it by the soil and lower-fenced zone. However when I got to that area it was fully closed off. Maybe too late in the day or whatever…

So I was thinking maybe I could just walk out with it or something but then it hit me I could use the ladder to get out. I fully extended the ladder out of view of cameras. I was expecting a worker to come assist me but it was a ghost town in there. So I leaned the ladder against the third level of bricks. No one came so I pulled up the ladder and put it on the other side of the fence. That same evening I painted the wall. My good friend Barfo was down and he and his dog kept six across the street. I stopped for every car that drove by which was a workout, I was in better shape back then. Not sure if it’s legible from the photo but I quoted a FUGAZI song because I’m a huge dork.

I feel like everyone talks about how St. Henri [neighbourhood in Montréal] has changed a lot. Care to weigh in on the change you saw during your long term residence in that neighbourhood?

I haven’t been there in a few years but it feels to me like a typical trajectory of gentrification.

Working class neighbourhood with cheap rent. Outsiders move in for affordability (myself included). Real estate speculators buy the buildings. While new businesses pop up to cater to new residents. Then the new (and sometimes older) landlords jack up the rent across the board. Business associations up their fees to fund the smoother flow of capital. The city increases taxes to pay for new promenades that lubricate the flow of capital. All of this pushes people out of the neighbourhood.

It’s a clear reflection of the values of those in power. Whatever is good for business is good.

No concern for quality of life, the inner workings of a neighbourhood, the history, the people who built the neighbourhood.

When the cycle is complete the majority of the people there have no clue what came before. They are there for the facade, the shell of the former lively community, to cosplay in an idea they have that is transposed onto the place itself.

In Montreal the process is slowed down by tenants rights organizations and co-ops, activities that make it uncomfortable for the movement of capital. Sometimes in Quebec this comes down to language. Businesses don’t want to operate in Quebec because of language laws.

Short answer is: way she goes.

In your time writing graffiti have you experienced much of an attitude shift in the subculture?

I think I started early 2000s, first thing I painted was when I was like 8yrs old or something. It was with a chrome fan cap on the concrete outdoor stairwell of my childhood home. I wrote “secret hideout” with an arrow pointing toward the spider-ridden woodpile under the back deck. I got in shit when my dad found this but he also laughed at the irony of pointing an arrow towards a “secret hideout.”

Attitudes towards graffiti have shifted drastically. I used to rack books from Chapters and sell them at a used bookstore a block away from the Chapters. Make $100 selling art books or whatever.

At the time I was doing that there was maybe one or two books about graffiti on the shelf at Chapters. A few years later half of the art section was “graffiti and street art.” I wanna say by mid to late 2000s, there was a bit of a bandwagon publishing books about graffiti.

What’s the best moment you’ve had with graffiti and what’s the worst moment you’ve had with graffiti?

Every time I paint becomes the best moment I’ve had painting. I like to try new things when painting and I’m building on what I’ve done before, so the moment that I’m painting is a culmination of a lifetime of work.

The worst times I’ve had is getting caught up in someone else’s bad decisions. There’s a tendency when a group of writers get together to compete to do the most impulsive audacious act. It’s annoying at best and has landed me in some shitty scenarios by proximity.

Do you have a goal or finish line? Or do you believe in the unwinnable race?

Great question. There is no race, no goal, I’m not competing. There is a physicality to painting, but it’s not a sport.

My attitude has definitely changed in the past 20 or so years. Initially, I think my intention was to communicate to people. That something else was possible, to break the cycle of capitalism in a way that I was good at. After getting attention from stuff I had painted and seeing the public discussion, I shifted into a more destructive direction. Eventually I settled into realizing the act itself was enough and I can’t control how it’s interpreted. It became a fun way to interact with my surroundings. While still showing that laws for property are unimportant, hopefully make people laugh, or change the way they see their surroundings.

I guess to boil it down, my intent is to be an anti-capitalist force. Up until very recently I stole all of my supplies, would only sell my art for anarchist fundraisers, etc.

I think it’s cool that you buy cans now, you put in infinite hours over so many years. There has to be a time when comfort is a goal.

For sure, I still would rather rack paint. The store credit thing is much more difficult now though.

I’m not sure how much paint I’ve acquired for free, but for a couple decades I didn’t pay for coffee beans. I would get quality beans averaging $15 a pound. I’d go through 3 lbs a month maybe? So over 240 months that’s $10,000 worth of coffee. One pound at a time.

I think it’s important to note that was never a goal or milestone. It is just a result of daily push-back.

It’s funny trying to transition things that you do obsessively into activities you do when you are feelin' it.

Definitely, there’s an effect that generations of manufactured scarcity has on an individual. The behaviour is kind of like, if I don’t do everything and anything right now, it will be gone tomorrow.

Then if there’s a surplus, no one wants to do anything. It’s interesting how these systems can effect an individual’s behaviour

One real example: where I work, our break room has some basic supplies like coffee, hot chocolate, milk, cream, Gatorade in the summer, etc.

So when we first received the packets of hot chocolate, there was one box of them. It was gone in a day, people hoarded them. Then more boxes were ordered, and more, and more. Then there was a whole closet full of hot chocolate, like 20 boxes. Then no one was interested anymore. We have universal access and a surplus so there’s no hoarding.

The tragedy of the commons will only happen when there’s a perceived scarcity. This can be applied to other parts of life too, like if you have a bit of spare time there pressure to make it productive. Or a pressure to be the best or to be competitive in whichever activity. That sort of perspective is insatiable.

I guess I’m confused by our existence. We could all be comfortable and have more than enough but instead five multi-billionaires have super yachts and the rest of us are supposed to “hustle” or have three jobs . Or like this Air Canada CEO makes 12 million a year and a striking flight attendant makes 35k a year. Also only gets paid for time in the air.

Something fundamental has to change. I started adding “???” To everything I paint now because things have gone so sideways.

Sorta fucks with our collective imagination as well.

Most systems we live under are broken yet most people see them as a given. When it’s all a human invention and we can undo it as well.

Speaking of which I gotta go to work soon!

I heard one summer you did a rooftop campaign. I love walking on Parc/St Joseph tryna' catch a peek of the roof with Jaroe.

Yeah I wanted to paint spots that hadn’t been painted before, so I tried to paint a bunch of stuff like that. Not sure how many I did but it was fun.

Who are some writers that you don’t know personally who’ve influenced you? And who are the writers that you know personally that have influenced you?

There was someone who wrote phrases and signed it -🔲boy, most small town elaborate graffiti something an alienated weirdo metal head would paint. Random SLAYER tags as well and in terms of actual technique I can say seeing ribity throw ups got me to move more in that direction.

I guess anyone I’ve spent enough time painting with has rubbed off. Kind of a long list at this point but yeah anyone who has been a consistent painting partner. There’s a level of trust involved when someone is keeping six for you and a dynamic that has to work.

Did you ever think you’d do graffiti long term? Have you ever thought of quitting?

I never considered stopping, at the same time I never thought I would be doing it this infrequently either.

Interview with Cruel Noise

2025-09-05T15:11:48.000-04:00

By Taylor Joy

Cruel Noise is a weekly punk radio show that is released as a podcast. Produced by John Villegas (who also currently plays in extremely sick Pittsburgh hardcore punk bands DE RODILLAS and PEACE TALKS), each episode consists of sets of new and old hardcore punk and other underground music interspersed with light banter. Though I've only been listening to Cruel Noise for a fraction of it's 361-episode (at time of publishing) run, it's quickly become a highlight of my week AND one of the main ways I learn about and sample new or new-to-me bands that I want to listen to more, tell my friends about, or try to catch live.

Fresh off the chaos of Pittsburgh's notorious Skull Fest, John was kind enough to take the time to answer my questions about the evolution and making of Cruel Noise, finding new music, DIY punk and wanting only the best for our human and animal friends. Queue up a sick record, pour yourself a big glass of water and enjoy The Counterforce's interview with John Villegas.

First of all, how was Skull Fest 2025? Any highlights / favourite bands you saw that people should check out?

Skull Fest was a success, people had fun, bands played, little to no blood was spilled. The majority of my time was spent running around and working but I did get to see some great bands! The stand out sets were LA PREGUNTA, IDEATION, STRESS POSITIONS, THE DARK, FLOWER, and ZORN. A lot of other bands that I saw were as good or better, but I had never seen those particular bands before so they had a greater impact in my human brain. Honorable mention to COMMITMENT from Philly.

How and why did you start making Cruel Noise and what forms has it taken over the years? I’ve heard you mention that it was an on-air radio show at some point, and that there may be some early episodes lost to the sands of time and internet platform decay... how did you land on the podcast format?

Some friends and I did a pirate radio station for a few years until the FCC shut it down. We simulcasted it online near the end, and when the feds told us "no-no" I decided I was going to figure out how to keep doing it. The first 30-60 episodes were on SoundCloud, and at some point Sony bought SC and deleted a bunch of accounts of people who were playing copyrighted music. It was a minor blow to little old me, but I know there were some bigger DJs who lost a lot of mixes they had on there.

At that point I emailed someone from a podcast I listened to called "Rock and/or Roll" and asked him how he got away with playing music he did not have the rights to on Apple Podcasts and he told me that despite their rules and regulations saying "you cannot play other people's music" they actually don't care. So I found a third party website that uploaded the RSS to all the places that I knew distributed podcasts and never looked back. I considered trying to get on one of the local college stations here in Pittsburgh, but at that time of my life I was drunk, reckless and unreliable and knew I would not (and could not) conform to their collegiate values of what radio should be. Plus I am painfully DIY, probably to my own detriment.

Do you have a process for picking music for or making the show? How is the Cruel veggie-sausage made?

I play a lot of my friends' bands, bands I see on tour, and bands whose tours are coming through town as the starting point. I always try to focus on what is new as the bedrock.

BUT, I am also obsessed with compilations of the first waves of punk and hardcore. "Killed By Death," "Bloodstains," old regional comps like "Are We Too Late For The Trend" & "Cleveland Confidential" that are a snapshot of a time and place and often have a band's only recorded song. You will find other themes in there as well, songs whose titles all share a single word and most often songs all released in the same year often times a 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-year anniversary type scenario.

Part of the goal of The Counterforce is to push back on the algorithmically-driven flattening of punk and hardcore (e.g. the shaping of music to be more conducive to success on platforms like Spotify or YouTube) by encouraging human curation – radio shows being a perfect example of that. I’m wondering if this is something you think or care about, or if it’s even part of the motivation for continuing to make the show?

Yes of course! My life was forged by mixtapes and mix CDs. I love the glimpse into someone else's world, a sample of their music taste boiled down into the confines of a media limited by time and/or space. Try as it might, the algorithm does not understand me and cannot predict what it is I want to hear. I know that I cannot do that either, but I hope that out of all the things I throw at the musical wall something sticks and you, the listener, find a new band or bands that you love.

I am obsessed with finding new sounds – tapping my fingers on objects to the annoyance of others, playing my guitar as loud as possible hoping to discover some tone new to me and, most relevant to this, music I have never heard before that piques my interest. That is where my love of digging for the old music really comes in. I mourn the loss of kbdrecords.com which was a seemingly endless resource for great old bands that were mostly forgotten to time. Once I find some great old punk song, I get excited to share it with people. I never liked gatekeeping, mostly because I was the loser who would be on the other end of the situation. It doesn't make sense to bully people because I was bullied, I believe people should be sharing music and art with each other with as little judgement as possible.

I don't use Spotify but have a love/hate relationship with YouTube. I am happy to be some sort of low-level alternative to the corporate music model.

Other than that, what else keeps you motivated to keep making the show?

I really, really love punk, I want everyone else to have a chance to listen to the music that I think is great. Through playing in bands and touring I have seen so many great bands and met a lot of good people and I want to share their music as far and wide as I possibly can. Also doing the podcast helps keep me motivated to listen to newly-released music. I am a nerd who is obsessed with music and I just want to share it with people. There is so much out there that flies under the radar and I hope by cosigning a band, song, label, etc., that you will give them a chance.

When I started listening to the show regularly, the thing that sold me on it was not just the music selection, but also your encouragement to “support the bands by going to see them live, buying their records and telling your friends about them,” which is something you say pretty much every episode. It's a breath of fresh air to hear this, in a time when we are more often prompted to follow or stream bands on various hostile corporate apps to support them. Why do you feel like its important to emphasize that every episode? Has this always been a directive/pseudo-tagline of the show, or did it develop somewhere along the way?

I do not remember when I started saying that but it is in the same spirit as "Now go start your own band!", something that is seemingly salient but also impactful. It probably has something to do with me being old and coming up in a time before the corporate structures got their hands on my version of DIY punk. I legitimately want the best for the bands I play because I think they deserve it and going to see them live, buying their records and telling your friends about them is the most direct, unfuckwithable way I can think of to do that. Cut out the middleman, go straight to the source.

On a recent episode, you played a block of songs about not eating animals and talked a bit about being vegan, wondering why it's not as common of a thing as when you were coming up in punk. I found the way you folded it in with your typical light banter about your life, pets, bands, etc, to be pretty chill and non-judgemental but still impactful. As a person with a platform, how do you relate to talking about what's going on in the world or encouraging making choices that line up with ones ethics or politics? And do you see these choices as an integral part of DIY/punk alongside the music?

No one likes being preached to about the things they do or do not do. Through much trial, tribulation and loss I have found that I cannot fix the things I perceive to be problems in others but can only fix the problems in myself and hope that leading by example can show people another possibility. I quit eating meat when I was 15 or 16, I LOVE animals so much and seeing how they suffered on their way to the plate hurt me so bad that it was a no-brainer to become a vegetarian. Veganism seemed to be the logical next step on my journey. The title of the FLUX OF PINK INDIANS album "Strive To Survive Causing the Least Amount of Suffering Possible" really resonates with me and I think about it often.

A theory I have toyed with as to why punks don't care about veganism or animal rights so much anymore is that:

1. "Karens" have taken veganism and made it "cringe"

2. Western culture and social media have pushed the agenda of "ME," making everyone the star of their own show to the detriment of others.

This is a very broad strokes version of unfinished, probably unprovable idea(s).

I don't want to be preachy. I don't want to be judgmental of people. These are things that I have been trying to tamp down in myself in a more concerted effort since becoming sober in 2019. It is hard to not be an asshole about things you really believe in when you are faced with people who have opposing views. I struggle with it all the time. Personally I think punk, ethics and politics are all inextricably linked BUT I know that it is not reasonable for me to expect everyone else to think the same. To some people it is just a party. I want to be mad at them for not doing what I perceive to be "THE RIGHT THING" but I know I have done the wrong thing a lot and hope they can find their way to it sooner than later.

At the end of the day the podcast is about music, the talking is secondary. I am happy to share my opinion(s), no matter how incomplete or misinformed with anyone who asks for it, but I don't see it as my place to force it down anyone's throat.

Do you have any tips for people who might want to start making a radio show?

I think if someone feels compelled to do a radio show or podcast they should absolutely do it. It is easy and you can do it for cheap or free. There are hundreds of guides on how to do it online, and if there are questions I could answer you can email me.

You can subscribe to Cruel Noise on your podcast app or RSS reader of choice, or visit cruelnoiserecords.com for links to everything.

Gluesniffer Fest Reportback

2025-09-08T11:08:53.000-04:00

By Hampton / Earth Girl Tapes

Over the years the Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA scene has developed a bit of a reputation. Potentially wild gigs, lawless youth, the occasional bleakness that comes with punk houses, and at the end of the night you get paid 17 wet dollars. Last time BAD ANXIETY and SILO KIDS tried to play Murfreesboro they canceled the show on us (reasons still remain unclear), and we only found out through an Instagram post the day-of. All that being said I didn't have high hopes for "Gluesniffer Fest."

BAD ANXIETY and SILO KIDS rolled out in early AM to make the drive. I was able to convince the folks booking this to let SILO KIDS do a secret set since they were going to be in attendance anyways. Before the gig, BAD ANXIETY stopped off at a dollar store to pick up gig essentials – an oscillating fan, some silly string, and other various party supplies.

The show was at a punk house, The Crossroads or CXR for short. A little outside of town, on a big corner lot with no neighbors in sight. Kinda the perfect setup. The property was deep and allowed for a ton of parking. We parked and immediately realized "oh shit were gonna get boxed in by the folks staying the night." We weren't planning to camp, but depending on the hell that was trying to get out of here we realized we might be forced to.

The show had already started once we arrived. Said "wassup" to some friends and started chilling by the merch tables (my preferred spot.) The whole fest was a real celebration of hardcore from the American southeast – the furthest band was from Indianapolis. As far the eye could see it was a sea of freaky youth punkers. Banjos, a dog or two (never saw them inside when a band played thankfully), big fire pit, a comical number of whippets and other drugs. A punk utopia for certain individuals. Many things I would normally find annoying but the overall vibe to the fest was so positive and fun that it was only a good time. Everyone was taking care of themselves and each other while getting wild to some sick bands.

CONFUSION'S PRINCE and SNAKE CHURCH by Robert Swann

All the bands were hardcore punk bands. Genre-wise there wasn't much going on but for it being just one big show it didn't matter much. The room was decent size for a regular show, but filled up real quick for this big gig. Missed many of the bands simply because I couldn't get in the room.

SILO KIDS by Robert Swann

Eventually SILO KIDS took the stage. I was filling in on drums and we were playing a shortened set. The vocalist of SILO KIDS, Patty, got their start in DIY from shows at CXR when they previously lived in the area, so playing this show meant a lot to them. The set was awesome. To all of our surprise, people knew the songs, sang along, moshed, and the reception was killer. It was boiling hot in that room. The extra fan we brought didn't exactly help but we had to try. BAD ANXIETY hit the stage (floor) next, broke out the silly string and party supplies. Things were bumping, shit was rocking. Second song in though, people ran in screaming and freaking out from outside and snatched the mic from me: apparently at least five cop cars had pulled up to the house.

BAD ANXIETY by Robert Swann

Props to the people living in the house, they handled the situation as well as one could ask for. Moved people out of sight, didn't let the police come in. The cops tried to assure us they were "cool," saying that we can "keep smoking weed or whatever we don't care." The situation was that a "punk" looking person had stolen stuff from the dollar store down the road. Never heard a follow up to if any of that was true, but after 20 minutes standing around doing nothing the cops left. Once again, props to the people living in the home for making sure the rest of the show-goers didn't interact with the police and stayed away.

With the final cop car rolling down the road away from the house, BAD ANXIETY continued. Kinda hard to regain momentum for a set after 20 minutes of police presence but we tried the best we could. Had another situation where someone moshed into all the amps knocking them and the PA over. It took another 5+ minutes to get everything set back up. The cosmos did not want us to play this set, but we continued on and made it work.

Spent the rest of the night watching sick Birmingham and Jacksonville bands. Bullshitting with old friends, meeting new friends, and having multiple conversations with different groups about how Everything Is Not Okay 4.5 was a letdown. Was nice to hear I'm not the only one with big thoughts on that particular fest.

The true miracle was the moment the last band finished people started leaving. The property was a mess of dirt roads and trees, so I ended up being the main person directing traffic, helping get all the cars outta there. Thirty minutes later, our vehicle was free and we crammed while we still could. The party kept going for a while. I'm sure you could still hear the whippet canisters hit the ground during sunrise.

For a fest that I thought was gonna be forgettable and filled with insufferable idiots, I had a blast and was severely proven wrong. Gluesniffer was a celebration of hardcore punk and debauchery. Every band was awesome and kept their set times shorts, we got paid more than enough and much more than we expected, met a lot of new people, and got to play sick punk music and shoot silly string with my friends. What more can ya ask for.

My advice: if you're planning a tour, skip Nashville and play Murfreesboro. Its just south of it. Check out COFFEE STAIN from Jacksonville, CERVIX, CONFUSION'S PRINCE, BORN and SNAKE CHURCH from Birmingham, PILL BOX from Indy, MISANDRY from Murfreesboro, and a bunch of other bands I didn't see because that room was filled to the brim of sick youth punks of all different styles and vibes getting wild for all these bands.

CERVIX by Robert Swann

Now the 6+ hour drive home at 1am, that's a different (much more boring and bleak) story. I will spare you...

EINOK 4.5 Reportback

2025-08-09T10:30:49.000-04:00

By Hampton / Earth Girl Tapes

For four years, Everything Is Not Okay in Oklahoma City, USA was a legendary punk outing for the freaks of Hattiesburg. The last year of the fest was in 2019. We would drive 12+ hours through some of the most boring parts of the country to see some of the best bands at the time. I hold those memories very near and dear to my heart. When EINOK 4.5 was announced for May 9/10 2025 and my band JUDY AND THE JERKS was asked to play, we knew we had to say yes and bring a whole squad with us. We went, we played and we all came to the same conclusion: some things need to stay dead.

The Good

Got to see so many friends I hadn't seen since pre-Covid, and was able to introduce old friends to new friends. Shoot the shit on the old days and also got up to some new antics with buds. Rolling 20 deep into Lee's Sandwiches will always be a highlight. These fests are essentially family reunions. Unlike my actual family reunions, I really value being able to get friends from across the country together to kick it.
Some really cool bands. The lineup didn't really 'wow' me but some acts did really get my attention. Some classics like WICCANS, NEGATIVE DECREE, ARMOR. Bands you can count on to deliver. PRIMAL BRAIN from OKC was an insane blast. The JUDY set was a ton of fun, silly string and a saxophone is always a winning combo. ROCKSTAR NIGHTCLUB, an OKC local was the standout for me. Younger kids, having fun, all wearing different colored ponchos, not playing generic hardcore punk, everyone was smiling. My kinda shit. BORN from Birmingham played the best set I've ever seen them play.

The Bad

It felt like every band took so long to set up, get their gear sorted – all momentum was lost in between bands. At the matinee show we played, there was some power issues at the venue, making the show last easily twice as long. By the time JUDY played, half the crowd had left since the show ran so long. So many bands had to break in between songs and tune, at every show it was like this. It was wild how little gusto there was anywhere.
As someone else said to me: "Attack Of The Clones." So many bands that all sound like the exact same breed of current cookie-cutter hardcore punk. Shit I love, but when everyone sounds the same, looks the same, and all plays like they're bored to be there... what are we even doing? So many of these bands were a total snore. I don't care how many YouTube views your demo got, if you play like you're bored and don't want to be there then I won't care at all. Just an overall lack of diversity. Every other band was a Charlotte, NC band of kids with rat tails, dangly earrings, and partially bleached hair. Or at least it felt this way. In moderation I can get down with this, but it was all the same. There's so many sick bands currently playing and touring, but it felt so curated to be only specific bands from specific friend groups. I know I'm not exactly breaking from the norm in how I look or how my bands sound, but it was all too much the same. Some of my favorite and memorable sets from years past were the weirdo bands. I think there's a greater statement to be made here about the explosion into the alternative mainstream of 'egg punk' and then the backlash from the DIY community that has lead to really really boring bands that try to be dark edgy and sneak boring d-beat riffs into every song.

The Ugly

The front person of one of these Charlotte bands throwing out F-slurs and R-slurs and being a drunken idiot into the mic, then half the crowd with half a brain still moshing even though the other half of the crowd is actively coordinating how to handle this situation. These kids showed their asses and I think its time for them to give up this subculture and try something else. Ruined the vibe of the night but also felt like a culmination of the energy all these wannabe edgy cool hardcore bands were bringing the whole weekend.

Maybe it's obvious to see that negatives outweighed the goods. It was clear from everyone who attended this fest in previous years, the past years didn't feel like this. I don't regret traveling and playing and seeing friends. Those parts were awesome. But the experience left me a little more jaded then when I showed up. I knew it couldn't compare to the original run of Everything Is Not Okay, but this entry should be forgotten to time. Even as I'm writing this I'm remembering more negative things. Rumors after the fact how much certain bands were paid compared to others, or that certain bands with known sketchy members were going to play.

The fest was clearly not as well attended as many thought it would be. Makes sense with how insular the bands playing felt. I have nothing but love for the scene and people of Oklahoma City. Could I book a better fest? Doubtful, I'd rather not even try. I can't blame anyone for going back to the well on this idea either.

I encourage anyone touring through middle America to play in OKC. The scene isn't huge but it's a scene of people who give a fuck. Something worth much more. Some of my favorite shows I've ever played have been there. I won't blame the OKC scene for this slight flub of a fest. Check out their locals bands. PRIMAL BRAIN, ROCKSTAR NIGHTCLUB, and probably tons more that I'm less familiar with. Bands that aren't afraid to do things a little differently and can have fun while being creative.

JUDY AND THE JERKS at EINOK by Garett Fisbeck

RECALL - EP

2025-09-08T11:41:26.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by P-Lou Free Palestine

I have loved RECALL since the first time I saw them! I remember listening to the demo tape out of my Sony Sports Walkman at work all the time. I was very excited when I heard an EP was on the way earlier this year.

Released on 7” with 11pm Records and on tapes through Broken Skull, this new release from the freaks is exactly what it should be – a significant evolution of their sound while always staying true to the essence of the previous material.

To me RECALL is first and foremost a D-beat band but the influence of early USHC is undeniable. Between the drum assaults and Misery’s screams from the sewers, there are some very catchy and sometimes danceable moments that also really caught my attention! I also love how the guitars, even though relentless and abrasive, have a constant harmony that really brings the sound of the band to another level.

Running at a tight 8m15sec there is not a dull moment on this record. I will definitely put this one somewhere in my releases of the year 2025!

FFO: good punk, good hardcore, real shit, anti-capitalism, anarchy

Listen at: https://11pmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ep-3 or https://brokenskull.bandcamp.com/album/recall

Signal For Punks (it has Stories now!)

2025-09-04T11:37:43.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Introduction

I've been using Signal for at least 10 years, it's long been the best way to reach me. A few years ago, I started using the Signal Stories feature, mostly as an experiment. At first, I didn't know anyone else using Signal Stories, and I wasn't even sure if any of my friends were seeing the show flyers, clips of bands, and local groundhog sightings I was sharing.

Now, several years later, my circle of punk friends using Signal Stories has grown substantially. I keep up with a lot of my distant and local friends via Signal Stories and people regularly ask me how to use them. I don't think Signal is perfect, and I don't personally love the "Stories" format of social media, but it's clearly something that works for a lot of people.

Here I'll present Signal as a good alternative to the corporate social media platforms. One of the broader goals of The Counterforce is to help move hardcore punk culture away from corporate social media apps like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok (see: the manifesto). So this is going to be a guide for punks on how to get started using Signal and Signal Stories.

As "social media," Signal Stories are great for sharing stuff relatively safely with a private audience that you control. For broadcasting information to a more public audience, (like promoting shows, bands and projects) I think alternative social networks like Mastodon/The Fediverse are better suited. Check out our Guide to Mastodon and The Fediverse (For Punks!) for much more about that.

Signal

Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messaging app for phones and computers originally designed by anarchist hackers and now operated by the USA-based non-profit Signal Foundation. Being a non-profit foundation, Signal's ultimate goal is to provide secure messaging for its users, not to create value for shareholders at the expense of its users’ privacy and experience. There are no ads, and in over 10 years of using it extensively I think I’ve received maybe 1 or 2 spam messages.

"End-to-end encrypted" means that messages sent with Signal can't be read by anyone except by the sender and the receiver. The Signal Foundation, and all the various Internet pipes and servers that are used to transmit your messages, can't read them. Signal is open source, which means that independent experts look through the source code for bugs or errors.

The Signal encryption protocol is so well designed, it is widely considered the gold standard. Other applications which offer encrypted messaging just copy the Signal protocol, although that doesn't mean these apps are as good or as secure as Signal. Besides the encryption, Signal is carefully designed to minimize any other kinds of data ("metadata") that is generated through your usage of the app (for example, who you are messaging and when, what groups you are a member of, etc.).

In 2025, you should be using Signal if you are not already. Even if you don't think you "need" the security offered by Signal, you know someone who does. If you or anyone you know might ever have an abortion, take gender-affirming hormones, use drugs, or express outrage at the genocide of the Palestinian people, you should be using Signal.

I understand hesitancy around installing another app to your phone. Consider you could just delete Instagram to make room for Signal! It's likely that more of your friends are are already using Signal than you realize, and frankly they are probably your cooler friends. And if you don't have any cool friends, well, using Signal might help!

Signal "alternatives"

Many people already use similar apps like WhatsApp or Telegram (hello readers outside North America!). WhatsApp is operated by Meta (who owns Facebook/Instagram), so using that app keeps you in Zuckerberg's Meta ecosystem of hell. Telegram is widely considered quite insecure, and is operated out of the UAE. Both these apps harvest as much of your data as they can, and share it with advertisers, data brokers and law enforcement/government agencies (happily and at every opportunity).

Signal is a much better and safer alternative to these apps, and it has all the same features you need (and it doesn't have an AI chatbot shoved into it).

Signal Basics

Getting started

Signal is available for Android and iOS. You need a phone number and a smart phone to use it.

There are also Desktop versions for Linux, MacOS and Windows, but the app needs to be installed on a phone first before syncing with other devices.

Adding contacts

A Signal contact is basically anyone you have exchanged direct messages with in the past (and haven't subsequently blocked). Signal calls it "Connections."

Signal allows users to find each other based on phone number by default, and many people leave this feature on since it can make it easier to find people you know on the app. If a Signal user has this turned on, you can just start a new message and enter their phone number, and Signal will find them. If you give Signal access to your phone contacts when you install it, it will also automatically add any users whose phone number you have and who have left this feature on.

However, you can disable this feature so people can't find you by your phone number. I recommend doing this, and these days many people do turn it off. It stops, for example, your boss or your landlord from finding you on Signal. I'll show you how to do this later.

Without phone numbers, you add other people using their Signal username or a QR code / contact link.

Signal usernames

Signal lets you set a Display name (the name that shows up in chats) alongside a profile pic, which is what people see when they’re chatting with you. But Signal usernames are what you share with other people so they can add you on Signal. The username consists of a word + a random number – for example, the current Signal username for The Counterforce is:

counterforce.99

You can only have one valid Signal username at a time. This gives you a bit more control over who can find you on Signal.

To set or change your Signal username, go to Settings and then click on your profile pic and display name at the top.

In addition to connecting via username, you can also generate a QR code or link that someone can use to add you. On the same Settings screen, you can generate a Signal contact QR code or link. You can share these with anyone you want to find you on Signal.

Groups

Signal groups work like group chats on other apps like WhatsApp or Instagram. No more Instagram band chats or gear threads! We have progressed beyond the need for Instagram gear threads!!

Other users in groups you're in do not become a Signal Contact unless you exchange direct messages with them. So you can be in group chats with relative strangers, and they can see your Signal profile but you won't see each other's Signal Stories unless you first message them directly.

Signal Stories

OK, yes, Signal has Stories that work like Stories in other apps. You can share a short video (<30 seconds) or an image. You can draw on or add text or stickers to the image. You can share just a text-based Story (and include a link!). Stories are visible to your contacts in a Stories feed for 24 hours and then they disappear.

Signal offers better privacy, both because Signal itself can't see your Stories (it isn't censoring your stories, training AIs on them, etc.) and because you have a lot of control over who can see your stories (more on that below). Also did we mention there are NO ADS, and no algorithmic promotion of some stories over others?

Once you start using Signal Stories, you'll probably discover a bunch of your friends already are, and if you stick with it more will follow your lead!

Turn it on!

If you've been using Signal for a while, you may need to turn on Stories. Go to Settings -> Stories to do this. Now you'll start seeing Stories from your Signal contacts (if you have any cool friends).

Show me the Stories

Once you have Stories turned on, you'll start seeing them here. It's not very intrusive. Just a little red dot to tell you how many new stories there are. I usually check my Signal Stories once per day at most!

Posting your own stories is pretty intuitive. To save space I'm not going to get too into it.

Story Privacy

Signal allows you to create many different Stories which are seen only by different groups of your contacts.

My Story is the default. You can choose different ways to restrict who can see it:

All your Signal connections: (anyone you've ever directly messaged on Signal – not people you are just in a group with)
All except... (hide your story from specific people)
Only share with... (only share with selected people)

You can also create as many additional Stories as you like. For each one, you can decide who will be able to see it (as in "Only share with..." for the default My Story).

I have the default My Story set to "Only share with selected people" and I select only my close IRL friends.

I also have a Story for Local Punks that is shared with all the local punks I know (even people I'm not close with), for sharing show flyers and such.

Other stories I have are Family (got the whole family group chat on Signal!) and Bandmates for all my bandmates.

When you create a new Story post, you can select which of your Stories to send it to. Additionally, you can send it to any group chats you are in, and the Story will show up as a special Group Story for all the other members of those groups.

Keeping Stories up to date

First, a recap from earlier on how to add new contacts to Signal. To be able to view each other's Signal Stories, you and a friend must be Signal Contacts, so you first have to exchange a direct message. Being in a group chat together isn't enough! If you want "add someone on Signal" to start swapping Stories, you can start a new direct message with them by:

composing a new message to their phone number (if they have that feature enabled)
composing a new message to their Signal username (e.g. counterforce.99) – via their Signal Link/QR code.

Get into the habit of asking for a Signal username (instead of an Instagram handle!) when you meet someone new you want to stay in touch with.

Whenever I get a new Signal contact, I go back to the Story Privacy settings (go to the Stories tab, and click the 3 little dots in the top right to get to Story Privacy) and open up the settings for the Story I want to add them to.

I search for the new person's display name to add them to my story. This is also where you can just scroll through and add or remove people from a Story.

People can't see which of your Stories you've added them to. For each Story, you can choose whether people can react or reply to your posts.

It's not the best interface for managing who can see which Story, but it's not too bad. And you have a lot more control and options than what Instagram gives you. Or just YOLO and let every Signal contact see all your stories...

Bonus: Using Signal more securely

If you are interested in leveraging Signal's encryption and secure design to keep you safe out there, there are a few tips to using Signal in a secure way.

First off, Signal is about as good as it gets for a secure messaging app that is also easy to use. It hasn't been hacked and it is not a CIA op. There are often viral claims or news articles about Signal being hacked or insecure, and thus far they have always been wrong.

Use disappearing messages

Turn them on by default and adjust as necessary (you can set a different disappearing message timer for each 1-on-1 conversation or group chat). For example, if you are going to share a password or some other sensitive information, set the disappearing message timer to something really short!
Leave and delete groups when they are no longer necessary.

Hide your phone number

Settings -> Privacy -> Phone number
Set "Who can see my number" to "Nobody"
Set "Who can find me by number" to "Nobody"

This will prevent unwanted people (like your landlord or a delivery guy) from contacting you on Signal. Your Signal contacts also won't be able to find out your actual phone number unless you choose to share it with them.

People will have to use your Signal username or link to add you.

Video/voice calls

Signal calls are also encrypted, but if you are having a call with someone who is one of your Signal contacts already, the call is peer-to-peer which means they could determine your IP address.
You can turn this off by choosing "Always relay calls" in Settings -> Privacy -> Advanced- Notifications
You can customize how much information is displayed in Signal notifications on your lock screen. By default, the name and contents of messages are shown, so anyone looking at your locked phone can see them (and if you have a cursed phone with an AI assistant, the AI can probably read these notifications too)
You turn this off in Settings -> Notifications -> Show

Signal's security is only as good as your security. Signal can't protect you if you add an enemy to a group chat by mistake, or if your phone is stolen and the thieves can unlock it.

If you want to read more about how to keep your phone activity safe in general, check out this zine.

My secret secure messaging app is better than Signal!

OK, so you are some kind of reply-guy and you are dying to tell me about a messenger app that is "more secure" than even Signal?

My goal here is to demonstrate an app that is accessible to my punk friends, already widely used, and has the features people want. Signal isn't perfect, I know. But please don't get in touch to talk about your favorite alternative secure messaging app. I don't want to flex but I can almost guarantee I know more about secure messaging apps than you do, I've already heard about whatever app you think is better than Signal!

Add The Counterforce on Signal!

As of this writing, the Signal username of The Counterforce is counterforce.99

Add us and send a message if you want to try out Signal, test out stories, or have any questions. Or for submissions, suggestions, hate/love letters, etc!!

Thanks for reading.

Zine

There is a printable zine version of this how-to!

Download the PDF:

Find more printable zines from The Counterforce and elsewhere on the Zines page.

August 2025 More Zines

2025-09-05T16:18:33.000-04:00

By Webmaster

Several zines added to the Digital Distro zines page.

Two photo zines from Hazel Andrews Holmes:

Scorched Earth 2025

16 page B&W photo zine US Letter imposed

Concatenate Fest 2025

16 page B&W photo zine US Letter Imposed

And the MRR Reviews digest zines have been updated.

MRR #507 - August 2025 US Letter imposed - Original online
MRR #505 - June 2025 US Letter imposed - Original online

Curiously there was no July MRR "issue" on their site, do all the reviewers take July off? If you know get in touch.

As always, these zines are meant to be printed and distributed. Print It Yourself. And if you have a zine you want to contribute, please contribute!

CRUELSTER - MAKE THEM WONDER WHY

2025-07-13T19:20:09.000-04:00

By Corn

CRUELSTER have spent seven years since their last record carefully assembling an insular world, a model train village with a sniper in the clocktower and a miniature fistfight in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

I've been addicted to CRUELSTER's rabid, fractured, indisputably Cleveland hardcore since the Potatoe Boys LP in 2013, but it's clear from the first proper track "I'm Going to Ukraine" this is a massive level up: the recording quality is crisp and massive, allowing you to catch lines like "I WAS SHOT POINT BLANK IN THE CHEST WITH A RIFLE" in enormous stereo. The messier lo-fi stuff will always have my heartburn, but I really appreciate how much time clearly went into making this record. Songs like "Jerks" and "Nuclear Word" are obvious contenders for big hit repeaters (especially with their insane music videos), but just about all of them could be some other band's best song (I'm personally partial to "Croup" and "Sent Down Youth").

Their songwriting has always been left-field and catchy, but in keeping with the improved production, this is amazing: whip-crack start-stop drums and fearlessly stupid guitar lines, fife synthesizer and obnoxious samples, lead singing that alternates between bellowing and being spit through gritted teeth, all backed up by layered gang vocals that make everything feel like an anthem, no matter how obtuse.

On a similar note, maybe we can gaze on the album cover, looking like Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights carved into a public school desk, to get a clue as to CRUELSTER's thoughts on our sick society. To my eye, they're a deeply political band from a perspective that feels hyper-modern and refreshing: informed by the internet, scattershot but aggrieved, dripping with the feeling that we're all being screwed. Frantic obsessions with Julian Assange, Belarus, psychic transmissions from the mayor and the history of Egypt make the album feel like a debate exploding in a Call of Duty lobby, a Civil War re-enactor trying to get you into Bitcoin, or those AI Minecraft videos of Family Guy characters talking about BlackRock.

In other words, true American hardcore. Take cover.

Released by Convulse Records. Listen here: https://convulserecords.bandcamp.com/album/make-them-wonder-why

Make Them Wonder Why, by Cruelster

21 track album

Convulse Recordsemmatonkss

Inside Front (special tour edition)

2025-09-05T10:49:12.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Inside Front was essentially a early/proto CrimethInc. zine from the 90s, put out as late as 2003 (back when CrimethInc. was really punk).

I had a small amount of overlap with Inside Front's original run, but somehow I never encountered in the wild at the time. I started going to shows in 2000 and I would grab any punk/hardcore zine I came across at shows (or anywhere else – I remember getting a copy of Punk Planet at the local magazine store sometime before I'd even been to my first punk show). There was also a lot of CrimethInc. stuff tabled at the early shows I went to, and I dunno if CrimethInc. is really cringe now but I was definitely one of those kids who graduated from ANTI-FLAG lyrics to CrimethInc. books in my earliest political trajectory. But Inside Front never made it up to my part of Canada with the rest of the CrimethInc. stuff, I guess. So I've never read a copy in-situ, just browsed the archived issues online (10-14 were posted by CrimethInc. with a little retrospective, and the rest appear on archive.org except Issue 3 which is noticeably missing!!).

Anyways, CATHARSIS (essentially the CrimethInc. house band) is back in 2025 with a new LP Hope Against Hope and with an upcoming tour, Inside Front is apparently also back for a "special tour edition."

The cover says "For anarcho punks and hardcore anarchists" and I could just stop the review right there. This might be the epitome of "perfect zine" for me. The first non-meta content is "Like Weeds – A Dialogue about HIS HERO IS GONE's Timeless Anthem" in which two thinkers trade increasingly deep and heady observations and anecdotes about the song and it's context (even more impressive when you realize both parties are almost certainly completely sober).

There's also a relatable story about en EXTREME NOISE TERROR CD triggering scrutiny at the US border, a show review from someone's first hardcore show ever, top-10 lists, a few reviews, ideas for a Stateless Fair, and a pair of parallel accounts from fighters in the Syrian civil war bonding over a Czechoslovakian hardcore song they all happened to know, and the struggle to finally download and listen to the song in the middle of a war zone.

It feels like a special and unique zine, since it draws on energy built up over 20+ years since the last issue. I'm not sure if Inside Front will return in a more permanent way, but I hope this issue gets wider distribution than just the CATHARSIS tour so more of you can enjoy it.

Here are the remaining 2025 tour dates:

September 12 – New York City, New York: Property Is Theft, Brooklyn
September 13 – Providence, Rhode Island
October 10 – Raleigh: Kings
October 11 – Richmond, Virginia
October 12 – Washington, DC: St. Stephen’s
October 13 – Philadelphia
October 16 – Warsaw, Poland: Voodoo Club with POINT OF NO RETURN, GHOSTCHANT, MOIRA
October 17 – Krakow, Poland: Alchemia with POINT OF NO RETURN, GHOSTCHANT, MOIRA REAGNITION
October 18 – Budapest, Hungary: Turbina with POINT OF NO RETURN, GHOSTCHANT, VLKY
October 19 – Zagreb, Croatia: AKC Attack with VLKY
October 20 – Bologna, Italy: Freakout
October 21 – Munich, Germany: Kafe Kult
October 22 – Vienna, Austria: Tüwi with VLKY
October 23 – Brno, Czech Republic: Kabinet MUZ
October 24 – Schweinfurt, Germany: Stattbahnhof
October 25 – Berlin, Germany: Neue Zukunft with CORRECTIVE MEASURE, MOIRA

Crash-Test Magazinne (May and June 2025)

2025-09-05T11:37:19.000-04:00

By Martin Force

I came across this zine in a distro in Lille, which is quite close to Brussels where the zine is based. Crash-Test is zine of anarchy and punk, with many contributors. It was one of my best discoveries of tour. Crash-Test has been going since December 2024, steadily putting out an issue every month. Issues are often based on a theme (May was "Sports" and the July issue was "Drugs"). They also put their PDFs online so anyone can print and distribute the zine (as do we here at The Counterforce) following a Print It Yourself principle. And like us, they have an editorial policy against listing Instagram handles in their pages.

I should mention that being based in Brussels, the zine is in French. Here are their principles:

Les balises actuelles (libre d’interprétations et d’évolutions) :
- Punk (quoiqu’on en dise)
- Anar (quoiqu’on en pense)
- Noir et Blanc (quoi qu’il en coûte)
- Format A4 plié (quoique)
- Pas de lien insta individuel (ya pas de quoi)

Translated to my best ability:
- Punk (what we say)
- Anarchy (what we think)
- Black and White (what it takes [to make, since it's a photocopy zine))
- A4 folded (what is it [A4 is the European paper size])
- No instagram links (no worries)

Perfect!!

Most of the content in these issues is in the overlap of the punk and anarchist scenes (a much bigger overlap in Europe). There are record reviews, reportbacks from demos and bookfairs, show and event listings, essays, interviews with punk/political collectives, euh-roscopes, much more from many contributors. If you live in a French-speaking place I encourage you to start printing out and distroing Crash-Test at shows!

Precipice - Down the Well MLP

2025-09-03T20:00:28.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

A classic case of the label writing hype checks bound to bounce: Precipice does NOT sound like DIE KREUZEN or SPIKE IN VAIN, and so the first pass flopped. The subsequent go 'round revealed a band fully capable of standing on its own two-to-ten legs (possible solo outing? Inconceivable to me, as a singer or bassist by trade). 8 brisk (by European standards) tracks of what I like to call "psycho hardcore."

8 teeth missing and a bruise on the forehead.

Released by Discos Enfermos, listen here: https://discosenfermospunk.bandcamp.com/album/de-139-precipice-down-the-well-mlp

DE #139 PRECIPICE “down the well” MLP, by Discos Enfermos

Discos Enfermosbrainscan17

Caust!c - Demo 2025 CS

2025-09-03T20:05:28.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Haven't heard a band so effortlessly channel the spirit of 80s hardcore punk without sounding hopelessly derivative in a long time. No vocal delay, chunky guitars, xeroxed to shit cover art, and I just know there's a "program repeats both sides" disclaimer somewhere.

Unadulterated and unspoiled by algorithm slop bullshit, I hope I never see this band on the summer punk fest circuit.

Released by Slow Death Records, listen here: https://slow-death-records.bandcamp.com/album/caustic-demo-2025

CAUSTIC - Demo 2025, by Caustic

Slow Death Recordsmessage0fpeace

Fleas of Mercy - The 8th of May 12"

2025-09-03T20:03:18.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

A-regular, asymmetric, a-okay!

Slot 'em in a mixtape rock block twixt CHRONOPHAGE, DESPERATE BICYCLES, MD, or STRAW MAN ARMY.

5/5

Released by Stucco Label, listen here: https://stuccolabel.bandcamp.com/album/the-8th-of-may

The 8th of May, by FLEAS OF MERCY

Esmagado Pela Engrenagem Capitalista, by Sistema Obsoleto

Stuccomatty getloose

Sistema Obsoleto - Esmagado Pela Engrenagem Capitalista 7"

2025-09-03T19:56:05.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Five high energy, TOTALITAR-tinged tracks. Not bad by any means, but it's missing something that would give it the push into constant rotation. Maybe a rawer recording, or if the vocals sat lower in the mix. The cover art is great and there's a strong enough foundation that I'll tune into future dispatches. (3.5/5)

Released by Neon Taste Records, listen here: https://neontasterecords.bandcamp.com/album/esmagado-pela-engrenagem-capitalista

Neon Taste Recordsdamieninbred

AG-3 - Demo CS

2025-09-03T19:54:14.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.

Big time five out of five.

Unmitigated banger.

FFO: that hardcore punk shit.

Released by Brainrotter Records, listen here: https://ag-3.bandcamp.com/album/demo

DEMO, by AG-3

“Not for you not for anyone” 12″, by CORRECTIVE MEASURE

AG-3johannesrh0

Corrective Measure - Not For You Not For Anyone 12"

2025-09-03T19:40:08.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Investigating my daily listening habits, it ain't immediately apparent that I love certain sub sub sub genres of hardcore, but in the lizard portions of my brain, in the depths of my art punk heart or whatever, there is an unapologetic desire for the mosh.

The demonstrated style doesn't have a better representation than CORRECTIVE MEASURE. Fast, angry, and subtle as a fucking hammer. Definition of meat and potatoes, with great breakdowns and no corny bullshit. (5/5)

Released by Refused Records, listen here: https://refuserecords.bandcamp.com/album/not-for-you-not-for-anyone-12

Refuse RecordsBandcamp New & Notable Mar 6, 2025

HOMEMADE SPEED - Faster Is Better 7"

2025-09-03T19:47:18.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Coulda been a bad day, coulda been the 1,000th Caves cover art in a calendar year, but it seemed HOMEMADE SPEED lost something between that manic live footage that initially blipped my radar and the first spin of "Faster Is Better." It felt domesticated.

Last week's revisitation revealed the idiot genius I knew they had in 'em: bandanas, dumb crew vocals, & 8 tracks that hit like lost cuts from the "Cleanse the Bacteria" and "No Core" comps. (7.5/10)

Released by Not For The Weak Records, listen here: https://notfortheweakrecords.bandcamp.com/album/faster-is-better-2

Faster Is Better, by Homemade Speed

Not For The Weak Recordsmerricktall

COLD MEAT - Cake and Arse Party 7"

2025-09-03T19:38:43.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Five years after the release of their "Hot & Flustered" LP, these nazty rockers have returned from the depths of the Perth abyss. While I enjoyed that release, it didn't resonate quite so deeply as their "Pork Sword Fever" 7".

Never fear, their latest 5 song slab is a return to form: trebly 2 minute rants that vibrate on the same frequency as "Penis Envy," the PETTICOATS Peel Session, or the ENDTABLES. What a great year for punk art, thanks for da Meaty contribution. (4.5/5)

Released by Static Shock Records, listen here: https://staticshockrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cake-and-arse-party

Cake and Arse Party, by Cold Meat

Static Shock Recordsintisariterrorclub

NO NO NO - No No No LP

2025-09-03T19:49:24.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Batshit Japanese art punk from a few years back. Contemporaneous reviews cite COMES as a starting point, but "Stop Jap"-era STALIN, smashed up against the "fast but not fast" method pioneered by GAUZE (and, a world away, BAD BRAINS) is more apt.

Listen & choose, reader! Are these references: a) far too on the nose or B) the post-pratfall schnoz that is making an FFO list for an unadventurous public?

(5 sicks out of 6 nasties)

Released by KiliKiliVilla Records, listen here: https://kilikilivilla.bandcamp.com/album/no-no-no-2

NO NO NO, by NO NO NO

15 track album

KiliKiliVillapeppersmonster

MOTHER NATURE - Loving, Joyful, and Free MLP

2025-09-03T19:33:26.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Six song (sigh) 12" from Leeds' MOTHER NATURE. An interesting whole that doesn't quite sound like its purported parts (record labels near and far: gimme vibes, not unattainable subcultural marketing parallels in your write-ups). I'm personally not hearing YDI or COLD SWEAT here, but MN's mix of stompy, burly hardcore and flangey guitar is still a worthwhile listen. Great cover art is a common thread stretched 'cross all the records I've reviewed this ish and this one's no different. Imaginary point deducted for lack of Oxford Comma. (3.5/5)

Released by Static Shock Records, listen here: https://mother-nature.bandcamp.com/album/loving-joyful-and-free

Loving, Joyful and Free, by Mother Nature

Creaturas del Subconsciente, by Oova

Mother NatureRiot Radio

OOVA - CREATURAS DEL SUBCONSCIENTE

2025-09-02T20:13:46.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

A blind listen would have you thinkin' this was a four or five band compilation. While we're mostly talking gruff, tupa tupa type shit, OOVA switches it up stylistically speaking too often to feel cohesive. Don't hate it, but I'm a stickler for vision.

Released by Planeta Destrozado, listen here: https://planetadestrozado.bandcamp.com/album/creaturas-del-subconsciente
Find the band here: https://oova.bandcamp.com/

11 track album

Planeta DestrozadoJean-Paul DuQuette

(+39) 375-649-94-64 MY TELEPHONE NUMBER - Album #01

2025-09-02T20:07:03.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Incredible band name, the most unsearchable moniker since SEX VID. I thoroughly enjoyed the half of this album sonically situated between HEAVY METAL (the band) and the SECRET PROSTITUTES, while the other half is a bit too yolky for my tastes.

Released by Feral Kid Records, listen here: https://feral-kid-records.bandcamp.com/album/album-01

Album #01, by (+39) 375-649-94-64 My Telephone Number

Feral Kid RecordsDaniel Bauer

LAME - Lo Que Extrañas Ya No Existe

2025-09-02T19:59:40.000-04:00

By Marginal

"What You Miss Does Not Exist Anymore," such a powerful statement is the title of an amazing album by the London - Mallorca - Berlin band that destroys your ears with the new twist of the "Sonido Balear" and the "Extremo Nihilismo". The vocals are an evident distinctive feature of this band, where Sally throws dozens of words per second in a game of symbolic meanings and double intentions that collapses your mind. Wise statements are put in the exact position to trigger different feelings, making you think and ruminate about all the sentences thrown at you.

The performance of words and meanings is improved by the repetitive riffs that are long enough to sound chaotic with constant little variations. Both create a unique atmosphere that is something I haven't listened to before. Every instrument holds an important value in this record, along with the production, but I would like to say the drums are superb. Of course I can't stop thinking about the second LP of ORDEN MUNDIAL (an album I listened to a million times) when listening to this LAME album, but there are some details refined, making the sound of drums unique here.

Delivered by well-known musicians that have been in several acts like ORDEN MUNDIAL, POU, BARRERA, BARCELONA, GLAM, ANTÍDOTO, ENAMORADOS... LAME was a good band that has now turned into an excellent punk act with this album.

Released by La Vida Es Un Mus, listen here: https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/lo-que-extra-as-ya-no-existe

Lo Que Extrañas Ya No Existe, by Lame

LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOSintisariterrorclub

AYUCABA - Operación Masacre

2025-09-02T19:56:22.000-04:00

By Marginal

I still need to get this piece of plastic, but it makes me so happy to see how this group of people got together, in this city, and worked so hard on such a great album. After a demo only released as a tape and not available online on purpose, I thought the LP would also be an obscure punk gem that only "the chosen ones" would be able to listen to, but it seems it has been released everywhere, which makes me very happy.

"Operación Masacre" is not the fastest album, but it also doesn't rely on these mid-tempo fashions that we see all over the punk planet. The general vibe is a big love for Japanese hardcore punk; from the vocals to the instrumental melodies, there's an epic vibe normally associated with "burning spirits" bands, while many other riffs are like super fast NWOBHM riffs, in what resembles the style of THE EXECUTE. The guitars are fantastically put together: they did a big step up here from the past, coordinating perfectly the two six-string axe swords with solos, little harmonics here and there, and a beautiful production that also helps a lot on this. When the vocals are not on top, the guitars take the space, and perfect drums and bass fill the whole space.

In my opinion, drums are especially good on these ten tracks, delivering the needed violent feeling for this type of music, but with such a good taste. There's tons of technical stuff, but then there are parts that are more classic fitting perfectly in these songs. On the other hand, the bass is a bit behind the whole mix. You can spot it the whole time, but on a personal level, it would be great to feel it a bit louder or more consistent.

Overall a very good album reflecting the state of punk in Barcelona, where we have amazing bands releasing extreme music.

Released by Educacion Cineca, listen here: https://educacioncinica.bandcamp.com/album/operaci-n-masacre

https://educacioncinica.bandcamp.com/album/operaci-n-masacre

TENSER - Demo

2025-09-02T19:53:10.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Full disclosure, I actually recorded this demo in 2023. TENSER was a band with a bit of a false start that shared the same practice space as me.

They formed pre-COVID, as early as 2019, initially as a guitar-bass-drums unit searching for a vocalist. Actually, now that I think about it they asked me to sing as well, but I guess I didn't have time. The pandemic derailed the band's full formation, and although they started practicing again eventually the search for a vocalist took a long time. The vocals were definitely recorded much later, by Alex from RIVALED ENVY. There was at least one show booked, I think meant to line up with a tape release, but something happened and they had to drop. Ultimately they disbanded, and sadly this demo is the only thing left behind.

Being made up of former/contemporary members of bands like SUBSIST and MAXXPOWER, TENSER played powerviolence but down-tuned and high-brow. Toronto's THE ENDLESS BLOCKADE is an obvious influence (a cover is included on the tape) and there are also some of the PV prog bass playing codified by bands like GAS CHAMBER. But the riffs are far from derivative or boring, I enjoy these songs a lot. It's a demo, and we recorded everything but the vocals live, but it still sounds surprisingly good like a complete EP. For example, there is tasteful interstitial harsh-ish noise that helps tie the song together.

If you are into good powerviolence, you'll certainly enjoy this and I hope it will become an important footnote in Canadian PV history rather than just being lost altogether.

Released by Mouth of Madness Tapes, tapes still available and you can listen here: https://mouthofmadnesstapes.bandcamp.com/album/demo-3

Demo, by Tenser

Mouth Of Madness TapesBandcamp New & Notable Oct 16, 2024

Announcing DEMO FEST 2025

2025-08-09T12:04:52.000-04:00

By Martin Force

DEMO FEST is back for 2025

This time brought to you by The Counterforce!

The short version:

Spend October + November recording a new punk demo and submit it to DEMO FEST
Submission deadline is December 1st
Release day is December 21st

Never heard of DEMO FEST?

In 2020 during the height of Covid-19 lockdowns in Montreal, DEMO FEST 2020, brought together hundreds of punks and friends recorded a new demos during the Fall and everything was released by DEMO FEST on the Winter Solstice. Over 200 demos were completed (all mastered by Will Killingsworth!?) and the project raised well over $10000 for Solidarity Across borders. All the music is still up on Bandcamp.

DEMO FEST

DEMO FEST is a fundraiser for Solidarity Across Borders. Over 200 artists spent the fall writing/recording/producing a ‘demo’ style new release. Everything was released on December 21st. All proceeds go to Solidarity Across borders. Consider paying more than the minimum for individual releases, or buying the complete discography. Every little bit counts!

DEMO FEST

What is DEMO FEST 2025?

1. A fundraiser for Solidarity Across Borders / Solidaridad sin fronteras / Solidarité sans frontières (SAB), a Montreal-based migrant justice network.

2. A motivator to encourage punks to complete new recordings in the Fall, giving us all the gift of new music as we enter the darkest and coldest months of winter.

How does it work?

Punks spend October and November recording a new demo's worth of music and submit it to DEMO FEST 2025.

Submissions will be accepted starting in October and the deadline to submit your demo is December 1st.

On the Winter Solstice (Sunday December 21st, 2025), it will all be released on the DEMO FEST website.

Everything will be streamed for free. Donations to SAB will be encouraged, and collected in exchanged for high-quality downloads.

How to participate?

Check out the DEMO FEST 2025 website and check or follow DEMO FEST on Mastodon/the Fediverse at @demo_fest@counterforce.social for the latest updates.

Flyer

Here's a flyer! To print or share:

CATHARSIS - Hope Against Hope

2025-08-07T11:15:46.000-04:00

By Greg The Builder

When I woke up on August 1st, 2025, I did not expect to be surprised with the first CATHARSIS record in 24 years. I may have actually asked myself "is this the same CATHARSIS"?

It is, and I gotta say, it's really good. I’ve had to force myself to listen to other records every couple listens just so I don’t burn myself out on Hope Against Hope.

This record feels like it was written with intent and care. Based on what I’ve heard and read about how it was recorded, I think the band took their time with these songs. Hope Against Hope isn’t a whole new sound for CATHARSIS. It’s still their tasteful blend of crust and hardcore, but I think these songs lean a little more hardcore sounding than the older records.

There are tempo changes in the right places, softer parts, build ups, anthemic fast parts, blasts, and tasteful leads. There's even violin. All keeping these songs, half of which go longer than 5 minutes or more from getting boring. These songs don’t pass you by, letting you sit with them. A record that with repeat listens you start to have favorite parts in different songs. There is a part in the middle of Eremocene that I get excited for every time it starts.

I think you can hear subtle hints of the bands that came after CATHARSIS, like REQUIEM and even UNDYING, in these songs. All the instruments are perfectly balanced and sound good. Brian’s voice sounds great, which to be honest I was not sure would be the case. There are times over the past 15 years when it did not seem like his voice was able to hold up live from the years of screaming. After the first 2 or 3 listens I was prepared to say that the additional vocals on Power, which I will call operatic because I don’t know the right word to call them, were not for me, but they grew on me and I genuinely love how they sound on the song. Lyrically, again, this record is nothing new for CATHARSIS, which is to say they are thoughtful and interesting. The only exception being the opening track, Nocturne, whose repeated lyrics “The darkness before the dawn, it just goes on and on” left me wanting a little more.

In a time when we are flush with punk bands whose anarchist politics feel more of an aesthetic companion to their music instead of their music being an expression of those politics, CATHARSIS continues to remain earnest and sincere in their beliefs, making it as important to the band as the songs.

This record was genuinely a wonderful surprise. The day it was released I got to chat with so many friends about how much we liked it. I’m not going to make the grandiose statement that punk needed this record, but I will say that I’m glad it exists.

You can hear it here: https://crimethinc.bandcamp.com/album/hope-against-hope and order it here: https://store.crimethinc.com/products/catharsis-hope-against-hope-lp

Hope against Hope, by Catharsis

The Estranged: S/T LP, by sabotagerecords

CrimethincEmery

THE ESTRANGED - S/T LP

2025-08-05T14:11:09.000-04:00

By Marginal

Probably one of the albums I listened the most in the last two years. My friend Juan mentioned them in a tour we were doing around Europe with IRREAL, because I was really obsessed with WIPERS, but I listened too much ALL their albums and I needed something new. His recommendation was surprisingly spot on, THE ESTRANGED covered all my musical needs with a refreshed take on the Portland trio. With an amazing and consistent rhythmic work (same drummer of HELLSHOCK, LEBENDEN TOTEN… and bassist also from HELLSHOCK, FROM ASHES RISE… legends!) and perfect melodic and dark guitar lines complemented with the amazing vocal work, their music fulfills all my desires of a band of that style.

Their previous albums were super good too, but they sound a bit harsher, and the production is not that polished. This one is an absolute perfection of the mix of punk and rock. In my honest opinion it is a masterpiece and I hope they play again someday.

Listen here: https://sabotagerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-estranged-s-t-lp

sabotagerecordsjonathanuseless

ATENTADO - Todo está oscuro EP

2025-08-05T14:09:46.000-04:00

By Marginal

A short EP of just 5 songs that sound like a demo (non derogatory). The name (“everything is dark”) is a good description of what can be found in these tracks: cave-sound music featuring members that later would be part of DESTINO FINAL, GLAM, etc. The vocals are harsh and together with the also very dark lyrical themes they create a sensation of oppression, intensified by the mid tempo riffs and their kind of noisy production.

Its important to also recognize the powerful art that comes with the EP! Such a dark composition that continues the concept of the title. Lovely gem from Barcelona that I think you should know.

Listen here: https://discosenfermospunk.bandcamp.com/album/de-01-atentado-todo-esta-oscuro-7

DE #01 ATENTADO “todo esta oscuro” 7″, by Discos Enfermos

Discos Enfermosjuxnsxnmiedx

LOS MONJO - La vida que todos envidian LP

2025-08-05T14:07:49.000-04:00

By Marginal

Among the dozens of bands that tried to imitate ESKORBUTO, there’s one that stands out over the rest: LOS MONJO. These three brothers and their cousin decided to use their common surname as the name of the band, and formed their already legendary “rock basura” sound from Guadalajara, Mexico.

Their music is passionate, they are not competing to be the fastest ones. They just expose how fucked up everything is, how every city is a pile of trash that should explode but at the same time is our home. Anyone who understands what they are saying will feel the urge to destroy everything around them.

My favorite track from this album is “Decepción”, a refined word to express the anger they put in the lyrics of this song against the state of Mexico. If a song could kill, this one would have cut in half all the government, police, judges and every piece of power a state holds.

Listen here: https://discosmmm.bandcamp.com/album/la-vida-que-todos-envidian-lp

“La Vida Que Todos Envidian” LP, by LOS MONJO

Discos MMMSteve

SAYÓN - Demo

2025-05-27T16:05:27.000-04:00

By Marginal

Grow your hair! Prepare your necks for the SAYÓN attack! Following an acclaimed debut show a month ago in downtown Barcelona, SAYÓN's demo probably is, for me, one of the most anticipated music releases for this year. I have listened to these SAYÓN tracks a few times and, after an extraordinary rainy season, suddenly this Mediterranean region feels a bit more like Devon, UK, than the nearly desertified landscape (with no bands-no rain) that we had a few years ago. With some AMEBIX-styled vocals and BOLT THROWER Realm Of Chaos era mid tempo riffs (don't worry, there's no double kick!) this demo ticks all the boxes for a metal punk release to be listened on repeat, a kind of band not very common around here.

Lyrically the song “Prisión” (I think) revolves around the situation in Gaza, “Falsa Imagen” is about fake people and being lost yourself in made up personalities, “Enemigo” is more like a classic anarchist anti authority song with what I feel like a more anti colonialism lean and “¡Vive, Muere, Arrodíllate!” has a sad meaning, about the situation where some people were born in the wrong place, grew up going against the grain and finally were murdered. A sort of memento mori also, since there's no mention to the murder itself, maybe I'm just inventing the meaning (hehe, sorry!).

“Enemigo” is my favorite, it is full of perfect simple riffs along with the blend of Anyella's and Esteban's vocals, in a sort of NAUSEA style. This really evokes the NYC band when Anyella hits that higher pitch lines “rechazo sus ideas, rechazo su división, rechazo su dogmatismo” that after a growled “ENEMIGO” will return to previous riff. Amazing, that's all I need.

I have high expectations on the future of this band, and I hope this demo (to be released by the Colombian label Disordera Records) will end up soon in my hands! Meanwhile we will wait for them to write new music as we have been waiting for the rain, patiently, but excited for the moment it arrives.

Listen here: https://sayonpunk.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2025

Demo 2025, by SAYÓN

SayónBandcamp New & Notable Mar 3, 2024

The Counterforce Issue 6

2025-05-25T20:44:44.000-04:00

By Webmaster

The Counterforce Issue #6 is here, featuring all the content published since the last issue... See it all collected online here, and download an imposed PDF to print and distro yourself:
US Letter
A4

PDFs for past issues, and many more zines are available on our Zines page.

Interview with Stunk about Graffiti and Punk in St. John's, NL

2025-05-13T20:53:05.000-04:00

By Slim

Contributed by Slim

Graffiti has been alive in well in St. John's, Newfoundland for over 30 years. It's always been a mix of civilian tags, hip hop murals, punk tags and regular graffiti. Waves of writers come and go, and in the last few years it's gotten grimey and destructive. During trips to the island I started to notice what looked like Bart Simpson's head dissociating, then the crazy punk throw ups joined it, and I met my new friend Stunk. While there's always been people painting streets, this guy has brought a new energy and a new dedication to getting even with the city. I caught up with him over Signal.

Slim: Introduce yourself to The Counterforce

Stunk: I'm Stunk from Hesh mother fuckers or heshers, that's what you see.

What are some things that influence your style?

My influences are punk, hardcore, hardcorepunk, heavy metal, horror movies, death, having to die, mortality, living in a society that is hurling out of control, losing control, impulses to destroy, impulses to self destruct.

How did you discover graffiti? Do you have any early memories?

I had moved to a new house when I was 7. It was a new area for me and near the house there was a big wall. In black spray paint it said "turkey bones and mid sized homes don't trap yourself gotta have a clean sweep." I was baffled by it. I would see it at the playground everyday and it stuck in my head. It's still stuck in my head. In the same area there was a tag in blue spray paint on a pole that said "cool."

As I got into punk, it seemed to me the thing to do was spray paint walls and do bad things. There was a lot of painting of band names around town at the time, we really made a point to do this. I regret spraying on some houses and cars.

I remember later on as a teen seeing Remio up in downtown. I knew Odie, Dr.West, Sois, McTrash they were into graffiti but that was more their thing, they had bags of paint and were into climbing and I thought that was stupid and too much of a risk. Me and my friends fucking hated where we lived, we were in these shit co-op houses near this strip mall. We loved to bother the businesses and they opened this spot Smitties.

Me and some of my buddies sprayed "shitties" on it as the manager drove by. He called the cops and we all ran away. I ran behind a church to avoid the cops and I remember it was covered in tags, I wish I remembered the names. That would have been 2002. I'd say another key influence was the CRASS stencil campaigns, just the idea of such in-your-face radical stuff in this world of advertising culture. I try and walk this line where graffiti is very political and is in me and is important to me.

Would you say graffiti in St.John's has always been linked to punk?

At a certain point in St John's punk everyone went to shows, it's what young people did. We went to the Riverdale Tennis Club or Kaleo's. There were lots of people just looking for a place to drink too. I imagine some graffiti writers of the time attending shows at that time. I didn't really start thinking of graffiti being closely linked to punk.

Do you remember much about the city wide hunt for Dr. West?

I do remember. I knew him, it's a small town and you already know anyone into anything "alternative." At one point I was sleeping on a couch of a house, he lived next door.

I remember when he got raided, it was a really sad thing. That was a different time for graffiti in St. John's. I didn't pay a lot of attention it was more of a thing for some of the people around me.

I've always been around people doing graffiti but I didn't pay attention till more recently.

Tell us a recent tale from rolling around St. John's

Recently a whole block on Livingstone St. had burned down and they built a huge wood fence around the row. I could see five windows on the back of the houses, five perfect boards. I wanted my name on the panels. I pull up to the spot at 1pm. There was already a hole in the perimeter so I went in with a 20ft pole that allows you to attach a spray can to the end. It's got a string you pull that activates the valve. I go in the enclosure and I already see two kids breaking shit. I probably should've taken this as more of a sign the cops would be coming. I say "what's up" and ask "if they've seen any cops" before I start spraying. I'm standing on a dehumidifier and I'm doing my letters real high. In that moment I see the cops roll up. I disassemble my rig and hide my gear. I run but I'm trapped in this perimeter. The fences are 10 feet high and I'm not built to hop that.

But I try and climb the fence, I fall in the dirt and keep falling as I try and hop over. There was a good 5 minutes where anyone across the street would've seen me, half a body draped over the fence. I get my knee up and my bag breaks, my cans go everywhere.

I run across the street where I see this random guy from the neighborhood who raps, I tell him I don't have time to talk cause I'm running from the cops. He's like "oh man come with me" and reveals some trails behind houses that the locals use to walk secretly through the neighborhood.

I go to wait for a ride at Choice's For Youth and buy a large bag of buenos from another guy who's getting some people hyped on Easter with big bags of cheap candy.

My dad sent me a pic of a sick hollow you did at Rawlins cross. Do regular people know about Stunk?

I think some prole know about Stunk. I try not to think about that much, I've got to do what I've got to do. Some pages for concerned citizens pop up online and I see it mentioned but never with anything serious attached.

Someone said they felt bad for me because that's what I call myself. They said "what's the deal with all these names I see on things, I feel bad for stunk that's such a sad name"

What gives you energy. Is there an ideology behind your action?

NAS has a song, "Second Childhood," I've always loved that song. I believed what he was saying in the song for a while. Now I'm a middle-aged person and the song is a banger, but I see the problems in it. There is no path that we have to follow, there's an assumption that we will 'arrive' and if we go back we're in our second childhood and that's some winner loser capitalist bullshit. Quoting punk as a pressure release valve, like someone crying and they keep thinking about something more sad and they cry longer till they feel a change in state, I'm looking for that change in state because it's unbearable to be in my mind sometimes, not that I'm really special in any way, that's just how it is for me.

I needed to stop drinking, so I went all out. I was living rent free which was a blessing but by the end I had no running water. Drinking a lot and doing pills, living in a dark state.

I had an old van I got from my mom's deceased boyfriend, I started hitting the highways and racking. I was mad at the world and it made me feel good to put a mark on it. I don't like that we don't have a say in advertising, some fucking ad on a bus stop, no one asked me about that! I've had people attack me for painting. This one lady ran up on me and started kicking me in the ass!! I try and stay safe in this horrible world. I think graffiti is bad for me and can bring out the worst in me sometimes. It's not all skulls, bones, fun and games. I don't know why I do it but there's always days I need to go do it. I guess I'm in my second childhood.

I see nothing but bad changes in St John's. Rent is unaffordable. A house would be $800, now those places are split into 2-3 places and good luck getting one of those for $800. There's a lot of visible desperation like anywhere else. A lot of people using hard drugs, which wasn't a reality when I lived here back in the 2010's. I feel really strongly about harm reduction as someone who's recovered from addiction. I've experienced those lows. I feel strongly about people being judged for an addiction, or having no place to live.

I'm more comfortable around people who've had struggles. A lot of my day is smoking weed on a bench and I realized how many people needed a pipe, push stick, new needle. I started carrying all that, passing out kits regularly. Meeting lots of solid people in a bad spot, hearing dehumanizing terms, people being called "it" or "things," those people just fear for their property. I want people to feel seen and I hope I've helped them in some small way.

I don't know where the city is going. They're gonna push the poor further and further out. Living in downtown has turned into some kind of Montreal Old Port. It makes me want to paint harder. The tourists need to know it's not puffins and jelly bean houses, there's some real shit going on.

I do count myself lucky. Since coming back to the city I've found myself surrounded by more like-minded people, but the truth is there is an isolation we all feel living here.

Any shout outs or final thoughts?

Thank you Mom, Pepa, Phil, Kyle, Katie, the crew, Cirel, Croe, Nelson, Joyce, all heshers of the future. Shout out to everyone here holding it down here, we got power don't forget it. I've been doing lots of BLACK SABBATH lines on my shit, I'm happy Ozzy's still alive. Fuck community policing and fuck prisons. I love you sweet leaf.

8/10 with DJ Buckingham Palace

2025-05-20T22:38:08.000-04:00

By DJ Buckingham Palace

NINES? TENS? DON’T TALK CRAZY! HOW MANY REALLY EXIST OUT THERE? HOW ABOUT WE CELEBRATE THE BEST OF OUR USELESS TOIL AND LEAVE THE HYPERBOLE FOR PITCHFORK DOT COM. 8/10 IS NOT BAD! IT’S PRETTY MUCH THE BEST! BUT HEY, TAKE THIS AS PROOF THAT I’M NOT SOME BUTTER-UP PUNK TRYNA HAND OUT THE HIGH SCORE FOR A SNEAKY KEY AT THE BAD SMELLING GIG. I DIDN’T SAY TENS DON’T EXIST! - DJ BUCKINGHAM PALACE

LIFELINE - Endtime Groupthink

Back in February, I had the pleasure of watching LIFELINE play their first ever set at La Chaine’s ‘new band’ gig at LA Sotterenea. I think many would agree that a certain measure of looseness, a few glaring stumbles or maybe even a mid-song stop and restart are all fair-and-square expectations for a bill comprised entirely of brand new thumb-sucking punk bands, however, based on the bands cone-studded lineup alone which features members of LOBOTOMITE, CATEGORY 514, RECALL and countless others, I was pretty certain that LIFELINE would exceed expectations by a rifle shot, and they really, really did. It was a 15-or-so minute display of raw churning d-beat with a well-considered death metal inflection. There were lots of inventive riffs, a few tablespoons of melodic creativity, and vocals that oscillated between furious and mournful. Flash forward three and a half months later, and I’m exceedingly glad to report that the band has not sacrificed any of their scale or versatility on their way to completing this debut tape. It’s all in there! Just like I remember! Without a doubt Endtime Groupthink has got crasher crust at its glowing hot molten core, but Lifeline avoids a common mode of failure that other adjacent bands succumb to by reaching far beyond the parameters of their crusty rawpawnk foundation. Less inspired d-beat shakeweighters of the world should take note; make the style your springboard! Have a part that sounds like it would fit nicely on the album Heartwork! Why not? An easy 8/10.

Endtime Groupthink, by LIFELINE

LIFELINEBandcamp New & Notable Mar 6, 2025

LIFELINE live, photo by Slim

EMPART - EXTREMENOISEHARDCORE

Is mysterious guy (insert subgenre title here) back? I have practically zero background information that I can add to this review beyond their bandcamp tags which are; “punk, dbeatrawpunk, Austin”. That’s Austin, Texas and not Austin, Quebec, right? We can’t say for true. Someone has got to know something! Anyway, who gives a fuck, I guess. I’ve been hangin’ on tight for a follow up from this project since 2023 and EMPART has finally delivered thee such reward with a seven track banger so unforgiving in its raw grit that by track seven you’ll feel as if you’ve really put your aural endurance to the test. If you have a hi-fi system at home, just be careful - this shit might actually delaminate every surface in your apartment and then you’ll lose out on that damage deposit :’( I mean, pick out one of these tracks blind and I guarantee that it would make a great playlist addition at any CIA black site prison. So yeah, I guess what I’m saying is that if you want to turn your tape player into a COBALT style no-touch torture device (the only time I’ve ever used a reference like that to describe something that I enjoy) you should buy this cassette… if you can. I don’t know if they made tapes or if they’re available or if EMPART has ever even played a show. All this scary CIA interrogation talk has got me a little suspicious of their mystery now. Better check if there’s a .gov address attached to the Bandcamp page. It’s an 8/10 even if they’re the feds.

EXTREMENOISEHARDCORE, by EMPART

EMPARTBandcamp New & Notable Mar 6, 2025

SILO KIDS - DEMO

I’m enamored by their quickness, besotted by their wit,
Enraptured by their buoyant charm, by every snare drum hit,
I’ve been struck on Hub City’s SILO KIDS, and their warly wicked-sick riffs,
The demo’s out on Earth Girl Tapes, on this Bandcamp link, do click

https://earthgirltapes.bandcamp.com/album/demo-3

8/10

DOMINACIÓN - Punks Ganan EP

2025-05-20T23:01:11.000-04:00

By Marginal

What changed recently in Barcelona? A new breed of bands have appeared suddenly in the last three years creating an insane experiment of raw sounds. I will talk about the whole scene in the future, but one of the most extreme and interesting cases are DOMINACIÓN, a band created to satisfy the most intense feelings for the noisy music we all like. Blending members of another thousand bands (LUMPEN, IRREAL, ASPRE, SAYÓN... the list could be too long) their love for the Japanese bands like FRAMTID is more than evident here. The kind of band you can't play on your phone because the speakers are shitty so it sounds like white noise, but once you put on your headphones and close your eyes, a whole experience of direct action anarchist music explodes like an Orsini bomb in your brain.

This EP that features seven songs is called Punks Ganan, and to answer other reviewers, Barcelona punks are not going to win anything, this means that punks rule and it's impossible that anyone can disagree with this title. The fierce music that appears after this short title/statement is everything you can expect from such a minimum concept: an ode to the old d-beat but modernized with a 90s filter. Sometimes you will think they are going for a crust riff but it is still raw punk and pure energy in the form of a Barcelona punk band. In the first moment I thought Punks Ganan was sounding too digital, but I have to admit I'm playing this EP so much more than I though I would, even seeing them live every month, and probably the mix is one of the reasons.

The lyrics are honestly so good and harsh, the song "Israel" was supposed to ban them in Germany while they were on tour (the ones trying to ban them don't know what they are saying!! but anyways, fuck these pro zionist punks) so already accomplished the goal of confronting ideas. Another one that I like a lot is "Asesinados en las cárceles españolas" (Murdered in the Spanish prisons), that does not talk only about prisons but also CIEs (unofficial jails for migrants, where there have been tortures and attacks of all kinds to the people trapped there), police stations, reformatories... the power of the state that crushes innocent lives in reclusion. There's tons of cases of tortures, attacks and murders (and unknown suicides) in these spaces, but of course no one want to look at it. In this scenario that is not dystopic at all, it's our reality, what can we expect from our world? Well, they know the answer: "Resistencia y vida punk" (resistance and punk life). Fuck the penitentiary system, and listen to what DOMINACIÓN are saying!

Punks Ganan is a short introduction to the potential of this band that are already playing 20min of set in their last shows, so we can expect more music soon I guess, way more refined and still sounding extreme.

Listen here: https://discosenfermospunk.bandcamp.com/album/de-130-dominacion-punks-ganan-7

DE #130 DOMINACION “punks ganan” 7″, by Discos Enfermos

Discos Enfermosplasticwoundrecs

TÀRREGA 91 - Ckaos Total

2025-05-20T22:51:03.000-04:00

By Marginal

I take punk album lyrics very seriously, and I enjoy reading an insert full of phrases that somehow make me think. In fact, with this obsession with lyrics, I tend to err on the side of writing overly convoluted lyrics. I'm always surprised when an album has lyrics that are just one line, and even more so when those lines aren't just boastful talk but also can be a direct and effective political shot. In Ckaos Total, the punks from TÀRREGA 91 have managed to synthesize concepts in their minimal expression. Between cries against war ("bombes que cauen, i no a casa teva" [bombs that fall, and they don’t fall over your house]]) and for the destruction of the capitalist world (ckaos total!), a d-beat machine blasts into your ears. It doesn't matter how fast they play, because it's always unstoppable. An excellent recording with a sober, old-school style, without special effects, trailing behind them the long shadow of DISCHARGE and MG-15. TÀRREGA 91 have consolidated the sound they released on their debut EP (Fill de la Merda, 2023, La Vida Es Un Mus). Take the opportunity to listen to one of the few Catalan-language punk bands, a gem from the interior of Catalonia.

Listen here: https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/ckaos-total
LP available from La Vida Es Un Mus

Ckaos Total, by Tàrrega 91

LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOSBart

Victoria, BC Scene Report

2025-05-12T17:30:48.000-04:00

By Vanislejay

Ok, this isn't a full, true scene report – despite my name, I haven't lived on Vancouver Island for almost 20 years, but it's still a place I feel connected to and love. I have incredible friends here, some from when I lived here, and plenty are folks I have met in the 20 years since I left. I lived in Victoria for 10 years in the late 90's/early 2000's and since then, understandably, a lot of things have changed, but a lot has stayed the same. Here's a few things I tapped into while I was there recently.

How to find the gigs

The promoters here poster like the good ol days, but I can't tell you which telephone pole to check for the latest posters. Unfortunately the only good way to find out about shows here is Instagram. If you don't have Instagram, too bad for you! I'd say the best way is to hit up one of the shops at the end of this article and ask, bonus cause you'll make a local friend. Hopefully the Gigtoria folks will set up an alternative online calendar or something soon. Another option is Live Victoria, an independent website that has been going since I lived here. Back then it was mostly punk and underground stuff (and a forum we all argued on) but now it seems to list everything so check that out if you also want to know when the next DAVE MATTHEWS cover show is.

Bands

These are some of the bands I didn't catch live (all the bands I saw live are in the shows section). There are a ton of bands so sorry if I missed you! If I missed your band, you should write up a true scene report that isn't by some tourist who "used to live here."

LOVE LIFE is a pop punk band that has members of LOTS of other bands, the pedigree here is kinda close to unmatched. They were recording while I was here so hopefully that drops soon.

Demo, by Love Life

Love LifeBandcamp New & Notable Sep 21, 2024

CORRODE is a metallic hardcore band in the best way. Great snare sound, political lyrics, 10/10. Not to be confused with CORRODE from Western Mass (who also rule, btw)

Demonstration, by Corrode

CORRODEBandcamp New & Notable Dec 14, 2022

HEDONIST is death metal played by punks (yes!) I heard a rumour they are playing a particularly long-running Montreal punk fest this year, take this as a warning, but you didn't hear it from me.

Sepulchral Lacerations (Demo), by Hedonist

Hedonist

SHOPLIFTER is on the shoegaze-y end of grunge, kinda gives me a lofi DINOSAUR JUNIOR vibe.

EP, by Shoplifter

ShoplifterBandcamp New & Notable Feb 29, 2024

COUP D'ETAT is I guess screamo? Scramz? I'd call this post hardcore, but like the good 90's kind of post hardcore. They have a super pretty Bandcamp page.

SPLIT, by Coup D’état, Lakeside Amusement Park

Coup D'étatBandcamp Album of the Day Mar 22, 2019

BODYROT is a crust grind band, for fans of crust grind (like me). I'd love to see this band play in a packed basement on a super hot summer day.

FLESHWORKS, by BODYROT

Injecting Logic - Volume II, by i.o

BODYROTNerve Salad

I.O is a one piece drums only noise project. Fucking wild, I love it.

i.oBandcamp New & Notable Mar 6, 2022

AK-47 is a fast super political hardcore band that started in 1997 and are still fully DIY, playing real punk shows and dropped an LP last year. They released an album in like 2000 called Free Palestine, you know they are legit.

Call Them Out, by AK-47

25 track album

AK-47Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 11, 2025

Shows

WHITE COLLAR & GLOBAL FAKE @ Wheelies – Victoria, BC, Canada

Show poster for WHITE COLLAR and GLOBAL FAKE at Wheelies in Victoria BC Canada. The main image is a skull wearing a mask with the WHITE COLLAR logo between the eyes

Wheelies is a motorcycle-themed cafe in an industrial area of Victoria. I've heard they do shows in the parking lot, which would be kind of a perfect outside spot for shows since it's closed on three sides. This show was on a rainy Victoria night so the show was half inside. The bands played outside in a kind of covered patio, and the crowd was inside. This could be a pretty cool setup, except the cafe is mostly immovable booths so all of that was in the way for everyone watching the bands. That's a bummer cause I was ready to mosh and WHITE COLLAR is a very moshable hardcore punk band. They ripped it even though the crowd literally couldn't move to show our appreciation.

GLOBAL FAKE started setting up and I could tell it was going to be an early night for me. I gave them the benefit of the doubt but they started and really were not hitting the spot. They say they are post hardcore but that means something completely different in 2025 Victoria than it did in 1996 Victoria. They were tight, just not my thing.

Demo 2, by White Collar

1 track album

White CollarRiot Radio

Remove the Ugly Visitors, by Global Fake

Global FakeBandcamp New & Notable Oct 16, 2023

POOCHED LP release show with DISPOSAL, SUNDIVER, and CHERRY VENOM @ Little Fernwood – Victoria, BC, Canada

Show poster of a black letter board with white letters with the show details. POOCHED LP release show with DISPOSAL, SUNDIVER, and CHERRY VENOM Littel Fernwoos All Ages $5 youth $10 adult 7PM

Little Fernwood is a small community center in a central Victoria neighbourhood. It has been hosting shows on and off for over 30 years, and at times it was central to the Victoria punk and hardcore scene. I hadn't been there in probably 20 years so to say I was very excited would be an understatement. This show ticked so many boxes for me: all local celebration of a local band's release, all ages with a lower price for youth, early start, community center, plus there were free chips and pop at the door.

SUNDIVER opened things up, they are a slightly mixed bag of folky pop punk and hardcore but it worked. They covered DEAD KENNEDYS "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" so you know I loved that. I was very down. CHERRY VENOM played second, They were a fun pop punk kinda vibe, they had great stage presence and played a solid set. DISPOSAL played next, if heavy dirty riff-y hardcore is your thing, definitely check them out. They put on a great show. POOCHED headlined, as they should every show they play. Heartfelt pop punk the way only a three piece can do it. I love them, definitely check them out and pick up their new LP. The crowd was moving right from the start, and that's what you get from an all ages gig in Victoria. Huge bonus for the show was that the POOCHED LP has a dog on the front and the dog made an appearance at the gig (in between bands of course, no doggo ears were harmed in the making of this gig).

How to Live With Yourself - EP, by Sundiver

SundiverBandcamp Album of the Day Apr 5, 2022

Dispösal

Hardcore punk band from Victoria, BC

Dispösal

self-titled, by pooched

Self Defense, by Self Defense

poochedemmatonkss

SLANT, DRAÜMAR, BOOT LICKER, SELF DEFENCE @ Moon Under Water – Victoria, BC, Canada

Show poster green and pink on a white background. Band logos for SLANT, DRAÜMAR, BOOTLICKER, and SELF DEFENSE and show info, Thursday April 17 2025

I was pumped for this show and it did not disappoint. The energy was buzzing right from the start, the show was sold out well before the sun was down or the bands started. This was SLANT's second show of tour and when I went to buy tapes I got the last one. SELF DEFENSE got things started off right despite some technical problems. Fast hardcore that constantly felt like it was about to go off the rails (and maybe did a couple times) which is exactly how I think hardcore punk should be. BOOTLICKER played next and I was impressed. I've never listened to this band before because I couldn't get over their name, but their live show won me over and now I'm a fan. I moshed. Fast, tight, energetic hardcore punk. Joke's on me for sleeping on them for years. DRAÜMAR from Oslo, Norway played next. They were a late addition to the show, their tour plans got scrapped when they decided not to tour the US due to possible immigration issues. Very cool that they still made a go of it by playing a bunch of shows in BC. They were rad and the crowd loved them, especially the oogles. How did oogles get into a sold out show? SLANT from Seoul, South Korea headlined (obviously) and they put on a set worthy of the slot. What a fucking great powerhouse of a hardcore band, they deserve all the hype they have. I moshed, everyone moshed, some oogle tripped me in the pit and I went face first into the floor. No regrets.

from the album SELF DEFENSE - 12 Track E.P.

Slow Death RecordsBart

Bootlicker LP, by Bootlicker

GRITOS NORTEÑO, by DESTRUXION AMERICA

BootlickerBloke_Whistler

DRAÜMAR

DRAÜMAR. Oslo, Norway.

Record stores and adjacent stuff

Pogo Pope Printing

Screen printing shop with a bunch of records, bootleg shirts, and punk accessories. Owned and seemingly staffed exclusively by active punks, go here if you need to find the latest hype release or some cool old record at an affordable price. I think these folks also run or are a part of Slow Death Records. If you are in Victoria and you don't stop here, idek, that says something about your priorities. 3588 Quadra St., Victoria, BC V8X 1H2

Downsided Distro

Cool local grind and crust distro, the name says it all. Obviously run by a punk, you gotta catch 'em at gigs I think.

Cavity Curiosity Shop

This is a super cool spot that's basically someone's special interest turned into a store. There's lots of books, VHS, records, CDs, tapes, patches, trinkets, some toys probably. Owned and run by an active punk. 2514 Douglas St., Victoria, BC V8T 4M1

Supreme Echo

Tiny record shop with lots of niche records, CDs and tapes. Collector's gonna collect kinda vibe, bring lots of cash if you wanna buy something here, you will find something cool, but it's gonna cost ya. Owned and run by an old head. Fucking stoked someone is living their dream. 2504 Government St. #102, Victoria, BC V8T 4P7

Ditch Records

Cool long running record store, usually has lots of cool punk and hardcore stuff and always has. 784 Fort St., Victoria, BC V8W 1H2

Camas Books

Anarchist bookstore, has books, zines, random stuff, a crucial stop for any anarchists and anarcho-curious. 2620 Quadra St., Victoria, BC V8T 4E2

Full disclosure, I love Victoria

I don't get to come back to Victoria very often, every few years at most, and this trip was the longest I've spent here since I left. I'm really glad I got to catch up with the scene a bit and shed a little tear of happiness that punk is going strong and the scene is so fucking cool here. If you are a band on tour and Vancouver is on your list, book a show in Victoria. It's worth it for the ferry ride alone, maybe you'll see orcas, and for sure it'll be a fun gig.

Malas Artes 2025 Reportback

2025-05-13T18:42:28.000-04:00

By Marginal

Malas Artes is already a classic in Barcelona. After so many years of the festival (previously called MDA), each edition seems more impressive than the previous one, and the imagination and energy behind this huge event has opened new spaces to punk in this city. The fest is organized by a nonprofit association with three punks behind it and lots of people who collaborate in many different ways. This year, all the proceeds were donated to the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, who also were there (and even danced!) during the whole fest.

Thursday, May 8th

The first day of the fest started at Paral·lel 62, an old theater/club that is now run by a cooperative of different music venues. The space is downtown, a bit far away from home, and in an area where normally you wouldn’t find many punks nowadays. The venue is impressive – in past editions of Malas Artes, the show happened onstage, but this year the organization decided to do a floor show, allowing the crowd to nearly surround the bands.

This day started with the local band KIRE, who I missed, and the news that DOMINACIÓN were finally playing the next day. KIRE was followed by one of the acts that I was more excited for: GLAM. They were playing for first time in many years, after they split at some point in the previous decade, spawning several amazing projects (BARCELONA, UNA BÈSTIA INCONTROLABLE...). Their original mix of HELLHAMMER riffs, fast hardcore drums and dark, oppressive lyrics sounded exactly as I was expecting, and their explosion of energy fulfilled all my dreams of seeing them again.

After them, TENTÁCULO from Sevilla took the floor to show how punk has evolved lately in Andalucia – slower and melodic, but addictive, with great hooks and very well-crafted lyrics. They were followed by CŒUR À L’INDEX, who continued with the slower sounds but in a more power pop style, showing the potential of this Brussels band that already visited us last year. After this peaceful time in Paral·lel 62 the drums of war resonated with the first notes of S.H.I.T.

The venue was dark, with only a few lights directed at the band, and the crowd was so packed and wild that it looked like a scene from Fight Club. The energy delivered by this Toronto band is impossible to express with my broken English but it was amazing for those who like the raw energy of punk and the perfect midtempo parts that they have been polishing over the years.

The day finished with one of my favorite group of Mediterranean punks, the acclaimed CHAIN CULT from Athens, Greece – they demonstrated that their post-punk is alive and kicking, with more new rock flavors added to their formula. They are exceptional people and musicians! Sadly, I had to go back home very early and missed part of the set, because I had to wake up very early the next morning.

Friday, May 9th

The next two days of the festival happened in the great Ateneu Popular de 9 Barris, one of the first squatted places of Spain, before squatting was a word here. It was originally an asphalt factory that was built to create the new roads around Barcelona, but the neighbors decided to sabotage the machines and take the space. It is not squatted anymore but it’s one of the most important cultural public spaces of the city.

On Friday I arrived after work, very tired but decided to see the local band DOMINACIÓN, who opened the day and delivered the rawest sounds of the festival. Even playing a bit slower than usual, their wall of sound was unstoppable. After their set, I spent a lot of time at the door, just hanging out with lots of people, especially Italian friends that haven’t seen in ages. Lovely people. It seemed the craft beer in the venue had a weird sweet taste, and the punks went feral around the neighborhood looking for beers. We saw two supermarkets with no beers at all, and of course they didn't understand what was happening.

A couple hours later, the sound of some noise (the kind of noise we like) arrived to my already fucked up ears and I decided to enter the venue to see what was going on. BOMBARDEMENT were playing – one of the finest d-beat acts of Europe, proving that Bordeaux still has something in the water (maybe wine?) that makes their inhabitants create amazing hardcore punk bands. Sadly, the venue was too full and I only saw a bit from far away. Then I missed SEEIN RED, from Amsterdam, and honestly if you don’t know this band you should!! Everyone said they were so good, and now I think I should have gone inside for their set. Lesson learned, no more socializing for me. After them another very anticipated act came: E-150, already-classic local hardcore punk that were reunited for this special occasion. I loved to see them, but the stage of this show was too big and the sound in the back of the venue was not very consistent.

Finally THE MOB (UK) took the stage, and hundreds of people melted into one single entity of love, anarchy and punk. Smiles everywhere, funny dances, hugs, and sing-alongs were the summary of their show. They played a bit slower than in the albums, but it was still amazing. I felt like a child for a couple days, I never thought I was going to be able to see them! An Ulrike Meinhof quote in the back of the show, the Palestinian flag and the flag in support of Blokes Fantasma (a squat in risk of being evicted soon) made the whole scene an even more beautiful memory that I will keep with me forever.

Saturday, May 10th

The fest was ending but we still had a whole day of music and talks. I woke up a bit earlier than I wanted and went downtown with CHAIN CULT to have some tapas. It was super nice, but then we rushed back to the venue where a very special talk was happening: Penny Rimbaud from CRASS who explained the details of the Dial House, shared many thoughts and was so nice trying to answer every question. I wanted to ask him if he still thinks that, after how interesting his life sounds, they still owe him a living (I think they owe me a living for sure). Or if he really found that living a bit later than he was expecting. But I’m too shy. He probably would have answered that of course they owe him a living, and I would seem like an idiot. After a small pause another talk, very different but very interesting: Laura Macaya and A. explained the complex concept of transformative justice. It was very good, I wish there could be more talks around this idea since many things were left out because the shows were starting.

Again, I missed a bunch of bands: BRAGAS PONTE, BOLA DE CRISTAL, BORLA… there were too many people I hadn’t seen in years from all around the world! But I interrupted my socializing in time to see ASTIO, an amazing band from Trento, Italy. Their live set full of effects and energy took me on a trip to a different dimension, I felt like I was seeing a totally psychedelic post-punk show. Again, I missed some more music, but some time later I got to see a few tracks of PIÑÉN, the perfect hardcore duo from Berga (a city close to Barcelona) that destroyed the ears of those who offered them to their raw sounds. After them, TENUE from Galicia played some emo crust that sounded so heavy, but it’s not my kind of band.

There are different stages in Ateneu Popular de 9 Barris, and the big venue opened its doors with SHAKTI, a new local band who surprised me with some anarchopunk beats and sometimes mixing post-punk riffs with faster punk songs. I really liked the drums, and I’m curious to see how these already experienced musicians (BELGRADO, GOOD THROB, etc.) evolve this sound. The day was ending for me – I was too tired (yes, I am a weak punk), but I went to see the last show of the smaller stage: S.H.I.T. were playing again! That was fabulous. I saw all the younger punks dancing to these gritty hardcore songs and I just hope they start more hardcore bands after seeing such a good show. We need bands made by younger people! S.H.I.T. were probably the best band of the fest after GLAM for me.

The fest wasn’t ending but I went back home, I was very tired. I would have loved to see E.V.A and TATXERS if they would have played a bit earlier, but I’m sure we will have time to see them again soon.

ASK A PUNK: How to run your own online show calendar

2025-05-03T16:47:28.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Intro

Few things in punk bother me more than when Facebook or Instagram are the only ways to find out about shows. For the past decade I've tried many different online and offline projects to provide alternative ways for Montreal punks to promote and find out about shows. I started with a flyer blog (I think), and for many years I did an e-mail list with monthly show listings. For a while there was a monthly print version too. I helped with a telephone hotline. And I've printed and handed out thousands of flyers, even for shows I'm not playing or booking.

Everyone who knows me knows I'm a big advocate of physical flyers and posters, but I also accept there is an online component to good show promotion. Especially in a city with a lot going on, you want people to be able to find out about and share upcoming shows easily, or at least without needing an Instagram account. I'm not pro-online, I just accept that it is a necessary part of our modern social life. So I'll always keep printing and handing out flyers and posters! But I am really against the only online place to find out about shows in a city being a login-walled corporate social media site. This is why I set up an online show calendar.

Montreal ASK A PUNK

In late 2022 I launched Montreal ASK A PUNK. It's an online show calendar, with all the features one might expect:

You can scroll through a chronological gallery of flyers for upcoming shows.
Each show has its own page with more details.
You can search for future or past shows by venue or hashtag.
You can select a date and see what shows are happening that day.
Shows are also grouped together in curated collections (by promoter, fests, etc).
Shows can be submitted anonymously by anyone, but they have to be approved by me or another admin.
Many local promoters and helpful punks also have an account so they can put up and edit their own shows without approval.
Submitting a show is as easy as creating a Facebook event. Choose a date, set the start and end time, enter the venue, upload a flyer, write a short description and maybe some hashtags.

Montreal ASK A PUNK homepage from Varning last year

Anyone can just go to https://montreal.askapunk.net and see the shows.
No account is needed to see the event. Every show has its own link, like https://montreal.askapunk.net/event/total-nada-fucking-lovers-invisible-cities-recall-psychic-armour, that is easy to share in a text message or on social media.
Events can be imported to other calendar software and tech-savvy users can even subscribe to an RSS feed.
Other websites can embed the whole calendar or just a part. For example, a venue or promoter can embed a list of all their shows, and it will stay up-to-date and link directly back to the ASK A PUNK event pages.

Montreal ASK A PUNK is also part of The Fediverse, which means anyone with an account on Mastodon or other similar apps can just follow the calendar and see new events in their feed. This is also how people can comment on or like an event, all they need is a Fediverse account on any server (like counterforce.social!) or app they choose.

What an ASK A PUNK show listing looks like in Mastodon

Gancio

Many people asked me if I built ASK A PUNK myself. NO! The calendar is powered by a piece of software called Gancio, developed by Italian anarchist hackers, originally to provide an event calendar for their hackerspace. Gancio is free open-source software. There's no Gancio service you can sign up for to get a calendar like ours. It's DIY, you have to set it up yourself— but anyone can install it on their own server to host their own calendar, and that's what I did!

How-to: the technical stuff

Hosting a Gancio calendar requires a little bit of tech knowledge. Beyond getting a server (which I talk about below), you need to be comfortable with the Linux command line, a bit of basic "system administration," and have some understanding of how general "internet stuff" works. I won't do a full step-by-step guide here, I just want this to give you an idea of what's involved. The general steps are:

Register a domain name (e.g. askapunk.net)
Get a server
Install Gancio on your server
Configure DNS to point your domain name at your server
Periodically do backups and keep Gancio up-to-date

That's a broad overview. You can install Gancio on Debian or nixOS, with Docker, or on YunoHost. You'll probably need to set up SSH keys and SSH in to your server (like hackers on TV), and you'll definitely need to do some DNS. If that all sounds like gibberish to you, that's OK. It sounds intimidating, but if you are already curious about doing autonomous computer/Linux things, Gancio is a pretty manageable way to get started. If you want to try learning it yourself, there are too many free resources online to list. I use the LandChad.net page as my reference a lot of the time because it is very simple and clear.

You also might be able to find someone local who can help you out. Any punk who runs Linux, hosts their own website, or has worked a computer job might be your Gancio sysadmin. I was not a professional computer-toucher when I started setting up websites and Gancio calendars, I just knew enough to get into trouble and I learned more as I went.

A server

To set up a Gancio calendar, you need a server: a computer connected to the Internet at all times so other people can access it.

In theory, you can run Gancio on a old computer in your closet at your punk house, but actually hosting stuff on the Internet this way has some downsides. It can run up your home internet bill, there are some security concerns, and furthermore you'll have all the punks in the city mad at you if your internet or power goes out and the calendar is down! But if you want to go that route anyways, YunoHost might be a solution. It's an operating system you can install on an old computer which lets you turn it into a server for many different applications you can install with "one-click," including Gancio.

The more stable and secure option is to rent a server in "the cloud." This is called a Virtual Private Server or VPS. A VPS needed to host a Gancio calendar can cost as little as $5 per month, sometimes even less. The one I have for Montreal ASK A PUNK costs $10-$15 CAD per month and hosts half a dozen busy calendars. It's a little bit of money every year, but it's easily fundraised from a benefit show or a few people chipping in regularly.

You might also have some local nerds who can donate some server space to you. Perhaps a local hackerspace, tech collective, university, or social center. Gancio doesn't require a lot of resources. Ask around! Again, you might find some local techie punks who want to help and donate their time and server space to set this up.

There's a lot more to running an online calendar besides the technical stuff.

Accounts

No one needs an account to view or submit events on a Gancio calendar, but there are accounts for the folks managing and curating the calendar. Gancio starts out with an Admin user who is responsible for managing everything. You set up this account when you first install Gancio. You want this to be someone trustworthy and reliable to keep the calendar running.

The Admin can invite other users, who get an e-mail to create their account. Other users can be "Users," "Editors," or additional Admins. Users can create and edit their own events, Editors can edit any event, and Admins can edit anything on the site and invite other users.

Montreal ASK A PUNK is set up like this:

Anonymous submissions are allowed, so anyone can submit a new event, but it has to be approved by an Admin.
Open registrations are closed: random people can't just sign up for accounts and create events without approval.
Local promoters who are regular and trustworthy get User accounts: they can create their own shows without approval, and edit any shows they've created. Montreal ASK A PUNK has a few dozen User accounts.
A few helpful punks have Editor accounts, to help curate the calendar, approve events and edit mistakes or updates. Montreal ASK A PUNK has a handful of Editor accounts.

The Settings!

This is a good system, because anyone can submit a show and there is a nice collective of Editors to help approve those submissions as they come in. About half of the shows are created anonymously and half are created by promoters using their User accounts.

Getting the word out

If you start a new online show calendar in your town, you have to get the word out. In some places, this is easy. People are generally thrilled to find out a resource like this available and will start using it and contributing right away. But sometimes it's a little harder and an online calendar works best if it's a community resource that many people contribute to. I set up Montreal ASK A PUNK a while ago, and I still have trouble with promoters who love that it exists but constantly forget to submit their shows there. Here's my advice:

Reach out to promoters, to set them up with a User account and walk them through how to submit shows (it's the same as Facebook, if not easier!). Remind them that they can still just submit a show anonymously if they forget their login info. Offer to have them just text you the flyers and you'll take care of the rest. Just keeping bugging them. Eventually they'll get it!
Get some friends to help get the calendar up to date. At first, you'll have to populate it yourself and make sure the show info is up to date and correct. Ask for help!
Make flyers promoting your new online calendar and hand them out at shows. People will be stoked!

Our flyer for Montreal ASK A PUNK

Ask promoters to shout out the calendar on their flyers. Your calendar is a central resources for the whole scene, and promoting it benefits everyone. You will find out who is a real DIY community builder, and who is just in it for their own Instagram follower count based on who follows through on this!
Curate a good calendar. Add a hashtag for each band playing an event. Clean up confusing show descriptions and broken links, correct mistakes (e.g. shows that start at 6am instead of 6pm), add more info like where bands are from or post links to their music on Bandcamp or Youtube so people can check them out.

ASK A PUNK network

Since launching the Montreal ASK A PUNK calendar, I've helped set up a few more:

There are also a few other online punk calendars that use Gancio that I had nothing to do with!

We try to keep a list of online hardcore punk show calendars (not using Gancio, just in general) in our Directory. There are lots more there, and if you know about one please let us know!

Why bother?

Besides fuck Instagram/Facebook/Meta/Tiktok/every sleazy corporate ticket/events listing website?

It makes it easy to see what's going on tonight, this weekend, next weekend. No digging through Instagram stories to find a disappearing flyer.
No accounts needed, no tracking, no ads, no capitalism.
A centralized community resource for your city: one place everyone can post, update, and check shows.
Decentralized: it breaks us free from all relying on a few massive corporate services to promote punk shows worldwide.
The calendar becomes an archive of past shows: if people properly add bands as hashtags for each event, you can search for a band and see flyers for all their shows since the calendar started.
There are many options to check and follow the calendar! Open it in your browser on a computer, check it on your phone (you can even save the site as an icon on your homescreen for easy access!), share links to events that anyone can view, subscribe to RSS, embed on other sites, follow from Mastodon/The Fediverse.

Alternatives

I like Gancio because it has a lot of the features I want, and doesn't have a bunch of features I don't want. It looks pretty good, it's easy for people to add and view events, and easy for me and others to manage and administrate. It's not perfect, but it's open source, so it's steadily improving and anyone can contribute suggestions or requests. Bugs get fixed and good ideas for new features are implemented.

Some people might prefer to set up a local message board as an alternative and less-corporate place to share shows. Message boards can be great for a local community like a punk scene, but a message board isn't meant to be a show calendar. You don't have to worry about moderating flame wars if your calendar is just a calendar. Gancio does one thing and does it well.

I'm skeptical of upstart centralized "alternatives" like global message boards or other central sites meant to provide a calendar of show events and discussions for the whole world. The Counterforce is about decentralized and autonomous resources. Investing in a big central message board or calendar site, used by people all over the world and run by strangers in a random far away place doesn't seem sustainable to me. I host a few ASK A PUNK calendars for friends in other cities, but this is just because I want to jumpstart the idea. I would much prefer to help people set up their own calendars in every city than just become Mr. ASK A PUNK and run the calendars for every city in the world. I care about DIY, and setting up your own online show calendar with Gancio is very DIY.

But if you are really into this idea, and just can't scrape together the technical know-how needed in your town, there are other solutions! Just make a website and keep it updated! You can set up a free website with Neocities, upload flyers and list upcoming shows, and create an e-mail address for people to submit shows. It's a bit more work, but it's still a great way to liberate show listings from the corporate ad-prisons of Instagram and Facebook.

And don't forget the offline alternatives! Keep printing and handing out flyers and putting up posters. A monthly printed show calendar can be a great compliment to an online calendar. Here in Montreal, the monthly zine newsletter La Chaîne includes show listings pulled from Montreal ASK A PUNK.

I hope this has introduced you to the idea of a Gancio-based online show calendar, or helped demystify the ASK A PUNK calendars if you'd already encountered them and their ilk. I hope you will be encouraged to help set one up in your town! It really is not that hard, and it can effect great change in your scene. If you want any help, or you do set up any kind of online calendar for your local hardcore punk scene please get in touch!

KALEIDOSCOPE – CITIES OF FEAR / DESTRUXION AMERIKA – GRITOS NOREÑO

2025-05-12T21:26:37.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

This is not a review of a split – it's a split review! Two records, one review! Contributed by D. Alexander Holmes

DESTRUXION AMERIKA is originally the brainchild of “Eskorbeto” the nom de plume for the vocalist of everyone’s favorite warp-speed Texas hardcore punk contemporary legends NOSFERATU. This release pairs them with the three core members of local NYC heroes TOWER 7 (everyone’s fav [sic] thrashy crust outfit from NYC’s post-pandemic years) and KALEIDOSCOPE (review imminently pending) ((yes D4MT, yes STRAW MAN ARMY, yes HUNGER, yes D4MT Labs who have recorded so many great albums)).

Primarily midtempo punk, (a sharp veer away from the project’s only other release aside from a live demo Tierra Hospitalaria, their split with PERROTIN DE PRENDA, which is more reminiscent of NOSFERATU’s brand of hc punk) some songs invoke TOWER 7’s demo Entrance To A Living Thing, while some are a little more moody, maybe more closely relatable to 80s Italo hardcore punk/postpunk sounds (atmospherically). The vocals possess the malaise one would expect from anyone awake in 2025, though I know most of this music has been around for the last four years and the sentiment expressed remains. Sometimes detached, and sometimes engaged/enraged, they add humanity to Joe’s (vox TOWER 7, bass KALEIDOSCOPE) catchy, scruffy guitar textures and Owen’s (drums/vox STRAW MAN ARMY, drums KALEIDOSCOPE, drums TOWER 7) punchy and forward bass backbone. Shiva (guitar TOWER 7, guitar/vox KALEIDOSCOPE) keeps everything on lock without being bombastic on the drums. Annotated band affiliations aside, the whole thing is truly very good, it has been growing on me with each listen.

KALEIDOSCOPE also comes through with another ambitious take on their particular nook of hardcore punk. I always appreciate music from a band that gets to work together on several projects over the period of a decade+. I am in fact an older head. With time comes taste I dare say! I appreciate especially those who have contributed so greatly to many subgenres of punk through the years.

After The Futures, their last LP was an underrated masterpiece in my opinion, so coming into this I had a very high set of expectations. And Cities Of Fear delivers. It’s dynamic, full of fantastic hooks, searing guitar textures, and surprise valleys and peaks of unforeseen changes paired with evocations of the beauty and pain of it all expressed sonically by instrumental segues and moments of harmonic bliss. Catchy yell-along moments expressing our angst in this moment, the fear, the anger, the defeat, the disdain for the illogical nature of it all, and the desperate hope for a better tomorrow. Tay’s (vox: TEMPORARY AUTONOMOUS ZONE/TAZ) appearance on the song "Utopia" also made me smile and cry too. Whatever.

Both albums are A+ and very excited to keep hearing music from these punk behemoths!

Listen to Gritos Norteño here: https://d4mtlabsinc.bandcamp.com/album/gritos-norte-o
LP released on Unlawful Assembly

D4MT Labs inc.D4MT Labs inc.

Listen to Cities of Fear here: https://d4mtlabsinc.bandcamp.com/album/cities-of-fear
LP released on Sorry State and La Vida Es Un Mus

CITIES OF FEAR, by KALEIDOSCOPE

D4MT Labs inc.D4MT Labs inc.

PHAGOCYTE - Don't Rain of My Parade or I'll fucking Kill You

2025-05-12T17:31:59.000-04:00

By Misery

The fuck you attitude of Boston seeps out of every seam of these 7 new hardcore punk tracks from PHAGOCYTE. Lot's of tasteful big riffs, a venomous vocal delivery and enough tempo changes to keep you on the tips of your boots.

Standout tracks include "Manufactured Entropy," a frantic dive into the paranoia brought on by over stimulation caused by the relentless machine of the military industrial complex and a freshened up version of "Weaponized Incompetence" (originally released on the B.U.D.L.I.G.H.T. Demo) – pounding drums and a devious guitar slide crash into a side to side stomper that has no time for the thick heads of those who choose to look the other way in selfish preservation or wilful ignorance.

Recorded and mixed on a 16-track tape, this gem of a release proves that no fancy bells and whistles are needed to bludgeon you over the head with fuck you punk.

Give it a listen here: https://phagocyte-doesnt-like-u.bandcamp.com/album/dont-rain-on-my-parade-or-ill-fucking-kill-you

WAFAQ - Reconciliation Philanthropy

2025-05-12T16:25:05.000-04:00

By Misery

"The world is being blinded. We are all forced to tune out the world's dramas.
Some, on the other hand, are fighting back with every ounce of energy they have, defending every inch of land with hunger and prolonged suffering. Of course, they persevere out of love."

The second release from the anonymous Indonesian raw punk band carries the torch of their first release, albeit with a much darker and sinister sound. Expect all the raw punk frantic energy, but with some black and death metal inspired riffs to boot. A few tracks even grind to a sludgy tempo, saturating the distorted riffs, massive drums and spaced out guttural vocals showcasing the bands desire for sonic exploration as a medium for their militant message. The 5th track opens with a sample of "The urgent call of Palestine" by ZEINAB SHAATH that roars into a midtempo stomper that riffs on the sampled folk guitar. Almost clocking in at 30 minutes, this LP is an emotionally charged cry at the atrocities taking place but also a celebration of those who have died and those who continue to fight for the liberation of their peoples, from Palestine to the Chiapas Highlands and the people of Papua.

Taken from the press release:
"Reconciliation Philanthropy, decades of continuous resistance with urban guerrilla and village combing, is not only about how many heads are cut off, but also about restoring love and love. No need for arguments or anything like that, on the basis of love the resistance is maintained.

Of course the millions of liters of blood spilled on their land is not the main desire, Simply put, they just want Flowers, Dates and Watermelons to grow with LOVE."

Included in the bandcamp description is a link to a google drive that has documents about the album, the artwork and the lyrics in Bahasa and English.

Check out the LP here: https://wafaqnotforwar.bandcamp.com/album/reconciliation-philanthropy

THE SUBHUMANS – Incorrect Thoughts

2025-05-11T18:37:49.000-04:00

By Vanislejay

I'm not the hugest fan of the THE SUBHUMANS' discography. Overall, they are bit too garage-y for me, the rock solos rub me the wrong way, and their style of satire doesn't grab my attention most of the time. People talk about the songwriting and favour one member's songs over the other, but aside from the real rippers none of them really grab me. The subject matter is great, but their sound just isn't my thing, this record in particular. So why am I writing a review of a classic that I don't really even like? It's because one of the songs on this record is called "Urban Guerillas," the chorus has the lines:

Guerrillas, urban guerrillas
Point the way for me and you

One of the band members lived up to that song. Near the end of the band, probably while this record was being written, the band's bassist Gerry Hannah was a member of a group called "Direct Action" which later became known as the "Squamish Five." They vandalized government offices, stole weapons and dynamite, bombed a generating station and a weapons manufacturer. Vancouver punks at this time were known for being politically active beyond their bands, even Jello Biafra noted it as an important distinction to the Vancouver scene at the time. The Squamish Five got caught and Gerry got a 10 year sentence, of which he served 5. He says he doesn't regret his actions.

I think the most well known THE SUBHUMANS song is "Fuck You," and it's not even on this record, but the point of this review is that punk isn't just saying "We don't care what you say, Fuck You!" Punk is so much more "So cause a commotion and love the reaction."

VORÁGINE - PANICO

2025-05-12T17:07:05.000-04:00

By Misery

Peru's VORÁGINE are back with seven more tracks of gut busting, fuzzed out raw d-beat punk that'll have you begging for more. All the classics are here, we got delayed vocals, blistering guitar solos, blasting snare rolls, more d-beats than a DISCHARGE 7inch, and even a tasteful ATAQUE FRONTAL cover that breathes frantic new life into an already iconic crusty Peruvian classic punk song.

What else is there to say? If you like pogoing in the pit, pumping your fist to the eternal rhythm of the d-beat and throwing beer cans at your unsuspecting friends go put this album on right now !!!

Special shout out to the album artwork done by Al.Bareto, they've got one of the wildest styles right now and I'm stoked to see more of their work on the front of ripping punk albums.

take a sip: https://vorgine2.bandcamp.com/album/p-nico

SILO KIDS - DEMO

2025-05-11T17:01:50.000-04:00

By Corn

FRANTIC SHIT!!! I've been a huge fan of the Earth Girl / Hattiesburg scene since BAGHEAD and BIG BLEACH flew up to Toronto for a freezing March fest a loooong time ago, absolutely blew the roof off the place. The label's never really stopped or slowed down even a little, building and expanding a catalog of hand-made tapes, and I highly recommend the Dog City live sessions they've been doing on the LICEHEAD Youtube channel. Everything they do is unified in celebration of quick 'n' dirty bands in 'uncool' towns and cities. I love it, and so do you!!!

The SILO KIDS demo is precisely that, a 6 songs in 5 minutes kinda affair, zero fat, just hardcore calisthenics in the pure form. I love the groovy little bass lines underpinning songs like 'Planet' and 'Ticks', the clean vocals sound great throughout, and the drums and guitar are in perfect sync, especially in the last track.

In an incredible touch, they also included inserts of the band as Magic: the Gathering cards, which also include the tabs for the songs. I got 'Patty, Anti Push-Pitter' (not a bad pull I'd say). Hattiesburg on top forever!

Listen here: https://earthgirltapes.bandcamp.com/album/demo-3

DEMO, by SILO KIDS

Earth Girl Tapesemmatonkss

Touring Atlantic Canada: VERIFY Tour Reportback

2025-04-21T10:59:52.000-04:00

By Taylor Joy

We recently took our powerviolence/hardcore band VERIFY on an 11 day tour of Atlantic Canada. What follows is both a traditional tour diary, but also a tour guide, hopefully something that will empower and encourage other bands to visit this frequently overlooked and underrated part of the world.

Atlantic Canada covers the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island (PEI), Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland/Labrador (one province including the island of Newfoundland and the mainland region of Labrador). If you've heard about "the Maritimes," that's everything in Atlantic Canada not including Newfoundland and Labrador.

We live in Montreal, so this region is at our doorstep. Punks from Atlantic Canada regularly visit Montreal to play or attend shows and fests, as it's their closest "big city," but it's rarer for Montreal punks to return the favour and travel east. It's rarer still for bands who are touring through Montreal and Toronto include Atlantic Canada on their route. Getting out there is a "long drive"—to Fredericton, it's an 8 hour drive from Montreal, or a 6.5 hour drive from Boston—but once that's done, everywhere else in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI is 2-4 hours apart. One long drive to get to a concentrated region of thriving punk scenes nestled among beautiful coastal landscapes shouldn't be a deterrent to any but the laziest punks.

Atlantic Canada punk has a long and storied history. Check out the still-active Atlantic Punk blogspot which digs into the history of the region with interviews and discographies. That history has built many strong punk scenes today, regularly repopulated with youth hungry for any new bands who come from away. These kids will go out of their way to support your band, buy your merch, make sure your gas, bridge tolls, and ferry tickets are paid for and just generally make you feel welcome. We've never heard of a decent hardcore/punk band having a bad time or losing money on an Atlantic Canada tour leg.

Fredericton, New Brunswick

New Brunswick is the gateway to the rest of Atlantic Canada. From Montreal you have to drive through 8 hours of Quebec/New Brunswick highway before you get to the first city of note (Fredericton).

There are several small cities in New Brunswick. Fredericton and Moncton are both along the Trans-Canada Highway and Saint John is off the highway down towards the Bay of Fundy. Don't confuse Saint John, New Brunswick with Saint John's, Newfoundland!

All these cities have a rock or show bar and you might have luck getting a bar show but probably only on a Friday/Saturday/maybe Sunday. All-ages shows in Atlantic Canada are much better and more fun than bar shows, but the difficulty is the same in getting a show booked on a weeknight. At present, Fredericton seems to have the most active scene in New Brunswick. Seger and Sienna from GAZM moved back there and settled in at the start of the pandemic, and we think a lot of the current scene's health is due to their influence.

Fredericton is the only place on this tour we had played previously and the large and enthusiastic all ages turnout at the Odell lodge mirrored our last gig there in 2023. Our version of the perfect show (three band show, over by 9PM) opened with a playful and interactive harsh noise set by MILKWEED, followed by a new death-metal-y band WAYWARD CORPSE, fronted by our friend Seger. Our set was a bit rough around the edges—it was the first show of tour, and also Taylor's first show playing guitar in VERIFY (a last minute line-up change due to our guitarist Jay having a family emergency). We got our only big technical hangup of tour out of the way early, the supportive crowd waiting patiently while Taylor hunted down the bad cable in her pedal chain and tucked it away for the rest of tour. Once we finally started, the energy was through the roof and people danced super hard. A really encouraging start to the tour!

WAYWARD CORPSE

Since it was still pretty early, we went to the house and got some good quality kitchen hangs with Seger and Sienna, plus a few acquaintances we remembered from our last trip to town. We talked about the local struggles kids are facing to start bands or book shows, and there seems to be a bit of a bottleneck around places for new bands to practice. Despite this, it was encouraging that Jackson, a local younger, long-haired shredder who had opened for us in 2023 with a solo project was now starting full bands and taking on booking shows. We hope the next time we play Fredericton there's a crop of new bands to share the stage with!

Charlottetown, PEI

PEI (Prince Edward Island) is a small island off the north coast of Nova Scotia. A lot of the world's potatoes come from this island, which is about the size of Delaware or Palestine. It used to be more isolated, but in the 90s they built a 13 km/8 mile bridge (the longest in Canada), making it much more accessible. There is a $50 toll to leave the island on the bridge, but we've never heard of a band not covering that easily with a show there.

Crossing that famous bridge onto island #1 of tour and taking in the martian-esque red dirt landscapes, we rolled into Charlottetown and immediately spotted posters for our show that night, always a great sign! Being a small island, the punk scene is concentrated in Charlottetown, the largest city. The drive from Fredericton was short, so we had time to avail ourselves of the island's offerings in the hours before load-in: first hitting up Splendid Essence, a veg buddhist spot and probably my favourite food of the whole trip, and then a quick drive to one of the island's famously nice sandy beaches, complete with dunes and a charming lighthouse.

The show itself was at the PEI Farm Centre, a building with a big multipurpose room and offices for a bunch of agricultural organizations.

What the Farm Centre looks like when not hosting a gig

Our friends and PEI veterans CELL DETH opened – they're one of the best current Canadian hardcore punk bands, it was a huge tour highlight to be able to share the stage with them. We were also excited to learn that they were recording the morning after we left, so keep an ear out for that! CELL DETH's drummer Brett is one half of Secret Beach with his partner Sophia, and they ran the show like fucking pros. They even had little name tags where people could write their name and what instruments they play, so attendees could mingle and find others to start new bands with.

Secret Beach start-a-band name tags!

The rest of the show was a classic mixed bill and we loved every second of it. Teenage rippers KRATOM were on second, followed by heavy hardcore band CUT DEEP and the wildcard GIRLS NIGHT who had a saxophone and synth basslines and almost-rapping vocals. Luckily we played pretty well, because videos from this show followed us around the rest of tour: "I saw clips from your show in PEI the other night, it looked insane!" greeted us everywhere we went afterward. We sense that the scene in PEI is on the upswing, and it's clear that the Secret Beach crew and others are really putting in a lot of work to make it happen. The show was packed, other bands were releasing their tapes or abuzz about upcoming recordings or future shows they were playing. It was Taylor's first visit and she was totally charmed by PEI and got just enough of a taste that she is already plotting a return—maybe even for Trash Beach Fest (August 23rd, 2025) which was announced via a banner that was unfurled during our show!

CELL DETH and the early crowd

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax is in Nova Scotia, and it's the biggest city in Atlantic Canada and has a pretty well-known punk scene with a long lineage of crusty punk, youth crew hardcore, folk punk, etc. Current bands likes MUTATED VOID, BLACK DOG (d-beat legends who we got to play with on this tour), and BOTFLY are keeping Halifax on the map right now. Ever heard of CONTAGIUM, LIFE CHAIN, FRAGMENT, WORD ON THE STREET, or xENVISIONx? Look them up.

It's common for bands to play both an all ages show and a bar show in Halifax, to maximize the turnout and help make the long trip worthwhile for touring bands. Gus's Pub is a common bar for punk shows, but for all ages shows Radstorm is the spot.

Radstorm

It's a legendary social centre, jamspace, zine library and all-ages show venue that has been digging in its claws to stay open amid Halifax's soaring rents and property values. We learned that they have successfully fundraised to buy their building through crowdfunding and a community financing initiative, so hopefully they will be around for a long time! Despite this, they are still facing constant harassment from the property developer neighbours. Halifax has had a pretty crushing wave of development since the start of the pandemic as many people across Canada who started working remotely moved there and bought property. Rents have shot up and everyone we spoke to had problems making their rent. In this context a space like Radstorm is crucial.

Anchor Zine Library

After landing in Halifax (again immediately greeted by posters for our show wheatpasted to a Canada Post box!) we hunted down the highly-recommended vegan donair, took a stroll around historic Point Pleasant Park, and then rolled up to Radstorm. Unfortunately, due to aforementioned neighbour tensions and code issues, the space is currently operating with a 50-person capacity limit, which we hit pretty much immediately upon doors opening. Some latecomers didn't get in, but the young punks who showed up promptly all did!

A brand new grindcore act SCATTERED TEETH opened the show, followed by VOMT, a scrappy punk trio who would become our mini-tour-mates. Despite the small cap, the show felt full and fun, although Halifax being a bigger city meant the crowd was a bit more self-conscious and didn't start really going off until almost the end of our set (our friend Renee getting on the mic for our INFEST cover helped!). It was definitely another night for a local sandwich, and d-beat warriors BLACK DOG were a treat as always—we would've almost driven to Halifax just to see them. Halfway through their set, nervous eyes began to dart around the room searching for the source of a familiar scent—whiffs of smoke were coming from the bass cab. The gear was quickly swapped out and BLACK DOG continued their assault of noisy dbeats, grunts, and earsplitting guitars. Fried gear aside, Lucas who booked the show dealt with a lot of chaos that night, on top of doing sound AND door/managing capacity AND dealing with the cops showing up during our set. Radstorm can't be stopped!

Bear River, Nova Scotia

There are many smaller towns around Atlantic Canada. Besides the bigger cities in New Brunswick (Fredericton, Moncton, St. John), we've heard about recent shows in Bathurst, Sackville and Miramichi. Summerside is the second largest town on PEI and it seems possible to play a show there. In Nova Scotia there's Truro an hour north of Halifax and then the whole rural section of western Nova Scotia where many punks, queers, anarchists and other weirdos live rurally.

To try and fill out our tour, we got a show in Bear River, located about two hours west of Halifax along the Bay of Fundy. The turnout was great as people from all over the area drove in to attend the first punk show ever in Bear River. We ended up in Bear River simply because we had a good friend/retired show promoter there who was willing to find a space (a soap workshop in a community arts building), source a PA, and put together the show. We can't recommend any specific rural or small town in Atlantic Canada, the place for you to play is anywhere you have a friend or fan willing to pull it off for you.

If you are talking to a promoter in one of the bigger towns, ask if they know any bands or punk kids in a smaller town or rural area nearby who might be really excited to bring a band to their specific town. Keep your expectations low—it might just be you and another band playing in a shed. But if you want to fill out the tour and have an extra show or two, as well some adventure, it will be absolutely worth it and you will likely be surprised.

After the short two-hour drive from Halifax, we were at our friend's place, eating lunch in the cute cabin they built themself and making friends with their sweet dog. Everything on the tour past Fredericton was new to Taylor, so we made sure to make another beach stop and see the legendary Bay of Fundy.

The Bay of Fundy

Stopping for a coffee in a small town on the way to Bear River to load in for the show, our car started acting weird. It wasn't totally dead, but we were about 30 minutes away from the venue and definitely didn't have time to troubleshoot it or risk getting stuck in a worse spot (at least we were in a town, with a few garages nearby). Our friends were able to procure an extra vehicle (#RuralLife) and we swapped our gear into a different car, abandoning ours as a tomorrow problem.

VOMT playing in Bear River

Luckily our new pals VOMT from Halifax were able to get off work and were super game to come play this weird gig with us on a Monday night in the middle of nowhere! Additionally, the promoters had put an announcement about the show in a local newspaper, and a local band had reached out asking if they could open—a group of skatepunk dads + one of their 14-year-old sons, playing mostly covers plus one original. So in the end it came together and we had a proper three-band show! The turnout was great, probably about 50-60 people, and we were grinning from ear-to-ear the whole time, despite some underlying dread about the car situation. It was super wholesome, and people seemed genuinely stoked and thankful that we had come out there to play—definitely one of the more special and unique shows of tour.

Newfoundland

Newfoundland is a large island (the size of New Brunswick or Maine) located 160 kms (100 miles) off the eastern coast of Canada. To get to St. John's, the main city, you drive four hours east from Halifax, then take an eight hour ferry, and then drive 10 more hours. At that point you are basically a stone's throw from Greenland, and are in a special half-hour-ahead time zone.

It sounds daunting, but it's a worthwhile place to go and play. St. John's has always had a punk scene (ever heard of DA SLYME?) and in recent years it's more common for bands to get flown out there to play a weekend. Still, whether driving or flying, it seems like only 2-3 punk bands per year will put in the effort to get there.

Previously it would be hard to get a show anywhere besides St. John's unless you were willing to try and book your own show at a bar and hope that the bar regulars like whatever kind of punk you play (fine if you play folk punk, not so great if you play powerviolence). But these days, Billy in Corner Brook (a city on the western coast of the island, closer to the ferry) is coordinating with Barely There/Liam (in St. John's) to ensure a string of shows for any band who comes through: if you time it right, you can play four shows on the island, with an all ages show and a bar show in both Corner Brook and St. John's, making the ferry cost and logistics well worth it. There also seem to be scenes brewing in other towns—we saw some promising graffiti in Grand Falls-Windsor, and at our St. John's shows we met punks who had traveled from different smaller towns to see us play.

Obviously there are no guarantees, but from our experience we had absolutely no problem covering costs—despite Newfoundland being quite an economically depressed place, the scenes there are incredibly supportive. Bands don't come that often, so it's a big deal when they do. Bring more merch than you think you'll need!

Corner Brook, Newfoundland

After getting our car towed to a trusted neighbour mechanic and re-loading our gear into a rental car, we headed toward the ferry terminal in North Sydney, crossing onto island #2 (Cape Breton Island, part of Nova Scotia) and arriving with plenty of time for our near-midnight departure on the overnight sailing to island #3, Newfoundland! In retrospect, it was good timing for the car to break down, as we were grateful to have a more reliable vehicle as we hurtled into the blackness of the North Atlantic towards "The Rock." We slept decently on the ferry, except the last hour or two where we were occasionally woken by heavy winds rocking the vessel, the island greeting us with a windstorm and 110km/h gusts. Welcome to Newfoundland!

Getting off the ferry

We really can't overstate how beautiful Newfoundland is—it's like Iceland, Ireland, and a bit of B.C. thrown in. If you time it right you can see icebergs and/or whales, and even if you don't time it right there are dramatic landscapes, beautiful cliffs crashing into the ocean, abandoned U.S. military ruins, thick fog and allegedly lots of moose (although we didn't see any). A women on the ferry home even informed us we'd just missed a herd of Caribou crossing the highway!

The show in Corner Brook was a blast. Another teenager band, BLOOM, played covers and originals, and were incredibly good sports about having to leave the bar immediately after their set because they were all under 19, RIP!! If we would have known that was gonna happen we probably would've played a few more songs during sound check, sorry guys! LIFE CRISIS, one the promoter Billy's bands, played next—math-y screamo-y metalcore, they totally ripped. The room felt a bit empty when BLOOM and their parents left, but the crowd started filling in during LIFE CRISIS' set and by the time we played there were plenty of people there and the energy in the room was great! We didn't book a second all ages gig in Corner Brook because it was Easter weekend, but next time we come through we'll definitely prioritize it, as from everything we heard the all ages scene there is thriving.

St John's, Newfoundland

Peter Easton was a cool pirate

After the long but stunning drive across the island and a proper night off, we rolled up to the Peter Easton Pub for St. John's gig #1. Everyone seemed to have a strong affection for the Peter E, a neighbourhood bar with a dedicated show room. While we're both not usually wild about bar shows, the place had a great vibe and was clearly a comfort zone for most of the bands and attendees. The five-band show moved along efficiently, with one of the promoter Liam's bands BIRCH BEER opening, replacing our friends DESPERTÁ, who unfortunately had to drop (luckily one of DESPERTÁ's singer Peppa's other bands MAGICK did play, plus the drummer/our friend and host Christeen joined us on the mic for the INFEST cover!). People were dancing during the whole show, but DISCIPLINARY ACTION really brought the energy up to the next level, they were a tough act to follow. But there was no reason to worry—this was hands-down the most passionate crowd we've ever played to. People were singing along, moshing at the right parts and going nuts, and thanked us profusely in kind words and sheer enthusiasm. The Friday show was closed out by the excellent LIFE JOLT, clearly a local favourite, with lots more moshing and singalongs.

LIFE JOLT, VERIFY, BIRCH BEER, DISCIPLINARY ACTION (Photos by Steve)

Red Cliff, near St John's

We spent the next day sightseeing around St. John's and had dinner at the second killer buddhist veg restaurant of the trip (shoutout Peaceful Loft!). Then it was time for our last show of the tour—the first all ages show at the Anna Templeton Centre, a labyrinthine former bank right downtown. There was some overlap in the crowd from the night before, but with the addition of lots of younger people, including the opening band TWIN RINKS who wore construction helmets/vests and seemed to be really stoked about making loud noises, hell yeah. FLOORWALKER and INVISIBLE HAND (another of Liam's bands) played and even though Taylor was tired, she moshed for both because they absolutely fucking ripped.

The Anna Templeton Centre

While we were setting up, we got a text message that our ferry crossing home had been postponed because of more extreme wind. This was pretty rough news—getting home was already gonna be a big trip, plus the logistical challenges of recovering our broken-down car. But we managed to compartmentalize the tomorrow-problems, and played a final awesome last set with another super enthusiastic crowd response. There were a lot of young aspiring photo/videographers at this show. At least three DLSR's, a camcorder, and even someone with a Nintendo DS documenting the whole show. Kids are just excited and trying to participate any way they can, but sometimes there can be too many people trying to take photos. For our last song, we made a polite request: everyone put away the cameras and mosh. It worked, and the room exploded as young and old went all-in to dance. It was a great way to end our last set of tour. Local metalcore band HANGYOURHEAD closed the show, absolutely check them out if you're on the metalcore revival train because they nailed it. Perfect end to a basically perfect tour.

TWIN RINKS, INVISIBLE HAND (photos by Steve)

St. John's didn't seem to suffer from the shortage of bands or lack of participation you might expect in a small or isolated place—even though there were one or two shared members, I was impressed that we had two shows with four different local bands each night. And the bills weren't even that mixed—almost all hardcore bands on the faster/heavier side of things, with a thread of powerviolence influence running through many of them (possibly Martin's old band VILE INTENT playing there in 2018 could be partially responsible for this...). There were a lot of people at the shows and playing in the bands who weren't dudes, which made me very stoked. There were also a ton of straightedge kids, some of whom we got a cute group photo with at the end of the all ages show, and several people participating in the scene in other ways by doing zines and putting out tapes (shoutout again to Liam who booked our shows and does Barely There distro, and also Steve of Open Veins distro/zine who kindly loaded us up with his wares, took some of the photos in this article AND moshed very hard both nights!).

Notes on getting to Newfoundland

Some bands will just fly in to St John's to play one or two shows, and this is great but if you do that you'll deprive yourself of the beautiful drive across the island, playing Corner Brook or any other towns, not to mention the rest of the Maritimes. Doing a more traditional tour to Newfoundland requires a bit of logistics and planning, but no less than visiting other faraway places. It's all relative.

Ferry

There are two ferry routes to Newfoundland. Both depart North Sydney, NS, but one goes to Port-aux-Basques on the west side of Newfoundland, and the other goes to Argentia which is a bit closer to St John's and only runs in the summer. Don't take the Argentia ferry, it's for tourists. It's a lot longer, and a lot more expensive: you have to book a cabin for everyone in addition to paying for your vehicle, and you still have to drive a few hours from Argentia to St John's. It's not cheaper than driving across the island so you don't save any money on gas. It's not even really faster. You just spend more time on the boat and less time driving.

Take the Port-aux-Basques ferry, and probably do the overnight ferry to give you more time for hanging out. You aren't allowed to stay in your vehicle for the crossing, but there are comfortable reclining chairs like you'd find on a train, so it's possible to sleep.

Weather

Avoid traveling there in winter, as the weather can make a lot of things unpredictable. Even touring in April we ran into ferry cancellations that thankfully didn't cause us to miss any shows. Planning to go anytime between May and October is probably best. Newfoundland only has true summer weather in August, but outside of August your reward is spectacular fog!

Conclusions

Overall, we were totally bowled over by this tour. There wasn't a bad show. Someone asked us which was our favourite show and we pretty much just ended up naming every show for one reason or another. We ran out of tapes and were low on shirts before we even got to Newfoundland. We brought hundreds of free/PWYC zines with us and got rid of almost all of them. Part of our good fortune was having old friends and good connections who hooked us up with killer shows and local support, but even people we didn't know were so incredibly generous, supportive and grateful that we came.

We had two more Montreal tours following behind us: our two-stepper friends ONE TRACK MIND (pairing with Halifax's BREAKNECK) came through the weekend after us, and TYPEFACE and LOBOTOMITE the weekend after that, though these bands just did a long weekend tour through the Maritimes rather than the full Atlantic Canada experience of traveling to Newfoundland. Everyone had a similar top-tier experience as us. Great shows, great crowds, and new friends made.

We would highly recommend touring Atlantic Canada if you want to go somewhere beautiful, slightly off the beaten path, and where your coming through will be super appreciated and contribute to helping build these awesome smaller scenes!

Our zine distro on the tour

La guía para Mastodon y el Fediverso (¡para punks!)

2025-05-03T12:00:51.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

`#introducción`

El hardcore punk underground ha formado parte de las redes sociales corporativas desde MySpace. Hubo quienes se resistieron, y por otro lado los que lo aceptaron desde el primer momento, pero la mayoría de nosotrxs hemos seguido de forma pasiva el despeño de la cultura dominante hacia la distopía digital. En el año 2025 todas las bandas tienen una cuenta de Instagram, se necesita un evento de Facebook para cada concierto y solo ves un flyer si tienes la suerte de que aparezca en la story de alguien.

Los punks se están dando cuenta de lo malas que son las redes sociales capitalistas (¡y ya era hora!). Anhelamos formas mejores de estar en contacto, compartir nuestra música y pensamientos, promocionar conciertos, conectar sin importar las fronteras y hablar de nuestras tonterías. Lo que se presenta en este documento es una posible solución, un experimento o, al menos, un paso en la dirección correcta.

Quizás hayas oído hablar de alternativas como Mastodon o PixelFed. No son solo reinvenciones de las aplicaciones que conocemos. Forman parte de una red descentralizada y abierta llamada Fediverso. Esta red es totalmente diferente de las redes sociales corporativas a nivel estructural, lo que la hace muy resistente a ser privatizada y permite evadir el capitalismo de vigilancia. Es una red a la que no solo podemos unirnos, sino en la que también podemos construir.

En esta guía intentaré explicar qué es el Fediverso, por qué es genial para los punks, te daré una guía práctica para empezar con Mastodon y plantearé algunos de mis sueños para el futuro.

Lo que Mastodon/el Fediverso NO son:

...Fácil

Entender todo esto no es fácil porque es muy diferente a las redes a las que estamos acostumbradxs. Puedes crear una cuenta de Mastodon y probarla sin conocer mucho el contexto, pero probablemente no resultará muy interesante (ni muy punk). Si ya has probado Mastodon y no lo has "pillado", ¡espero que sigas leyendo y le des otra oportunidad!

Cuando usaste por primera vez las redes sociales corporativas, también tuviste una curva de aprendizaje. Nadie nace sabiendo cómo funciona Instagram. Las grandes aplicaciones han invertido fortunas en diseñar una experiencia en redes sociales que sea fluida (fácil de empezar a usar) y que enganche (difícil de abandonar).

Mastodon y el Fediverso no son ni fluidos ni pegadizos. Al igual que el punk, están creados por aficionadxs, iniciativas sin ánimo de lucro y redes informales. No tienen el mismo componente adictivo que las aplicaciones corporativas. No intentan atraparte ni existen para entretenerte. Su verdadero propósito es ayudarnos a encontrarnos en Internet.

Así que ten paciencia mientras sigas esta guía. La liberación requiere esfuerzo, y el conocimiento es poder. Puede que suene un poco dramático, pero dado que las redes sociales corporativas desempeñan un papel tan importante en la cultura (no solo en nuestro hardcore punk underground), arrebatarle el control de nuestras vidas y nuestra cultura a los multimillonarios tecnológicos fachas que están de moda creo que es una lucha con mucho en juego.

... Una herramienta de comunicación segura y privada

Es 2025. No uses los DM's (mensajes privados) en ninguna red social para hablar de nada serio. Usa Signal. Incluso si crees que no necesitas Signal, alguien que quiere hablar contigo lo necesita. Signal Stories y sus chats grupales son geniales si quieres espacios digitales que son sociales y además muy seguros (quizás un tema para una futura guía).

... Una plataforma de entretenimiento

A Mastodon no le importa tu atención o cómo entretenerte. Si estás buscando un doomscroll más ético, probablemente este no es el lugar. Solo recibirás lo que aportes.

...Un sitio para hacerte viral

Es un sitio complicado para ser viral. No hay un algoritmo tóxico que alimente los feeds de otra gente con tu contenido. Es difícil ser un influencer. No lo intentes. De todas formas, ¡tampoco es que lxs influencers sean bienvenidxs!

...El reemplazo de un mundo analógico

Internet nos permite crear un hardcore punk underground que es internacional. Nos facilita la conexión a través de pandemias, temporadas duras, momentos de lucha por nuestra salud mental y viviendo aisladxs.

Incluso si eres un verdadero punk anti móviles, este tema te afecta: quizás no usas Instagram, pero tus colegas punks o tu banda comparten ahí conciertos o fanzines. Todxs participamos en una escena que, para bien o para mal, se basa en gran medida en las redes sociales. Es importante encontrar a la gente en el lugar que habitan. Por lo tanto, debemos intervenir en cómo lxs punks interactúan en Internet, de la misma forma en la que no queremos que todos los conciertos ocurran en salas comerciales.

Pero la escena del hardcore punk no debería existir únicamente en Internet. ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que te dieron un cartel de un concierto en mano? Haz flyers, ve a conciertos, imprime y distribuye fanzines, ayuda a que funcionen los espacios DIY, haz una distri. The Counterforce apoya todas esas estrategias offline (¿has leído el manifiesto?). Que tu entusiasmo e interés en estas alternativas online (guays y radicales) no te distraiga de crear relaciones interpersonales y conexiones fuera de la red. El hardcore/punk siempre ocurrirá en una primera instancia en conciertos, fanzines, cintas o grabaciones.

tr: El hardcore/punk siempre ocurrirá en una primera instancia en conciertos, fanzines, cintas o grabaciones.

¿Qué es Mastodon?

Como ya he mencionado, Mastodon es parte del Fediverso. Entraré en detalle más tarde, pero empecemos por comprender qué es Mastodon.

De forma superficial es una red social del estilo de Twitter o Tumblr. Ves un feed (una lista) de publicaciones de cuentas que sigues. Puedes dar like, impulsar (repostear) o contestar a otros posts. Puedes hacer tus propios posts con imágenes, texto y links, y puedes mencionar (tag) a otrxs usuarixs. Se podría decir que no hay anuncios y no hay algoritmo. En vez de estar viendo una cantidad infinita de contenido sugerido, lo que ves en tu timeline o feed está enteramente determinado por las cuentas que has escogido seguir.

¿otro feed más?

Entendiendo Mastodon a través del e-mail

Aunque se parece más a Twitter, Mastodon es más similar a un e-mail a nivel estructural.

Esta es la cuenta principal de Mastodon para The Counterforce:

@The_Counterforce@kolektiva.social

Es como una cuenta de e-mail pero con un @ extra delante. The_Counterforce es nuestro usuario, y kolektiva.social es el servidor que aloja nuestra cuenta (es un servidor anarquista muy grande). ¡Si solo le dices a alguien "@The_Counterforce en Mastodon" no es suficiente! La parte del servidor la debes incluir, igual que haces con una cuenta de e-mail.

Kolektiva.social es un servidor de Mastodon, pero hay miles - igual que hay incontables servidores de e-mail diferentes como gmail.com, protonmail.com o riseup.net. Cuando registras una cuenta de Mastodon, escoges un servidor y tu cuenta se encuentra dentro de él. Habitualmente nos referimos a esos servidores diferentes como "instancias".

Estas son algunas de las cuentas de Mastodon que nos gustan. Fíjate que están en diferentes servidores de Mastodon:

@la_chaine@438punk.house - La Chaîne, un boletín de punk de Montreal tiene su cuenta en 438punk.house, un servidor de Mastodon para la escena punk de Montreal.
@somepunk@counterforce.social - La cuenta de algunx punk en Counterforce.social, un servidor que podrás usar cuando avances más en esta guía!
@submedia@kolektiva.social - La productora anarquista subMedia también está en kolektiva.social, el mismo servidor en el que está The Counterforce!

Una de las cosas buenas del e-mail es que no importa que servidor aloja tu cuenta, puedes enviar y recibir e-mail de cuentas de cualquier otro servidor. De hecho, ¡lo haces constantemente! Mastodon recoge este concepto (llamado interoperabilidad) y lo aplica en las redes sociales: usuarixs con diferentes cuentas en diferentes servidores de Mastodon pueden seguirse e interactuar entre ellxs.

¿Lo ves? Mastodon no es solo una red social, es una gran red descentralizada de servidores interconectados.

Los usuarios de diferentes servidores de Mastodon (también llamados instancias) pueden seguirse entre ellos.

Escogiendo un servidor de Mastodon

Los servidores de Mastodon están todos conectados, pero no todos son iguales. Hay algunas razones que importan a la hora de escoger uno:

Encontrar contenidos

Es más fácil descubrir cosas en tu propio servidor, o en servidores con muchas conexiones hacia el tuyo [N. del T: si en el servidor muchas usuarixs siguen a gente de otro servidor]. Si estás en un servidor con otrxs punks, es más probable que veas más cosas punk.

Moderación

Cada servidor gestiona su propia moderación de contenido, así que puedes elegir un servidor que tenga políticas con las que estes de acuerdo. Los servidores más grandes suelen tener más spam y trolls, y en casos extremos un servidor puede bloquear a otro para evitar el acoso o trolleo.

Autonomía y confianza

Tu servidor de Mastodon gestiona tus datos. Es donde tus posts se guardan. Tienes que confiar en el/la administrador/a, pero esx admin puede ser alguien que conozcas en vez de Mark Zuckerberg o Elon Musk.

La mayoría de servidores de Mastodon los llevan lxs propixs usuarixs. El software es gratuito y de código abierto, así que cada cuál puede montar su propio servidor (DIY). Mastodon funciona mejor cuanto más pequeño sea el servidor, y especialmente cuando hay intereses comunes y afinidades, como por ejemplo en una escena punk local. Las comunidades pueden ponerse de acuerdo para llegar a objetivos comunes, políticas de moderación, y modos de pago de las facturas para que el servidor siga funcionando. Puedes escoger un servidor donde te sientas cómodx, o empezar el tuyo propio si tienes diferentes necesidades o intereses.

¿Qué es el Fediverso? ⁂

El Fediverso es una red de plataformas de redes sociales interconectadas. El nombre viene de "federado" + "universo". Tal y como acabas de aprender, Mastodon no es un solo servidor, sino una red descentralizada de servidores autónomos interconectados. Estos servidores hacen la "federación". No es muy diferente de la red internacional de punk DIY, ¿verdad?

Pero el Fediverso es mucho más que Mastodon. Hay muchas otras plataformas que conforman el Fediverso. Mastodon tiene el aspecto y funcionalidades similares a Twitter o Tumblr, y estas otras plataformas también son clones de redes sociales capitalistas que te serán conocidas:

PixelFed (centrado en la fotografía, como Instagram)
PeerTube (centrado en el vídeo, como YouTube)
Misskey (como Tumblr pero tematizado alrededor del anime)
Bookwyrm (para reviews de libros, muy parecido a Goodreads)
Lemmy (links y foros de debate, como Reddit)
WriteFreely (blogs como Wordpress)

Cada una de estas plataformas tiene un foco diferente, como priorizar la fotografía o el vídeo. Hay muchas más que no he listado. Pero todas ellas tienen usuarixs, cuentas y publicaciones. Tienes una cuenta, publicas tus cosas, sigues otras cuentas y ves su contenido en el feed. En lo fundamental, son todas iguales.

Como en Mastodon, todas estas plataformas del Fediverso no son solo un servidor. Hay cientos de servidores de PixelFed, PeerTube, Misskey o Lemmy. Y como en Mastodon, lxs usuarixs de cada servidor pueden seguir a lxs usuarixs del resto de servidores.

Espera, ¿cualquier otro servidor? ¿Puede un/a usuarix de Mastodon seguir a un/a usuarix de un servidor de PixelFed?

¡Sí!

Con una cuenta de Mastodon puedes seguir cuentas de Mastodon de otros servidores, pero también puedes seguir cuentas de los servidores de cualquiera de estas otras plataformas del Fediverso. No estás restringida a interactuar con cuentas del mismo servidor en el que estás, ni siquiera de la misma plataforma.

Como usuarix de Mastodon @somepunk@counterforce.social, estas son algunas de las cuentas que puedes seguir:

@la_chaine@438punk.house - otra cuenta de Mastodon en un servidor diferente.
@submedia_channel@kolektiva.media - una cuenta de PeerTube que sube los vídeos de la productora anarquista SubMedia.
@TheFinalStrawRadio@social.ungovernavl.org - una cuenta de Castopod que publica los episodios del podcast The Final Straw.
@shows@montreal.askapunk.net - una web que funciona como calendario online publicado a través de un software llamado Gancio y que también puede ser seguido desde el Fediverso.

Las publicaciones de cualquier lugar del Fediverso en mi feed de Mastodon!

Verás diferentes tipos de posts de todas esas cuentas en tu feed. No solo posts de Mastodon de otros servidores de Mastodon, sino fotografías de una cuenta en un servidor de PixelFed, vídeos de una cuenta en un servidor de PeerTube, y eventos que provienen de un calendario de Gancio.

Los usuarios de diferentes servidores y diferentes plataformas de cualquier lugar del Fediverso se pueden seguir entre ellos.

¡Esto es el Fediverso! Una gran red de plataformas alternativas, cada una creada con miles de servidores autónomos que se conectan entre sí. Como usuarix, puedes tener una cuenta en cualquier servidor, no importa la plataforma, y aún así seguir e interactuar con cuentas o posts que estén en cualquier lugar del Fediverso.

Y esto, ¿por qué es importante?

Bueno, primero de todo, para joder a las redes sociales capitalistas. Su objetivo es recopilar tus datos y mantener tu atención, vendiendo ambas a anunciantes (o algo peor). ¡TÚ eres el producto! El aspecto "social" de las redes sociales existe simplemente para aumentar la cantidad de atención y datos personales que pueden sustraerte.

¡Sin mencionar la cantidad de formas en las que estas aplicaciones refuerzan la maquinaria de guerra, contribuyen o causan genocidios, y profundizan nuestro aislamiento y ansiedad social! Esas empresas y la gente que las llevan son JODIDOS, y no deberíamos apoyarlos voluntariamente contribuyendo a la estética de su producto encerrando ahí nuestro arte, música e ideas que acaban residiendo en walled gardens [N. del T: espacios tecnológicos cerrados, de donde la información no puede moverse y en los que hay que ser miembro para acceder a dichos datos].

Si lo piensas, el punk siempre ha sido una red federada. Si nos conectamos online, deberíamos hacerlo siguiendo los mismos principios.

El Fediverso es inherentemente anti-corporativo

Todo el software y los protocolos que construyen el Fediverso son gratuitos y de código abierto. Es imposible que ninguna persona individual o empresa compre o se apropie de la red al completo. Está creado, en su mayoría, por organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro, fundaciones, colectivos e individualidades. Muchxs de lxs desarrolladorxs son queer o trans con políticas radicales. Lxs neoliberales lo odian porque es muy difícil de monetizar. Tiene múltiples opciones de accesibilidad. Fue diseñado desde su base para ser una verdadera red social que facilita la conexión abierta y la comunicación en vez de la extracción de capital de lxs usuarixs.

Es DIY

El Fediverso tiene miles de servidores porque cualquiera puede crear uno - es relativamente barato y fácil. Podemos crear nuestros propios servidores de Mastodon, PeerTube o PixelFed y hacer que la red crezca. Estos servidores pueden estar centrados alrededor de nuestras comunidades y basados en nuestras necesidades. El Fediverso nos permite poseer y controlar nuestras redes online en vez de confiar en una opción capitalista mainstream gratuita (¿a que coste?).

No nos abandonará jamás

¿Cuántas fotos de conciertos se perderán cuando muera Instagram? (¿quizás su modelo de IA sea capaz de generar nuevas fotografías de conciertos para nosotros?). ¿Cuántas demos desaparecerán de Bandcamp cuando cierre? Lxs más mayores recuerdan MySpace - muchas demos de screamo perdidas en el tiempo, como lágrimas en la lluvia... Cada vez que una red social corporativa cierra o se vuelve intolerable, perdemos todo lo que hemos subido y todas las conexiones que hemos hecho ahí.

También pueden pasar cosas malas en el Fediverso: el/la administrador/a de tu servidor de Mastodon podría ser atropellado por un autobús. Pero al menos en el Fediverso, somos nosotrxs lxs que controlamos nuestros datos, conexiones y la red. En vez de unirnos a la siguiente app de mierda que se volverá una basura en unos años (siempre pasa), el Fediverso nos permite invertir en algo que no desaparecerá (a no ser que sea por nuestra decisión).

Un scroll más sano

El Fediverso no genera un doomscroll adictivo, ya que no hay unas ganancias económicas que motiven su funcionamiento. Puedes escoger qué quieres ver, abrir el ordenador para estar al día, bajar hasta la última actualización y salir. ¡Puede ser aburrido en el buen sentido! La diferencia en sensaciones y la falta de algoritmo hace que la gente sea mucho más agradable e interactúe de una forma mucho más auténtica. No conseguirás ser viral, pero conocerás humanos de verdad con lxs que disfrutarás de su compañía.

Un scroll más seguro

El Fediverso está creado para usuarixs y no para CEOs, así que tiene mejores controles de seguridad y privacidad. Sigue siendo Internet, las cosas públicas son públicas. Pero el Fediverso en general tiene mejores opciones para mantener algunas cosas privadas y tener mejor control sobre tus datos y sobre quién tiene acceso a ellos. El/la administrador/a de tu servidor puede ser alguien que conozcas y confíes. Incluso puedes ser tu propix administrador/a.

No es un walled garden

Las apps como Instagram, Facebook y Twitter encierran el contenido tras una barrera de login. Aquellxs que estamos fuera, estamos forzadxs a vendernos y crear una cuenta para ver algo.

El Fediverso está abierto. No solo las cuentas del Fediverso se pueden seguir entre ellas, donde sea que estén (diferentes servidores, diferentes plataformas), cualquiera en Internet puede ver un perfil del Fediverso y sus posts públicos. Puedes compartir un link a tu cuenta con gente que no conoce y no le importa el Fediverso, y podrán ver lo que sea que hayas escogido que sea público. ¡Tener una cuenta aquí es como tener una web gratuita!

Sueños

¡Ojalá que cuando hayas llegado aquí estés animadx! Antes de entrar en la parte práctica os quiero compartir algunos sueños para el futuro:

Que cada ciudad o región montase su propio servidor de Mastodon para lxs punks locales. Esto proveería de un lugar de conexión, y como los servidores están conectados entre ellos, podríamos seguir fácilmente lo que ocurre en otras ciudades y no solo en la nuestra.
Que las bandas, distros, zines y organizadorxs de conciertos se hiciesen cuentas en el Fediverso en vez subir su contenido exclusivamente en plataformas corporativas cerradas. ¡Dadle a la gente opciones mejores para ver lo que hacéis!
Que se inicien servidores de PixelFed para lxs fotógrafxs de conciertos, y servidores de PeerTube (PunkTube?) para vídeos en directo y vídeo fanzines.
Hay un proyecto en desarrollo llamado Bandwagon que trata de recrear Bandcamp para el Fediverso: imagina que las bandas suben allí su música en su perfil, y lxs punks desde cualquier lugar del Fediverso pueden escuchar y estar al tanto de las novedades y sus conciertos. Al cabo de no mucho tiempo los sellos DIY podrían tener su propio servidor de Bandwagon para subir las bandas que publican.

A propósito de irnos de las redes sociales corporativas

No voy a utilizar más espacio para explicar la infinidad de razones por las que deberías abandonar las plataformas corporativas como Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, etc. De forma resumida, es vergonzoso cuanta cultura punk se comparte solo en esas apps. Pero entiendo que dejarlas de lado puede ser complicado para muchxs de vosotrxs. Te arriesgas a perder todas esas relaciones que has creado. ¿Por qué querrias probar una alternativa si "no hay nadie en ellas"?

Puedes empezar a usar Mastodon mientras sigues teniendo Instagram o lo que quieras. Esto es especialmente importante si usas tus redes como banda/distri/zine/colectivo. Sé que el público de Mastodon aún es pequeño, pero si lo usas para publicar estarás invirtiendo en un proyecto sostenible sobre el que tenemos control. Darás una oportunidad a otra gente para que vea mejor tus publicaciones si quieren salir de esas redes sociales (o si nunca las han tenido).

Probar Mastodon puede ser un proceso lento, pero tienes que tener un poco de fe y perseverancia. Si somos bastantes trabajando en ello, la bola de nieve crecerá y nos encontraremos utilizando un espacio sostenible, sano, radical y bajo nuestro control. La razón por la que es difícil dejar las redes sociales corporativas es porque nos atrapan de forma intencional en ellas. ¡Tenemos que luchar de forma activa para liberarnos!

Guía práctica de Mastodon

Para daros una guía práctica me voy a focalizar en Mastodon. Mastodon no es todo el Fediverso, pero es una de las plataformas más populares, con unas apps bien hechas y bonitas. Es la forma más sencilla de empezar.

¡Pero espera! No escribas simplemente "Mastodon" en tu buscador de apps sin leer esto. Acabarás con una cuenta en Mastodon.social como un poser. ¡Te hemos avisado!

Recuerda que Mastodon está descentralizado: hay muchos servidores, no solo Mastodon.com (que, para tu información, es la web de una máquina trituradora).

Tienes que encontrar o escoger un servidor en el que registrarte (recuerda, es como un e-mail). Sí, por supuesto, te puedes crear una cuenta en Mastodon.social (el equivalente de Mastodon a Gmail), pero está lleno de normies, trolls y spam ocasional. El admin será un tío alemán llamado John Mastodon. Y recuerda, el servidor es la segunda parte del nombre de tu cuenta. Todo el mundo lo ve. Vale más la pena tener un nombre guay.

En nuestros sueños (leer más arriba), toda escena local tendría un servidor de Mastodon (o incluso dos, en caso de que haya peleas) y podrías simplemente registrarte ahí. Pero por ahora, nuestras opciones son limitadas. Hay muchos servidores, pero la mayoría son una mierda. Si tienes un servidor de Mastodon local, o si has escuchado de alguno de un amigx tuyx, ¡por favor registrate ahí!

En caso contrario, eres bienvenidx a registrar tu cuenta en nuestro servidor de Mastodon:

COUNTERFORCE.SOCIAL

Counterforce.social es un servidor de Mastodon para los proyectos o individualidades alineadas con Counterforce, y también un espacio de llegada para lxs punks que tengan curiosidad por el Fediverso o que hayan leído esta guía. Pero Counterforce.social no puede ser el único servidor de Mastodon para lxs punks de todo el mundo. Es un primer escalón, pero lo que necesitamos es que haya más punks que monten su propio servidor y contribuyan a una red descentralizada.

Así que registrate sin ningún problema y explora como Mastodon y el Fediverso funcionan y el aspecto que tienen. Invita a amigxs a leer esto y que se unan contigo. Pero en caso de que te interese, intenta crear tu propio servidor para tu comunidad.

Mastodon te permite mover tu cuenta de un servidor a otro. No te preocupes: cuando llegue el momento que empieces un servidor o encuentres otro, puedes mudar tu cuenta y transferir todxs tus seguidxs y seguidorxs.

Crear tu cuenta

Algunos servidores tienen registros abiertos, otros son solo por invitación, y hay que requieren de aprobación para las cuentas nuevas. Los registros que llegan a Counterforce.social requieren aprobación. Si te registras en este servidor, habrá un formulario que te pedirá algo de información sobre ti y por qué quieres una cuenta en Counterforce.social

CÓMO CREAR UNA CUENTA EN COUNTERFORCE.SOCIAL

Ve a https://counterforce.social en tu navegador y haz click en Create Account ["Crear cuenta"].
Lee las reglas del servidor.
Escoge usuario y contraseña. También hay una pequeña caja de texto que debes rellenar que se refiere a esta guía. Si te estás registrando usando la app de Mastodon (ya te dijimos que no lo hicieses), esta caja de texto dirá "Why do you want to join?" ["¿Por qué quieres registrarte?"]

Rellena esta caja de texto diciendo que has leído la guía, de donde eres, y pon el nombre de dos discos: el que te hizo interesarte por el punk, y el último que hayas escuchado recientemente. Seguramente no te dejaremos registrarte si no incluyes esto. No es que queramos ponerte a prueba, pero tenemos que impedir que se registren spammers y trolls, ¿no?
Revisa tu e-mail para confirmar que es correcta
¡Espera a que te aprobemos la cuenta (recibirás un e-mail)!

La aprobación puede tardar un día o dos - ¡no trabajamos aquí! ¿Por qué no seguir leyendo el resto de esta guía mientras esperas que te llegue el e-mail de aprobación?

Tu nueva cuenta de Mastodon

Vale, tienes tu cuenta, algo así como @somepunk@counterforce.social. De nuevo, recuerda que es como un e-mail: tu cuenta tiene usuario y servidor.

La primera vez que entres, Mastodon te dará una serie de personas recomendadas para seguir y te dirá que completes tu perfil. Haznos un favor a todxs: añade algo a tu perfil. Una foto de perfil y una bio para que sepamos que no eres un bot. ¡Nadie te seguirá si tu perfil está vacío!

Iniciando sesión

Siempre puedes acceder a Mastodon yendo a la web del servidor (en este ejemplo https://counterforce.social) en un navegador y haciendo log in. Esta es la web app de Mastodon. Si estás en un teléfono móvil, puedes añadir esta web app a tu pantalla de inicio y usarla como cualquier otra app.

También hay múltiple apps de iOS o Android para Mastodon. Cuando inicias sesión en una app tienes que asegurarte que has escogido el servidor en el que está tu cuenta.

Las apps oficiales de Mastodon (que están bien) tienden a intentar llevarte a que registres una nueva cuenta en Mastodon.social. No tiene ningún sentido. Si usas la app oficial de Mastodon para Android o iOS, asegúrate que le das a "Log In" y añades el nombre del servidor correcto:

Nuestras apps favoritas en este momento son Tusky para Android y Ice Cubes para iOS, pero hay muchas más. Una cosa guay de Mastodon es que puedes probar diferentes apps hasta que encuentres la que funciona para ti. De nuevo, "es como el e-mail" - para acceder a tu e-mail, puedes usar Apple Mail, Gmail en el navegador, o Thunderbird (para frikis).

Tu feed

El feed de Mastodon muestra todos los posts, respuestas e impulsos (N. del T: a veces también llamamos "boosts") de las cuentas que sigues (¡de cualquier parte del Fediverso!).

Acabas de registrarte y quizás has seguido unas cuantas cuentas sugeridas, pero tu feed va a estar bastante vacío. No hay un algoritmo que te de contenidos. A Mastodon no le importa una mierda si miras la app o no.

Mi experiencia es que la gente se queda en este paso. Acostumbradxs a las redes sociales como entretenimiento pasivo, tener poder sobre lo que se ve y lo que se sigue es un cambio totalmente radical. Si necesitas un feed activo para mantenerte animadx en esta aventura en el Fediverso (¡es totalmente comprensible!) intenta seguir a gente desde el inicio y seguir a gente a menudo. Sigue a cualquiera que pueda parecerte mínimamente interesante. Sus posts rápidamente empezarán a aparecer por tu feed y verás otros posts que impulsan. Siempre puedes dar unfollow a lo que no te guste.

Encontrarnos lxs unxs a lxs otrxs

Para encontrar a tus amigxs, primero habla con tus amigxs. Pregúntales si tienen Mastodon/cuenta en el Fediverso y añádeles. ¡Pregúntales por recomendaciones de quién seguir!

La barra de búsqueda

La barra de búsqueda de Mastodon te permite buscar otrxs usuarixs y cuentas para poder seguirlas. Con que solo escribas parte del nombre de su cuenta ya saldrán si el servidor ha encontrado esta cuenta antes. A veces tienes que poner el nombre completo junto al servidor (por ejemplo:@The_Counterforce@kolektiva.social).

También puedes pegar links de cualquier post del Fediverso en la barra de búsqueda. Si alguien te mandase un link a un post de Mastodon como por ejemplo:

https://kolektiva.social/@The_Counterforce/113681405266044162

... simplemente puedes pegarlo en la barra de búsqueda, y podrás darle like, contestar, impulsar o seguir la cuenta que lo ha publicado. Esto funciona para cualquier post del Fediverso, no solo para otros posts de Mastodon. Puedes pegar links de eventos de calendario de Gancio, vídeos de PeerTube, perfiles de Bandwagon, fotos de PixelFed, conversaciones de Lemmy, lo que sea, todos se podrán abrir en Mastodon. Esto es parte de la magia del Fediverso: puedes seguir e interactuar con todo tipo de contenido provinente de "webs sociales" teniendo solo una cuenta.

Lxs seguidxs/seguidorxs de otra gente

Lxs amigxs de tus amigxs podrían ser tus amigxs. Echa un vistazo a lxs seguidxs/seguidxres de las cuentas que te gustan para encontrar otras cuentas a seguir. Fíjate que lxs usuarixs pueden elegir no mostrar esta información, ¡así que no siempre podrás verlo!

El directorio de cuentas

Algunos servidores de Mastodon tienen un directorio de cuentas o perfiles con una lista de cuentas en ese servidor, y además otras cuentas que el servidor ha visto. Solo lxs usuarixs que hayan decidido compartir esta información aparecerán aquí. ¡Si descubres otro servidor que te mola, entra en su directorio de cuentas y copia/pega las cuentas en la barra de búsqueda para encontrarlas y seguirlas!

Otros feeds

Además de tu feed principal, Mastodon tiene otros feeds o líneas de tiempo. En la web app, estos están en "Tuts en directo" como "Este servidor" y "Otros servidores". Según la app tienen diferentes nombres como Timeline local, o timeline global.

"Este servidor" o la timeline local muestra posts públicos de cualquier persona que esté en tu servidor. Es como un flujo de información constante de las conciencias de tus vecinos. Si estás en un servidor pequeño que sea guay este feed puede ser genial - una forma fácil de saber qué está pasando en tu servidor sin tener que seguir a todo el mundo.

"Otros servidores" o el timeline global muestra todo tipo de posts públicos que llegan desde cualquier lugar del Fediverso. Lo que se muestra aquí son las publicaciones públicas del resto de gente de tu servidor y además lo que siguen o con lo que interactúan.

Hashtags

Puedes seguir hashtags y cualquier post que los contenga y que pueda ver tu servidor, se mostrará en tu feed.

Explore

La página de Explora te mostrará una selección de hashtags, posts y cuentas que tu servidor conoce de todo el Fediverso. No hay algoritmo aquí. Mi experiencia es que es una zona un poco aleatoria y sin sentido de tu rincón del Fediverso.

SOBRE ENCONTRAR NUEVAS CUENTAS

He dicho unas cuantas veces que lo que ves en Mastodon puede depender de lo que tu servidor "conoce" o "ha visto". El Fediverso es una red gigantesca y tu servidor no tiene una copia a mano de toda la red. Solo recoge la información que necesita. Si buscas una cuenta que tu servidor nunca ha visto no verás su historial de publicaciones a no ser que mires el perfil desde la web app de su propio servidor. Normalmente Mastodon te da un link para que puedas acceder fácilmente. Busca "Abrir la página original".

Una vez hayas seguido a esta cuenta, los posts siguientes sí se mostrarán en tu feed.

Ser encontradx

Si quieres que la gente encuentre tu cuenta de Mastodon, aquí van unos consejos:

Introducción

Cuando estés preparadx, haz un post con el hashtag #presentación (N del T.: #introduction si te presentas a público que escribe en inglés) y comparte un poco de información sobre ti, y qué quieres publicar o ver. Si la cuenta es para una banda, distro u otro tipo de proyecto explica el propósito de la cuenta. La gente verá tu post de presentación y seguramente lo impulsarán si les gusta lo que leen.

Impulsos y hashtags

No hay un algoritmo de recomendación en Mastodon. En esencia, la forma más típica de propagación de la información es a través de impulsos y hashtags. Cualquier cosa que creas que otra gente compartiría, ¡impúlsalo! Y usa hashtags apropiados si quieres que otras personas que no te conocen encuentren tu post (solo asegúrate de no ser pesadx/spammer).

También date cuenta que dar un like a un post no hace absolutamente nada para que se muestre a más gente - ¡solo le dice al/la autorx que lo has visto y que te ha gustado!

Como ser descubiertx

Mastodon te permite decidir cómo de "descubrible" es tu cuenta. Para elegirlo ve a "Preferencias" -> "Perfil público" -> "privacidad y alcance". Por ejemplo puedes decidir si quieres que tu cuenta esté o no en el directorio de cuentas del servidor.

Tu perfil en la web

He mencionado más atrás que una cuenta de Mastodon puede ser como una web gratuita ya que cualquiera puede ver tu perfil y los posts públicos sin haber iniciado sesión (o sin tener una cuenta).

Aquí tienes un link para el perfil web de The Counterforce: https://kolektiva.social/@The_Counterforce

Si ya tienes la app de Mastodon y tratas de abrirlo desde tu móvil en un navegador, te lo abrirá en la app. Pero si alguien lo carga en un navegador y no tiene Mastodon, verán una página web con nuestro perfil y una lista de los posts públicos recientes. No habrá ninguna ventana que les diga que se deben registrar o iniciar sesión para ver más.

Tu perfil tendrá un link similar, algo así como https://counterforce.social/@somepunk

Consejo punk: si lees mi RSS How-To For Punks [N. del T: no está traducido en estos momentos] y estás usando un lector de RSS, te darás cuenta que todas las cuentas de Mastodon tienen también un feed de RSS con los posts públicos. ¡Solo añade .rss al final del link de la cuenta!

Niveles de visibilidad de una publicación

Mastodon te permite controlar la visibilidad de cada publicación. Público y Público silencioso (a veces también como No listado) son en esencia, posts públicos. Por ejemplo, los posts de ambos tipos serán visible para cualquiera que no tenga cuenta y que llegue al link que hemos explicado antes en la sección de "Tu perfil en la web".

Los posts de sólo Seguidores se llegarán únicamente a la gente que te sigue desde cualquier lugar del Fediverso. Puedes elegir quién te sigue si lo deseas (lee la sección "Privacidad" a continuación).

Por último, la opción de Personas concretas es el equivalente a un DM. No hay verdaderos DM's en Mastodon (para eso utiliza Signal). Pero si quieres poner algo que solo lo vean unas pocas personas, solo tienes que mencionarlas (con @) y utilizar Personas concretas a la hora de publicar el post; solo esas personas llegarán a verlo.

Privacidad

Quizás no quieres ser encontradx. Puedes cerrar tu cuenta en Mastodon para que lxs nuevxs seguidorxs lxs tengas que aprobar. Deselecciona la opción de "Aceptar automáticamente los nuevos seguidores" en el panel de "Privacidad y llegada" de tu página de preferencias. Recuerda que tus posts futuros y pasados siguen siendo visibles para cualquiera, pero cualquier post que hagas que sea solo para "Seguidores" será privado. Haz que todos los posts de tu cuenta sean solo para "Seguidores" por defecto en "Preferencias" -> "Otros" -> "Privacidad de los tuts".

En general, recuerda que el Fediverso sigue siendo parte del Internet público. Tus posts públicos son públicos. ¡Lo cuál es perfecto si lo que quieres que es que la gente llegue a conocer tu proyecto o tu banda! Pero si lo que quieres es algo más de control, cierra tu cuenta y usa los posts solo para "Seguidores". Si te preocupa este tema, echa un vistazo a Mastodon Opsec.

Seguridad

Mastodon tiene un montón de formas para protegerte (o para poder gestionar a gente que te molesta). Puedes:

Silenciar a gente para siempre, o con un tiempo limitado para que no te olvides de quitarles la restricción (por ejemplo cuando alguien empieza a postear en un momento concreto mil cosas que no te interesan).
Bloquear a gente.
Bloquear servidores enteros.
Reportar usuarixs/posts en tu servidor que vayan contra las normas. Lxs moderadorxs se encargarán.
Reportar usuarixs/posts de otros servidores que puedan ser dañinos o peligrosos para tu servidor.
Silenciar palabras/frases (por ejemplo, si no quieres leer nada del "ska revival" puedes simplemente mutear la palabra "ska").
Bloquear notificaciones de gente que no sigues.
Esconder impulsos de gente que impulsa demasiadas cosas inútiles o que no te interesan.
Auto-eliminar tus propias publicaciones cuando ha pasado un tiempo desde que las has escrito.

Si quieres aprender más sobre Mastodon, lee la documentación oficial. Si tienes alguna duda, intenta preguntar en Mastodon! Quizás con el hashtag #askFedi.

Bluesky no es la solución

Mientras escribo esto mucha gente se está yendo de Twitter e Instagram para acabar en Bluesky, otra red social alternativa. Quizás incluso la has visto mencionada junto a Mastodon como parte del Fediverso o de "las nuevas redes sociales descentralizadas".

Bluesky es simplemente Twitter Junior. ¡De hecho fue originalmente un desarrollo alternativo de Twitter! Ahora está en un momento dulce, ya que tiene muchísimo dinero de inversores, y pueden desarrollar nuevas funcionalidades a gran velocidad y aún no ha empezado a añadir anuncios. Los nazis aún no han llegado. Pero Bluesky no tiene ninguna diferencia con Twitter o Instagram, simplemente está en un ciclo vital de red social capitalista inicial. En algún momento tendrán que hacer dinero (MUCHO dinero), llegará la presión económica y todo se irá a la mierda (N. del T.: busca el concepto "enshittification").

La idea de que Bluesky está "descentralizado" viene del hecho que usan un protocolo similar (aunque no es compatible) con el que se usa en el Fediverso. Os lo explico de forma simple y sin entrar en detalles técnicos:

Ahora mismo hay un único servidor de Bluesky. No hay descentralización. No puedes registrarte en un servidor que sea cercano a ti, montado por tus amigxs, o alineado con tus valores. No puedes entrar en ningún otro servidor que no sea bsky.social (mierda, deberíamos haber registrado cforce.social).
No puedes montar tu propio servidor de Bluesky. Ahora mismo hay una campaña de financiación llamada "Save [Bluesky] From Billionaire Capture" intentando conseguir 30 millones de dólares para montar un servidor de Bluesky adicional. El servidor counterforce.social cuesta, como mucho, $100 al año. La descentralización teórica de Bluesky es una forma de evitar pedir responsabilidad a nazis y otros actores maliciosos en la plataforma. Nada que ver con darnos autonomía y control a lxs usuarixs. Nos toman por completxs idiotas.
Gracias a su protocolo, todos los posts de Bluesky están disponibles de forma pública. No hay privacidad posible. Las empresas de IA están procesando cada post de Bluesky para sus algoritmos. Los posts de Mastodon públicos son igual de públicos, pero al menos en Mastodon tienes una opción para hacer que algunos o todos tus posts sean visibles solo a una audiencia sobre la que tienes control.

Otras alternativas

Esta guía se ha enfocado en el Fediverso y Mastodon, pero no quiero hacer ver que son la única solución. La motivación de The Counterforce es probar y explorar todas las alternativas que permitan a la escena de hardcore punk underground escapar de la cultura capitalista.

Por ejemplo, hay montones de opciones para entrar en el Fediverso más allá de Mastodon. Si solo prefieres posts de fotografía, prueba PixelFed. Si prefieres hilos o discusiones, prueba Lemmy. Si quieres subir vídeos más largos, entra en PeerTube. Monta un calendario de Gancio conectado al Fediverso para conciertos locales. No importa dónde crees tu cuenta, cualquier persona donde sea que esté del Fediverso podrá seguirte.

Otra opción para que los punks vuelvan a conectar en Internet es que revivan los foros. Crecí junto a los foros de punk y hardcore, y los recuerdo con cariño (aunque también recuerdo todo el drama). Creo deberíamos ir con pies de plomo con esos foros centralizados. Cuando la gente no es responsable puede ser muy mala, y confiar en un único servidor centralizado para crear una comunidad online es un proyecto destinado al fracaso. (También hay foros que son parte del Fediverso).

Sean cuales sean las alternativas que pruebes, recuerda no repetir los errores del pasado. Muchas manos poderosas quieren capturar a usuarios que van a la-app-social-que-lo-peta-esta-semana. La siguiente red social corporativa no nos será mejor. Da igual que sea Discord, TikTok, Slack o incluso enormes foros llevados por gente que no conoces, evita cualquier plataforma, nueva o vieja, llevada por una empresa que busca sacar provecho de fondos de inversión. Nada bueno puede salir de ahí.

Por último vuelvo a recomendar la otra alternativa más obvia: ¡haz más cosas fuera de Internet!

montatupropio.punk

Llegué al Fediverso a través de Kolektiva.social, en 2018 o 2019. Habiendo comprendido como Mastodon funciona y entendiendo el potencial del Fediverso, nos juntamos algunxs colegas y en 2021 empezamos 438punk.house, un servidor de Mastodon para punks de Montreal.

Al principio no había mucha gente, pero ha crecido sin parar ya que cada vez más y más personas buscan formas de estar conectadxs sin usar Instagram (que ha dominado nuestra escena). No fue fácil enseñarles a usar algo nuevo, pero lxs amigxs enseñan a lxs amigxs. Ahora tenemos más de un centenar de usuarixs publicando conciertos próximos, pidiendo consejos y ayuda, empezando bandas, compartiendo nueva música, etc. Algunas bandas tienen cuenta. Tenemos nuestros hashtags para publicar novedades de conciertos, y compartir lo que estamos escuchando. Alguna gente habla más, otrxs simplemente entran cuando quieren preguntar algo o buscan qué eventos hay el fin de semana.

También iniciamos el calendario de conciertos ASK A PUNK de Montreal usando Gancio. Gente de todo Montreal usa este calendario para enterarse de los conciertos (busca "Montreal Punk Shows"), pero también forma parte del Fediverso, así que lxs punks que están en 438punk.house (o en cualquier otro lugar de Mastodon) pueden seguir el calendario para ver los eventos en su feed.

Montar un servidor no cuesta mucho dinero o requiere demasiadas habilidades técnicas (cualquier nerd de Linux puede hacerlo). Organizamos nuestra propia infraestructura autónoma para la escena punk muy pronto. Ahora, a medida que abandonan Instagram, lxs punks de Montreal tienen un sitio donde ir.

Para nosotrxs el servidor 438punk.house es genial, pero somos la única escena punk en Mastodon. Sabemos que unxs cuantxs punks se han ido diseminando por otros servidores, pero si lees esta guía y entras en Mastodon, ¡búscanos! Aunque lo que más esperamos con ganas, es que otra ciudad entre y monte su Fediverso punk.

¡Únete a nosotrxs!

NOTAS TRAS LA TRADUCCIÓN

Ya se ha hecho hincapié en no entrar en este servidor, pero mastodon.social está en Alemania y por tanto aplican las leyes alemanas. Esto quiere decir que si, por ejemplo, publicas algo pro-palestina, podrías llegar a tener un problema con las autoridades alemanas. Lo mismo para servidores en otros países, cada cuál va regido por la legislación local. Protege tus tuts, o como dicen en la guía, si quieres hablar de cosas serias utiliza mensajería más segura como Signal.

Zine

Esta guía también está preparada para ser impresa como fanzine en PDF en los siguientes formatos:

Encuentra más fanzines como este para imprimir y distribuir en nuestra página Zine Distro.

Para saber más

Happy Birthday to The Counterforce

2025-05-01T19:58:47.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Happy May Day and happy birthday to The Counterforce. I started this project one year ago today, on May Day, to help recognize the anarchist alignment of The Counterforce.

In the first year we have had over 100 contributions, collected in 5 print issues (with a 6th coming later this month). Our digital distro has grown to include zines besides our own, and all these zines are printed and distroed by punks all over the world. It's a small network but it's growing! I've personally printed and distributed at least 1000 copies this year.

In online efforts, there are many more cities with Ask A Punk online calendars, including some I'm not even involved with. And we have an experimental Mastodon sever! Instagram is losing!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed this year and everyone who grabbed a copy of the zine or printed a few out. The Counterforce is everywhere!

Show review: UTOPIE (FR) and STEZK (CZ) in Prague

2025-04-21T17:29:02.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Montrealer DLA contributed this show review from their recent travels abroad. A show review and brief scene report from Prague!

A punk show with hipster blazers and film photography? Let's go!!!

If in Prague and if in need of a concert, do yourself a favor and hit up Eternia Smichov. I found myself there on a cold Tuesday night in March after some deep diving into the depths of internet forums sent me to the Berlin lefty/punk aggregator page StressFaktor (https://stressfaktor.squat.net/termine), which in turn, after even more digging through bandcamp tour listings, led me to a French post-punk band who was currently on tour and playing a show in Prague.

Loosely translating their website, Eternia is located in the Smichov neighborhood of Prague and hosts a vegan restaurant, skate ramp, tattoo studio, rehearsal rooms, music equipment rentals, a pole dance studio and spaces for shows and events – in addition to hosting a bunch of different organizations, including Extinction Rebellion in Prague, and an archive of dissident Czechoslovak punk zines and other things from the Communist era.

The space for the actual show had a bar, comfy couches, a bookcase of zines, a community sale rack for clothes, shoes, CDs, and a skate ramp – as the crowd filtered in, we enjoyed our 30 crown beers while flipping through some Dutch and American zines, mostly from the era of Bush 2, including a really insane zine from a bunch of NYC people published soon after 9/11 – both about the NYC scene, and also about seeing the aftermath of the event and the increase in policing in the city.

STEZK (https://stezk.bandcamp.com/album/na-pokraji) were up first. Their bandcamp describes them well – a perfect combo of 90s emo and hc/crust, some dramatic/upbeat riffs, shrieks, and lyrics you can’t understand since they’re in Czech. Shoutout to the more spoken word sections of some of their songs, I think it adds some great atmosphere.

UTOPIE (https://utopielille.bandcamp.com/album/virage-lp) were also great. They play dancey, fun, and heavy post punk with a definitive cold wave influence, hitting us with a bunch of live vocal effects (love to check out everyone's pedal setups). You can't help but to dance to their shit. Lyrical content includes anxiety, probably also a bunch of stuff about capitalism and the oppression of everyday life (you can tell my French isn’t good enough to catch all of it). Talking with the band after, they said they were going to come for a festival this past summer, and it didn’t work out – so maybe they will come to Canada in the future! You can also follow UTOPIE here: https://utopunx.noblogs.org/

In addition to the great bands, what I deeply enjoyed about this show was seeing a different scene in a different city totally new to me. Of course, everything seems especially cool when it’s new to you, but it was fun being at a show with no more than 25 people for the first time in ages. I always love people watching at shows, and I’m still shocked at how toned down people look outside of North America (and probably the rest of the anglosphere but I’ve never been to the UK so don’t come at me about this), even when in a space like this. My limited take at this point is that I think it’s a little less of a principled rejection of a need to look a certain way to participate in a scene, and is more just a representation of the overall culture. A lot less tattoos, a lot fewer piercings. Two separate indie millennial looking guys with glasses and tweed blazers, one of whom was taking film photos of the show – and a normal collection of punk dudes, people wearing street clothes, and a strikingly gorgeous girl who looked very Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction in a floor length black coat.

The blazer guys specifically reminded me of a friend telling me about his read on the hipster scene in Saint Petersburg – it felt more organic to him, when not a little hipster passé, than scenes he’d experienced in New York. It’s as if the scene was able to create its own stylistic or aesthetic sensibilities that were truly original because of its distance (geographical, linguistic) from others. It’s maybe just a romantic idea, but I love a throwback and reaffirmation to the fact that small stylistic changes like dressing a little old fashioned (although still in dialogue with global trends) is “dressing punk.” To be fair, we see this in Montreal too. I was super impressed by a girl last Saturday at Bâtiment 7 wearing a kilt, a plaid hat, and a floor length red coat, showing up to see some bands play and some dudes strung up on flesh hooks. At the end of the day, this shit is all about doing you want and finding community in that – full stop, and it's always good to get a reminder of that.

The venue/organization/building -- whatever you call Eternia -- is also super impressive. We’re all frustrated by how expensive things are getting in Montreal, and the fact that the rent is too damn high for people to do the work they want to do, and create the art that’s important to them. There’s also not enough space -- industrial buildings and non residential leases want tons of money per month, evict and kick out bands and practice spaces, or have already been converted into condos. To me, spaces like this show us how fucked up our conception of “real estate” actually is in Canada. There’s absolutely enough determined people with the will to build spaces like this -- and we’re prevented by the continued commodification of the housing market.

All in all -- great show, super cool venue, I would highly recommend checking out their schedule if you ever find yourself in Prague. And as a bonus for shows and counterculture in Berlin: check out https://stressfaktor.squat.net/termine and https://knox.p-u-n-k.de/db/! Stressfakor has community events, free food, manifs, shows, and an encyclopedia of lefty/radical addresses, groups, and businesses to visit. I recommend viewing on a computer instead of your phone so you can translate the pages from German to English.

Interview with Dajjeh (Beirut)

2025-04-17T20:52:13.000-04:00

By Ghas attack

Ghas Attack: Tell us about Dajjeh. First off what does ضجة mean? What was the inspiration behind its conception?

Dajjeh is a collective of seven people putting on punk and hardcore shows in Beirut for a little over a year. ‘Dajjeh’ means loud noise, and usually carries a negative connotation of something disturbing. It started in February 2024 in response to a feeling that there weren’t spaces for us to come together, scream along to the music we love, and release our frustration together. If there aren’t punk shows around you, you gotta make your own, whether they’re good or bad and whether people come or not. So we took the plunge and, thankfully, they’ve been pretty good, too. We hope everyone reading this, in Lebanon, in the rest of the Arab world, and around the globe, starts organizing the shows they wanna see.

GA: Talk to us about the punk scene in Beirut / Lebanon and how it fits into the underground movements there.

A punk scene formed in Beirut in 2005, growing and peaking around 2012 or 2014 or so. The scene got quieter for a while as a result of economic crises, revolts, musicians going other directions, etc. Since we’ve been doing Dajjeh, some of the older bands are coming back and there’s a new crop of exciting bands of all ages. We always remember our debt to the pioneers who came before us, and play their music at our shows. Some people from the original scene are playing at Dajjeh and we hope more and more of them do.

In general, in terms of the underground scene as a whole in Lebanon, punk was always smaller than metal, rap, and noise, and that’s definitely still true. There’s some solidarity across the underground scenes, as all of them are pretty marginal compared to pop and Arabic music. And we love our friends in metal and noise; and are hoping to build more bridges with rap as time goes on.

GA:  What does the future hold for Dajjeh? Tell us more about what you have planned for 2025 and beyond.

As a collective, our hope for the future is to keep doing this, doing it better and better, and learning as we go. We also wanna see the punk scene grow in as many directions as it can. Dajjeh is not the punk scene, it’s just one event organized by one group of people. We wanna see everyone starting their own bands, writing their own songs, and playing them all the time, everywhere, with us and without us. That’s the dream, and it's happening.

If we ever got to a point where we could host touring acts from outside Lebanon, that would be incredible, as there are so many amazing punk bands that would find a great crowd here. A lot of them even sing in Arabic, which is a plus. But we’re keeping things non-commercial and airfare isn’t getting any cheaper so we’ll see.

GA:  What are some of the challenges you face as a collective and how do you plan on surpassing them?

Obviously, there was a massive war and that made us stop for several months. The war isn’t really over, but we’re putting on shows again. Other than that, the biggest problem in Lebanon, and not just for us, is that gear and space is expensive. You wouldn’t believe how much drum kits, bass amps, etc. cost here, whether in the brand new expensive import market, or in the really small second-hand market. Because most bands don’t have their own gear, we’re building a backline for our collective. It’s slow going, piece by piece, and we benefit enormously from the generosity and solidarity of people in our community, but it’s been a challenge. Next up is space—most folks can’t practice in their apartments and rehearsal spaces and venues are expensive. We’re working on finding alternative spaces where bands can practice without getting in trouble with the neighbors but Beirut’s a crowded city—there are few truly isolated spaces, and we don’t have a budget to rent them. But we’ve made it this far—we’re gonna keep going.

A list of bands booked by Dajjeh (so far):

AS_FELT
CHRONIC TENSION
GIDDEEE
JOWAN TOHANNI
KARAM SAAD
MOISTY BISCUITS AND THE BROKEN BISCUIT
OPEN ROAD
RED TERROR
SPLIT SUBJECT
TA2REEBAN
YABA JUICE

RATONERA HUMANA - 3 TEMAS CS

2025-04-14T17:24:54.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Here's a quick one from the gut, 'cause I can't get this one outta my head. Three crunchy, nasty tracks from LA's RATONERA HUMANA, recalling the best of the old Silenzio Statico scene, plus that first unhinged outing by INSERVIBLES. I feel like this short demonstration could, would, and should have everyone from the spiked-out pogoers to the pasty faced goths united in agreement: it fucks!

Very much looking forward to more. Big thanks to dule.klc666 for bringing it to the "world's" attention. Cop it here: https://polzedelamort.bandcamp.com

Polze De La Mort

TAPE LABEL Since 2011

Polze De La Mort

SHARP PINS - RADIO DDR CS

2025-04-14T17:02:49.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

My intention is to get a review in for each of my "Best of 2024" picks before the passage of time renders them all irrelevant (this space not safe for Greg the Builder, but how boring a world it would be to let a calendar dictate yer tastes! Eye digress: destroy time!). I arranged that list all alphabetical-like as to avoid some sorta hierarchy, but I'd be lying if I said this wasn't my #1.

Word on the street is SHARP PINS carries a heavy GUIDED BY VOICES influence, a claim supported by their GBV cover at Bric a Brac around Halloween last year, though one I could not personally confirm or deny at that juncture. After a few quick lessons, I'd say those chuckleheads aren't fit to add "Lorelai" to their repertoire, let alone stake a claim to some small chunk of the 'PINS DNA. It's possible, maybe, that I missed some shreds of genius amongst the pretense and the hard Fs and one too many half-baked ideas, or maybe I should be thankful SHARP PINS found something of substance in the crumbling foundations of whatever Ohioan hovel they oozed and festered out of before shaping that influence into something far more profound (hey, GERMS had a YES riff open up one of their best songs!), but what I am certain of is that beyond those maybes exists the cool hiss of Radio DDR.

It's easy, as Martin Force has frequently opined (see also: complained), to market yourself as absolutely anything these days. "Alternative bands are Hardcore!" "The library is punk!" "Buying stamps is praxis!"Oh, D. Boon!, I hope we first dance and drink and embrace on the fiery shores of Hell, but if we have any gripes to parse, it's the junkyards full of eviscerated dictionaries! It's certainly fun to play with boundaries, but in the first place there's gotta be some lines to color outside of, ya dig?

And with that said, this is a PUNK record: big and loud and pretty and screaming, a rose in the concrete, smart and smirking like the clouds parting on a warm summer day. No, these ears didn't pick up the GBV influence and maybe that's some moronic oversight, but I hear the Paisley Underground and their forebears, and a side of THE KINKS, plus a dash of THE MONKEES. I saw cravats and beetle boots and MDC shirts, I felt the guitars wail and the rhythm reverberate, and one day I'll take every one of you pinheads and sit you down just a few inches from their drumset so you could get a demonstration real proper-like as to just how fuckin' hard you should be hittin' each and every time, god help us all. Again, a punk record, as clear and cogent an argument for the dissolution of genre tropes as MINUTEMEN's Buzz or Howl..., TENEMENT's Predatory Headlights, BIG BOYS' Lullabies Help the Brain Grow, NEW BLOODS' the Secret Life, NO BABIES' Someone To Watch Over Me, et al., yet as urgent and powerful as any of the first 7 DISCHARGE releases, made to get flipped, end on end, as soon as the AM transmission cuts out...

Coming soon, with some extra cuts, to vinyl via K Records and Perennial, I was lucky to get a copy of the Hallo Gallo Tapes edition, a tape and zine label run by primary songwriter Kai Slater. Listen here: https://sharppins.bandcamp.com/album/radio-ddr

Radio DDR, by Sharp Pins

Belly of the Beast, by Combust

Sharp PinsKrawger

ASKO - VIOLENT BY NATURE CS

2025-04-14T16:53:09.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

New demo from four young Chicago go-hards who dropped a music video before a demo, but if that makes yer vision go red, you should take up a hobby. Knitting, kayaking, get the blood pumping for chrissakes!

As for pumping blood, "violent by nature" is one of the more straightforward hardcore punk releases I've enjoyed in some time, but goddamn is it good. I snagged the tape at a somewhat ill-fated gig at the Orphanage back in January. Live, I felt like there was a little more d-beat influence that doesn't quite pop off on the recorded material (which I personally think is for the best). They played early, the crowd wasn't fully packed in yet, and the Orph boasts a stage that would make a lesser act crumble, yet they were the highlight of the show. I'm excited for a few months from now when ASKO gains a little more confidence and they play 8 songs straight with only one break in between.

As for the tape itself? The definition of a Midwest meal: meat and taters mashed fresh right there for yuz in the pit. The song writing and recording quality would feel just as comfy on one of Lengua Armada's old Histeria comps as it would amongst YA!'s output from the last decade, any time after McCoy finally discovered Denver, CO (although I think ASKO comes with a rougher edge that a lot of those bands have only ever pawed at).

The tape I have will likely sound different than the one you will eventually get your mitts on, as vocalist Andy has continued to futz with the mix to get it further in line with his vision (bud, I get the inclination, but the people need the tracks last month!), but I've been assured they'll be uploaded here very soon: https://asko.bandcamp.com/ Six tracks, photocopied j-card and insert, and, thank fuck, a lyrics sheet (literally all you have to do is xerox your ballpoint chickenscratch, you fuckin' poseurs).

In the meantime, check that aforementioned video for a quick fix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX2aE9OMz9A), and give their channel a follow in the RSS reader of your choosing, 'cause the Askocalypse and its heralds are imminent.

New Zines: No Brains #4 + MRR Reviews #502

2025-04-06T20:31:53.000-04:00

By Webmaster

We added 2 more printable zine PDFs to the Zines page. No Brains #4, featuring interviews with TRAIDORA and NAPALM RAID and the latest Maximum Rocknroll reviews digest for issue #502.

Check them out, download them, print them out and start a distro!

The Counterforce Issue 5

2025-03-22T12:11:20.000-04:00

By Webmaster

Print issue #5 of The Counterforce is here, collecting everything published so far in 2025. Download the PDF on our zine page (along wish past issues, and many other punk zines) to print and distro some copies! Now in A4 for the rest of the world and with beautiful cover art by our own contributor Ghas Attack.

COMBUST - Belly of the Beast LP

2025-03-18T18:47:23.000-04:00

By Nab

There's something to be said about being an active band for 7 years, consistently putting out music and honing in on your craft all this time; meanwhile touring literally everywhere, taking no shortcuts. The proof is in the pudding: this record is undeniable. COMBUST never strayed from their initial sound and identity, they are the quintessential modern New York Hard Core band in my opinion. These guys are students of the game and deliver a high-quality record packed to the brim with NYHC bonanza, to a level that not a lot of bands would be able to pull off in my eyes. There's nods to all the classics, and they still manage to make the songs sound unique and not something you've heard a million times, it's no small feat in a genre that's been replicated to oblivion. I hear a lot of KILLING TIME in the riffs, SICK OF IT ALL & DYNAMO in the groove, and CROWN OF THORNZ & UNDERDOG in some of the song structures and tempo choices. I really appreciate how they seem to challenge themselves by writing songs that rarely replicate a formula used elsewhere on the record.

The album oozes style and personality, with multiple stand out tracks, like the self-titled opener, single "Our Own Breed", or the super fun & catchy "N.Y.H.C"; and of course the guest features are a plenty (MINDFORCE, DANNY DIABLO, MASTERMIND, DMIZE, TERROR...). After the NYHC trophy spending time away in Toronto, San-Antonio and Leeds, Combust finally brought it home

LP out on Triple B Records. Listen here: https://bbbrecords.bandcamp.com/album/belly-of-the-beast

Triple B Recordssylviasoven

PNOOM - Energy CS

2025-03-18T18:39:52.000-04:00

By Nab

This Montreal band is a secret gem. I had never really delved into their recorded output before, as I assumed it would not live up to the feeling of their live shows, often delivered through copious amounts of amps and pedals. Well I guess the joke's on me because this new album is impressive. The recording itself is outstanding, and they really capture the essence of what the band is about without any gear gluttony on display. You still get volume, tone and the feeling of being wrapped-up in a sonic haze. The obvious comparison would be the more explorative SONIC YOUTH material, but some of the songs here have this dizzy repetitiveness that is reminiscent of late-era LUNGFISH. It’s not ‘dreamy’ either, there’s an undeniable tension between all the instruments, like being caught in a magnetic field; and the guitars remain sharp and in your face, not unlike UNWOUND at times. The vocals sound like you’re being scolded from a stranger far away, adding for dramatic effect. That’s a beautiful record from PNOOM that I hope makes it to vinyl one day, but definitely a band I recommend seeing live every chance you get.

Self-released, listen here: https://noisepnoom.bandcamp.com/album/energy

ENERGY, by Pnoom

Systematization, by Life Abuse

PnoomBirdboy

LIFE ABUSE - Systemization LP

2025-03-18T18:36:33.000-04:00

By Nab

I checked out this album when I heard that the bass player from END OF A YEAR/SELF DEFENSE FAMILY had a new band and it quickly became a recurring listen. I keep noticing cool parts and details I hadn’t before, which is rare for a straight forward punk record. LIFE ABUSE are from Albany, NY and they remind me of the type of bands that would be on something like Havoc Records, or that I’d read about in Heartattack Fanzine. Which is not surprising considering the members are veterans of that scene, having done time in bands like DEVOID OF FAITH, LIBYANS, LIMP WRIST, THE OATH…

The music is sometimes reminiscent of TALK IS POISON to my ears, or DEATHREAT, but with weird parts a la KILL THE MAN WHO QUESTIONS. I would even describe their sound as 'crust-adjacent', as there are some epic catchy riffs that wouldn't be out of place in a HIS HERO IS GONE or FROM ASHES RISE record; however the songs are a little more restrained and offer more diversity, while still remaining cohesive. This is an excellent record that I'm kind of obsessed with, more people need to check it out! I'm really hoping to get to see this band live.

Released on Armageddon Label.
Listen here: https://armageddonlabel.bandcamp.com/album/systematization

Armageddon LabelGesche

DUREX Interview

2025-03-17T19:47:00.000-04:00

By DJ Buckingham Palace

Montreal's DUREX is Alex (vocals), Kelly (drums), Hannah (bass) and Felix (guitar). They just released their second tape "SHAME". Interview contributed by DJ Buckingham Palace.

Q1: To start, I’d like to give some props to Kelly who came through with an excellent engineering and mix-job from behind the drum kit on this new tape! It would seem that you guys are well capable of handling pretty much any and all band things internally from recording, to artwork, to merch, and all the rest. However, I can’t help but notice one unfamiliar name in the SHAME credits! Who is Papa Boom Bam Sam and how did your working relationship form? Should we attribute DUREX’s masterful balance of cutting clarity and searing noise to the audio mastering of Mr. Papa?

Alex: Kelly's daddio.

Kelly: Papa of boom bam sam obviously.

Hannah: Father of kellington.

Q2: You guys started back in 2023, right? How did the band come together?

K: I don’t remember the brunch maybe I wasn’t there – but Felix asked me outside of a show if I wanted to drum in a new project a little after they moved here. Originally it was me, Felix and two other people it didn’t work out with for scheduling reasons. We flailed for a bit but got Alex on bass, then Hannah on vocals. I didn’t really know Hannah yet which is probably why I wasn’t invited to brunch.

Felix: I approached Kelly first cuz I needed a drummer, this would’ve been like, spring / summer 2022? I had moved to Montreal at the end of 2021 and hadn’t been doing much rocking in Ottawa previously cuz of Covid. I was anxious to start playing in bands again ASAP. I think Kelly was at this brunch – some spot in the old port I think – but I also remember telling Hannah they would be good at doing vocals in a hardcore band before that.

H: They asked me to join over brunch, it was very posh. They told me their name was Durex and I was like "LOL okay."

Q3: Are there any specific bands or styles that inspired you guys in the beginning and have there been new additions and/or crossed out names on that list?

A: KISS and THE BEATLES

F: Originally I really wanted to imitate fast European-style hardcore with a good mix of d-beat and tupa tupa parts like RIISTETYT, KAAOS, WRETCHED, etc. All mostly have relatively clean / not totally blown out guitars too, which I dig. Of course all the Swedish stuff and the bands that rip that off are big for me. KREMLIN and ASILE are two Canadian bands who had really excellent takes on that style and I go to a lot when I’m writing tunes. I think we’ve just dialed into the style I mentioned more as time has gone on.

Q4: Your “press” photo on bandcamp shows the four of you with the lonesome remains of Prince Edward Island’s defunct Science & Adventure theme park almost 40 kilometers from town. I gather that the group doesn’t mind making a detour for the sake of recreation between road shows. What makes for an ideal sightseeing destination when there’s time to kill on tour? Any favourites from the past?

A: I can’t remember if we saw it from the road and had to stop by or if we found it on google maps but the groundskeepers did not like us exploring the space shuttle … I have a general knack for seeing oversized or miniature objects – however, my favourite stop we’ve done on tour as a band was going to Niagara Falls and chilling on Clifton Hill… although, we did not hit the upside down house – another personal favourite. Notably, Biff took us on an EPIC tour of Buffalo and exploring the abandoned train station was awesome as well.

K: We were definitely just driving and saw the shuttle and were like "what the fuck is that." As the resident party pooper/schedule keeper I’m often shutting down detours and stops in favour of being on time and not missing soundcheck. It’s a balance.

F: Buffalo central terminal ruled. Waterfronts are a must – PEI ruled for that.

H: I love an abandoned building or somewhere very high up. Hard to go wrong with that.

Q5: On the topic of exploration on tour; what are your tips on uncovering the best / oddest / rarest geographic gems on the road? How often does the band stumble upon something cool by accident?

A: I mean we are two drivers in the band and we don’t like to drive for long amounts of time, so scheduling in time to stop is important. Doing your research or just asking people can help with finding fun stops.

F: Just walking in a random direction away from the venue between soundcheck and doors can be fruitful.

H: Asking people who live in the area for tips on where to stop has been hands down the most guaranteed good time.

Q6: On the flip, what are some niche activities you would suggest to an out-of-town band in your hometown of Montréal?

K: Sending people up the mountain is always a good bet. If it's a longer visit, I’d bring people to the estacade. Historically I’d always want to bring people to Fattal because it’s an important experience.

F: Always suggest good restaurants – ideally that buddies are working at.

Q7: Is it better to have a bad set at home or on the road? Or do you guys prefer not to perform poorly at all?

K: We had a rough set in Toronto last weekend but Felix made up for it by tackling Alex to the ground and that’s mostly what the people remember. And I think there’s a good lesson there? I think?

Q8: SHAME is the kind of record title that’s so immediately effective it could function as a single-word summary. Does that title indicate a through-line? Is SHAME a noun or a verb or both in the case of this project?

A: Both. This is music for perverts.

Q9: In contrast, SHAME also bears a handful of pretty benign song titles in its track listing with oddball headscratchers like "cow/boy," "jack offman," "coldplay," and "boymode." At least a couple of these feel like they could have derived from inside jokes. How far does the humour extend from titles to lyricism if at all?

A: I think "jack offman" might be the only funny song lyrically but it’s also like about some guy jacking off, which sometimes is deeply unfunny (see Louis C.K.). "Chemical 2.0" was also a funny one about goblins and piss but we never re recorded and the song has hit the graveyard.

K: I’m pretty sure half the titles happen before the lyrics are written. Maybe we’ve gotten away from that somewhat but maybe all the songs on the first demo were “named” before the lyrics existed. But I’m not a lyrics guy.

H: I'd say on average the titles are often more playful than the actual songs… Some of the titles have nothing to do with the actual lyrics, we just like the way the word sounds.

Q10: I guess this is a bit of a leading question, but are the jokey or not-so-serious titles a way to make songs with heavier lyrics more approachable on the surface?

A: Yeah: most of the songs (at least the ones I’ve written) are coming from a pretty painful place. I would hope people are not trying to make sense of what I’m saying. Maybe I'll get more cryptic and feel comfortable releasing them but for now just silly titles.

Q11: It’s good to be well-humoured as a band. Do you guys like to laugh and smile?

A: :0)

F: I like to laugh – I like to have fun too.

H: We love to laugh, live and love 👉🏽👈🏽

Q12: I understand that Hannah was the original singer of the band before swapping roles with former bassman and current vocalist Alex. What caused the switch up and how did that period of transition / adjustment play out?

K: The first show where Hannah realized they probably couldn’t do vocals was SOTO Fest two years ago, we were supposed to be playing the park show. And rather than not play, or play without a vocalist (boring), we decided to karaoke our songs. Which, because no one really knew our songs anyway, meant a bunch of our friends ad-libbed lyrics. It was extremely fun and cute. Highly recommend if you ever find yourself in this situation, especially if that situation is also in the park.

H: I broke my voice from improper yelling technique and working at a call centre at the same time. I got something called muscle tension dysphonia. It hurt to talk for about 8 months so I barely talked. Anyways no one knew how long it would go on for and we had tours and shows planned so we had to come up with a solution fast. I didn't want to be the reason we cancel everything so originally Alex being the vocalist was a temporary solution. But as time went on and my voice still wasn't 100% we decided it’d be best to make it a permanent switch, for consistency.

Q13: Does Hannah reserve any involvement in lyric writing as the OG wordsmith? Are the words something you guys talk about as a group?

A: I kinda write the songs on the spot at jam and then doctor them to be better. I generally just ask everyone if it sounds OK but I don’t think they can really hear me. Anyone could chime in if they wanted to.

H: For lyrics we kind of reserve all the word power to the vocalist, so that's all Alex now. For titles to EPs and demos we all brainstorm together.

Q14: Who’s going to take over the role of vocalist next?

F: You – The Reader of The Counterforce.

Q15: Would you / have you considered incorporating the actual Durex brand logo on your merch or would that be some kind of sin? I think it’d be funny.

A: I have tried to suggest it. We have joked about including their slogans “love your way." Personally I think “Love. Sex. Durex” is kind of unhinged.

K: I refuse to dress up as a condom.

H: I think we should all dress up like condoms. We should also give away Durex condoms at shows. I think it'd be awesome

Q16: I’m pretty into the innocuous band name trend in punk right now. Shit like LYSOL and KLEENER. I not only count DUREX in this class of bands, but I also think it’s like, the best band name I’ve ever heard. I recall Felix mentioning something about the name being a point of heated disagreement early on. What was up with that?

A: I thought it was really good because it’s hard and sexy.

K: When Felix first suggested the name, it was before Alex and Hannah joined, and the members then were NOT enthusiastic. As I remember, Alex was down right away though.

F: I had been saving it for a while. I thought it sounded kind of like that band MATRIX – not that the tunes ended up being like that, but it made me laugh and it just sounded like a dumb hardcore band.

Q17: What’s everyone’s favourite riff or musical moment on SHAME?

F: I think Knife is my favourite track.

H: The breakdown in diver is my fav.

Q18: What are your least favourite DUREX songs and why?

A: Lasso and we don’t play it anymore.

K: There are a few on the demo that fall flat for me now, we were still figuring out what the vibe was though so that makes sense. We’ve been pushing faster and meaner.

Q19: If you could organize a dream show consisting of two Montréal locals, two Ontario bands (since I know three fourths of you are from Ford Nation) and one out-of-town band from anywhere on the planet, what would that be and at which venue would it go down?

A: SIYAHKAL, Us?, FAZE and bring FERAL back from the grave (5 bands is too many)

F: Are we one of the Montreal bands? Let’s say us, BRAN VAN 3000, any band from Ontario that Emily Hohenadel plays in right now, BARROW WIGHT (Tolkien themed black metal from Ottawa) and IRON MAIDEN.

Q20: Are there any trends in punk right now that you love, hate, or hate to love?

K: I’ve been really here for fast, a couple tasteful breakdowns if you want. But the releases that have really grabbed me recently are silly breakneck fast hardcore punk.

F: I’m hoping to see more fake British accents – HOMEFRONT sort of does this. And a return of drunk punx.

H: I love a gimmick. Costumes. Maybe an unpopular opinion…

Q21: Any future plans?

A: West coast? North East US? Asia 2026……………………………. ?

K: We’re playing Lawnya Vanya in Newfoundland in June and I’m excited to either see icebergs or whales.

F: Full length release in the works.

Listen to DUREX's newest tape SHAME here: https://durex.bandcamp.com/album/shame-2

SHAME, by DUREX

LAST FROST (Demo), by Portal Tomb

DUREXDUREX

PORTAL TOMB Interview

2025-03-12T21:36:33.000-04:00

By Martin Force

If you follow what's new in contemprary crust, you will have heard of Montreal's PORTAL TOMB and their Last Frost Demo released on Sore Mind last year. I started a Signal group with Aíne and Ava to chat about the band.

Photos by Slim.

Martin Force: Who is in PORTAL TOMB and what were everyone's previous bands?

Aíne: PORTAL TOMB is: Aíne (guitar, vocals), Ava (Bass), Camil (Guitar), and Alys (Drums).

Alys (drums) has played in MOTORWOLF, SPORUS, MANDRAGORA, SHIBBOLETH, DISPHORIA, MST, DOMESTICATED, MORIBUND, VEIN SPLITTER, NIL CVLT DEATH GANG to give the shortlist. I've played previously in SPORUS, INFANTILE DISSENTION, NOTACOST, THERMOKARST, KNACKER'S YARD, and ATTRITION – maybe that's it? My memory is failing as I descend into my twilight years... I played in THE FACTORY SMOKE to name another Trad folk band. I've done some work with Vancouver's NORILLAG, although I'm not a member.

For Ava and Camil (guitar), this is their first fully fleshed out project, though I believe Ava is working on a few things behind the scenes.

MF: How did the band start? You and Alys both played together in SPORUS and moved here? Were you already planning to start something?

Aíne: Alys and I have known each other for years, both of us coming from Victoria, BC. We played together for years in SPORUS (now based in Vancouver). Ava and Camil come from Brooklyn, NY and Sofia, Bulgaria respectively. PORTAL TOMB was initially something I had planned as a recording project for many years, but came to fruition instead as a full band after I met Ava here in Montreal and started plotting a Stenchcore/Crust project together. I knew Alys was the one to play drums when things started coming together in the writing process, largely because she's a way better drummer than me haha. It's rare to find someone with both her technical skill and the energy and style for punk on the drums. I met Camil through work, and they learned everything we had worked on for almost a year in about 30 minutes, so the choice for second guitar was obvious.

Ava: Aíne wanted to do PORTAL TOMB as a solo project but I was like if you need help let me know hehe and then Aíne taught me the riffs and we went from there. Aíne took me under their wing / a leap of faith with me cause I had only really been playing bass in my room for a couple years and never saw myself playing in a band for some reason. But we had really similar music tastes and they took a chance on me and now we are besties and have awesome band with Alys and Camil.

MF: How did you find Camil?

Aíne: Camil was my metalhead coworker who recognized all my band shirts until I was like "I bet you play the guitar. I bet you play the guitar better than me, you should join my Crust band." And convinced them by saying it'll be "kind of like BOLT THROWER" (lying). Also a leftist metalhead. Hired.

MF: Is it true that you made Camil wear a bullet belt?

Ava: Yes.
Aíne: Debatable.
Ava: And told him no more vans. It's true.
Aíne: Yeah that definitely happened.

MF: How you define PORTAL TOMB? Just pure stenchcore?

Aíne: I think of PORTAL TOMB as Stenchcore/Crust. I'm sure the details are irrelevant, but to say Stenchcore to me distinguishes it somewhat from the more limited genre that Crust has in some ways become. When I think of Stenchcore I think of a more experimental, raw, and extreme sound that shows more of it's Anarcho-Punk, Metal, and Post-Punk roots. It's all Crust in the end.

Ava: We like da British stuffs.

MF: Is Portal Tomb a queer band? A band with queers in it? How do you bring your respective queer identities to playing crust?

Aíne: CRUST IS GAY WHAT CAN WE DO.

Ava: We gay.

MF: What was the process like for writing and recording the Last Frost Demo?

Aíne: Excruciating.

Some riffs I had for years, or had many variations of for years, and some were written more recently to build context for the songs. Ava and I poured over arrangements for many months while we worked out the general direction of things, and then we started putting things together with me swapping between guitar and drums.

When Alys joined the band, she took the drums to a place I couldn't have personally and I got to focus on guitar and we tweaked the arrangements for a while together, and when Camil came in we had the opportunity to add some harmonies and play the tracks endlessly until they felt right. For recording, it was all DIY at Ham space using odds and ends I packed here from the West coast and whatever we could find. The drums were recorded in 4 tracks, no tom mics, and a mono tape recorder in the room buried in the mix somewhere.

The mix took a lifetime with pretty limited gear and some pretty sloppy recording work on my part. In the end I think we more or less captured the sound we were aiming for, and Cody Baresich at Circle A Studios did a perfect job translating that with mastering for the tape/digital release. I would never finish anything without his help, let alone know how to hold a microphone in the first place. Long live Cody.

MF: There's a new recording coming out soon. Was the process for that smoother? How will it be released?

Aíne: At the moment we're finishing editing our next release to send to Circle A Studios for mixing and mastering. I think I can speak for everyone in saying this recording was significantly more excruciating. Endless technical difficulties and broken gear, a dead computer, and more suffering in general. It's DIY once again, but I think in the end we pushed through to a stronger recording – and one that's more representative of where the band is at now. The track/tracks are for a short and nasty split with our dear friends, Vancouver's EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER to be released as a 7" on Archaic Records and tape on Montreal's Sore Mind.

MF: Beyond the new release, what are upcoming live shows or tour plans you all are excited about?

Aíne: We'll be playing SCORCHED EARTH in Vancouver with DEVIATED INSTINCT, STORMCROW, and East coast crust legends CONTAGIUM in June, among many other insane crust acts, and a day before that in Victoria with HEDONIST and STREET GLOVES. We'll also be at A Varning From Montreal again in the fall. Not much for tour plans, but we'll be playing some sneaky dates in the eastern states this summer. Boston/New York/Philly.

Ava: I wanna play Mexico with PORTAL TOMB.

MF: What other current or in-the-works side projects you want to tell us about?

Ava: I’m working on vocals with a project. That’s all I can disclose because it’s still sort of up in air if we will release anything – depends how bad I suck.

Aíne: I play a fair bit of traditional Celtic folk music when I have the time, but no other bands at the moment. As for Alys, as far as I know she's a current member of MOTORWOLF, MANDRAGORA, and NIL CVLT.

MF: Is crust back? Did it ever leave? What are some current bands you think are doing crust right or that get you excited about crust?

Aíne: I think Crust tends to persist regardless of who's paying attention. It does seem like interest comes and goes, and as far as listenership/a general scene I think we're seeing another wave of revival – a resurgence in interest around the old school sound. My uneducated opinion is that as things get stale in the punk trends, people find renewed inspiration by looking back to the classic bands who approached things with a different ethos and paved the way. Bands that didn't have to navigate the type of commodification we see in what looks now more like a market relationship with "punk characteristics."

Some current bands I find inspiring off the top of my head are FATUM, CANCER SPREADING, LIFE, INSTINCT OF SURVIVAL. Lots of good stuff out of New York at the moment like FLOWER, LOVE AND COMPASSION, MMI, the short lived WITNESS. Vancouver's EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER, some solid US acts like ALEMENT, AXEFEAR, SAVAGE PLEASURE. There are many more, and classics who won't quit like DEVIATED INSTINCT, and dear Jesus CONTAGIUM is back baby!! BLACK DOG is incredible and although they're no longer playing, ZYGOME is a massive influence for me. I swear I'm not trying to steal their riffs... Locally, WARKRUSHER and A.T.E.R. are keeping it very real.

Ava: My list is: LOVE AND COMPASSION, WITNESS (RIP), ALEMENT, SAVAGE PLEASURE, SPORUS, TERMINAL FILTH. I’m not as big of a fan of the war-metal leaning crust cause I think it gets stale and sort of misses the point: the somber or nihilistic atmosphere a lot of great old crust captures. CONTAGIUM is incredible one of the best crust projects of late I’ve heard – Aíne put me onto them cause I had no idea about them.

MF: What do you all think about the current state of punk in general? Is there too much Instagram and Spotify? I feel like this is less of a problem in the crust sub-genre but there are still crust Instagram accounts and all that. How bad is it and what can we do?

Ava: Prioritize bands that don’t feed into it. It’s tricky because there’s striking a balance as people who put a lot of time into their music need to find ways to feed themselves but good punk music is antithetical to money making and forms of capitalization . Spotify doesn’t make you any money/is exploitative which is part of the issue but it can help find listeners who aren’t tapped into DIY... but I personally don’t want to put PORTAL TOMB on Spotify. I’m not sure if YouTube is necessarily better (because Google) but I think accounts that serve as like digital distros sort of like reposting punk stuff they like for more people to see is good? But I don’t know how to understand the matrix. Bandcamp seems like the most ethical way to digitally access stuff to me.

Aíne: Spotify can lick my asshole and Instagram is an ideological hellworld. Those things have nothing to do with punk in my opinion, and while I understand their utility in promotion, fuck all of that. There's no ethical consumption under capitalism, but the problem with these technologies not only in their effect on art, but their role in the military industrial complex cannot be understated. I think the current state of punk is rife with contradiction. In some ways punk appears more alive than it has been in a long time, in other ways it can feel more empty and disingenuous than ever. I think it's probably what we make of it. I think if punk really needs Spotify or Instagram to survive, it's already dead.

Ava: There’s a lot of interest in crust from my age group but a lot of it seems fashion focused / crust pants-centric as opposed to putting most energy into creating interesting music. Seems like a lot of copy / paste with the aesthetics and run of the mill musical regurgitation.

But it’s great that the “scene” is more active and so many people come support. I think people my age can get caught up in this punk Instagram clout and conforming to what they think is cool on the internet. Maybe they put too much focus on things like fashion or self presentation above making music and embodying the values behind the aesthetic. I think it’s because we are all so young and many of us former misfits and having crust is a way to “fit in” and find others like us when we are all trying to decide who/how/what we want to be.

Tons of kids my age are also learning their instruments to be in bands which is great. I just got lucky to be taken under Aíne’s wing otherwise I’d probably just be writing stuff in voice memos in my room. I'm really happy to see more people my age interested and committed to it but I think a lot of the focus on aesthetics, self fashioning and presentation over social media is corny. Not to say I don’t think about my crust pants a lot. But it’s not all about studding and acquiring every bootleg tee under the sun.

Regarding Spotify and Instagram, they don’t need those things. But coming from my perspective as Gen Z they have, for better or for worse, gotten a lot more people to “tune in” so they can “tune out.” My demographic grew up in a totally digital age. And a lot of the crust resurgence does ultimately stem from social media. And then the real ones focus on showing up to shows and making shit. It was a gateway.

For me it was all through YouTube. I watched Decline of Western Civilization when I was 11 (it was free on YouTube) and then everything went from there. I had already been listening to goth/post punk because I had a childhood friend who’s dad was really into it and he showed me stuff.

And then I just started finding more shit through the algorithm. Getting into punk has made me focus on connecting IRL but it my path into it came from the digital realm. My demographic has a lot of toxic individualism perpetuated through social media and a consequence of how capitalism has progressed which has lead to social isolation and deprivation of real life experiences. Punk saved me from that and made me be active in my own life outside of a screen and my bedroom

MF: What makes good crust pants?

Ava: Time

Aíne: There's a (Japanese?) zine on how to make crust pants, and it's a 10/10 read. Extremely funny and everything you need to know

MF: Anything I missed that you want to shout out?

Aíne: The State and Capital are a social relationship and must be rooted out firstly from our minds. THERE'S NO AUTHORITY BUT YOURSELF, OBJECT, REFUSE, AND REJECT ABUSE!

Listen to the Last Frost Demo here: https://portaltomb.bandcamp.com/album/last-frost-demo

First press on Sore Mind and second press on Filth Holocaust are sold out!

Portal TombPortal Tomb

Contact PORTAL TOMB by e-mail: portaltomb @ gmail.com

AYUCABA - Demo 01 CS

2025-03-12T11:33:28.000-04:00

By Ralph Rivera

Slime punk, egg punk, egg. Chain wave, chain punk, and, eventually, inevitably, similarly, just chain. Does this help? Make more sense? No no no, just keep throwing some shit at the wall so every review sounds like a sales pitch and every band is a camel comprised of diametric sonic interests. D-beat, kang, raw, D-beat raw, UK82; female fronted, fast hardcore, fastcore; Devocore (that's a thing! The author's sweating!)

Oh, good grief, let's not turn this first outing of mine into a referendum on meaningless sub-genre delineations and unfortunate sartorial preferences and let's talk what really matters: vision. Ayucaba's got it. A big, loud, screaming vision that warns of (or, perhaps, beckons) doomsday, strong enough to reverberate from the far flung era of 2023. The vocals, strained and menacing, employ tasteful reverb without becoming the coward's blanket many in America seem to cozy up under, with the bassist chiming in now and again to drive home a point. The guitars are heavy as life, one holds it down with catchy riffs, the other wanks and shreds, while the bassist took a page from THE SHITLICKERS guidebook on good-bassing and stabbed a few holes in the speakers before taking the fucker to the killing floor and back. The drums roll on like a fucking warmachine.

As American assimilation robbed me of my mother tongue(s), I took a break from writing to translate every song, and what a discovery!: AYUCABA, a word that that earlier forced assimilation could not eradicate. In Guariní, "the one that kills you." AYUCABA, a, forgive me, patron saint to those still fighting, still resisting, the lodestone that holds up the entire vision this five piece has constructed. And those lyrics, like the music: big, heavy, a double edged blade: one sharp to cut, one dull to punish. My personal favorite goes something like "I still know how to look up and spit on them from below."

Now, time being, the downside to the vision is you just have to take my word for it. The band has elected to withhold their music from the digital sphere in all capacities, but I'm working on getting my shit situated in a way that will allow me to rip tapes and rekkids, at which point we'll get this shared amongst us vermin.

There are some live recordings that I highly recommend floating around out there, so peep those in the meantime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVACUcYkZ6Y and https://zaratazarautz.bandcamp.com/album/ayucaba-2024-03-21.

Anyways, uh, foreign language, metal-tinged raw punk from South American ex-pats in Spain, or something.

CONDUMB - S/T EP

2025-03-11T20:28:38.000-04:00

By Greg The Builder

CONDUMB’s S/T debut ep does something that I think is nearly impossible: sound very good and very noisy at the same time. Everything is balanced and shines while a layer of high gain covers the whole thing. Trish, who also plays guitar, did a great job recording this (as well as everything else of hers that I’ve heard). The bass is punchy and helps drive the entire ep, the drums are solid and straight forward in a way that props up the riffs instead of distracts from them. When I sent this to a friend his first response was “well deployed flanger”. And not to go unnoticed, the vocals tie it all together in one wild package.

Just looking at the cover, I think it’s obvious what bands influence CONDUMB, but these songs never feel derived or unoriginal. The songs are chaotic and when they don’t make you want to pogo they are blisteringly fast. My favorite track is 'Coward'. It’s hypnotizingly rhythmic at times and the main riff makes me want to smash through a wall. When I finally put my hand into the table saw at work because I can’t take the punishment of my reactionary coworker anymore, I hope this is the record I am listening to.

Speaking of the cover, I believe this is the last piece of art by the late Ryan Fromdland, a beloved Philly (and Florida) punk whose art and flyers has been gracing punk for close to two decades. Making nods to the bands and records that influenced him, and in this case CONDUMB, Ryan’s style (and humor) has left a lasting impact and we are worse off without him and his vision in this world.

Available soon from Philly’s premier label of dumbassery Stupid Bag Records: https://www.stupidbagrecords.com

Listen to it here: https://condumb.bandcamp.com/ and when you inevitably run out of free plays, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6fZaEI4nhk

CONDUMB, by CONDUMB

CONDUMBFittz

BRUTE - Barbarism

2025-03-04T13:38:15.000-05:00

By Vanislejay

BRUTE is a very appropriate name for this band. Hardcore leaning into powerviolence from Vancouver that sounds like it was written by primitive humans and I mean that in the very best way. Is it recorded perfectly or horribly, you have to decide for yourself. Based on the artwork I assume this is or will soon be out on tape and honestly I'd be a bit afraid that the tape will destroy my tapedeck from too much sand in the casing.

Caution the intro to BBG may have a drastic effect on your ability to stand erect.

Holy shit this is good.

Barbarism, by Brute

BruteBandcamp New & Notable Oct 17, 2024

CORN'S CORNER: DEMO DUMPSTER DIVE #1

2025-02-28T17:11:34.000-05:00

By Corn

I think a lot about the way things get lost: band shirts that evaporate, ignored buildings demolished after you leave the neighbourhood, faint acquaintances delete their social media and you never see them again, digitally or otherwise. Almost all punk demos are like this: tossed off to niche audiences in limited quantities, uploaded to incredibly fragile file sharing sites, and usually eventually abandoned for lack of interest by either the band, the audience or both.

This article lines up roughly with issue #500 of Maximum RocknRoll, so I'm going back into that musty pile of greying newsprint I've been lugging from apartment to apartment, finding some gems of yore (ie 2011) and re-reviewing them here on the Force. Fans of 2010 laptop mic recordings, bitloss, and the smallest JPEGs imaginable won't wanna miss this.

FUSS - Cold Porn - Greensboro, NC

"...VOID influenced stuff that seems so popular with all the troubled teens these days." - Aaron

Real deal teenagers in a basement shit, spazzy and straight ahead. I love the terrible album art and heart on sleeve lyrics, not a huge fan of the nonsensical and offensive Vietnam War sample, but such was the time. The EP they recorded a year later is the real treat I'd say.

Synaptic Havoc EP, by FUSS

FUSSBandcamp New & Notable Oct 17, 2024

THE FUCKING COPS - You Have The Right to Shut the Fuck Up - Cleveland, OH

"A bit too much harmonization for my taste, but if they keep the guitar leads going everything should be OK." - Brad

Felt my JAWBREAKER tattoo tingle for this one, deep in the paint "orgcore" shit, the all-dressed hot dog on this tape: tired after work song, political song, song about a city, song about a girl. Pretty perfect.

You Have The Right to Shut The Fuck Up, by The Fucking Cops

The Fucking CopsVolker J.

RAGRAGE / TWAT SAUCE - Discography / Clash of the Tight Ones - Chattanooga, TN

"So apparently there's this new thing called 'crust pop'..." - Kevin

Not a split, but might as well be, seems like they shared members and sent their demos in the same month. Somebody with more skin in the game should write about the Chattanooga / sloppy gay punk scene flowing out of this era, but I think part of the special thing about it that it never coalesced under a genre tag or something easily apeable (crust pop is pretty good though), and so remained specific to a small group of punks, a time and a couple places. Still, these songs all sound like being drunk in the summer and I love it.

discography, by RAGRAGE

RAGRAGEBandcamp New & Notable Mar 1, 2025

TWAT SAUCE - “Clash Of The Tight Ones” - Tape - 2010

TWAT SAUCE, hailing from Chattanooga, TN, is a force to be reckoned with. They’re a group of rowdy, sleazy punk girls (and dude) who w…

2010Harvester

FAMILY OUTING - Demo 2013 - London, UK

"... weird and damaged and wrong in a compulsive manner." - Layla

Easily the best thing I found in this dig, mean as shit hardcore. Best tracks were 'Thicko' and 'Sickos', not the same old guitar lines as a lot of bands splashing around in this pool. Same singer as the almighty GOOD THROB, but much more straight-ahead. Already broken up by the time MRR was reviewing this, a classic move. I can't help but love a side project or a one-off. Each tape came with "an individually stamped old postcard from your auntie's crap trip to Ramsgate with her arsehole children", so that's cool.

Family Outing demo tape, by Family Outing

Family OutingBandcamp New & Notable Jan 15, 2025

LITTLE ITALY - Demo Songs - New York City, NY

"It doesn't immediately strike me as garage, but if I had to encapsulate it in one word, I guess that's closest one I could come up with." - Langford

This is the kind of project I started this column to find. No real releases other than a live radio recording that got put on tape, and this bad photo of them playing in a park to three people is everything to me. It seems like they were tight with the mildly more popular outer borough band DIPERS, they played most of their shows with them. Are the songs good? Eh... 'Telephone' is pretty charming, but I think the fact that they're nothing special is why I like them listening back.

PS if anybody in Montreal knows who made the DEVIL'S DICK recording reach out - inquiring minds would like to know who's responsible.

NO BRAINS zine added + Directory updates

2025-03-04T16:40:47.000-05:00

By Webmaster

A new printable zine PDF as been added to the zine distro: NO BRAINS #3. Also added the newest MRR Reviews digest for Issue #501.

Download these zines, print some copies, and distro them at shows!

The Directory has also been updated with a few additions and more categories. For example there is now a Calendars category with all the online show calendars we know about. If you know of one we are missing (or anything else!) please get in touch.

PEACE OF MIND Roundup

2025-02-08T13:22:46.000-05:00

By Martin Force

Recently I was in NYC and stopped by Peace Of Mind HQ where I was gifted a few of their recent releases. Willow filled my bag with copies to take home, exclaiming "we don't care about making money, we just want to put our friends bands and get their music out there." Besides the LOVE AND COMPASSION tape, everything I was given has not yet been reviewed here. So, I present a roundup review:

MMI - Imminently Perilous To Life Demo Tape

As of writing, the newest Peace Of Mind release. Opens with a sample of Brett Spiner's alien-possessed character from Independence day whispering "PEACE? NO PEACE." - I'm sold. MMI plays dark crusty lofi hardcore and the vocals are really the stand-out: disturbingly guttural raw possessed demon vocals completely full of rage, they just cut through the recording. The riffs are dark and at times downright atmospheric. It's a good soundtrack for this particularly bleak winter. They also break out into the "dum-dum breakdown beat" (you'll know what I mean when you hear it). I don't know anything about this band besides being given the tape, but I really hope I get to see them.

DISPUTA - Maldito Sistema Demo Tape

Fast-paced hardcore with shouted-spanish vocals. The guitar breaks out into solos (or guitar leads) pretty frequently, which is not my favorite thing in hardcore punk, but DISPUTA doesn't lose me completely. A solid demo.

NO KNOCK - Imagine A World Without Landlord$ 7" EP

It opens with a deranged wail as the band launches into a non-stop straight ahead hardcore punk barrage of songs. It really just doesn't stop. I imagine the vocalist is writhing or rolling around for most of the set. The 7" inch jacket art is Willow's intricate pen drawings and the insert is a huge silkscreened newsprint poster that barely fits in the record sleeve once it's folded up. The insert is full of words, quotes, political statements, the words "No Knock"repeated endlessly, but I'm not sure if the lyrics are in there, which is too bad cause I know this band got something political and sharp to say! But you can tell just from the package and the energy.

PEACE OF MIND IN A TROUBLED WORLD vol. 1 - NYC 2024 Compilation

A 21-track comp tape featuring new tracks from 18 artists (a few bands on the PoM roster get 2 tracks). I believe many tracks are or were unreleased when this tape came out, including "SSRI" from FLOWER and "Bountiful Meal" from LOVE AND COMPASSION. Other bands on Peace Of Mind include NO KNOCK, DISPUTA, STATE MANUFACTURED TERROR, and MMI.

Other NYC staples on this tape include D4MT bands STRAW MAN ARMY & KALEIDOSCOPE, HEADSPLITTERS, ABISM, HYSTERIC POLEMIX and T.A.Z. Side A whips through these bands, with a consistent tracklist of high-energy hardcore punk and crust. Queer sludgelords GROKE make a return to close out side A, followed by a somewhat indulgent and long MANY MANY GIRLS noise/radiosurfing exploration.

Side B has fewer tracks with more space for crust (and jazz?), LOVE AND COMPASSION deliver a crushing crustcore track with crust two-step parts and then a spin-kickable breakdown. FLOWER's new track is somehow crusty and bounce/noodely without veering into metalpunk (thumbs up). Then there's a STRAW MAN ARMY track off their new LP which segues the listener into the closing lengthy jazz interpretation of the classic "You Don't Have To Fuck People Over To Survive" print accompanied by spoken word from radical weirdo propagandist legend Seth Tobocman. It's a perfect journey.

The tape is accompanied by a full zine, with a lyric page for each song contributed by the respective band and full-colour cover art. Every band delivered 100% on their lyric page. I don't think even a pirated copy of photoshop touched this.

Overall, the gold standard for a punk comp tape. A collective effort from a scene to really bring together many different voices and bands and give outsiders a peek into what's going on in the city. The spirit of resistance as expressed in a wide variety of underground music is represented here and it's all "real". No posers and no cash-grabs. The real music of resistance. This comp will definitely be a beloved time capsule of this period of the NYC scene in the future.

You can get all info on Peace of Mind activities from their website: https://peaceofmindinatroubledworld.nyc and listen to their releases on their YouTube channel.

INTERVIEW with Wargasm Records (Istanbul)

2025-02-04T11:22:31.000-05:00

By Ghas attack

Ghas of A World Divided bring us this interview with Charged Can, founder of Wargasm Records/Fest based in Istanbul.

Ghas: Hey Can! Tell us about your current projects, I know you’ve been busy!

Charged Can: Hi Ghas, DIE IN VAIN and REASON WHY, my two sibling bands! Happy to involve with those bands because we're doing our favorite two era of punk rock.

DIE IN VAIN live

G: I saw that you have been touring across Europe in the last few weeks. Can you tell us about that?

CC: Yes! We were on tour with DIE IN VAIN, we had total blast. It was covering Novi Sad, Berlin, Lübeck, Copenhagen and Goteburg. We played at To Be Punk Fest in Novi Sad and it was the original idea to start touring. All the hospitality was second to none.

G: Ive been to a few Wargasm fests and loved it. Let’s talk about the Istanbul punk scene and and the importance of having such a yearly festival?

CC: İstanbul punk scene could be the most non-reliable one on the whole planet. Always have big up and downs, dramas and such a horrible people around. We're always grateful to work with decent bands and people. That's why we're motivated somehow. Putting a festival like this, is a important part of it to gather all the punks, skins and weirdos at least once a year to catch their favorite acts.

G: What are some of the challenging aspects of being a punk in Istanbul vs Europe?

CC: Dealing with the people is the biggest challenge. It's hard to count on everyone even they want to participate to the scene. We expect solidarity and we don't want abusers, greedy people who don't really understand what's going on. Rising of the social media effects some around in a bad way. Some want fame, money, want to be on the screen. We've a thick red line that divide the bands that we don't want to deal with. That's why it's always challenging when we expect from others to be in DIY aspect

G: Tell us about what is coming up in 2025 in Istanbul in terms of shows or other projects

CC: The next Wargasm Fest will take a place at Karga as usual and it will be on November 7th-8th 2025. We have only one confirmed band for now, working for the rest. And we've couple of more shows on the first half of the new year.

Wargasm Records

𝐃𝐈𝐘 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 & 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟖 𝐔𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬: Wargasm Fest 2025, 7-8 Nov. @KargART

Wargasm Records

The Counterforce Guide to Mastodon and The Fediverse (for punks!)

2025-02-03T17:10:55.000-05:00

By Martin Force

`#introduction`

The hardcore punk underground has been on corporate social media since MySpace. Some resisted it, some embraced it, but mostly we have just followed mainstream culture's passive slide into digital dystopia. In 2025 every band has an Instagram account, every show needs a Facebook event and you only see a show flyer if you are lucky enough to catch it in someone's Story.

Punks are increasingly realizing how fucked corporate social media is (about time!). We hunger for better ways to check in with each other, share our music and thoughts, promote shows, connect across borders, and shit talk. What's presented here is a possible solution, an experiment, or at least a step in the right direction.

You may have heard of alternatives like Mastodon or PixelFed. These are not just reinventions of the apps we know. They are part of a decentralized, open network called the Fediverse. This network is totally different from corporate social media on a structural level, making it highly resistant to corporate capture and allowing it to evade surveillance capitalism. It's a network that we can not only join but build ourselves.

In this guide, I will try to explain what the Fediverse is, why it's cool for punks, give a practical how-to on getting started with Mastodon, and lay out some dreams for the future.

What Mastodon/The Fediverse are NOT:

...Easy

Understanding this stuff is not easy because it's so different from what we are used to. You can totally create a Mastodon account and give it a spin without any of this context, but you probably won't find it very interesting (or very punk). If you tried Mastodon already and didn't really “get” it, I hope you'll read on and give it another try!

When you first used corporate social media, there was a learning curve too. No one is born knowing how Instagram works. The big apps have spent fortunes to design a social media experience that is both frictionless (easy to start using), and sticky (hard to leave).

Mastodon and the Fediverse are neither frictionless, nor sticky. Like punk, they are built by hobbyists, non-profit initiatives and informal networks. They don't have the same addictive appeal as corporate apps. They aren't trying to trap you, and they aren't here to entertain you. Instead, their genuine purpose is to help us connect with each other online.

So bear with me as you work through this guide. Liberation requires struggle, and knowledge is power. That might be a little dramatic, but given that corporate social media plays such a dominant role in human culture (not just our hardcore punk underground), I believe that wresting control of our lives and our culture back from fashy tech billionaires is a struggle with real stakes!

...A secure and private communication tool

It's 2025. Don't use DMs on any social media app to talk about anything serious. Use Signal. Even if you don't think you need Signal, someone who wants to talk to you does. Signal Stories and group chats are great if you want digital spaces that are social and also very secure (maybe a topic of a future how-to).

...An entertainment platform

Mastodon doesn't care about your attention or entertaining you. If you are looking to be fed a more ethical doomscroll, this probably isn't the place. You will only get out of it what you put in.

...A place to go viral

It's a hard place to go viral. There's no toxic algorithm to push your content into other people's feeds. It's hard to be an influencer. Don't try. Influencers aren't really welcome anyways!

...A replacement for the real world

The Internet lets us build a hardcore punk underground that is international. It facilitates connection through pandemics, harsh seasons, mental health struggles and isolation.

Even if you are a true no-phone punk, this discussion matters to you: you might not use Instagram, but your band or shows or zines are still getting shared there by your fellow punks. We are all participating in an underground that relies in large part on social media, for better or worse. It's important to meet people where they are. So, we must intevene in how punks engage online, just as we don’t want to see all punk shows happen at Clear Channel or Live Nation venues.

But the hardcore punk underground shouldn't live exclusively on the Internet. When was the last time you got a paper handbill? Make flyers, go to shows, print and distribute zines, help run a DIY venue, start a distro. The Counterforce supports all these offline strategies (have you read the manifesto?). Don't let your enthusiasm and interest in these (cool and radical) online alternatives distract you from building in-person relationships and connections. Hardcore punk will always happen first at shows, in zines, on tapes, on records.

What is Mastodon?

As I've mentioned, Mastodon is part of the Fediverse. I'll get to what that means later, but let's just start with understanding Mastodon.

Superficially, it's social media akin to Twitter or Tumblr. You see a feed of posts from accounts you follow. You can like, boost (re-post) or reply to other posts. You can make your own posts with images, text and links, and you can tag other users. For the most part, there are no ads and there’s no algorithm. Rather than being fed an endless scroll of suggested content, what you see in your timeline is determined entirely by what you choose to follow.

A timeline like any other?

Understanding Mastodon through E-mail

Although it looks more like Twitter, structurally Mastodon might be more similar to e-mail.

Here's the main Mastodon account for The Counterforce:

@The_Counterforce@kolektiva.social

It looks like an e-mail address with an extra @ on the front. The_Counterforce is our username and kolektiva.social is the Mastodon server that hosts our account (a large anarchist server). Just telling someone to follow "@The_Counterforce on Mastodon" isn't enough! The server part must be included, just as with an e-mail address.

Kolektiva.social is one Mastodon server, but there are thousands of others - just as there are countless different e-mail servers such as gmail.com, protonmail.com or riseup.net. When you sign up for a Mastodon account, you choose one server and your account lives on that server. We often refer to these different servers as different instances.

Here are some Mastodon accounts we like. Note that they are on different Mastodon servers:

@la_chaine@438punk.house - La Chaîne, a punk newsletter in Montreal has its account on 438punk.house, a Mastodon server for the Montreal punk scene.
@somepunk@counterforce.social - Just some punk with an account is on Counterforce.social, a server that you can use to try out Mastodon later in this guide!
@submedia@kolektiva.social - The anarchist media collective subMedia is also on Kolektiva.social, the same server as The Counterforce!

One of the cool things about e-mail is that no matter which server hosts your e-mail account, you can still send and receive e-mails to accounts on any other server. You do it all the time! Mastodon takes this concept (called interoperability) and applies it to social media: users with accounts on different Mastodon servers can follow and interact with each other.

So you see? Mastodon is not just a single social media app, it's a huge decentralized network of connected servers!

Users on different Mastodon servers (aka instances) can all follow one another.

Choosing a Mastodon server

Mastodon servers are all connected, but they are not all the same. There are a few reasons why it matters which server you choose:

Discovery

It's easier to discover stuff on your own server, or on servers with a lot of connections with yours. If you're on a server with other punks, you'll probably see more punk stuff.

Moderation

Each server handles its own content moderation, so you can choose a server where you agree with the moderation policies. Large servers tend to have more spam and trolls, and in extreme cases servers will completely block each other to prevent trolling or harassment.

Autonomy and Trust

Your Mastodon server handles your data. It's where all your posts live. You have to trust the admin, but that admin can be someone you actually know instead of Mark Zuckerburg or Elon Musk.

Most Mastodon servers are just run by people. The server software is free and open source, so anyone can set up their own (DIY). Mastodon works best when servers are small, and based around common interests and affinity, e.g. a local punk scene. Communities can agree on the common goals, moderation policies, and how to pay the bills and keep the server running. You can choose a server where you fit in, or start your own if you have different needs or desires.

What is The Fediverse? ⁂

The Fediverse is a network of interconnected social media platforms. The name comes from "federated" + "universe" (not "feds"). As you just learned, Mastodon is not a single server, but a decentralized network of autonomous interconnected servers. They make up a "federation". Not unlike the international network of DIY punk, right?

But the Fediverse is bigger than just Mastodon. There are many other platforms that make up the Fediverse. While Mastodon looks and functions similar to Twitter or Tumblr, these other platforms are often also bootlegs of familiar corporate social media:

PixelFed (photo-centric like Instagram)
PeerTube (video-centric like YouTube)
Misskey (like Tumblr but anime themed)
Bookwyrm (for tracking and reviewing books, like Goodreads)
Lemmy (links and discussion like Reddit)
WriteFreely (blogs like Wordpress)

Each of these platforms have a different focus, like prioritizing photo or video content. There are many more that I didn't list. But they all have users, and profiles, and posts. You have an account, you post things, you follow other accounts and see their posts in a feed. It's all fundamentally the same.

As with Mastodon, all of these Fediverse platforms aren't just one server. There are also hundreds of different PixelFed, PeerTube, Misskey, and Lemmy servers. And as with Mastodon, users on any server can follow users on any other server.

Wait, on any other server? Can a user on a Mastodon server follow a user on a PixelFed server?

Yes!

With a Mastodon account, you can follow accounts on other Mastodon servers, and you can also follow accounts on servers from any of these other Fediverse platforms. You are not restricted to interacting with accounts on the same server as you, or even the same platform. Everything in the Fediverse is fair game.

As Mastodon user @somepunk@counterforce.social, here are some things I can follow:

@la_chaine@438punk.house - another Mastodon account on a different server.
@submedia_channel@kolektiva.media - a PeerTube account posting videos from the anarchist media collective SubMedia.
@TheFinalStrawRadio@social.ungovernavl.org - a Castopod account posting podcast episodes from The Final Straw.
@shows@montreal.askapunk.net - an online calendar website powered by Gancio that can also be followed from the Fediverse.

Posts from all over the Fediverse, delivered to my Mastodon feed!

I'll see different kinds of posts from all of these accounts in my feed. Not just Mastodon posts from other Mastodon servers, but photos from an account on a PixelFed server, videos from an account on a PeerTube server, and new events from a Gancio calendar.

Users on different servers and different platforms all across the Fediverse can follow one another

This is the Fediverse! A huge network of alternative platforms, each of which is made up of thousands of autonomous servers that all connect to each other. As a user, you can have an account on any server, regardless of which platform, and still follow and interact with accounts or posts anywhere else on the Fediverse.

Why does this matter?

Well first, fuck corporate social media. Its purpose is to collect your data and attention and sell both to advertisers (or worse). YOU are the product! The “social” aspect of social media exists solely to maximize the amount of attention and personal data that can be squeezed out of you.

Not to mention the myriad ways that these apps bolster the war machine, contribute to or cause genocides, and deepen our isolation and individual despair! These sites and the people who run them are FUCKED, and we should not be willingly supporting them by contributing to the appeal of their products by locking up our art, music, and ideas inside their walled gardens.

The hardcore punk underground has always been a federated network, when you think about it. If we are connecting online, we should be trying to do it following the same principles.

The Fediverse is inherently anti-corporate

All of the software and protocols that build the Fediverse are free and open-source. It's impossible for any single person or company to buy or own the entire network. It is mostly built by non-profits, foundations, collectives, and individuals. A lot of the developers are queer and trans weirdos with radical politics. Capitalists hate it because it's hard to monetize. It has many excellent accessibility features. From the ground up it was designed to be an actual social network that facilitates open connection and communication rather than extracting profit from users.

It's DIY

The Fediverse has thousands of servers because anyone can create one - it's relatively cheap and accessible. We can create our own Mastodon, PeerTube or PixelFed servers and grow the network. These servers can be centered around our communities and based on our needs. The Fediverse allows us to own and control our online networks instead of relying on a mainstream capitalist option to serve us (at what cost?).

It won't keep leaving us

How many show photos will be lost when Instagram dies? (Maybe their AI model will be able to generate new show photos for us?) How many demos will disappear when Bandcamp shuts down? Old heads remember MySpace - so many screamo demos lost in time, like tears in rain... Every time a corporate social media network shuts down or becomes intolerable, we lose everything we've uploaded and all the connections we've made there.

Shit can happen on the Fediverse too: your Mastodon server admin could get hit by a bus. But at least on the Fediverse, we are the ones in control of our data, connections and network. Instead of jumping on the next shiny corporate app that is just going to turn to shit in a few years (they always do), The Fediverse allows us to invest in something that won't disappear (unless it's on our terms).

A healthier scroll

Without a profit motive driving it, the Fediverse is not an addictive doomscroll. You choose what you want to see, open your computer to get updated, scroll to the bottom and log off. It can be boring in the best way! The difference in vibe and lack of algorithm means people are generally nicer and engage on a more authentic level. You won't go viral, but you'll meet actual humans whose company you enjoy.

A safer scroll

The Fediverse is built for the users instead of for the CEOs, so the Fediverse has better safety and privacy controls. It's still the Internet, and public things are public. But the Fediverse overall has far better options for keeping some things private and having better control over your data and who has access to it. Your admin can be someone you actually know and trust. You can even be your own admin.

Not a walled garden

Apps like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter lock content behind a login wall. Those of us on the outside are forced to sell ourselves out and create an account see anything.

The Fediverse is open. Not only can accounts on the Fediverse follow each other, wherever they are (different servers, different platforms), anyone on the Internet can view a Fediverse profile and its public posts. You can share a link your account with people who don't know and don't care about the Fediverse and they can still see whatever you've chosen to make public. Having an account here is like having a free website!

Dreams

Hopefully by this point you are getting on board! Before we get into the practical how-to stuff, here's are some dreams for the future:

Every city or region sets up their own Mastodon server for the local punks. This provides a local hub, and since servers are connected we can easily follow what's going on in other cities besides our own.
Bands, distros, zines, and show promoters set up accounts on the Fediverse instead of posting their content exclusively on closed corporate platforms. Give people a better option to see your stuff!
We see PixelFed servers for show photographers and PeerTube servers (PunkTube?) for live vids and video zines.
There's a project in development called Bandwagon that aims to recreate Bandcamp for the Fediverse: bands can upload their music to a profile, and punks anywhere on the Fediverse can listen and follow to get updates about new releases and shows. Soon, DIY labels could host their own Bandwagon server for bands they release.

I won't waste more space laying out the myriad reasons you should abandon corporate platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, etc. Simply put, it's embarrassing how much punk culture gets shared on these apps and only on these apps. But I will recognize leaving them cold turkey can be difficult for some of you. You risk losing all the connections you have built. Why would you want to try an alternative if "nobody is there"?

You can start using Mastodon while still checking Instagram or whatever. This is especially important if you use social media as a band/distro/zine/show promoter/other project. I get that the audience on Mastodon today is small, but if you post there you'll be investing in something sustainable that we control. You'll be giving other people a better way to see your stuff if they want to leave corporate social media (or never sold out in the first place).

Trying Mastodon might be a slow burn, but you need to take a leap of faith and keep at it. If enough of us invest in it, then the momentum will snowball and we'll find ourselves using something far more sustainable, healthy, radical, and in our control. The reason corporate social media is hard to leave is because they intentionally trap us there. We have to actively fight to break free!

Mastodon how-to

To give you a practical how-to, I'm gonna focus on Mastodon. Mastodon isn't the whole Fediverse, but it is one of the most popular platforms, with polish and nice apps. It's the easiest way to get started.

STOP! Do not just type "Mastodon" into your app store without reading this. You will probably end up with an account on Mastodon.social like a poser. We warned you!

Remember that Mastodon is decentralized: there are many servers, not just one Mastodon.com (which is actually a website for a mulcher, FYI).

You need to find or pick a server to sign up on (remember, it's like e-mail). Sure, you could create your account on Mastodon.social (the Mastodon equivalent of Gmail), but it's huge and full of normies, trolls, and occasionally spam. Your admin will be some German man named John Mastodon. And remember, the server name is the second part of your account name. So everyone sees it. It's worthwhile to have a cool one.

In our dreams (see above), every local scene would have a Mastodon server (or two even, because of inter-scene beef) and you could just sign up there. But for now, your options are limited. There are a lot of servers, but a lot of them suck. If you do have a local Mastodon server, or if you've heard of one from a friend please sign up there!

If not, you are welcome to try setting up an account on our Mastodon server:

COUNTERFORCE.SOCIAL

Counterforce.social is a Mastodon server for Counterforce-aligned projects or individuals, and a landing pad for Fedi-curious punks and readers of this guide. But Counterforce.social can't be the sole Mastodon server for punks everywhere. It is a stepping stone, but ultimately we need more punks to set up their own servers and contribute to a decentralized network.

So, feel free to sign up with us and explore how Mastodon and the Fediverse work and feel. Invite friends to read this how-to and join you. But then try to get the ball rolling on creating your own server for your community.

Mastodon allows you to move your account from one server to another. So don't be too stressed: when the day comes and you start or find a better Mastodon server, you can move your account and transfer all your follows and followers.

Create your account

Some servers have open registration, some are invite-only, and some require approval for new accounts. New accounts on Counterforce.social require approval. If you sign up there, there will be a prompt to say a bit about yourself and why you want an account on Counterforce.social.

To Create an account on Counterforce.social

Go to https://counterforce.social in your web browser and click Create Account.
Read the server rules.
Choose a username and password. There is also a text box to fill out that refers to this guide. If you are signing up using the Mastodon app (we told you not to) this text box will say "Why do you want to join?"

Fill out the text box by mentioning that you're reading this guide, where you're from, and name two records: one that got you into punk, and something you listened to lately. We probably won't approve you if you don't include this. We're not keeping score, but we gotta keep out the spammers and trolls, right?
Check your e-mail to confirm your e-mail address
Wait for your account to be approved (you'll get an e-mail)!

Approval could take as long as a day or two – we are just a few unpaid humans! Why not read the rest of this how-to while you are waiting for your approval e-mail?

Your new Mastodon account

OK, you got your account, something like: @somepunk@counterforce.social. Once again, remember that it's like e-mail: your account has a username and a server.

On your first login, Mastodon will prompt you to follow some people and fill out your profile. Do us all a favor and add something to your profile. A profile pic and a bio so we know you are not a bot. No one will follow you back if your profile is blank!

Logging in

You can always access Mastodon by going to your server's homepage (e.g. https://counterforce.social) in a browser and logging in. This is the Mastodon web app. If you're on a phone, you can usually add the web app to your homescreen and treat it like any other app.

There are many iOS and Android apps for Mastodon as well. When logging into an app make sure you are logging into your server.

The official Mastodon apps (which are fine) tend to try and guide users to sign up for a new account on Mastodon.social. It's deranged. If you use the official Mastodon app for Android or iOS, make sure you to select Log In and enter your server name:

Our current favorite apps are Tusky for Android and Ice Cubes for iOS, but there are many others. One nice thing about Mastodon is you can try different apps until you find one that works for you. Again, "it's like e-mail" – to access your e-mail, you can use Apple Mail, Gmail in the browser, or Thunderbrird (nerd).

The Home Feed

The home feed on Mastodon shows all the posts, replies and boosts from accounts you follow (from anywhere in the Fediverse!).

You just signed up and maybe you followed a few suggested accounts, but your home feed is gonna be pretty empty. There is no algorithm to feed you content. Mastodon does not give a fuck if you look at it or not.

In my experience, a lot of people get stuck here. Being used to treating social media as passive entertainment, it's a real shock to suddenly have agency over what you see and follow. If you need a busy feed to stay engaged with this adventure on the Fediverse (understandable!) then try to follow early and follow often. Follow anyone who seems even remotely interesting. Their posts will start populating your feed and you'll also see things they boost. You can always unfollow the stinkers later.

Finding Each Other

To find your friends, first talk to your friends. Ask them if they have a Mastodon/Fediverse account and add them. Ask them for recommendations on who to follow!

The Search Bar

The Mastodon search bar lets you search for other users and accounts to follow. Just typing in part of an account name will work if your server has seen that account before. Sometimes you have paste full account with server name (like @The_Counterforce@kolektiva.social).

You can also paste links for anything in the Fediverse into the search bar. If someone sends you a link to a Mastodon post like:

https://kolektiva.social/@The_Counterforce/113681405266044162

...you can just paste that in to the Mastodon search bar, and you'll be able to like the post, reply, boost, or follow the account that posted it. This works for any kind of Fediverse post, not just other Mastodon posts. You can paste in links to Gancio calendar events, PeerTube videos, Bandwagon profiles, PixelFed photos, Lemmy threads, whatever, and they'll open in Mastodon. This is part of the magic of the Fediverse: you can follow and interact with all kinds of "social web" content from your one account.

Other people's follows/followers

Your friends' friends might be your friends. Check out the follows/followers of accounts you like to find other accounts to follow. Note that users can choose to hide this information, so you won't always be able to see it!

The Profile Directory

Some Mastodon servers will have a Profile Directory with a list of accounts on that server, and other accounts the server has seen. Only users that have opted-in will show up here. If you discover another server that looks cool, browse its Profile Directory and copy and paste people's accounts into your Mastodon search bar to find and follow them!

Other Feeds

Mastodon has other feeds or timelines besides the Home Feed. On the web app, these are under Live Feeds as "This Server" and "Other Servers". Different apps might call them the Local Timeline and Global Timeline.

"This Server" or the Local Timeline shows you public posts from everyone else on your server. It's like your local neighborhood's stream of consciousness. If you are on a small cool server, this feed can be great - an easy way to keep up with what's happening on your server without needing to follow everyone.

"Other Servers" or the Global Timeline shows you all kinds of public posts from all over the Fediverse. What shows up here will be somewhat curated by the other people on your server and what they follow and interact with.

Hashtags

You can follow hashtags and get any tagged posts your server sees will show up in your home feed.

Explore

The Explore page will show you a selection of hashtags, posts, and accounts from across the Fediverse that your server knows about. There's not much of an algorithm here. In my experience it's just kind of some random stuff from your corner of the Fediverse.

Note on finding new accounts

I've referenced a few times that what you see in Mastodon can depend on what your server "knows about" or has "seen already." The Fediverse is a huge network and your little server doesn't have a copy of the entire thing on-hand. It only grabs the data it needs. If you look up an account your server has never seen before, you won't see the history of posts unless you go to look at the profile outside Mastodon (in a web browser). Mastodon usually gives you a link to do this. Look for "Browse more on the original profile" or "Open original page".

Once you've followed such an account, subsequent new posts will show up in your Home feed.

Get Found

If you want people to find your Mastodon account here are some tips:

Introduction

When you are ready, make a post tagged with #introduction and share a bit about yourself and what kinda of stuff you want to post or see. If the account is for a band, distro, or other project or explain the purpose of the account. People will see your #introduction post and follow you and boost the post if they like your vibe.

Boosts and Hashtags

There is no recommendation algorithm on Mastodon. The primary way stuff spreads between people is through boosting and hashtags. Anything that you think other people should share, boost it! And use appropriate hashtags if you want strangers to find a given post (just don't be spammy).

Also, note that liking a post doesn't do anything to contribute to it showing up in anyone's feed – it just lets the author know you liked/saw their post!

Discoverability

Mastodon lets you choose how discoverable you want your account to be. Look under "Preferences" -> "Public Profile" -> "Privacy and Reach" to set this up. For example, you can choose whether you want your account to be listed in your server’s Profile Directory.

Your Profile On The Web

Earlier, I mentioned that a Mastodon account can be like a free website since anyone can view your profile and public posts without being logged in (or without any account at all).

Here's the link for The Counterforce's profile on the web: https://kolektiva.social/@The_Counterforce

If you try loading that in a browser on your phone, it might load in your Mastodon app. But if someone loads it in a browser that isn't logged in to Mastodon, they will see a webpage with our profile and recent public posts. No pop-up telling them to log in to see more.

Your profile will have a similar link, like https://counterforce.social/@somepunk

Punk-tip: If you read my RSS How-to For Punks and are using an RSS reader, then you'll want to know that every Mastodon account also has an RSS feed of public posts. Just add .rss to the profile link!

Publishing Levels

Mastodon lets you control the visibility for every post. Public and Quiet public (or Unlisted) are essentially public. For example, posts of both type will be visible to someone not logged in who looks at the "Your Profile On The Web" link described above.

Followers posts will only go to people who follow you elsewhere on the Fediverse. You can choose who follows you if you like (see "Privacy" next).

Finally, the Specific people option is the equivalent of a DM. There aren't true DMs on Mastodon (use Signal). But if you want to post something only for certain people, just mention them by @ in a Specific people post and only they will see it.

Privacy

Maybe you don't want to be found. You can lock your account on Mastodon so that new followers have to be approved by you. Uncheck "Automatically accept new followers" on the "Privacy and Reach" preferences page. Remember that your future and past public posts are still visible to anyone, but any Follower-only posts you make will be private. You make Followers-only your default for new posts under "Preferences" -> "Options".

In general, just remember that the Fediverse is part of the public internet. Your public posts are public. That's great if you are trying to get the word out about your project or band! But if you want some more control, lock your account and post Followers-only. If you have more concerns about this, check out Mastodon Opsec.

Safety

Mastodon has lots of ways to protect yourself (or just deal with annoying people). You can:

Mute people forever, or with a time limit so you don't forget to un-mute them (like a timeout for someone on an annoying shitposting rampage).
Block people.
Block entire servers.
Report users/posts on your own server that break your servers guidelines. Your local mods will deal with them.
Report users/posts from other servers that might be harmful or dangerous to your fellow users.
Mute words/phrases (e.g. if you don't like hearing about the ska revival, you can just mute "ska").
Block notifications from people you don't follow.
Hide boosts from annoying people who boost too much dumb shit.
Auto-delete your posts after a certain time has passed.

If you want to learn more about Mastodon, check out the official docs. If you have a question, try asking it on Mastodon! Maybe with the #AskFedi hashtag.

Bluesky is not it

As I am writing this, a lot of people are leaving Twitter and Instagram for Bluesky, another social media alternative. You may have even seen Bluesky mentioned alongside Mastodon as part of the Fediverse or the "new decentralized social media".

Bluesky is currently just Twitter Jr. It was originally a Twitter spin-off! It's now in the honeymoon phase where it has lots of cash from investors, so it can develop features really fast and it hasn't started running ads. The nazis haven't taken over yet. But Bluesky isn't any different then Twitter or Instagram, it is just earlier in the lifecycle of corporate social media. Eventually it will have to make money (a LOT of money), and when that pressure kicks in things will get shitty.

The idea that Bluesky is "decentralized" comes from the fact that it is built using a protocol similar to (but not compatible with) what runs the Fediverse. Without getting into the technical details, here is the short explanation:

Currently there is only one Bluesky server. There is no decentralization. You can't join a server that is local to you, run by your friends, or aligned with your values. You can't join any other server besides bsky.social (damn, should we have chosen cforce.social).
You can't start your own Bluesky server. Right now there is a fundraising campaign to "Save [Bluesky] From Billionaire Capture" trying to raise $30 000 000 to start a single additional Bluesky server. Running Counterforce.social costs $100 a year, tops. Bluesky's theoretical decentralization is a way to avoid accountability for nazis and other evil actors on the platform. It has nothing to do with returning autonomy and control to us. They are playing us for complete fools.
Thanks to their different protocol, every Bluesky post is publicly available. By design, no privacy is possible. AI companies are already scraping every Bluesky post. Mastodon's public posts are just as public, but at least with Mastodon you have the option to keep some posts visible only to an audience you control.

Other Alternatives

This guide has focused on the Fediverse and Mastodon, but I don't want to pretend they are the only answer. The Counterforce is about trying and exploring many alternatives that help the hardcore punk underground escape corporate capture.

For one, there are plenty of ways to get on the Fediverse besides Mastodon. If you prefer just-photo posts, try PixelFed. If you prefer threaded discussions, try Lemmy. If you want to post long videos, get on PeerTube. Set up a Fediverse-connected Gancio calendar for local shows. No matter where you set up shop, everyone elsewhere on the Fediverse will be able to follow you.

Another option for punks to connect online is to revive the local message board. I grew up with punk and hardcore message boards, and I remember them fondly (although I also remember all the drama). I think we should be wary of huge centralized message boards, though. People can be assholes when they aren't accountable to each other, and relying on a single centralized server to build our entire online community is doomed to fail eventually. (There are also message board platforms that are part of the Fediverse).

Whatever alternatives you want to try, please just be mindful of repeating past mistakes. Many powerful players want to capture users who flee the imploding-social-media-app-of-the-week. The next shiny corporate social media app will be no better for us. Whether it's Discord, TikTok, Slack, or even a huge message board run by people you don't know, avoid any platform, new or old, run by a profit-seeking company with venture capital to burn. No good will come of it.

Finally, I will re-iterate the other obvious alternative: do more shit offline!

runyourown.punk

I first joined the the Fediverse in 2018 or 2019 via Kolektiva.social. After learning how Mastodon works and understanding the potential of the Fediverse, some friends and I got together in 2021 and started 438punk.house, a Mastodon server for Montreal punks.

It was slow at first, but we've steadily grown as more and more people have looked for a way to stay plugged in without using Instagram (which has otherwise dominated our scene). It wasn't easy to teach people something new, but friends teach friends. Now we have over a hundred users posting about upcoming shows, asking for advice and help, starting new bands, sharing new releases, etc. A few bands have accounts. We have our own hashtags for posting updates from shows and sharing what we're listening to. Some people are really chatty, and some people just log on when they want to to ask a question or find our what's going on this weekend.

We also started a Montreal ASK A PUNK show calendar using Gancio. People all over Montreal now use the calendar to find out about shows (just search "Montreal Punk Shows"), but it's also part of the Fediverse so punks on 438punk.house (and elsewhere on Mastodon) can follow the calendar to see new shows in their feed.

It doesn't cost much money or require much technical skill to set this up and keep it running (any Linux nerd can handle it). We got in early and established our own autonomous infrastructure for our punk scene. As more people are actively trying to ditch Instagram, Montreal punks already have somewhere to go.

The 438punk.house server is great for us, but we're kind of the only punk scene on Mastodon. We know a few other punks scattered here and there but if you read this guide and get on Mastodon, look us up! But mostly we are just waiting for another city to get on here and build the punk Fediverse.

Come join us!

Zine

This guide is available as a printable zine PDF:

Find more zines like it to print and distribute on our Zine Distro page.

Futher Reading

POISON SPEAR - INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

2025-02-03T19:54:38.000-05:00

By Misery

Hardcore punk should make you feel like you're losing brain cells with every passing second. And let me tell you this POISON SPEAR release has my brains leaking out my ear while the grin on my face gets more deranged. No gimmicks, no complicated riffs and snotty but guttural vocals make zero compromises. Plus the title track Institutional Trust is a drawn out mosh part that'll have you slamming from side to side, getting low and slow or getting swept up in the feverish sweaty energy of an overcapacity basement gig. Expect squealing feedback, tight but explosive drumming and the ideal medium dog bark vocals. A collaborative project between local legends of Montreal QC and Charlottetown PEI, we can only hope these hooligans have more tracks in the works to keep us hanging on to the edge of the pit waiting to grab the nearest bud and shake 'em from side to side. My only complaint here is the lack of lyrics on the Bandcamp (I will forever hound every band for this... it's so easy and people like me love to read 'em!!)

POISON SPEAR are making a rare appearance at the annual La Chaine new band show in Montreal and rumour has it there may even be a cassette in the works for the true poison-heads.

Give it a spin here: https://poisonspear514.bandcamp.com/album/institutional-trust

INSTITUTIONAL TRUST, by Poison Spear

Poison Spearalt199

WARBITCH - Summoned

2025-01-26T18:34:22.000-05:00

By Misery

Hailing from the gloomy western lowlands of Glasgow, WARBITCH brings us just over 15 minutes of metal punk chaos. Clear and concise gravely vocals bludgeon us with adages of nuclear fallout, the horrors of war, and the eternal wheels of oppression grinding our bones. WARBITCH takes the blistering attitudes of "war bad" raw punk and brings an element of metal that will likely keep the HM-2 distortion fans happy. There's even a breakdown midway through "radiation zombie" that adds a bit of tempo variation spice to the fast-paced majority of these tracks. While the trashy cymbal choices don't always land for me with their constant crashing, overall the need for speed makes me feel like crushing a soda can in my fist and head banging 'til my neck is sore. Plus it's not all apocalyptic doom and gloom—my favourite track of the release "fight back" is a rally cry to battle the oppressive restraints of the rising fascist governments world wide, reminding us that the struggle is constant and ever-changing, but always worth fighting for. Bonus points for the drawing of the ghoulish crust warrior who's absolutely selling their soul for shitty beer and a DISCHARGE bootleg on the artwork.

Give it a listen: https://warbitch.bandcamp.com/album/summoned

Summoned, by Warbitch

WarbitchBandcamp New & Notable Mar 3, 2024

Introducing MRR Reviews Digest Zines

2025-02-01T18:07:03.000-05:00

By Martin Force

January 2025 marked Maximum Rocknroll's 500th "Issue". The print run of MRR ended with Issue #432 in May 2019, but online "Issues" are still published on the Maximum Rocknroll website. Every months-worth of reviews are still batched together on the site and given an issue number. Print issues have also had all their reviews digitized on the site and organized by issue. If you didn't know, you should check out their archive of reviews!

I've been working on this quietly for a few months, but in honor of MRR #500, I'm sharing it more broadly. Every month I convert MRR's latest digital "Issue" or reviews into a printable PDF zine in the classic folded 8.5 x 11 format: something anyone can print at home. I want to make these reviews more accessible and contribute to more zines at shows. These PDFs are added to our digital zine distro. Here's the printable PDF for MRR Reviews #500!

I encourage you to print them out and table them at shows PYWC in your area. If instead you want to read these reviews online, just check out Issue #500 on the MRR website. MRR shitworkers are regularly putting up new quality reviews!

There are also PDFs for the last few issues, as well as Issue #1 (for fun):

MRR #499 - December 2024 US Letter imposed - Original online
MRR #498 - November 2024 US Letter imposed - Original online
MRR #497 - October 2024 US Letter imposed - Original online
MRR #496 - September 2024 US Letter imposed - Original online
MRR #1 - July/August 1982 US Letter imposed - Original online

I'll continue making these every month and adding them to the distro. There are also print issues of The Counterforce and other printable zines friends have submitted.

Did you get permission?

No! MRR was always published with a pretty clear "republish anything here anywhere as long as it's not-for-profit" policy, and I'm just assuming that is still in effect in their post-print era. I did contact them to check in when cooking up this scheme, but never heard back! I assume they are drowning in e-mails with links to terrible demos on Bandcamp and Spotify. If you write reviews for MRR, or otherwise are involved with the MRR website and have thoughts on this project, please get in touch!

How are these made?

I made a Python script to pull a digital issue off the MRR website and organize the reviews. Then I use a typst script to generate a PDF. The last step is to make an imposed version for printing. It takes me about 10 minutes!

It's not a beautifully laid out print magazine like the old MRR. It's just a zine like you find on a zine table at any show. It's easy for me to make a new one every month, and accessible for anyone with a printer or a copy scam to print. I hope this will help get these reviews into more hands, and encourage more people to distro zines at shows. Reading reviews online is fine, but it's definitely different when you can pick up a paper zine and circle reviews of releases you want to check out later.

If you have other punk/hardcore/DIY zines that you want to contribute to our digital zine distro, please submit: anything recent and in a printable format that you are down with people printing and distributing on a not-for-profit basis. Let's make it easy for punks everywhere to start up a local zine distro. Print It Yourself!

New Zines from Hattiesburg

2025-01-31T21:17:16.000-05:00

By Webmaster

Courtesy of the punks in Dog City, USA, we have several new zines you may print out and distribute on the ZINES page.

Earth Girl Quarterly #2 (January 2025)

Updates from Earth Girl, new releases from CUCUY and SILO KIDS.
US letter imposed

Cause You Are Beautiful (2024)

THE BREATH & DEATHRO with BAD ANXIETY - US Southern-Midwest tour 2023 Diary. Charming tour diary from a Japanese punk touring in the USA.
US letter imposed

Secrets Of The Onsen - A JUDY AND THE JERKS Tour Diary (2023)

Charming tour diary from USA punks touring Japan.
US letter imposed

JETSAM Interview

2025-01-11T16:20:10.000-05:00

By Martin Force

JETSAM are a drum + bass + vocals powerviolence three-piece from Montreal. In the few short years they've been active, JETSAM have played shows in nearly every corner of the local scene. Recently, they went on their first small tours out of the Toronto-Montreal-Quebec City corridor, and if you haven't heard of them already I expect you will soon. Jack (vocals, they/them) and Neon (bass, she/her) answered my questions by e-mail in January 2025.

Martin Force: What is the story of JETSAM? How did the band start? What was the goal? What is the mission statement of the band? Where did the name JETSAM come from?

Jack: Neon and I were both taking drum lessons from a friend and whenever we were on our way to lessons, we'd trade music back and forth that we liked the drums in. At some point I played her a CLOUD RAT song and we started talking about how we wanted to start a powerviolence band. Maybe a week or so later, we were picking up some drums from Neon's friend Wawa (who works at a place that picks up and repurposes garbage) and Neon mentioned this idea to him, and he was like "rad wanna jam right now?" So we went to our jam space and within the next hour, we'd written our first song (trigger discipline), and then over the next three weeks, we wrote three more songs (excoriate, sine spe recuperandi, and clayborne). At that point all that was left was to start playing shows.

Neon: I just wanted to be able to play in a band and not be the vocalist. I wanted to play really heavy and fast bass without a guitar in sight. High frequencies and treble sounds have always really upset my ears / brain, even as a kid before I could identify the cause of the discomfort. I'm just glad the sound I wanted for myself also ended up resonating with others! Our drum teacher, Sarah, was the drummer in one of my previous bands. She was going to drum in this new idea for a project but ended up having to move out of town. Wawa appeared back into my life out of nowhere and we immediately bonded as a trio.

J: If there was ever a goal for the project, it was just for us to play in a band together, and for me to get to actually play in a band—I'd dabbled in a couple other projects but nothing that really felt like 'mine.' I guess the other goals were to release a full-length record (because Neon had never done that before) and go on tour in Europe, both of which are still in the works.

The name "JETSAM" actually just came from a lyric in the song sine spe recuperandi ("where the waves give and take like so much flotsam and jetsam"), which is something I'd written a long time ago about an abusive relationship I experienced. We were casting around for a band name and Neon picked that out and it just stuck. We both felt like the idea that there are things you have to throw overboard so that the ship doesn't sink really worked for us.

N: There's a pretty obvious analogy with the trans experience there—whether the things left behind end up being family, friends, jobs, or anyone who refuses to give us the baseline dignity we all deserve.

MF: This summer you did some small touring in the USA which was the furthest the band has traveled so far. Where did you go, who did you play with and what were the shows like? What are your highlights of the past summer/year? How was the experience of touring for you all?

J: We played in Syracuse (at Lost Horizon with FED ASH, VOID EMPEROR, and AMOK) and Rochester (at Psychic Garden with FENTANYL TAP WATER) with our friends in SUNROT, and then in Buffalo with HIRS (at Amy's Place with HIRS, ALL MAINE POINTS, MUDDLE, FOREST FIRE). All of the shows were good but Psychic Garden was an extremely cool DIY venue with the raddest sound person in a big old warehouse with a wall of old TV screens behind us while we performed. And Amy's Place just all-around rules, plus that show was in the middle of Pride and it was packed with trans people, and there was a community org doing free 15-minute HIV testing outside the venue.

For me, those out-of-town shows were the highlight of my summer. I love going places and seeing things from a different perspective, and we met some incredibly rad people who are still our friends. It's such an honour to roll up to a city and have people be excited you're there, and it's also an honour to get introduced to new people in this way. We also had a very sweet time at this music gear store in Rochester where the person helping us gave us fudgesicles.

We love touring! We wanna do it more! It's just hard because it is not feasible for bands from so-called Canada to cross into the states—touring visas are incredibly expensive—and then going anywhere else requires flying, which is expensive. We are scheming some things though.

MF: OK, how many drummers have you been through so far? Four? Which drummer was your favorite (kidding)? Last I heard, you are without a permanent drummer after an amicable parting with Marcie. Without jinxing anything in the works, what are you hopes or plans for the drummer slot going forward?

J: We have had two full-time drummers and now three part-time drummers– Wawa who's now playing in OCIOSA, and then Ty from FEED and LEASH AGGRESSION was filling in for us for a bit, then Marcy, who is still killing it in TACHYON and as DJ W1K1L34K5, then Gab from BRUE and APRÈS L'ASPHALTE (who will still drum for us sometimes), and Evelyn from PINKSNAIL and BRUE. We would love for Gab or Evelyn to become our forever drummer but they are both in so many other rad projects. We love all our drummers equally!

N: The experience with all of them has been very sweet in different ways. I think the worry is always to not lose what made the band click in the first place. We always want to hang out in a way that feels like friendship and family, and to walk out of band practice smiling and excited about the next one.

MF: With the many drummers, there have already been many different iterations of JETSAM. Have all these lineup changes been frustrating? Or do you feel like it's allowed you to experience the band as more of a family/collective? You are also often joined by Kayla (and other friends) on stage to sing with you, so I am wondering if you ever toy with the idea of leaning more into the "expanded JETSAM family" in the future, or if you are craving more stability in the lineup.

J: We joke all the time that it's just the natural inclination of trans bands to wanna become collectives so that we can feature all our extremely cool and talented friends (à la HIRS). The lineup changes have been frustrating only insofar as we keep having to teach the same songs to new people instead of getting to write new songs, but every person we've worked with has been rad and has brought something special to the band, and I do think it's really cool to have these different personalities and visions pull us in different directions. If we are able to get a full-length out this year, we want it to feature friends from all different scenes—expect noise, rap, other instruments, etc.

Ideally someday we can get away with doing the Jenna thing where we just leave an extra mic on stage and anyone can get up and jump in on vocals. As much as Neon and I are the core of the band and are also a couple, we are not precious about our place in this project: we want it to belong to everyone who loves it.

N: The drawback has been the time spent teaching the song and how it has slowed progress, but sharing this music with super talented drummers from different backgrounds has also brought its good share of positive changes. Things are looking good now with Evelyn as our drummer and Gab as our back-up! Both of them also play together in BRUE and I have been helping with bass on APRÈS L'ASPHALTE so this is all a nice exchange that has already started to feel like a small collective in its own way.

JETSAM / GUMMO Assimilation is Death split

MF: Your last release was the Assimilation is Death split 10" with GUMMO from August 2023. Are you working on a new release? Do you feel like your sonic direction or influences have changed since you started? What's the plan for the next release/recording?

J: Absolutely yes we are working on a new release—two, in fact. One will be a split with Kayla's band OBJECT OF LOATHING, and the second will be a full-length. Our influences change constantly. We both listen to a really wide variety of music (which mostly fall outside of "punk") and most of our songs come out of one of us hearing a riff in something we think is cool and then excitedly bringing it to band practice. That said, I think a general goal we have is to write some more songs that are more like... traditional powerviolence. We've been listening to a lot of like INFEST and CROSSED OUT and MAN IS THE BASTARD (shoutout Eric!!).

N: We've had the songs for a new EP / Split mostly written for a while now, some of which we've been playing live already and a couple more still needing some work. This will be finalized and recorded as soon as we've solidified the current set with Evelyn. Not to jinx it, as you said, but the plan is to get on that right after our Québec to Trois Rivière to Montreal Madhouse little "tour" in a couple of weeks.

MF: After the tours this summer, what are your future tour ambitions? A big long tour? More smaller tours? Europe?

J: EUROPE. And yes, longer tours. Honestly, we'll go wherever will have us as long as we can get there.

N: Europe with GUMMO, absolutely!

MF: Fantasy question: you are booked on a huge North America tour and can bring any current band with you, who do you bring?

J: Hard question!!! And I feel like this could change by the day with me depending on what particular sound I'm into and also who I wanna hang out with for an extended period of time. So today, I say CELL DETH.

N: The easy answer would be OBJECT OF LOATHING. The more complex one would be all of them!

MF: Fantasy question 2: Time travel is possible and you can insert yourself into any package tour or festival of the past. What is it?

J: The package tour part is touching on "never meet your heroes" territory for me and big festivals seem exhausting and overstimulating but... any of the late 80s/early 90s NAPALM DEATH tours where they played with BOLT THROWER or SEPULTURA or FAITH NO MORE. I feel like anyone who knows me was expecting me to say Woodstock 94... but the actual real answer is that I would put us on stage with the KLF and EXTREME NOISE TERROR at the Brits in '92. The current festival that I want to play is Supersonic in Birmingham on any year that THE BUG plays it.

N: Festivals stress me out so much. Too much happening in too little time. You'll mostly find me with the smokers outside trying to feel included despite my sensory overload (too many guitars!). In a way, I'd say any tour where having us there would mean breaking the status quo of 4-5 dudes on stage. Sometime people tell us to chill-out. But we're not chill. We're angry.

MF: How do you feel about the band FLOTSAM AND JETSAM?

J: The thrash band? Call me out but honestly I've never listened to them. I'm glad they went with that instead of "Dredlox."

N: Watching the Wading Through The Darkness music video now and this is sick actually. Also the vocalist is super pretty! It's a bit slow for my taste but there's a time and place for that.

J: Okay, I just spent some time listening to them and while the vocals don't do it for me now, this is very much the kind of thrash I would've been into as a teenager. I do love that 80s and 90s thrash tended to have a lot of socially aware lyrics.

MF: JETSAM plays in Montreal a lot, and you've played a huge variety of shows. My impression is that you get asked to play/do a lot, and say "yes" as much as you can to get your message out there. But what's the strangest, dumbest, or worst offer you've turned down?

J: We do get asked to play a lot! And up until this year, we've said no as little as possible. At first it was because we just wanted to play shows and were kind of surprised that anyone would ask us, and then it was because we just kept getting asked to play cool shows. We've had some cringey requests where someone DMs us on Instagram to say they "really like our vibe" and can we play with their band and then it's just a bunch of shirtless dudes in what seems like a very apolitical punk band, but honestly if they seem fun and we're available, sometimes we'll say yes anyway.

N: We occasionally book shows in places we really want to go, or because we need a stop between two destinations in a tour. But for the very busy schedule we've maintained, it has mostly booked itself. We say yes because people ask us, and people show up, and because every show is new super talented friends we make. And yeah, we haven't had a lot of bad experiences! We politely say we're too busy if it feels too obvious of a diversity hire situation... But we also make a point of not just preaching to the choir. Taking space in a show full of shirtless dudes can feel more like work, but it's pretty important.

J: Hot take, but one of the only things we've consistently turned down is when we get asked by some local promotion company less than a week out from a show to "hop on" a bill with a big touring band, for $250. It isn't the money because that's obviously not the reason we're doing this, it's that these companies themselves are making bank on these big Ticketmaster-sponsored tours and it's frankly an insult to be asked to fill their opener hole as an afterthought, especially if it seems like we'd be the diversity hire on the bill, and ESPECIALLY if we wouldn't otherwise be able to afford to go to the show / if our friends can't afford to go.

MF: Besides your Bandcamp, you also have your music up on a simple faircamp-based website. Besides your Instagram, you also have a band account on Mastodon. [Disclosure for the reader: I operate both of those services!]. Your music isn't on Spotify, or other major streaming/distribution platforms. Can you talk about your politics or reasoning behind these decisions?

J: We are always trying to straddle the line between accessibility and propping up shit that is actively destroying DIY music. You were actually the person that pulled the wool off my eyes about Bandcamp: I remember you being like "I don't put my music there because someday they're gonna sell out or get shut down and then who's gonna own it" and that was way before they got bought out. Our music is on Bandcamp because IMO it is the place where music-minded people go to find stuff, especially independent stuff. But it is also really important for us to make sure it's in other places like faircamp so that it doesn't disappear if Songtradr or whoever decides to fuck us all.

We will not put it on Spotify because we refuse to have our music and the people who wanna listen to it being used to line the pockets of bigots and genocidaires who see music as nothing more than a market. And, I think the people who want to listen to us are not necessarily finding new music on streaming apps.

MF: Lit Corner! You have a song called "Clayborne" which, besides being a shoutout to the friends in CLAYBORNE, is your own Mars triology (by Kim Stanley Robinson)-based track. "New Colossus" opens with a lengthy quote from anarchist Voltairine de Cleyre. I also get a vibe from "Anéantir le Néant" that there is a text or writing referenced (my guess: maybe baedan?). What is the source or reference in that song? Any other references in your lyrics you want to draw attention to?

J: You basically nailed it. anéantir le néant is specifically from "Preliminary Notes on Modes of Reproduction" (2010) by gender mutiny, and both that and villain are heavily inspired by the various essays in What Is Gender Nihilism? (2019) from Contagion Press, especially "My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage" (1994) by Susan Stryker. Both songs are about how we see the very concept of gender as incompatible with a just/free world.

The intro to new colossus is Voltairine de Cleyre (quoted by Emma Goldman), and the lyrics draw a lot from Carceral Capitalism (2018) by Jackie Wang, as well as a story that I thought I read there (but maybe it was somewhere) else about an American doctor who saw the incarcerated men at Holmesburg prison in Philadelphia and said "All I saw before me were acres of skin. It was like a farmer seeing a field for the first time." He proceeded to run years of medical and cosmetic testing on them, some of which was horribly painful and disfiguring. The title "new colossus" is the name of the poem Emma Lazarus wrote about the statue of liberty. I guess there are a lot of literary references in our lyrics because I have a lit degree.

N: Music writing for us looks like the three of us sharing thoughts on riffs and vibes and a lyrical theme. Then Jack ends up sat down with 50 tabs open on their browser and 4 physical books opened in front of them, looking for inspiration and references and cheering us whenever the riffs feel good. They're a huge nerd.

MF: What are your favorite books or writers, fiction or non-fiction, that most heavily influence the band? Both in terms of lyrics directly, but also thematically. Writing that brings together for you the themes of queerness, resistance, rage, mental health and brutality?

J: Kim Stanley Robinson is obviously a big influence. There's a moment where his character Frank Chalmers is (IIRC) described as "prone to violence, prone to despair" and as much as he's not the character I wanna identify with, well...

Red Mars, where the character Frank Chalmers first appears

I'm not necessarily organized enough to have specific writers I look to for specific things; it's whatever I'm reading or have in my sight at a given moment. That said, I look to Diane di Prima's poems a lot when I'm trying to figure out how to write lyrics. I look at the lyrics of songs that make me feel something. And I look to whatever my smarter and more organized friends are reading.

N: When I was still a punk baby, I listened to a CRASS album. Now here we are! I'd say I draw more inspiration from my own life, my own grief, my friends, and my community than from any literature. But if I had to name one it would be Emma Goldman.

MF: On a lighter note what fiction are you reading lately?

J: I mostly read fiction! I don't have a great attention span. I've just finished all of the Murderbot books and I'm currently reading Blindsight by Peter Watts.

N: Not to expose myself too much as a big loser here, but most of my reading time is used up reading about and preparing for the next TTRPG session, usually in a context of personal, political, corporate, and/or space horror. I like reading about scary times in space and cyberpunk futures. MOTHERSHIP is the one that's been keeping my attention lately.

MF: PV Corner! Normally I like to ask people how they got into punk or hardcore, but since we are all are in powerviolence bands here, how did you all get into powerviolence? What was the first time you encountered it?

J: I blushingly admit that it was VILE INTENT [the interviewer's band] that introduced me to powerviolence and got it stuck in my mind as the home for music that is loud, angry, and unapologetically political—and that was in around 2011. Before that, I really was not into punk at all, never mind hardcore—those were the genres that the guys who picked on me listened to. I grew up listening to metal, mostly, made the jump from post-metal to screamo, and then to grindcore and powerviolence. G.L.O.S.S. was the first hardcore punk band that made me pay attention to the genre. I read this article once that described the difference between grindcore and powerviolence as something like: "grindcore is the sound of the apocalypse of late capitalism and powerviolence is the outcry of the people trying to survive that apocalypse" and I was like: yeah, that is the legacy within which I want to situate my band.

N: I've always listened to a lot of music genres, but with punk I started the the usual with anarcho stuff. Crust punk was an easy gateway toward powerviolence and grindcore. I always needed my music to be faster and with more blast beats, so I'd listen to a lot of black or death metal, but the scene itself was such a turn-off. Perhaps ironically, powerviolence ended up being my safe haven. CLOUD RAT was definitely one of my big eye openers!

MF: Speak about the politics of the band. How does JETSAM identify politically? How important is this identity to the band, and how you write music, perform, reproduce the band? Is JETSAM an anarchist band?

J: I am an anarchist, an anarchism specifically informed by feminism and transness, and that not just informs but is integral to the way I write music, perform, and interface with the world as part of the band. It isn't that the band is a vehicle for me/us to express our politics but just that like, my politics are the filter through which I experience the world. Personally I would say that we are an anarchist band, yes. That is something that has united every member of this band and I can't imagine that we would get along well enough with someone who isn't at least vaguely an anarchist to make music with them.

N: I've always admired bands who made very reactionary music in the sense of reacting to what's going on around them. Songs or even full albums as a response to an event in the world. We are anarchists and are an anarchist band by virtue of the way we navigate the world and the scene and the things we talk about. We will always be comfortable being read as such! We never set out to be a band by and for trans people, and never spoke about whether this was going to be a project about anarchism. It became those things because those things are who we are!

MF: Can you give a brief scene report of the milieu and context around JETSAM in Montreal? What scene or scenes do you feel a part of, and how would you describe them to an outsider? What bands and projects should people check out? What recent local happenings are most inspiring to you all?

J: The first scene to really embrace us here was the grind scene; our first show was as the last-minute seventh band thrown on a six-band grind bill at [the anarchist social centre] L'achoppe, and we've played a lot of big grind shows around Quebec since then. But we've also been accepted into what I'd characterize as the queer(core) screamo scenes (especially outside of Quebec because the screamo scene here is very francophone), the crustpunk scene via playing at Traxide, the SHARPs, the indie cool-guy heavy music scene via playing with bands like THE BODY, the plateau punk scene, and this rad scene that I don't have a name for that's mostly like 20-somethings making all kinds of freaky loud music, which is funny because we could be their parents... we're all over the place and we like it that way. We're set to play Montreal Madhouse at the end of this month (January, 2025) which will be our biggest foray into the hardcore scene.

By virtue of the fact that we also book shows, and specifically have been booking a series of free shows that feature trans bands of every genre, and the fact that we are trans—we have a big and thriving community of trans musicians around us.

A few local shows JETSAM has played/booked

I think it can be said of all these scenes that they can feel really insular and forbidding to newcomers or anyone who doesn't fit the specific hyper-regional aesthetic of the scene, but it turns out that almost everyone is a sweetheart. This has honestly even been true of the all-dude grind fests we've played where Neon and I were the only people on the bill who weren't cis men. We came outta the gate expecting to get so much hate for taking up that space and calling ourselves a powerviolence band and writing songs that often stray very far from the powerviolence/hardcore formula, and it just has never happened. Everyone, everywhere has been lovely to us, with very very few exceptions. Even more than that, a shocking number of people have seemed to really get what we do: they understand who our music is for and why we do it, and they make space for the freaks and queers.

It feels almost impossible to recommend bands because there are always SO many and they're SO good and did I mention my attention span. I'll always shout out our besties in OBJECT OF LOATHING, TYPEFACE, RATPISS and VVOMB. I love HRT and LOBOTOMITE and THE PUBES and DUREX and STREET GLOVES and MULCH. I think TRUCK VIOLENCE and NO WAVES and BIRDS OF PRRREY are local bands to keep eyes on.

I think the thing I'm personally most excited for is seeing the ways in which all the little microscenes are bleeding into each other. Montreal Madhouse booking bands that aren't strictly hardcore bands, unlikely bills, Turbo Haus kids going to Traxide (RIP) and vice versa, and bands that intentionally transgress the boundaries. That's the good stuff.

N: I think Jack said it all, so I'll just add some of our local crushes like CLAYBORNE, TONNES, BACKXWASH, TEMPETE, GUHN TWEI, MULCH, DUREX, and VERIFY <3

JETSAM on Bandcamp: https://jetsammtl.bandcamp.com

Jetsam

three-piece powerviolence band from so-called montreal. anarchiste, antifasciste, queer. trio punk de montréal. pas de guit’. pas de compromis. email us at jetsammtl@proton.me if you have questions if you cannot afford our music, email us and we will send you a download code.

Jetsam

JETSAM's faircamp site: https://jetsam.likeweeds.org

JETSAM on Mastodon: @jetsam@438punk.house

jetsam (@jetsam@438punk.house)

187 Posts, 130 Following, 100 Followers · 3-piece powerviolence band from so-called montreal

438 PUNK HOUSE

MEM//BRANE - Self Titled

2025-01-13T22:13:35.000-05:00

By Greg The Builder

The first time I heard of MEM//BRANE was when my dad saw them listed in the Bellingham weekly paper. At the time they had only put out their demo but I was hooked from the start. I love this band. Every release has gotten better (the David Wojnarowicz speech that intros their Subcutaneous EP gives me chills every listen). If you start at MEM//BRANE’s demo and work through their releases, you can hear the maturing of their sound and songwriting, this S/T record feeling like a culmination.

The record starts off with a haunting, chorus-drenched (almost deathrock) riff paired with rhythmic drumming that transitions into a crunching mid-tempo stomp that I assume points to their more hardcore influences (an influence that peeks out throughout). At around the one minute mark, we are graced with an all-out crust attack that doesn’t stop for the remaining 30 minutes of this record. The vocals are soaked in reverb, the drumming is blistering, and the guitar strumming sounds like the east coast “banana” crust that I grew up with and still love to this day. Tempo changes keep it interesting and alternate between a need to pump your fist in the air as fast as humanly possible and a need to put it through a brick wall (or a fascist's face).

My favorite part of this record is the middle of "In Lieu Of Flowers" when the song drops out and slowly a riff comes in that I have described as the riff I want playing while charging into battle. It is slow, it is heavy, and it is oddly melodic. The riff is perfect. It feeds right back into a crunching mid-tempo riff that makes your want to bang your fucking head off.

My favorite record of the year might have come out on the first day. For fans of all the crust greats, HHIG, TRAGEDY, DOOM, HELLSHOCK, etc. If you know a crust war veteran who has not heard of this band or this release yet, it is your obligation to send it to them immediately.

Listen here: https://membranehc.bandcamp.com/album/mem-brane

MEM//BRANE, by MEM//BRANE

Visions of Impending Death, by Zyclone

MEM//BRANETeleviper

ZYCLONE - Visions of Impending Death

2024-12-23T10:43:25.000-05:00

By Crash JT

Over the past year or so, I’ve taken an unprecedented hiatus from punk. Sure, I’ve had my occasional months-long breaks, but this one has dragged on longer than I’d like to admit. Thankfully, ZYCLONE, is the band that’s finally breaking my silence.

Visions of Impending Death marks ZYCLONE’s debut self-release. Clocking in at under 7 minutes, the demo is a surge of aggression, holding a sense of urgency essential for any hardcore band worth their salt. This is fast-as-hell D-beat hardcore, firmly influenced by the canon of past Scandinavian greats. Sure, plenty of current bands follow this tradition, but not all do it justice. While I’ll always support DIY music regardless of its polish, I would be lying if I didn't sometimes want a release that stands out from the endless churn of Google's bullshit algorithm-fed YouTube music recommendations that get spewed at me. Sometimes, you just crave the proficiency that a band like ZYCLONE brings.

From the opening seconds, Visions of Impending Death hits with pummeling intensity. The drumming, bass and guitar playing are absolutely insane-blisteringly fast while also being technically sound. The growling vocals carry a nihilistic flavor both sonically and lyrically that are drenched in just the right amount of reverb. This is especially evident in tracks like “Exterminate Them All.” My favorite track, though, has to be the title track with its combination of one-two beats with abrupt shifting riffs. The track's ending lyric—“Reality is constant death”— encapsulates the war-torn capitalist machine we’re all entrapped in.

One thing unique about ZYCLONE is their geographical makeup: the band draws members from Mexico, New Orleans, Austin, and Philadelphia. My interest always gets piqued when hearing about cross-location bands like this, as it brings diverse influences and perspectives. Alongside their varied geographic makeup, the band's members also come from an array of former and current projects, such as GUERRA FINAL, ELÉCTRIKA, and PSYCH-WAR. While no level of nepotism or seniority should qualify a band's value, ZYCLONE blends character from each of these other bands in a way that makes me appreciate them even more.

Maybe I'm over-reading the impact of former bands and geographic locations...but then again, maybe I'm not! Anyways, none of that actually matters that much because, all in all, Visions of Impending Death is just a good-ass punk demo.

Listen here: https://zyclone.bandcamp.com/album/visions-of-impending-death

EARTHWORKS, by STRAW MAN ARMY

ZycloneZyclone

The Counterforce Issue #4

2024-12-21T15:00:43.000-05:00

By Webmaster

The fourth print issue of The Counterforce is here, featuring all the year-end lists from our contributors, plus a few extra reviews and A Punk's Guide to Printing Zines (relevant!).

Grab the printable PDF of this issue, previous issues, and more on the Zines page.

The Counterforce 2024 Top Ten roundup

2024-12-18T13:00:33.000-05:00

By Webmaster

It's the first end-of-a-year for The Counterforce (although only our 8th month anniversary), so this is our first time doing Top Tens. We've got a lovely selection from many of our regularly contributors as well as some first timers:

New contributor Biff Bifaro gives us a look back at Ten punk experiences from 2024
Hobbes brings us a ten notable shows pulled from context and rated by Environmental Absurdity
Crimethinc sneaks down our chimney to deliver our holiday watch list: Ten Punk Movies We Watched in 2024
We have loving reviews of the Top Ten Sets of the year from both past contributor Corn and new contributor Beléne
Taylor Joy, Nab, Boris (TOTAL NADA/Noise Not Borders), and Tay (TAZ) all give us extended lists with reviews and commentary
And of course some classic concise and straight to the point lists from Slim, Greg The Builder, Misery, Ghas (A World Divided), VanisleJay, Ralph Rivera (THINK! Fanzine) and Ava (PORTAL TOMB) found in 2024 Top Tens (All The Rest)

Many bands on these Top Ten lists appeared in the pages of The Counterforce this year: PORTAL TOMB, STRAW MAN ARMY, INDUSTRY, LOVE AND COMPASSION, NO FUTURE, BEYOND STATE POWER, and many more!

Thank you to everyone who contributed! If you missed out, just submit a review, article, column, letter, interview, or whatever else in the world of underground hardcore punk to The Counterforce in 2025!

2024 TOP TENS (all the rest)

2024-12-13T17:38:23.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Here we present the more concise 2024 Top Ten lists from new and old Contributors To The Counterforce.

Be sure to check out the 2024 Top Ten roundup post.

Slim

Top 10 Sets/Gigs

VERIFY @ lowbar
GAZM Final ride
BIG LAUGH on a Tuesday
JAVA, PLUTO’S KISS, JUSTIFY, ONE TRACK MIND, INFLUX @ The NDG Legion
D.U.L.F benefit show at Casa
INFLUX in January
FLOWER & PHANTOM for Dirty World
EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER
VERIFY @ Madhouse
PORTAL TOMB @ B7

Greg The Builder

Ten of my favorite things that came out or sets I saw (in no real order)

FLOWER - Heel Of The Next/Physical God 7"
KRIEGSHOG - Love & Revenge LP
THOU - Umbilical LP
GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR - NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD LP
CHARLI XCX - BRAT LP
THE WATCHER - Out of the Dark LP
THE CURE - Songs of a Lost World LP
CRASS - a Pictorial History book/Gee Vaucher Crassover art show @ White columns gallery
SLANT live @ Foto Club, PHILLY, PA Nov 7, 2024
SKITSYSTEM live @ CY Fest LA, CA Sept 21, 2024

MISERY

TOP TEN PUNK RELEASES OF 2024
(IN NO ORDER)

Ghas (A World Divided)

Top 10 Tracks

FUERA DE SECTOR - Juegos Prohibidos
NÃO - 1986
GOLPE - Come Un Cappio / Mass Media / Cibernauti / Scenderemo Nelle Strade
DIE IN VAIN - War Machine
PAROL - Pit Stop
LUMPEN - Anti-poder
H.Ä.L.T. - lost (Version II)
NADA! - Little Hole
ALVILDLA - Moustique
AYUCABA - Demo tour 2024

VanilseJay

Ralph Rivera (THINK! Fanzine)

ADVOIDS - Advoids 7" (Under The Gun)
ANSWERING MACHINES - The Big Catch CS (Self Released)
BLOOD NYMPH - Only a Mother Knows CS
DIZTORT Live at Lot 49 (4/3/24)
GABBY FLUKE - MOGUL & LILY FINNEGAN - Throw It in The Sink (Sonic Transmissions)
NO KNOCK - No Knock 7" (Peace of Mind)
ROLEX/GRIMLY FORMING - Split 12" (11pm)
SHARP PINS - Radio DDR CS (Hallo Gallo/Perennial)
TEXTURE FREQ - What May Come 7" (Dirt Cult)
V/A - Peace of Mind in a Troubled World Compilation CS

Ava (PORTAL TOMB)

Top Ten (loosely ordered!)

Honorable mention: FLOWER - Heel of the Next / Physical God cuz technically 2023!

Belén’s Top Ten Sets of 2024

2024-12-18T16:55:21.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

10 - FUCKIN' LOVERS - TV Eye; NYC, USA

Gonna give myself the 10th spot to my favorite set that I played this year. LOVERS are gearing up right now to record a new record so we’ve been extremely selective about which shows we wanna play this year and practicing way more recently. Weird, not practicing had always been our thing. Although we didn’t play any new songs, this set during No Deal Fest this year felt like the best we had played in a long while. It certainly helped that kids were losing their mind and singing along??? That never happens for us, quite a treat haha. We closed with two ALLERGY songs which the kids also seemed to love. Our cheeky little Christmas spirit opening, wearing Santa hats and playing a noise intro to Frosty The Snowman, was so silly and I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face leading up to and during the whole set. Anyway this was only 1 of 3 shows we played this year but expect much more from us in 2025!

9 - DESTRUCT - The Warehouse; Richmond, VA, USA

Man, there’s some bands that you’ve listened to from time to time and seen for years, but they never quite hit the mark for you. Everyone is crazy about them and you just aren’t seeing it. DESTRUCT was one of those bands for me. After seeing them at this show though, that all changed. This set was so crushing, my opinion totally flipped and I’m now absolutely a fan. They were support for one of my favorite contemporary bands, PHYSIQUE, but I gotta say they blew them right out of the water. Which is hard to do for a band at the S-tier caliber like PHYSIQUE. A band that at just about every show I’ve seen them at (including their first show ever) they took home the gold for show stealer. Maybe it was DESTRUCT’s home court advantage, maybe they’ve just dialed in their sound so well, my nit-picky ass couldn’t help but give credit where credit is due and appreciate these modern raw punk marvels for what they truly are.

8 - KINETIC ORBITAL STRIKE - Bartram’s Gardens; Philadelphia, PA, USA

What a fucking band, incredible tone, songwriting, art and ENERGY. Flawless execution of the Raw Punk style they’re going for. Generator shows happen much less frequently than they used to when I first moved to Philly, so when I heard they were having an all-killer-local Gaza benefit at one of my favorite parks in the city, I knew it would be a barn burner. They played perfectly. It’s hard to nail it every time like KOS, and they were on their A game. As was the crowd who were on their absolutely worst behavior. Was bummed when it seemed like they were calling it quits but now the cats outta the bag that they are returning with a new line up and I couldn’t be more excited to hear new material from this Hardcore Punk powerhouse.

7 - FAZE - on a fuckin boat; Ottawa, ON, CA

Who doesn’t love FAZE? The punks love them, the capital H hardcore kids love em, the skins love them, the art kids love them, Connor’s dad loves them. One of the most unique and fun bands right now, and every time I see them they rock the fuckin house, and in this case, rocked the boat. In this setting, of course, it was anything but the exception and boy were they exceptionally rockin. Specifically Rockin’ In The Free World by NEIL YOUNG. Those maniacs, those genius maniacs, opened AND closed with a cover of it, and from what Connor said, tried to make it work playing it in the middle too but it just didn't work. Obviously, everyone lost their mind and the whole boat was singing along, second time even loader than the next. Incredible.

6 - MURO - I don’t remember the venue haha; Bogotá, CO

MURO is the greatest band in the world right now, even if it’s members hate hearing that, I believe it to be true. The absolute perfection execution of Hardcore Punk excellence is unmatched by any band doing it right now. At least since GAUZE officially broke up in 2022, MURO takes the cake for me. I’ve seen em play a few times in different cities, but nothing beats seeing them play in an overcrowded bar, with nearly everyone in the crowd singing along and flipping out in their hometown. Second time I’ve been lucky enough to see them there and both times, cream of the crop. Hearing their new tracks of their latest album live with the unmatched energy, passion, and love the band has for Punk and each other that truly shines through when they play is a site to behold. Chef’s kiss.

5 - PUFFER - Cinco De Mayo; New Brunswick, NJ, USA

Cinco De Mayo in New Brunswick, New Jersey is probably my favorite place to go to a show in the USA right now. It’s got a really young scene and those kids come out in droves to forget about everything in the world except moshing for the 15-20 minutes of just about every set I’ve ever seen there. It’s got a magic to it that no other venue that I know of right now has. PUFFER, Canada’s premier Rock and Roll band, of course brought it. The sing alongs, fighting with the swarm of 16-year-olds moshing in the friendliest way possible was truly a blast. It’s hard to think of a better band that are that proficient at their instruments and make catchy music that isn’t too corny or tongue-in-cheek, although I love the healthy amount of that they have in there.

4 - ROCKY AND THE SWEDEN - Cousin Danny’s; Philadelphia, PA, USA

Japan’s ROCKY AND THE SWEDEN are another one of those bands I had heard but wasn’t wild about. Seeing them live though, holy shit. If you were lucky enough to catch them on their East Coast Tour of the USA, you know what I’m talking about. Insane is all I can say. A seamless blend of Japanese Hardcore and Psychedelic Rock. I don’t think I had given them a fair listen before because I must have missed all the insane Psych influence they had. As a huge Psych head, I was absolutely sold. Their guitar player, Pak, what a legend. Absolute ripper and moved through the whole venue, including the downstairs bar, to shred in a way only he could pull off without looking like an absolute rockstar jerk-off. Gotta say seeing and sharing the stage with a band full of legendary Japanese Hardcore veterans was a true honor and I’m so grateful FUCKIN' LOVERS had that opportunity.

3 - HOMEFRONT - First Unitarian Church; Philadelphia, PA, USA

This band, this fucking band. I don’t think there's another contemporary punk band right now that I know just about every word to all their songs. Watching them live feels like I’m watching a classic 80’s punk band in their prime. Both times I’ve seen them it left me with that same feeling. First time I saw them was in the pretty small upstairs space at Foto Club in Philly. While watching them I was thinking this will probably be the last time I’d probably get to see HOMEFRONT play such a small venue. Selling out a 500-cap venue less than a year later, shit I was right. But the energy was no where near lost like so many other bands I’ve seen in small spaces (what I always prefer) vs larger ones. A room packed with most of the crowd singing along to every word is always a high I try to chase and HOMEFRONT always delivers!

2 - LEBENDEN TOTEN - Babyland; Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Watching LT, every time, feels like I’m high on inhalants the whole time. To be fair, half of the time, I am, but either way, this band feels like drugs do. Watching them at 3 AM during Skullfest though, what the fuck. Probably my favorite time I had seen them, which at this point may be close to 10? If you have never seen this band, do yourself a favor and catch them if you have the chance to. Listen, don’t sleep. Everything about this band hits all the pleasures receptors in my brain and this set was truly something else.

1 - TAQBIR - First Unitarian Church; Philadelphia, PA, USA

My absolute favorite set this whole year. This was after hopping over to Richmond to catch PHYSIQUE AND scabbing for TOTAL NADA on a Colombian tour where there was no shortage of incredible sets: MURO, DEAD HERO, EXTA, RESPLANDOR, NECRON 9, INNUENDO, MOCK EXECUTION, PREMIER REGIMEN, DESTRUCT plus HARAM on the same bill and so many more. But this set, this set took the cake. I think it was a combo of thinking I would never see this band live, the bands immaculate energy, truly great songwriting and the speech mid-set about the Genocide in Gaza. Either way, the wave of emotions I felt from this set cemented its place in my mind as the best sets, not only of 2024, but one of the best sets I have ever seen.

Boris' 2024 Top Ten

2024-12-17T21:49:06.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Hi Counterforce. After wanting and being offered to collaborate for several times I am finally pulling my weight to do this list. I’m Boris, I live in Montreal, I play in a band called TOTAL NADA and I’m part of the Noise Not Borders collective. Through NNB I co-host a monthly radio show called La Hora del Ruido in which I review and play new punk music from around the world. So I’ve been exposed to a lot of hardcore / punk music this year, because of the radio and traveling (mostly with the band), and I’m very happy to share this list with you.

I'm gonna explain how I made my decisions. I tried to choose music in the 3 different punk formats, LPs, EPs, and demos, also my top is heavily impacted by live performances. I also left out some obvious choices that might already have been reviewed by other contributors. Finally, I want to acknowledge there is so much HC punk out there and a short list is very biased, but please don’t stop making music, playing shows and sharing your music with other people. You are a very important part of punk. Peace!

ALAMBRADA - Ríos de Sangre LP

On Unlawful Assembly. ALAMBRADA is a thrashy HC punk band from Bogotá, Colombia. Probably my favourite band to come out of my hometown after I moved away. Their first 7 inch totally blew my mind away in 2020. Thrashy as I feel some tints of thrashcore a la S.O.B and some riffs that remind me of NEGATIVE APPROACH, or (Hungarian) metal band DEMENTOR. At the beginning of the year I finally managed to catch ALAMBRADA live @ Festival Asfixia. One or the most violent sets I’ve probably seen in my life, my nose ring flew away from my face. Then managed to follow them around in some dates of their European tour around the with other Bogotá people rippers UNIDAD IDEOLÓGICA.

ARSON - Más Noize Demo

Arson are a band from New York. I caught them at Latino Punk fest this year. They play maniac d-beat with an innate energy, they are pretty much what you want to see in a band of the style, they’re constant, raw and in the face. Their demo opens with a perfect track of just screams, then builds up into several amalgamations of the genre, cool drum fills and some mid tempo parts on the longer songs, and pure buzzsaw d-beat on the shorter ones. They are amazing live!

ASSISTERT SJØLMORD - Self Titled EP

This is an earworm of hardcore 7 inch. Thundering and galloping riffs, marching drums, great vocal delivery. Sounds at times like Modern Scandinavian hardcore- the AMDI PETERSEN ARME legacy, and at times like a uk82 bass driven pogo punk band . There’s a very obvious similarity to THE COMES, and of fellow Norwegian classics KAFKA PROCESS, BANLYST or SVART FRAMTID. A perfect mutt for international hardcore lovers.

THE DARK - Sinking into Madness LP

This band was completely off my radar for a while and completely blew me away when I first listened to it. THE DARK is from Los Angeles, California and the record is released in Toxic State Records. I think it does because of its consistency, this is a 12 track LP, with songs on the verge of the two to four minutes, and has completely captivated my hardcore-centric attention deficit head. THE DARK play dark and metallic tinged punk, a mix of the (dark) Japanese sound, THE EXECUTE, MOLUGU, ZIGA, THE SEXUAL, but mixed with this very OC guitar style, think of every band that Rikk Agnew played guitar in.

INDUSTRY - A SELF PORTRAIT AT THE STAGE OF TOTALITARIAN DOMINATION OF ALL ASPECTS OF HUMAN LIFE LP

That title feels like a little bit of a review itself huh. Out on Static Age, Berlin’s INDUSTRY came out of nowhere with this LP. INDUSTRY is composed of some veterans of their own scenes, from 4 corners of the world, San Francisco, England, Venezuela/Barcelona, and Bogotá. Their sound is dark and materialistic, but with a very strong classic anarcho punk identity. Frenetic tribal drumming, hypnotic riffs, and a British accent that’s not fake, lol. Their live energy is impressive, makes you wanna bounce up and down and shake your skeleton to the ground.

INNUENDO - Peace & Love LP

Unlawful Assembly/ Roachleg records coalition. INNUENDO play that intersection of hardcore and rock and roll that I’m a sucker for. Got spoiled by seeing them every night for a week in Colombia, and it generated to me this incredible feeling, when a band plugs itself and unleashes some crazy energy. On that tour, they got their LP and it had ants in it! I guess a fun reminiscence of our adventures in the tropics. Innuendo are great live, saw them for the last time at Skull Fest, now with a second guitar player, and they made the crowd erupt, heard from fellow show goers they were amongst the best bands of the skeleton island.

GUERRA FINAL - Purgatorio EP

Desolate Records. GUERRA FINAL is based in Texas. They play metallic hardcore with some rock n roll riffs, reminds me of the metallic hardcore kings, and kings of punk overall: POISON IDEA, but dissected to their Japanese hardcore influences, The BURNING SPIRIT kind, but with this twist of the Barcelona scene from the turn of the century, bands like GLAM, DESTINO FINAL, INVASION, OTAN, (believe they are named after a DESTRUCCIÓN song).

MANTIS - Demo

Metal infused hardcore punk featuring punks from Malmo and Copenhagen. Memorable riffs and militaristic drum rolls give the songs a VENOM-style drive, the vocals feel perfectly urgent. Definitely my favourite tape of the year. Caught them live @ Ungdomshuset in the summertime and they ended up their set blasting Leve Palestine, causing the whole crowd to cheer and dance creating an epic memory in my head.

PRISAO - EP # 2

Out on 11pm Records/Adult Crash. Straight forward Portuguese spoken hardcore from Stockholm, Sweden. It’s a no fuck around hardcore punk EP that captures everything the genre should be. Short, direct in message and execution, catchy and have qualities to stomp you out.

VIDRO - Upp Till Dans

Last but not least reviewing this EP by Gothenburg HC punks VIDRO. Been a fan now for years, and they did it again. Raw, stripped, and energetic Hardcore music. VIDRO totally impresses me, it’s a very classical band, but their execution is so perfect. This may sound like a contradiction, but despite saying they are very classic HC punk inspired they sound very contemporary. It’s like THE HEADCLEANERS 👀, meets EXIT ORDER. It's a perfect jumping and dancing core. VIDRO has Swedish and Brazilian members. VIDRO is a word with a meaning in both languages, "glass" in one, and "an undesirable person" in the other one. Bands like this have their lore, VIDRO is the past and the future.

Wanted to finish up name dropping some other releases I enjoyed this year. PURA MANÍA 7", EJACULATORS Demo, STRAW MAN ARMY LP, S.H.I.T. LP, LOVE AND COMPASSION Demo, NECRON 9 Tape, MIRAGE LP and 7", RIXE 7", IGNORANCE 7", NO TIME LP, EXO Tape, DÁVILA 666 EP, INVERTEBRATES EP.

Thank you all for reading

Tay's 2024 Top Tens

2024-12-18T11:51:35.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

2024 Top Ten as told by Tay (of TAZ) (in no particular order)

I hate the notion that as you age in a youth subculture it becomes more and more difficult to keep up with what is “new” and “happening”. I like to consider myself relatively still tapped in but as if to call my bluff I was asked to contribute to this top tens portion of this publication. Here goes nothing!!

Demos/ Eps/Tapes:

LPs

Shows / Sets

CHUQUIMAMANI-CONDORI @ a church in queens @ 1am on Jan 1st 2024
LEBENDEN TOTEN + BOG PEOPLE + FRENZY @ Boxing Ring in Brooklyn
THREE 6 MAFIA @ Shitty huge venue that's not worth mentioning
NEGATIVE PLANE + GRAVE MIASMA + IMPURE @ TV Eye
INVERTEBRATES @ Unlawful Assembly
THE DARK @ Trans Pecos
QUEST MASTER + PUTRID MARSH @ TV Eye
SEXPILL + SURPRISE DRESS CODE @ TV Eye
T.S.S BRADLEY @ Empty Bottle
SNIPER CULTURE + PUBLIC ACID + FRIED REALITY + CICADA @ Empty Bottle
LOVE & COMPASSION @ Bootleg Bar after park show got shut down

Nab's 2024 Top Ten

2024-12-18T11:44:07.000-05:00

By Nab

Albums

AMERICAN CULTURE - Hey Brother, It’s Been A While (Convulse Records)
"What if THE STONE ROSES were fronted by Jim Carroll? What if SPIRITUALIZED and THE REPLACEMENTS wrote music together? What if THE MEAT PUPPETS were a C86 band?"
BAD BEAT - LP 2024 (Triple B Records)
Hardcore that is super fun without being funny. Vocalist sounds like Cartman, but in a good way?
BURNING LORD - Arcane Demolition (Streets of Hate)
#1 without a doubt. Bass-driven Hardcore from Boston that evokes REST IN PIECES or SHEER TERROR, but evil. Songs about Unions and Warhammer shit. Artwork is incredible
DESPIZE - Scotland’s Hardcore (Northern Unrest)
Probably what slamming a Monster Energy drink at 7am feels like
HIGH VIS - Guided Tour (DAIS Records)
Post-Punk? Alternative? Hardcore? This is peak subculture mashup, and the greatest thing to come out of England since sausage rolls
NAILS - Every Bridge Burning (Nuclear Blast Records)
Going more extreme with every record, now with 100% more Van Halen. Having dinner with Todd Jones was probably one of the highlights of my year somehow
PUBLIC OPINION - Painted On Smile (Convulse Records)
I described this as "the intersection of THE HIVES and SHOOK ONES". Very enjoyable, good songs, the ballads are what won me over.
STAND STILL - Steps Ascending (Daze)
Full-on Long Island worship will always get me. It’s THE MOVIELIFE and SILENT MAJORITY, I don’t need much else
STRAW MAN ARMY - Earthworks (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Avant-garde anarcho-punk if there’s such a thing. Every record is a journey and this one might be my favourite

EPs/Demos

CANNONBALL - Demo 2024
Straight Edge
ONE TRACK MIND - Demo 2024 (Poison Heart)
So grateful there’s a band doing the late 80’s posi HC sound so tastefully and so close to me
PRAISE - Coming Up For Air 7" (Revelation Records)
More Revelation Summer than ever. "What if THE FAITH never broke up?" could be the premise of this record
THE NEXT LEVEL - Demo 2024 (Scheme Records)
Opening with a lifted TRUE BLUE part is wild. There’s a couple STRIFE riffs here, whether they want it or not, but thankfully it mostly leans early-INTEGRITY. Great demo

Final words

I think 2024 was an overwhelmingly great year for new music; it was exhausting trying to keep up with all the cool stuff that came out. I also really enjoyed new releases by MIDWIFE, LAUGHING, DEAL WITH GOD, LIZZY MCALPINE, FACE THE PAIN, CLAIRO, HELLSCAPE REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER…

Taylor Joy's 2024 Top Ten

2024-12-18T11:52:42.000-05:00

By Taylor Joy

My favourite releases of this year trended crustier with earnest and anarchist lyrics, railing against the capitalist war machine and the capture of corporate technology... consider me re-enlisted for the crust war. Here’s what stuck with me this year, and what I want more of in 2025. In no particular order:

LIFELESS DARK - Forces of Nature’s Transformation
About fuckin’ time... this record is everything I hoped it would be. Like slipping into a warm bath.
YELLOWCAKE - Can You See The Future?
I listened to this on repeat when I found it this fall. Well-executed dbeat, enough variation delivered via noise and breakdowns to keep it interesting, incredible vocals.
LOVE AND COMPASSION - ...Or Else
I made vegan pancakes at least 30 times while listening to this tape this year... officially the most-played-cassette on our kitchen boombox in 2024.
PORTAL TOMB - Last Frost Demo
Stellar debut release from one of my favourite current local (Montreal) bands, in a beautiful and instantly-sold-out cassette.
FLOWER – HEEL OF THE NEXT / PHYSICAL GOD
Technically 2023? Barely... this counts. FLOWER are perfect.
S.H.I.T. - For A Better World
Could this LP have been a 7”? Anyways, S.H.I.T. shits gold.
NO FUTURE - Mirror
Like being wrapped up in layered blankets of loud noise and lead by the hand through a maze of perfectly-executed tempo changes.
STRAW MAN ARMY - Earthworks
I’m really surprised by how much I liked this, really not my usual thing but for some reason I am 100% on board. CRASS for the 2020s.
MURO - Nuevo Dogma
Physical-only release from a band like this gets big style points.
DEMONSTRATE - Demonstration 2024
My list is light on hardcore this year because most of it didn't stick with me and a lot sounds like overproduced garbage that was engineered to win Spotify metrics. This sounds like shit (good) and makes me want to jump around. Nothing particularly special, but it just has the right vibe. XXX

CORN'S TOP TEN SETS OF 2024

2024-12-15T16:10:03.000-05:00

By Corn

(technically 11 artists but c'mon)

THE MALL (BOTH SETS)

the first thing I saw this year was a bunch of taggers beat up some shithead in the parking lot, rip the pockets off his jeans, and then make him leave sans left shoe. the second thing was THE MALL's transportive, apocalyptic dance punk. both of these things set the stage for how fucked AND fun this year would be. also, their COCK SPARRER cover at the end of Dirty World to a collection of late night lifers will be a moment i'll never forget, thanks Mark <3

PUNITIVE DAMAGE

another show at Batiment 7/Tapage, setting a theme for the list going forward. i was not paying attention to this band at all when I went to this one, it's always a good feeling to be surprised at this point. rock-solid catchy and political hardcore, wish Vancouver didn't feel like Antarctica distance wise so I could see them again sooner

GAZM and CELL (FINAL/REUNION SHOWS)

i'd need a lot more time or space to talk about seeing GAZM and CELL again for what could be their last shows, but it feels special that both happened this year. both bands define a beginning of distinct shift in what Montreal HC was, and I feel extremely lucky to have been there for all of it. both shows were insanely wild energy, affirmative to old friends and what we've done, and most importantly the sets were incredibly vital, small h hardcore forever

BELGRADO

more the show than necessarily the band, although I have loved their songs. the show was pouring rain, so humid and packed, but technical difficulties and someone pissing in the corner did zero to dampen the energy as Sasha handed out sparklers and we fanned ourselves with ripped up beer boxes through the 37 degree weather inside, perfect night

LAUGHING (ALBUM RELEASE)

truly one of my favourite bands in the city. seeing them play their entire album of summer power-pop classics and break-up anthems front to back in packed-out Casa was a true tearjerker, fun, gentle and so catchy. also Plateau/Mile End had a night-long blackout right after the set, so i'll always associate this one with wandering up and down St-Laurent as bleary people piled out of bars, me staring at car headlights and thinking about throwing a brick through a window

SLASH NEED (ALL 4 TIMES)

as i've been saying, if you saw a SLASH NEED show and didn't love it, that's completely on you. there are few projects that put so much into the live performance, it's never boring and always feels like everyone's honing into something hedonistic in the pure sense

MIRAGE

their set for Noise Not Borders this year was a masterclass in elevation, just kept speeding up, building, twisting, as the crowd got more and more incensed and spontaneously revived the circle pit, which is something i hope we as a city carry with us into the new year. maybe it's just me getting back into Italian HC in a big way again, but i was just deeply impressed

INNUENDO

i saw a lot of great sets at Skullfest (see my scene report here or in THE COUNTERFORCE print issue #3), but it felt weird to give a ton of slots to bands packed into such a short time and heightened atmosphere (plus 11 bands is already pushing it). but yeah it's INNUENDO. They're stripped-down, pissed off, 80's style Midwest hardcore that's also impossible to mistake as anything other than the band of Right Now, never dropping the furious energy for a second

FLASH

i had a friend who rarely gets super into punk shit rave to me about how good FLASH was in Chicago, so i was already primed for this one, but they truly overdelivered. captured that catchy classic punk, fantastic guitar leads and perfect control of rhythm without surrendering an inch to the bloat of marketable and playlistable "rock'n'roll"

HANK WOOD AND THE HAMMERHEADS

what can i say, i'm a deeply nostalgic person. but! i swear it's not just that i was 22 when Go Home came out! this show was ecstatic in the truest sense, a sea of people losing their shit in a concrete box, a perfect series of riffs, organ runs and slogans to shout at strangers on the street, fireworks and beer cans. it's not complicated, it's not a surprise inclusion, but hardcore punk is stupid as hell and it's the only thing that matters

Crimethinc's Top Ten Punk Movies We Watched in 2024

2024-12-16T20:42:30.000-05:00

By CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective

Can’t get out of bed because you woke up drunk and your back hurts from too much pogo? Or maybe you’re about to host a rock’n’roll benefit for Palestine and need some cool retro reels to project behind the bands… whatever the occasion, we are pleased to bring you the CrimethInc. Ex-Worker Podcast’s year-end top 10 punk films we watched in 2024.

In addition to consuming dozens of hours of punks on screen, we made our own film this year. Fell In Love With Fire is a full length documentary about the six months of anarchy and chaos that reigned over Chile after triumphant rioters took control of the streets. Check it out!

10 - Good Vibrations [2012]

A true story, and the name says it all. At the height of The Troubles, Terri Hooley—an indomitably idealistic reggae lover—opens up a record store in the middle of Belfast’s bombed out city center. The scene of rebel rockers that crops up around the shop doesn’t fit into any of the social or political binaries of its environment. As Joe Strummer put it, “Between the bombing and shootings, the religious hatred and the settling of old scores, [Belfast] punk gave everybody a chance to LIVE for one glorious, burning moment.”

John Peel plays THE UNDERTONES’ “Teenage Kicks” on the BBC, and its so nice he plays it twice.

Royal Ulster Constabulary pigs are confounded when they pull over RUDI and THE OUTCASTS’ tour van to find a mix of Protestant and Catholic kids.

At a big-occasion, beyond-capacity benefit show to save the Good Vibrations record store, the shop’s accountant confronts Hooley because his NOTAFLOF guest list has resulted in financial loss. “The whole point of tonight was to raise money for your shop.” Terri looks out over the crowd of kids singing along with arms over each other. “No, it wasn't, not the whole point. Money couldn't buy what we've just done.”

I’ve always felt like stories that begin before punk existed and show its genesis are particularly well-poised to capture its spirit, and this film does a good job of showing how DIY gave punk its power from the very beginning.

A feel-good flick you could watch with your fucking grandmother.

9 - El Pico [1983]

Gritty, grey, and morally ambiguous. NOT a feel-good flick.

Just a few years after the fall of Franco, the teenage son of a fascist police captain befriends his opposite number, the son of a left-wing politician in the Basque Country of Spain. However, the friendship isn’t based in a love of punk or any of the wholesome idealism found in Good Vibrations. The pair lie, steal, and kill in pursuit of their
accelerating heroin addiction.

Be warned—the syringe shots are slow, intense, and sleazily seductive. A “police kill and torture” banner at a city-wide street festival gives you a sense of the social force that the Basque freedom struggle commanded during the film’s era. There’s an artsy gay sex pad and a ménage à trois in the gorgeous, groovy mod apartment of a beautiful Argentinean dope queen. A public park tagged up with ETA graffiti hosts a gaggle of Bilbao punks all hanging out, including one of the dudes from ESKORBUTO.

El Pico is representative of the Cine Quinqui (“kinky”) genre of raw films about derelict Spanish street youth from the 70s and 80s.

8 - Never Mind The Baubles - Christmas '77 with The Sex Pistols [2013]

In 1977, SEX PISTOLS were a forbidden band, literally. “God Save the Queen” was banned by the BBC (making it the most censored record in British history), the band was forced to tour under a fake name to avoid cancellation, and its members were regularly targeted on the street and beaten up for being punk. In spite of the hardships, the Pistols set out on a “Never Mind the Bans” tour of Britain in December 1977. The last show of the tour was in Huddersfield, where they played a Christmas Day ball for the children of striking firemen and miners. The tour would turn out to be the PISTOLS’ final performances in the UK.

The shots of a blank-stared, spikey Sid Vicious banging out the bass in front of jumping, smiling children is priceless.

As with countless more of his endeavors, Malcolm McLaren was a fucking genius for putting this together.

7 - Intrépidos Punks [1988]

A gang of cave punks live up in the hills, only descending into town to rob, kill, and accost.

Purely aesthetic motorpunk eyecandy, much like…

6 - Crazy Thunder Road [1980]

Written and directed by Gakuryū Ishii, Crazy Thunder Road is the film school precursor to his widely acclaimed motorpunk epic Burst City. Like Burst City, Crazy Thunder Road is more of a frantic, chaotic opera of leather and chains than much of a compelling narrative, but there is more of a storyline than Intrépidos Punks.

The film centers around Jin, the leader of a biker gang who are, even by the standards of the other biker gangs featured, totally out of control. It takes the discipline of a right-wing paramilitary group to break the gang… but only briefly, until Jin declares war on the rival biker gangs and nationalist forces alike.

As in Penelope Spheeris’ Suburbia, Ishii got real life bikers to act in the film’s roles.

“Every day, my assistant would go into town to find bikers to appear in the film. Usually, even if they had agreed, they wouldn’t show up on set because they had been arrested by the cops in the meantime.” —Gakuryū Ishii

The best scene is a long, unbroken shot of Jin, grumbling motor sounds with the distant, deranged stare of a madman in his eyes. The shot pans out to reveal both of Jin’s arms in casts, reducing him to self-simulate the thrill of the open road.

Crazy Thunder Road provides perfect action-packed, chaotic background reel for a party, bar, or show. Trying to follow the storyline, however, may leave you with the whiplash of a high-velocity motorcycle accident.

5 - Smithereens [1982]

One of the few early punk films out there with a female protagonist and a compelling plot.

Smithereens captures the fashion and general grittiness of early New York punk rock, with breathtaking scenes of urban decay on par with Sid & Nancy or Style Wars.

Wren, a runaway from New Jersey, hitches her star to a one-hit wonder rocker played by Richard Hell, who entices her to travel across the country to Los Angeles, where the promise of New York’s waning punk scene is supposed to be more rockfully fulfilled. Throughout the film, the characters narcissistically use each other in varying degrees of parasitic relationships, a dynamic of early New York punk that will be familiar to anyone who has read Please Kill Me.

The urban vanlife scenes fill me with aspirations for an American punk “wagenplatz” community, even though the vanlifer in Smithereens is just a solo maverick parked in the middle of a failed urban industrial desert.

4 - Dinner in America [2020]

Patty, an unrespected, unremarkable suburban loser dork escapes the oppressive ordinariness of home by burying her ears into headphones and masturbating while blasting the demo of PSYOPS, a local punk band shrouded in mystery.

One day, on a break from work, an on-the-lam punk uses Patty to evade police capture and convinces her to take him home for dinner, where he persuades Patty’s parents to let him stay a while… and her whole life falls into place.

I don’t want to give away too much because it was a true pleasure watching this film unfold. If you can get over the unneeded, gratuitous use of homophobic slurs, this movie rocks.

3 - How to Rob a Bank [2024]

“This is real. This is a robbery. Step away from your cages.”

The best documentary you’ll see for years. From 1992 to 1996, the Hollywood Bandit committed 19 known bank robberies in Seattle. He used the money to finance his off-the-grid Ewok village, fund Earth First! forest defense campaigns, and travel the world in an existential pursuit of his Self.

A confession: I actually re-watched this one determined to fit it into the top 10, convinced that there must have been some mention of the grunge scene that would qualify it as a punk-adjacent film. Sure enough, a bizarre interview has a square-as-fuck FBI agent describing Seattle’s nascent grunge scene, while one of the Hollywood Bandit’s friends explains the scene’s anti-establishment and anti-corporate ethos. However, what makes this movie punk isn’t the brief history of grunge; it’s the uncompromising individualism, the balls-to-the-wall adventure as a way of life, and its decadent anti-materialism.

With 2024’s upswing in armed attempts on those in power, I’d tell you to take inspiration from this film… but it’s just impossible not to.

WATCH. THIS. MOVIE.

2 - Verlierer [1987]

Not a happy story.

Two motor-rocker gangs, the Getto Sharks and the Rats, achieve a fragile truce over the urban industrial wasteland they cruise through. The younger brother of the Getto Sharks’ leader wants in, but the older brother doesn’t want to see him falling down the path of gang life. On a fateful night, after his drunken father kicks him out, the younger brother joins with a Rat who is being hunted by a xenophobic nazi psychobilly gang. The two strike up a heartening friendship, until the younger brother discovers his new compatriot’s membership in the rival Rats.

This movie is evenly weighed on both of the scales I have been rating this top 10 with: plot and aesthetic. While the Rats are solidly heavy metal rockers, the Getto Sharks have punks, skins, and biker-looking members, affording a sense of authenticity to the gang aspect of the film: it’s not about what scene you’re in exactly, it’s about how hard
you roll. The nazi psychobillies are as terrifying as they are fucking ridiculous to look at, and their appearance in the movie was one of those things that made me appreciate that there must have been a strong fad happening in the German 1980s underground rock scene that has not remained in the popular imagination or history of that scene. Like, usually the lazy go-to stereotype for a street nazi is a skinhead (as utilized in Good Vibrations), but here the skinheads are mixed in with the politically ambiguous Getto Sharks as just criminals, and the organized racists are psychobillies. Fuckin bizarre.

Verlierer was apparently made for German television in the 80s, and I could only find it with Spanish subtitles. If you don’t speak German or Spanish, you may need to put in some extra effort to produce an intelligible viewing experience… but it will be well worth it.

1 - The Legend of the Stardust Brothers [1985]

Spoilers: I cried. No shit.

I almost don’t even know what to say about this movie. I don’t actually want to give any of it away. I’ll say this: it’s a zany, low budget Japanese musical with touches of Rock’n’Roll High School, but narratively more elaborate. At its core, Legend of the Stardust Brothers is a story about sacrifice, love, and remaining true to yourself against the sisyphean machinations of the capitalist music industry. One of the best movies I’ve ever seen.

L-O-N-D-O-N BOOTS!

Honorable mention: Studio One Story [2003]

An oral history of the legendary ska, rocksteady, and reggae recording studio and label responsible for THE SKATALITES, DELROY WILSON, ALTON ELLIS, HORACE ANDY, THE HEPTONES, and many other Jamaican recording artists whose influence on early UK punk cannot be overestimated. The two-and-a-half hour running time betrays the amateur chops of the filmmaker, but as the interviewees are discussing events that took place nearly half-a-century ago, its understandable that he would want to pack in as much as possible. The result is a true document, in the fullest sense of the word “documentary.”

What makes Studio One Story so good is it’s no mess, no fuss editing. Each chapter opens with an interview about a different aspect of Jamaican music (sound systems, studios, toasters) and seamlessly weaves into a song that closes out the chapter with the iconic Soul Jazz Studio One frame. The rhythm of the film matches the rhythm of reggae: steady,
solid, and boss.

We’re always on the prowl for excellent underground punk movies. If you know of any, please drop us a line: podcast [at] crimethinc [dot] com

Hobbes' 2024 TOP TEN ENVIRONMENTAL ABSURDITIES

2024-12-18T11:48:19.000-05:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Absurdism is not always a friend of the gig. Sometimes it is. I will be allotting CHAOS ratings to each of my selections.

CURLING CLUB FEST (Ottawa, ON) - I put S.O.T.O on the ice this year and have no regrets. It was fun.
[RATED: GOOD]
THE GIG THAT WASN’T (Scotia, NY) - No people, no burgers, no problem. We play anyway.
[RATED: NEUTRAL]
WRESTLING DIRTBIKES GIG (Pittsburg, PA) - The exact right kind of chaos.
[RATED: GOOD]
KOOKY SHIT MUSEUM GIG (White River Junction, VT) - My “cult” alarm went off, if anyone’s looking for things to join.
[RATED: NEUTRAL]
MAGIC SHOW GIG (Montreal, QC) - I have this thing where I hate magicians.
[RATED: EVIL]
E-COLI WATER GENERATOR GIG (Buffalo, NY) - That was not the wind, I was blowing a fan to protect you from the fumes.
[RATED: GOOD]
OPERA HOUSE/CHEESE MUSEUM GIG (Cuba, NY) - I do not need to explain this one.
[RATED: NEUTRAL]
PRIVATE SWAMP PEOPLE UV LIGHT GIG (Ottawa, ON) - If a punk show must be private, it better be weird. It was.
[RATED: GOOD]
GAY VAMPIRE LAARP GIG (Montreal, QC) - A real highlight showing up to play a friend’s anniversary.
[RATED: GOOD]
PISS LAUNCHING NEIGHBOUR GIG (Brooklyn, NY) - “I will throw my kid’s piss and shit out of this window.”
[RATED: EVIL]

BIFF BIFARO’s TOP TEN PUNK EXPERIENCES MAKING 2024 A YEAR WORTH REMEMBERING

2024-12-13T17:00:17.000-05:00

By Biff Bifaro

With 2024 coming to a close and with a vast majority of my overwhelmingly positive punk experiences of this past year having a strong Canadian connection, it seemed to me that there would be no better time to write my inaugural column for The Counterforce, seeing that the zine originated in Canada. And so, with no further adieu, join me as I turn back the calendar and fondly remember….

10 - SCIENCE MAN ‘U.S. and Canada Tour 2024’

Two weeks in April spanning the midwest, northeast, and a fair amount of STOMPIN’ TOM's Stomping Grounds from Ontario to New Brunswick. Killer shows, top notch bands, tons of Canadian tourism, and toss in playing a grip of shows with both PAL and PSYCH BIKE, and the unforgettable night in Montreal possibly being my most memorable night of the year? What a near perfect experience.

9 - U3 Fest

A single day / single venue festival in Philadelphia, PA, booked by sweet buds, filled with solid acts, and a surprise all vegan catered meal which was hands down the best I ate on that whole tour. Seeing Aussie buds R.M.F.C. and GEE TEE play and kick it with them at the weird Airbnb after party was the highlight for me. Other killer acts I cared about included SPLIT SYSTEN, KNOWSO, THE DRIN, and (keeping with the Canadian tie-in) PUFFER, who I happen to be driving on their tour.

8 - Guerrilla Showfare gig series

Buffalo, NY has been my home for my entire life and this past summer two younger punks started a series of outdoor generator gigs. I went to the first one and ended up joining forces with them after they expressed their biggest issue was not having connects with out of town bands. The few Guerrilla Showfare gigs we ended up booking together were some of the most fun gigs I’ve ever had a hand in. Hardcore-punk is alive and well in Buffalo, NY! If you’re still looking for Canada tie-ins, one of such events featured Montreal heavy-hitters DUREX.

7 - THE VIPERS recording weekend

A long-time friend, and DC Hardcore heavy-hitter, Nicktape, called me in the spring. With his main band COKE BUST on something of a hiatus he had written a grip of hardcore-punk stompers but had no way to make them a reality. A five day trip to Buffalo was planned, a backing band formed, and we got to work. Deciphering his ideas, learning the songs, and immediately recording them. The trip ended with us playing one of the aforementioned Guerrilla Showfare generator gigs. Watch out world, THE VIPERS are here to stay! 7” coming soon.

6 - LEAKING HEAD ‘New England Weekend Tour 2024’

Middle of October, Rochester, NY hardcore-punk band LEAKING HEAD took advantage of my driving services. A weekend trip with NO big cities. Rural drives, small town gigs, a wide array of bands from hardcore to bluegrass to robot ska, breaking and entering for a place to stay, and so much more! Intrigued? As well you should be. Keep your eyes peeled for ‘LEAKING HEAD: The Movie’ shot by Canadian videographer Hobbes who joined us on this bonkers excursion documenting all the nitty gritty moments with my out of date VHS camcorder.

5 - Palestine Solidarity Compilation Vol. 2

The initial Palestine Solidarity Compilation was released early this year and it was absolutely jam-packed with killer tracks from 27 different underground punk acts. At the tail end of the year lightning struck a second time releasing the second volume and another 27 songs by 27 equally awesome bands. I considered it an absolute honor to be asked to provide a track with my solo project NERVOUS TICK AND THE ZIPPER LIPS. Both comps worth a listen and a cause very worth supporting.

4 - SPOOKY VISIONS ‘ill-advised Halloween tour’

A solo synth-punk project I did as a way to stave off some Covid based insanity. Never did I think it would ever be a live act, let alone an act sought after around Halloween time. I guess being the spookiest act in Western New York, I need to start expecting such things! Four shows across New York State and three Canadian gigs, most all of them Halloween themed. A truly wild tour with incredible gigs, horrible parties threatened with a storm of piss and shit, and a sugar high I am still weaning myself off of. Seven Halloween parties in a week and a half and as much candy as you can eat at almost all of them? How the hell did we survive?! AND do I do it again next year??

3 - S.O.T.O. VI

Surely all Canadian punks reading The Counterforce must be familiar with Ottawa’s long-running Sitting On The Outside Festival. This year I was honored to be included by hard-working booker Hobbes and fest counterpart Ska-Jeff with helping out with the festival. I drove my backline of equipment up the night before and helped provide gear for just about all the bands playing the weekend. Both SCIENCE MAN and NERVOUS TICK were asked to play different days of the festival and every single aspect was a damn dream. Even getting COVID and being stuck in Canada for another week couldn’t possibly spoil the killer time I had.

2 - Upstate NY Hardcore Punk Showcase

When asked to book a gig for the best band from Albany, NY, I decided to swing for the fences and booked my favorite bands from the other big cities between their hometown and mine. WET SPECIMENS from Albany joined with URBAN CAMOUFLAGE from Syracuse, LEAKING HEAD from Rochester, and all sandwiched with two buffalo bands; brand new hardcore-punk band LOWEST FORM and long-running force to be reckoned with SCIENCE MAN. An all around perfect gig. Who needs the big city, Upstate NY hardcore-punk supremacy! This will become a reoccurring event, for sure.

1 - Releasing ‘The Monochromatic Mind of NERVOUS TICK’ LP

A bit of a scary yet satisfying situation for me ends my top ten experiences this year. A long running solo project of mine, NERVOUS TICK AND THE ZIPPER LIPS, released its first LP and it was the first time I did a vinyl release where I truly had a hand in every single aspect of the process. From song writing to tracking to mixing to artwork to release, ‘The Monochromatic Mind of NERVOUS TICK’, recorded during height of covid isolation, finally came into existence. Putting that much of myself into something was admittedly a bit of a scary thing, but already I have done a follow up 7” EP, and even recorded the follow-up LP. Beware!

And that’s a wrap! Next stop, 2025! What realm of idiocy shall we get into next? Stay tuned to find out!

See you at the fucking gig!
-Biff Bifaro

STRAW MAN ARMY - Earthworks

2024-12-16T12:17:03.000-05:00

By Martin Force

STRAW MAN ARMY's first release was extremely hyped in my circles, probably due to some second-order social proximity between myself and the duo behind this recording-only project. The 2021 cassette Her Majesty's Ship OST was released on Stucco alongside egg-punk sounding bands with names like FROGMAN'S STICK OPERA and PILGRIM SCREW. It's—I don't know—a soundtrack for an apparently non-existent movie, complete with a backstory about the movie's production hell and fake reviews from a film magazine? I have a (admittedly somewhat high) threshold for layers of indecipherable irony/pretension and performance-art type obfuscation, even when it seems like there is an underlying political thrust that would resonate with me (something about colonialism, I think). Her Majesty's Ship didn't pass and I slept on subsequent STRAW MAN ARMY releases assuming they were continuing in a similar art-punk egg-adjacent vein.

Two intervening LPs later, and STRAW MAN ARMY has released Earthworks. I know that I am not the only listener for whom Earthworks represented a breakthrough for STRAW MAN ARMY; this record is on a lot of 2024 top ten lists. Listening back to their other overlooked-by-me LPs Age of Exile and SOS, I see a clear progression across two related domains that explains the resounding appeal of Earthworks.

First, the experimentation in instrumentation and ambiance (both audio and conceptually) is gradually refined and targeted. Everything becomes less eggy. The artistic pretensions necessary for an idea like Her Majesty's Ship OST are slowly shed. The label-blurb-writeup for Earthworks touts the "jazz, ambient, and Krautrock" influences, but to me Earthworks sounds like the most refined, post-punk-guitar-drum-bass-vocals STRAW MAN ARMY so far. The use of extra instrumentation (e.g. the famous Xylophone), ambient field recording, additional percussion, jazzy beats, etc., all become less scattershot and are instead carefully deployed with consideration and care (and to greater impact).

Second, the recording quality has steadily improved. Now, I am normally biased towards low-production-value punk but in this case STRAW MAN ARMY is greatly served by audio clarity. The crisp guitars, punchy bass, and rolling drums are all perfectly distinct and in balance. A catchy riff is all the more-so when the distinct parts of all three instruments get stuck in your head in parallel. But more importantly, the vocals are clear and intelligible. The emotional range varies from a low talk, to a talk-shout, to an occasional sing-song, to the urgent emphasis achieved by two voices delivering the same line in unison. No matter where the voices are landing, you can hear every word perfectly.

I think punk has often suffered from being somewhat allergic to earnest and clear political messages. Punk has not been a monolith in this, but it has been the trend. It has been cringey or embarrassing to make clear political statements in your songs. People shy away from the challenge of making a commitment to a political analysis that they must be willing to articulate and defend (or change if confronted with more convincing ideas). The reaction to this underlying political uncomfortable-ness and/or laziness in our punk culture has been that often bands will make vague statements when necessary, and couch any message in winking imagery or impenetrable artistic pretension (thus escaping any chance of real engagement and critique) or stick to safe and simple sloganeering roughly equivalent to shouting "Nuclear War Bad" over and over, ad nauseam. Of course, that's if the lyrics are even decipherable at all—often there is no lyrics sheets and vocal delivery can be made completely unintelligible through all kinds of pretentious vocal affects or cave-reverb.

So why is Earthworks so refreshing? Besides the music being catchy and driving, the lyrics express a powerful political message of struggle against colonialism, war, and the domination and alienation that global capitalism wields against us all. This is delivered without mask of pretension or hint of irony—only some poetic artistry and a lot of sincerity and earnestness.

On paper you'd expect a record where the words "United States" and "America" appear (gratingly audible) some half-dozen times to sound as immature and cringey as ANTI-FLAG and likely to be just as mealy-mouthed. Instead, STRAW MAN ARMY achieves a powerful combination of political sincerity and poetic lyricism—you can tell clearly what the song is "about" and be moved to action by its message, but you don't feel like you are sitting through a lecture. This is the promise of great anarcho-punk.

The label write up mentions ZOUNDS, but in terms of anarcho-punk I hear more of THE MOB, I think because of the plodding looping rhythmic riffs, the crystal clear vocals, and the poetic balance of the lyrics. Driving songs like 'Staring At The Sun' remind me of sped up WIPERS riffs. And there is something about many of the guitar melodies that reminded me of other 2010-ish NYC bands but I still havn't placed who exactly. Must just be that NYC sound bleeding in.

I do not know the duo behind STRAWMAN ARMY personally, so I can't speak to their actual politics. But as a long-time anarchist, the messages delivered in this record resonates with me greatly. Even though it sometimes feels like it has taken the past four years of particularly heinous and observable acts of dominating white supremacy and wars of colonial genocide to rouse punks-at-large into a higher level of political action and awareness, I am all for it. I hope the appeal and success of a record like Earthworks in this current age will show punks how much more powerful we can be if we all shed the safety blanket of artistic pretensions and isolating layers of irony and connect with each other—sincere in our politics and earnest in our desire for change.

(self-?)released by D4MT LABS INC. / La Vida Es Un Mus and Distributed by Sorry State Records in the USA

Listen here: https://d4mtlabsinc.bandcamp.com/album/earthworks

13 track album

D4MT Labs inc.D4MT Labs inc.

WILL TO SPEAK - Coward's Game

2024-12-16T15:46:01.000-05:00

By Martin Force

We have a problem in Montreal Hardcore: too many tough guy beatdown bands. WILL TO SPEAK was the solitary standout for awhile, bringing more of a posi/youth-crew influenced sound to the scene. So I'm happy they finally have a record coming out. The production is excellent and the riffs are great. Ample dive-bombs! WILL TO SPEAK's lineup is basically local shoe-gaze band SPITE HOUSE + Big Karl on vocals and XVX Dany on bass. It's kind of funny that the single biggest meathead-looking dude in Montreal's hardcore scene for the past 15 years is fronting the hardcore band with the most thoughtful lyrics and seemingly the only one with anything good to say between songs on the mic. I hope people follow the lead and step it up. I'm not sure it's enough for me to forgive the rap-rock part in the title track through ;)

LP available on From Within Records

Listen here: https://willtospeak.bandcamp.com/album/cowards-game

Coward’s Game, by Will To Speak

Bestial Hardcore (LUNGS-287), by GAOLED

Will To Speakfacundo_q

GAOLED - Bestial Hardcore

2024-12-16T11:48:49.000-05:00

By Martin Force

Do you like MIND ERASER? Do you like MIND ERASER's high-concept 2008 final LP Conscious/Unconscious? If you've never heard it I would say go give it a listen before continuing.

Conscious/Unconscious was the point at which MIND ERASER fully embraced their broader metal influences, in line with the trend of late 2000s powerviolence/hardcore bands breaking up so the members could start metal bands (see LIFELESS DARK who just dropped their long-awaited metalpunk thrash LP this week).

This debut LP from Perth's GOALED on Iron Lung is unmistakably in debt to Conscious/Unconscious. Dare I say, I hear some straight borrowed MIND ERASER riffs (and maybe a few baby-brother SCAPEGOAT riffs) all over this. Bestial Hardcore leans into the metal influence a little more, but the core of powerviolence-hardcore is strong throughout. I am not a fan of the heavily effect vocals. I guess a "bestial" entity might be coming at me from the bottom of a deep cave, but it doesn't really mesh well with the in-your-face-buzzsaw guitar tone. I want the vocals to be in my face too. Why are you hiding? That guitar tone is another deviation from the MIND ERASER recipe and it doesn't personally work for me either. I actually have a soft spot for that tone in other contexts but when you are trying to chug on PV sludge parts it just doesn't hit the same.

All that being said, the riffs are solid. I did enjoy this record, and despite the obvious influence that was hitting me over the head just like the dudes in the pit while MIND ERASER played Unconscious at Dude Fest in 2009, I still appreciated everything GOALED is bringing to the table.

Released on Iron Lung Records in the USA and Televised Suicide in Australia

Listen here: https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bestial-hardcore-lungs-287

IRON LUNG Recordsdomfabio

FLIP ON SHORT EDGE: A Punk's Guide to Printing Zines

2024-10-24T12:16:59.000-04:00

By Taylor Joy

So you want to print some zines (like the ones in The Counterforce digital distro) to distribute at a punk show or other event, or to just give out to your friends. Sick! If you are new to printing or copying zines or just need a refresher, and want to avoid frustration and wasted paper, this guide is for you.

This guide will mostly cover standard, Letter-sized-paper-folded-in-half-and-stapled style zines aka "saddle stitch" (like the Counterforce zines pictured in the header image). This is the most common type of zine you'll encounter for DIY printing. We'll go over how to look at files and make sure you've got the right ones to print, choosing paper, printer dialogue settings and some tips on finishing such as folding and stapling. Effectively we’re taking a two-dimensional file on a computer and turning it into a three-dimensional, interactive object, so there’s a little bit of thinking and spatial reasoning involved, but don't worry you'll be fine.

To follow these instructions, you'll need access to a printer or copier which has duplexing, or double-sided printing, which most modern printers do. Printing zines on a one-sided printer or copier is a great punk tradition but getting the sides to line up is some galaxy-brain shit, and while this guide might help you start to wrap your head around how that works, I'm not going to explain exactly how to do it.

If you have any feedback on this guide you can contact The Counterforce, or if you think I did a bad job explaining this you can write and submit your own guide.

The Files

Zine files are typically in .pdf format. Sometimes you’ll find one in an image format like jpeg/.jpg or tiff/.tif. Most of this info in this article will still be conceptually relevant to those kinds of files, but you might run into some other problems with printing, so it's best to find .pdfs.

Sometimes, there will be multiple versions of a particular zine. For printing, the file name will usually have the word “print” or “imposed” in it, as opposed to “read” or “screen,” which will typically not print correctly because they are formatted for reading on a screen.

Imposed just means that the file is laid out in a way where when you print it out and fold it in half, all the zine pages will be in the correct order and orientation. When you open the PDF in a program like Preview or Acrobat or in a web browser, it will seem like the pages are in a totally fucked order. But I promise there is a logic to it! The first thing you should see is a landscape (“hamburger style”) file page with two pages of the zine: the back cover (last page of zine) on the left side and the cover (zine page 1) on the right side.

Note on language: this can get a bit confusing to talk about because there are two pages of the zine on each page of the .pdf file. In this guide I'm using “zine page” to mean each 5.5 x 8.5” page of the zine, and “file page” to indicate each 8.5 x 11” page of the .pdf file.

The next page of the file should have zine page 2 on the left side and the second-to-last page of the zine on the right side.

This is the point at which you may silently thank or curse the person who made the zine for including or excluding page numbers.

Note to people who make zines: INCLUDE PAGE NUMBERS.

The subsequent pages of the file will have page 3, 4, 5, etc, of the zine alternating between the left and right side of the page. Finally, the last page of the file should have two consecutive pages, (e.g. zine page 4 / zine page 5) and it should be the only file page where this is the case. If there aren't page numbers (silently curse the designer), you can check if the content between these two zine pages flows seamlessly—maybe there's even a cool centerfold illustration, or if there is text it should continue from the left side to the right side of the file page.

Note for the aspiring D.I.Y. scissor-and-gluestick types: this is also the template for laying out a zine that you can photocopy, OR you can scan it and submit it to the Counterforce Zine Page so people in other places can print it!

If you open a file and ONLY see the front cover, and if all of the inside pages have two zine pages and content that flows from one page to the next (if there are numbers they go up sequentially), this file is not formatted for saddle-stitch printing and binding. You gotta either find the imposed version or do it yourself, which is a whole thing.

If you open a file and find a long line of single, sequentially-ordered pages, you MIGHT be able to print this zine using a setting called booklet printing. If your print dialogue has this setting you can give it a shot—your print dialogue box might even have a little preview window where you can click through the pages and see if it is all lining up correctly. I don't usually mess around with booklet printing, but it can work as long as the number of pages is a multiple of 4.

Paper size

I'm writing this from Canada, where Letter (8.5 x 11”) is the most common paper size and zine format size. Outside of North America and the Philippines, the most common paper size is called A4 (side note, I highly recommend checking out the Wikipedia page on Paper size.) I'm going to refer to North American paper sizes (Letter, Legal and Tabloid/Ledger) because that's what I'm familiar with, but a lot of the conceptual info in this guide can apply to zines laid out for A4. While the sizes are roughly similar, A4 and Letter are NOT the same height to width ratio and NOT easily interchangeable. I don't recommend trying to print A4 zines on Letter paper or vice versa. It doesn't look good and you'll probably have weird margins and too-small text, but if you or your readership have a high tolerance for those things or you're really desperate I guess do what you gotta do.

A4 and Letter... seems like a small difference, but it adds up.

Sometimes you will find Legal (8.5 x 14”) or even Tabloid or Ledger (11 x 17”) zines. Most home and office printers can accommodate up to Legal size, since it’s the same width as Letter. Tabloid/Ledger is more rare in home printers, but your copy shop can almost certainly do it. Make sure the paper you’re printing on matches the size of the file. If you’re familiar with paper sizes or have a good eye for dimensions, you might just be able to tell the format by looking at the file, or comparing it to the illustration below, where all the formats are scaled to the same height. If you still can’t tell, you might be able to open up the first page of the file in image editing software and try to figure out the size.

An assortment of zines printed on Legal sized paper (8.5x14"). The pages are wider so you can fit more stuff on each page, whether that is drawings or text.

Printing

Ok, now that we have the right kind of files and the right kind of paper for our files, let's print. Depending on the printer and the operating system of your computer (or photocopier) it’s gonna look really different, but there are a few settings that you should double check in your print dialogue before you send the job.

Example of a print dialogue in Adobe Acrobat on a Mac. Notice that collate is checked, grayscale printing is checked, we're at "actual size" aka 100%, print on both sides of paper and flip on short edge are selected.

Double sided printing + Flip on Short Edge

This is the big one that you have to remember for zine printing, which is why it’s the name of this guide. When you select double-sided printing, usually “flip on long edge” is default, because that’s how vertical/portrait (“hotdog style”) regular ol’ office doc printouts work. As a punk, you might use "flip on long edge" for stuff like double-sided handbill flyers or j-cards, but for zines we always "flip on short edge."

If you still have a hard time remembering which one it is, just grab a regular half-letter zine and look at it and think about how it is structured. You can even take the staples out and flatten it and try flipping the pages both ways to see which one makes sense. Pretty much any time I get myself twisted up about layout or settings, just grabbing a physical zine and looking at it immediately answers my questions, so I’d recommend this if you get stuck.

Collate

If your printer driver has a little checkbox that says “collate,” definitely make sure it is CHECKED. If it is not checked and you print 50 copies of a zine, guess what, it’s gonna print alllll the page 1s and then allll the page 2s and so on and you’ll have to assemble them yourself. It is a lot of work, very annoying. For some reason my home printer defaults to "don't collate" and it has bitten me in the ass more than once.

Greyscale

Are you paying for copies or ink? You might want to print in greyscale (black and white) cause it’s cheaper. If you’re scamming copies (good for you) then you don't need to worry about it.

Scale

Usually I print at 100% or "actual size," but depending on the zine file and the printer’s margins, this may or may not cut off some content around the edges and you might have to scale down or choose "fit." Occasionally scaling down the zine can throw off the centre line, so you might have weirdness there. As with most things, just print and fold a test copy first to make sure everything is ok.

Note to people who make zines: most printers can’t accommodate full bleed, so please don’t put text all the way to the edge of the paper.

Orientation

This usually defaults to portrait, and technically we are printing landscape, but I am gonna be honest: I basically never touch this setting and I don't think I've ever had a problem with it on any printer ever. If you print the first page of your zine and it's oriented the wrong way, I'd just change it and see what happens.

Always print one copy before you print a bunch of copies! Check your prints throughout the print job, don’t just hit print and walk away.

Fucked up zines prints are a huge bummer cause they’re usually double-sided so you can’t even reuse the back for scrap paper. If you are patient and careful and get in the habit of checking your settings well, you'll avoid a lot of unnecessary paper waste, although some amount of waste is pretty much inevitable when printing at quantity. Don't be totally neurotic about it—it happens—but don't be sloppy or nihilistic about it either (especially if you're not paying for prints.)

Occasionally you will find a zine where the file seems OK and correct but actually it is laid out really fucked up and it won’t print well despite your best efforts. The fixes for this are beyond the scope of this article and can involve enlisting the help of someone who knows how to use design software.

Finishing

Finishing just means the stuff you do to the paper after it's done printing: for simple zines, it's usually just stapling and folding.

You can get away with not stapling or binding your zines if they’re only 1-2 sheets of paper, but for anything with multiple sheets you really should do your readers or your future self a favour and attach the pages together in the right order.

A regular stapler won’t really reach into the middle of a standard-sized zine, though many have tried to make it work by folding the cover to get it to fit in the stapler's mouth (but then your zine is kinda crumpled). Maybe this is fine for you. Otherwise, you need access to a long-arm stapler, which you might be able to check out at a library or makerspace, steal from an office supply store, or go in on purchasing with a few friends. I think they’re like $30-40 these days.

You can crease the zines first to make sure you’re stapling in the right place, or just set the stopper at 5.5” for standard half-Letter zines (or the total width of the paper divided by 2). Long-arm staplers can typically accommodate up to 25 sheets of paper with no issues.

Some people like to do other wild things like literally saddle-stitching the zines with a sewing machine or even throwing an elastic band around the middle. This is fine I guess but personally I staple.

Folding a lot of big zines can be rough on your hands. If you’re fancy you can try to find a bookbinding tool called a bone folder that is made for creasing, but the butt end of a sharpie works basically just as well and it’s really useful to have a sharpie in your distro kit anyways for stuff like making a sign that says “ZINES (A) P.W.Y.C.” (the correct way to price your zines.)

BONUS: Colour Covers

Using colour paper for covers makes your zine table look extra enticing, and IMO it is well worth the extra effort. Some really fancy printers or copiers will even have a separate tray for cover paper, although mine doesn't, so here's how I do it:

Get some colour paper. I usually like to get multipacks of the brightest colours I can find (the Astrobrights ones are really nice). Watch out, some of those packs will have super dark colours like black or dark blue that you might not be able to print on in high-enough contrast, but maybe you can find another use for them (like making a cool PWYC sign with a whiteout pen?). Make sure you pay attention to the type of paper you're getting—if you're trying to be really fancy and want to make your zines more durable you can do deluxe cardstock covers (usually 65-lb.+ or "cover" weight), but ~24-lb. "text" paper is more economical (whether you're stealing or buying) cause you get more sheets in the same sized package. Some printers don't handle heavyweight cardstock well, so also be mindful of that as it pertains to your personal setup.

You're going to be printing the first two pages of your zine PDF on the colour paper, aka one sheet front and back. In your print dialogue box, make sure the settings are the same as discussed above—double-sided, flipped on short edge, etc. Where it says "pages to print," instead of "all" we're going to select "pages" and fill in "1-2." If you are printing a zine where the inside front and back covers are blank (i.e. there is nothing on page 2 of your imposed zine PDF), you can just print page 1. Print one test copy to make sure that everything looks good, and then print as many copies of the cover as you're going to print copies of the zine. I like to count out the number of sheets of colour paper I'm going to need for the print run and load them into the feed tray so that I don't accidentally forget to switch back to white paper when the run is complete.

Next, the guts. Double check that your feed tray has white paper in it! Back in your print dialogue box, make sure all your settings are good (flip on short edge, etc). Under "pages to print" we're going to fill in "3-X", X being the last page of your PDF. Again, print one copy to make sure it works before you send the whole job with however many copies you're making, and keep an eye on the job as it's printing.

To assemble, simply lay a colour cover on top of the finished stack of guts and staple and fold like regular.

Book Review: Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon (1973)

2024-10-27T18:03:50.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Thomas Pynchon's 1973 novel Gravity's Rainbow (GR) is infamously really long and difficult to read, but also highly regarded (for some reason). There is a good chance that if you have already heard about this book, it's because you got punished by some dude about it.

I love Thomas Pynchon's books; Pynchon is an author that a lot of punks and anarchists love, and Gravity's Rainbow is widely considered his best book. There's good reasons people in our worlds like his books: he writes about anarchists and counter-cultural weirdos, he mixes highbrow with lowbrow, striking a magical balance way that is both serious and completely unpretentious (like the best punk). I know several other punks with a tattoo of the W.A.S.T.E. logo from Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49.

We Await Silent Tristero's Empire

It is also appropriate to have GR be the first book review in The Counterforce, since the name of this project is taken from part 4 of the book.

Part 4: The Counterforce

I don't want to be another one of those dudes who punishes you about Gravity's Rainbow. This "review" is for many of friends who've expressed interest in reading Gravity's Rainbow and just want my advice on how to tackle it. I recently read it for the third time, and I've checked out some of the newer and older reading companions that exist. So at this point I hopefully have some useful advice . If you are curious and want a bit more of a pitch, here are two recent reviews/articles that came out for the 50th anniversary of GR's publication:

Join the Counterforce: Thomas Pynchon’s postmodern epic Gravity’s Rainbow at 50

Short-circuiting the language of literary value, permanently wrongfooting the custodians of taste, Gravity’s Rainbow proposes a new way of thinking about what we treasure most.

The ConversationJulian Murphet

We’re All Living Under Gravity’s Rainbow

Looming apocalypse. Paranoid conspiracies. Rocket-obsessed oligarchs. As Thomas Pynchon’s novel turns 50, its world feels unnervingly present.

WIREDJohn Semley

Or, just ask any of your punk friends who you suspect are into Pynchon. Odds are you know at least one and you can get a personalized pitch (or be punished...). I will finally say that, after re-reading both recently, I actually think Against The Day (2006) is my favorite Pynchon book. But because of it's infamy and place in "literature," GR has far more resources and writing about it, so it might still be easier to recommend (it's also shorter, but that isn't saying much).

Stay in The Zone

Gravity's Rainbow is long and challenging. If you don't currently have a regular book-reading habit and you just try to dive right into the deep end, there's a good chance you'll drown. You've gotta approach a book like this intentionally and with a plan. You need to be confident you'll be able to read regularly, and keep it up long enough to finish the book (how long depends on how much you read each day). Reading GR is quite immersive. It isn't essential to have a tight handle on everything, but I think you if you spent too much time away, you'll have trouble keeping track of how everything fits together, and spend more time trying to remember than enjoying the reading.

If you are out of practice reading, I suggest getting warmed up with an easy page-turner, or maybe one of Pynchon's easier books (see below). I usually read before bed, but this isn't a book where that works for me at all. To re-read GR this time, I needed to get back into the habit of reading at breakfast and in the afternoon at least every other day. Which is a habit I like to have in my life anyways!

I also went on a monthlong tour in the middle of my most recent reading, thinking I would keep reading while on tour (didn't happen). The extended break made it hard for me to pick GR up again and finish. So I suggest planning to read GR when you know you'll have the time ahead of you, whether that's when you'll be on vacation, or have a long winter ahead, or if you just finished school.

Pre-Read

If you want some warm-up reads, or just wanna try reading Pynchon without starting with the "hardest one," he has other excellent books that are easier and shorter. Punks love the aforementioned The Crying of Lot 49—it's short and funny and way less dense. His later books Inherent Vice (2009) and Bleeding Edge (2013) are also shorter and more accessible. Inherent Vice even has a good movie you can watch before/after you read, and Bleeding Edge is his most recent book— it's set in NYC in 2001, so the setting and context is way more familiar and accessible to most contemporary readers than the World War II of GR.

Companions

There are more companions and reading guides for GR than ever. I think it is a book that gets assigned in university English lit maybe? So there are academic study guides and summaries for sure, but I have never looked at any of those. I suggest John Semley's Gravity's Rainbow Guide (https://gravitysrainbowguide.com) which provides a short, readable summary of each Episode to help you easily follow the "plot" of the novel an stay grounded. John also co-hosts a 12-or-so episode podcast called Slow Learners, the first season of which is designed to be listened to while reading GR. Each podcast episode covers a chunk of the book, and the hosts go over "what happened," discuss the reading and the themes so far, and conduct an interview with some kind of smart person. The podcast isn't brilliant (it's just two dudes talking), but it's also not overly academic or pedantic. Even if you don't love it, the structure and clarifying summaries will likely help you get a lot out of the book, especially on the first read-through. It'll also point out the major themes and provide the context of the book: the world it was released into and where Pynchon was coming from in writing it (as far as anyone knows—he is notoriously reclusive and mysterious). So, I recommend reading along with the website and listing along with the podcast as you go, at a bare minimum!

There is also the classic Gravity's Rainbow Wiki which has tons of page-by-page annotations and an alphabetical index, all contributed by Pynchon nerds. Unless you have the correct paper edition, it's hard to look up annotations for a specific page on the fly, but you can try reading along in the Wiki as you go. I find the alphabetical index more helpful—for example, for looking up a character by name when they reappear after a 400-page absence and you need to be reminded who the fuck they are.

I've also read along with the 2nd edition of A Gravity's Rainbow Companion by Steven Weisenburger (a physical book, but online here, or find a PDF at the usual places). I don't really recommend this for a first read through, especially if you are listening to the podcast and following along on John's Gravity's Rainbow Guide website. Weisenburger includes really detailed and obtuse annotations, with lots of speculation about Pynchon's sources and deep background. It's great if you want to nerd out hard, but probably a distraction otherwise. There are short summaries for each Episode, but even those are kind of vague.

WTF is going on

One thing that I did get from Weisenberger's Companion is a heightened awareness of how Pynchon shifts the narrative point of view. Weinsenberger calls these narrative shifts analepsis and they are big part of what makes Pynchon's writing dense or confusing. A chapter will start following a particular character, who will be reminded of something. Then we dive into the memory, and then a character in the memory mentions an ancestor, and then we follow the ancestor's story for 20 pages before going in reverse, inception-style, back to the POV where we started. Here is a long but helpful description of this taken from an online "Pynchon Newbies" guide:

Who is speaking? It can sometimes be difficult for the reader to track who is narrating a scene, as Pynchon will frequently and subtly shift between i) narration by an external, impersonal narrator, of which there are several distinguishable by their tone of voice and their treatment of the subject; ii) narration from the POV of a given character, achieved either by colouring the narrative with the character's 'voice' —adopting vocabulary, idiomatic tics etc. —or by narrating one of the character's passing memories or fantasies, usually with an accompanying change of narrative voice; and iii) dialogue — often attributed but, when unattributed, so clearly demarcated thanks to Pynchon's mastery of accent and dialogue that the identity of the speakers is rarely in doubt.

Where and when is the narrated action taking place and how the hell did we get here from where we just were? Many of the switches of narrator/perspective involve switching into alternative contexts, contexts from which we usually emerge back into the previous one. In particular, the switch from external to internal narrative often starts off by moving from an outside view to the perspective of the chosen character on the current scene. But it is usually effected in order to switch into that character's memories or fantasies which often belong to a totally different time and place to the enclosing narrative. So, at first it appears that the book is chock full of sudden and arbitrary jumps in chronology and location interlarded with strange song and dance numbers or bouts of weird sex or whatever. But these peculiar and confusing sequences are for the most part merely intrusions from the psyches of the characters into a relatively conventionally plotted story.

The step down into a character's memories can often run to several pages or even whole sections of narrative and this may itself involve recursive descents into the memories or fantasies of characters in the embedded scene. Sometimes all this rich exposition may underline and explain a single line of dialogue or a passing thought of the character in the enclosing narrative. The material presented may also serve to help the reader comprehend later (and occasionally earlier) developments. Bear in mind then that GR is a hierarchy of narratives, rather like a hypertext in which a given line or paragraph at one level in the narrative can suddenly open up into a whole section of underlying expository narrative. Be prepared to switch to and fro from one scene to another at the drop of an allusion but expect also to find a coherent trail linking each such scene to a global narrative.

Here is an example of these narrative shifts within a single Episode broken down in Wiesenburger's Companion:

Again in part 1, episode 14 is a much more complex variant on this cyclical pattern. It opens at Pirate Prentice's London maisonette with Katje Borgesius standing before the lens of Osbie Feel's movie camera; the first analepsis, focalized through Katje, discloses Blicero, Gottfried, and Katje at the rocket battery in Holland; the second, focalized now through Blicero, takes us to South-West Africa during the Herero insurrection of 1922; we return momentarily to the second-order time (at the Holland rocket battery) in order to begin a third analepsis, this time focalized through one of Katje's seventeenth-century ancestors, Frans van der Groov, on the island of Mauritius; and the narration ends by cycling readers back to the original base time, with Katje standing before the camera eye.

Just being aware that this is a big part of Pynchon's style—and that you should watch out for it when you are starting to feel lost—can help a lot.

Don't give up

Stay strong! Don't be discouraged if you aren't keeping everything. GR is not a book to skim, it's important to read every word. But don't worry if you don't understand every word. Just enjoy the ride, or the "vibes" and stick with it. I usually tell people to at least try and make it to when Slothrop goes down the toilet at which point you can't really deny that you are at least reading something interesting.

Even if you lose steam and stop, don't be afraid to pick GR back up and try again. Re-listen to a podcast episode or re-read the last few Episode summaries and then dive back in. No one gets everything the first time, and one of the joys of the book is discovering new things every time you reread it (if you ever choose to). GR certainly doesn't deliver a satisfying first-order narrative conclusion, but it is worth getting through. There are still great payoffs that deliver (and you'll probably catch more of them with help from these guides. And undeniably some of the best parts of the book appear closer to the end. How could you stop before Byron the Bulb!

Good luck!

Fall 2024 Directory additions

2024-10-25T20:32:23.000-04:00

By Webmaster

Some new additions to The Counterforce directory:

Zines: Karton (France), DIY Zine (California)

Sites: chpunk.org (Show listings from France/Belgium)

Radio: Lazos Punks

If you know of other punk projects online (websites, zines, radio shows/podcasts) please submit them!

STREET GLOVES - 2024 DEMO

2024-10-23T11:17:36.000-04:00

By Misery

STREET GLOVES is back with another demo that gets right to the point. Punishing electronic d-beats, an oscillating siren(?), ripping power cords that punch the opening track "THE NEXT GENOCIDE" into full gear. A call to arms as the increasingly claustrophobic reality that the wars in Palestine, Sudan, Ethiopia and around the world are on display for us all to see, and will be on our doorstep if we don't act soon. "GOSPEL" keeps up the momentum and addresses the devastating and dehumanizing use of technology and weapons, operated by algorithms with indiscriminate targeting systems. A somewhat unsurprising and extremely satisfying addition to STREET GLOVES brilliant instrumentation is a hardcore breakdown in "UNLIMITED RISK" that'll get the whole room going side to side and wall to wall. This downright paranoid track will have you picking up change across the pit and smashing the next security camera you see on the street. The vocals on this new demo have more bark and more bite compared to the earlier STREET GLOVES work featuring a more shouted and exasperated delivery; a welcome change that asserts more confidence and determination especially highlighted on the "STRUGGLE FOREVER REDUX". The demo rounds out with a brilliant CRUCIFIX cover of "SEARCH FOR THE SUN". And if you're lucky enough to snag a cassette there's some sneaky remixes on the other side that will leave the dancefloor/DIY space/generator show fully torn up.

If you're not pumping your fist in the air and lighting firecrackers by the end of these songs, you might wanna check that pulse! This is music for the revolution that you and I have to start right here, right now!

STRUGGLE FOREVER

Find the demo here: https://streetg.love/s/2024-demo/
Or grab a tape at: https://vileintent.bigcartel.com/

2024 DEMO

Faircamp

PORTAL TOMB - LAST FROST

2024-10-23T11:57:09.000-04:00

By Misery

Behold the new dawn of stench...

It's not often a band that places itself so firmly in a well established subgenre of punk outshines it's predecessors. But the monolithic weight of the 3 tracks from PORTAL TOMB's first release might just be the best stenchcore this side of the pond has ever seen. Crusty, rumbling bass tones, sweeping guitar riffs and pummelling drums all accompanied by the guttural war cries of guitarist/vocalist Aíne. Opening track "SELF" is a rallying cry against individualism and the oppressive trappings of society. "TURADH" is the gloomy, building instrumental that twists around the drums and guitars, setting the stage perfectly for the closing track "REPUDIATION". A blazing, double kick induced miasma of crust that demands you "get off your knees", seize the power of your words and actions, rise up against the colonial powers that be. Just over 12 minutes long, PORTAL TOMB are on the front lines of the crust war, ready to dig into the trenches and fight back against the monotony and strife that weighs down our world.

The cassette tape (available through https://www.soremind.com/) is a beautiful collaboration between punk design legends Wilbur and Chris (of SoreMind). A printed cassette AND cassette case create a truly unique design, further enhanced by additional quotes on the j-card.

"The tradition of all dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brains of the living."

I've had the pleasure of catching PORTAL TOMB live a few times now, every time tighter and louder than the last. If you get the chance to catch them live, dust off the butt flap, don the Deviated Instinct shirt and enjoy the ride.

Find the demo on bandcamp: https://portaltomb.bandcamp.com/album/last-frost-demo
Pick up a tape at: https://www.soremind.com/ (grab one before they sell out!!)

LAST FROST (Demo), by Portal Tomb

CRⒶSS OVER – Gee Vaucher: Crass & beyond | White Columns

Portal TombPortal Tomb

New Zine - THINK! edition nil

2024-10-17T20:59:49.000-04:00

By Webmaster

We have a new zine submitted from Holistic Industries added to the digital zine distro: THINK! edition nil. Several reviews and a few musings about punk. Download, print and distribute alongside our other zines!

The Counterforce Issue #3

2024-10-17T18:04:17.000-04:00

By Webmaster

The 3rd print version of The Counterforce is out, covering everything up to mid-october 2024. Download and print the PDF version and distro it yourself! This issue has a lot of photos, so we prepared a color version in addition to a B&W version in case you have access to a color copy scam ;)

Find both, and more zines to print and distro on the Zines page.

Gee Vaucher Art Show

2024-10-06T15:54:15.000-04:00

By Greg The Builder

Contributed by Greg The Builder

There's something weird about walking down a side street in Manhattan and seeing a gallery window filled with a one of your favorite logos of all time. It feels both out of place and exciting at the same time. Truthfully, I am always conflicted when art and academic institutions and "authorities" try to legitimize punk and the art made within it. As if we need their approval to know that what has come from our subculture has meaning and worth. These shows often feel corny and lazy, with the main audience being norms who think "punk is dead".

Gee Voucher's show at White Columns gallery in Chelsea, thankfully, stands out amongst the lackluster crowd. The show is both a launch for the recently published CRASS pictorial history book and a survey of Gee's work after the band's break up.

When you first walk in, you are welcomed by the original "THERE IS NO AUTHORITY BUT YOURSELF" banner, and it was kind of surreal to just be standing in front of something we've seen in photos hanging behind the band for decades. They did a solid job making it because it's still in great shape. The show is split between two rooms. One entirely of CRASS artifacts and the other, larger room, of Gee's more recent work.

I'll talk about Gee's non-CRASS art first just to bury the lead. It spans a range of pieces that could have been in a CRASS insert if they were still a band (honestly, thank g-d they aren't) to large painted portraits. Most overtly political, some a little too on the nose. There were a couple pieces that if by anyone else would have felt like bad political street art. Am I being generous because it's Gee or was she the original Banksy? I don't know, I'm not an art critic or a historian, I'm a CRASS-obsessive idiot.

Gee's painting to me, an untrained eye, feels classically trained and from what I know of her history, that makes sense. The large portraits were cool, but the pieces I enjoyed the most were painted landscapes with less obvious political messaging. A pair of paintings of birds that had fighter jets hidden amongst them and a scene of large breaking waves with a small raft filled presumably with refugees risking their lives for what they hope is a safer life. I regret not taking many photos of this part of the show and not spending more time with it.

Okay back to the reason we're all here. This part was more of an exhibit on CRASS than Gee herself. It also felt more like a collection of artifacts than of art, but is that just what any art exhibit is? I don't really know, again, I'm just an idiot. Obviously a large portion of the collection were Gee's collages, which had several originals framed and hung on the wall, but you can't have an art show on CRASS without it also being a Dave King show, right? Whether it's an art show or a historical exhibit it was really well done. I found myself wishing I owned some of these originals. It physically pained me.

If you already have the new CRASS book you've seen everything in this room, but to be inches away from original graphics, photographs, posters, and other political ephemera the band made puts everything in a different context. Some of the most common live photos of the band are included in the exhibit and I would never have expected them to be such small physical photographs. One of the most intimate feeling pieces in the collection was a version of the logo with the snake "breaking out" of the circle with a note from Dave King wondering if "it's time."

As you first walk in the room straight ahead, centered on the wall is a wild looking poster for two shows CRASS played in Ireland in September '82. You get to see alternative lettering throughout the collection (and book). This is one of my favorites.

Here are some of my other favorite parts of the collection:

An original spray painted The Feeding of the 5000 banner

Other alternative hand drawn versions of the logo

Originals of the insert art and political essays

The one thing I didn't take a picture of was the original copy of Loving Magazine and the ad for the Our Wedding flexi, one of my favorite moments of CRASS shithousery. What I would do to have an original copy of that ad to go along with the flexi.

Why did this show feel different from other attempts at establishing punk art as "legitimate'? Ultimately, because it was the show of an artist who just happens to be one of the most important artists in punk. It was treated with the respect owed to her and to the band, while neither getting treated as a novelty. No corny wall signage explaining to the unaware what "punk rock" is or reassuring liberals that "anarchy" isn't just a bunch of lawless wildlings sowing chaos. If you had no idea who CRASS was, maybe you'd think it was a collection of cool images and maybe you'd go home and check out the band, but for us, the punks, it really felt like the thing we all shaped our lives around and one of the most important bands (for me at least) in it matters. Or maybe I'm taking this way too seriously, which when it comes to CRASS, I have definitely been known to do.

You can find more photos of the show on White Columns website:

White Columns is New York City’s oldest alternative non-profit space.

White Columns

CY FEST 2024 REPORTBACK

2024-10-04T09:54:52.000-04:00

By CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective

Brought to you by CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19 – CY FEST KICK OFF SHOW

We rolled into LA like the Beverly Hillbillies: our whole life upon the wagon: sustenance, wardrobe, equipment, furniture, and even another vehicle for local transport—not to mention not one, but TWO recently stitched buttflaps. On the way up we discovered THE TOASTERS’ “Weekend In LA” track, which became our anthem for the trip. “How will you check me later if you don’t dig me now?”

We slept at two different apartments over the coming days, and even had a third we could have fallen back on, but our first stop became our true home for the weekend: Descontrol punk shop, an establishment that earns the name. Within the dusty, leather-laden walls of this dank smoke dungeon we found a world where time receded, punks relaxed, and rockers reached out from punks’ past to remind you: “I too recorded a fucking demo once and it’s better than your pretty record store day 180 gram collectable special pressing you pretentious pus-ey pisshead fuck!”

A siiiiick ass international exhibition curated by Mala Influencia and Osiris Ramirez was on display when we walked into the shop, with gorgeous, large, screenprinted posters from all over the world—at least four continents—and well-balanced on the dis-cartesian plane formed by the chain to egg and anarcho to chaos axes.

After finally unloading all our DJ equipment for the weekend, we somehow grasped ourselves out of dungeon Descontrol and puttered over to First Street Pool & Billiard Parlor for the CY Fest kick off show. This spot seems to have shows often—including LEFTÖVER CRACK just under a month prior WHY DIDN’T ONE OF YOU FUX TELL ME—in case you’re in LA someday, which, legit, not a bad idea… LA is mad punk if you can swing.

I can’t really explain it—that would take too long and compromise the privacy of others—but I’m not lying when I say that my buttflap got us into a completely sold out and PACKED AF show. Turns out a good buttflap can get you far in this town. Buttflap comeback and total DISCHARGE font homogeny punk trend predictions for 2025 lfg lock it in. Speaking of DISCHARGE, THE VARUKERS were about halfway through their set by the time we stepped through the door. That fucking singer is a mad man! Two mohawks up all the way for THE VARUKERS in 2024!!! House was packed and hot but it kinda felt like no one gave into the slumped-over-each-other sloshy-moshy sweat pits of my southern punk rock youth. Was hoping for a little more movement, maybe CONFLICT will deliver. Just a small pit for them. However, CONFLICT’s new additional vocalist, Fi, fuuucking lets it rip. Bravo! APPENDIX closed out the night even though they weren’t on the flyer, officially turning them into the band I’ve seen most—and on the most coasts—over the past year. Last chance for a dance punks… and there was plenty of boppin’ and rockin’ along to the old ‘PENDIX. “Hej! Hej! Hej!”

For me, what makes an LA show an LA show is the vendor scene out back. We drank beers with a cool ass old vendor who had 40-year-old skinhead photo books for sale and lives in his van. I didn’t see their distro until Saturday, but every pool table had a copy of D.I.Y. ZINE ISSUE #2, an excellent Bay Area anarcho-punk newsletter with a 4,000-count print run. My favorite article was the interview with Israeli crust band HOLOCAUSTS. I fucking wish my town had a rag like this. Oh yeah, I live in my van and travel from punk festival to punk festival… punk is my town. Solidarity to all the van punx across the world reading this.

I wish I had caught: TENSO, ANIMALS REVENGE, and FINAL CONFLICT.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 20 – PRE-CY FEST AFTER PARTY

Friday had the most shows: the Pre-CY Fest Show, which was a festival of its own right, a CY Fest Presents Oi! show with THE TEMPLARS and RIXE, and a Pre-CY Fest After Party. The multiple similar names made it difficult to describe to cool punks you just met which event you were going to, excited about, or who was playing where or when. But I actually liked the disorienting aspect of too much to see, and I hope the billing chaos extends further next year with a Pre-CY Fest Kick Off After Party Pre-Show and a dozen indistinguishable Post-CY Fest Show After Parties, each with its own dozen of indistinguishable grind bands.

We woke up rough, made up our mugs, and asked each other “whattya wanna?”

“Descontrol.”

Back in Descontrol and this time…we didn’t escape. It’s too good. It’s too fucking good there. You’re Aladdin in the Cave of Wonders but made out of old porn, motorcycles, studs and spikes and a cool cat you haven’t seen in a minute who drops off a few copies of the ELECTROCUTAME ZINE COMPILATION TAPE, a benefit for CHICXS ROCKERXS, an inclusive girls rock summer camp in southeast LA.

We hang out so long that we miss both the TEMPLARS show and the pre-fest fest, where I would’ve liked to see HEZ, GOLPE, RESISTANT CULTURE, and WHO KILLED SPIKEY JACKET. Specifically, if I had seen RESISTANT CULTURE, I would have asked what fucking movie the scenes in their “runaway” music video are from. If you know, e-mail me: podcast@crimethinc.com

Oh well, why not roll back around to the pool hall? Literally APPENDIX again. We groundhoggin'? But this time, with even more rockin' and boppin' in the pit! Hej! Hej! Hej! A decent neo-crust outfit with good musicianship played before them, but I honestly couldn’t tell you if it was KIRA or AGE OF FEAR.

The scene at the pool hall was cool as fuck. Punks reconnecting and racking up balls and sharing horror stories just cuz. Everyone was a hot LA punk and me and my girlfriend discussed letting them all run a train on us in the bathroom, however 2 days in LA and still (?!) no other buttflaps in sight! Punk descontento.

I alllmost got to see one artful fucking smooth operator shark some punks at billiards, but the goth DJ had it swirling and swaying so we got on the dance floor until the night ended.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 21 – CY FEST

We showed up early and grabbed a vendor spot next to a cool punk flag distro. They had like, FRAMTID and DISCHARGE flags. Yeah, flags. Another punk trend prediction for 2025? We were there before doors so we got to see DETESTATION’s sound check, which already got me excited for what was to come. Apologies to the homies in PIG CITY for not snapping a shot off when the production dudes rolled your logo behind DETESTATION during sound check.

At our table we gave away free CrimethInc. zines surreptitiously produced at an ex-worker’s ex-workplace. We got a lot of compliments and curious customers and got to talk to other cool print-passioned punks like Burn Barrel Press.

“Don’t Rock the Vote, Vote with Rocks”

I took a walk around to check out the other vendors, scored some sick records, found out my friend who drummed for RAMBO wasn’t there (miss you love you Dave) and was pleased to encounter not one but TWO other anarchist literature tables: Anarchist Black Cross Federation Los Angeles and DIY ZINE (good luck finding the zine I’m talking about by searching “DIY ZINE” on g00gle.) The DIY ZINE table had bricks and bricks of their newsletter to distribute around the country. Unfortunately neither anarcho-punk table featured buttflaps anywhere in sight.

Another satisfied customer

The venue was a three-floor building with a stage on each floor and multiple staircases, making it a kind of maze to navigate. Each floor had something: the basement floor had the best vibe, the top floor had the best sounding stage on one side of a carpeted entryway and, on the other, the balcony seats overlooking the ground floor auditorium, which had the biggest and busiest moshpit.

I only caught one song of PIG CITY on the big stage but it looked like she had the microphone all the way in her mouth? Whoa. Went back upstairs to tend to the zine table and take it easy before everything got wild. Too late! SOH was on and wild fucking foxy pogo boot in your face punk!!! What is up with three letter punk bands right now? In the past year, I’ve seen SMT, AFK, was supposed to see DHK but Mexico denied them at customs, and now SOH. Singer told me it stands for Sippin’ On Hennessy.

SOH

BATSCRATCH was next, our generation’s OLD SKULL. Ok, maybe not an apt comparison given that the only 10 year old member of BATSCRATCH is the vocalist, but it was still equal parts adorable and thrilling. The pit around BATSCRATCH was super tender and goofy and seemed to mostly be carried by the singer’s cousins or brothers or something? That what it looked like to me.

BATSCRATCH

VERBAL ABUSE were the first band to truly pack the house to the point of latter ripple moshpit vibrations into our table. Nicely done.

VERBAL ABUSE

LIFELESS DARK were my first basement band and FUCK do I wish I set up our table in the basement! Basement was anarcho lair with fine fabric booths, different levels of banister, behind-stage platform, and understage pit from which to see the band. The house was packed for LIFELESS DARK and it was like there were punks posting up on every available surface that allowed for direct eyesight and ear damage. Not to be missed! The basement also had dope ass anarcho style banners proclaiming solidarity with Palestine, migrants, and our furry friends. Cheers to whoever put those up.

The previous day I saw this gloomy ass punk who had a “Sadness Is Rebellion” bag, a “Feel The Darkness” backpatch, and a “DOOM” pin—the next time I saw them was at LIFELESS DARK, go figure.

Punks in search of something while LIFELESS DARK speaks out against genocide

anarcho banners

R.A.M.B.O. had moshpit antics with props and costumes as you would hope from them. Did you know Tony Pointless founded the Birdpunk subculture?

The Revolutionary Anarchist Mosh Bike Overthrow in action

THE PIST were playing in the basement while I caught up with an old pal and sounded way more fucking Oi! than I had remembered but it was GOOD. Like catchy as fuck. Sadly I didn’t get to realize my 13-year-old Napster dream of seeing THE PIST play “Textbook Salvation” because I had to run upstairs for RIXE.

RIXE

RIXE was where the festigue started to kick in, where all of the loud bass and drums and guitar and shouting starts to sound the same and my back hurts. Went to get beer but a beer was 15 fucking dollars. Fuck Live Nation for real.

Wandered down to the basement and caught PARANOID. Good, but did not wrest me from my slumbergrump.

PARANOID

HABAK heavy. Ugga ugga.

I finally succumbed to the $15 beer prices (not punk. Fuck you Live Nation) to shake the festigue. Ordering took so long that I basically saw all of HELLSHOCK from the bar line. Not the way I’d prefer to see HELLSHOCK, but not the worst way to spend time waiting for the bartender!

Glug glug glug and we’re back! (also not punk, kids.)

But you know who IS fucking punk? Mother fucking DEATH SIDE!!!!! Finally, another fucking buttflap in the building! Despite his constant insistence that he does not speak English (a claim that punctuates almost anything he says) the vocalist’s broken-english banter captivated the audience almost as much as his band’s show, which was world class. “West Coast is wasted coast!” I’ve seen him fronting his other band, FORWARD, and it was a similar deal, his speeches from the stage sucked any dead air out of the room and launched the crowd into laughter and chant-a-long pogo. Sometimes, I like to imagine him speaking perfect English and having a hardcore routine of vocal exercises and Shakespeare soliloquies before taking the stage and that every slurred, barely intelligible sentence that sounds like he only learned English from crust lyrics is actually the cold, calculated execution of a perfect showman.

Houston, we have a buttflap

SKITSYSTEM followed. Apparently two of them were denied entry at the airport. Fuck borders!!!

Back to the basement for QLOAQA LETAL, a Spanish punk band from the 80s whose singer is still going at it. LA punks were fucking stoked for this band.

Fist pumpin’ to QLOAQA LETAL

When we got back to our literature table, which we had abandoned hours ago, we found that ANTISECT had squatted it to sell merch! I hope they sold some of our free zines too, just for a laugh.

We evacuated anything we really cared about from the table and abandoned it to the anarchy of the top floor stage, hoping we’d at least see the table again.

DROPDEAD spoke out against vivisection. Cool. Sitting on the balcony I met this punk who was the right age and location and style to have known my dead friend who coordinated Maximum Rocknroll, and they did. Nice of you to show up, Jen.

DETESTATION closed the night and boy oh mother fucking boy were they the band to do it. First show in a quarter of a century and an absolute class act. The vocalist spoke out from the stage against colonialism, selling punk out, and white supremacy. They were the only band to even recognize the consumption of alcohol, let alone question it, and thanks to their sound check they had the bounciest, locked in mix where every instrument came through clearly and moved you more. Hooray for DETESTATION!

Não mais prisões, não mais heróis

For their encore, DETESTATION played their classic cover of REPUBLIKA’s “Não Mais.” To aid in maximum singalong, the vocalist brought out two giant cardboard prompter boards with the lyrics. The boards had their intended effect and the final song of CY Fest was an adorable, anti-establishment, hardcore sing along. I wish she had told us to all put our arms around each other or some cheesy shit like that, “nao mais!!!” At the very end of their set, the band threw both boards into the audience. The boards could not have come to two more different ends. One was gently received by an appreciative woman who posed with it alongside smiling friends. The other square of cardboard was wrestled over between two dudes in the pit who tugged it back and forth for so long that they both ended up on the ground…and kept going at it. It was taken by one guy, then wrestled out of his hands, then his friend got in it, next thing you know five security guards came over and stood around like, unsure what to do because they weren’t exactly fighting but it was fucking weirding everyone else out like it’s just a sign bro? By the time one of them walked out with the sign it was mangled and unrecognizable. Lame, but entertaining!

Although we had succumbed to $15 beers, we never even ate so we rushed out of the theater and beelined it to the Rainbow before the kitchen closed. Weekend in LA!

At some point we also saw BEHIND ENEMY LINES and the VARUKERS, again. I don’t recall when this happened.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22 – DESCONTROL PUNK SWAP MEET

Turns out DJing an event with a soundsystem is a whole lot of fucking work. But it pays off. It was an honor to bring the boom in the first free and semi-guerrilla (sidewalk takeover?) punk event of the weekend. Loved the crowd that filled the shop. A Chilean punk with tattooed mohawked studded up dolls, some leather and steel smiths, a punk rug maker, graff, tattoo shit, just a big ass punk street party with endless cool gems to hold and behold. Had there been bands, it would have been a riot. Also, I learned some local LA punk riot history about the 2006 San Bernadino punk riot at British Invasion 2k6 fest. There were fresh tacos and we drank ice cold micheladas on a hot day. Some punks with old ass records shared their shade with us. Sharing!

While we unloaded, every stand I passed had a different little boombox with a cool song on it. I shazzammed some of these songs but at no point did I turn up any artist… what we do is secret. I felt bad drowning out the lots of little speakers, but as I got props and whoozats on the selection the vibes increased. During the golden hour, I made a risky transition to skinhead reggae, and suddenly we got sing alongs, we got boogie woogie, we got rabbithole conversations about LEE SCRATCH PERRY producing SUSAN CADOGAN, we got hoots and hollers from where most of the punks are playing a funny game.

For me, the Descontrol punk swap meet was the high point of the weekend. It was just a little more wild. The fest was fun as fuck, and next year’s looks like it will deliver once again with DISORDER, FUCK ON THE BEACH, TAQBIR, INYECCION, and INFEST already announced to play. But legit, whoever is playing, you should just go and hang out being a cool LA punk. If punk taught me anything it’s that the good stuff is always on the margins, in the shadows. Enjoy CY, but do the random other cool punk weekend shit that’s just punks being punks.

your ticket to a world free of charge

Youth in Asia - Nuclear Waste Abomination (2024)

2024-10-02T16:09:15.000-04:00

By Crash JT

I have been sitting on this review for a while but have been, for whatever reason, repeatedly putting off finishing it (I'd like to say it's because I've been too busy, but that is a shit excuse retrospectively). Alas, today I called in sick to work, which felt like the perfect time to focus on this review instead of more pressing important things I should actually be doing. I have now finally gotten my lazy ass to click the upload and save button to this website, finally leading me four months later to plug in the relatively vernal outfit: YOUTH IN ASIA.

YOUTH IN ASIA’s 2024 release, Nuclear Waste Abomination, on Milwaukee’s Unlawful Assembly, is recommended for all who love blown-out hardcore punk—which I’m assuming many people who read The Counterforce do! The lyrics are sung in Korean and are deep and growly ala DOOM (or a more contemporary comparison being VIDEO FILTH) but depart from being anything I would describe as crust. Instead, it seems to be influenced by classic American hardcore and Japanese punk.

I am not a drummer, so my knowledge is only limited to the half-ass attempts I’ve made over the past ten years to learn drums, but for lack of a better word, they just fucking rip. The speed and precision hold the demo together in a way that aids in how much the vocals work to demolish precision. I always appreciate punk when it works to create perfection and chaos at the same time: An arduous process that YOUTH IN ASIA succeeds at.

YOUTH IN ASIA is from the desolate ass lands of Indiana, particularly central and southern Indiana. Indiana is one of the worst states in objectively the worst country in the world. Indiana is not pretty, and if you have any concerns about good educational policies, reproductive rights, or LGBT care, then I would most certainly not recommend you move here. I can’t say there is much to visit and see here. Nonetheless, some enthusiastic youth are making some solid punk that brings just a bit of pride to that state.

FFO: YDI, ICD10, The Sentenced

Released on Unlawful Assembly, listen here: https://unlawfulassembly.bandcamp.com/album/youth-in-asia-nuclear-waste-abomination

FATAL REALM - Demo

2024-09-10T15:56:10.000-04:00

By Alex M

FATAL REALM straight up restored my faith in hardcore guys doing death metal. In a world that is now overrun by everyone trying to be the next TORTURE and bands stealing DYING FETUS breakdowns, FATAL REALM delivers a great take on death metal. The demo is 5 songs in 9 minutes. The whole demo is basically all mosh parts while still being very much a death metal demo. Nonstop riffs. Makes your brain feel like the drawing on the artwork. Also, I keep seeing people online use the term “spinkick death metal” to describe death metal bands that are influenced by hardcore or vice versa and I think it’s time that everyone accepts what the genre really is…it’s deathcore.

Self-released. Listen here: https://fatalrealm.bandcamp.com/album/demo

Demo, by Fatal Realm

Fatal RealmL

by Alex M

HELLSCAPE - S/T

2024-09-10T15:53:21.000-04:00

By Alex M

HELLSCAPE ended up on my radar due to this 7” being released by Advanced Perspective, a label that I feel consistently puts out really good shit and to no surprise, this is extremely good shit. The band cites some of their influences as CHRISTIAN DEATH and VOODOO CHURCH which is pretty obvious as soon as you listen to the first song. HELLSCAPE takes their goth and deathrock influences and uses them to make totally ripping hardcore punk. It’s fast, loud, and fucking pissed. Deathrock with mosh parts. The breakdown on the song Intravenous is so hard. It’s really great stuff. The whole EP is like 10 minutes long, so you know it rips.

Released on Advanced Perspective. Listen here: https://advancedperspective.bandcamp.com/album/hellscape

Hellscape, by Hellscape

Advanced PerspectiveBandcamp New & Notable Feb 1, 2024

by Alex M

AMERICAN CULTURE - Hey Brother, It's Been a While

2024-09-10T15:51:15.000-04:00

By Nab

You don’t need to be super plugged in to realize that Denver, Colorado has been having a moment in the last few years. A lot of it revolves around the label Convulse Records (GEL, MSPAINT, MILITARIE GUN…) and that scene birthed some awesome bands such as PUBLIC OPINION, DIRECT THREAT, CANDY APPLE and now AMERICAN CULTURE.

The album opens with local ambient-pop artist MIDWIFE, whose ethereal vocals are unmistakable, featured prominently on the song. A surprising choice and not her only appearance on the record. Anything that’s outside the box in Punk is often referred to as ambitious or pompous (I gave up trying to defend FUCKED UP), and this record doesn’t feel like that, but is definitely taking you in unexpected places. While rooted in Punk, AMERICAN CULTURE takes musical cues from lower-tiered Britpop (I love THE BOO RADLEYS personally) and 70’s powerpop. The latter I’m not as well-versed in but I could definitely see scrawny dudes in button-up shirts playing these riffs on weirdly-shaped guitars with much less gusto. Instead, the band brings sort of a slacker vibe thanks to the storytelling-like delivery of the vocals. And Frankly, the songs have no business being this good. The main point of reference for me would be a sobered-up THE STONE ROSES, but I feel like anybody into current bands like YOUNG GUV or HOTLINE TNT could easily get into this record. Perfect driving music in my opinion.

I haven’t dived into the concept of the record too much but it seems to revolve around one of the members having some sort of breakdown, going off the grid; and how his sudden disappearance and later resurfacing impacted his life and the people around him.

A member of the band brought me a copy to the show when my band played Denver, CO a couple weeks ago. I didn’t know the details of the story behind the record until reading the insert and it gives the record a lot of context. I thought I’d share it here:

If you had told me a year ago that in the Fall of 2023 we would be wrapping up a new American Culture album I wouldn't have believed you and honestly you wouldn't have been able to tell me because I was one of the countless homeless addicts in Las Vegas, stealing beer to sell on the strip and panhandling for drug money, sleeping in the network of tunnels beneath the city. To the public I was "missing". To my family and friends I was assumed lost to my addiction and feared dead from overdose/worse.

I'd struggled with heroin addiction for a little more than the 9 years I've been in this band. For much of the last decade I lived a double life; months of using— then cleaning up to go on tour with as many as 8 different bands in a year. Playing/throwing shows- then using in the down time. I thought I could control it and vowed to never let it get in the way of music.

That vow was broken during the COVID lockdowns when I was cutoff from the punk/DIY community that l'd dedicated almost 20 years of my life to, that I'd relied on to keep me sane, that was the lifeboat preventing me from drowning in my addiction. In its absence I relapsed after a decent stretch of being clean. Without shows/tours/band practice I sunk deeper than ever before. By the time concerts started happening again I was using IV fentanyl and dealing to support my habit.

Things got messy. My friends and family were scared. In May of 2022 | ended up in detox in California. To say the least, it didn't stick. I was out of money so my dealer out there fronted me a large quantity of drugs to drive back to Denver and sell. I stopped in Vegas for what was supposed to be one night. That night I was robbed at gunpoint. For the next few days I was held against my will in a sketchy motel at the end of the strip. My car was impounded. I was assaulted. My music gear and everything else was stolen or lost. Unable to wrap my head around losing virtually everything I owned, exhausted, ashamed— I gave up. It seemed inevitable to me that the rest of my life would revolve around using.

After three months of searching (and grieving what should have been an inevitable loss) my family and Chris got lucky and received a lead on my location. Two nights after Halloween 2022, I heard from someone I knew on the streets that my parents were there looking for me. By that point, in addition to a life threatening addiction, I was in a wheelchair, had sepsis, covid, and nerve damage in my hand. I was close to death— Circling the drain. The next morning I borrowed a phone in the lobby of the Venetian Hotel and Casino. 24 hours later I was headed to my parents house. That was November 3rd 2022. I've been clean since November 8th '22. In February, Chris, who along with Lucas and Scott had assumed I was dead and spent the summer grieving, flew out to visit me. To see a ghost— "Hey brother, it's been a while". That week we wrote two of the songs on this album. This album contains lyrics inspired by what I experienced before and after I got back from Vegas (on tracks like 'Body Double' and 'Survive'), as well as Chris's experience not knowing if I was dead/alive and coming to terms with what happened (on tracks like 'LostPuppy' and 'Human Kindness').

Moments of this record offer a glimpse at the ugly world of addiction/crime/homelessness, an all-too-common facet of 'American Culture' today. However, what this album represents to me is something much less common, something beautiful— the end of an extremely dark chapter of my life and (thanks to the patience and support of my family and friends, my bandmates and the DIY/punk community) a new beginning.

- Michael Stein

Released on Convulse Records. Listen here: https://convulserecords.bandcamp.com/album/hey-brother-its-been-a-while

Hey Brother, It’s Been a While, by American Culture

Convulse Recordsduskbringer

by Nab

PROBLEMS - Beg For Release

2024-09-10T15:49:18.000-04:00

By Nab

This new EP came out of nowhere and was a good surprise. Unrelenting Hardcore of the punk variety out of Norway, by longtime students of the game who cut their teeth in amazing bands such as DEATH IS NOT GLAMOROUS, OKKULTOKRATI, BLOOD SUCKERS, URBANOIA… This is no frills, in your face Hardcore. Equal parts POISON IDEA and NEGATIVE FX, that would play nicely with most current releases on Quality Control Records. I would describe the vocals as ugly and nasty if the band wasn’t fronted by the ultimate European heartthrob. The title track starts with the vocalist screaming “SPOILER ALERT: YOU'RE GONNA DIE!!!!". What more do you want?

Released by Adult Crash Records. Listen here: https://fuckproblems.bandcamp.com/album/beg-for-release

Beg for Release, by PROBLEMS

PROBLEMSBlastbeat Junkie

by Nab

ONE TRACK MIND - Demo 2024

2024-09-10T15:47:02.000-04:00

By Nab

I love getting caught off guard by that fast intro that breaks into a super cool rocking/lead part, setting the tone here for unconventional song structures in the often boring genre that is youth-crew adjacent Hardcore. For the uninitiated, the term "democore" came from the 2010s boom of willfully amateurish bands who swore by third-rate/obscure late 80’s NYHC (see the defunct Moshers Delight Records). Admittedly late to the party, ONE TRACK MIND from Montreal carves their name alongside that wave, but doesn’t sweat the production, doing justice (no pun intended) to these really well-written songs. The very laid-back vocals are an original touch and don't take away from the energy of the music. They lean hard on melodies and that’s probably their strongest suit; fingers crossed that’s the direction the next release is gonna go in. If you told me this band was a mix of early TURNING POINT meets SUPERTOUCH on Lockin Out, I wouldn’t be disappointed by the result.

Released on cassette by Poison Heart Records. Listen here: https://onetrackmindhc.bandcamp.com/album/demo

Demo, by One Track Mind

One Track MindBandcamp New & Notable Jul 14, 2024

by Nab

PLACID - Aller Jamais Retour EP

2024-09-10T15:44:27.000-04:00

By Nab

Weirdo Hardcore-punk on the eggier side of things that combines chorus-drenched noisy guitar and fast frantic drumming; but what made me fall in love with them are the super snarky vocals. Some songs are in English and others are in French (I believe the singer is from Luxembourg and the band is based in Germany). The lyrics are quite vile but the vocal delivery has a candid touch that makes the songs all the more catchier. It’s as no-bullshit as it gets and the drums are barrelling through the noise. There’s no mosh parts per se but definitely moments that will make people run into each other like maniacs in the pit. I described this as putting EXIT ORDER, BIB and LITIGE in a blender, but they definitely have their own thing going on.

Released by STTW Records. Listen here: https://sttwrecords.bandcamp.com/album/aller-jamais-retour

Aller jamais retour, by Placid

STTW RecordsBandcamp New & Notable Jul 14, 2024

by Nab

Death of a Recording Engineer

2024-09-02T13:04:58.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Anonymous submission

This won't mean anything to most of y'all, but Bill Korecky passed away at the beginning of August.

Bill ran Mars Studios in Cleveland, Ohio. Through the late 1980s and 1990s, he recorded all the records by Cleveland hardcore bands (INTEGRITY, RINGWORM, FACE VALUE, and... more than one band that doesn't deserve to be named), not to mention bands from outside Cleveland like CATHARSIS and UNDYING. He recorded the "Firestorm" EP by EARTH CRSIS. He even fixed the guitar sound on a certain STRIFE record (I include that detail for the benefit of... well, you know who you are).

A lot of the credit for those bands' recordings and the whole 1990s metallic hardcore aesthetic goes to Bill. He wanted everything that came out of Mars to sound fiercer than anything from any other studio.

Bill was an intense person. Working with him, you never had to worry that you would be the only one who cared about the results. Beyond politics or kinship, there is the particular camaraderie of people who are working on a shared project, applying themselves to the limit of their ability. Bill brought that energy to every recording session and insisted on it from every band that recorded with him. If a band was struggling to get a part right, Bill was there, too, working furiously to show you how it was supposed to go, stressing even harder than your bandmates... and making no secret of what he thought of your performance. If he didn't think a band was delivering on their potential, he would forbid them from telling anyone they had recorded at Mars (if memory serves, that may have happened to ENDPOINT).

He recorded plenty of bands with major-label recording contracts, but he set low rates for DIY bands. He was a fucking maniac, and I think he must have liked working with somewhat younger fucking maniacs, if only to tell other maniacs stories about their bad behavior (e.g., the time that the first drummer of INTEGRITY threw a fit by hacking up the studio couch with an axe, all the fistfights that took place in the studio, etc.).

We didn't see eye to eye about... a wide array of things. We're talking about a boomer from Cleveland. Whatever you're imagining as Bill's politics, imagine something weirder and worse. If there's a silver lining here, it is that Bill won't be voting in the next election. But in a way, that only makes it more meaningful that he was willing to work so hard to record penniless bands that were calling for the destruction of the meat industry, or capitalism and the state, or civilization itself.

I remember using a phone dialer at two pay phones to put Bill in touch with a bandmate. This is back when you had to pay by the minute to make long-distance calls, but you could outsmart the system by jerry-rigging a dialer to make the same sound the phone would make when it received coins. I held the two phone receivers up to each other in a 69 position until Bill and my bandmate had worked out the details, stopping to apply the phone dialer on one receiver or the other to keep the lines open. Pedestrians walking by gave me weird looks as I kept an eye out for the pigs. Bill just thought it was hilarious.

In addition to the aforementioned bands, Bill recorded several excellent MASAKARI records and the first ZEGOTA album, not to mention hardcore bands like MISERY INDEX, TERROR, and BROTHER'S KEEPER, and bands that were more on the punk side of the spectrum like NINE SHOCKS TERROR, HELLNATION, and THE AWAKENING.

In the picture, you can see Bill with Dan Young, the member of CATHARSIS who passed away in 1999. They are looking at us from the other side.

Tonight, I'll be listening to INTEGRITY's "Vocal Test." To this day, I can still remember Bill's voice in my headphones: "All right, let's try that again."⁩

Drums and Drummers

2024-08-29T16:38:37.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

A new, possibly recurring, photo feature from Slim Bolt. This installment features THE NOT, BIG LAUGH, ZEAL, and EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER.

SKULLFEST 2024 OFFICIAL REPORT

2024-08-26T21:06:53.000-04:00

By Corn

I probably should have wrote this down the minute I was on my way back to Montreal, but let's argue that the high speed blur of bands, friends, merch and exotic gas stations is better hazy and half-remembered. This was my first time attending and my first time in Pittsburgh, but I had been hearing about it for years as most of us have—always considered as the top of DIY punk fests with psycho lineups and generalized chaos throughout. Not to cut suspense in the first paragraph, but it obviously delivered. Here's my thoughts of the shows and bands I saw!

OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER: I didn't get the full fest wristband since I'm broke-adjacent and I knew there would be shows I just couldn't muster the energy for, so there's a lot of stuff I didn't see! I would be shocked if anyone managed to catch every single show (if you did, write in you fucking psycho, talk to me about your diet and stretching routine). Also no band photos, somebody else can do that shit

THURSDAY

Spent most of the day driving down with Kelly and 3/4 of JAVA, uneventful other than the border guard angling for tattoo recommendations and asking if we were "really living the punk lifestyle," whatever that means. Turns out the same guy did the buddy-buddy act and then tore apart WARKRUSHER's van, so fuck him.

As soon as we got into Pittsburgh, it reminded me of interior British Columbia—steep hills, thick forest, loud insects, rotting out buildings and really beautiful signage from the '70s and '80s. As a friend said, it feels like a city that nature is reclaiming. If I was from there, I would be very passionate about it, and that showed with every local I talked to this weekend.

FRIDAY

After an enormous sandwich and a visit to the graveyard (highlights including a Jaws-themed tombstone, goats, woodchucks and two very erotic sphinx statues), I finally got to my first proper show. DEATH GASP played first, but I only caught a song or two—no comment. Then, undersung Portland noise-punk band FRENZY stepped up, two bassists! Can't say I noticed much of a difference but love to that on principle, felt like it could have been louder. Next up was YDI who need no introduction. The response to them was pretty muted, it would have been great to see them on a more hardcore bill, but I know there's a million things that can happen with scheduling. Anyways, the energy was high and theatrical, Jackal told us to smoke angel dust and kill our family, the Freddy Krueger glove was fun too. They ended with an AGNOSTIC FRONT cover which was OK, and we were immediately out the door to run and catch PROTOCOL six blocks away. They probably don't need an introduction either. Furious, relentless, easily one of the best sets of the weekend. (Here's a link to a great interview with the vocalist, Ahmad).

This other venue, Cattivo, was a night and day difference—two long, narrow halls stacked on top of each other, perfect for pits. Also, smoking inside, another Pittsburgh quirk I had heard about, which had me bumming cigs even though I almost never smoke (when in Rome, you know). Remaining upstairs was SCARECROW who were sick but just didn't really grab me, HARAM who were incredible in a smaller room compared to some bigger gigs I've seen them at, I thought it was great when Nader corrected somebody in the crowd's pronunciation of 'inshallah' too. Then there was BLAZING EYE who I decided to skip to catch the downstairs headliner EXTINCTION OF MANKIND. They were extremely tight musically and had the crowd's attention, but I heard two separate people making jokes about the lead singer sounding like he was just going 'ba ba ba ba ba ba ba' through all the songs. After that was the aftershow, where I managed to pay $35 USD to catch two songs of LEBENDEN TOTEN, oh well, got caught slipping. Two days remain...

SATURDAY

Your faithful author abides and imbibes

Woke up neck stiff on the air mattress, ate a bagel and headed to the matinee. It was in the same spot as the aftershows, a warehouse space that housed a harm reduction group called Prevention Point, always good to see Naloxone freely available where people are partying. Speaking of partying, I missed essentially everyone there with one pointed exception: MUTANT STRAIN, who were one of my favourite bands at Something to Talk About in Philly last year. It was good to see more than the top of Maryssa's head as they jumped around this time, always excited by bands that have more than three parts per song, truly vicious. From there, I hopped in with WARKRUSHER and headed to the other side of town for the evening shows.

It's odd to say, but one of the bands I was most looking forward to seeing was TOTAL NADA from here in Montreal. They've been evolving constantly and tightening into this dark hooky furious thing with punk jumps and one of the best vocalists I've seen, no idea how Boris was able to keep it up while also doing last minute replacement vox for X2000. However, one fateful poppers hit during PHYSIQUE put me into the zone of darkness, and I sadly had to take a breather before re-entering the swamp that was downstairs of Cattivo. BOG PEOPLE was starting soon... one of my favourite bands of that early 2010s era, who honestly made me dig deeper into UK82 and spiky punk shit as I was emerging from my No Idea Records and flannel phase... never thought I'd be able to see them. The set was perfect: cartoonish excess, so much sweat dripping off the walls. Also there was a guy crawling around on stage in a ghillie suit the whole time, which I didn't notice until I got up close to scream "VIOLENCE" over and over again. Just perfect.

Oh, and I missed LEBENDEN TOTEN. Again. I may never recover from this level of being caught slipping.

The aftershow didn't have much going on, basically it was 500 tired and vaguely horny punks drinking in a parking lot while being lightly rained on. There was a set from SWORDWIELDER too, but I don't know anyone who actually saw it. Sat in the gravel for a while and headed back to the porch I was sleeping on.

SUNDAY

Blood and Punks

Time for total redemption of punk. First thing though, I went and ate a chicken sandwich at Hardee's alone, drank some Liquid IV and recouped my mental state. Then we went to see the semi-secret backyard wrestling show in the woods. Honestly, watching a guy with a red mohawk and an Operation Ivy shirt smash light tubes and staple dollar bills onto another guy's forehead was deeply life-affirming. Just needed to see some blood I guess! After the match there was a set from VICIOUS BLADE, who sounded incredible in the open air, love when the lead singer in a metal punk band does an evil laugh before the breakdown. I wish more people were able to come out to it, but it being a side thing made it special too. Energized by violence and watching a dirt bike do donuts in a field, we hit the matinee.

This was the show I was most looking forward to: total fastcore annihilation. The mood felt very positive in the parking lot compared to the night before, I think the "summer camp is almost over" feeling was taking hold a little. ILLITERATES smashed a cake into the pit, YAMBAG covered both Stiff Little Fingers and Gauze, and INNUENDO played a set on the level of the DIE KREUZEN public access video, total melt. READY ARMED SYSTEM were the biggest surprise for me, overwhelming and totally their own thing, excited to see them again. Outside the show, we had the chance to thank Krystyna for all the work she and the rest of the organizers had done. Honestly, the fact that everything ran smoothly, on time and with what seemed like minimal friction was stunning, there's a reason this fest is considered the gold standard.

I had basically no interest in the night shows (crust and oi isn't really my shit), but a friend convinced me to pop in for one set and I'm so glad I did. NO TIME managed to squeak in one of my favourite sets of the fest just under the wire. Pulling in street punk and NYHC plus insane hooks and presence, N2BM.

There was more stuff after that, of course there was! But it's not worth mentioning, a fire, a fight, some beers etc, I've gone on too long already. Punk life rules, go to Skullfest if you can, shoutout to Kevin and Hilary, bye!

BANDS I WISH I SAW

SURROGATES, THE LOSERS, ARGH, NO KNOCK, FUERA DE SEKTOR, DE RODILLAS, BOOTLICKER

EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER - A FATED DEMISE

2024-08-24T18:23:23.000-04:00

By Misery

Crasher crust trio EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER from Vancouver certainly live up to their name on this latest release. Pummeling drums, chainsaw riffs and guttural vocals wash over 5 tracks clocking in just over 9 minutes, truly the perfect length to leave your ears ringing for more. There isn't a moment to catch your breath on any of these tracks, just the way it should be! The final track "Extensive Slaughter" features additional vocals à la legends like DISRUPT and NAUSEA, a trend I hope they pursue on further releases. I'm not a guitar person at all, but the select solos add that extra bit of flair that rips through the tracks, adding another crunchy layer to this d-beat delight.

I was fortunate enough to catch EXTENSIVE SLAUGHTER in Montreal recently, watching the drummer grin ear to ear while laying waste to the kit has be one of my top show highlights of 2024. Go see this band if you get the chance!

And if you can't see them, grab a copy of the cassette put out by the legendary Sore Mind label. Wonderfully designed, with a print of the album art on the cassette, lyrics on the j-card (love to see it!), a photo of the band and a call to arms that reads:

"to support indigenous peoples worldwide in their fight for freedom, the rest of humanity must recognize their complicity in oppression and fight against genocidal, colonial states and their repression of the rightful stewards of the land, from coast Salish territories to Palestine, we need nothing less than the total destruction of colonial rules to call this world free"

Listen to the EP here: https://extensiveslaughter.bandcamp.com/album/a-fated-demise

Purchase the tape at: https://www.soremind.com/product/extensive-slaughter-a-fated-demise-cassette

LOVE AND COMPASSION - ...Or Else

2024-08-24T15:53:51.000-04:00

By Martin Force

NYC's beloved new crust band. My take is that this is metalcore disguised as crust. For fans of MORNING AGAIN, CHOKEHOLD and NAUSEA. Maybe I selfishly read it this way because I am always looking for that perfect crossover of two things I love, crust and breakdown 90s metalcore. Crust and metalcore are just closer than you think but they really belong together. Love/Compassion Crust/Core. Political lyrics to make you angry over heavy chugs to hype you up. There's even a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance of the riff from "Firestorm". Spoken word sections. Even the tape title "...or else" sounds like a mosh call. They're probably intentionally going for a lo-fi straight-to-tape recording quality but to me it just sounds like a CD put out by in 1997 by a band from Florida. Maybe they are adding a 2nd guitar, which is a good call. The next recording will be h e a v y. I also love the tastefully deployed flanger.

On on cassette from Peace of Mind https://peaceofmindinatroubledworld.nyc/. Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1a2lB72AHQ

TOTAL NADA USA Tour Scene Report

2024-08-22T21:11:42.000-04:00

By Martin Force

I accompanied Montreal's TOTAL NADA on their recent US tour as roadie/designated driver. Rather than a tedious "tour journal," what follows is a compendium of brief scene reports from everywhere we went (to the best of my recollection) as well as some overall impressions from this slice of American punk in it's current state.

Philly

Does Philly really need a report? The show was at the speakeasy/dive bar Cousin Danny's next to the elevated train line, and I was delighted to learn that Cousin Danny was a real person, the guy who runs the place and was there the whole show. The locals were squeaky-vocals Z-PAK (11pm) and vocal-effects-board hardcore ICD10. Everyone in Philly is really nice and really cool but I will say there was less energetic dancing/crowd movement at this show than elsewhere. Can't deny it!

Moshing

So speaker of moshing, people moshed everywhere we went, without exception, and moshed well. There was no negative posturing crowd-killing, and I don't think a single town had a crowd that stood still the entire show. Maybe this is due to TOTAL NADA's infectious energy, but I do think there is a very healthy mosh culture across the US right now. I was delighted to see young goth-mall-fur-accessory zoomers two-stepping every time an appropriate drum beat appeared. In fact, there was two-stepping everywhere, all the time. Side-to-side was also popular, either with everyone demonstrating their own particular style/gait/lean, or the entire room going back and forth in unison. Overall, positive, energy moshing everywhere.

New Brunswick, New Jersey

This was the only new city for me on the tour. Right now a lot of shows there happen in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant, where the space and atmosphere are great. Like a generator show but with amenities. The parking lot is taped off, so there's a big crowd gathered in the lot itself, and the passerbys and looky-loos gathering on the sidewalk. Show-goers ate at the restaurant, which I heard has experienced a business-saving boost in sales thanks to the shows, and their walls are now covered in band shirts of bands that have played there. New Brunswick is close to New York City, so many people drove in from the city to see the show, which seemed to be regular occurrence. I got the feeling that some NYC people preferred going to shows like this in Jersey over the same bands playing in New York because of the great vibes of the venue (and maybe the shows ending a little earlier). PHANTOM where the hometown headliners, I don't think I need to introduce them but they are proof of one of my rules of hardcore: the drummer makes the band.

NYC's LOVE AND COMPASSION playing in New Brunswick

Pittsburgh and Cleveland

I'm lumping these together because both shows ended up being that sort of "combined show" that happens in a smaller city, in the middle of the week, where a band like TOTAL NADA will end up playing a dive bar with the same weird stoner band from West Virginia who's members are having a fight/breaking up two nights in a row. Pittsburgh and Cleveland are both those kinds of places, small and tough cities with relatively small scenes where this happens (Pittsburgh's annual Skull Fest being the exception). But that is not a slight, the punks in these towns both put in the extra effort to build a scene with an outsized impact and to make sure it's always a place worth stopping on tour.

In Pittsburgh we saw "the dumbest band in hardcore" ILLITERATES (LP on Sorry State) who sound like those other Pittsburgh hardcore bands but with the speed turned up to the maximum possible, zero sense of pretention, and I assume dumber lyrics. Excellent band. Cleveland's local band was BIGG EGG and normally I am not really into the whole "egg thing" but in this case it seems like the band is completely egg-themed, with every song being an egg pun or joke (yolk). I have to respect the commitment to the bit. Only in Cleveland.

St. Louis

The St. Louis show was at a spot called Sinkhole, which is funny if you know me personally, but anyways it felt like a DIY show space but I think is actually just run by an individual, who maybe used to/also runs a small label by the same name. So it felt like a DIY space, it was a nice room, with a practice space in the back and decorated by several old Taco Bell signs. The show was small, since raw punk-ish locals KATO (demo on Roachleg Records) had to drop, leaving only JERKING CLASS as the other band. Even if the scene is a little small though, St. Louis is always worth a stop because of the City Museum, which is an attraction that is impossible to describe if you've never been there. A massive former shoelace factory transformed into a low-safety-standards scrap metal playground/art gallery/everything space. Every city should stop investing in stupid gimmick tourist attractions and just found their own City Museums and turn it over to the local community of artists and freaks. Imagine what a Montreal City Museum would be like given our high population of francophone circus punk scrap metal welders.

The greatest attraction on earth

Texas Teenagers

We saw a lot of youth coming out to the All Ages shows on the tour, but Dallas and Houston were the peak of seeing under 20-year-olds in the crowd and in the opening bands. I think Dallas and Houston are both sort of off the beaten path for bands, if they even go to Texas they are likely focused on the gig in Austin. And the show in Austin was good, with excellent new local bands like BLOODRITE and AUTOMATED EXECUTION. But Austin is a night-life city, where the whole district is crammed full of music-bars, each with a show or band of some kind every night. The streets are full of young to middle-aged affluent-ish people (tech workers? tourists?) who just bar hop from show to show. So instead of teenagers, the crowd in Austin was a good chunk just normies who walked in off the street "oo look, weirdos playing loud music!" Austin also had less moshing (although props for having not one but TWO radical zine distros tabling the show). All to say that all of Texas rules, and if you go there check out at least two cities besides Austin and you won't be disappointed.

Ephemeral Venues

The aforementioned show in New Brunswick, NJ was the first such show of the tour at one of these emphemeral DIY venues – a space carved out or put together in a pretty temporary way just to have a show. Chicago was meant to be a generator show at a new, untested location but had to be moved at the last minute due to an extreme thunderstorm warning (turned out to the right call, and we were treated to some amazing lightning and electrical anomalies after the show). Even though we got stuck in a tiny dive bar, people still moshed and went off.

TOTAL NADA playing a dive bar in Chicago

The Kansas City show was set up in the middle of a huge, abandoned reservoir in the middle of a park. We heard people had been cracking the spot for shows regularly all summer, each time coming up against a bigger lock to cut... This show may have been the last, since the cops/park rangers showed up at the end, but people already had another location selected for future generator shows. There were some guys making and selling tacos (and flinging tortillas into the crowd), an anarchist zine distro, and someone just dropped off a huge box of "FREE FIREWORKS" which were lit off continuously whenever a band was playing. No other show on the tour had the chaotic and autonomous vibe of Kansas City and the crew there seemed pretty dedicated to making that the standard for every show there.

TOTAL NADA in Kansas City

New Orleans brought this vibe to the urban core with a proper squat show at a location in the downtown "Central Business District" cracked and prepared well in advance. The show was extremely well organized and well attended, enough so that they were raising money for a local cause alongside paying the bands plenty in gas money. Even the organizers seems surprised at how many people came out, including teenagers who had to leave early to catch their train home.

TOTAL NADA at a squat venue in New Orleans

The tour was book-ended with time in NYC where we heard about the current scene of squat shows there (although sadly didn't get to attend one). See the recently published scene report from the Logout crew for more info on that. It requires a bit of work, planning, and a shift in how people think about and treat attending a show but maybe it's something you can try in your town too! It was really inspiring and exciting to see people in so many different places experimenting and pushing the boundaries to create spaces for punk shows.

Continuing along this "ephemeral venues" section, Charlotte was in a shed, which I gathered might be planning to host more shows. North Carolina is one of my favourite places to go. Amazing local bands, friendly people, shows are always at a house/shed/warehouse/something and there's a higher proportion of cool straight edge punks than anywhere else.

Locals THE MASK playing a shed in Charlotte, NC

Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg is down at the bottom of Mississippi, only two hours from New Orleans, so there is come cross-pollination between cities. BAD ANXIETY from Hattiesburg came down and played the New Orleans show, and some friends in New Orleans drove up to catch the Hattiesburg show the next day.

BAD ANXIETY at a squat venue in New Orleans

Hattiesburg is a special place, like so many other smaller, overlooked cities in America you can find a extremely dedicated and cool punk scene. We drove to Hattiesburg a bit early so Hampton of BAD ANXIETY could tape a live TOTAL NADA "Dog City Sessions" set in his VHS-wired-up basement. Dog City Sessions seems to be ramping up in activity on Hampton's YouTube channel, with DEFLUO CERVUS and FUERA DE SEKTOR also recently stopping by, alongside a steady stream and archive of VHS-recorded live shows.

TOTAL NADA recording a Dog City Session

The show in Hattiesburg was at The Spectrum Center, which is a house-turned-LGBT-outreach center. All ages house show vibes. CITRUS played their first set alongside DRAFT DODGER who are definitely in high school and have two guitars and no bass. No notes.

Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama is like Hattiesburg, another small and overlooked but extremely powerful scene. The show was at The Firehouse which is a community space dedicated to DIY and teaching music. It's been around for at least 10 years and is an actual old firehouse with a big show space in the back. TOTAL NADA played sandwiched in between locals BORN and ACUTE EFFECT (I think their first show), both in the top of the bands I saw on this trip. Being a middle-of-the-week show, the turnout wasn't great, but we were treated to an entire room of side-to-side.

BORN playing The Firehouse in Birmingham, AL

Richmond

Richmond was sadly at a boring bar, and suffered due to numerous other shows the same night. Patrick from DESTRUCT is booking a lot of the shows there right now, and usually shows happen at a cool warehouse space with much better vibes. However, all this working against the show could not stop it from being a success because of the sheer quality of bands playing—GUERRA FINAL, ULTIMATE DISASTER and CASCARA

GUERRA FINAL in Richmond

New York City

NYC had an outsized presence on this tour, being at both ends of the tour, with some days off for me there on either end. Similar to the city's outsized presence on punk in general? But the squat-energy happening there right now is truly inspiring, alongside new bands like LOVE AND COMPASSION and many others I have yet to see. The end of the tour was Latino Punk Fest, which deserves and entire report back all to itself. I can't do it justice, but I will mention ABISM who's set I really enjoyed.

ABISM playing Latino Punk Fest in NYC

Links

Here's some links if you want to check out the bands mentioned:

TOTAL NADA
Z-PAK
ICD10
LOVE AND COMPASSION
PHANTOM
ILLITERATES
BIGG EGG
KATO
JERKING CLASS
BLOOD RITE
BAD ANXIETY
DEFLUO CERVUS
FUERA DE SEKTOR
DRAFT DODGER
BORN
GUERRA FINAL
ULTIMATE DISASTER
ABISM

ATOMIC PREY

2024-08-24T15:42:54.000-04:00

By Martin Force

This tape was given to me at Latino Punk Fest by someone who had heard of The Counterforce and was looking for a copy (sorry I was out!). It's a two song promo but I was told 'record soon on Iron Lung' so I hope we get to hear more. It's hardcore punk with a bit of the weird Oregon/Washington twist: a little something on the guitar, not just typical raw punk, but some weird guitar effect nerdery that reminds me of NASTI. A subtle addition but really distinguishes it. Everyone in this band probably has a pedalboard, but isn't a tool. The drumming isn't just stock beats. Some rhythmic rolling toms and beats, and of course a solid d-beat when needed. The vocals are angry and shouted with echo and delay. No lyrics included, but I get the sense there is a political angle here. If i didn't know I would guess ATOMIC PREY are from somewhere in the PNW and indeed that are based in Portland. It all makes sense. Looking forward to the full release and hope to see this band soon.

This recording isn't online, but you can check out some live output from ATOMIC PREY on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw7_fBOYP2o

SCENE REPORT ON SQUATTING IN RELATION TO THE NYC PUNK SCENE 2024

2024-08-22T19:07:57.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Anonymous submission

squatted shows and diy shows have been an essential part of the history of punk in "so called" nyc. for years there have been consistent diy spots that have been holding up the scene. unfortunately in these last few years most of those places have been stripped away from us. in a post-covid lockdown dystopia of hyper inflation, resulting in a housing crisis, diy spots are the front lines of demolition for gentrification/yuppie condos and businesses nobody asked for or can even afford. landlords work hand-in-hand with the state to use surveillance culture to catch diy spots and we have the dry-snitching that is instagram show photography accompanying geotags to thank for that.

december of 2023 marked the first squatted show that set the tone for what is being considered a "reclamation series" of squatted shows.

that show was in an abandoned commercial space somewhere in manhattan, surrounded by highend restaurants and bars that were built for yuppie gentrifiers. there is something eerily disturbing about there being blocks of abandoned buildings rotting while people sleep on the streets. there was no location information on the flyer but a small quote which i think encapsulates where we were pretty well: "they build a playground for the rich on open graves of the poor." i'd also like to note that this was a benefit show for a local squat and took place during the peak of a, luckily, failed attempt at a violent forced eviction by zionist developers.

that show kickstarted a series of shows that have taken place on bridges, abandoned sites, active construction sites, and even active railroad tunnels often being overlooked by the city's iconic skyline, keeping the city that never sleeps awake. these shows have been scouted, backlined, and booked by a large crew of people that go by the name "logout".
none of the flyers include the location of the show and people are encouraged to go hunt for large screenprinted show flyers that are wheatpasted around the city which include the coordinates of the show location. this is all in a grand effort to keep these locations offline so the internet doesn't do what it's best known for: blowing up the spot.
hence the name logout*.

we're lucky to live in a grandiose, loud city that is filled with nooks and crannies that are being left to rot. i only say lucky because we see those places and our eyes light up knowing at least for one night we can bring life back into it. the benefits of being in a city this rambunctious is that we make it happen right under their noses. they don't want us having these spaces to let out our anger and speak loudly on the atrocities the country we live in is perpetuating around the world.

reclaiming spaces that are being left to rot by those pushing us out feels necessary in today's climate. not only are we pushing the boundaries of autonomy in a disruptive way but we are also raising funds and awareness about the imperialistic horrors being committed across the globe, including our own neighborhoods such as the heavy-handed police interventions on migrant vendors and barrios.

-loc

*in other fun anti-internet news: logout is making a newspaper which will include things like comics, show reviews, tape releases, future gigs, strictly offline photographs from diy shows and all the fun local news a newspaper should provide. unfortunately, this newspaper can only be attained by coming to new york city! hope to see you soon.

Fusion Festival XXV Scene Report

2024-07-06T10:07:52.000-04:00

By CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective

Contributed By CrimethInc. Ex-Worker’s Collective

A few legendary, long-running, DIY festivals dominate the summer tour circuit for hardcore punk in Europe: K-Town Hardcore Fest in Copenhagen, Fluff Festival outside of Prague, and Monteparadiso in Croatia. However, there is one towering midsummer festival that punks often overlook despite its grandeur—Fusion Festival in Lärz, Germany, near Berlin and Hamburg. With an attendance of 70,000 and a crew of 10,000 Fusion is Germany’s largest techno festival, so it’s understandable why touring bands might not understand it as a thriving mutant underground for pedal-to-the-metal rock’n’roll. However—for any freedom-loving, fist-pumping, snotty rotting pogo punker—this is a mistake. Bands: by hook or by crook, get booked at Fusion. Here’s why…

EVERYTHING ANTIFASCIST

The shortest way to describe Fusion Festival is Burning Man if everything hippie about Burning Man was antifascist instead. The grounds are a century-old airport developed by the Nazis before its capture by the Soviet Red Army. A plurality of the dancefloors are old airplane hangars with stages built inside and camouflagingly terraformed as hills, which you can climb for beautiful vistas of the festival lights and the sunset. The official program lists just over 40 stages, but there are even more not listed, including a nudist beach (with DJs, a bar, and food) next to a canal—not to be mistaken with the swimming lake where everyone is also nude. All in all I’d say there’s probably 100 different “worlds” you can fall into… but it’s truly endless. There’s always more. There are pop-up arenas with avant garde circuses, a theater for plays and another for films (which is a great place to snag a nap when it’s too rainy or bright outside), a roller-skating rink, a few hidden saunas, fair games like slingshotting iron arrows at revolving dishware, a million cool couches and cushions and swings and rocking-horses (except they’re ostriches) to sit on, screen-it-yourself stations with patches and stickers and pins and anarchist literature, a million kinds of trippy vibey areas from enchanted psychedelic forests to dystopian concrete trash wasteland, there’s a childcare area with programming so developed that it should more properly be described as a weeklong alternative youth summer camp, and just much much much more. My favorite anarchist merch distro is an anti-border collective that provides mutual aid to migrants stuck in the kilometer-wide no-mans-land between the Polish and Belarus borders.

All the food is vegetarian, much of it is vegan. More importantly, the food is SO GOOD. Like, some of the best ever, no shit. If you work or play the festival, it’s free. Even when it’s not free, it’s easy to come by. The coffee is supplied by the Zapatistas. Workers, volunteers, and artists can double their money for alcohol.

Throughout the festival grounds enormous murals and banners proclaim the names of antifascist fighters held hostage by the state. Within a matter of days, almost all the surfaces erected at the festival are covered in graffiti proclaiming solidarity with insurrectionary people’s movements like Rojava or Standing Rock. Migrant solidarity collectives like Sea-Watch recycle left-behind camping gear for mutual aid purposes. Almost every “crew” hired to work at the festival is from a squat, or collective space, or radical project—making the whole thing a way to finance the autonomous left throughout Germany and much of the rest of Europe. The festival’s website describes itself as “holiday communism” (ferienkommunismus), but the sheer magnitude of DIY organized chaos makes Fusion a must-go-to destination for any anarcho-hedonist. ACAB and circle A’s everywhere.

Cops are not allowed inside the festival. The security is usually comprised of crews or affinity groups with experience at land occupations or other kinds of police-hostile scenarios. Polizei swarm the exterior of the festival. Much of the wheatpasted posterage you see advertises “clean drivers” who can pilot your car through police controls, because German pigs are allowed to drug test drivers on the spot. You see, one of the main draws of the festival is its open drug use, while miraculously remaining fairly free from mafia pusher bullshit.

Inside the festival, there are awareness and de-escalation teams for conflicts. There’s also the festival’s own first aid and ambulance team, with special training on drugs and overdoses. A drug awareness tent will test your stuff, explain chemical combinations, supply you with free harm reduction materials, and has a chill-out area if you need to come down with a soft landing. It also has fresh fruit.

Everything lasts from Wednesday afternoon to Monday evening, with round-the-clock music and activity while the festival is on, although there are still small performances and hidden container parties to be found for days after the festival officially ends. Fusion normally takes place the last weekend of June or first weekend of July, just one or two weeks after K-Town.

One of the larger dancefloors

ROCKIN’ & RAVIN’

There are a few reliable spots for rock’n’roll, all of which are relatively close to each other. The three hangar clubs where bands most often play are Triebwerke, Datscha, and Schuhkarton. It’s a five-minute walk from any of these hangars to the other, if you don’t fall into a random rabbit hole that leads you to some other adventure, which you absolutely should fall into if it presents itself to you. I’ve caught great acts like THE SUBHUMANS and VICTIMS at Datscha, while Schuhkarton is for truly underground gems like Berlin’s ECHOES. Luftschloss is a round theater with risers on the old runway that you can rely on for dark music of all kinds: darkwave and EBM outfits, stoner sludge bands, and after bands it becomes a dark techno war machine. One year I was lucky enough to stumble upon an up-and-coming BOY HARSHER at the ‘schloss. The runway outside of Luftschloss looks like a cartoon punk motor dystopia ala the parking lot in Dead End Drive-In. Across the road from Luftschloss is Tubebox, which usually has techno inside the hangar but there is a “Punk Stage”—that’s its name—outside the hangar next to the bar and the skate bowl. Then there’s Fer A Coudre, the French welder steampunk squatter tent. Usually there are heavy blues, CRAMPS-ish style bands at Fer A Coudre but the only band I caught there this year was the delightfully absurdist rap-punk-noise duo WRONG CHICKEN. There’s also Roter Platz, a regular big ole outdoor festival stage, where years ago I saw the legendary Slime.

This year there was one true champion of the rock and it was 80s deutschpunk legends TOXOPLASMA. They fucking ripped!!!! Heads were banging and chains were clanging in a pit that was as tender as it was turnt up to 11. Smiles all around. All my German friends who recommended TOXOPLASMA also told me to see BÄRCHEN UND DIE MILCHBUBIS. Classic anti-globalization era anarcho-punks ACCIÓN MUTANTE and PETROGRAD also banged out some pogable tunes. New crops EGO and SAUFKNAST played too, who I was keen to see but missed—sometimes you gotta rave instead of rock.

Other punk bands that played:
DIE ANSTALT
ELEKTROKOHLE
FINISTERRE
GIF
H.i.T.
HOARSE
SHITSHOW
SNÕÕPER
SUCK
THE GLUTS
WEAK TIES

All in all, about as many punk bands play Fusion Festival as play the other big-name DIY punk festivals in Europe, and the bands are about as punk as the other festivals too, but there is a lower concentration of punk overall because the bands are spread out among more stages and genres than those other festivals. The punk subculture at fusion is just one strain within a larger culture of resistance.

Truth be told, I love punk but I just can’t be bothered to run around a festival—especially one with 100 different little worlds where you can always fall into something good—just to hunt down the right band, especially when the schedule always gets pushed back. And, as a punk who also loves techno, Fusion is one of the few times I can rave with cool spikey punks all around. The trancefloor is traditionally the best place to find the spikiest chain punx getting stoopid to really trashy computer rock beep boop bops.

Here's just a few of the DJs I found that were good, dark, and hard—techno for punk rock tastes:
CHARLIE CHEPPERT
NÚRIA
KOLLEKTIV FISCHMARKT

And on the theme of not-punk-but-it-rocked, the Trojan Records living legend HORACE ANDY opened the festival up with an amazing set of soulful, roots reggae and angry old-man anti-police diatribes like, “Me nah like the police in Jamaica! They raid the house, they grab the chalice, they smash the chalice to pieces… No, no no, me nah like them Babylon.”

MOTOR POWER

K-Town has bike wars, but Fusion has the Fusion cars. Being a large airfield, the Fusion festival site needs to be traversed, to some degree, by motor vehicle. And being privately owned grounds, the festival accepts plenty of donated non-street legal cars that become the the trash trucks, ambulances, delivery vehicles, intra-festival mail carriers (see header photo), taxis, and other motorized transports of the festival. Each of these vehicles is a graffitied, insane mutant of a car. If you work at the festival, the garage also serves as a DIY bike repair station, and there are ridiculous spectacular tall bikes too.

My favorite Fusion car is the “punk forever” wagon, which has a mohawk of stegosaurus spikes on its roof and a huge “anti-hippie wagon” warning on its back. In a fever dream of acid futures, it’s easy to imagine having to defend the Fusion grounds from the swarms of police outside it with a Mad Max style raid, where the Fusion cars serve as our cavalry.

FULL THROTTLE INTO THE FUTURE

2024 was the 25^th anniversary of Fusion. The festival was born at the end of the century, at the end of history, the end of the world… but it continues to thrive in the afterworld because it is an underworld. If there is a solidly techno sentiment from Fusion that contrasts with punk sensibilities, it is that there is a future worth seeing. Not no future, our future. A party apocalypse that no punk would want to miss out on.

A demonstration within Fusion Festival in solidarity with antifascist political prisoner Maja https://budapest-solidarity.net/

APPENDIX:

Documentary: Fusion - Ein Festival kämpft für Freiheit ohne Polizei (Fusion - A festival fights for freedom without police)

Video: Drug Checking at Fusion Festival

The Counterforce Issue #2

2024-07-04T10:36:43.000-04:00

By Webmaster

The second print edition of The Counterforce zine is out, compiling everything on the site into a pdf that you can print and distro yourself!! Just check out the zines page to get the PDF.

Get in touch if you want to contribute something to the site and to be included in the next issue! We would like to see submissions from friends who share our mission from all over. Reviews, scene reports, how-to guides, letters... any pitch or submission or idea is welcome.

RSS How-To For Punks

2024-07-01T16:46:07.000-04:00

By Martin Force

RSS is a system for freely subscribing to content online. Using RSS, you can build a feed of sources you want to follow – from news and blogs to podcasts and videos – without signing up for accounts and without using social media. You can receive notifications when anything new is posted, and keep track of what you’ve already read/seen. RSS predates social media, and although it’s much less popular now than in it’s heyday, it is experiencing somewhat of a resurgence among those who are looking for a more empowering and pleasant way to engage with the internet. It’s not the easiest thing to get into, so I wanted to put together a brief how-to to help anyone curious get started, including a "starter pack" of hardcore/punk related RSS feeds to subscribe to... but you can use RSS to follow a lot more than just punk stuff!

The CF RSS Starter Pack

If you're here just looking for our RSS starter pack to import all the RSS feeds from The Counterforce directory and more into your RSS feed reader... here it is:

https://the-counterforce.org/directory/CF-RSS-starterpack.opml

To learn more about what's in there, or to learn how to get started with RSS read on!

What is RSS?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS was the first successful and widespread way people could subscribe to things on the Internet, especially before the rise of social media.

RSS just sets up an open standard where anything on the Internet can publish a public feed of new content in a simple format. Users can use a variety of applications (an "aggregator" or "feed reader") to subscribe to RSS feeds of content they want to follow. Most news websites and blogs will have an RSS feed. Rather than having to manually check each individual website to see if there are any new posts or stories, you can use a feed reader to subscribe to the RSS feeds of each one. Your feed reader automatically checks all the feeds you are subscribed to, and will present everything new, or notify you when there is a new post from a particular site if you want. Usually all the posts are formatted nicely so it's easy to browse and read without leaving the feed reader (b: this often means no ads!).

The Counterforce RSS feed loaded in a feed reader

Unless you are an older nerd there is a good chance you've never heard of RSS, but even if you haven't heard of it, you have almost certainly used it: Podcasts are based on RSS. Every podcast is actually just an RSS feed of new audio files, and podcast apps are just RSS feed readers designed to prioritize audio content. Many podcast apps will connect to different public directories of podcasts, so as a user you don't have to manually go out and find the RSS feeds for each one. But if you have ever supported a podcast on a platform like Patreon, that special subscribe-only link you are given to "paste into your favorite podcast app" is an RSS feed. The Maximum Rocknroll podcast of MRR Radio (currently almost at 2000 episodes!) is online here: https://www.maximumrocknroll.com/radio/

They explain it pretty well! You can subscribe to the MRR Radio podcast by dropping that feed link into any feed reader! All podcasts work like this under the hood. So if you've ever subscribed to a podcast, you've already used RSS. But RSS can be used for a lot more than just podcasts...

Choosing a feed reader

There are hundreds of different ways to subscribe to RSS feeds. There's an RSS feed reader available for any computer or mobile device. You can put one on your e-reader. A lot of e-mail clients can also subscribe to RSS feeds. If you want to nerd out, you really can go deep and find the best solution that works for you. For this how-to guide, I'm just going to recommend the best feed reader imo for Android and iOS:

Feeder for Android

The best RSS feed reader for Android is Feeder. It's open source and free, it works great.

Feeder - Apps on Google Play

An awesome Libre and Open Source RSS feed reader

Apps on Google PlayNoNonsenseApps

NetNewsWire for iOS / Mac OS

NetNewsWire! It's free and open source and nice.

NetNewsWire

NetNewsWire is a free and open source RSS reader for Mac.

NetNewsWireDaring Fireball

Subscribing to your first feed

All the screenshots in this article are from Feeder on an Android phone, but the process is basically the same for any good feed reader. In an ideal situation, you just select Add Feed and paste in the URL of the site. If you're using a phone you can "share" the site from your browser to your feed reader app, and the app will know you are trying to add a new RSS feed. We want to subscribe to the RSS feed for The Counterforce website (https://the-counterforce.org) so we share that to Feeder. Feeder finds the RSS feed, which is actually at https://the-counterforce.org/feed.xml

When adding a new feed (or editing it later on) you can usually tag or sort it into a subfolder or subcategories. This allows you to sort things out by topic however you like (e.g. "Real Punk", "Poser Shit", "Doom Scroll", "Enemies", etc) or you can just bask in the firehose of content that is "all feeds." Feed readers also keep track of what you've read or haven't read yet.

The Counterforce RSS feed has been added under Real Punk

Finding RSS feeds

Websites/Blogs

There are RSS feeds everywhere online, any website that has any kind of blog or posts where new content is added will usually have an RSS feed. Usually you can just paste or share the URL for the homepage of the site into your feed reader like in the previous example, and your feed reader will automatically find the special RSS feed. This will work with most major news sites, blogs, any site powered by Wordpress, Blogspots, Substacks , even Mastodon accounts! Every Mastodon account has a built in RSS feed of public posts, meaning you can subscribe to it from your RSS reader! No need to sign up for a Mastodon account and "Follow" big accounts if you just want to see what's new.

Sometimes your feed reader might not find the RSS feed, but if you are pretty sure it exists you can try adding /feed or /rss to the URL. You might have to hunt for or guess at this link, depending on how friendly the website is. There are some special tricks to finding RSS feeds for other things online, like YouTube channels – I'll go over that in the next section.

Hunting for feeds

YouTube

Every YouTube channel has an RSS feed, but Google keeps this kinda secret because they would prefer if you signed up for a Google account to Like and Subscribe to YouTube channels. But you can just use RSS and have new videos show up in your RSS feed reader. No need for a Google/YouTube account!

To find the RSS feed for a channel, you do have to do some light hacking. First, you gotta load the channel's page in a browser (like https://www.youtube.com/@NoDeal) and look at the page source code. You can do this easily on a computer by right clicking and selecting "View Page Source". On a phone, you can add view-source: to the front of the URL (like view-source:https://www.youtube.com/@NoDeal).

Now you just use the Find In Page feature in your browser to search for "rss" in the source. You gotta find the magic link that looks like this:

https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UCEDz7xOK3PzoNVDAjuBoIAw

Alternatively, if you know a YouTube channel's Channel ID you can just reconstruct the RSS feed yourself. https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=PASTE_CHANNEL_ID_HERE

Paste that into your feed reader and you'll be subscribed! You'll know whenever a new video is posted.

Bonus: NewPipe

If you are a real YouTube head, you can also use the Android app NewPipe (https://newpipe.net/). NewPipe is a free, open source YouTube app that makes using YouTube very pleasant... no need for an account, no ads, background listening, and you can download any videos you want to enjoy offline. Really doing the Lord's work. NewPipe also lets you subscribe to YouTube channels without a Google/YouTube account, all just in the app. It's not RSS-based, and maybe NewPipe deserves it's own how-to guide at some point... but for now if you listen to a lot of music or watch a lot of videos on YouTube check it out, at the very least for the ad-dodging features!

tumblr

Even tumblr accounts have an RSS feed! Just add /rss to the URL (are you noticing a pattern?). I know there are still a few punks kicking around on tumblr, now you can keep up with them (or maybe make yourself a nice feed of inspo aesthetic accounts that are still posting). Not to mention RSS helps you bypass the prompt to login to see content. Here's what the RSS feed link looks like for the sadly defunct Hardcore Architecture tumblr:

https://hardcorearchitecture.tumblr.com/rss

The Counterforce RSS Starter Pack

One aspect of The Counterforce is the online directory we want to build and maintain of punk/hardcore sites on the Internet. We've got blogs, websites, archives, and radio shows/podcasts - many of which include RSS feeds! I've put all of those feeds together with some active YouTube and other video/music channels, the Ask A Punk event calendars, a few other blogs and Substacks. You can import this .opml file to your feed reader to subscribe to them all in one shot. They're already sorted into different categories, and you can always delete the ones you don't vibe with. The Counterforce gift to you, to help you get started with RSS!

Save this file, and import it to your RSS feed reader:

https://the-counterforce.org/directory/CF-RSS-starterpack.opml

Contribute

The Counterforce directory and this little RSS starter pack are both far from complete. If you know of a site, blog, YouTube channel, Mastodon/Fediverse account, event calendar, etc. that should be included, please submit it! https://the-counterforce.org/contact-submit/

RSS for more than just punk!

Hopefully this how-to guide and starter pack will get you into using RSS to follow your favourite punk and hardcore sources online that are outside of corporate social media. But RSS can be a great way to subscribe to all sorts of content and news. Essentially every blog and news website still uses RSS feeds. If you want to follow the news, you can definitely find RSS feeds for major and local newspapers, magazines, online news and analysis sites. Or maybe you prefer to dig deeper than the "mainstream media" – most independent bloggers using Substack or Wordpress support RSS. The same goes for anarchist counter-info and analysis sites like https://itsgoigdown.org, https://scenes.noblogs.org or https://anarchistnews.org – they all have RSS feeds. You can easily build a collection of RSS subscriptions in your news reader to get the news delivered to you, instead of just seeing article screenshots in TikTok videos or Instagram stories.

There are RSS feeds for all kinds of cool shit... The Internet Archive has an RSS feed for collections, you can subscribe and see when new stuff is uploaded. Here is the RSS feed for the massive "zines" collection if you want a firehose of new zines: https://archive.org/services/collection-rss.php?collection=zines

Or here's an RSS feed for the "Attention K-Mart Shoppers" collection of K-Mart in-store cassette tapes so you don't miss when a new one is uploaded: https://archive.org/services/collection-rss.php?collection=attentionkmartshoppers

I've saved this rant for the end, just to spare you. The argument for how RSS can let you follow a lot of different places online and bring them all to one place on your phone, without needing an account or e-mail is self-evident. But if you wanna get a little political, or still need convincing, I'll try to get you to think about how RSS is empowering and liberatory, especially in our current culture dominated by closed, corporate social media apps.

RSS used to be the way to subscribe to feeds online, all across the Internet. This was before social media. RSS was just how you would follow news sites and blogs, how you would learn what was new without having to manually check every single website. And it was part of the earlier open web, it wasn't a single app controlled by a single company. Everyone was happy and proud to get you to subscribe to their RSS feed.

Even if you don't remember this time on the Internet, you can probably imagine how it changed. Social media arrived! And social media is also based on subscribing and following and feeds, but instead of one open web, each social media site has it's own closed feed. You can't just follow everyone from one app without signing up for accounts anymore... you have to be a logged-in user to subscribe to different feeds. And of course everything you see is algorithmically tuned and interspersed with advertising in order to maximize the time you spend in the app looking at ads and being tracked.

RSS doesn't lend itself to this extreme level of capitalist exploitation, so as corporate social media came to dominate how we use the Internet, RSS fell out of fashion. Many companies have realized that offering public RSS feeds, while convenient and empowering for users like us, hurts their ability to make money. Even Bandcamp used to have RSS feeds so you could follow new releases from artists, which they removed in favor of pushing people to sign up for Bandcamp accounts.

Podcasts have secretly been the most popular use of RSS for a long time. The openness and accessibility of RSS is part of what makes it so easy for anyone to start one (maybe too easy?). But this has frustrated media companies like Spotify, who have tried to make "Spotify-exclusive podcasts" a thing. Rather than being based on public RSS, these "podcasts" can only be subscribed and listened to from within the Spotify app. Other podcast media companies like iheartradio similarly try to get you to listen in their app by tempting you with bonus audio or ad-free content. Within their app, they aren't using an open, public standard like RSS, so they can trap you inside their siloed ecosystem, track your listening habits (down to what parts of an episode you skip!), deliver more accurately-targeted ads and extract more profit from you. That they'll spend millions of dollars on a single podcast to make it exclusive to their platform shows their desperation. These companies have reached a limit to how profitable they can become using a user/consumer-friendly open standard like RSS. They only way they can make more money is by pushing everything off RSS.

OK OK so that's enough ranting. Give RSS a try if you want to break out of corporate social media a bit but still keep up with what's new. If you happen to make a website, a blog, or some other online project, make sure there is an RSS feed and let people know about it! This is all part of the greater Counterforce goals – demystifying things like RSS for punks, helping it be more widely adopted and easier to use will help free our culture from hostile corporations and capitalism!

THE NOT - LP I

2024-07-03T23:09:37.000-04:00

By Corn

When we rented extra smoke machines for our last show, we just kept blasting THE NOT until they were completely wreathed in that foul cotton candy shit. It fit them perfectly - lead singer stalking the stage imperiously cutting through the fog looking roughly 6'11", drowned in squalls of feedback and pounding bass and drums. You know, a fucking band, right?

THE NOT have been crushing sets in town recently, and now that they have recordings up we can hear the extremely solid songwriting underpinning the aural assault. It's been released as one solid track which is usually a thumbs down for my persnickety ass, but here it's perfect - the fuzz washes over everything like a rainstorm, tying the songs together with the sounds of broken glass and sirens. The lyrics are blunt, political and vicious, exactly suited to this style of noise punk, and the rhythm section is locked to a core beat keeping it all properly on rails. The fast songs (ie most of them) rip, but in my opinion they're most powerful on the slower one "Stomp", and the pits prove it. More tracks by fall hopefully!

FFO: LEBENDEN TOTEN, PIG DNA, CHAIN OF DOLPHINS

Listen here: https://biblicallyaccuratebandcamp.bandcamp.com

LP I, by THE NOT

1 track album

THE NOTBandcamp New & Notable Apr 19, 2017

MIXTAPE - Ancient Texts

2024-06-24T13:37:58.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Every year, I organize a March Mixtape Swap where two-dozen or so of my friends contribute new mixtape and receive different mixtapes in return. This year my friend Jay submitted the "Ancient Texts" mixtape. This mixtape has an origin story. Montreal's DEADBOLT had recently played a set at 2024's Montreal Madhouse that include a cover of WARZONE's "As One". The crowd response for the cover was so disappointing that the singer, Julia, admonished the crowd: "You all need to go study your ancient texts!"

Inspired, Jay tried to compile his best attempt at the "Ancient Texts" of hardcore and punk, closing the tape with WARZONE's "As One". Why am I reviewing a mixtape though? Because this mixtape is fucking great. It's a 90 minute tape that delivers on the premise: a comprehensive overview of essential songs in hardcore and punk. It's without a doubt the best "hardcore classics" mix I've ever heard.

I feel like 50% of my time spent in punk venues/bars/record stores (80% if in Toronto), I am subjected to what I assume is a Spotify playlist titled "Hardcore Punk Classics" or some such bullshit. Or maybe it's just autoplay from Spotify or YouTube circling the drain of lowest common denominator #punkrock. BLACK FLAG, BAD RELIGION, DEAD KENNEDYS, PENNYWISE, maybe THE CLASH and a "wild card" like RISE AGAINST. You all know what I'm talking about, you have all heard this playlist.

Jay's "Ancient Texts" features none of those bands, and yet no one could seriously argue that any of the bands included shouldn't be part of the "classics". Everyone will find something new or obscure on this tape, but it's also not pretentious. Jay's "Ancient Texts" are not restricted to some first wave, nor a specific cutoff date, mixing in LIMP WRIST, INFEST, and CROSSED OUT alongside MDC, FAITH, VOID, THE GERMS, and BAD BRAINS. There are bands you would never see on some bullshit algorithmic playlist like SPITBOY, THE BAGS, LOS CRUDOS, and tracks from bands in different scenes or parts of the world like BASTARD, ANTI CIMEX, THE MOB, NAPALM DEATH, ZOUNDS etc. My only complaint is I would've liked to see a BLATZ song alongside the BLITZ track because that would be funny. There are two different songs from different bands called "Drug Free Youth" back to back so, nice one.

You can't get a copy of this tape, unless you know Jay and ask him for a copy. The real point of this review is that any mixtape like this, made by a friend with broad open taste in punk, lots of experience and a bit of consideration and care, will absolutely destroy anything fabricated by algorithmic autoplay or culled from the licensed library on streaming services. Many tracks on this tape are simply not available on Spotify! If you really want to study the "Ancient Texts", start swapping mixtapes with your friends diving deep into punk history. Don't worry about pretentious record snobs, and definitely don't both with what's on a "Top 100 Essential Punkrock Tunes" playlist.

NO FUTURE - Mirror LP

2024-06-28T10:41:44.000-04:00

By Vanislejay

NO FUTURE from Perth, Australia have put out a masterpiece of noisy hardcore punk with their Mirror LP. The bass and drums are way out front on this mix and its well deserved, the noisy guitar tracks cut through perfectly when they are needed and the vocals are super powerful with maybe the perfect reverb balance. The lyrics are poetic and center around struggling through life in this corrupt immoral capitalist world. This LP rips and I hope I get to see them live cause if it's anything as raging as this LP I'm gonna be sore the next day.

FFO SIAL, DESTINO FINALE.

Jointly released on Iron Lung Records in the US, and TSR in Australia.

Listen: https://nofuturepunk.bandcamp.com/

No Future

Raw Punk band From Perth, Australia

No Future

BLU ANXXIETY / SLASH NEED / HRT / LAURA KRIEG @ Sotterenea, Montreal, June 21, 2024

2024-06-29T02:27:11.000-04:00

By Vanislejay

This was day 1 of the Noise Not Borders curated shows at the Suoni Per Il Popolo fest. This was a fun goth punk dancey show in the sweaty Sotterenea basement. LAURA KRIEG opened and I have never seen her perform before. It was a very 80's vibe, dancy synth tracks with vocals, and the occasional guitar lead. HRT set up on the floor and played a new set tonight. Super powerful industrial influenced noisy beats and hard vocals. Their set started a bit rough, but it all came together once the sound got dialed in and the crowd got a little sweaty. SLASH NEED played a solid set, and with their backup dancers, they really commanded the stage. Their vocalist has a great stage presence and was all over the place. The crowd was really warmed up and ready for BLU ANXXIETY. They have played here a few times over the past couple years, and everyone was hyped that they were back. I think everyone in the entire place was dancing by the end of their set. Overall a great very sweaty show.

Listen to these bands:
LAURA KRIEG: https://laurakrieg.bandcamp.com
HRT: https://hrtmtl.bandcamp.com/
SLASH NEED: https://slashneed.bandcamp.com/track/worm
BLU ANXXIETY: https://bluanxxiety.bandcamp.com/

HEZ // MIRAGE // TOTAL NADA // TENAZ // RECALL @ Sala Rossa, Montreal, June 22, 2024

2024-06-29T02:01:38.000-04:00

By Vanislejay

This was day 2 of the Noise Not Borders curated shows at the Suoni Per Il Popolo fest. This was a big weekend for shows in Montreal, with multiple shows Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Just a regular Montreal summer-kickoff weekend. I didn't want to miss any of it so I got there early and had a nice time hanging out out front of the venue. This venue has a sub stage that gets set up on the floor for smaller shows and it was placed in front of the main stage, like a short runway jutting out. It made for some interesting mosh pit dynamics which I'll get into later.

RECALL is one of Montreal's newer bands, but a bit of a supergroup, bringing together members from too many other bands to name. They opened up the show with a solid set of their raw hardcore punk. The early crowd was a bit thin, but they still played a hard set. The vocalist Misery used the runway to engage with the crowd and made a good speech about supporting legal support for DULF from Vancouver. Two guitars: loud, noisy, and fun.

TENAZ has been playing for a year or two and recently celebrated their demo tape release. They play a minimalist or stripped down take on punk but with quite imposing vocals. Compared to the rest of the show, they turned down the tempo and the noise a bit but was no less impactful. I think their vocalist Claudia is starting to find her stride because she seemed a lot more comfortable on the stage tonight than previous times I have seen them play big rooms.

TOTAL NADA jumped on the bill due to a last minute cancellation by ACID CASUALTIES. This band is really in their prime. Even though this was effectively a tour warm-up show for their US bassist, the set was so tight it felt more like they were just coming off a 3 week tour rather than about to start one. I swear they get better every single show, and I think their best sets are always at Sala. If you are in the East or Southern US don't miss them in July. The runway got turned sideways against the stage, and at this point the show was feeling pretty well attended. I tried to get the crowd into moshing across the runway, Boris even encouraged folks to interact with this strange platform in the middle of where the pit would usually be, but so far no takers.

MIRAGE from New York are still coming off their relatively recent release of "Legato Alla Rovina" on Roachleg Records. At this point, the fog machine and the crowd had both been warmed up. They are a fast hardcore punk band in the best way. The crowd really started going and a few good circle pits(!) broke out, which is very rare in Montreal. Whether they were completely spontaneous or staged is still up for debate, and I don't think we'll ever really know. Either way the band seemed to feed off the crowd energy, much like the circular energy of the pit.

HEZ from Panama were the special headliner. I think they last played Montreal for Varning XI (with FRAMTID and ASPECTS OF WAR... what a year!). Sadly this time their guitarist had a visa or border issue so our own Etienne was drafted to fill in (making this is third set of the night). Varning is fun, but HEZ certainly deserved a headliner show like this. The crowd and band both went off, moving the whole (very big!) room for the duration of the set. On recordings HEZ have a certain production but live it was noisy, fast and chaotic. We finally got a few stage dives off the runway. Overall, a top tier set.

This show was a 5/5 lineup, and one of the best so far in a great year of Montreal shows.

Listen to the bands:
RECALL: https://recall.rocks
TENAZ: https://tenaz.bandcamp.com
TOTAL NADA: https://totalnada.bandcamp.com
MIRAGE: https://roachlegrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mirage-legato-alla-rovina
HEZ: https://hez666.bandcamp.com/

TRASH COMPACTOR BURIAL - Commandeering of Children's Organs

2024-06-27T19:39:02.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contribute by F.A.R. Company

The term 'noise not music' gets thrown up these days like a cheap beer full of cigarette butts and usually by bands you can still hear the riff in a coherent way. Which is always kinda annoyed me, the amount of records I have taken home expecting the 'raw noise punk' label to actually produce a proper fukin racket just to chuck it on the player and find out it was actually a 'well cooked coherent punk' record done in a studio made by a music chef of some fancy soughts. So I am always dubious on recommendations from labels and it's genuine pursuit of endorsing a propper fuckn racket. But thankfully R.I.P. PEACE out in Queensland Australia to the rescue with this debut release from this multi state band also from Australia called TRASH COMPACTOR BURIAL.

10 tracks of absolute fucking furious nonsense. Clearly not done in a studio and apparently all recorded through VHS tapes and video equipment, which gives it a well blown out shit show of a recording and also explains why there's a lot of movie samples throughout side A. The guitars sound like a kettle full of hotdogs on a stove screaming at boiling point, the drummer sounds like a 10 year old on way to much red cordial, there's some signs of bass in there and obviously something else getting used but not even going to try and guess what it is with this band. To round this all up, duel vocals from both sides on the screaming perspective of the modern neanderthal with the teradactyl "ARGGHHHS" and caveman "URGGGGHSSSS". But to me the vocals sound like 2 people been murdered with a delay pedal, one of them kinda sounds like there screaming in their car on the way home from a bad day at work through peak hour traffic. Highlight tracks on this tape are "Shooting Up Mustard Gas" (don't know how that's possible but I would like to see) and the title track "Commandeering of Children's Organs". Very dark nihilistic subjects and themes in play here, if you haven't guessed that already. But wait that's only side A!!

But don't expect a repeat of fast blown out demolition derby on side B. This side of the tape seems to be some sought of arguments through CB radios with various pedals and feed back to mess it all about. Kinda seems to be a heap of middle aged men just yelling at each other and talking shit. The tape J-card does say that side B is anxiety inducing ambience. Their not wrong, some parts of these arguments are pretty concerning and hard to listen to if you're not familiar with how dead shits talk on a building sight. Kinda like family dinner with that one uncle that's balding with a ponytail and has sweet stories about U.F.O. abductions but there's a whole table of them yelling their shit.

This is not your average demo or release?? What ever this is going by. This is a proper step up in racket making, finding all new pockets of insanity to put in a plastic bag and huff and pushing music equipment into realms science couldn't even explain or would even want to.
TRASH COMPACTOR BURIAL don't deal in coherent!! This has been an absolute treat to find... Remember kids if you can hear the riff it's gonna be shit hahahaha.

FFO: SORE THROAT, DEATH DUST EXTRACTOR and L.P.C.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN_rF_pkfBQ
Cassette available from R.I.P PEACE Records: rippeacerecords at gmail dot com

MAUSER - CACOPHONOUS MEMORIES

2024-06-24T13:36:57.000-04:00

By Martin Force

This is a discography/retrospective tape for Florida's MAUSER. Their releases are presented in chronological order, starting with 2010's "End Of The Line" and ending with a 2013 live set recorded at Portland's Black Water. Everything has been remastered by Will Killingsworth.

MAUSER plays a typical raw hardcore d-beat punk. Lots of booming tom rolls. Mostly fast, sometimes midtempo, sometimes really fast. Raw and harsh yells are delivered through some cave reverb and/or delay at different times. The guitar tone is very harsh, couple of distortion pedals slammed through a Peavey combo amp. Everything is redlined. Despite the harsh tone, I detect some crust influence. There is no melody here, but from some of the tom-heavy slower meandering parts I get a crutsy feeling. There are some crusty riffs. It's a nice balance to the otherwise raw and relentless onslaught.

The inclusion of a live set is nice, it's not a board recording or anything but it captures the band's live essence quite well if you either never saw them or like me just can't recall. More live bootleg tapes!!

The tape itself is beautiful and meticulously put together like everything else from Sore Mind. The tape has a wild full pad print on both sides, the j-card cover is stamped... a tape for tape heads.

MAUSER's last release before this tape was 2012, and their last show was around 2014-2015. But they never broke up and a note in the linear notes suggests they are back living close together and likely to start playing again...

Tape available on Sore Mind: https://www.soremind.com

DUST COLLECTOR - S/T

2024-06-27T19:50:08.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by F.A.R. Company

Spicy opinion, but sometimes it helps to judge the book by its cover... In a world where even your average jock hardcore band is using that blown out photoshop 'xerox' filter on there covers it can be hard to sought out the good and the bad. But thankfully las DUST COLLECTOR take the guessing work out of it for you.

With the help of a good close friend to F.A.R. Company and obviously DUST COLLECTOR guns, Insane Moblish from Mexico doing the artwork, you can automatically guess right away what your gonna get here. It's gonna sound like, take a guess... DUST NOISE, tah dah! Which is great, I always muse or brainstorm in my dumb brain what if some of my favorite old bands did another release??

DUST COLLECTOR do exactly that for me they gave me another DUST NOISE release!! Even better DUST COLLECTOR are heavily active and have 2 other releases out as well!

From city that looks like the GTA 5 map featuring members of END RESULT, ANGUISHED LIFE and a heap of other bands. So definitely keep this band in your scopes if it isn't already.

For fans of DUST NOISE, durrrrr!!!

Listen here: https://dustcollectorpunk.bandcamp.com/album/dust-collector-s-t

Email: Dustcollectorpunk@gmail.com

Dust Collector - S/T, by Dust Collector

Dust Collectorsurrealistmisery

UMBRO - Demo 2024

2024-06-24T22:11:00.000-04:00

By Crash JT

Clocking in at just 10 minutes, UMBRO's 2024 demo solidifies Japan's reputation as a powerhouse in the punk scene. UMBRO delivers chaotic, disparaging noise, but not in the way typically associated with Japanese punk outfits. Instead, they create a soundscape that's both abrasive and dissonant, setting themselves apart in the noisy punk genre through their use of a chorus pedal and inconsistency in tempo. While the chorus pedal in hardcore punk isn't for everyone, UMBRO's gritty vocals distinguish them from both the post-punk bands commonly linked to this effect and other hardcore punk groups with similar guitar tones. In my opinion, they skillfully blend the best elements of each of these worlds.

Side B's "Power" stands out as my favorite track. The vocals and overall tone of the demo can only be described as "disgusting"—but in the best way possible.

Despite seemingly being recorded on a basic four-track, the demo maintains a surprising level of dynamism. This lo-fi production underscores a crucial point: the quality of the recording is secondary to the passion and energy behind it. Who cares if the recording quality is shit? Just buy a tape recorder and go for it. A lot of times, it sounds better that way anyway.

FFO: U-NIX, BLACK BUTTON, EUNIX, PHANTOM

The tape is put out by Westward Audio and Visual, and you can listen here: https://wwav.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2024

DEMO 2024, by UMBRO

2 track album

West Ward Audio VisualBandcamp New & Notable Oct 9, 2020

DEMONSTRATE - DEMONSTRATION 2024

2024-06-27T19:31:02.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by P-lou

I've been putting back on writing this review for a while now. Not that it's a very intricate or complicated release, I’ve just been having an awful time lately preventing me from doing anything really. That was until I decided to listen to this demo again after a period of time of feeling overwhelmed by the smallest tasks. I got back to it and it clicked, it did exactly what it was made to do.

"DEMONSTRATION" 2024 is tough love on tape. From the beginning, the demo starts with the line “be yourself, there’s nothing you can't do” delivered with such passion and anger, like a friend that gets pissed off and tired of seeing you wasting your full potential. This theme continues with the song “Speak up” with self affirmation lyrics over some of the best hardcore music I’ve heard in a while. I can safely say it is my favorite hardcore song of 2024. This release comes at a perfect time, along other DMU demos such as the NO IDOLS demo, where a certain fatigue of the current sound of popular hardcore music can be felt. It’s a return to the sources that still feel contemporary and I am here for it. This demo will make you want to mosh in your living room, dive from your dinner table and learn all the lyrics for when they inevitably get to play your town. Musically there’s not a dull moment. Heavily influenced by the 80’s NYHC sound reminiscent of the likes of STRAIGHT AHEAD not only sonically but also purposefully. Every song is powerful, straightforward and packed with raw emotions accentuated by a heavily distorted recording that makes it all blend perfectly. This might be my hardcore release of 2024. This is what a hardcore demo should sound like. I am taking notes and so should you.

Listen here: https://designatedmoshersunit.bandcamp.com/album/dmu-016-demonstrate-demonstration-2024

Tapes available on Designated Moshers Unit

DMU-016: DEMONSTRATE - DEMONSTRATION 2024, by DEMONSTRATE

Designated Moshers UnitBloke_Whistler

BEYOND STATE POWER - DEMO 2024

2024-06-01T10:41:51.000-04:00

By Misery

Austin Texas boils to the top once again with this fast and furious, self described Street Punk(?) featuring members of GREEN JAG, IRON YOUTH (TX) and SAVE OUR CHILDREN, BEYOND STATE POWER gets right to the point with these 6 blistering anarchopunk anthems. Tight drums, gravely vocals that are just fuzzy enough to give them some bite and straightforward, ripping riffs. While not reinventing the wheel by any means, this is distilled punk at its finest; raw, politically charged and short enough to justify a few more listens to get a better taste. There is no love for the illusion of power that comes from war, greed or subservience. BEYOND STATE POWER titular track cries out those exact words, a hopeful rally to think and dream beyond the shackles that society places on us all.

FFO: CONFLICT, NEKRON 9, GAS RAG

Take a listen: https://beyondstatepower.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2024

Demo 2024, by Beyond State Power

Beyond State Powerjrichpyramid

EVIL SPIRIT - BLACK CROSS EXHUMED EDITION TAPE

2024-06-06T20:12:57.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by F.A.R. COMPANY

Doing a video promo for Roachy awhile back now I got given a glimpse into upcoming releases coming out on the ever so busy and consistent label from new york (Roachleg Records). In amongst this folder laid a folder called EVIL SPIRIT, ears pricked up like a scrap yard guard dog seeing an intruder on a Friday night when the tracks started to play. The sound quality was already sounding like it came from a boombox running on low batteries, so I was very keen to here the final results dub to tape again. There's not much information on this band except for a relic of a bandcamp page from over a decade ago with this same demo, so this recording isn't from 2023 hence the "Exhumed" edition title. From what Roachy told me it was sent to him via tape from a skid row motel address?? But I have my conspiracy about this band, but that's another page of rambling and not worth explaining here just in case I'm wrong hahhahaha.

Sounding like all the gems from 80s japan, think G.I.S.M., ZOUO to keep it simple. But the final result when I finally got the physical copy of this release was a exactly what I love!! 2 generation sounding tape with sounds peaking into the red and dipping in and out of volume here and there to give it that penpal mix tape feeling. It seems to be 3 tracks that blend into one adventure. Starting of with the M.A.N.-sounding noise intro to set the pace and then dives into the banger track on this tape. Also the extra treat to this track is the guitar solo which turned into a whistling ear worm for me and the reason for consistent repeat of the tape. The solo sounds like Randy Uchida on a $40 dollar budget, but still holds the might and spirit of a Randy Uchida guitar solo. Especially the harmony bit of the guitar solo it is so disgustingly spot on and catchy. Then back to some more M.A.N. noise to round it up.

10 out 10 nothing to fault here and a reminder that a demo tape is a demo tape and no need to go to a studio to do one, EVIL SPIRIT prove that here by apparently doing it from a motel room in skid row, hahahahaha.

Released on ROACHLEG RECORDS 2023
Listen here: https://roachlegrecords.bandcamp.com/album/evil-spirit-black-cross

EVIL SPIRIT - BLACK CROSS, by EVIL SPIRIT

1 track album

RoachLeg RecordsJohn Isaacson

INDUSTRY - A SELF PORTRAIT AT THE STAGE OF TOTALITARIAN DOMINATION OF ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE

2024-06-01T11:24:24.000-04:00

By Misery

If the over the top album title wasn't enough of a big hit, INDUSTRY is finely distilled UK style anarchopunk that is sharp as a knife. Caustic yet clear vocals bark out politically charged lyrics, machine gun drums back tight, cutting guitar riffs and a never too slinky bass tone rounds out this debut from the Berlin based international crew. The second track "Totalitarian Domination" sums it up nicely with the repeated line "Look in the mirror and you will see a self-portrait at the stage of totalitarian domination of life" pointing the finger directly at the listener, to wake up and realize change begins with the self. Making a direct nod to their inspirations, INDUSTRY's charged cover of the A.L.F. compilation EXIT-STANCE song "They Kill Dogs" takes a classic of the genre and breathes new vitriol and spite aimed at those who are still unwilling to hear the plea of those who cannot advocate for themselves. "Spiritual Debts" starts with a rumbling drum and bass march that almost breaks into a post punk build that is rewarded with a tempo change and vocals that interrogate those who turn a blind eye to the mass suffering created by corporations and greed that effect us all, no matter how much one tries to dull themselves to our reality.

FFO: CONFLICT, FLUX, THIS IS THE A.L.F. compilation

Listen to the album on bandcamp here: https://staticagemusik.bandcamp.com/album/industry-a-self-portrait-at-the-stage-of-totalitarian-domination-of-all-aspects-of-human-life

Record available for purchase through Static Age Musik: https://www.staticshockmusik.com/12-Vinyl-Hardcore-Punk/INDUSTRY-A-SELF-PORTRAIT-AT-THE-STAGE-OF-TOTALITARIAN-DOMINATI::12178.html

INDUSTRY - A SELF PORTRAIT AT THE STAGE OF TOTALITARIAN DOMINATION OF ALL ASPECTS OF HUMAN LIFE, by Static Age Musik

DEMO 2023, by Nuclear Man

Static Age Musikcaleb

NUCLEAR MAN - Demo 2023

2024-05-30T21:15:51.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Another Winnipeg, MB "USHC" band. Compared to HUMAN TARGET (who I saw/got a demo from at the same recent Legion show in Montreal), NUCLEAR TARGET seems a bit more "formulaic" when it comes to the self-applied "USHC" label. Which is not bad: the tones are dialed in, the lyrics are simple and hard to decipher (except for "Warhead": "NUCLEAR WARHEADS WERE ALL GONNA DIE"), the singer is some kind of hardcore punk cartoon character, the breakdowns are plodding and almost too slow. They know what they are doing, and they are doing it well. Bands like this have gotta perform to stand out from the crowd, and their live show definitely delivered in that regard. I wouldn't miss this band if I had the chance to see them again (ideally on the white floor in well-lit auditorium).

Tape is self-released, listen to is here: https://nuclearman.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2023

Demo 2023, by Human Target

Nuclear Mandaylen-

HUMAN TARGET - Demo 2023

2024-05-30T20:59:44.000-04:00

By Martin Force

"Human target, I'm (on?) the target, you're on the fucking target, this is HUMAN TARGET." That's how the demo tape from this Winnipeg, MB band starts. An intro like that lets you know this is stupid music for stupid people. They were one of a pair of Winnipeg bands that recently played the first show in 10 years at the local legion here. This band self-identifies as "USHC" which might be annoying for some people tired of whatever trend that is, but this band was good. The riffs are stupid, the breakdowns are stupid and aplenty. But behind the stupid wrapping, I was surprised by the (relative) density and depth of the lyrics. Winnipeg is not a nice place. It's colder than Mars and just as bleak. These guys aren't trend-hopping big-city art students. The lyrics come from the experience of living in such a bleak difficult place, spanning from the personal to the political. It was a pleasant discovery after seeing a band that, after that lowbrow intro, closes the tape by finishing the eponymous song with a proper ringout... only to bring back the breakdown for another good 30 seconds after the singer essentially spells the band name out for us: "Hu-Man Tar-Get." HUMAN TARGET is more on the stupid side (which I like just fine) but are approaching the ideal juxtaposition of highbrow and lowbrow.

The tape is self-released, and you can listen here: https://humantargethc.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2023

Human Targetcaleb

iPod Revival

2024-05-29T08:51:47.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Harry Yams

I got reacquainted with iPods right around the pandemic. I was working construction and so many times I would have my headphones in, high-up in a scissor lift, hands in awkward places or covered in something nasty. I would be listening to whatever late 90s / early 2000’s punk and Spotify would be like “oh you like this? Have you heard SCREECHING WEASEL?” It felt like the most punishing co-worker trying to relate musically but missing the mark. “Oh not that? What about PENNYWISE / VOODOO GLOW SKULLS?”

Subsequently I got a new phone and it would no longer connect with my 2011 Macbook Pro. All of my friends' crappy Bandcamp MP3s wouldn’t transfer over. I don’t remember exactly but I stumbled across a YouTube video of someone “modding” an iPod and I quickly found a used black 5th Gen on Craigslist for $30.00.

Modding an iPod or “flash modding” means opening up the device and replacing the old spinning disc hard drive to a modern solid-state storage option. Like a SD / Micro SD found in a digital camera or other devices, these can increase the storage from 4-20GB up to 256GB-1TB. Reducing the moving parts theoretically increases the iPods lifespan. The beauty of this mod is that there is no soldering involved. Most parts of the iPod have a push-in / locking connector on the motherboard (screen, click-wheel, HD, battery, etc). Each generation is a little different. The iPod Touch and Nanos cannot be altered, while the iPod Mini (2004-2005) is more labor intensive but has an easier storage swap (just using a full size SD, it has the same pin configuration). I’ll be mainly referencing the iPod classic (generations 3-6). These seem to be the most bomb proof and come apart into two halves with its very visible side seam. The classics all require an adapter to get flash memory into it. There are cheap routes on Ali-express, but the go-to in the “iPod community” (yes, it's a thing, a little brutal, but helpful no less) is the iFlash adapter. They have many options, but for the most part the SD card goes in a slot on the iFlash board and the existing iPod HD ribbon cable connects at the bottom.

While the device is open, it’s also recommended to replace a few other things. The battery is simple to replace again with a locking connector and no soldering. You can now get modified Nokia 3000mah batteries with the iPod connection on the end. The headphone jack is also easy to replace. These tend to wear out over the years of heavy use. Folks have now figured out how to splice in a Bluetooth transmitter to the headphone leads. Although its considered a mod, this takes a bit of skill with solder and wiring (but it’s doable).

If you’re a millionaire, Moonlit Market now makes a retrofit back that includes Bluetooth, USB-C, flash drive, and a large battery for $329 CAD.

There are a million detailed guides and videos out there for modding, so this is just an idea of what can be done.

Acquiring Music in 2024

Soulseek - is still running and operational. For the folks unfamiliar, it's like Napster, a peer-2-peer connection for downloading music and used heavily by music nerds. I’ve often found old obscure Vancouver Island bands on it that I thought were lost forever.

Bandcamp - Obviously a great resource. With its recent sales to Epic Games and Songtradr, and its lack of advertising, I have trust issues that it will exist forever, similar to CBC radio 3 or New Music Canada[?] that hosted DIY music in the early 2000’s. Or even Myspace for that matter.

Blogspots - There are a slew of folks posting about their music collection and either ripping them onto a file-sharing website or showing you where to go. Terminal Escape is still going! While others like Remote Outpost’s aren't, they still contain a massive back-catalog of music to check out.

Trade USB keys - they are cheap and you can probably figure out how to get USB-A onto whatever computer you are using. Your friends probably have weird gems in their collections, and if you are reading this, then you know Martin does.

Torrents - still work. I often find if there is something you want that exists in a torrent then it's probably popular enough to find elsewhere.

YouTube rippers - I haven’t tried this yet, but it's commonly recommended in the iPod forums. I think they mount on a web-browser and convert YouTube video-audio into an MP3 file.

Connecting an iPod to a computer is still the same. If you are running a modern Mac, a finder window appears, similar to the original iTunes when you connect an iPod. If you are using Windows or Linux, there are various applications that still work.

Alternatively, you can now run Rockbox on the iPod itself and manage your MP3s in folders? Rockbox is an open-source software replacement that runs on a variety of MP3 players and portable music devices. I have yet to try Rockbox, due to my old Mac working with the device just fine.

There is also software to get music off an iPod. I have had varied success with these programs, but it can be done.

Getting an iPod in 2024

Sadly with its new gained popularity, the price of iPods has gone up. Even on Ebay or in the thrift an iPod classic can go for $100. For me, that is what has led to the weird “hunt” that I guess other collectors appeal to in their weird obsessions. If I find one on Craigslist sub $30 I will try to get it, or it’s something I keep an eye out for at yard sales.

It’s neat finding one and seeing what someone was listening to 20 years ago, or who’s name is engraved on the back (such a weird option). Or finding the black and red U2 edition iPod (2004-2006) - years before they forced that album on your phone (2013).

Collecting a few has led me to make themed iPods, some only containing sappy pop-punk, or crappy-crust, or the entire collection of a very niche podcast. Each on their own separate device. It’s also the perfect machine for taking on such dorky conquests such as The MOTORHEAD Challenge.

There are downsides to all this of course. Downloading music, organizing and transferring it, using a 30-pin USB cable, and then using wired headphones isn’t always appealing. It’s more time consuming than just typing something into a search bar. It sucks buying a “damaged iPod” off eBay, only to find the motherboard has been destroyed and is useless. Or setting out on your day only to find you forgot to charge yet another device. There are drawbacks for sure.

I enjoy using an iPod in 2024 for a few reasons

First, and I’ll try not to be too gatekeep-y, there is a lot of stuff I like listening to that’s not on Spotify or Apple music. The debut albums from THREE INCHES OF BLOOD or HOLDING HANDS, a lot of Bandcamp artists, even NEIL YOUNG for a minute (and who’s to say he won’t do it again).

Having control over “my music” is something an iPod is great at. I like listening to GREEN DAY’s “Dookie” but I don’t want that to lead into the “Father Of All…” album. It’s nice on an iPod unintentionally choosing these limits. Albums on Spotify also get their tracklists rearranged similar to the Star Wars movies getting re-edited, which I hate. Contrarily, if I wanna listen to JUDAS PRIEST’s “British Steel” but hate when "Red, White, & Blue" comes on, I can just leave it off.

I like the simplicity. I often get overwhelmed and distracted with Spotify. I can’t remember how to find what I wanted to listen to, and put on what I was playing last. I usually just want to put on music I like and not think about it. Using the iPods that are just text I find less distracting. I can just spin the wheel in the artist menu and it will usually land on something I want to listen to or I’ll see a name that I haven’t thought about in a while. It feels like folks are starting to notice having access to every movie, TV show, and song ever made is overwhelming. Much like a restaurant menu with 100 things on it, it's sometimes nice when the options are limited to just a few things you enjoy.

I still love shuffle. Going from BOLT THROWER’s "No Guts, No Glory" into DE LA SOUL’s Eye Know is a back-to-back I never would have thought of, let alone a modern algorithm. But a machine with a randomizer that doesn’t have to think often makes for some hilarious song runs or mixes. Friends have told me this would drive them crazy, but I personally love it.

I like that it’s apart from my phone. iPods are great for going on a bike ride or doing a task you don’t want to be distracted from. You’re not getting notifications or your boss calling you on your time off. You’re also not going to unconsciously start looking at social media or Mastodon.

I’m sentimental (like all the time). Friends bands, old bands, bands that remind me of certain times or places, embarrassing albums, or projects from folks that have passed. An iPod is a simple device to contain, organize, preserve, and enjoy it all.

Harry's Forever iPod albums

PAINTED YOUTH - “Painted Youth”
DOGGO - [Both Albums]
NOBRIDGE - “Demo Fest”
BRATTATTOO / PEROGIE - “split”
MILK MUSIC - “Beyond Living”
DESASTER - “A Touch of Medieval Darkness”
COMPLICATIONS - “Demo”
SILENT ERA - “Tape”
M-BLANKET - “Safety” 7”
RAMMER (most of their stuff)
HIS HERO IS GONE - “Monuments to Thieves”

EPOXI - Demo 2023

2024-05-30T20:50:45.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Greg The Builder

I am a furniture builder by trade. I mention this because the use of epoxy (with a Y) has become something of a plague to my craft. I fucking hate epoxy tables. Unoriginal, tacky bullshit.

EPOXI (with an I) on the other hand, fucking rules. EPOXI is from Bloomington, IN and the label that put out their tape says they are hardcore that sounds punk and I'm inclined to agree. This is the type of ripping and raging punk I tend to associate with bands from the often overlooked midwest. EPOXI starts this demo off with an intro track that's sole purpose is to make you move, something it does successfully. The rest of the tape takes off from there. These songs are fast, have the appropriate stops and direction changes, mosh parts, and even well placed and tasteful leads.

While all the instruments sound great, the vocals stand out to me the most. They are dynamic and urgent, sometimes speeding up to fit all the lyrics in their assigned parts. Also, I love an angry talking part like the one at the end of "Brain Lock". The tape sounds punk, and by that I mean shitty in a way that makes it sound even better than it would. I tend to prefer my own band's recordings to sound a little more polished, but that’s because I am a coward, and I am always impressed when a band can make the less refined recording part of the sound, as if it’s an uncredited member. Maybe they’re the one who will answer the band group chat in a timely manner....Anyway, this tape rules I hope there is more to come.

You can listen to EPOXI - Demo 2023 on the Upset Condition Tapes bandcamp: https://upsetconditiontapes.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2023

Demo 2023, by Epoxi

Migration Magic, by Feeling Figures

Upset Conditioncybursine

The Counterforce Issue #1

2024-05-24T14:08:49.000-04:00

By Webmaster

Welcome! This website is coming together and this weekend marks the release of the first print issue of The Counterforce print zine. It includes everything published on the site so far and is the first print issue of many more to come.

You can print this zine out yourself and distribute it not-for-profit. Start a zine distro in your town or add this issue to an existing distro. Get in touch if you want to contribute something to the site and to be included in the next issue! We would like to see submissions from friends who share our mission from all over. Reviews, scene reports, how-to guides, letters... any pitch or submission or idea is welcome.

Manifesto for The Counterforce

2024-05-18T13:50:32.000-04:00

By Martin Force

Hardcore punk as a mutual aid-based autonomous zone

The hardcore punk subculture consists of people, bands, spaces and projects that perpetuate an internationally distributed autonomous zone. It is underground, existing outside the media mainstream of capitalism. Entities within this zone – bands, zines, distributors, promoters, labels, etc. – follow a largely not-for-profit, DIY (Do It Yourself) ethic to achieve common goals, either on the micro level (pulling off a show) or a macro level (the perpetuation of the subculture itself). Individual participants voluntarily contribute what they can in a cooperative and reciprocal way. This subculture is a manifestation of mutual aid, and it exists, to a great extent, as a radical alternative to the dominant capitalist culture.

The term “mutual aid” gets thrown around a lot theses days, often to describe an anarchist-informed organizing model used by projects like Food Not Bombs or disaster relief community groups. But mutual aid is a relatively simple, anarchist concept that is observed throughout human and non-human-animal history. Mutual aid is the practice of individuals voluntarily coming together to meet common needs of their community in cooperative and reciprocal ways. This practice is powerful and liberatory, because it is non-hierarchical, non-transactional,and doesn’t involve authorities or states.

The Capture of Hardcore Punk by Corporate Platforms

Corporate social media, streaming platforms, and similar apps have steadily increased their capture of hardcore punk subculture to the point where they now mediate much of our social lives and interactions.

These corporate platforms are profit-driven. They collect your data and attention to sell, or charge you subscription fees, or both. To maximize profit, they are intentionally designed to be frictionless, slick, and addictive. They build monopolies so that when no viable competition or alternatives exist, they can change the deal by increasing their fees and degrading their "services."

They use opaque recommendation algorithms to feed us content, and this too is done solely to maximize profit – not to curate a vibrant, diverse, and challenging hardcore punk subculture. As an extreme side effect, we see bands orienting their image, song writing, and production (either consciously or subconsciously) to appease these algorithms. Behold: Spotify Hardcore. Algorithmic recommendation flattens out the sound of hardcore punk into just another easy-to-digest pop sub-genre.

To build their user bases towards monopoly, these platforms are walled gardens. Instagram hits non-users trying to view a post with a login wall, while Spotify playlists can only include songs on Spotify and can only be enjoyed by someone with a Spotify account. They leverage the network effect into a positive feedback loop to solidify their dominance: "everyone" is there, so everyone else wants to be there. Obviously they are hostile to anyone who doesn't want to sell out and sign up. The more tricks they can use to lure and trap new users inside their isolated silos, the more profit they can extract.

Where do all their profits go? To Joe Rogan, to Swedish billionaires who invest in defense companies, to Mark Zuckerburg and Meta to facilitate genocides. These companies and the people who own them are among the richest in the world. They fund wars, they degrade the information ecosystem, they lobby governments to promote their own interests. Not only are their products bad for us, they profit off us and direct those profits to actively making our world worse.

The ongoing Rohingya genocide, greatly driven by Facebook

They also work hand in hand with governments, police, and warmongers: they censor and remove content, they happily hand over user information to police, and they contribute to the expanding surveillance of populations. It's foolish to think any meaningful social change will come from organizing on the platforms operated and controlled by the corrupt people and institutions in power.

It is understandable why these platforms are so popular. They are slick, addictive, and often "free" (when your data and attention are the real products). They provide an easy way to share and listen to music... and maybe your song will even get added to a hype playlist. All your friends and social activity is happening there... and maybe you can go viral and gain thousands of followers.

Many participants of the hardcore punk subculture have completely bought into these platforms. They are the highly prioritized, if not exclusive, means to chat, share music, post flyers, talk about shows, find new bands, and meet new friends. Forget trying to book a tour without an account – the modern-day “Book Your Own Fuckin' Life” is a list of Instagram handles.

The more we prioritize these platforms, the more we strengthen their monopolies and erode our autonomous zone, our ability to build alternatives and survive the coming struggles. The more we buy into corporate walled gardens, the more we exclude anyone who isn't willing to use corporate media on principle, anyone who doesn't want to trade their data and attention for an account, or anyone who just can't for the sake of their mental health.

Our increased use of and dependence on these platforms has been accompanied by a broader corporate capture of our subculture. It's not surprising that normalized use of algorithm-directed profit-driven advertising platforms has normalized more capitalist behaviour in general. It has drawn us all away from the principle of mutual aid and further into the machinery of capitalism.

This corporate capture of hardcore punk defangs it. Working towards individual profit in a system of domination and exploitation undermines the principles this subculture is based on. This is why selling out has always garnered shame and mockery. The best hardcore punk has always been underground. It cannot thrive when it has been captured and recuperated as mainstream "heavy music." An underground, illegal generator show is always going to be more transgressive, more politically interesting and more fun than a sterilized, sponsored, corporate show at a legitimate venue. Anyone who believes otherwise is lying to themselves, or has forgotten what true underground hardcore punk is like (or just never really knew).

The Counterforce

We need to stop prioritizing corporate social media as the online hub of our subculture. We need to reverse the trend of sharing our music on corporate streaming sites. Many of us are seeking relief from the endless doomscroll and attention-hogging of apps like Instagram and TikTok, or are frustrated with the cost, restrictions and algorithmic whims of Spotify. We need to reconfigure our subculture so these corporate platforms are not so central.

We should promote tried-and-true offline practices, like print zines, cassette demos, and paper flyers, but we also have to accept that the Internet has irreversibly changed how people connect. How many "print-only" zines still have an account on corporate social media? We can't simply revive offline strategies of spreading hardcore punk without addressing today's internet-connected world. We must intervene in both on- and offline spaces.

Anyone who tries to participate in hardcore punk without resorting to using online corporate platforms knows it is both isolating and extremely challenging. FOMO is real. We can't just complain, we need to provide and promote alternatives to encourage and support anyone trying to resist their dominance. The more of us who refuse to prioritize them, the less powerful they are.

In the service of these goals, The Counterforce pursues the following strategies:

1. De-center Corporate Streaming

MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL's print magazine ended in 2019. They had a longstanding editorial policy to not cover music released on major labels:

"No major labels or labels exclusively distributed by major-owned distros".

This was a good thing! MRR was influential and widely read, and their policy on major-label releases held back corporate encroachment for a long time. In response to the changing music distribution landscape, one of their last issues (#419) featured a provocative April Fool's joke on the back cover:

This was a prank, but... what if it had been serious? It's kind of inspirational. What if there really was a huge international hardcore punk zine that only covers bands who refuse to put their music on corporate streaming platforms? Sure, some good bands would be overlooked, but all the posers, grifters and wannabe sell-outs would be omitted. If this had been a real change in MRR policy rather than a prank, who knows where we'd be today.

Corporate streaming platforms like Spotify are equivalent to major-owned distros. They are fully integrated into the capitalist industrial media complex. For the most part, the only way to get your music onto these platforms is to sign a licensing agreement with a digital distributor who charges a fee and/or takes a cut of the royalties (and it's well known that this is at worst basically nothing, and at best a shitty deal for you). Putting your band through this process draws you into business as usual, just like signing with a major label used to: legal legitimacy, government taxes, fees, licensing agreements, your legal names on everything, etc. It encourages bands to move forward running things like a business, and businesses care about profits.

MRR had the right idea. We should point the spotlight away from bands that have bought into the major labels' system and recognize that platforms like Spotify are now part of this system. We don't have to embargo every release that happens to be on Spotify, but we should strive to prioritize other ways of sharing and listening to our music online that are less evil and corrupt. Doing so will help us maintain our autonomy so companies like Spotify can't just pull the rug out from under us when they are the only option left to share music online.

2. Explore and build online alternatives

Rather than being reactionary, advocating for some nostalgic return to "the ways things used to be," we should explore new technology and changes in digital culture. Social media and the Internet can be great, liberating tools that connect us over long distances, across borders and in spite of physical or mental barriers to accessibility. We just have to find and build alternatives that are divorced from corporate interests and control.

Much like hardcore punk, the Internet itself has a liberatory subculture that has been eroded by corporate capture. And it also has a counterforce pushing back against this erosion. There is a sprawling underground of open-source, non-profit, community-driven tools, protocols, and networks that provide alternatives to corporate social media and streaming platforms. These alternatives are free and open instead of closed and profit-driven. They are not addictive-by-design, nor riddled with ads, nor spying on us and selling our data.

Federated social media (e.g. Mastodon, Pixelfed and the Fediverse), public show calendars (Gancio), small websites and blogs (e.g. neocities.org, blogspot.com – yes Blogspot still exists!), RSS feeds and podcasts, self-hosted and alternative music sharing (e.g. Faircamp, PeerTube, Mirlo), and free, open libraries and archives (e.g. The Internet Archive)... these are just a few examples!

Some of these are old and familiar and could do with a revival. Some are novel and breaking new ground online. All of them DIY, requiring some knowledge and effort, but in the long term they help fortify our autonomy and independence. With a little bit of work, we can have social media without addictive algorithms and advertising, accessible online show listings, and online music streaming that we control.

3. More paper at shows

We advocate for online alternatives because we recognize the Internet and smart phones and digital media aren’t going away. But the online world will always be easier for corporations to capture and control so we make a plea for offline culture as well. Hasn't punk always been a little Luddite and nostalgic?

We want more paper at shows. Make physical handbills and hand them out. Start or contribute to a local fanzine. Bring a zine distro to shows, and check one out if it already exists in your town. When a stranger hands you a flyer at a show it is a blessing. Cherish it.

Distribution and reach of paper zines has been crippled by increased shipping and printing costs. If our goal in making fanzines is primarily to spread our ideas, opinions and recommendations, we should make them freely available. Anyone should be able to get the master files for punk fanzines, print them out, and distribute them locally. Anarchists already employ this Print-It-Yourself approach to facilitate the proliferation of zine distros everywhere. We should adopt this strategy to help our zines spread, and encourage offline interaction and engagement with our music and ideas.

4. You can still look at Instagram, OK?

We don't all need to quit overnight. It’s fine to keep listening to Spotify and posting on Instagram. But we should shift the center of our focus away from these corporate platforms: invest in and prioritize alternatives! Share your show on the local punk calendar before posting it on Instagram. Make sure your demo is available somewhere online besides Spotify. Every action helps, big or small.

People are more willing to use and build alternatives once they are demystified. We need to proliferate knowledge and guides about these alternatives – the DIY ethic will take care of the rest. We also need to be encouraging and persistent. There can be a hump to overcome in trying alternatives because they lack the massive resources and addictive design of corporate platforms. Anything new and different can seem a lot more complicated, and sometimes it is (although corporate social media can have a steep learning curve too, it's just easy to forget). It takes some enthusiasm and dedication to overcome this hump. We need to be understanding and patient with our friends.

5. Human curation over algorithmic recommendation

Fuck the algorithms! We have to stop accepting so much profit-maximizing recommendation that flattens our culture. We need more human-curated recommendation and accessible spaces where it can happen: more blogs, zines, reviews, scene reports, interviews, and radio shows/podcasts. And we need social media that is an actual social network instead of a login-walled algorithm-mediated advertising machine, so we can openly share music we are making and digging with each other.

Money changes everything

The rise in popularity of corporate social media and streaming in hardcore punk has been accompanied by an increasing acceptance of more general capitalist tendencies. There are more unquestioned sponsorships, bands playing massive festivals with corporate backers, major label behavior, a proliferation of managers, agents, and middlemen, and more unchallenged grabs for profit. This is a bad trend! We should continue to practice the long tradition of defending hardcore punk against those who seek to recuperate our culture into the capitalist system.

Stop selling out

Participation in hardcore punk, whether it's playing in a band, booking shows, running a space, taking photos, or making zines, is always met with awesome support. The temptation to transfer that success into a paying job is understandable and it makes sense to seek out a job based on skills or talents you've developed here. We all have to survive under capitalism, we all need a job. The problem is when people try to turn hardcore punk itself into a job, degrading our mutual aid-based relationships into transactional ones.

This erodes the radical spaces and networks (the autonomous zone) we've built by helping it all be absorbed by capitalism. We will not defeat capitalism with more capitalism. Even if you have a cool "punk job," nothing stops you from continuing to participate and contribute to hardcore punk on the mutual aid, not-for-profit level. Fuck running your band like a business, fuck people who use hardcore punk as a stepping stone for their career, and fuck corporate venues, corporate sponsors, professional promoters and all intermediary agents who take a cut.

A balance of gatekeeping is necessary

Gatekeeping is not a dirty word. Some gatekeeping is OK and good, actually; it's a balance. Singers on stage have been heard to say things like: "Everyone is welcome at this show" – actually no. The following people are not welcome: cops, landlords, racists, rapists, grifters, profit-seekers, sellouts, exploiters, and posers. Those who prove themselves time and time again to be more interested in profiting, selling out, or collaborating with corporate interests, should be mocked, shamed, and excluded. A little gatekeeping insulates us from this corruption.

And yes, if something is truly underground and against the dominant culture, it will be inherently a little harder to find. This is a feature, not a bug. That said, our shows should not be private parties – fuck that. Our subculture should be obscure, but accessible. We shouldn't close the gate to those who are already marginalized by prevalent systems of domination and hierarchy. To do this effectively, we have to understand and counteract the systems of oppression and domination in the mainstream world. We have to ensure we are working against forces like gentrification and colonialism, not perpetuating them. Keep punk from becoming a rich white boys club. Strive to make shows affordable, PWYC, NOTAFLOF. Encourage and provide opportunities for those who can't pay to contribute in other ways, like helping out with the show. If they can't contribute at all, then still let them in. Try to keep show spaces physically accessible to wheelchair users. Try to keep shows on-time and early to accommodate people who are stuck with a shitty job in the morning they can't afford to miss. Shows don't have to be listed in the newspaper, but they should be promoted to anyone who knows where to look, not exclusively to anyone with a fucking Instagram account.

No purity culture

Gatekeeping and sellout-shaming is needed, but this isn't all about cultivating a purity culture. It's ok to enjoy and participate in things besides hardcore punk. Enjoy pop radio (we do). Start a rock band to get signed and pay your bills (just stay in your lane). Being part of this subculture should not mean being 100% "pure" in all parts of life. We all make compromises under capitalism and have other hobbies and interests and identities. This is uncontroversial.

Overzealous purity fanatics who are quick to call someone out for a single transgression should be ignored. Rather than focus on individual "purity," this is a mutual effort to keep hardcore punk a transgressive and progressive force in the world, and a place where we experiment with better ways to do things. We are not trying to kick someone out of punk for playing one Live Nation show or one Vans-sponsored fest. We just need to tip the scales against the trend of selling out.

Expand the zone

By simply building and maintaining an alternative culture based on better ideals and principles, we are contributing to positive change in the world by being a proving ground for potential new worlds. But we must go further – our network and subculture is not just a prototype, but a source of power from which we can act politically for change in the broader world right now. We can raise awareness, we can raise money, we can move people. When shit goes down, our friend networks can become organizing networks. We're learning how to operate a music scene on principles of mutual aid and in resistance to capitalism, and we can apply this knowledge to how we organize with our neighbors and communities. Rather than bring capitalism in, turning our little roles in hardcore punk into more jobs, we should expand out and push to dismantle the system that requires us all to slave in shitty jobs in the first place.

Punk never died, you just sold out

There are lots of podcasts hosted by older punks in their 40s or 50s. They often end up remarking how "different" things are in the scene now, compared to when they came up. From their perspective, hardcore punk used to be DIY and underground: everyone booked their own shows and put out their own records. It was all done for fun and gas money with little ambition to sign to a major label or do music "professionally." Nowadays, according to them, it's a totally different world. The underground is gone and hardcore punk is just another mainstream genre of Heavy Music. Everyone works within the industry, has booking agents, regularly plays big sponsored fests, runs a business, wins music awards, and hustles for streams. Hardcore punk is a career choice.

These podcast hosts are really talking about how they've changed, without any self-awareness. Overtime, their bands became indie rock bands and they sold out. They exited the underground and stopped paying attention to it. Despite often being prolific record collectors and self-proclaimed punk "historians" they are completely clueless about the state of current underground hardcore punk. They are unaware that incredible bands are still booking their own tours, self-releasing demo tapes and objectively good records, and playing in basements and small venues for gas money. These guys assume hardcore punk stopped when they stopped doing it.

It seems like willful ignorance. Rather than admit they compromised their values and sold out, they prefer to pretend that "the world changed, man" and that a vibrant underground hardcore punk scene no longer exists. What a cop out!

Perspectives like this also come from people who aren't as disconnected as dusty old podcast dudes. People who should know better will say things like "the underground doesn't exist anymore." More common is a middling, defeatist attitude: the underground still exists, but there's no point in trying to resist corporate capture. Corporate platforms are already too dominant, it's too late to resist them, and there are no alternatives. This is also a cop out, a narrative that makes it easy for people to accept the inevitability of dystopia rather than try to personally hold onto values that could bring us to a better world.

The world has changed, it's true. Streaming and social media have both grown as technologies and "heavy music" is in fashion again as a marketable product. But true underground hardcore punk still exists today, and it always will to some extent. There will always be punks hiding from the mainstream in basements, on cassettes, in the pages of photocopied zines, and in the hidden corners of the Internet. The Counterforce is everywhere.

What isn't certain is how expansive and radical this underground will be. We can accept the increasing corporate capture and recuperation of hardcore punk as inevitable and, like the podcasters, tell ourselves that "the underground is dead" so we don't feel as bad about selling out. Or...

ULTIMATE DISASTER - Demo 2024

2024-05-20T23:02:17.000-04:00

By Contributors To The Counterforce

Contributed by Hobbes

First things first: ULTIMATE DISASTER’s demo is a refreshing blast of straightforward punishment, an antidote to my recent bout of math fatigue. Listening to their demo feels like breathing fresh air after being trapped in an elevator with a backlog of 2020s bands, all hell-bent on being the cleverest reinterpretation of d-beat.

ULTIMATE DISASTER understands that sometimes, the real challenge lies in executing something simple. Thankfully, they deliver exactly what I’ve been craving: an unrelenting, direct sound that feels like a much-needed slap in the face. The recording itself features very forward vocals, which certainly demand attention. While this style can be hit or miss, it works perfectly here, giving a sense of palpable anticipation, as if someone is right next to you, daring you to dive into the madness. Hesitate, and get pushed in. No one’s waiting for you.

I’m consistently a big advocate for minimal lyrics. If you need a novel to convey your message in d-beat, you’re doing it wrong. ULTIMATE DISASTER (to my amusement) surpasses even my expectations with a masterclass in brevity: “LBH” (Living Breathing Hell).

The recording is clear, and while I typically yearn for more dirt on a demo, we are thankfully still far from the sterile, linoleum-tiled, fluorescent lit d-beat recordings I’ve grown to dread. ULTIMATE DISASTER manages to keep it raw while prioritizing clarity.

This band doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is, and I appreciate them for that. Another great band from Richmond, Virginia, serving as a testament to the relentless and motivating spirit of that scene. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for future releases from Acute Noise Manufacture.

Listen here: https://ultimatedisaster.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2024
Released on Acute Noise Manufacture

SIYAHKAL - Live At The Monarch April 29, 2023

2024-05-19T16:41:44.000-04:00

By Vanislejay

SIYAHKAL is a raging Toronto hardcore punk band who sing in a dialect of Farsi. This tape is absolutely ripping, and is a pretty unreal recording for a live set. It opens with a maniacal laugh that sets the stage well for the next few minutes of making you stomp around wherever you are listening to it. The tape layout is photocopied on cardstock, and equally foreshadows how hard this tape is. For fans of brutal plodding hardcore like DESTINO FINALE.

Listen here: https://serpentsgallery.bandcamp.com/album/sg-01-siyahkal-live-at-the-monarch
Tape available from Serpents Gallery Recordings

VISIONS OF CHAOS - NEVERENDING SHIT HAPPENS...

2024-05-13T18:27:33.000-04:00

By Misery

Berlin/Athens two piece VISIONS OF CHAOS are back with more blown out, fuzzed up blistering crasher crust noise. It's all nonstop, blasting d-beats, static guitar, barely audible rumbling bass and haunting distorted vocals echoing from your deepest nightmares. The always impressive drummer/vocalist combination is not wasted on these three tracks of no bullshit raw punk. "Psychedelic Apocalypse" and "The Last Goodbye" combined barely make the 2 minute mark, never overstaying their barely comprehensible onslaught of noise. The final track of decipherable music, a cover of DISCARDS "Death From Above" marginally improves the original if only by being exponentially deafening. Last but not least, "Outro" appears to be a wall of noise, reverb and delay cranked to ten thought experiment that doesn't stand out as anything groundbreaking but beats the cliche of some 60's burn out anti war audio sample or screams of a child, shell shocked from the horrors of war.

FFO: BLACK DOG, KOS, BLESS

Find the album released on Noise Itch Cassettes here: https://noiseitch.bandcamp.com/album/neverending-shit-happens
(Limited edition of 20 spray painted, home-dubbed tapes unfortunately SOLD OUT)
Past releases/splits: https://visionsofchaos.bandcamp.com/

WAFAQ - LIBERATION CORPSE

2024-05-15T11:50:19.000-04:00

By Misery

WAFAQ makes no illusions, this is brutal, blackened hard core punk inspired by past and ongoing acts of resistance around the world. This five track EP burns with a passion of those who rise from the ashes of devastation. four anonymous members of this Indonesian outfit hit all the marks with some timely breakdowns, delayed guttural vocals, chainsaw distortion and an unwavering political statement. Boiling to the top from the first track, aptly named "Maniesto!", WAFAQ declares their all out attack on fascists regimes, ongoing colonialism, and the undying passion of those resisting oppression no matter how dire the circumstance. "Funeral Field" creeps up with a sludgy, doom drenched break down almost encompassing the whole song, accompanied by blown out, echoing guttural screams, that are briefly interrupted by ripping tempo change, as the band shouts "WAIT FOR REVENGE".

Summed up perfectly by the band themselves:

"WAFAQ tells the story of the resistance of the people of Gaza against the Zionists and also tells the story of the internal conflicts of the community itself that claimed thousands of victims from fellow Palestinians themselves. This EP is dedicated to groups/individuals who are victims of prolonged conflict, deprivation of living space and oppression, and with the spirit of Intifada, WAFAQ invites us to continue to raise our voices and strengthen our ranks to be equally sensitive to what is happening now."

FFO: 偏執症者 (PARANOID), HORRID, FRIGORA

Find the EP here: https://wafaqnotforwar.bandcamp.com/album/liberation-corpse

FEELING FIGURES - MIGRATION MAGIC

2024-05-20T15:24:15.000-04:00

By Corn

It was a cold November Saturday at the Van Horne underpass, people wandering back and forth across the train tracks as the sun was going down. Not a super attended show, the last one of the year and it felt like it. I know I'd seen them before in some loft, but in this context, scrappy and bittersweet, I felt like they were my favourite band in the city.

FEELING FIGURES' newest record is a perfect meal for those of us who grew up with SHOP ASSISTANTS and TIGER TRAP on rotation with the more hardcore fare. The more punchy and hook-filled tracks like "Dream Death" and "Movement" (both with charming music videos, always nice to see) are bridged with gentle and melancholy songs like "I Should Tell You" and "Seek and Hide" (my personal favourite). But most importantly for twee pop, the drummer isn't afraid to play FAST when the song calls for it! When there's no fast songs this stuff is usually boring!

This album comes out on K Records, which is extremely cool to people like me who once tried to wear corduroy pants in the middle of summer, but I want to specifically shout out bassist Joe Chamandy's record label Celluloid Lunch, definitely not the last time I write about stuff he's got cooking.

Available from K Records
Listen here: https://feelingfigures.bandcamp.com/album/migration-magic
Celluloid Lunch: https://www.celluloidlunch.com/

Zine and Record label dedicated to sub underground racket

Feeling FiguresTom

celluloid lunch

celluloid lunchLaughing- Because It’s True LP (cell lunch) CA$25.00

PUFFER - S/T EP

2024-05-20T14:07:43.000-04:00

By Corn

Montreal has a legendarily wet, cold and irritating winter, which people sometimes cite as the reason this city has such a wild scene come summer. People spend 5 months in shotgun apartments and cramped jamspaces, then emerge with some extremely fresh shit. When PUFFER came out of the even longer sequester of the COVID lockdowns, it felt like a tri-plex exploding.

Comprised of core members from the already canonical ULTRARAT and the massively underrated F.I.T.S., PUFFER comes through with a sound as punk as a torn GBH shirt and as rock'n'roll as blue jeans, with shows that have stayed just as exciting as when I first saw them in an abandoned railyard. Quick flourishes like the backing vocals and speeding-truck guitar runs improve the rocksolid song structures, my favourite track would be the bouncy streetrocker "Sister Marie", but hey, it's a 4 song EP, they're all good.

FFO: SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS, GIRLSCHOOL, bands that are specifically described as 'punk rock'

Available on RoachLeg Records, NYC
Listen here: https://roachlegrecords.bandcamp.com/album/puffer-s-t-ep
Related, ULTRARAT: https://ultrarat.bandcamp.com/ F.I.T.S.: https://thisisthewrongway.bandcamp.com/

PUFFER - S/T EP, by PUFFER