Issue 9

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....

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 ba...

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 VICTIM9 track albumSEX FIEND ABOMINATION TAPES AND DISCSB...

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, l...

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 abandon...

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....

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 ...

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 (K...

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, FR...

Contributed by Bad Sasha 1. Burning the Israeli flag during FLOWER on NYE in the Freedom Tunnel 2. Every time STREET GLOVES + Taylor covered Search for the Sun 3. Steve Lake thanking Nay (HYSTERIC POLEMIX) for liking his “weird gay techno” album 4. Zip line and trampoline breaks between bands at Izero Fest in Poland 5. The floor breaking at 1 in 12 club while TOTAL NADA played and saving a piece 6. Everything about SCUMPUTER and ALIENATOR at Bar Patriotes 7. Gabba (CHAOS UK) sayin...

Top 10 punk releases of 2025 from 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 ...

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. ...

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 ...

Tours and trips, plus some awesome gigs at home, defined my year more than any records that I listened to, so to roundup 2025 I compiled my top ten shows....

* 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 count...

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!...

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 f...

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. Musi...

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 -...

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 RO...

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...

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 album...

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. ZY...

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://ocios...

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 le...

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 Institution7 track albumRigorous InstitutionRigorous Institution...

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 h...

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? (...