Columna Marginal - August 2026

2026-07-31T13:38:59.000-04:00

Ninety years ago the Spanish Civil War began. It destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives but also gave birth, for a few months, to one of the most beautiful social revolutions of the twentieth century. It also exposed something that still defines Spain today: a territory with an extraordinary diversity of languages, cultures, landscapes and political traditions forced into a single national project. Modern Spain was largely consolidated after the Civil War, especially under Francisco Franco and, later, after the so-called transition to democracy.

Like every nation-state, it needs a common identity, language, history and symbols. Where these do not exist, they are invented and imposed. Wars and dictatorships were useful for that, but today mass culture often achieves the same result. And in Spain, nothing does it better than football.

Maybe you, my dear punk, didn’t care too much about it, but Spain won the FIFA Men’s World Cup. Spain also won the previous Women’s World Cup, but that victory barely received any attention. For several days this part of the world revolved around football. Streets filled with Spanish flags, televisions repeated the same images over and over, and social media became a celebration of national pride. For many, this pride and the flag reminds the recent dark past of the nation. Among the most visible faces of that celebration were Catalan, Galician, Basque, Black and immigrant players defending the flag of a state that has often tried to erase or silence the identities they also represent.

After that victory, and at a time when right-wing parties like Vox continue to grow, Spanish flags have become more common in our cities, the old Francoist slogan ¡Arriba España! has been heard in the streets and posted on social media, and even Falangist flags with the eagle have reappeared. A couple dozen football players won that World Cup, but a lot of people are more Spanish after it and who really won, in the long term, are the right wing parties that see the Spanish project a bit more consolidated.

PROVIDERS - Demo 2026

Rock-infused punk from New York City. I love this kind of melodic punk. David’s vocals are deep and powerful, and the lyrics are simply outstanding. The drums are excellent, the bass is a perfect example of how to write complex rock bass lines, and the guitar parts are incredibly well written, packed with catchy hooks and memorable solos.

My favorite song is "Corazón", which is about the Palestinian struggle. They sing, “en el corazón, un grito constante llama… ¡a luchar!” A mantra to remember.

I was lucky enough to see them in Barcelona at the Malas Artes Fest. Their live performance left me hypnotized. The trio squeezed every possible note out of their instruments while constantly smiling. It made us so happy to see punks who know how to play rock music, something we miss in this city.

David, Ava, and Mike delivered an outstanding piece of punk rock, and I can’t wait for them to record more music.

https://providerspunk.bandcamp.com/album/2026

2026, by Providers

7 track album

Providersmindshambles

DOMINACIÓN - ¿Cuál es tu idea del caos?

The Barcelona noise-terror attack, also known as DOMINACIÓN, are back with a new dose of their lethal crust. This LP is the culmination of years of hard work and relentless touring by this four-piece, which produces some of the rawest sounds in the city and is probably the only band to have done it with such intensity in recent years.

Everyone here already knows how they sound, but if you still haven’t had the chance to see them, expect a FRAMTID-style punk assault. It’s probably not the perfect comparison, but you’ll get the idea. The anarchist approach to the lyrics is evident from the cover to every track, but a few are worth highlighting.

The song that opens the album, “Infiltración del Estado”, points directly at the undercover police officers who have been infiltrating our spaces in recent years, documenting many of us in case they someday need scapegoats when a social center is evicted or another conflict arises.

In “Las reglas del juego”, there’s a direct critique of the homogeneous way we’re all expected to behave in order to be accepted by society. Of course, this criticism can also be applied to the punk community.

Probably the most elaborate song is the album’s title track, “¿Cuál es tu idea del caos?”. Introduced by the classic García Oliver speech, it features the most developed lyrics on the record, exposing the contradictions of Western democracies when contrasted with anarchist politics and action. I’m not going to explain them further. Instead, I’ll just say it again: fuck the Spanish state, fuck the EU, and fuck every state and every border.

Even though I really like the raw, fast approach of most of the songs, one of my favorite tracks is “Mentiras de la democracia”, where they perfectly capture the classic DISCHARGE style of songs like “Ain’t No Feeble Bastard” while making it entirely their own. Long live DOMINACIÓN!

Get the album, self-released by the band through their label, Chaos Tribes Records, which also releases music by other local bands such as HERETGIA and the Berlin-based (but international) band MUNDO EN GUERRA.

P.S. Canadians, go see them at Varning. :)

https://dominacion.bandcamp.com/album/cu-l-es-tu-idea-del-caos

¿Cuál es tu idea del caos?, by Dominación

10 track album

Dominaciónalexsupertramp_

SÖT - Dos dies, dues nits

There’s a certain feeling of luck in being able to live at a time when bands like SÖT are starting to get the attention they deserve. A band that sings in Catalan, made up of people who aren’t from Barcelona (which is really interesting!), with a clear anarchist approach. We already knew them from their other projects, like PÖLS and NAFRA, so it was obvious the band was going to be good. But maybe I wasn’t expecting them to be that good. The musicianship they display, both in the studio and on stage is incredible, and their skills for writing catchy melodies is unmatched by any other band in the area. That’s probably why they’ve been the band I’ve listened to the most over the last few months.

On this new release, an EP featuring three original tracks plus a brilliant full adaptation of the MASSHYSTERI song “Masshysteri Del Två”, they stick to the style that has brought me so much joy ever since I discovered them through their LP “Crema-ho tot”. The lyrics may be a bit more poetic this time, but the melodies they create with guitars and vocals, the amazing bass lines that catch my attention at every show, and the perfect drumming are all still there.

It’s hard to pick a favorite track, especially when it’s only an EP, but I’d go with “Ocell de foc”. It’s incredibly catchy, and the chorus (“Som un ocell de foc que crema les banderes! Que vola entre els morts i trenca les fronteres! Per canviar-ho tot!”) is both epic and unforgettable. Especially at the end of the song, when an unexpected, very 2000s-sounding guitar solo blends into a beautiful end.

https://sotpunk.bandcamp.com/album/dos-dies-dues-nits

Dos dies, dues nits, by SÖT

4 track album

SÖTvampyrz

The Counterforce - PROVIDERS

Columna Marginal - August 2026

PROVIDERS - Demo 2026

DOMINACIÓN - ¿Cuál es tu idea del caos?

SÖT - Dos dies, dues nits