It’s one thing to reissue a classic album. All ya gotta do is run it through some software to “remaster” the sound and bada-bing-bada-boom, everyone will talk about how XYZ was such an amazing and timeless release and you might even get a few retrospective articles. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, you can add a second disc of bonus tracks or a live album, which allows fans to dig the album as something new, for a second time. There’s no shame in that, mind you, and thank goodness labels do this.

The most amazing thing about Subhumans new LP, is that it doesn’t really feel new at all. Crisis Point feels like it could have come at any point in the band’s impressive, nearly 40 year career. Part of that is no doubt due to Dick Lucas’ familiar voice, and his unique half shouted, half sung delivery. Another part has to be that Subhumans haven’t had a lineup change since 1983. That continuity clearly has musical benefits. Their rhythmic, propulsive, adventurous sound has never been boun

Rev. Norb and Boris the Sprinkler seemed like they were everywhere in the ‘90s. Between 1992 and 2000, they released a cassette, seven studio LPs, including two full cover albums, two live records, and more splits and singles than you can shake a stick at. Norb was also a columnist for Maximum RockNRoll, and did a ton of guest appearances. (His rant on “Fun Tonight” on the first Riverdales record is epic.) It’s not that he ever left the scene. In more recent years, Rev. Norb and the Onions ha

2002’s Just the Best Party was the first of many definitive statements made by World/Inferno Friendship Society. Similar to the careers of David Bowie, Bob Dylan, or Glenn Danzig, the group has existed in a number of different manifestations (a change usually trigged by the exit of old bandmembers and the entrance of new ones), but all of those manifestations center around a core structure: Glam rock for Bowie, modern folk for Dylan, horror-punk of Danzig. And it was Party that

I’m a little pissed at my old pal Tommy Gun. When I ran into him a couple months ago, he told me the new 78 Revolutions Per-Minute album was going to be 12 tracks and approximately 20 minutes long. In other words, a full length by punk standards. When I finally got Intellectuals and Other Traitors, it was only 8 songs and about 13 minutes long. Definitely an EP. What have I got against EPs? Absolutely nothing. I’d much rather have 10 or 12 tight minutes then a half hour of crap. It’s j

Despite the apocalyptic tone of the entire runtime of World Wide W.E.B., L.O.T.I.O.N. is clearly having a lot of fun. You can’t discount things like the cheeky album title or the cover which merges soldier of Fortune motifs with Terminator 2. There also seems to be some schizo-juxtaposition thrown here and there ala G.I.S.M. It all adds up to something amusing, but that’s only to soften the heavier message underneath.

L.O.T.I.O.N. make their trade in aggressive crus

I’ve been very forthcoming about my love of Failure Records & Tapes’ Split Hits the Fans split seven inch series. They remind me of the good old days when it seemed like all of my favorite bands were constantly collaborating on these little pieces of plastic. Volume five has done nothing but stoke my enthusiasm. It also happens to be the heaviest one yet, featuring Cleveland’s Ringworm and Detroit’s Child Bite. Failure has always been a punk and metal label, and both of these ba

The Melvins REALLY like Flipper. So much so, that they’ve previously recorded at least four Flipper covers and have routinely played flipper songs live. And that’s not even counting the fact that the band routinely cites the seminal Bay Area band along with Side B of My War as foundational influences.

Unfortunately, in 2019, Flipper is down to two members, Ted Falconi and Steve DePace, and they usually supplement live with guest musicians- most recently mike Watt and David Yow.

If you listened to 2017's Feeling Disconnected it'd come as no surprise why Winnipeg's Mobina Galore blew up so big. Extensive touring and support for bands like Against Me!, not to mention lots of festivals and awards, all felt like something that should naturally follow a two-piece that wore their heart on their sleeves. Through their brand of melodic/indie punk, vocalist/guitarist Jenna Priestner and drummer/vox Marcia Hanson really cut a path with fast-paced punk, shoutalong anthems a