Automageddon – Attic EP (Ohm Resistance)
Before dubstep became a punchline and was rightfully mocked for the clones and dullards who took over the genre to brostep it into dullsville, it had a massively heavy and bleak sound that was leagues away from the neon suburban rave the style was gentrified into. Alessandro Cilano understands the original intent of the genre and has grounded his Automageddon project with sinister sounds that lean into minimalism, ambient, glitch and dark industrial music instead of derivative house, EDM, and laser light shows. The atmosphere and vibe on this 4-song EP is thick yet spacious at the same time, with beats front and center while the creeping atmospheric sounds lurk in the distance. The final track “Off” is probably the best example of this, as huge beats trail off into a vast space, with buried whirring effects humming away while the telltale dubstep womp-womp worms around and shifts the ground you’re standing on in unsettling ways.

Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero 12″ EP (Century Media)
This heralded Denver death metal quartet has always reached far beyond the pale, conceptually and musically, creating a singular vision within a highly formulaic music genre. Here, the group completely eschews the metal part of that equation — which you might expect would disappoint or turn off most its fans — but it seems that most metalheads are on still on board for this one, probably because they’ve often included ominous synth and sound design to elevate their albums and give them a memorable atmosphere. It may also be because the band are all clearly schooled in the way of Tangerine Dream and other drifting ambient electronic music and make a pretty fuckin’ great version of it. The foreboding synth pulsations of “Io” on side A builds with a dark ambient tone that immediately sets you up for takeoff before moving into something that evokes the otherness of Vangelis’ Bladerunner soundtrack. Side B’s “Ea” continues the ride, slowly building and receding for an epic 40+ minute trip.

Delivery – Personal Effects / The Topic 7″ (Feel It / Spoilsport)
Two factors make this new group worth investigating. First, they’re Aussies, which makes it highly likely that they’re part of the ongoing invasion of scrappy, grade-A indie punk gurgling up from down under. Second, this release is a split release with the Feel It label, who are on a winning streak lately and should be officially designated as stateside arbiters of great taste. That all adds up to this stellar single that effortlessly charms with the A-side “Personal Effects”, a strolling ditty that strums along with some econo Roxy Music saxophone, and the wilder B-side, “The Topic”, where the sax gets a bit skronky and wild in that no wave sorta way. Both tracks beg to be played whenever this is near a turntable and it’s always a rewarding to do so. Give it a listen and you’ll probably be convinced to check out their excellent and equally recommended Forever Giving Handshakes LP also available from Feel It.

Erik Nervous – Halfass EP (Self-Released)
Following up 2020’s Bugs LP with the Halfass EP, Erik Nervous can always be counted on for high quality releases and 2022 was no different. He’s an endless purveyor of killer punk riffs and this release should cinch an award for Bestest Bounciest Punk Riffs on the Planet. Just check out the nonstop riff onslaught on “Leather Liquid” or the skipping riffs on “Betamax” and you will not be able to help yourself from bobbing your head to the genius at work here. In addition to killer riffs, there’s also a sense of humor here, like most Erik Nervous releases, from the silly title and artwork to the soundclip of him asking his grandpa what he should write a song about, after which he blurts out “hammerhead sharks!” before the song “Hammerhead Sharks” joyously kicks in. It’s one of the funnest intros to any song I’ve ever heard. “Savages”, the longest track on Halfass and the only one to push past the 2 minute mark, is a song written by The Spits’ Erin Wood (with lyrics written by Erik) that will totally appeal to fans of the Spits with hummable synth punk anthem goodness. And here’s a pro tip: if you purchase the digital version from Bandcamp, you’ll get 5 bonus tracks which are instrumental demo versions of the other tracks. They aren’t throwaways either, as they all hold up and still sound killer without vocal tracks. Plus, hearing how much the final version of “Reverse Cylon” got sped up from the demo version will give you a whole new appreciation for how blazing fast it’s played. Hardly halfassed at all!

The Jackoffs – Prime Specimen CS (Self-Released)
Appropriately named for two Jacks and a Jacob (close enough, right?), Lawrence, Kansas’ Jackoffs unleashed one of the most bonkers and ragingly fun cassettes of 2022. Teetering dangerously close to but gleefully sideswiping the upbeat pop punk and ska that were the horrid soundtrack of the 1990s Hot Topic Vans Warped Tour era, The Jackoffs come flying out of the gates with exceptionally great songwriting, which just so happens to be the number one reason that 99.999% of the pop punk and ska bands of that era SUCKED with a CAPITAL S. Instead of tedious, derivative, tame, and worst of all, BORING fuckin’ songs, Prime Specimen launches a veritable grab bag of brilliant punk rock, played hella tight, and bursting right through your speakers and into your greasy ear holes and right into your brain. Swerving with many unexpected twists and turns, it veers from clever proto-punk ’70s glam to squiggly Devo-core synth, Dickies choruses, Boris the Sprinkler pop hooks, Victims Family virtuosity, and best of all, it’s all smeared together with the young punk snottiness of young Redd Kross. It makes you wonder how thousands… no, tens of thousands… scratch that. MILLIONS of bands in the ’90s had the same tools at their disposal yet couldn’t bother to put one millionth of the effort into crafting kickass songs that The Jackoffs did for this tape. Perhaps that’s why they’re so exceptional? I guess that’s the point here. Hit the play button below to hear what phenomenally good punk can sound like. Disagree? Go snag yourself a 25¢ Warped Tour CD rotting at the local thrift store, listen to it (buy that $2 CD player sitting next to it if ya need it, junior) and get schooled on being dead wrong.

Malflora – Mama, I’m Bad CS (Thrilling Living)
New Orleans’ Malflora put forth a gnarly and mangled version of punk that could be comparable to Flipper, except that simply wouldn’t give them enough credit for the damage they’ve inflicted to “music” with the 8 songs on this cassette. Their guitar sound is feral and more on par with the no wave of Teenage Jesus & The Jerks or Mars, with stabbing sonic shards, echoed, growling or shouted vocals, and stumbling drums that loosely hold the maelstrom together. But it’s not quite no wave either as Mama, I’m Bad moves its beastly sound along at a higher pulse with more urgency and have a politically-focused attack that rages with righteous anger. Also gotta mention that the cover art is killer; one of the best of the year in my not so humble opinion. Another winner from the always reliable Thrilling Living label.

Man… Or Astroman? – Distant Pulsar 2×7″ (Chunklet Industries)
Following up 2021’s Space 1991 single, this double 7″ gatefold release shows a moodier side to the Astromen with a chilly postpunk sound. In fact, the title track reminds me that my Disappears singles and LPs are long overdue for some spins, as it’s got a similar, shimmering postpunk quality to it that masterfully plays with minimalism and detached vocals to great effect. Side C on record two follows another excellent instrumental track that deteriorates and leads to an unsettling finale on side D. The chilly vibe of the record is underscored on Side D with a Cold War-style nuclear warning message that bounces menacingly from left to right on the B-side of record one, sounding like it could have been from the horrific British armageddon flick Threads, all augmented with doomy ambient guitar and ending with a locked groove of the emergency broadcast warning. It’s a double dose of distant destruction.

Primer Infant – Era Por CS (FlexiDiscos)
This collection of two 2021 demos from Valencia’s Primer Infant got some acclaim from Bandcamp shortly after it arrived in physical form courtesy of FlexiDiscos and it’s easy to see why. Dripping with massively dreamy 4AD minor key guitar clouds and ethereal vocals, the seven tracks on Era Por pull you in and keep you entranced with its gauzy dream pop. What makes it compelling is that it’s not all dreamy, as there’s a dark, shimmering tone that lies underneath or sometimes bubbles to the top, like the feedback towards the end of “Cap de Cavall”, giving their sound a postpunk/gothy edge. The track “Can Donald” churns like a Stereolab classic, while standout tracks “Incierto” and “Warm Hurricane” ring with a tension-release motifs that twist sweetness out of bitter tones and make this an immensely satisfying listen.

Proton/Total Sham – Split CS (DIrtbag)
Raging Missouri D-beat meets raging Missouri hardcore on this top-notch tape from the infallible Dirtbag Distro. Columbia’s Proton kick out a beefy Discharge-inspired barrage that never lets up, distinctively solid with tough guy vocals hitting at a similar frequency to early Boston hardcore grunters like Impact Unit and Last Rights. Kansas City’s Total Sham (FKA D.Y.E.), obliterates side two with an intensity that excels the excellent Life As A Total Sham tape they released earlier in the year, with a fierce and fiery delivery that feels like it could come apart at any second — a definitive quality of quality punk rock. The stats support the high caliber nature of this release: 2 bands, 3 songs each, all under 2 minutes in length.

Self Improvement – Visible Damage demo (Self-Released)
These Long Beach heroes set out to be a weirdo punk group in the vein of The Spits (a commendable endeavor to say the least) and somehow mutated into a chilly, high tension version of post-punk that’s distinctively their own. Take for example the brilliant, gothy Christian Death-style creeper “Ashes” that slowly unwinds and the kicks into high gear for its the final 30 seconds. Or there’s the wild guitar effects heard on “Shapes” and the cut up Devo effects of “Intermission” that help define the chaotic genius that Self Improvement bring to their distinctive version of post-punk, sounding a bit like Gang of Four on downers with seductive Elastica-style vocals and a glaze of sweet harmonies on top. In fact, Jett Witchall’s cockney-tinged vocals are a major part of what makes Self Improvement’s sound so irresistible, as they have equal measures of snarl and snark, and are boosted by loads of attitude. The choice of covering Prodigy’s “Firestarter” might raise an eyebrow, but under Witchall’s spell it’s a completely different song and the perfect way to highlight what makes this band’s aesthetic so remarkable. Every track on Visible Damage has a few surprises and earworm choruses to soothe anxiety-wrapped nerves. Sound like something you need in your life? It is.

ALSO NOTEWORTHY:
And Then You Die – Spheres single (Self-Released)
Blac Kolor – Roots Digital (Ant-Zen)
Lasso – Amuo 7″ EP (Sorry State/Static Shock)
Lore City – Under Way (Lore City Music)
Psychic Graveyard / U.S. Nails – Split LP (Skin Graft)
Radiation Risks – Welcome to Bad Boy City 7″ EP (Swimming Faith)
Mutated Void – Slash the Altar 7″ EP (Sewercide)
Silent Thunder – Thousand Hammers Demo (Self-Released)
Stereo Joy – 10 Minutes with Stereo Joy CS (Dirtbag)
Total Sham – Life As A Total Sham CS (Dirtbag)
Warthog – Warthog EP (Static Shock)