There we go again. The mandatory year end best of list. Trying to keep it short and to the point, but as usual it's subject to change due to a few latecomers that might be taken into consideration (Bloodkrow Butcher EP, etc.). Supposedly we'll all be gone by the end of 2012, so no time for wimpy music, ¡cabrones!
(Updated February 11th, 2012. As expected, a few amazing releases made it to the Kängnäve HQ way later than they should have, which resulted in seriously reconsidering my top 10s)
FULL LENGTHS
DEATH TOKEN - All Dreams Are Nightmares LP
What a beast of a record! Death Token blew my mind when I saw them in Copenhagen back in 2005. Unfortunately none of their records ever did them justice… until now! Burly and pissed, borrowing from many usual suspects but sounding like none. A modern day hardcore classic. (Adult Crash)
SLANG - Life Made Me Hardcore LP
I believe this came out in the last days of 2010, so I'm cheating a bit. While not instantly as impressive as The Immortal Sin, this LP was one heck of a grower and is just as good if not better. Slang are back to the tougher/beefier hardcore style of their early records with a good amount of mid-paced ragers, but gone through a Discharge filter. Great heavy production, brutal vocals, super tight musicianship (Slang has been around for more than two decades and it shows!)... The sort of releases that strengthens my faith in hardcore punk and makes me pump my fist in the air and bang my head against the system. Brutal. (Prank / Hardware)
FINAL BOMBS - There Is No Turning Back LP
Technically a 2010 release since this is a vinyl issue of the HG Fact CD that came out months prior. The band has been going for a long time – their latest full-length came out in… 1990! Bassist Bear Bomb also served time in 80s stalwarts Ghoul and Last Bomb. I wouldn't recommend this record to everyone, as it's an acquired taste. Final Bombs developed their own approach to Discharge, doing it like no one else. Basically taking The Price Of Silence / The More I See (one of my favorite D- tunes) and turning it into their own trademark sound. The gatefold sleeve is a nice take on Grave New World too. (Tardis)
DEAD LANGUAGE - s/t LP
The whole power violence thing is pretty much dead and buried for me, rendered useless long ago by hordes of talentless imitators and emokids-in-disguise. Most of what passes or defines itself as PV these days is most likely bad grindcore, goofy screamo or fast metalcore that is neither powerful nor violent. But every once in a while there's a candle being lit in the darkness. The Bookburner EP from a couple of years back somehow revived my faith in the subgenre. And now Dead Language! This has enough early Swans and MITB claustrophobia in the mix to make me bang my head against the walls. (Iron Lung)
ACROSTIX - Dear Daily Life LP
Acrostix have gone a long way since their old Amebix ridden crust days. They sound almost like a whole different band now, and Dear Daily Life simply annihilates all their previous efforts. This what you may want to refer to as "traditional" Japanese Hardcore: anthemic, metallic, beefy, tight and catchy as hell... I was fortunate to witness them live a few months ago and they fucking destroyed. Utterly impressive. Like Final Bombs, this is the vinyl reissue of a 2010 CD with improved artwork. (Freedom Fighter)
Runners up:
6. HIGH SPIRITS - Another Night LP
7. MIDNIGHT - Satanic Royalty LP
8. RIPPER - Into Oblivion LP
9. TEARGAS - The Way Of All Flesh LP
10. AUTOPSY - Macabre Eternal 2xLP
EPs & SINGLES
NEMESIS (ネメシス) - 慟哭 (Dou-Koku) 7"
I may be biased since I released this, but seeing them live convinced me this is one of the best upcoming Japanese hardcore bands. Good to see a young band not going the ultra distorted noise crust route that's been all the hype lately, but paying tribute to '82 UK punk, homemates Kuro, and classic fast Japanese HC. (Flower Of Carnage / Ratbone / Solar Funeral)
TECHNOCRACY - Diary Of A Terrorist 12"
Osaka's Technocracy are back with a brand new line-up – I believe there's only one original member left from the first 12". Don't let the Lynyrd Skynyrd intro scare you off, this is huge-sounding rocking/metallic crossover à la mid-80s C.O.C., as their monicker suggests. Two songs clocking in at 12 minutes. (Guerrilla Records)
TERRIBLE FEELINGS - Tied Up / Impending Doom / Blank Heads 7"s
With bands like Masshysteri and Gorilla Angreb now gone, this band may become my guilty Scandinavian female-fronted poppy punk pleasure. Lyrics are in English but this is catchy as hell nonetheless. My pal Andy is playing drums for them and I got to credit him for being one of the originators of the "kängnäve" word. (Timmeheiehumme // Sabotage)
PERIPHERIQUE EST - PEEP2 7"
One of the best '77 punk bands in Europe today. Think Starshooter meeting up The Kids at a frituur shop after a moped rally at the French-Belgian border. This new 7" is every bit as good as PEEP1 and the Demos LP from a few years back. Great lyrics too. I raise a pint of Tripel Karmeliet to this band. (Close Up)
SMASH DETOX - s/t 7"
This is Zac of World Burns To Death's studio project that he recorded in Japan a couple of years ago. Dude teamed up with the cream of the crop of Japanese hardcore: Muka-Chin, Souichi, Ishiya, Iizawa... how's that for an impressive line-up? I wish the A side didn't have WBTD hijack the song halfway through it, but this being a studio project, you can't really expect it to be the second coming of Judgement, right? This is still as epic as a hike through the mountains of Mordor. (Prank / HG Fact)
Runners up:
6. DEATH EVOCATION - s/t 7"
7. DOOM - s/t U.S. tour 7"
8. BONE SICKNESS - s/t 7"
9. KIELTOLAKI - Kuoleva Systeemi 7"
10. SYSTEMATIC DEATH - Systema 8 7"
OTHERS
REISSUES
2011 was a glorious year for reissues of all sorts. Too much fantastic vinyl to even start a list, so let's just throw random names – Winter, Merciless, Void, Svart Framtid, Lama, Zouo, Bastard(s), Satan, Ripcord, Funeral Bitch, Nihilist, Genocide (Repulsion), Death Strike, NYC Mayhem (CD), Cicatriz, Toreros After Olé...
SHOWS
Contrast Attitude, Acrostix, D-Clone, Framtid, Systematic Death, Think Again, Nemesis, Avfall, Unarm, Skizophrenia!, Massgrave, etc. in Japan // The Estranged, Criaturas, Autistic Youth, Ursus, Mars Red Sky, State Poison, Hondartzako Hondakinak, etc. @ Bordeaux, France // Belgrado @ Toulouse, France...
ONE DEMO
Rappa (Japan)
I believe this came out in the last days of 2010, so I'm cheating a bit. While not instantly as impressive as The Immortal Sin, this LP was one heck of a grower and is just as good if not better. Slang are back to the tougher/beefier hardcore style of their early records with a good amount of mid-paced ragers, but gone through a Discharge filter. Great heavy production, brutal vocals, super tight musicianship (Slang has been around for more than two decades and it shows!)... The sort of releases that strengthens my faith in hardcore punk and makes me pump my fist in the air and bang my head against the system. Brutal. (Prank / Hardware)
FINAL BOMBS - There Is No Turning Back LP
Technically a 2010 release since this is a vinyl issue of the HG Fact CD that came out months prior. The band has been going for a long time – their latest full-length came out in… 1990! Bassist Bear Bomb also served time in 80s stalwarts Ghoul and Last Bomb. I wouldn't recommend this record to everyone, as it's an acquired taste. Final Bombs developed their own approach to Discharge, doing it like no one else. Basically taking The Price Of Silence / The More I See (one of my favorite D- tunes) and turning it into their own trademark sound. The gatefold sleeve is a nice take on Grave New World too. (Tardis)
DEAD LANGUAGE - s/t LP
The whole power violence thing is pretty much dead and buried for me, rendered useless long ago by hordes of talentless imitators and emokids-in-disguise. Most of what passes or defines itself as PV these days is most likely bad grindcore, goofy screamo or fast metalcore that is neither powerful nor violent. But every once in a while there's a candle being lit in the darkness. The Bookburner EP from a couple of years back somehow revived my faith in the subgenre. And now Dead Language! This has enough early Swans and MITB claustrophobia in the mix to make me bang my head against the walls. (Iron Lung)
ACROSTIX - Dear Daily Life LP
Acrostix have gone a long way since their old Amebix ridden crust days. They sound almost like a whole different band now, and Dear Daily Life simply annihilates all their previous efforts. This what you may want to refer to as "traditional" Japanese Hardcore: anthemic, metallic, beefy, tight and catchy as hell... I was fortunate to witness them live a few months ago and they fucking destroyed. Utterly impressive. Like Final Bombs, this is the vinyl reissue of a 2010 CD with improved artwork. (Freedom Fighter)
Runners up:
6. HIGH SPIRITS - Another Night LP
7. MIDNIGHT - Satanic Royalty LP
8. RIPPER - Into Oblivion LP
9. TEARGAS - The Way Of All Flesh LP
10. AUTOPSY - Macabre Eternal 2xLP
EPs & SINGLES
NEMESIS (ネメシス) - 慟哭 (Dou-Koku) 7"
I may be biased since I released this, but seeing them live convinced me this is one of the best upcoming Japanese hardcore bands. Good to see a young band not going the ultra distorted noise crust route that's been all the hype lately, but paying tribute to '82 UK punk, homemates Kuro, and classic fast Japanese HC. (Flower Of Carnage / Ratbone / Solar Funeral)
TECHNOCRACY - Diary Of A Terrorist 12"
Osaka's Technocracy are back with a brand new line-up – I believe there's only one original member left from the first 12". Don't let the Lynyrd Skynyrd intro scare you off, this is huge-sounding rocking/metallic crossover à la mid-80s C.O.C., as their monicker suggests. Two songs clocking in at 12 minutes. (Guerrilla Records)
TERRIBLE FEELINGS - Tied Up / Impending Doom / Blank Heads 7"s
With bands like Masshysteri and Gorilla Angreb now gone, this band may become my guilty Scandinavian female-fronted poppy punk pleasure. Lyrics are in English but this is catchy as hell nonetheless. My pal Andy is playing drums for them and I got to credit him for being one of the originators of the "kängnäve" word. (Timmeheiehumme // Sabotage)
PERIPHERIQUE EST - PEEP2 7"
One of the best '77 punk bands in Europe today. Think Starshooter meeting up The Kids at a frituur shop after a moped rally at the French-Belgian border. This new 7" is every bit as good as PEEP1 and the Demos LP from a few years back. Great lyrics too. I raise a pint of Tripel Karmeliet to this band. (Close Up)
SMASH DETOX - s/t 7"
This is Zac of World Burns To Death's studio project that he recorded in Japan a couple of years ago. Dude teamed up with the cream of the crop of Japanese hardcore: Muka-Chin, Souichi, Ishiya, Iizawa... how's that for an impressive line-up? I wish the A side didn't have WBTD hijack the song halfway through it, but this being a studio project, you can't really expect it to be the second coming of Judgement, right? This is still as epic as a hike through the mountains of Mordor. (Prank / HG Fact)
Runners up:
6. DEATH EVOCATION - s/t 7"
7. DOOM - s/t U.S. tour 7"
8. BONE SICKNESS - s/t 7"
9. KIELTOLAKI - Kuoleva Systeemi 7"
10. SYSTEMATIC DEATH - Systema 8 7"
OTHERS
REISSUES
2011 was a glorious year for reissues of all sorts. Too much fantastic vinyl to even start a list, so let's just throw random names – Winter, Merciless, Void, Svart Framtid, Lama, Zouo, Bastard(s), Satan, Ripcord, Funeral Bitch, Nihilist, Genocide (Repulsion), Death Strike, NYC Mayhem (CD), Cicatriz, Toreros After Olé...
SHOWS
Contrast Attitude, Acrostix, D-Clone, Framtid, Systematic Death, Think Again, Nemesis, Avfall, Unarm, Skizophrenia!, Massgrave, etc. in Japan // The Estranged, Criaturas, Autistic Youth, Ursus, Mars Red Sky, State Poison, Hondartzako Hondakinak, etc. @ Bordeaux, France // Belgrado @ Toulouse, France...
ONE DEMO
Rappa (Japan)
Photo: Systematic Death & Gasmask Terrör in Paris. Played two shows together on two different continents in 2011.
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