2025 - Albums
Another forum for discussion and rating albums. 2025.
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2025 - Albums
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Albums 2025
| Band | Votes | 2024 Album | Connors' Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathcliff | 0 | Postcards from a ParaHell Universe | May25. Another German punk band on the radar and I am surprised I have not heard them before. They bring a little metal to the skate-punk sound. Not quite Strung Out, not really Sum 41, and no Propagandhi, but they go close at times. Opening track Mirror, Mirror FUA! has a fantastic transition into a belting chorus and then there is a (probably unecessary) metal-core outro. Circles was an instant favourite as a straight punk song. Other tracks have NOFX-like ska breakdowns or parts, including the track Sugarcoated Unicorn Parahell which tackles the fakeness of modern society. I always like an ode to being on the road and we get that in last song here, Keep This Light On. I liked a lot on here but found it hard to stick or select specific songs as the sounds change quite a lot. I am usually for this but some of these go places within the song that seemed a little disjointed. Still, enough here for me to enjoy. Fav4: Circles, Mirror, Mirror FUA!, Sugarcoated Unicorn Parahell and Keep This Light On. Good to Very Good. 4.5/7 |
| The Hellacopters | 0 | Overdriver | May25. This was the first 2025 album I got to know. Five songs went straight into my playlist. Oddly, that did not include the most played song, the slower, Just a Memory. It has grown on me somewhat, as the whole album has a more subdued feel. There is less of the band's punk-n-roll and more old school, 70s-like rock on here. There is more of a Stones or Aerosmith feel. It is still a solid album and I like all songs, but none are face-melters, though Token Apology comes close and still sits pretty high on my 2025 song list. I also love the organ and faster beat of Wrong Face On. Whoah, Doomsday Daydreams is a song I missed on earlier listens. Quite a good mid-album rocker and I enjoy the lyrics. Faraway Looks was an instant favourite with its faster rhythm. I only just noticed Do You Feel Normal? on this play too and man does it bring a The Who feel to the album. Fav4: Token Apologies, Wrong Face On, Faraway Looks and Leave a Mark. I can appreciate the slower songs here, but the rockers are the best. Still, even a tamer The Hellacopters do it better than most rock bands. Very Good to Excellent. 5.5/7 |
| Bridge the Gap | 0 | Gainsayer | May25. I have not heard this band before and I have the guys at Punk Rock Radar to thank for bringing them to my attention. This is quality, fast-paced skate-punk. I have heard a few songs calling out major record labels, but not enough calling out the major, western, biased press companies, but the band rip right into them on the opening title track. The scathing critque of modern leaders continues with No Profit in Peace - I am sure the title tells you everything here. I love a band aware of and over the issues of the world that mainly affect the poor. They address how hard it is being an individual in a world of numbers and disregard for human rights in In the Throes. These guys really have something to say. If you like bands like Bad Religion, Pennywise and Rise Against then you like what you hear here. It takes until track five for them to get personal with their lyrics and Broken Language also brings a little bit of a different sound, reminding me of a cross of AFI and Strung Out. Then Brothers is heartbreaking. Having lost one, I can relate to this song. I really like a lot of the lyrics here and Walking Wounded is a good example: "I took the path of least resistance at a run." There are some NOFX sounds on later tracks. The album does drag a little in the second half, but there are a lot of good songs here. Fav4: Gainsayer, No Profit in Peace, Brothers and Dixie Downer. I am starting at Very Good for this one, but it could easily move higher with more listens. Jan26. I have already upped the score slightly. 5.5/7 |
| The Lyes | 0 | Highly Corrosive | May25. As soon as I heard a few songs from this album (thanks to the guys at Punk Rock Radar again), I knew I would like this album. Then I took a bit of a deep dive, maybe too soon, as I went off it a little. Maybe it was my mood, because I have since come back around to the album after having in on solid for three days. The Sea is a fantastic start and I liked the sound of Nordic Walker, but I was not sure of the lyrics, until I read them… and they are hilarious. I did not know what the song title meant until listening carefully. Sounds a lot like The Queers too. The brilliant riffs and pace of In This Life, combined with the brilliant chorus had me hooked immediately. Over a few listens almost all of the songs wormed their way into my head. This is fun Ramonescore with bouncing riffs and fun lyrics. There is also a garage-rock feel (in a The Hives sort of way) to a lot of the songs. The vocalist has a light, scratchy tone that I love and brings something different to the genre (unlike the deeper voices of bands like Tennage Bottlerocket for example). The lyrics are also a highlight. Brilliant observations of everyday life, including finding that special one (You And Me - such sappy fun). I keep hearing awesome songs tackling the fucked up situation of the rich running the world and Snowpiercer here is fantastic on that matter. Empty Promise is an accurate take on politics too. But when will the world listen? Fuck yeah - Showdown takes things out in a blaze of The Hives-fuelled glory. Fav4: You and Me, The Sea, In This Life and Showdown but Snowpiercer and Nordic Walker are stiff and could replace any one of those in time. Going Excellent. 6/7 |
| The Riptides | 0 | Burn After Listening | May25. I actually own a couple of CDs by this band and have not heard from them in years, so this one was a surprise. And it surprised on another level too - I am loving it. I have always liked a few of their songs, but this album has a tonne of awesome songs and is an early favourite album for 2025 for me. Their sound is a bit of skate-punk and a bit of Ramonescore sort of sound. Some songs have that ringing guitar like Teeenage Bottlerocket. Overall, there is a fun upbeat feel to the tracks and none of them overstay their welcome. Check out the straight to the point Smile if you want to sample, though I straight up thumbed the first four tracks on my first listen. Another cool song about fucking up our planet for the benefits of the rich, yet we charge headlong towards the end. And End of the World follows to continue the theme, but there are plenty of fun songs about girls, living life to fullest and fucking up too. There is also a little Face to Face in here such as on tracks like the awesome Bad Habit and the thumping Do You Hear What I Hear?. We even get a duet on Get Over You that reminds of the Bouncing Souls duet Wish Me Well. There is a fast, almost oi punk song in Bottom Feeder near then end, so I appreciate the variety this late in an album. The backing vocals on some tracks even recall old 50's rock 'n' roll sounds. Fav4: Smile, Bad Habit, End of the World and Get Over You. This is a high Excellent album. With more listens this could even climb further. Very enjoyable. 6/7 |
| Propagandhi | 0 | At Peace | May25. What a title for an album by this band. Somehow, I do not believe them. This is the usual, highly-proficient, energetic, political-infused punk rock from the band. I heard the singles prior to release and really liked the title track, thought No Longer Young was okay (but it got better with every listen) and did not get into Cat Guy (which has also improved with more listens, especially the second half of the song). There are a lot of highlights across the album and I have now played through it many times. Stargazing and God of Avarice (for the most part) give you a breather in the middle with their slower pace. Often I had this playing in the background whilst doing work, but something on the album would get my attention, so overall, I have thumbed half of the songs. It is a little drag to the end after Vampires are Real. Fav4: At Peace, Rented P.A., Prismatic Spray, and No Longer Young. I like this style, but find it a bit intense over a whole album. It is not my favourite style of punk but they do what they do so well. Plenty of moments on here to like, but little to love (for me). 5.5/7 |
| Winona Fighter | 0 | My Apologies to the Chef | May25. It is quite weird finally listening to all these songs together as an album as almost every song here has been released as a single over the last two years, leaving very few choices for a single at the time of album release. I have @MyWeeklyMixtape to thank for bringing this band to my attention some time ago. I hear a bit of Taylor Swift in Coco's vocals, and that is probably not odd, given they are from Nashville. If the thought of Taylor Swift singing for a rock band piques your interest, then give this band a listen. Lovers of bands like Veruca Salt, Dead Sara and even Paramore would be good target audiences too. The songs are consistently very good here - which is no surprise given most have been singles. It kicks off with what I think is a new song in JUMPERCABLES, which is a nice short blast to open. This could be a single too. The second song rocks and I like a lot of lines in it. (This one was on their first EP back in 2023). I have had mixed reactions to SUBARU - it probably depends on my mood, but it is an easy to like song. HAMMS IN A GLASS has a better pace to it, but at this point I have heard it a lot. Not sure why so many songs are all in capitals, whilst others are not. All songs are catchy, don't go for too long and have some good rock moments. Nothing overly heavy, but pretty cool. In fact, I like every song here and had trouble picking my favourites. Fav4: I'm IN THE MARKET TO PLEASE NO-ONE, JUMPERCABLES, R U FAMOUS and Swear to God That I'm (FINE). There is not a weak track on here. Whilst none are going to top my yearly lists, most will be in the top half. 5.5/7 |
| Real Sickies | 0 | Under a Plastic Bag | May25. I had not heard of this band before and I am sure I have @PunkRockRadar to thank for bringing them to my attention. This punk band from Canada are a variation of Ramonescore. They are fun and upbeat, but they add a bit of quirky keyboard here and there. At times they also reminded me of bands like Skegss, but also Geoff Palmer and The Queers. And yet, they have a modern sound in some songs like on Never Going Back that is very catchy. Then they have an old-school, even British feel on songs like Taste the Concrete and Paulie. In all, just a fun pop-punk band. They do not break any new ground but combine a lot of old for an enjoyable 40 minutes. Fav4: Under a Plastic Bag, Taste the Concrete, Triage and No Refunds. Very Good. 5/7 |
| Another Damn Disappointment | 0 | Bedlam | Jul25. Okay, so when I first heard these guys I thought, 'Yeah, a decent punk band,' and I added a few songs to my 2025 songs list and liked them when they came up. Listening intently to the album for the last two days, and holy shit - this is better than decent. I was quite surprised at the different styles and sounds across the album too. They riff it up and play fast skate punk, border on hardcore and then some more changes later on. Check out the riffing on All, Yesterday reminds me of someone - early AFI?, and Heart Attack is fantastic punk rock. Runnin' Dry really grew on me and is one of the catchiest moments on here. They get the acoustic out to start All the Way Down but it then kicks into a very cool punk song. The start of Lights Go Out had me thinking of Reel Big Fish, but sounds more like AFI after that. Cobb Magee is all 90s skate-punk with a bit of alt-rock thrown in. There is even more alt-rock in You Take the Pain and then we finish with acoustics and almost flamenco sounds on I'm Alright. I really liked this closing track - I think I am a sucker for mandolins. It is great to hear bands still making this music and some of the bass-lines are to die for too. Fav4: All the Way Down, Runnin' Dry, Yesterday, and I'm Alright. Excellent. 6/7 |
| Frankie and the Witch Fingers | 0 | Trash Classic | Aug25. Okay, so on first play I almost turned this off at the start of the second song. Strangely, I let it go and now that second song was the first to get thumbed. That riff in it, especially in the second half is crazy. I am not keen on synthesizers but I do enjoy some quirkiness. These guys sound like they grew up with parents that listened to B-52's and DEVO with a fair dose of punk too. I have had trouble making it through the whole album, but whenever I tune in I tend to really like or dislike what I am hearing. There is very little here to just go 'whatever' at. And admittedly, a lot of what I first hated, wormed its way into my head. Their crazy rhythms just do that. And thankfully, the guitar riffs are still central to the songs. That was when DEVO was at their best for me - when I still liked the guitars. Fucksake almost has a UK-vibe, like Soft Play or someone. Punters that liked Regurgitator's Unit will like tracks on here too. As soon as Economy started it had me thinking of that album. There are some interesting lyrics throughout the album, too. I did enjoy this, but I do wish several of the songs were shorter. I think that is why I tune out on several of them. In any case, I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would on first listen. Fav4: T.V. Baby, Conducting Experiments, Fucksake and Dead Silence or Out of Flesh - I have not listened enough to full decide. Very Good. 5/7 |
| Heart Attack Man | 0 | Joyride the Pale Horse | Sep25. So, I have been saying for a few months that this is likely my Album of the Year. As I write this I have 3 of the songs in my Top7 of 2025 and another 2 in the Top20. I have not tired of playing these songs over, but I have hardly listened to the other songs on the album. I cannot believe I had not heard of these guys before this album. This is the shit I love. I love the changes in pace and style and the shouted, bordering on gravelly vocals. Three absolute corkers to open the album. Many songs have a bit of bounce too, like Spit and Laughing Without Smiling - in fact, these sound a lot like the other band vying for Album of the Year - Dinosaur Pile-Up. I saw they toured with Knuckle Puck and I get that with songs like Lay Down and Die. I had trouble pinning the band, thinking they had a bit of an alt-rock sound but listening to the whole album I hear more of a punk and pop-punk sound. Can't Slow Down even reminds me of The Story So Far, so that is a good thing. There are some great lyrics on here too. I love the questioning of themselves on Imposter Syndrome and I'll See You There has some great lines about an unlikealbe person from the past. This one is a bit slower before they return with the upbeat The Gallows. Quit While I'm Still Ahead is a song I have not listened to much - it has a cool, disjointed rhythm to it. Then things end with the title track that would have been a hit in the 90s or 2000s. Not a single song here reaches 3 minutes and the whole album is done in less than half an hour. And they do not waste a minute either. I only left one song unthumbed and it is decent. The rest vary from very good to killer. Still feeling it. Could well be Album of the Year still. Fav4: Spit, One More Song (Imposter Syndrome), Laughing Without Smiling and Joyride the Pale Horse. Does not set a foot wrong. Dec25. Time for end of year lists and this one is a clear favourite. Adding the '+' to move this into Top3 albums of decade so far too. (At this stage only 3 have the '+'). 7+/7 |
| The Crease Rule | 0 | Acceptable Rot | Sept25. This album is really only 7 actual songs, but I think they are counting it as an LP. And one of those songs is under a minute. I have no idea how I came across these guys from Toronto, but Chris was on the Piss, Breakfast Beers and Lifetime Chondriac got my immediate attention and were some of the first songs I added to my 2025 song list. Several on here are still relatively high on that list. The guitars bite and I really like the almost-shouted vocals. That melody of Lifetime Chondriac is so catchy. I would suggest these guys are skate punk with pop-punk leanings, and some just sounds like cool rock. I have since thumbed almost every song on here. It is an enjoyable listen. Fav4: Lifetime Chondriac, Town League, Chris was on the Piss and Breakfast Beers. Indoor People was stiff to miss the cut, but I have only started listening to it a lot later than the other songs. It is the most played song on YouTubeMusic. The very short Charlie's America Song punches hard and the slower alt-rock of Stardaddy is a cool end to the album. I really like every song on here. Excellent. 6/7 |
| Dinosaur Pile-UP | 0 | I've Felt Better | Oct25. As each song from this album was released it went straight to the upper part of my 2025 song list. My Way went right to the top, where it still reigns months later. The first half of the album is perfect for my tastes. It is too hard to put these guys in a box. They mix several types of rock, sometimes within the one song. They also change pace regularly, including stopping altogether mid-song, something I really like. 'Bout to Lose It is a great start and the title track is catchy as all Hell, as is Sick of Being Down. My Way has everything they do so well. The vocal delivery is awesome and has a few surprises in there. The riffs up to this point have been great too and then Big Dogs starts all slow but builds into another fantastic riff for the chorus. (A little Foo Fighter-like, this one?) I have not really listened to the second half of the album enough up to this point. Big You and Me starts pretty slow but has a heavy Nirvana-like bass-line. Love's the Worst could be the best break-up song this century! This is not grunge, but the guitars on Sunflower also reminded me of Screaming Trees, then Unfamiliar takes things in a bouncy Nerf Herder direction. The mix of styles throughout this album is engaging and Matt's vocals sound great across all of them. There is a real theme of loserdom and not-fitting-in which also brings a pop-punk vibe. Definitely in the conversation for Album of the Year and among my favourites so far this decade. Fav4: My Way, Sick of Being Down, 'Bout to Lose It and Big Dogs. Fantastic. 7/7 |
| Hiss | 0 | Enoz Latem | Nov25. I am betting there is a wide range of rock tastes within the members of this band - there sure is in the sound: some 70s swagger and rawness, some 80s sleaze, some cracking 90s riffs and then there are some sounds and effects from the 21st Century too. Crackow and Weld were the to two early standouts for me, and bonus points for the very Aussie 'score a root' reference (even though I am sure it's delivered with seething sarcasm). Crunching guitars that give me Alice In Chains vibes are throughout the album, but really cut through on tracks like Trace. I am not really one for musical analysis - everyone seems to do their job here, but it would be cool to hear the rhythm section take more risks and let loose a bit. The beat is always solid, but a drum or bass highlight here and there would add a little, as the guitars certainly get their moments to shine. I was worried the vocals were a bit one-dimensional on early listens too, but Blinx does has some variety, such as that change-up in Trace which almost takes me back to pop-rock 80s. Come to think of it, he sounds like my mate that sang for The Lazy Gene Theory at times. :) I quite like the chorus of Evol, but the song does drag in other parts. Lume certainly has something to say about the current world order, and I could not agree more about the greedy pricks at the top screwing everyone. Shush could be the most accessible the band sound. I was not sure the vocals or lyrics really went with the sound of this one, but it grew on me. Shit, there are a lot of good underground bands still getting around Australia. Disclaimer: Shinbone Star, one of the guitarists, was fucken awesome enough to send me a Hiss pack including the double A-side single of Trace and Crackow, so if you want to take my review with a grain of salt, do so. I love that a couple of bands have sent me stuff for running 7Rock across several platforms, but I still try to stay true to my word. Fav4: Crackow, Weld, Trace and Lume, though most of the other songs could have filled that last spot. A pretty good, solid rock album. I can see how the band are getting supports for everything from metal to punk bands. There is enough variability here that they could pull it off. I hope I get to see them one day. (One more reference - there is also a little Jello Biafra to the vocals in parts too - The Dead Kennedys even came on my streaming when this album finished). The guitars are certainly the highlight, but looking forward to see where they go next. Settling on Very Good. 5/7 |
| NORMY | 0 | What On God's Green Earth? | Nov25. I have had all five songs thumbed and in my 2025 list since this came out earlier in the year. I am still really enjoying this. I discovered this band through their last EP and this one is on a par. Their infectious pop-punk has a great beat and the vocals have the touch of harshness I like. Also, five songs all under two minutes is my kind of EP :) Loser was my first love here, but opener, Rest in Pieces might have that mantle now. Out of the Blue might be the weakest track and it is bloody good. World War 3 was another song that rapidly moved up my 2025 list and that drum beat is awesome. And the breakdown in the middle is so cool. I love when songs drop out and then build back up. Then Fencewalker really gets you going - what a cool punk song. And then it is all over in no time at all and I just hit the repeat button. What a great EP. It is no use stating my Fav4, as the EP is only five songs and I think I made it clear by talking about them all above. My kind of punk. 6.5/7 |
| Dead Mall | 0 | Superliminal | Dec25. This one threw me when I first heard it. Some songs are all hardcore and then suddenly shift to alt-rock, 90s-style. Come near the end of the year and it is on my mind to consider for my yearly lists, so I am having another listen. I have no idea how these guys came to mind - maybe through listening to Secret World? This is definitely another Aussie band I would love to see live. The album opens with the hardcore sounds of Property Damage and if you didn't like this sound and stopped there, you'd miss out on a brilliant alt-rock chorus. I have not really heard a lot of bands mix these two styles and I love how they do it. The distorted vocals are a bonus. Gasoline has such a cool rumbling riff and the vocals remind me of a 90s band (that I cannot think of right now). They are not as spacey or electro-pop as Turnstile but I could see Dead Mall playing alongside bands like that, especially with songs like 100% Pure Poison with its DJ scratches, keys and echoey vocals. It and Subliminal and Under the Gun (which both stay in the alt-rock lane) sound like a heavier 311. Hesher borders on industrial rhythms. This is where bands like Non-Intentional Lifeform were heading back in the 90s. Corridor Violence starts with more modern-sounding keys, but they drop out into some cracking riffing and some interesting changes again, from Clawfinger-like riffs and vocals to a Turnstile outro. How cool is that riff to open Eviction Night? Another song that walks the line between alt-rock and hardcore for the verses before heading to a clean chorus and a beat that really reminds me of a 90s band (but again, I cannot pick right now). Holy shit, they do not let up. All the influences are in The Real World and that chorus is to die for. I reckon they should have ended the album on this high, not that closer, Debt, is a bad song, it's just Real World would have been a great end to the album. I like this more every time I listen. Such a good mash-up of so many sounds I love. Fav4: Gasoline, Real World, Property Damage and Eviction Night. This is a bloody good album. I am tempte to go even higher, but will stick with Excellent for now. An upper-end Excellent ;). 6/7 |
| Press Club | 0 | To All the Ones That I Love | Dec25. So after seeing this band live I went out and purchased their first two albums on vinyl. I did not listen enough to album number 3 and must go back to that, then this one seemed to come out of nowhere so quickly. (I am sure it wasn't). For a start, I dislike the cover - it would just look odd sitting alongside their other albums. They kick off the album rather slow with I am Everything - not one of my favourites. I think I just have the singles thumbed going into this listen, so I am looking for some deeper tracks and found on in Wilt - a nice, melodic, mid-paced rocker. I was very impressed with the guitarist (Greg Rietwyk) live and he shines here too. Not many albums hide their best songs in the middle, but this album does. It is a nice build up to the best tracks here. Wasted Days is a very good slower song, whilst No Pressure has the harder chorus and Natalie's vocals really suit tracks like this. They have a cool, underlying raspiness that comes out on tracks like this. Vacate is a longer, poppier moment splitting up the best tracks here. Not a bad song - just not one of my favourites and it sits right in the middle of my early favourites. The title track and Tightrope were early favourites and I am not usually a fan of a lot of backing vocals, but they are used so well on the latter. They also work on the next track, Staring at the Ceiling. This track is the new bolter for me - one I have obviously not heard enough. This band has a great overall, simple rock sound, with a touch of alt-rock and pop-rock, and if this is your thing, check them out. So, I found at least two more songs to add to my 2025 playlist, meaning I have over half of this album thumbed. Fav4: No Pressure, To All the Ones That I Love, Staring at the Ceiling and Wasted, though Tightrope could easily force its way in at the expense of this last one. Another solid album, but the standouts just don't hit as hard as earlier albums. I went in with Very Good in mind, and I am sticking with that. 5/7 |
| The Sleights | 0 | This One's Gonna Hurt | Dec25. What a fucking cool Intro to get proceedings started - sounding like and amped NOFX. Opening song Bridge to Nowhere ain't far away either, though the vocals are more husky. This is a sound and style that I love. Brother is no doubt about the shit going on in America right now with the ICE agents taking people and Be Like You is another story of being a better father. I don't know the band, but I am guessing at least two of them share the vocals. At times they also have a bit of Teenage Bottlerocket about them and on the slower songs, one singer sounds like the vocalist from Nerf Herder too. The gang vocal part of the chorus in Believe sounds cool and I like the guitars in the whole song. Already Gone is a cracking duet. I am not sure the female vocalist is, but they sound great. Dirt edges towards a country twang in a Social Distortion kind of way in the verses and sounds like The Copyrights in the chorus. Day in the Life is a cool ode to being stuck in a rut. Just Go to Hell is a short, fast 1 minute blast to shake things up. The riffing on I Know What I Said is awesome. Fav4: Bridge to Nowhere, Brother, Day in the Life and Already Gone, though only the first two are certainties - I don't know the album well enough, but really liked everything here. The last track is probably the weakest and it has its cool parts too (mainly the guitars). I want to go excellent, but thinking recency bias is getting me. I think this comfortably sits between Very Good and Excellent. 5.5/7 |
| The Living End | 0 | I Only Trust Rock n Roll | Dec25. I have to be honest - I have not enjoyed an album by this band so much in years. There have been some good songs but this thing is fun all the way through. Alfie, the opener, embodies the fun on offer here (and reminds me a lot of Uncle Harry). Roller really brings the rockabilly in a throw back to older days. It also shows why Chris should be talked about as one of best guitarists - not just front men (as does the last track). Strange Place and Private Hell are catchy as all get-go and great observations of modern life. That crazy riffing in Misery is The Hives level shit. Public Holiday was the first song I heard from the album and I loved it straight away. Such a great observation of the current climate in Australia (and debate around Autralia Day). Such a great perspective and I wish more Aussies listened to this one. Gypsy Love brings a cool groove and I could see some people stating this is their favourite song. The title track is left until last and appropriately serves as a summary of the sounds and topics covered across the album. Fav4: Misery, Alfie, Public Holiday and I Only Trust Rock n Roll. An Excellent album. It should not have, but it surprised me how much I liked this album. 6/7 |
| Sick Visor | 0 | Chuck a Sickie - EP | Dec25. I came across this band earlier in the year when they supported Frenzal Rhomb. I checked out their stuff, including this EP, before the gig and quite enjoyed it. It is breezy, pop-rock with some punk influences. I was quite surprised to see they were a two-piece, as their sound is fuller than that. The EP is full of bouncing melodies and fun sing-a-longs, starting with Piece of Cake and the cool Boring as Batsomething. I love the interplay of male and female vocals too. The run of rhymes in Better is a lot of fun and Nuggets is a funny little ditty in the middle. I Need to go Outside is another fun and quirky tune. I see it is the most-played track on here, but it is not my favourite. The last track continues the bounce and fun, relatable lyrics about not wanting to go to a party if a certain someone is there. Fav4: Better, Piece of Cake, Boring as Batsomething and then either of the last two tracks. Such a fun EP. 5.5/6 |
| CIVIC | 0 | Chrome Dipped | Dec25. The first few singles made their way onto my 2025 playlist, but none really grabbed me and are therefore not high on the list. After a couple of casual plays through the album, I felt much the same. If anything, I have grown tired of the early tracks, like The Fool, that I added. Initial thoughts are this is well behind their last album, but it too took time to grow on me. They have expanded their sound, but when they stray from the Radio Birdman-style riffs and sounds they tend to lose me. It was the nostalgia of that band and The Saints sounds that got me into the last album. The production is bigger, but also a little too clean for this style of music. Fav4: Chrome Dipped, The Hogg, Poison and today I will go Fragrant Rice but this last spot could have gone to up to three others. This is Good, but not a contender for me. 4/7 |
| Brunt of It | 0 | It's a Mad, Bad, Sad, Rad World | Dec25. If you could not tell from the album title, yes, this is a ska-punk album. I have not heard of this band before, but opening track, Right Light, earwormed its way in and kept moving up my 2025 song list. It is fast-paced and has great bounce. I cannot imagine the band keeping this pace throughout and they slow right down already on track 2. The riffs and speed are back for Holding Pattern, the other track from the album I had thumbed. From this point it is about making some new discoveries. Nothing bad here, but I did tire of the sound. It was a good run early in second half from War & Wars to Diabolik. Fav4: Right Light, Holding Pattern, Hypnotized and Diabolik. Fun for a listen, but a whole album wears a bit thin with me. Listening a a song or two in isolation would be fine as they do have a good sound. 4/7 |
| PUP | 0 | Who Will Look After the Dogs? | Dec25. More of the usual hijinx from the band here. Plenty of self-deprecating and observational lyrics over fuzzed out, fun, punk rock riffs and beats. Olive Garden was an early favourite and the lyrics about Christians made me laugh. Concrete lays open a toxic relationship and has some great lines in it. The music goes from slow verses to loud choruses nicely. Jeff Rosenstock joins the guys for the very cool and feedback driven Get Dumber. The crazy drums are also a feature of this song and with America heading the way it is, the lyrics certainly hold true. Hunger for Death is an odd, slow ditty whose sweet sounds to start defy the lyrical content. There are heavier moments of fuzz, like on Needed to Hear It and the spazmodic Paranoid, but they too have changes of pace. There is a bit of sappy pop-rock in Falling Outta Love fans of bands like Arctic Monkeys might like. The observations on life in Hallways are engaging and I loved the line, "But I can't die yet, 'cause who will look after the dog?" Same with Best Revenge and the lyrics, "The best revenge is living well." The longer this album goes the more gems I am finding. I have had a few songs in my song list but have not really listened to the album in full until now. There are so many hooks, especially in the choruses. Fav4: Paranoid, Get Dumber, Olive Garden, and Needed to Hear It. I started with this being a solid album, but it is way more than that. Could easily become a favourite after more listens. Endearing. 6/7 |
| Claimed Choice | 0 | Claimed Choice | Dec25. What is going on in France at the moment? (Well Canada too, as I have had about 4 French or French-singing bands come to my attention this year). These lads sound like an English oi! band for the most part, but with fun, garage-rock riffs in a The Hives sort of way (Make Some Noise). The semi-shouted vocals (Outcasts) are awesome and the upbeat songs really appeal to me. They even get away with harmonica on opening track Bootboy. Fav4: Bootboy, Make Some Noise, Outcasts and Brave New World. There are a couple of French-titled tracks too and they are good. I obviously have no idea what they are saying on those ones, but they sound great. The second has an ACDC stomp to it. Only 8 songs and I thumbed every one of them. A very cool discovery. 6/7 |
| Dead Pioneers | 0 | Po$t American | Dec25. Those of you who know me well, know that I have had a lifelong fascination for American First Nations people. So, when I stumbled upon a punk band telling their stories, I knew I would be in for a ride. When I heard the first two songs from this album they rocketed to the top of my 2025 charts. But beyond this title track and My Spirit Animal Ate Your Spirit Animal, I have not really listened to a lot of this album at all and not sure why I have left it until now. Let's see if I can find some songs up with the first two. Pit Song and STFU are short blasts of hardcore needed to break up the slower spokent word numbers. The Caucasity is an eye-opener for everyone that accepts racism, and holy shit, Mythical Cowboys and Dead Pioneers really hit. Nothing like telling it as it fucken is. There is a lot of anger here - but also education. All Americans (and well everyone) should hear this album at least once. For its vitriol and sincerity it is up there. Listening to this is certainly an experience, but as a full album to come back to and listen over and over, it is not really suited to that (for me). Still, the standout songs hit hard and sound great. Oh, and I found another gem, Working Class Warfare - if only more people saw through this shit. Top4: Po$t American, My Spirit Animal Ate Your Spirit Animal, Dead Pioneers, and Working Class Warfare. Very Good. 5/7 |
| Geoff Palmer | 0 | Kodak Flash - EP | Dec25. Man, I loved and smashed out these songs at the start of the year, but looking at them lately, I keep thinking I have the songs too high on my list. Let's give the EP a listen now towards the end of the year. This is fun pop-punk with a garage-rock influence. There is also an even older sound, like 50s that creeps into some songs like Bye Bye Baby. Opener, Exit Wounds is just darn catchy. These songs are closer to his more recent The Connection than earlier stuff like The Queers (when he was Geoff Useless), but Rubber Neck certainly is a bit of a throwback to that old catchy sound with a Beach Boys influence. Teenage Memories is a simple pop-rock anthem. All four songs are very good, but at only four songs, it would be hard to rate this a lot higher than longer albums. Still, this is 8 minutes I could enjoy over and over. My order of the 4 songs here: Teenage Memories, Exit Wounds, Bye Bye Baby, then Rubber Neck. 5.5/7 |
| Chemical-X | 0 | Daze of Hate | Dec25. A band that only came to my attention when I saw someone else's end of year list. (I think it was Kyle's from Punk Rock Radar). It could be recency bias speaking, but this sounds like the heavier songs from the Dead Pioneers album I recently wrote my comments for. There are also heavier NOFX-like sounds (opening bass riffs of the album), Pennywise (Don't Look at Me) and ALL (Think of You). But the album is mostly grounded in hardcore, but with some melodic moments and not a lot of gang vocals (which is fine by me). Unlike most albums, early standouts for me were in the middle of the album, like Get What's Comin' and Mostly Uninterested. Several songs don't hit the mark for me. Fav4: Mostly Uninterested, Get What's Comin', Think of You and Gave a Man a Mile. Pretty good, but not outstanding hardcore punk. 5/7 |
| Pat & the Pissers | 0 | How It's Done | Dec25. Abrassive rock/punk - I am loving this. It reminds me of bands I discovered around 10 years ago on Bandcamp, like Single Mothers. There is some fun, in a PUP or FIDLAR sort of way. Songs have a real live feel too and remind me of locals The Fat Thing - like on Nervous Tick. The riffing is certainly the highlight on several tracks and a lot of the guitars also remind me of Dead Pioneers (another album I wrote about today). The bass rules on several second half songs, like Feel It. 12 songs in 23 minutes is also appealing to me, with no song over 2.40. They even pull off the slow song to conclude the album. The only thing holding this back, is a lack of absolute ball-tearers - it is just too consistent - but consistently bloody good. Fav4: Big Hit, Backseat Boys, Ignorant and Binary Code. Really liking these early listens and this could rise with more time. 5.5/7 |
| Die Spitz | 0 | Something to Consume | Dec25. I have seen a lot of buzz about this album late in the year. 2 songs are on my 2025 list. Solid rock with distortion, taking me back to the 90s. The vocals are very good and remind me a bit of the singer from Press Club. There is also some Magic Dirt to them. Opening track could easily have been on the Life was Better… EP by that band. But this album is not as accessible as either of those bands. In fact, I have tried this album a few times and it did not really gel. Listening again now and I am getting it. Well, most of it. The atmospheric metal vibes are not my thing, but thankfully, it is not a full album of this and the songs don't drag. In fact, there is quite a variety of pace on the album. It builds and slows quite well, with the slowest patch right in the middle. Fav4: Throw Yourself to the Sword (if Amyl & the Sniffers went metal), Riding with My Girls (a mix of everything mentioned here, but the most punk sounding), Pop Punk Anthem (not pop punk), American Porn (combo of heavy Hole and Magic Dirt with Shihad riffs). The grungey Down on It was stiff to miss and Red40 deserves a mention too, with its L7 abrassiveness and alternating rhymes (not something I see a lot these days). And Punishers is the most accessible they sound with a distorted pop sound not a world away from bands like The Pixies. It took its time, but this has just edged ahead of other female-vocal albums I recently rated. Very Good to Excellent. 5.5/7 |
| Turnstile | 0 | Never Enough | Dec25. Took my time getting to this one. My early impressions were that this was not as good as Glow On (but that is currently my #1 album of the decade, so not surprising). I know the electro-pop elements put me off a little because they are the last two minutes of some of my favourite songs. They work as interludes on an album but get annoying when you have to listen to them every time you listen to a favourite track, like the opening title track. This and Birds were apparently my top 2 most listened songs on You Tube Music and both are still inside my 2025 Top10. I love the short intro to Never Enough, but really wish the outro was a separate track (like they did with Ceiling later on). But what a main riff this song busts into - I wish there was more it to be honest. Having said that - I have not heard better use of electronics in a long time. They blend seamlessy and actually add something to their sound. Are they a little overdone on this album for my tastes? Probably. I also underestimated some of the deeper tracks here and have been moving songs like Dreaming up my 2025 list as I listen again. Look Out for Me has one of the best riffs on here and rocketed up my list. But again - you have to put up with a 3 minute electro-outro on this one. The song would be all killer if this was a separate track. The album certainly goes deeper than I first thought too. Now I am used to the electro sounds, I can listen to the whole thing through. Some of those later tracks are good, but it is a bit of a boring number to finish. Fav4: Never Enough, Birds, Sunshower and Look Out for Me, though this last spot has changed a lot and there are 3-4 other tracks that would take its place on another day. The album is much better than I first gave it credit for and it has grown on me a lot… but still shy of Glow On. But I can't hold it back due to massive expectations. The album flows so well though - could have been called Flow On :P 6.5/7 |
| Secret World | 0 | Tomorrow is a Mystery to Me - EP | Dec25. Well, I absolutely loved this band's last EP and this one is now approaching a similar level of love for me. The lyrics read like amazing reflections on life - navigating your way and the relationships you form. So relatable. And the sounds are less hardcore here, with even some poppier sounds and some that reminded me of popular 80s pop-rock (Action and Can You See?). But these parts are subtle, hidden behind hardcore adjacent, driving drums, solid riffs and fantastic borderline gravelly vocals. I liked all six songs on this longer EP. Good Faith is the standout, but the rest are very good. Fav4: Good Faith, Through the Night, Everywhere Now (contains the EP's title in the lyrics), and Action (such a great chorus). The heavier Repeat Offender is stiff. Another fully loaded EP from the guys. Every song here is killer. 7/7 |
| Heartwells | 0 | Ollie - EP | Dec25. These guys just released a cracking album last year and already they have a 6-track EP this fucking good. How? The amazing production would be a giveaway, but other than that, if someone had said they are remastering some of NOFX's unreleased tracks from their peak, then I would have believed them. This is the NOFX fans wanted on the last few albums. Fast and heavy NOFX. There are even horns and fast ska in parts. And it's not just the music, the lyrics and vocals have euphemisms and lines right out of Fat Mike's playbook. It is almost as if he handed over his unrecorded lyrics. The songs are all fucken awesome, from flat out to slower and heartfelt. Father of the Year is a heartbreaker for anyone whose parents split when they were young. How do I leave 2 of the songs out for a Fav4? I wish my cousin was still around to hear these guys. Fav4: Piss n Gums (released prior to album as ball-tearing single), Bad Blood (everything you wanted on NOFX's last album in one song), Over Me (life as a fuck-up or not fitting in), and Backstabbers (what a bounce). A perfect EP if you know you like this stuff. 7/7 |
| Borderlines | 0 | Repair Kit - EP | Dec25. I knew from the moment I heard this EP that it would feature highly in my end of year list. Tragedy Waits is inside my Top10 songs and the others here are brilliant. The only downside is that there are only 4 songs and it is hard to rate such a short EP against the albums of the year. Cut You Out is a cool break-up song. OK Socrates is such a fun song about putting yourself out there (I think). It has such a fun beat and breakdown. Also very high on my 2025 list. Not sure about subgenres - this is just fun punk rock to me. I guess there is a bit of pop-punk, skate-punk, ord core, emo and indie. All four tracks rock. My order for them: Tragedy Waits, OK Socrates, Cut You Out and then Not Your Fault. So many awesome EPs this year. I only wish this was a little longer. 7/7 |
| The Skegss | 0 | Top Heavy | Dec25. Funnily, in an album with 'heavy' in the title, the guys put together their most mellow collection. In fact, this is a little too mellow for my consideration. Even the songs I initially liked I have since removed from my playlist. Ain't for the Faint is the only song that remains in my 2025 playlist, but I added I'm Not Lost on this listen. Of course, in the right mood, this would be a great Summer-afternoon-and-beers listen. Just none of their awesome tracks on here for me. Fav4: Ain't for the Faint, I'm Not Lost, So Excited and Blood on the Sky. Good. 4/7 |
| Puffer | 0 | Street Hassle | Jan26. This one took a couple of listens but I love the gruff punk on offer here. It has old school street and oi! elements mixed with more modern skate punk. There is even some ACDC-like hard rock (Don't Wanna Be Like Me). Some pretty competent playing too. Guitar in opening track is brilliant and they have such great rhythm. The pace remains fairly fast, such that 4th track, Never Enough, sounds slower by comparison. It is not a slow song at all, and in fact, is one of the best here with a crazy chorus. The sound won't be for everyone, but I loved it, especially after a few listens. Fav4: Jimmy, Never Enough, Concrete Jungle and Don't Wanna Be Like Me, but I 'thumbed' 10 of the 11 (91%) of the tracks. YouTubeMusic jumped to Cosmic Psychos when the album finished. Just shy of Excellent. 5.5/7 |
| The Planet Smashers | 0 | On the Dancefloor | Jan26. The album sounds like a modern day Reel Big Fish on the opening, upbeat tracks, but with less of the goofishness. From there they move to an older ska sound and then to more mellow sounds like Mad Caddies. I like their sound, but am very glad they keep the songs short, as a whole album of ska can be tiring, and this does drag with the last few tracks. They have their fun but also address social issues on songs like Police Brutality and Torpedo. Fav4: Wasted Tomorrows, Alien, Things to Do, and Police Brutality. I also loved the bouncy beat and rhymes of Bags of Cash and Belly Up, and the fun Meet Me on the Dancefloor got thumbed too, for a total of 7 of 13 (54%) tracks thumbed. I did not expect to like this as much as a I did. It could have ended a little earlier, but there are a stack of fun tracks on here. A little better than Good. 4.5/7 |
| Dark Thoughts | 0 | Highway to the End | Jan26. Brash, snotty punk delivered at a breakneck pace. Only 2 songs here are over 2 minutes. Bands like Screeching Weasel and Teenage Bottlerocket come to mind for comparison, so I guess this is Ramonescore. I am also guessing the album title and cover is a take of Ramones' Road to Ruin with a white outline around where the Ramones would be. The album does sound a bit samey and without any song hanging around long it is hard to distinguish them because you don't get to sing the chorus a few times. The longer song is an acoustic number that does not do a lot for me, but it is a welcome change-up. I thumbed all but 2 tracks, but coming up with favourites is hard. Fav4: Bubble's Gonna Burst, Slept Til 2, Sparkling Water and Different World. Up my alley and fun, but not distinctive. 5/7 |
| The Hives | 0 | The Hives Forever, Forever The Hives | Jan26. The Hives are back with a vengeance after their brilliant 2023 album and I was not expecting it to be followed up so soon. And this one starts off where The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons left off. After a short intro it is straight into the fantastic Enough is Enough that opens the album with a great riff and the first screamed lyrics, "Everyone's a little fucking bitch!" Killer opening. There is still the phrenetic garage-punk sounds, but the band have embraced other sounds too, including an electronic-like beat (Bad Call and Path of Most Resistance), but nothing that detracts from their sound and message. And of course, that message is, The Hives are going to conquer the world. And I am on board. Some songs, like Roll Out the Red Carpet even sounded like modern punks such as PUP and the bassline and keys in Born a Rebel reminded me of Abra abra cadabra of 80s fame. They Can't Hear the Music is a great story of finding comfort in music and using it to get through the hard times. Something I can relate to. The last few tracks were not that familiar to me and I enjoyed them. Fav4: Enough is Enough (sitting in the #4 spot for the year as I write this), Legalize Living (constantly moved up my 2025 list and sitting just outside my Top10 songs), Paint a Picture, Hooray, Hooray, Hooray (deals with the downfall of an entitled prick who inherited everything - which easily correlates to a few obvious names these days). The Hives forever, alright. Loved this album. 6.5/7 |
| Last Hounds | 0 | Growing Pains - EP | Jan26. A new discovery after 2025 was done but during trying to sort out my Albums of the Year. This is fun hardcore with a rock element and great riffing. I love the shouted vocals and they border on metal at times. They remind me of a combo of my current favourite Aussie bands Secret World and Dead Mall, but with a distinctive British sound incorporating sounds like Soft Play and even Bob Vylan (especially with the hip hop on Heart, but in a lot of the vocals). This is not a world away from what Frank Carter has been doing too, but heavier, like his Gallows days. Bubbles incorporates slower electronic moments. Not quite Turnstile, but in that direction. I love the rhymes they drop. Overall, a fine fusion of enjoyable noise. Fav4: Growing Pains, Low, Disco, and Bubbles. Highly enjoyable. 6/7 |
| Lot Lizards | 0 | The Horrors of Adulting | Jan26. First of all, what a great album title. Sounds like a great combination of the punk sounds I love. Vocals sound a little bit like The Dirty Nil with a little Dead Bars snarl. Lots of cool skate punk riffs and some amazing bass fret-work, ala Rancid and NOFX. These guys could easily have been on Epitaph back in the late 90s. There is also an overall Satanic Surfers or No Fun At All feel in lots of the riffing. Cash on Fire starts a little more metallic in sound like a Pennywise song. Fav4: Good Intentions, Surprise Party, Exploding Heart Syndrome, and Great Escapes. Another album I will have to come back to, but for now settling on Very Good. 5.5/7 |
| Tired Radio | 0 | Hope In the Haze | Jan26. Sad music for sad times. Perfect. And right on song with the acoustic opening track Seem OK. If you like The Gaslight Anthem, then you will like what is on offer here. Things speed up from there, but the lyrics still focus on self-reflection and living in a shitty world. In subject matter, sentiment and self-deprecation, this also reminds me of Spanish Love Songs. The vocals are a little more gravelly than both those bands and I really like the harshness they bring to the sound. There's even a bit of bands like Deathcab for Cutie in songs like the title track. Fav4: Seem OK, D.R.E.A.M., Your Great Escape, and Records and Regrets. In the right mood, this would rate higher, but going for a general feel of Good to Very Good. 4.5/7 |
| Kerosene Heights | 0 | Blame It on the Weather | Jan26. A nice indie-rock album in a Jeff Rosenstock way for the lighter moments and vearing towards Hot Mulligan wails on the heavier tracks. Fav4: Inside Baseball, Forget It, Deigo All In, and Things Like Forever. Very Good. 5/7 |
| Miller Lowlifes | 0 | Pinch Hitters | Jan26. Pretty cool, punk-tinged rock. Early comparrison for me is The Baboon Show, especially the vocals (even though I think this is a guy vocalist), but the overall sound is not a world away either. Miller Lowlifes take more of a pop-punk approach in places than that band, though. This was a fun album and I'd like to spend more time with it, but I have to get through so many 2025 albums right now. Fav4: Airport Beers, I'm a Lowlife, Baby!, Today, and Dive, but I thumbed three others too. Bloody good. 5.5/7 |
| Shepparton Airplane | 0 | Forecast | Jan26. Certainly one of my left field discoveries for the year. Thanks to the punter that posted a song of theirs on 7Rock. These Aussies reminds me of a lot of 90s bands with the distortion and feedback, but also channel some of that darker Brit post-punk. The slower and heavier parts bring The Mark of Cain moments and the more pop-rock parts remind me of bands like The Peep Tempel. Check out Stereo Youth for this contrast. Then there are straight up radio-freindly moments hidden amongst the rougher elements that take me back to 80s Oz rock such as The Triffids (Stereo Youth). Then the more abrassive and modern sounds remind me of bands like Hi Vis. This is a mixed bag for sure. Fav4: Stereo Youth, Hell No, Forecast and Someone to Blame. I like a lot here, but not everything. Somewhere beteeen Good and Very Good. 4.5/7 |
| Dear Seattle | 0 | TOY | Jan26. Oddly, after a couple of songs have spent most of 2025 near the top of my song list, I still do not know this full album. Nothing's Stopping Me Now is still very high on my list (just outside the Top10) and is a cracking start to the album. I love Dear Seattle's alt-rock sounds and the vocals are always great. There is such a cool, emotional weight to their sound. There is a grander sound to some songs on this one, and I am not sure I like that. I don't really want this band to become Imagine Dragons or somesuch, but I can't blame them for aiming for more widespread appeal either. I think their sincerity would prevent this, though. They write such relatable lyrics. On this album they include several tracks on relationships. Maybe too many, but for the right listener this would make for cathartic listening. The Story So Far get away with it with me, so I can deal with that here. Besides, some of the relationship/break-up songs are among the best here (Say What You Want and We Were So Close). I wish there were more of the harsher vocals like on the chorus of Cut My Hair. idc became an instant favourite on these listens. Fun, random rhymes including 'Nirvana', who also did this. At first I was not sold on the JJJ 'Like a Version' of The Special Two being on here, but they do such a good job of it and it is a fine way to finish the album. Fav4: Nothing's Stopping Me Now, Evergreen, Cut My Hair, and and idc. Close to excellence. 5.5/7 |
| Teenage Bottlerocket | 0 | Ready to Roll | Jan26. Firstly, I have to say: yes, about time they did a brown album. :) To me, the last couple of Teenage Bottlerocket albums have not been up to their best, so I was quite excited when I heard the prerelease single of Post Mortem Depression from this album. It is a cracking song. A few others were early standouts too, but I was still sceptical the album would not be a great listen overall. Well, the more I listen to this, the more my fears are allayed. Although there are more popier tracks and slower paces on here, this is a return to form. There are some morbid lyrical topics, but all tackled with their sarcastic sense of humour and the fun 'Ramonscore' sound is there, driving each song. There's even some cool lead breaks and the repetitve chants and shared vocals are there (both done so well on I'm All About it). Like the last couple of albums, they experiment a bit with keys/electronics (I Figured Out that I'm Stupid), but there are not too many of these moments. The quirky and weird lyrical content is present too: Giant Bug from Planet Q13 (good) and Friend Named Fly (probably could have been left off). Fav4: Post Mortem Depression, She's the Shit, All About It, and True to You. That was actually quite hard as there were another 4 I wanted squeeze in. Other than the last couple of songs that could have been left off the album, this album has a lot of very cool tunes. Excellent. 6/7 |
| The Jack Knives | 0 | Into the Night | Jan 26. Despite two songs sitting very high on my 2025 song list, I have taken a long time to get around to this one. I would never have guessed they are from California (though I am betting Social D is an influence). They have more of a midwestern sound (there is even a cover of Dancing in the Dark) with small parts of The Gaslight Anthem and The Penske File, but there is also an almost Celtic element too, reminding me of Aussies The Go-Set. Perhaps the closest comparison I can make is the underrated The Love Ones. There is a real sincerity in the down-to-earth songwriting here. The songs are both quality and catchy - try not to sing along to songs like Kill Me First and Heartbreak Queen. These were two early standouts for me, along with Punk Rock Heart, but man, this whole album is quality. The bass is deep and kicks on songs like Limelight. Fav4: Kill Me First, Heartbreak Queen, Punk Rock Heart and The Lovers Who Fell. The first two are absolute killers. Third was a lock and then several could have filled the last spot depending upon my mood. Quite simply, these guys should be huge. Excellent. 6/7 |
| Teen Mortgage | 0 | Devil Ultrasonic Dream | Jan26. What a bunch of fuzzed-out madness. I thumbed several of these songs the first time I heard this album. I have Mark McL from the 7Rock Discord to thank for this one. They sure make a lot of noise for a duo. I am not sure how to describe the music, but it is fast and fun: DZ Deathrays on speed? White Reaper if they added feedback to their sound? If you can understand them, there are some fun, witty lyrics too. These lines are among my favorites: "But I don't wanna be a part of the war machine, they got me forced to work, but I was born to party." Fav4: Party, I Don't Wanna Know, Devil Ultrasonic Dream, and Disappear, though I thumbed most tracks here and several could fill that last spot. An easy Excellent album. 6/7 |
| The Dirty Nil | 0 | The Lash | Jan26. The last 2 The Dirty Nil albums sat inside my decade Top15 when this one came out, so expectations were high. And unfortuantely, the band did not live up to them. In fact, they fell well short was my first thought. I have had a spell and coming back to the album to give it another chance. Once again, we have punk/alt-rock band doing the b-grade metal album cover. Weird. Things kick off well with Gallop of the Hounds but slow pretty quickly after that. I like an album that keeps the energy through the first three tracks at least. Rock 'n' Roll Band was an instant favourite, as songs about the slog of touring often are. Thank god for the short burst of energy and fun that is Do You Want Me?. I am thinking of a word that usually means I dislike a band's album: mature. Much like when Blink-182 did the self-titled album. Sure, the band expands their sound here, but they do not deliver anywhere enough of what got me into them in the first place. Oddly, the decent I Hate the Internet is not on the album despite also being released in 2025. Fav4: Rock 'n' Roll Band, Gallop of the Hounds, Do You Want Me? and I was struggling to add a 4th, but settled on I was a Henchman for its heavy riffing. It and They Won't Beat Us really cut loose in the second half of the songs, so it is odd they are both lumped together at the end. One of these near the start would have fired things up early. This is not a bad album, but it is not great either. It sits way behind their last two, that is for sure. Some people might like the slower approach here, but it just lacks good songs for me. I still thumbed 5, but none are going to the top of my 2025 list. Good. 4/7 |
| The Remote Controls | 0 | Too Tough | Jan26. A band new to me in 2025 and as soon as I heard the American Standard single it went into my list and every time I hear it it shifts a little higher. This is basic punk rock with a little old-school snotty brashness, a little 'Ramonescore' and a little pop-punk - so a blend of stuff I love. Bands I was reminded of in parts were Screeching Weasel and The Queers. The album starts and finishes strong. I already have three songs near the start and the end thumbed, with one in the middle. Not their best song on here, but the guitars on Speed Freak are awesome. Some of the songs are very short (14 songs in 24 minutes) and I loved the 33 second Kyle's Windshield. I really enjoy short, fun ditties like this to break things up. A lot of the lyrics here are fire too. Great observations on basic life - see my first two favourite songs for some of the best lyrics. Lady Be Good is also a good narrative song that tells the story of a sunken ship of that name. Fav4: American Standard, Comment Section, Too Tough and Up to No Good, though any number of 10 other songs could fill the last spot. I had a feeling about this album and I was right. This is right in my wheelhouse. I love this sort of punk and the guys from Indianapolis delivered. Excellent. 6/7 |
| Cascade Riot | 0 | New Disguise | Jan26. I have had a few songs in my 2025 list for a while and I have been trying and trying to recall who these guys remind me of (especially the singer) and it came to me on this play through the album: Matthew Sweet. That suits too as there is more of an indie rock vibe here than punk. The bass really leaps out too. Everytime I hear Ruby I think bands often only got one chance for the world to hear their song and had this been released in the 90s people would certainly have heard this song. I have heard about it talked in punk and indie Internet videos and posts, but it is unfortunate a song like this does not get wider distribution, as it would surely appeal to the masses. Those cool, bouncy verses give way to such a breezy and catchy chorus. There are harder moments on the album, especially towards the end, but the band stay in the alt-rock lane for the most. There's even a little Foo Fighters when songs go for the harsher vocals (such as parts of Maybe Tomorrow and Conversation). The heavier Cellophane is a welcome change of pace at the right time. Fav4: Something's Different, Ruby, Time Machine and Conversation, though I thumbed most tracks. I really like each song on here, but as a full album it lacks a little punch. Still, consistently Very Good. 5/7 |
| Fangz | 0 | Shui | Jan26. I have been listening to this band for a few years now, adding several of their songs to my lists and it is cool they finally have a full album. I love a lot of their album cover artwork and Shui is no exception. They are mostly rock, but with punk and emo infuences. The vocals especially invoke The Used at times and Billy Talent at others, but the music is mostly straight ahead rock. Not quite Airbourne, but these guys could certainly pull off a tour with such a band. I always like an album to keep things rocking for the first three songs and Shui does not disappoint. Two of them were already in my 2025 song list and now all are. Fav4: Anne Marie, Wide Awake, Bad News and Nothing to Lose, though Animals and Same Old Story were stiff to miss. With their diverse sound, these guys could play with a lot of different bands. A quality half-an-hour. 5/7 |
| Rise Against | 0 | Richochet | Jan26. I wrote my comments, then lost them when the net froze and I did not care for this album enough to retype them all. They try new things here but it just does not work for me. The slick production and new sounds make this sound like it could have been any mediocre rock band. I know they get criticised for sticking to a formula and it is great they tried something new, and at least that was not 'just add electronics', but it still did not work for me. I would love them to rediscover their harsher punk side. I mean, this band has my #1 2000s album. Fav4: Want It All, Nod, Forty Days and Prizefigher were the only songs I thumbed along with the title track, but none are going to be in upper part of my 2025 song list. Average album from an excellent band. 3.5/7 |
| The Let Me Downs | 0 | North by Southwest | Jan26. Another straight up punk-rock band. I hear some New Found Glory (chorus vocals), some Alkaline Trio (guitars) and overall feel of bands like Face to Face and some skate punk. In fact, several tracks in the middle reminded me of Game Over from down here (Australia). There is also a midwestern feel in some parts. I had the first and last song thumbed going into this listen. I enjoyed this without loving it, though they certainly save their best for last. The closing track is high on my 2025 song list. Fav4: One More Round (a standout), Broken Promises, Hey Jealousy, and My One Regret. The other songs are good. For now, I am going with Very Good for the album. 5/7 |
| Testament | 0 | Para Bellum | Jan26. In a time of not enjoying metal, Testament released Titans of Creation a few years ago, and it really caught my attention. I did not know this album had been released since, until now, and I wanted to check it out. Holy shit - what a fucking start. I love the music for For the Love of Pain but the vocals are on the 'too-harsh-for-me' side of the spectrum. I have only had a couple of listens as I am trying to get through a stack of 2025 albums and this one is not going to feature in my best. They are still among my favourite current metal bands, but this one did not have the impact as the last album. There is a lot less on mythology and history, but they do lay bare some real truths of the modern world, especially the title track, tranlated as 'prepare for war'. There is a little Alice in Chains-like guitars in Shadow People and a power ballad in Meant to Be. High Noon is about a wild west gunslinger, so, what it says on the box. Again the vocals go a little to far into growls for me on this one. Witch Hunt is Slayer paced and heaviness. Nature of the Beast is close to accessible and reminds me of lighter Megadeth moments. A pair of late tracks seem to cover mental illness and I like both of them. Fav4: Nature of the Beast, Shadow People, Room 117 and Havana Syndrome. Not as satisfying for me as the last album but still Good. 4/7 |
| Bastardes | 0 | No Glory | Jan26. Thanks to Vamprey on the 7Rock Discord for pointing this one out to me. Obviously, being an old-school sounding punk album it appealed to me. There are a lot of sounds from 70s punks like The Clash mixed with a bit of oi!, but also some modern sounds and solid production, whilst maintaining an edge. Whilst the sound grabbed me on first listens, some songs lost appeal after repeated plays. But maybe that is just my mood, b/c listening again now, I am digging the album again. Whilst new to me, I have played this on and off in between other 2025 albums a few times over the last 2 weeks. It was a surprise to read the band is from Sweden. This year my favourite old style British sounding punks have been from France and now Sweden. The album kicks off with a couple of the best tracks (as an album should) and the fun lyrics and bounce of Pay the Price hooked me in on this listen. The funny and drinking songs remind me of bands like Hung Like Hanratty. Fav4: One More Day, Pay the Price, No Glory, and Wild, Young and Free, though I enjoyed a lot more and several could have taken this last spot. 5.5/7 |
| The Southern River Band | 0 | Easier Said Than Done | Jan26. At first I thought this was just another good hardrock/pub rock album, but there is a lot more variety on here than that. They delve into big era rock of the 70s and some bluesy and soulful material too, if that is your thing. They certainly invoke some The Black Crowes through the middle of the album, but there is also a lot of ACDC-style rock. They remind me a bit of what Dead Daisies are doing now (No Such Time), but also have some more wild moments like Fuck You, Pay Me. In the right mood, I could thumb all tracks here. Lovers of bands like The Answer and Rival Sons would enjoy a lot of what they hear here. Fav4: Fuck You, Pay Me, No Such Time, All Over Town and Don't Take It To Heart. Very Good. 5/7 |
| Nerdlinger | 0 | Growing Up is Getting Old | Jan26. A 90s-inspired skate-punk band from Australia that have been around for over 10 years and I only recently heard of them. Man. I used to be over this shit. The fact practically all punk bands have left Twitter has not helped. I have joined other socials to try and keep up now. This is right in my wheelhouse (of course). They cover all the Epitaph and Fat Wreckords sounds on here and there is even a little modern hardcore (Bike Jumps and the Youth of Today). They make good use of two (or more) vocalists too on songs like Cognac Arrest. All for You gives me Teenage Bottlerocket vibes. Fav4: WWMCD, Hard Questions, Face Down at Five Dogs, and Smashing Kebabs, though chosing four at this early stage is hard when there are 15 songs and I liked most, especially the first half of the album. A Very Good punk album that could move higher if I get to know it better. 5/7 |
| Curbside | 0 | A Lifetime to Outgrow | Jan26. Another Canadian band. This one is new to me. I am sure I have Punk Rock Radar to thank for this one. These guys play pretty standard melodic punk with hardcore and emo influences. I really like the bordering on gravelly vocals that remind me of midwestern bands that I like, and they are another band that make good use of two vocalists. There is also some pup-punk in the modern Knuckle Puck style - especially those biting guitars. In fact, a faster/heavier Knuckle Puck (with some Propagandhi riffs in places) would be a good description for the songs here. The front half is definitely stronger than the second and I thumbed the first five tracks and one other. Fav4: The Devil Wears Vans, Black & Grey, We Were the Theives and A Lifetime to Outgrow. Another Very Good punk album for the year. 5/7 |
| The Jukebox Romantics | 0 | This One Looks Cool | Jan26. Another new punk band for me this year. These guys play a heart-on-sleave style of punk with pop-punk influences. No band comparisons easily come to mind but some guitars reminded me of Bodyjar and Teenage Bottlerocket. However, their overall sound and feel is more like 2000s pop-punk including Real Friends and Brand New. There are the occaisonal gang vocals and borderline harsh vocals like Hot Mulligan. Fav4: Honolulu Sun, Coffee, Cigarettes and Damp Church Basements, Packing Up My Knives and She's On the Run but the other three I thumbed could easily be here. No absolute standouts but the album is consistently Very Good. In fact, it is a little bit better than that. 5.5/7 |
| Oh See Demons | 0 | More Than Meets the Eye | Jan26. A melodic skate punk band from out of Norway. I can't say I know any Norweigan punk bands. There are plenty from their neighbouring country that I love. This is a nice blast of punk for a land of dark metal, and they don't really sound like any of the Swedish punk bands I am into either. They sound more like an American skate punk band, but not necessarily SoCal punk either. There's a little AFI in the sound at times. I love the deep, rhythmic bass on tracks like Here's My Resignation. Another consistently solid album without any absolute standouts, but plenty of songs to like. In fact, after several listens I ended up thumbing all tracks. Fav4: All Complain, No Solution, Here's My Resignation, Jimmy In-Security, and Worlds Collide, but I really got to like most songs here and these could change in time. This one just kept growin on me with every listen. Songs went from good to bloody good. Excellent album. 6/7 |
| Fight Back Mountain | 0 | Death and the Miser | Jan26. Whilst they do bend genres at times, I love their basic, gruff-voiced punk approach. When in this style they remind me of bands like Nothington. There are also some midwestern and pop-punk feels. Some of the music reminds me of recent bands like Carousel Kings and Secret World too. We have another 'death metal' looking album cover that would throw the casual observer. There is no way you'd expect this style of music from the cover. Things kick off well with Like Poets Do. Fav4: Like Poets Do, Death and the Miser, P is for Psycho (where they get angry) and No Recourse (a faster a track with hardcore elements). Another fucken good album for the year - making my 2025 lists a lot harder. How di I separate all these albums bordering on Excellence? 6/7 |
| Hot Mulligan | 0 | The Sound a Body Makes When It's Still | Jan25. Several songs from these guys have wormed their way into my head and song lists over recent years. They are certainly a feature on car trips with my oldest son who loves them. I love the gutteral scream vocals mixed with clean ones. Both vocalists work so well tegether too. Song titles do not help at all. They are all weird made-up titles that appear to have nothing to do with the songs, so remembering my favourites is hard. I had two thumbed before this listen. It also makes them hard to interpret. It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here is a favourite, but I have no idea if is actually about someone with cancer or just hating parts of yourself, or something else entirely. I do like how they change their pace and even style throughout the album. I guess this is an evolution of emo punk, but it is quite an alternative sound with indie and alt-rock moments. They are not afraid to include electronic elements but also don't let them take over from their core sound. It is a good album, but does drag and some of the interlude-like songs seem unnecessary. There are also more slow songs on here than I expected. Fav4: And a Big Load, It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here, Bon Jonah and Monica Lewisnskibidi. Good, but relies on a few strong tracks. 4.5/7 |
| St Plaster | 0 | St Plaster II | Jan26. Apparently formed by two guys from other bands I do not know, these Belgians get together now and then to play as St Plaster. They open with fast, melodic hardcore-based skate punk, but they change pace throughout the album. There is a bit of Lagwagon sound, but I even hear some My Chemical Romance on later tracks. Strange to see two songs with 'Apple' in the title in the first four tracks. Holy shit - every time I listen I am adding more tracks. Some lyrics on here are noteworthy too, such as on Lottery. This runs pretty deep. Fav4: Fake News (flat-out opener), Moron (very catchy), No One Likes a Smartass, and I Hate You for You (has an acoustic opening). I had this pegged as Very Good for first few listens, but it is a bit better than that to me right now. 5.5/7 |
| 84 Days | 0 | 84 Days | Jan26. So, Randy Bradbury (bass player of Pennywise) wrote a bunch of songs and showed them to Pennywise (among many other bands) producer Cameron Webb and apparently Cameron insisted on Randy recording the songs. So, in came No Doubt drummer and that is what they did. This is not a world away from Pennywise. Most songs here are not quite as heavy or as fast, but the melodic skate punk is still very present. The songs are well written and Randy does a handy job on guitar and vocals as well as his bass. His vocal style is even similar to Jim's at times, which is not a surprise given how much back-up vocals Randy does for Pennywise. Man, the songs are consistently strong too - a lot of cool melodies on here. The album starts very strong with several gems in the middle and a ripper of a song to finish. Fav4: Mockingbird Brains (great commentary on the blind following shit leaders and media), Don't Trust the Government (about listening to all the great punk songs, with a cool Pennywise reference), Wasting the Night (compulsory drinking song), and Smiling While We Drown, but there were another four songs stiff to miss this list. A very cool punk album bringing back the 'think for yourself' and 'question what you are sold' ethos. I enjoyed this much more than I expected. Not sure why I expected less from a side-project, but Randy can fucken write a tune. I gotta call this Excellent. More songs earwormed their way in on each listen. 6/7 |
| Hobo Bridge | 0 | Hobo Bridge | Jan26. Another So-Cal skate punk band making a play for my albums of 2025. No surprise there. I do love this sound. This lot seem a little less melodic than the last album I just commented on (84 Days) and have a stronger leaning to hardcore. The lyrics cover the normal bases: degredation of society, finding your own way, and questioning humanity's way forward. There are some very catchy choruses, often with gang vocals or at least strong backing vocals. The obvious comparison for me is Pennywise, though there are shades of Bouncing Souls in the vocals and bands like Face to Face on tracks like Apply to Die. Fav4: Arthur Ingleman, Cement Life, Tennessee Cash, and Madame Bonnie. A quality album. 5/7 |
| The Lizards | 0 | Imagination Station | Feb26. Hmmm, an Aussie punk band that has been around for over 10 years and I have not heard of them until now. I really have lost touch. They sound good too. It is a fast, skate punk sound, but does not strongly remind me of any other bands. There are some similarities with bands like Pennywise, but not in the vocals. There are some metal moments on songs like Prevail. It took a few listens for songs to distinguish themselves, but when they did, I liked a lot of them. Fav4: Beyond Me, Directions, Hideaway, and Path of Least Resistance. I thumbed 6 of the 11 tracks and there is nothing wrong with the others either. In all, a very solid, but not mind-blowing album. 5/7 |
| Whatever | 0 | Into Darker Days | Feb26. Before I read about this band I thought it was a new, young band clearly harkening back to the great punk of the 90s. This is very steeped in that sound, with Bad Religion a clear reference in style, sound, subject matter and even album cover art. But these guys are a band from that time that have made a comeback after 20 years. How cool is that? And they are on. Another album that revealed more cool tracks with each listen. What a rhythm section and the guitars shine when required. The main thing that separates them from other 90s punks is the unique vocals. Nothing like the deeper vocals of Greg Graffin for example. The vocals are closer to some pop-punk bands. In fact, there is even some Teenage Bottlerocket stuff in here (Out of the Blue). Fav4: Our Decline, Watch Them Fall, Useless and Among the Dead. Whilst I really like most songs here (and thumbed over half), I have not found any standouts I love at this stage. A Very Good album. 5/7 |
| Mattstagraham | 0 | Yellow Paint | Feb26. Alright, so I heard the track Caffeine when it was released and took little notice thinking this was a fun little novelty song but nothing to dive deeper into. I guess I lumped these guys with someone like Wheatus, but I finally gave the album a listen and, well, it is good. I still know nothing about the band. There is a lot of clean, well-produced pop-punk here (Good Charlotte), but there is also some fun and Dead Milkman-like goofiness and Weezer sincerity. After a few spins I was really enjoying this album. No song hangs around too long and the whole album is over in under half-an-hour. The album gets off to a great start with the first five songs becoming early favourites. The lyrics are easily relatable and the album just has an overall fun vibe. There are plenty of changes of pace and the songs are not all similar sounding, as they are not all simple pop-punk. GOODVIBES has electronics, a fast pace and some screamed vocals bordering on Turnstile-lite. Obviously, the regular listeners are not down for a short blast of hardcore, as this is the least played song. Fav4: GOODVIBES, Caffeine (punchy single), Still Dumb Still Rock and Roll, and Bad Attitude (a bit of garagey fun). But my order and actual four changed with each listen - I almost thumbed the whole album. This is a late contender, but I am glad I gave it a chance. Wow. Excellent. 6/7 |
| The Carolyn | 0 | Pyramid Scheme of Grief | Feb26. I have seen this album in a lot of 2025 lists. It did not really grab me on initial listens, so I have come back to it and made sure I have given it several listens. They remind me of a combo of some 2000s bands I love: The Menzingers, Spraynard and Spanish Love Songs - probably closer to the latter in music style. This is indie-rock mixed with emo and midwestern punk sounds. I like it all, but I have trouble finding standout songs. I love short songs, but some of these just sound like they are getting going and then they are over. It is extremely rare for me to want a song to go longer, but that is the case with a few here. Fav4: DOAD, Katie Arson, And the Infinite Void, Routines. I am at Very Good at this stage. 5/7 |
| The Brokedowns | 0 | Let's Tip the Landlord | Feb26. As if it was not evident from the album title, sarcasm oozes from this album. The Brokedowns accurate, yet somehow humourous, view on modern life is very relatable. The cry of, "Are we going to Mars or not?" in Vanity Plates is hilarious, and Musk has just answered the question as I type this. Apparently not. Focus now on the moon, so I am awaiting the sequel song now. I did not expect horns in the second song, but it works (not unlike how favourites The Fat Thing incorporated sax). They address modern greed in the fantastic In Praise of the Pedestal. This is fun, abrassive alt-rock-punk with distorted vocals that I like. They border on noise rock at times too (Sirhan Lohan). Fans of bands like Therapy? will like what is on offer here. Fav4: Vanity Plates, In Praise of the Pedestal, Let's Tip the Landlord and Strategic Humiliation, though I thumbed 10 of the 13 tracks. Bloody solid album. 5.5/7 |
| Cosmic Psychos | 0 | I Really Like Beer | Feb26. Okay, so I could have probably written my comments before even listening to this album. The Cosmic Psychos stick to what they know - beer drenched, dirty, fuzzed-out punk rock… and that is exactly what you get here. There is the compulsory beer songs, including the opening and ending tracks, both playing on the title of the album, second song 10 Can Trip (what Aussie does not measure a trip in beers and say "Shove it up your arse"?) and straight into This Could be the Greatest Beer of My Life (great riff). The riffs are still here, but many are slow and few songs really stand out to me. Where is a Fuckwit City or Dead Roo? It probably should be no surprise the beer songs are the best, though. Fav4: Have One More, 10 Can Trip, This Could be the Greatest Beer of My Life, I Like Beer. I love these guys, but this is below the high expectations I have. Good to Very Good. 4.5/7 |
| Haters | 0 | Non-Violent | Feb26. I had not heard of these fellow Aussies until late in 2025 when friend (@Stormclaw on Twitter) highly recommended them. It has taken to me until now to give the album it's due. I was hooked from the start. They kick off sounding much like one of the most famous three-pieces with Liberate but they move to a more modern sound that reminds me of bits-n-pieces of Fontaines D.C. and Hi-Vis, and even current favourites Heart Attack Man. There is still some Nirvana in later tracks too. They also add a lot of those short 'Whoohs' that is prominent in a lot of British punk I am listening to these days. They even have a little, fun Ramonescore sound on later tracks like Last Night (sounds something like Geoff Palmer might put out). What a wonderful, fuzzed-out bass sound too. Okay, not sure how these passed me by until now. This won't be album of the year, but it is up there and likely my Aussie album of 2025. What a fucken run to open the album. It continues into 5th track Ted Bundy before they slow down for the acoustic 6th track, Steal a Car - which is done so well. They kick back into gear after that, starting with the brilliant Young Ones and do not let up for the next couple. Jimmy Says slows things momentarily, but what a fucken moody and moving song. My Best Friend makes cool use of the male and female vocals (only scattered throughout the album). I was going to type the end is a little weaker, but it is not. I have just not heard these songs as much. This is a fucken brilliant album all the way. Fav4: wander/wonder (such a catchy chorus). Liberate, Quit My Job, and Young Ones, but these could almost be any track on here. I sure hope this band captures the Aussie audience's attention b/c they fucken rock. Great 90s vibes mixed perfectly with modern rock sounds. 7/7 |
| No Time | 0 | Comply or Die | Feb26. Sounding every bit a British oi! band, I was very surprised to read these guys are from Pittsburg, USA. Some songs have a tinge of old-school rock 'n' roll to add a bit of fun, including boogie piano on Comply or Die. State Execution has a guitar sound not unlike Radio Birdman. There are only four songs, but my order would be: State Execution, Spirit of Youth, Comply or Die, and Iron Breed (almost the reverse order based on 'plays' on YouTubeMusic). A very cool little EP. 5.5/7 |
| An Slau | 0 | Sure Look It | Feb26. After some French and American oi! punk this year, now it is time for some Irish oi!. Opening track, Plan of Campaign, is a bit of Irish pride and history with the Connolly's being mentioned, so of course I have to like this one. In fact, though I find many hard to understand, following along with the lyrics made this album so much more enjoyable. Great observations on life and Ireland's position in things. 'Shit/shite' sure gets a workout :). Lots of anthems for the working class and anti-establishment chants, to the waste of our capitalist and greedy society: "Producing shit that we don't even need!" Very cool to see them ranting against racism - they even include a solidarity with Palestine song: Saoirse Don Phalaistín. I love the driving guitar in Agrarian Agitation. Fav4: Mountain of Rubbish, Plan of Campaign, Big Man Yeah? and Agrarian Agitation. The two songs with 'shit/shite' in their titles were very stiff to miss too. I thumbed most of the album and really connected to a lot of what they were singing. I was expecting some sort of Celtic sound to creep in at some point but they stuck to the punk sound. Just shy of Excellent. 5.5/7 |
| Lion's Law | 0 | Evermore | Feb26. I feel like this is the third or fourth French or French-speaking Canadian old-school/oi! punk band I have discovered this year. It seems these guys are stalwarts of the Paris scene, so a pity I have not heard of them before. And they deliver on the sound too. Sure they sound old school, but not dated. There are some Teenage Bottlerocket-like guitar parts and the guitars also remind me of The Riptides' album from 2025 as well. Lovers of Lars-sung Rancid songs (or his other bands) might find something here to enjoy too. Their sound is cool and this is well mixed. They have a few more sing-a-long choruses than the past few albums I just rated for 2025, too. Brother is a great track and easy to connect with. I am not usually a fan of instrumentals, but the Ouverture here serves as a sort of intermission midway through the album and I quite like where it goes. They then pick the speed up with the fast Crucified, so it works well to make the mid-album interesting. I like the run of three songs from Before Your Eyes to Evermore and then in a surprising move, they end with a cover of I Ran… and I like it. Fav4: Brother (such a good, driving riff), The World is on Fire (anthemic sing-a-long tale of world destruction), Lonely Road (choosing this life of punk and independence), and Sewer Rats (fighting back anthem), though Before Your Eyes and Crucified are stiff to miss. I wish I had more time with these albums, but I have so many more to go to work out my 2025 lists. Right now, this is just above Very Good, but going with 5/7 |
| Static Friction | 0 | Static Friction - EP | Feb26. From the opening chords, this album grabbed me. The guitars rip! This is melodic, skate punk and is obviously in my zone. The shouted back-up vocals work and the rhythm section pound out a great pace. Opening song alone has something for everyone: shredding guitars, great vocals, excellent beat and even a bass break. At three-and-a-half minutes it is on the long side for an opening punk song, but it sure does not feel that way. There are only 5 songs on here, so I cannot rate too high compared to full albums (as I put them all in one list), but this does not let up. They tackle oppression in today's USA, crumbling society, finding your own way, and have time for some fun too with I Wanna Get a Mohawk (But Mom Won't Let Me Get One). Which, yes, I later found out is an AFI cover. Fav4: Fits & Starts (cracking opening song), Perpetual Motion (fantastic, driving rhythm), The Balance, and Whispers of the Wretched. An Excellent EP. 6/7 |
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
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