


Citing their main influences as Every time I Die, Dillinger Escape Plan and Rise Against it was impossible to resist giving The Nika Riots a spin. The Norwegian hardcore band state that “rather than bringing anything new to the table”, theyâre instead “trying to smash it to bits”.
Their blend of hardcore is laden with heavy riffs, reminiscent of âOrchestra Of Wolvesâ era Gallows but in no way a direct clone. Perhaps more of a descendent or distant relative if you will. Although The Nika Riots have just released their debut EP âSet Fireâ via Negative Vibe Records the band themselves are no ‘newcomers’ Featuring members of Man the Machetes, Torch and ieatheartattacks, The Nika Riots are already establishing themselves on the Norwegian hardcore/metal scene and surely before long theyâll be conquering the rest of the continent.



âEveryone loves a messy ending!â Well, London trio Ice Cold Slush certainly do. The band have just released their debut album âLive at Moth Club, Londonâ via US based punk label Burger Records. ICS play lo-fi, indie-punk with guitars so fuzzy that they wouldnât sound out of place on a Sub Pop record from the 90s.
Ice Cold Slushâs performance isnât a far cry from the golden era of British punk in the 70s. With two front women tending to double up their vocals, thereâs something slightly sinister about their youthful voices layered over the fuzz-submerged instrumental tracks. Think X-Ray Spex fronted by the twins from The Shining.
Taking the simplistic approach of âless is moreâ, ICS generate catchy vocal hooks and guitar riffs one after the other with an almost careless abandon. So donât be a âBoring Boneheadâ, put on your âChucky Bootsâ and let Ice Cold Slush give you âBrainfreezeâ.



Mind are a hardcore band from London with very specific goals that theyâre trying to achieve. First and foremost is the raising of awareness of mental health issues and getting young people to start opening up and talking about them. Due to the tragic loss of a friend whoâd been affected by anxiety and mental health issues, the band are dedicated to using their music as a way of sharing these important facts. The EP title alone, âOne In Fourâ, is the shocking statistic of people that suffer each year with these illnesses.
Having listened to and been impressed by the EP, I caught their first show and saw just how they were bringing these facts to light. Taking time between songs to explain what the band stood for and why with such conviction, it really struck a chord with me as well as encompassing everything that made me fall in love with hardcore music in the first place. Mind are not scared to speak out, tell their story and stand up for a cause they strongly believe in whilst making the music they love. That said thereâs no style over substance here as their EP and live performance are both crushing and unstoppable. âYouâre not a slave to your mindâ is the message and itâs delivered with the raw emotion and importance a topic of this nature deserves.



Right off the bat Iâll admit that this track isnât the sort of thing youâd expect to see posted on a website with âpunkâ in the name. But, that being said, the production and story behind this recording are both âpunk as fuckâ. This track (as well as the rest of the album) was recorded in the German duoâs motorcycle garage using only two microphones, with additional percussion coming from a rusty, old bike chain repeatedly being dropped onto a wooden platform. It doesnât get much more DIY than that.
The song itself is fairly bluesy rock orientated but brims with punk ethos in that itâs overflowing with raw and real emotions, sung like thereâs no tomorrow. Fynn & Philipp had met at a skatepark and discovered they were both fans of The Smiths, The Cure and Minor Threat to name but a few, so itâs not hard to see where the duo get their DIY ideologies from. Although The Picturebooks donât play ‘punk’ by genre definition, theyâre definitely ‘punk’ by attitude and this song demonstrates that as zero fucks are given.



Metal has always seemed to be the dominant musical output from Norway and the surrounding Scandinavian countries, but recently all that has been changing. More and more punk bands are emerging but still bringing with them something cold, something distinctive, that sets them apart from anywhere else in the world.
Describing themselves as âNorwegian stonerpunk / hardcoreâ, there was no way I wasnât going to check out Bokassa. I was captivated even further by their black & white horror movie, inspired music video. Mixing the speed and aggression of hardcore punk with groovy, stoner guitar riffs and howling gang vocals, Bokassa had me at âhelloâ. âWalker Texas Dangerâ closes out with the lyrics ânot dead yet, last of my kindâ and after listening to their work Iâm glad theyâre not. Long live Bokassa.



In the past few years, Iâve noticed that more and more black metal bands are emerging from the United States as well as Europe. Woe happen to be one of those bands. Iâd been blissfully unaware of their existence until earlier this week when our editor, Glen, told me to give this track a spin. The track âNo Blood Has Honorâ definitely set the tone for the day after listening to it that morning. Cheers mate…
Combining both the classic âcoldâ and negative black metal sound, along with the more modern post-metal ambient elements, âNo Blood Has Honorâ bridges the gap between the black metal of old and the new wave. Itâs fast, itâs ferocious and it sounds twice as impressive if you play it really fucking loud!



I hadnât heard of Diet Cig until an email appeared in my inbox with a request to post some news about their new single, âTummy Acheâ. Â I was intrigued by their album artwork and the fact that the band is only a two piece. I canât remember the last time I listened to a song that was so infectious and really got under my skin.
The band describes the track as an âapproach to punk with radical softnessâ as well as âthe shout into my pillow when what Iâm saying isnât being heardâ. The contrast in those two descriptions was enough for me to hit play and I havenât looked back since. As a result of listening to this emotive track that tackles oppression and sexism, Iâve not been able to stop singing âitâs hard to be a punk while wearing a skirt,â for a week now.



There are always certain elements that will draw me towards a band and make me want to investigate them further. If the music is âin your faceâ, oozes with attitude and crowned with costumes or theatrics, then nine times out of ten that band will have my undivided attention. Add the word âTurbojugendâ to that list and Iâll drop everything, ten for ten, I’m all ears.
Iâve been a fairly âobsessiveâ fan of Bitch Queens for a number of years now and feel itâs only right that I share this dirty little secret with you all. Hailing from Basel in Switzerland, Bitch Queens have been greatly underestimated in my opinion. Only god knows why though as theyâve got a bloody impressive back catalogue to explore including several split releases with UK punks The Hip Priests, the most recent of which being a tribute EP to the late Lemmy Kilmister.
Bitch Queens play harder, faster and sexier than just about anyone else. One listen to their âKill Your Friendsâ album and before you know it, you too will be denim clad, glittery eyed and sneering ferociously at anyone that crosses your path.