By Michael Thorn |

12.30.2025


Haram (Photo: Michael Thorn)

Here we go again! Where does the time go — it feels like I just cranked one of these lists out last week, but here we go again. As I grow older, balder, and rounder, I find myself seeking more and more solace in the sounds of my youth. More straightforward, faster, a little more melodic, but certainly soaked in a lot of angst.

Experimentation and things that sound like something the football team would enjoy drift to the wayside in favor of the more familiar and more esoteric. Maybe I’m thinking about this too much. Probably. Anyway, here are the best releases of the year, I don’t care what Carlos has to say about it…Yes, there are more than 10. 

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Ameretat — Ameretat LP

S/T by Ameretat

Moody, polyrhythmic, intense – a sweeping musical statement soaked in emotions derived from being members of the Iranian diaspora. It’s a massive, sprawling soundscape that never loses its ferociousness, with a lyrical bent focused on a litany of feelings spanning the full breadth of the human experience. Sung and spat in Persian, Avestan, Lori, Kurdish, and English. The words demonstrate both the commonalities and differences that define and connect us. Just stellar.

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Amusement — Holding On EP

Holding On EP by Amusement

Melodic and melancholic Portland punk leaning hard in Tim-era Replacement with a dash of Samiam. It’s a taut, somber yet joyful record that makes you feel a little like you are living between the frames of a John Hughes movie or the lines of an issue of Cometbus.

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Ayucaba — Operation Massacre LP

OPERACIÓN MASACRE by AYUCABA

Ripping hardcore punk in the mohawks up and studded jacket approach. Hailing from Barcelona, they take cues from the likes of early English Dogs and G-Zet to craft this ferocious brew of filthy and rampaging punk soaked in ripping guitar leads and rabid dog vocals.

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Béton Armé — Renaissance LP

Renaissance by Béton Armé

I’ve always maintained that if you are gonna do the melodic, anthemic Oi! thing and you want me to really like it, then you need to do it in French and have plenty of “Oooo’s” and “Woaaaahs” and that is certainly what you get here! Every song perfectly crafted melodic, danceable, sing-a-long despite my personal ability to speak French consists mostly of “excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais?” An absolutely perfect record by an outstanding band.

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Bombardment — Dans La Fournaise LP

Dans La Fournaise LP by BOMBARDEMENT

Another perfect statement crafted out of primordial goo of Discharge, paired with the bulldozer approach of Meanwhile but what really sets this apart is injection of sizzling, melodic Iron Maiden through a Chelsea (Death Side, Paint Box, etc.) and Burning Spirits-style melodic lead lines. Total ripper.

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Carnivorous Flower — Carnivorous Flower LP

Carnivorous Flower by Carnivorous Flower

What started out as a tribute to their departed friend and all time best punk rocker, Lance Hahn, has morphed into one of the best pop-punk bands going. Sure, it leans hard into the J Church/Cringer vibe but that’s the thing, “pop” punk used to be p-u-n-k and this is certainly that. Jangly, tuneful, goofy, and a bit sad all at the same time. It’s like jumping in a time machine back to the Bay Area before all the tech bros invade the mission and you could catch Jawbreaker playing with Neurosis on a Thursday at a women’s center.

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Catharsis — Hope Against Hope LP

Hope against Hope by Catharsis

Probably the most intense, focused, ferocious, melancholic yet hopeful records to come out this year — I’ve been perplexed as to why this hasn’t made a bigger splash with people. Musically complex, richly layered, providing a soundscape reflective of the lyrical content it reeks of near perfection.


Catharsis (Photo: Michael Thorn

Deeply considered, providing a dissection of power in the face of all our hopes and the vision of a better world, paired against the fear to actually take the first step. I once quipped that Catharsis is a band which perfects the musical vision of Amebix, Tragedy, and Integrity layered over the lyrical focus of Crass and this latest LP really drives that home.

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Cigarette Camp — Steps LP

Steps by Cigarette Camp

It doesn’t really get better than this —19 short blasts of catchy as fuck punk rock from the Dillinger Four meets early Lookout! Records school of thought. Its hella catchy, rippling with melody, snotty vocals spat out with venom without losing track of the melody. More more more of this please!

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Dark Thoughts — Highway to the End LP

Highway to the End LP by Dark Thoughts

Do you dream of a world were Ben Weasel didn’t turn into (more of) an asshole, the Ramones never broke up (or died!), and punk shows were filled with pogoing maniacs jumping up and down to slashing, quick blasts of nasally punk that is just sticky sweet? Never fear, Dark Thoughts are here for you!


Dark Thoughts (Photo: Michael Thorn)

Total perfection — now where is my George Tabb-approved leather jacket with the US pins on the lapel?

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Deadguy — Near-Death Travel Services LP

Near-Death Travel Services by Deadguy

Mean, ugly, twisted, and angry, this is what the Black Flag reunion should’ve sounded like; this is what Black Flag should’ve become. This record is perfect. Not too shabby for a bunch of old guys.

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Diaz Brothers — The World Is Yours LP

The World Is Yours by Diaz Brothers

More of that Midlands, anthemic as shit, UK punk stuff — big guitars, big riffs, big melodies and everything you’d expect from former members of HDQ and Angelic Upstarts. It leans hard into the world Dickie Hammond (Leatherface, HDQ, etc.) birthed while clearly standing on its own feet. A great follow up to their prior LP.

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Direct Order ‘82 — Demo CS

Demo by Direct Order ’82

1000mph hardcore punk in the classic sense — simple, straightforward, no bullshit, venomous thrash that leans hard into early Necros, Agnostic Front, etc.

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Disapperances — Harrowgate LP

Harrowgate by Disappearances

Heavy, throbbing blasts of sonic violence from the city of brotherly love. Monstrous slabs of guitar and jackhammer drums that just bludgeon your brain no matter the pace they’re coming at you. In some ways it’s a very ’90s-sounding record in how it leans into both ominous dissonance of Born Against while sucking up all the goodness we saw in the post Rorschach bands like Deadguy and Kiss It Goodbye. Utterly ferocious.

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Electric Chair/Physique — Split LP

Split (LUNGS-277) by ELECTRIC CHAIR / PHYSIQUE

I looooove Electric Chair — frenetic, ripping hardcore punk which drinks from the same well of influence that birthed H100s, Cider, etc., despite being from the other side of the country. Snot-soaked spatter vocals, careening thrashing riffs, plenty of hooks – just absolute perfection. On the flip, we have fellow Olympians Physique pummel us with five blasts of white-noise distort-o-rama punk brutality. Caustic, eardrum-shattering beauty.

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G.A.Z.E — G.A.Z.E. LP

S/t by G.A.Z.E

I think you’ll see this end up on a lot of lists despite it being a seemingly hard record to track down – do you like Paintbox? Do you like raging, d-beat-fueled hardcore with sweeping, hyper melodic guitar leads? Of course you do. Total perfection.

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GRAND SCHEME — EP

EP by Grand Scheme

Ripping primal hardcore in the vein of Straight Ahead and the Abused. It’s perfect.


Grand Scheme (Photo: Michael Thorn)

That’s it, the whole review. Just get it.

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Haram — ليش الجنة بيتبلش في الجهنم؟ (Why Does Paradise Begin in Hell) LP

ليش الجنة بيتبلش في الجهنم؟ Why Does Paradise Begin in Hell by Haram

What I like most about Haram’s latest release is how it feels like a cohesive artistic statement – an exploration of grief, rage, joy, culture, faith, and the paths towards understanding oneself and one’s place in the world. There is a musical and lyrical complexity and density here, along with the album’s packaging, which lays down a statement of purpose that demands your attention. Polyrhythmic percussion layered under swirling riffs that dance in a double harmonic scale before downshifting into more traditional punk riffing or Dead Kennedys-style dirges (particularly on the track “مسئولية من؟”) while vocalist Nader splatters vocals in Arabic, conveying a broad spectrum of emotions. To call Haram one of the most significant and interesting bands going would be an understatement, and this record stands as a testament to their importance.

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Home Front — Watch It Die LP

Watch It Die by Home Front

I recently told my brother that I’m just low-level angry all the time, but that rage is just a manifestation of pain, sadness, and disappointment. And so I find myself thinking, almost meditating on the lyrics to “Light Sleeper” on a daily basis – this somber, moody expression of the frustration for the current world and our place in it. But also, an expression of hope and joy and a reminder that we’re not alone. That’s this whole album, at least for me. New wavey like the later Blitz stuff for sure, but it’s denser, and more thought out, and frankly more interesting than Second Empire Justice could ever hope to be. Sure, it can be a dark record, but it’s also an infectious pop record filled with melancholic melodies and paeans to a life we deserve. Beautiful stuff.

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Illiterates — Does Not Compute LP

Does Not Compute by Illiterates

Yes, this sounds like Youth of Today but not the saccharine sanitized version of YOT which manifested itself in the late ’90s Youth Crew revival but the raw, vicious, snarling dog, rapid fire, bulldozer approach which led to Choke saying they ripped him off. Outstanding.

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Industry — Industry LP

S/T by Industry

On their sophomore release, we find Industry drinking from the same lurching, crawling anarcho punk well as on the first though, it feels a bit more mechanical in an early Killing Joke meets No Sanctuary-era Amebix. Dark, heavy, morose music reflective of a lyrical bent which is somber and angst soaked. Absolutely epic record.

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Loud Night/Taifun — Split EP

Loud Night / Taifun split 7″EP by phobiarecords

For their part, Richmond’s Loud Night serve up two ripping blasts of Mötöcharge punk metal madness — growled vocals, searing, sweeping guitar leads, and a pummeling drum onslaught. On the flip, we have Germans Taifun just shredding on their take on the Death Side formula — hammer down riffing, blood splatter vocals. Just absolutely killer.

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The Miller Lowlifes — Pinch Hitters LP

Pinch Hitters by MILLER LOWLIFES

I remain a sucker for really well done melodic, pop, whatever you wanna call it punk. I love catchy, sappy shit and I adore well structured hooks and melody lines and my god do I lose my mind for a great bridge — and this Florida band hits all those marks. It’s snarky, sardonic, syrupy and just so god damn good. I had to check the band roster to make sure this wasn’t Erik from Dillinger Four’s new side project because the vocalist here sounds so much like him but it’s not. A killer record.

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No Time — Comply Or Die EP

-109- NO TIME “Comply Or Die” 7″ (PRE-ORDER STARTS ON OCTOBER 24th!) by Mendeku Diskak

Decidedly left wing street punk and roll -—boot down the door, fuck the cops jams with a jangly guitar take on the Slade (skinhead era) meets Cockney Rejects war-in-the-terraces approach backing up gravelly molasses thick vocals. Fucking great.

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Radioactivity — Time Won’t Bring Me Down LP

Time Won’t Bring Me Down by Radioactivity

This record is perfect. I often wonder what it would be like to be able to write flawless melancholic pop songs one after the other like Jeff Burke seems to have as his superpower.


Radioactivity (Photo: Michael Thorn)

Not a turd to be found here just shimmering albeit at times despondent sounding pop perfection.

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REDS — The Truth of Impermanence LP

The Truth of Impermanence by REDS

Discordant, emotive, and intense punk in the manner of bands like Current, Chino Horde, etc., where they’ve taken the ideas from the Dischord Revolution Summer bands (Ignition, Embrace, etc.) and molded them into something that is uniquely their own. A lot my early musical education was built on this vibe so this really resonates with me for sure!

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Smash Your Face — Sayonara Smash Your Face LP

SAYONARA SMASH YOUR FACE by SMASH YOUR FACE

Maniacal twists and turns, relentless pace and energy, sidesteps into electro noise and cacophonic mayhem come crashing down in straight-forward blasts of classic Lip Cream-style speed and precision, devolving into Chuck Berry soaked in acid total riff insanity! Just a bizarre and absolutely perfect record that challenges just what hardcore, punk, rock, music, etc is and can be without losing a minute of punch.

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STRUL — Fuck Strul LP

Fuck Strul by STRUL

Rampaging and filthy d-beat-fueled hardcore that is just go-go-go! It reminds me a bit of the approach to this style by bands like Larma with their focus on relentless pacing and energy though there is a cool twist with their insertion of big rock ‘n’ roll style guitar riffs on some of the slower tracks.

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Svaveldioxid — Misär O.D. LP

Svaveldioxid – Misär O.D. by phobiarecords

Thick slabs of steamroller, crust as fuck, d-takt powered Swedish hardcore. Think early Skit System or Disfear — rabid dog vocals, molasses-thick guitar tones, and a relentless drum attack. Brilliant stuff.

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Unidad Ideológica — Choque Asimétrico LP

Choque Asimétrico by Unidad Ideológica

100% pure adrenaline – just relentless pacing and energy from the moment it starts until the last bit of the amplifiers ring in your ears. Even the slowed down bits serve to just intensify the feeling of speed . A refined and fleshed out take on the ideas on that infamous Koro EP, perhaps? Just mind-meltingly good.

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Who Pays — Hard Times EP

Hard Times by Who Pays

Riffy and powerful NYHC in the classic Abused meets The Mob meets Urban Waste.


Who Pays (Photo: Michael Thorn)

Thick, strutting, and quick paced with memorable riffs and plenty of swagger. 

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Tagged: ameretat, amusement, ayucaba, beton arme, bombardment, carnivorous flower, catharsis, cigarette camp, dark thoughts, deadguy, diaz brothers, direct order ’82, disappearances, electric chair, g.a.z.e., grand scheme, haram, home front, illlterates, industry, loud night, no time, physique, radioactivity, reds, smash your face, strul, svaveldioxid, taifun, the miller lowlifes, unidad idealogica, who decides

About the Author

Michael Thorn

Based in the punk music hotbed of Richmond, VA, Michael Thorn is a photographer who is behind Razorblades & Aspirin, a full color zine packed with interviews, photos, and reviews. See more of his photography work on Instagram.