Writing for punk zines that are on the smaller side is extremely rewarding and one of the things that help to keep my music writing in perspective. There is stuff that gets written about in these smaller outlets that will not even get a nod or a second glance elsewhere, which is just a god damned shame. Everyone wants to claim they support DIY and up-and-coming bands, but no one wants to do the digging required to find the diamonds of the underground.
Chris Wynne is one of those expert prospectors who is skilled in finding those glistening specks of genuine genius in hardcore and punk and I'm always happy to whip up a review for him when I can. Below is a collection of links from my coverage this past fall and winter for his magazine, InEffect. Check out all of his coverage here.
Kharma - Most Dangerous Game (Flatspot Records)
Chicago's Kharma is one of the few metallic hardcore bands out there speaking to, and adequately capturing, the ongoing racial segregation in one of America's largest and most wealthy cities. And they're doing it through the lens of Richard Connell's chilling short story
The Most Dangerous Game. Sooooo small confession, I'm an absolute nerd and such an easy lay for an adeptly applied literary reference. If hardcore bands end up incorporating more references to classic literature into their music in 2021 I may end up doing nothing but album reviews next year. We shall see...
check out the review here.
Power Trip - Live in Seattle 5-28-18 (self-released)
Power Trip was one of the greats of the modern era and I'm glad that I took every opportunity to see them that I could when they would come through Chicago. Their career was cut tragically short this year and I'm extremely thankful that I was able to cover their last album for InEffect. Rest in Power Riley. You were a king like no other....
read the review here.
Concrete - Free Us From Existence (Black Voodoo Records)
Albany hardcore band Concrete are one of those bands who will blast out the interior of your skull and crack it open from the inside like a boiled egg in the microwave. And that cover is just so heinous, I love it! Reminds me of something that Type O Negative would have commissioned back in the day. This a band who are really onto something...
read the review here.
