Melbourne's Crush The Demoniac dropped a banger of a new song in 2021, backing up their awesome 7inch from last year.

All photos featured are by the very talented Nicole Goodwin 

 

Welcome to our annual end of year wrap up, as we celebrate and dissect 2021, the year that was in terms of music releases. Again for most of the country live music and touring ground to a halt, but there was no shortage of quality releases being pumped out to keep everyone entertained. Australia had a plethora of EPs released in 2021, while the rest of the world was on an opposite trip with a ton of quality LPs released and a shortage of EPs.

This year also sees a return of our vox pop interviews with a bunch of other people on what impressed them in 2021. Some clear cut choices and a lot of similarities on what was everyone's fave releases this year. Thanks again to everyone who participated and helped organise.

Below is what a list of what impressed in 2021. You may or may not agree with the selections, but by all means do yourself a favour and click play on anything you've never heard before. Variety is the spice of life and you might just find your new favourite band while you're at it... 

 

Top 12 Australian EP Releases

1. LATEST GOD - Selftitled (Shortfuse / Life Lair Regret)

2.  THIS IS AUSTRALIA Vol. 2 (Bloke / Last Ride)

3. RORT MENACE - Turea (Self Released)

4. AWOL - Selftitled (Last Ride)

5. HUMAN ERROR - Your Faith In Ashes (Life Lair Regret)

6. VESTIGES - Hiding / Dull (Team Glasses)

7. THE CHAIN - Selftitled (Last Ride)

8. WORLD OF JOY - Selftitled (Life Lair Regret)

9. NO PEACE - Promo 2021 (Safe Inside)

10. TUNNEL VISION - Shame Spiral (Life Lair Regret)

 

Top 10 Australian LP Releases

1. CHINESE BURNS UNIT - Borrowed Gear (Vinyl Kooperative)

2. FEVER SHACK - Self Titled (Set The Fire)

 3. AMENDS - Tales of Love, Loss and Outlaws (Resist)4. RADIO REJECTS - Too Punk For Heaven, Not Punk Enough For Hell (Endless Detention)

 5. MUMBLER – Self Titled (Self Released)

 6. LO JETZ – Self Titled (Self Released)

 7. BURN IN HELL - Disavow Of The Creater God (Reason And Rage)

 8. FAKE NEWS – Everyday Warrior (Self Released)

 9. HARD ONS – I'm Sorry Sir, That Riff Is Taken (Cheer Squad)

 10. DARK HORSE – Trauma Taught Self Destruct (Grindhead) 

 

Top 5 Australian Demos

1. HEAT – Demo 2021 (Self Released)

2. EXPRESS – Demo 2021 (Last Ride)

 3. BLINDSIDE - Demo 2021 (Best Wishes) 

4. J.O.Y (Joke's On You) - Demo 21 (Self Released)

5. BUST - Demo (Self Released)

 

Top 10 International Hardcore Albums

1. TURNSTILE - Glow On (Roadrunner)

2. EKULU – Unscrew My Head (Cash Only Records)

3. ONE STEP CLOSER – This Place You Know (Run For Cover)

4. SPRING TIDE – Collection (Blind Rage)

5. FIDDLEHEAD – Between The Richness (Run For Cover)

6. DEAD HEAT – World At War (Triple B)

7. METHOD OF DOUBT – Staring At Patterns (IOU)

8. CHUBBY AND THE GANG – The Mutt’s Nuts (Partisan Records)

9. DARE – Against All Odds (Revelation Records)

10. ENFORCED – Kill Grid (Century Media)

 

Top 12 International EPs

1. BIG CHEESE – Anymore For Anymore? (Quality Control)

2. TUNING – A Beacon In Impossible Seas (Indecision)

3. MILITARIE GUN - All Roads Lead To The Gun I & II (Convulse)

4. STEEL BEARING HAND - Slay In Hell (Tomb Spawn)

5. KOYO – Drives Out East (Triple B)

6. DRUG CHURCH – Tawny (Run For Cover)

7. SOUL BLIND - Third Chain (Other Peoples Records)

8. NEAR DARK – Silver Lining (Patient Zero)

9. BUGGIN - Brainfreeze (Flatspot)

10. REST EASY – Sick Day (Mutant League)

 

Top 10 International Non-Hardcore Releases

1. FACE TO FACE – No Way But Through (Fat Wreck)

2. QUICKSAND – Distant Populations (Epitaph)

3. TIGER’S JAW - I Won't Care How You Remember Me (Hopeless)

4. DESCENDENTS - 9th And Walnut (Epitaph)

5. NAKED RAYGUN – Over The Overlords (Wax Trax) 

6. DINOSAUR JR – Sweep It Into Space (Fat Possum)

7. SHIP THIEVES – Irruption (Chunksaah)

8. FORMER MEMBER – Manageable Scratches (Memory Music)

9. TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET – Sick Sesh (Fat Wreck)

10. DUCHAMP – Slingshot Anthems (End Hits Records)

Enough of what we thought of 2021, here's what hyped up everyone else's 2021...

 

Mark Beaven – RAGE, For Always

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Quicksand - Distant Populations
Sweet Soul - So Far No Further
Tyler the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost
Teenage Wrist - Earth Is A Black Hole
Citizen - Life In Your Glass World

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Koyo - Drives Out East
Drug Church - Tawny
Militarie Gun - All Roads Lead To The Gun
Kenny Hoopla - Survivors Guilt
Hot Mulligan - I Won’t Reach Out To You

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Genesis Owusu - Smiling with no Teeth
Chasing Ghosts - Homelands EP
Latest God - Self titled 7’
Amends - Tales of love , Loss & Outlaws
The Kid LAROI - F*ck Love 3:Over You

4. Top 3 demos
Heart Throb - Demo ‘21 & Demo II
Bust - Demo 2021
Jade Dust - Demo 2021

5. Highlight of 2021
Spending time with my family.
Genesis Owusu @ Oxford Art Factory, he is an unbelievable performer.
Rage show @ Unite, Brisbane, everything about this show was amazing, packed room with people from all walks of life, no egos, no bullshit, nothing but good vibes. Reminded me of being a teenager and why I got into punk in the first place.

6. Disappointment of 2021
Like everyone else more lockdowns, more cancelled shows/plans.
AFI’s new album, and honestly I have loved everything they have done from start to finish until this album so it’s a touchy subject. 

7. Predictions for 2022
Hopefully some normality.
Pennywise to come back to Australia for their yearly tour that’s been very missed due to covid.
Travel.
Release new music with Rage and For Always.

 

Cam Gillard – Apparitions, To The North

1.Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Fiddlehead – Between the Richness
Portrayal of Guilt – We are always alone
Ovlov – Ovlov
Deafheaven – Infinite Granite
Zao – The Crimson Corridor

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Drug Church – Tawny
Pretty/ Normal – Pretty Normal
Hazing Over – Pestilence
Meat Wave – Volcano Park
Militarie Gun – All roads lead to the gun

3. Top 5 AU Releases
We Set Sail – Ritual and Ceremony
Lumens – Sophistry
Half/Cut – Salt an Atlas
Chassm – Falling Forever
Vestiges – Hiding/Dull

4. Top 3 demos
Not really demos, but hey these are all still great.
Latest God – Latest God
Tumour – North Western Death
Hugs – Palpate

5. Highlight of 2021
Sneaking in a holiday to W.A before they shut the borders and playing a couple of shows.

6. Disappointment of 2021
The passing of Gared O’Donnell
Not making it to Fest or Furnace fest

7. Predictions for 2022
Fugazi will reunite and kill covid 19 with their performance

 

Tom Sweetman – The Chain

1.Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
The Chisel - Retaliation
Chubby and the Gang - The Mutt’s Nuts
Fiddlehead - Between the Richness
Turnstile - Glow On
Ekulu - Unscrew My Head

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Militarie Gun - All Roads Lead To The Gun
Big Cheese - Anymore For Anymore?
Get With This - Peggy Sue
Clear Acid - Manic Spring
Stingray - Feeding Time

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Nerve Damage - Society Made Me Sick
No Future - Delirious Void
Toy - QP9
Execution - Slowly It Grows
Low Life - From Squats to Lots: The Agony & XTC of Low Life

4. Top 3 Demos
Gaoled - Bestial Hardcore Demo
Semtex 87 - C.I.B. Demo
Kero - Four Track Demo

5. Highlights of 2021
We finally released our latest 7” after sitting on it for about a year thanks to Covid

6. Disappointments of 2021
The constant state of limbo where tours and shows were concerned in relation to lockdowns and restrictions

7. Predictions
Shows and tours back! Hopefully some international bands make it over.
Either that or the perpetual groundhog day continues, who knows ha-ha.

 

Matt Brander – Radio Rejects

1. Top 5 LP's 2021
Left Alone
The Copyrights
Pep Talk
Zoanoids
Teenage Bottlerocket

2. Top 5 EP/7's 2021
Judo Chop
Latest God
Blind Faith
Horror Section
Betrayed - Suffering which is not new but I just acquired it so I'm so stoked! Ha-ha

3. Top 5 Aus Releases
All Hope Remains
Fake News
The Dropouts
Fever Shack
The Hard-Ons

4. Highlight of 2021
Seeing everyone rally together with heaps of fundraising/capped shows to keep most of the venues open and now that restrictions have eased we all have places to still play at. Tops work to everyone involved!

5. Disappointment of 2021
With all the negativity in the world right now I really don't want to rip on anything and keep things positive, so I just want to give a massive shout out to Jesse Conte for being in every Adelaide HC band and doing everything humanly possible to keep the stoke in the air for Oz HC and just being an all-round legend!

6. Predictions for 2022
As With Honor are back to business, will be looking forward to those new tunes hopefully. 2020 had so many good HC releases that I think this year was a bit slow so I'm predicting plenty of incredible tunes to come out next year as having this year not touring and to work on them.

 

Danny & Jacob - Fever Shack

1. Top 5 LPs
Turnstile – Glow On
Dead Heat – World at War
Dare – Against All Odds
Angel Du$t – YAK: A Collection of Truck Songs
Fiddlehead – Between the Riches

2. Top 5 Eps
Knocked Loose – A Tear in the Fabric of Life
Drug Church – Tawny
Guilt trip - Rain City
Gulch/Sunami split

3. Top 5 AUS Releases
No Peace – Promo 2021
World of Joy – Self Titled 7”
Tunnel Vision – Shame Spiral
Crosscheck – Overtime
Entrapment – The Trap Is Set

4. Top 3 Demos
Heat – Demo 2021
Limits - Demo 2021

5. Highlight of 2021
Getting out lockdown 6.0 and playing the Fever Shack Album Launch

6. Disappointment of 2021
A lot of 21 was disappointing. We lost a good handful of shows so probably that.

7. Predictions for 2022
Another LP for late next year?...who knows.

Tegan Travers - Team Glasses Records / At the Drive Pin

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Movements - No Good Left To Give
One Step Closer - This Place You Know
Turnstile - GLOW ON
Citizen - Life In Your Glass World
Bearings - Hello, It’s You (Deluxe Edition)

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
No Pressure - No Pressure
Movements - No Good Left To Give (B-Sides)
Turnstile - TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Vestiges - Hiding/Dull
Regionals - Teenage Seance (Re-release)
Salt Money - First Breath
Apparitions - Capacity
Bitter Lakes - EP

4. Top 3 demos
Hugs - Palpate
Infinite Christmas - Demo

5. Highlight of 2021
Signing new bands to the label. Big things to come from Team Glasses Records bands next year! Look out for new Lowe, Hawak, The Cutaways, Adore, Entrapment, Idle Threat, Gil Cerrone etc etc!!!

6. Disappointment of 2021
My festival FROM THE FLOOR UP was postponed due to COVID. But the silver lining is it’s rescheduled for Jan 8th 2022 at The Triffid and the line up is bigger and better than before.

7. Predictions for 2022
Totally Unicorn will kick everyone’s butt with their new album!

 

Rob Simmonds - Bitter Loss Records

In No Particular Order

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Frozen Soul – Crypt of Ice
Jarhead Fertilizer – Product of my Environment
Memoriam – To The End
Conjureth – Majestic Dissolve
Gravesend – Methods of Human Disposal

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Fossilization – He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten
Vacuous - Katabasis
Gosudar – Morbid Despotic Ritual
Ashen – Godless Oath
Witch Vomit – Abhorrent Rapture

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Crypt Crawler – Future Usurper
Extinct Exist – Anthropocene
EOS – The Great Ascension
Beanflipper – Total Dysfunctional Collapse (Reissue)
Burial Pit – Subhuman Scum

4. Top 3 demos
Sufferance – For the Madness Beyond
Cerebral Erosion – Demo
Bone Marrow – Geminus 21

5. Highlight of 2021
Personal highlight was the first release for the label “Within Death” by The Plague from Sydney and the other 9 that were released in 2021. Was a big first year and we are hoping for a bigger 2022.

6. Disappointment of 2021
Cancellation of shows and touring, especially for bands being unable to launch their albums etc. Vinyl Production delays also did no one any favours.

7. Predictions for 2022
Australian Metal hitting the world stage with a bang! Some huge releases coming in 2022 for a host of homegrown labels and bands
Hopefully some continuity for touring bands
Parasitic Equilibrium to release 4 albums in the calendar year

 

Luke Dolan – Latest God

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Turnstile “Glow On”
Fiddlehead “Between The Richness”
Descendents “9th & Walnut”
Slant “S/T”
Chubby & The Gang “The Mutt’s Nuts”

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Buggin’ “Brainfreeze”
Chain Whip “Two Step To Hell”
Detoxi “In Laughter”
Jade Dust “Six Song EP”
Son Of Noise “The Resurrection”

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Rort Menace “Turea” 7”
Blind Faith “Ignorance Plague In The Information Age” 7”
V/A- “This Is Australia Vol. 2” 7”
Nerve Damage “Society Made Me Sick” 7”
Def Wish Cast “New Day” 7”

4. Top 3 demos
Bust
J.O.Y.
Glitter Strip

5. Highlight of 2021
Reconnecting & collaborating with Scott Dougall from my all time favourite Aus HC band Minute Minder to form Latest God. Writing, recording & releasing the EP in conjunction with our old Short Fuse Records alumni Clint Chapman along with the new blood of the Life.Lair.Regret power trio.

6. Disappointment of 2021
The proposed first Latest God show being COVID cancelled a few days beforehand, that fucking sucked.

7. Predictions for 2022
Hopefully a follow up Latest God release and even play a show here and there.

 

Here's a photo of Boundless shot by Nicole...

Nicole Goodwin – Life Lair Regret Records

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS) In no particular order…
Fiddlehead - Between the Richness (run for cover)
Chubby and The Gang - The Mutt’s Nuts (Partisan)
Method of Doubt - Staring at Patterns (IOU)
Tigers Jaw - I won’t Care How You Remember Me (Hopeless)
Ekulu - Unscrew my head (cash only)
Special mentions: Adele – 30, One Step Closer - This Place You Know (Run for cover)

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Big Cheese - Anymore For Anymore?
Koyo - Drives Out East
Slow Fire Pistol - Live in Atlanta
Restraining Order/Warfare split
Can’t think of a 5th at the moment - too many good LPs, didn’t listen to as many EPs!

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Hacker - Pick a Pick
The Chain - The Chain
Blind faith - ignorance Plague in the Information Age
Latest God - S/T
Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort to Me
Also: Jalang - Santau

4. Top 3 demos
Jokes On You - Demo 21’
Bust - Demo 2021
They’re the only 2 demos I’ve listened to this year haha 


5. Highlight of 2021
Starting 2021 with no lockdowns (initially haha)
Seeing Hacker, Swab and Jalang play live (the only show I’ve been to this year currently but will go to a couple later in December) –
Coming out of months long lockdown in October

6. Disappointment of 2021
Going back into lockdown for months on end and having to teach remotely again for a second year in a row. 


7. Predictions for 2022
Hardcore shows to come back in full force
Michael and I will finally have a wedding
Hopefully no more lockdowns

 

Josiah - The Meat

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Slant - 1집
Goodbye World - At Death’s Door
Drill Sergeant - Vile Ebb
Bootlicker - Bootlicker

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Strong Boys - Homo
Gel - Violent Closure
Electric Chair - Social Capital
Spy - Habitual Offender
Tørsö - Home Wrecked

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Toy - QP9
The Chain - The Chain
Nerve Damage - Society Made Me Sick
World of Joy - World of Joy
Jalang - Santau

4. Top 3 demos
Bust
Skirmisher
Fatal Wound

5. Highlight of 2021
Histamine/Rage tour - a great and wild energy during one of the few Covid-19 respites.

6. Disappointment of 2021
Reduced output across the globe due to obvious limitations.

7. Predictions for 2022
The proliferation of basketball shorts mosh and somehow, still more d-beat.

 

Jesse Conte – No Peace, Human Error, All In

Top 5 LPs:
1. Terror - Trapped In A World (USA)
2. Time And Pressure - Halfway Down (USA)
3. Chemical Fix - Our Shade Casts Far (USA)
4. Fever Shack - self titled (AUS)
5. Headcount - Stolen Time (USA)

Top 5 EP/7"s
1. Fading Signal - Long Ago and Far Away (USA)
2. No Other Way - Earth Day (USA)
3. Worth It - Conviction (SPAIN)
4. Raw Brigade - Hardcore Latino
5. Blind Faith - Ignorance Plague In The Information Age (AUS)

Top 5 AU releases
1. Fever Shack
2. World Of Joy - self titled
3. Blind Faith - Ignorance Plague In The Information Age
4. Gravitate - Demo
5. This Is Australia vol 2

Top 3 demos
1. Gravitate
2. Heat
3. Collapse

Highlight of 2021:
My partner telling me she's pregnant, organising and playing Hurricane Fest, finished recording the No Peace full length!

Disappointment of 2021:
Seeing so many tours and shows fall through. And of course the entire state of the fucking world.

Predictions for 2022:
Humanity continues it's slow crawl to extinction.

 

Adam McArthur – Vestiges, Team Glasses

1. Top 5 LP/12'S (OS)
1. Hawak “nước”
2. One Step Closer “This Place You Know”
3. Armand Hammer “Haram”
4. MIKE “Disco”
5. Westside Gunn “Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B”

2. Top 5 EP's/7's (OS)
1. The Alchemist “This Thing of Ours”
2. Spy “Habitual Offender”
3. Modern Life is War “Tribulation Work Songs, Vol 3”
4. Militarie Gun “All Roads Lead to the Gun” (I & II)
5. No Pressure S/T

3. Top 5 AU Releases
1. Hugo Costin “If You Leave”
2. Diploid “I Am Yours. And I Am Here Again”
3. Salt Money “First Breath”
4. Hanoi Traffic “Kids With No Style”
5. World of Joy “S/T”

4. Top 3 demos
1. Hugs
2. Bust
3. Infinite Christmas (was originally released in ‘19 but our tape release of this gave it another thousand spins)

5. Highlight of 2021
Working with so many fantastic people this year whether on recordings or live shows. Our label family has grown a lot in 2021, we have so many releases in the works it’s a little bit insane.

6. Disappointment of 2021
After having so many fantastic shows at Common House in Brisbane, their landlord now unfortunately doesn’t want to host hardcore punk shows any longer. The From the Floor Up Festival which has been postponed twice. We contemplated giving up a bunch of times. I’m glad that we pushed through.

7. Predictions for 2022
Hanoi Traffic releasing their next record and taking over Australia.

 

Toby Mitchell – Entrapment

1. Top 5 LP/12'S (OS)
1. Spy “Habitual Offender”
2. Fiddlehead ‘Between the Richness”
3. Chubby and the Gang “The Mutt’s Nuts”
4. Dare “Against All Odds”
5. Turnstile “Glow On”

2. Top 5 EP's/7's (OS)
1. Big Cheese “Anymore for Anymore?”
2. Koyo “Drives Out East”
3. Colossus
4. Sunami / Gulch split
5. The Chisel “Enough Said”

3. Top 5 AU Releases
1. TOY “QP9”
2. World of Joy “S/T”
3. Vestiges “Hiding / Dull”
4. Fever Shack “S/T”
5. Latest God “S/T”

4. Top 3 demos
1. Buckled
2. Blindside
3. Bust

5. Highlight of 2021
Tbunna tribute show
ALL IN 5 Year Anniversary Show
The quality and quantity of Australian HC releases

6. Disappointment of 2021
Show cancellations

7. Predictions for 2022
A new golden age

 

Simon Walker – Sour Grapes Zine

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Turnstile - Glow On
We are the union - Ordinary Life
Teenage Wrist - Earth is a black Hole
Tigers Jaw - I won’t care how you remember me
Dead Heat- World At War

*Honourable Mentions: Gods Hate - self titled, Ekulu - Unscrew My Head, Chemical Fix - Our Shade Casts Far, Deviates - Holding Out, Fiddlehead - Between The Richness, The Bronx - VI, Steel Nation - The Big Sleep

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Militarie Gun - All Roads Lead to the Gun
Final Gasp - Haunting Whisper
Rest Easy - Sick Day EP
Stand Still - A Practice In Patience
Big Cheese - Anymore for Anymore?

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Latest God 7”
Toy - QP9
Chinese Burns Unit - Borrowed Gear
Blind Faith - Ignorance Plague In The Information Age
Tunnel Vision - Shame Spiral

4. Top 3 demos
Heat - Demo 2021
Shock Tactics - Promo
Oxygen Tank - Demo 2021


5. Highlight of 2021
My son finishing his first year of school, Turning 40 and being able to surf all year round. Oh and definitely Glow On!

6. Disappointment of 2021
Multiple lockdowns with Covid 2.0 limiting interactions with friends and family


7. Predictions for 2022
Shows will be back, international tours will be back! Essendon Bombers will win a final!

 

Tom Maddocks - Last Ride Records, Ill Natured, Downside, Mauler

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Ekulu - Unscrew My Head
Fiddlehead - Between The Richness
Method Of Doubt - Staring At Patterns
Slant - 1집
Turnstile - Glow On

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
All Under Heaven - Collider
Big Cheese - Anymore For Anymore?
Drug Church - Tawny
Restraining Order/Warfare - Split
Soul Blind - Third Chain

3. Top 5 AU Releases
AWOL - AWOL
The Chain - The Chain
Nerve Damage - Society Made Me Sick
Total Defeat - Dreg
Toy - QP9

4. Top 3 demos
Gaoled - Bestial Hardcore Demo
Fate - Demo '21
Semtex 87 - C.I.B Demo
Glitter Strip - Demo 2021
Express - Demo 2021

5. Highlight of 2021
Working on some new music. Lots of new bands starting to surface and existing bands releasing some great records. Milk crate challenge.

6. Disappointment of 2021
Another year of sitting inside and having to cancel most plans, probably an obvious one.

7. Predictions for 2022
Speed are going to dominate worldwide. Biggest year yet for Last Ride. Australian hardcore in general to hopefully keep rising up and it’s an eventful year for everyone.

 

Issac Downs – Hanoi Traffic

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Black Midi - Cavalcade
Portrayal of Guilt - Christfucker
Sugar Horse - The Live Long After
Parannoul - To See the Next Part of the Dream
fromjoy - it lingers

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Hazing Over - Pestilence
For Your Health - In Spite Of
Clown Core - Van
Soul Glo - DN Vol.1
SeeYouSpaceCowboy/If I Die First - A Sure Disaster

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Spear of Schlonginus - S/T
Salt Money - First Breath
Diploid - I Am Yours. And I Am Here Again
Lumens - Sophistry
Vestiges - Hiding/Dull

4. Top 3 demos
Podgy - Hospitality/Hostility
Hugs - Palpate
Infinite Christmas - Demo

5. Highlight of 2021
hanoi traffic: kids with no style ep release show w/ Salt Money, Lexi Quinn, and Gallery of Violence

6. Disappointment of 2021
From The Floor Up being postponed due to covid, had a hectic 3 gig weekend planned which all got canned or postponed :((

7. Predictions for 2022
Hopefully, lots more gigs in lots of different places with bands we love. Currently manifesting a bluetile lounge reunion. We also have a huge backlog of music so I PREDICT we will release some of that ;)

 

Al Gakuru - Glitter Strip

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality
Portrayal of Guilt - Christfucker
Dying Wish - Fragments Of A Bitter Memory
Better Off - Better Off
Isaiah Rashad - The House Is Burning

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Fuming Mouth - They Take What They Please
Ama Lou - At Least We Have This
Robb Bank$ - Few Pillz
Knocked Loose - A Tear In The Fabric Of Life
Spy - Habitual Offender

3. Top 5 AU Releases
World Of Joy - Self Titled
Deathbed/Knuckledragger - The Split
Nerve Damage - Society Made Me Sick
‘95 Reunion - You Didn’t Mind
Melaleuca - Lie To Me / Impossible Girl

4. Top 3 demos
Glitter Strip - Demo
MUD - Demo (coming soon)
Knuckledragger - Demonstration

5. Highlight of 2021
Return of shows
A lot of new bands releasing HARD music

6. Disappointment of 2021
Bloom Parade
The potential release shows and tours that we’re delayed / canceled

7. Predictions for 2022
Live music makes its strongest comeback yet
I move to Perth to play drums in Confession once every 3 years.

 

Tully Mansfield – Histamine

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Dazy - MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD
Candy Apple - Sweet Dreams Of Violence
Turnstile - Glow On
Altered Dead - Returned To Life
Chubby and the Gang - The Mutt’s Nuts

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Drug Church - Tawny
Kontaminate - Blood Hunger
Negative Blast - Demo 02
Toy - QP9
The Chain - S/T

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Toy - QP9
The Chain - S/T
Mundo Primitivo - Paisaje Interior
This Is Australia: Volume 2
Speed - We See U (I know this is on the comp above, but I’m specifically referring to the film clip here)

4. Top 3 demos
I kinda rolled these in above

5. Highlight of 2021
Somehow managing to play a few shows, including a couple of ragers in Brisbane, and a belated launch show for our 7” in Sydney.

6. Disappointment of 2021
Look, not to be controversial but this ongoing pandemic kinda sucks. NFTs existing also sucks.

7. Predictions for 2022
Australian hardcore continuing to kill it. Also I heard Maddo is gonna book a Last Ride Records fest in Sydney.

 

Scott Mclatchie - The World At A Glance, VVARP, Alloxylon

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Glassing – Twin Dream
Godspeed You Black Emperor – G_d’s Pee AT STATES END!
Between The Buried and Me – Colours II
Injury Reserve – By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Altarage – Succumb

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Havukruunu – Kuu Erklän Yllä
Trhä – Lhum Jolhduc
Serpent Column - Katartisis
Milatarie Gun – All Roads Lead To The Gun
Issolei - Devouring Current pt1 & 2

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Hope Drone - Husk
Too Birds – Melbourne 2
Racoon City – For Nobody, Nowhere
Hanoi Traffic – Kids with no Style
Class Traitor - Calving

4. Top 3 demos
Vestiges – Hiding/Dull
Horn of The Dust – S/T
Salt Money – First Breath

5. Highlight of 2021
Suffocate For Fucks Sake – Fyra
Gospel – Single release of SRO

6. Disappointment of 2021
I wasn’t really disappointed by any albums but honestly If I was I don’t remember the album. I was disappointed by Jacob Bannon’s vocals on the collaboration between converge, Chelsea Wolfe and Cave In, an otherwise amazing album that is sullied by Jacob’s subpar vocal delivery.

7. Predictions for 2022
Blind Girls Full Length
Gospel Full Length
Not my prediction but I agree that Chelsea Wolfe could possibly do a collab with Neurosis
More gigs outside of major cities

 

Tom McEwan – Idle Threat

1. Top 5 LP/12’S (OS)
Every Time I Die – Radical
Taylor Swift – Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version)
Ekulu – Unscrew My Head
Fiddlehead – Between The Richness
Citizen – Life In Your Glass World

2. Top 5 EP’s/7”s (OS)
Nerve Damage – Society Made Me Sick
VA – This Is Australia Vol 2
C.O.F.F.I.N. / Mini Skirt – Split
High Command – Everlasting Torment
Pain Of Truth / Age Of Apocalypse – Split

Chose to ignore the overseas aspect of this

3. Top 5 AU Releases
Luca Brasi – Everything is Tenuous
Portal – Avow and Hagbullbia
Jess Locke – Don’t Ask Yourself Why
Amyl and The Sniffers – Comfort To Me
Civic – Future Forecast

4. Top 3 demos
J.O.Y.
Unfortunately didn’t pick up any demos at all this last year.

5. Highlight of 2021
My son being born.

6. Disappointment of 2021
In a year of so many disappointments, the top two are lack of stage dives and the leaking roof in our apartment dragging on for way too long.

7. Predictions for 2022
The return of stage dives, vinyl delays resulting in more releases being tapes and/or CDs and discovering more new and old amazing bands and records.