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Jay's 2025 Top Ten
Top 10 punk releases of 2025 from VanisleJay...

FROM BELOW - The Deeds Of Monsters
This is a pretty cool release, It's got some arena crust vibes but not so polished that they forgot they were punks. It's fast, great riffs, hard drumming, cool tempo changes, not too much lead guitar, everything cuts through the mix and takes it's rightful place. The lyrics are anti imperial and don't pull any punches, two songs are in English, one in Portuguese. I like it. Members of CATHARSIS, POINT OF NO RETURN, and BELLAFEA and very cool cover art by Luciano Feijão. Check this out if you ...

OCIOSA - S/T 7"
I recently picked up this 7" at the EXTRAÑA HUMANA and EULOGY double release show. I don't remember hearing or seeing this band before but I've clearly been missing out. This is heavy d-beat that checks all the important boxes. Solid vocals, heavy guitars with just the right amount of soloing, a couple mid tempo parts to keep things interesting, plus it was all DIY recorded in a warehouse. There's also couple really good samples on here which is always a bonus for me. Listen here: https://ocios...

EXTRAÑA HUMANA - Bailando en la Oscuridad
EXTRAÑA HUMANA inhabits that sweet spot where they scratch a post punk itch but they are still solidly a punk band. Like there is a lot of delay and reverb, but no one has a fancy swoopy haircut and the hi-hat isn't the entire foundation of the drum beats. I'm saying this all in a positive tone cause this band is really solid and well worth a regular spot in the rotation. The recording is raw but everything is clear in the mix. Everyone fills their spot perfectly, a single guitar with lots of le...

RIGOROUS INSTITUTION - Tormentor
This record feels like listening to AMEBIX in an amphitheater. Everything is there, you can hear everything in the mix, it's tight, but the sound is somehow both stark and a crushing wall. It's dark as hell, plus bird samples will get a high rating from me every time. Listen to this loud on a dark winter night while the wind blows. Listen here: https://rigorous-institution.bandcamp.com/album/tormentor Tormentor, by Rigorous Institution7 track albumRigorous InstitutionRigorous Institution...

HELLSHOCK - XXV
OG Stenchies dropped this huge banger in September. As if they weren't already a goat lineup, they added Todd from TRAGEDY, solidifying their place in the arena stench cannon. No songs under 4 minutes, every song has epic guitar solos, the bass sounds huge, I can hear the drum skins screaming for mercy, everything on this record sounds huge and it works. Maybe I listen to too much raw d-beat but this record sounds incredibly polished and suits a band with a history of over 20 years well. They h...

MERC - Dehumanized
This is bass- and-drums modern powerviolence that stays on the rails while going way off them. When I first listened I was like, I probably would be put off by this band live. I'm not really into bands with just a bunch of angry dudes, but the art was cool, the lyrics were good, political, anti-cop, so I dug a little deeper. Before this project, a close friend of the band passed away, and it seems like this project is almost a grieving project. Men dealing with their emotions in a healthy way? (...
