***Amidst a seemingly endless onslaught of bands, labels, and other opportunistic clowns vying for commercial gain via subcultural cannibalism, it can be easy to lose sight of what drew us to punk in the first place. But despite the deluge of bullshit, we know that occasional nuggets of ugly and raw authenticity will claw their way to the surface for the hardcore punk faithful. And folks, we have just such a nugget in Deadly Struggle: 8 tracks of pummeling aural turbulence on a 12" slab for those who desire reality over cosplay. Building off the shockwaves of 2020’s Condemnation, Public Acid’s sound—a skewed, arty amalgamation of bludgeoning hardcore, frantic, riff- soaked d-beat, harsh noise, and underground metal—has only grown more focused and furious. There’s the virtuosic rhythm section, possessing an inhuman combination of lightness of touch and neanderthal power; the blinding, riffs-inside-of-riffs guitar style; the density of sound, massively heavy and pock-marked with kaleidoscopic fuzz; the maniacal vocals, inventive in both their technique and their rhythmic cadences; and, of course, the deadly mid-paced parts. Deadly Struggle reminds us that while hardcore punk will never die, those who cheapen it absolutely will. Recorded by Sasha Stroud at Artifact Audio in NYC and mastered by Arthur Rizk for maximum impact, each record comes in a screen printed jacket with cover art by Thomas Sara immersed in a hypnotic layout by Matt Martin, plus a large fold out poster designed by Tower Kevin.
12" $21.95
03/08/2024
***Woo-wee! PUBLIC ACID, folks—the undisputed pride of North Carolina! Or is it Virginia now? A bit of both perhaps?! Ah hell, is acknowledging geographic location really even relevant when it comes to top shelf hardcore punk? The dead fucks that made those borders and boundaries wouldn't know shit about riffs anyway. In the couple years since their self released 12" came into being, the band has gigged all over the country (back when that was an option) and expanded their catalog further via a flexi and some cassettes, garnering much deserved attention and adoration from those fortunate enough to be enlightened with those scenarios and/or physical formats. But that was the old world and what matters here and now is that the Condemnation EP is 6 urgent blasts of punk music that result in a sonic whirlwind that few others have previously concocted. In a genre that has become dominated by embarrassing posturing, this slab is a much welcomed breath of fresh air in an age of suffocating and uncertainty. Recorded and mastered at Artifact Audio in NYC by SASHA STROUD just before the shit hit the fan, each record comes in a folded sleeve both designed and screen printed by Public Acid and collaborator/comrade THOMAS SARA. 4th pressing limited to 400 copies.
7" $10.25
11/05/2021