Fangus
Emerald Dream
From The Urn Records (2026)
The needle drops, and there’s no introductory sweaty handshake. Fangus doesn’t care for niceties; they’re ready to get down to brass-knuckle business. With their debut full-length, Emerald Dream, the Montreal quintet has exhumed a sound that feels less like a tribute to the early '70s and more like a master tape found rotting in a damp basement behind a stack … Read more
Floating Boy
Perfect Place
Independent (2026)
Sarasota, Florida’s Floating Boy have been grinding for seven years, quietly shaping themselves into a band that lives and breathes the ethics of Fugazi (if you couldn’t tell by their track inspired name) and the emotional chaos of DIY punk. Their debut full-length, Perfect Place, is the culmination of that time. There are ten tracks of anxious, politically charged emo-punk/post-hardcore … Read more
Fuming Mouth
The Ringing Bell
Triple B (2026)
There are plenty of bands capable of writing crushing death metal. There are plenty of bands capable of writing punishing hardcore. Very few can occupy both worlds without sounding like they're simply alternating between genres. Fuming Mouth have spent years refining that balance, and The Ringing Bell feels like the moment where every piece of their identity locks together. Anyone … Read more
Hoaxed
Death Knocks
Relapse (2026)
There’s a fine line between dark rock that feels theatrical and dark rock that feels transportive. On Death Knocks, Hoaxed land firmly in the latter. This is an album that doesn’t just flirt with atmosphere but commits to it fully, wrapping heavy riffs, melodic hooks, and occult-tinged drama into something that feels natural and not staged. Three years in the … Read more
House Of All
Inklings
Tiny Global Productions (2026)
Six blokes who survived the Mark E. Smith sausage-squeezing meat grinder, plus a beautiful Blue Orchid for good measure. But if you’re turning up to Inklings expecting some pathetic karaoke penny on the eyes wake, you’re completely barking up the wrong great Deku tree. Not a tribute act. It’s a cash-in-hand inheritance from a filthy-rich uncle… let's call him Uncle … Read more
If I Die Today
I Felt Nothing
Independent (2026)
Sometimes post-hardcore stops feeling emotional and just becomes noise for the sake of noise. If I Die Today understands that line better than most bands operating in this space. Their newest albume, I Felt Nothing is undeniably aggressive, messy, loud, and volatile, but underneath all the abrasion is a band with a very clear sense of purpose. This Northern Italian … Read more
Ingested
Denigration
Metal Blade (2026)
For a band that built its name on sheer brutality, Ingested have spent the last several years refining what that brutality actually means. With their newest release, Denigration, the band finds that continuing evolution. They’re still punishing, still precise, but noticeably more controlled and deliberate in how it all lands. From the outset, the record makes its intentions clear. “Dragged … Read more
Jet Black Maps
6 Years Overnight
Independent (2026)
There’s a certain kind of melodic punk record that doesn’t try to prove anything. There’s no scene positioning, no trend chasing, no desperate grab for relevance. 6 Years Overnight, the debut EP from Binghamton, NY trio Jet Black Maps, lives comfortably in that space. It’s the sound of three musicians who have already done the work, already played the shows, … Read more
Joyce Manor
I Used To Go To This Bar
Epitaph (2026)
Surely by now, you’ve heard their name. Joyce Manor have been writing soundtracks for heartbreaks and hangovers for nearly two decades now. They create short songs with their hearts on their sleeves, while sticking to that distinct Southern California mix of self-deprecation and sincerity. From the lo-fi charm of their 2011 debut to Never Hungover Again’s cult-classic status and the … Read more
Jungle Rot
Cruel Face Of War
Unique Leader (2026)
Twelve albums and more than three decades into their career, Jungle Rot remains one of death metal's most reliable institutions. While countless bands have spent years chasing technical excess, progressive experimentation, or whatever trend happens to be dominating the underground now, the Kenosha veterans have remained committed to a simpler mission. Writing memorable riffs, locking into crushing grooves, and leaving … Read more
Kyle Burnett
Glory Days
Syrup Moose Records (2026)
There’s a form of folk punk that treats every song like a drunken campfire confession with all its ragged shouting and romanticized self-destruction. Then there’s the version that feels mature and more reflective. It’s less interested in glorifying collapse and more concerned with figuring out what comes after it. Kyle Burnett’s Glory Days firmly belongs to the latter category. Best … Read more
La Luz
Extra! Extra!
Sub Pop (2026)
Formed in 2012, La Luz built their reputation on hypnotic surf-noir, eerie harmonies, and a uniquely supernatural warmth that made them one of Sub Pop’s most consistently compelling bands. Their 2024 full-length News of the Universe marked a major artistic shift. The sound became lush, cosmic, dust-covered, and produced by Maryam Qudus, whose work helped push the band into its … Read more
Latchkey Kids
Years Of Summers
Pathetic Pinky Party (2026)
Growing up is rarely cinematic in real time but when you look back, it can feel mythic. On Year Of Summers, New Jersey’s Latchkey Kids frame heartbreak, identity, and grief through something closer to epic storytelling than simple emo confession. It’s a record that understands the drama of youth without romanticizing it. Frontman Hanny Ramadan positions the album as a … Read more
Lice (Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman)
Vol. 4: Miami Lice
Rhymesayers (2026)
This EP released kind of suddenly, back in March, right before a bunch of stuff hit the fan in my life outside of SPB. Which means the EP felt sudden, but this review has been stewing for nearly three months with a lot of repeat listening along the journey. At eight songs in length, it's short but sweet, and as … Read more
Mal Thursday Quintet
Mods & Gods
Chunk Archives Recordings, Teen Sound Records (2026)
Mods & Gods, the 2026 release from the Mal Thursday Quintet, is a full-throttle blast of Farfisa-driven energy and playful garage primitives. Mal Thursday has spent decades scraping the rust (which never sleeps) off the genre’s fuzz-soaked hemoglobin—nods to Sky Saxon, Roky Erickson, and Brian Jones are baked in. And yes, Mal has gotten around. Born in the thick of … Read more
Mariachi El Bronx
IV
ATO (2026)
As I review Mariachi El Bronx's latest album, IV I'm not going to pretend I'm well-versed in the deep cultural tradition that inspired The Bronx to adopt this project well outside of their fiery hardcore "main project." Instead, I'll grade it on "do I like it" merits. And I definitely dig the rhythmic and festival Latinx flavors. If you're familiar … Read more
Mauled
When Your Eyes Are Shut
Silverback Gorilla Records (2026)
Deathcore has spent the last decade mutating into increasingly technical, polished, and theatrical territory. Some bands chase symphonic grandeur. Others lean into hyper-technical brutality. The Indianapolis wrecking crew named Mauled take a different approach on When Your Eyes Are Shut. They drag the genre back toward the raw chaos of its early years. This six track EP feels deliberately rooted … Read more
Mental Gymnast
Mental Gymnast
Say-10 (2026)
Recipe: Mental Gymnast Self-Titled Creator: Mental Gymnast Cookbook: Say-10 Recipes Copyright: 2/27/26 Ingredients: 1 Very Ripe Adam Gecking on Vocals 1 Stick Unsalted Erica Clayton on Bass 2 Slices Scotty Sandwich (1 Slice Guitar, 1 Slice Drums) 1 Dash Chris Ruckus on Synths Directions: *Preheat the recording studio to 65 degrees. Add all of the ingredients together in “One Big … Read more
