Review / 200 Words Or Less
Sirhan Sirhan
Blood

Anodyne (2008) Tyler

Sirhan Sirhan – Blood cover artwork
Sirhan Sirhan – Blood — Anodyne, 2008

Sirhan Sirhan plays groovy hardcore punk with a bit of a noise rock bent and maybe even some of that vintage rock 'n' roll vibe from The Bronx's early work, but with a much heftier guitar sound and harsher vocals.

This album doesn't really have a whole lot in common with what would traditionally be considered hardcore except for being pissed off. But I can understand the Black Flag and Bad Brains comparisons because in keeping with the attitude of those bands, Sirhan Sirhan is scatter-brained, emotionally intense, and doesn't care who it pisses off or what other genres it hijacks.

Comprised of eleven short songs crammed into a half hour, Blood is a fast, old-school hardcore album when it wants to be (see "Decapitate/Disintegrate" and the title-track), but otherwise falls under the category of chunkier, mid-paced punk like Amen, with a slight metallic edge. While Sirhan Sirhan is kind of a summation of punk rock's nearly forty-year history, the band's originality lies in the eclecticism of the sub-genres referenced, and there's enough attitude and anger involved to make it believable.

7.8 / 10Tyler • August 26, 2009

Sirhan Sirhan – Blood cover artwork
Sirhan Sirhan – Blood — Anodyne, 2008

Recently-posted album reviews

Crystal Lake

The Weight Of Sound
Century Media (2025)

Formed in Tokyo in 2002, Crystal Lake have spent more than two decades shaping their own high-velocity hybrid of metalcore, hardcore, and atmospheric chaos. Few bands of their era survived the genre’s shifts with their identity intact, and even fewer survived a complete vocalist change. But instead of slowing down, Crystal Lake sharpened. Now fronted by John Robert Centorrino, the … Read more

Tired Radio

Hope In The Haze
Red Scare Industries (2025)

I knew of Tired Radio, but I didn't really know the band's work. When Red Scare announced they'd signed the band, I figured it was a good excuse to dive in -- and I'm glad I did. Hope in the Haze is the title of their Red Scare debut and that title kind of sums up their general vibe too. … Read more

The Resinators

Recorded In 2005 By Jay Reatard
Independent (2024)

Interesting little slab we got sent to SPB by a Mr. Ed Young. Two originals and a cover, recorded in Jay Reatard’s living room back in 2005 as the title suggests. So that would be around the time of The Reatards’ Not Fucked Enough for anyone keeping track. Jay had apparently just switched from analog to digital recording but it … Read more