Underground Zine & Print Archive

"This band takes the rhythmic aggression of Minor Threat, adds the syncopated dynamics of Rites of Spring, and produces something utterly hypnotic and powerful. Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto's dual guitars create an extraordinary sonic architecture."

"Fugazi's first full-length proves that DIY ethics and massive, stadium-sized anthems can coexist without compromise. "Turnover" and "Merchandise" are instant classics that elevate underground post-hardcore to unprecedented heights."

"The definitive statement of East Coast hardcore. Driven by unmatched speed, moral conviction, and relentless drums from Jeff Nelson. One of the most influential records ever pressed on vinyl."

"DC hardcore is blistering fast. Ian MacKaye's vocal delivery cuts right through you. A powerhouse band that redefines intensity from coast to coast."

"19 tracks of pure, unadulterated ska-core energy recorded at Sound and Vision in San Francisco. Lint Armstrong and Matt Freeman provide a bass-driven velocity that makes 924 Gilman explode every weekend."

"The whole room was vibrating at Gilman. Jesse was doing handstands off the monitors. Op Ivy captured the camaraderie and raw fun of the East Bay scene like nobody else before them."

"Melodic East Bay pop-punk perfected. Billie Joe Armstrong's songwriting has hook after hook, backed by Tre and Mike's tight rhythm section. Lookout! Records has a bona fide gem here."

"A three-piece straight outta Rodeo, California with an infectious blend of Hüsker Dü melodies and early Buzzcocks energy. Catchy, honest, and full of youthful angst."

"Hailing from the California desert generator parties, Kyuss play the heaviest, most downtuned riff-heavy stoner rock imaginable. Produced by Chris Goss, Josh Homme's guitar tone through bass cabinets shakes your ribcage."

"Desert rock masterpiece. They instruct listeners to hear the album as a continuous whole, and the sprawling grooves between Brant Bjork and Scott Reeder deliver on that cosmic promise."

"Former Government Issue bassist J. Robbins steps up on vocals and guitar. Angular post-hardcore with incredible rhythmic tension recorded by Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios."

""Savory" is a towering monument of 90s alternative rock. The jagged chord voicings and Kim Coletta's driving bass prove that creative musicians can bring underground integrity to larger platforms."

"A monumental shift in underground emo. Jeremy Enigk's soaring falsetto and William Goldsmith's thunderous polyrhythmic drumming give this record an almost spiritual weight."

"Raw, emotional, and fractured. Recorded during internal band strain, it possesses an intimacy and vulnerability rarely matched in contemporary guitar music."

"Blake Schwarzenbach's gravelly vocals and poetic lyrics about dorm rooms and late-night regrets strike a chord with everyone who's ever felt out of place. Brilliant melodic punk from Shredder Records."

"Recorded in Steve Albini's basement in Chicago. Blake's throat surgery changed his vocal resonance, giving "Boxcar" and "Do You Still Hate Me?" an undeniable emotional urgency."

"The fastest, tightest band in the world. Period. H.R.'s vocals leap from lightning-fast hardcore shouts to sublime roots reggae in a heartbeat. Dr. Know plays guitar like a man possessed."

"Produced by Ron Saint Germain on SST Records, this is a masterclass in metal-fused hardcore precision. "Re-Ignition" and "Secret 77" push underground rock to brand new sonic frontiers."

"Henry Rollins arrives on vocals and the intensity reaches boiling point. Greg Ginn's free-jazz guitar solos and Chuck Dukowski's guttural bass define the Southern California sound."

"Keith Morris screams like his life depends on it. 4 tracks of pure Hermosa Beach rage that set the template for everything happening in American punk rock."

"Short, blistering pop-hardcore tunes about coffee, fishing, girls, and parental rebellion. Bill Stevenson's drumming is lightning fast and Milo Aukerman is the ultimate everyman frontman."

"Milo returns from biochemistry college and the band sounds tighter than ever on SST. Incredible hooks, sharp humor, and pioneering melodic speed."

"The spearhead of DC's Revolution Summer. Guy Picciotto's emotional catharsis turned hardcore upside down, trading political slogans for deeply personal soul-searching. Monumental."

"Steve Albini and Santiago Durango utilize Roland drum machines and razor-sharp metal guitar picks to create industrial noise rock that feels like jagged sheet metal slicing through air."

"Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover play slow, lumbering sludge metal with the fury of a hardcore punk band. This Aberdeen, Washington duo will soon change the Pacific Northwest forever."

"A double-concept album recorded in 40 hours for $3,200. Bob Mould and Grant Hart construct a sprawling, psychedelic punk narrative that shatters genre limitations."

"43 songs across two records from San Pedro's greatest working-class heroes. D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley blend funk, jazz, folk, and hardcore with absolute genius."

"Prepared guitars, alternate tunings, and eerie noise poetry from NYC's downtown No Wave descendants. Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore push rock into avant-garde territory."

"Produced by Ian MacKaye at Inner Ear Studios. Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail unleash the Riot Grrrl revolution with visceral rage, tearing down male hegemony in underground punk."

"Umeå, Sweden's finest deliver an ambitious fusion of hardcore, drum-and-bass, free jazz, and Situationist philosophy. "New Noise" is an indelible manifesto for the next millennium."

"Manitoba, Canada speed-pop-punk with uncompromising radical leftist politics. Chris Hannah's lightning-fast riffs match their biting critiques of capitalism and militarism."

"Jello Biafra's razor-sharp satirical venom paired with East Bay Ray's surf-punk guitar riffs. "Holiday in Cambodia" and "Kill the Poor" are timeless masterpieces of political punk."

"Kevin Seconds leads Reno's positive youth brigade with unstoppable melodic hardcore energy. An uplifting anthem for unity in the underground."

"Santa Barbara "Nardcore" madness played at triple speed with incomprehensible technical guitar wizardry from Chris Rest and Bomer on drums."

"Josh Homme resurrects from the ashes of Kyuss with a hypnotic, robot-rock groove. "Regular John" and "Mexicola" bring desert rock into the modern rock lexicon."

"David Yow's unhinged vocal squeals and Duane Denison's jazz-inflected guitar stabs, captured with terrifying realism by Steve Albini. Pure underground tension."

"El Paso, Texas post-hardcore characterized by Cedric Bixler's manic stage presence and Omar Rodríguez-López's frenetic guitar work. Chaotic, passionate, and unforgettable."

"New Jersey melodic hardcore that sparked a whole new generation of youth crew and pop-punk bands. Dan Yemin's lightning guitars and Ari Katz's earnest vocals defined the mid-90s East Coast sound."

"Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman return after Operation Ivy with Brett Reed on drums. Fast, street-punk guitar blasts with Freeman's signature thumping basslines leading the charge."

"New York hardcore with horns and unforgettable melodic hooks. CIV's positive lyrics and Walter Schreifels' songwriting made this the biggest Revelation Records release of the decade."

"San Jose trio tuned down to C, paying massive homage to Black Sabbath with walls of Orange and Green amplifiers. Matt Pike and Al Cisneros craft the heaviest riffs on earth."