I can’t always put my finger on why but sometimes a record claws it’s way to the top of my most anticipated list for no particular reason other than vibes, a feeling, or just good ol’ hype. None of which have to be negative in my opinion, as long as the record lives up to that hype. Albums like Fortress Britain by STINGRAY, S.C.U.M. by PARANOID, and anything WARTHOG puts out fit this bill and have all become some of my favorite modern raw punk that I return to again and again.
The latest album to reach the top of the pile is PUBLIC ACID’s Deadly Struggle, a beast of a 12″ that checks each and every box and then some. Brutally blackened vocals, riff-heavy guitars, d-beat drumming that hits like a punch to the jaw, and songwriting that is properly fucking GOOD, just like the albums previously mentioned. Also like the previously mentioned albums, the lyrical content here is powerful and cathartic, essentially covering the insanity that is modern society, providing a sort of release-valve for the frustration and anger of seeing the world collapse around us. With all of that in mind, I can’t recommend enough you snag a copy, plug in some headphones, and listen to the track “Ignorance”; a tour de force that is one of the best songs I’ve heard so far this year and a standout track to be sure. All said the takeaway here is that PUBLIC ACID rules. Deadly Struggle is a new classic that they should be super proud of. Now please, come to Chicago so I can hear it live!
