Easily my favorite hardcore record of the year comes in the form of ANXIETY’s s/t LP that just came out on London’s extremely, regularly awesome punk label LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOS. While I love punk/ hc and the like, outside of the live context I started getting bored with the brick and mortar of the stuff by the time I was 20 or so. Creative infusion by fresh blood is vital to any art or genre, and in this vacuum arrives Glasgow’s ANXIETY.  The guitar and vocal sounds on this thing are wide ranging and varied, especially impressive for a band that’s apparently only been together less than a year.

Thuggy rhythms, schizo vocals, walls of noise, weird sounds of unknown origin, raging bass n’ drums combo, deep knowledge of punk of yore and yesterday, and chant worthy nihilistic lyrics. Excited? Check your underwear. Beyond punk these guys definitely draw from the noise rock and experimental rock records on their shelves. “The Worst” is the ripping-est of the bunch. Sounds like early NIRVANA over a punk beat, with a hand on the electronic noise twiddle knobber, and a Rollins-style bark out front spitting all knowing shit like: “Every man that I ever meet can never admit his mistakes. Every woman that I ever meet is left to pick up the pieces.” & “I’m the worst. I’m the worst. I’m the absolute worst.”

Weird hardcore maxed out. Hit us up when you come to the stupid USA. Great record. Goddammit!