Cro-Mags is the new solo album from Cro-Mags co-founder Harley Flanagan, and as the title implies, this sounds like Cro-Mags. Or more specifically, Cro-Mags sounds like The Age Of Quarrel. The album is twelve tracks of full-speed-ahead, angry-as-fuck NYHC, but is at its best when it falls into a metallic punk rock groove on tracks like “Guilty Until Proven Innocent.” Lyrics are primarily about former bandmates, go figure. They also serve as are a reminder of Harley Flanagan’s larger than life persona and legacy. While Cro-Mags are probably the most imitated NYHC band, few have done it well. Flanagan, however, creates something here actually well worth listening to and, at the very least, better than anything the Cro-Mags did after Best Wishes. If you aren’t a fan of Cro-Mags, this album isn’t going to convert you, but if you are: step to it, immediately.
“DSM” showcases the many individual styles of Brockton’s Van Buren Records
It has been a fruitful 18 months for the Brockton super-collective Van Buren Records. Their two 2021 records, Bad For Press and Black Wall…