If you’re a regular reader of In Crust We Trust, you’ll notice this column isn’t in its usual location. Previous editions of ICWT have been published by the long-running website Last Rites, and I owe the Last Rites crew an enormous debt of gratitude for doing so. I exited Last Rites’ ranks in early December because I’ve been acutely unwell for several months, and the latest wave of Covid hit my family hard. I needed to step back, hunker down, and focus on everyone’s health, including my own.

Below, you’ll find the first of two end-of-year ICWT editions constructed from pieces of writing I had lying around. As you’ll read below, I’ve been poorly, so both year-end editions are unpolished, unedited, and likely to be riddled with errors. Of course, rough-as-fuck writing is my sweet spot, so there’s no change in that regard.

In one sense, publishing anything on my much-neglected blog is futile. I’m not promoting my writing on social media, and the first end-of-year post I published this year, which spotlighted bands from my neck of the woods, was viewed by 11 readers. (Uh-oh! Ouch. And bummer.) Still, as I’ve said before, I am a Gen-Xer, and there’s nothing we love more than the sound of our own voices, so here go again.

In Crust We Trust '23 – Intro

Kia ora koutou katoa. I bid you a warm welcome from the distant shores of Aotearoa New Zealand. Most of you reading this post will be freezing your tushes off, but it’s summer down here in the southern hemisphere, which seems like an apt time to shout about some red-hot punk and hardcore releases.

Before I do any of that, thanks for tuning into ICWT’s end-of-year coverage. Obviously, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to noisy music commentary, and this blog is about as obscure as it gets, so I appreciate you taking the time to stop by. You’ll undoubtedly be familiar with most of the music I mention. But I hope you discover a couple of previously unheard releases to sink your teeth into.

Apologies if this year’s year-end coverage feels shakier and/or shoddier than in the past. I’ve been in and out of the hospital in recent months. Physically, I’m a train wreck at present. But mentally, I’m still keen to shout about plenty of dope records. Fingers crossed, my current state of health (i.e. a street-walking cheetah with a heart full of tramadol) doesn’t derail this round-up. I’ll do my best, cuz.

Having a long line of health professionals hovering over you certainly brings things into sharp focus. Not that I needed reminding, but noisy music is an A1 analgesic and equally cathartic. Noisy music has lifted my spirits and drowned out plenty of my anxieties this year. And noisy music has also helped purge my pain and frustrations in more constructive ways. For decades, noisy music has been a go-to implement in my emotional toolbox. But this year, I’ve never been more thankful for its restorative benefits.

Okay, that’s the annual ‘paragraph of angst’ done and dusted – onto the business at hand.

The rest of this introduction contains a couple of caveats and well-deserved thank-yous. You’re welcome to skip all of that and cut straight to the music below. But if you’re interested in the ins and outs of ICWT’s end-of-year action, read on.

As mentioned, there are two year-end editions of ICWT. The one you’re reading now focuses on my favourite EPs and demos. The other spotlights my favourite full-length releases. I’m aiming to post the second edition ASAP.

ICWT focuses on horrible noise for terrible times: d-beat, raw punk, stenchcore, noise punk, metalpunk, etc. I tend to favour releases where punk and metal interlock: punk injecting politics into metal and metal strapping Bolt Thrower’s armour onto punk. I also love hardcore that burns like a UTI. And any punk that leaves an ugly bruise or smells like a skunk’s taint gets a free pass, too. One thing to remember below is don’t get too caught up in the ‘crust’ tag. There are several releases included that don’t conform to type.

A reminder: I’m not on social media. Nor am I cognizant of any swanky new apps or platforms. My lack of engagement on most fronts means some of 2023’s hottest releases will have passed me by sight unseen. I’m pretty zen about that. I prefer lazily foraging for music to having an algorithm force it down my throat. That said, apologies for no doubt missing some obvious inclusions.

According to Discogs, there were roughly 11,500 punk recordings released in 2023. I’ve highlighted 48-ish EPs and 28-ish demos below. And most draw inspiration from the same filthy pool of progenitors. I’d recommend visiting plenty of other year-end listicles for a much broader selection of this year’s rowdiest punk and hardcore releases.

Some folks argue that end-of-year lists are inherently competitive, and thus, they’re not particularly ‘punk’. To a certain degree, I agree. Punk isn’t a league table, and list-making is often reductive. In recognition of that, I don’t rank my year-end picks, nor are the blurbs below ordered in any particular way. I’m here to have fun, not arbitrarily decide winners or losers.

Untold schisms are tearing this world apart, and it feels good to gather like this and celebrate horrible noise side-by-side. Sure, punk isn’t going to solve the innumerable problems plaguing this planet. But punk offers us shelter from some storms battering our lives. I’m grateful I’m still here to talk about that. And I’m thankful you’re here, too.

This year has witnessed untold atrocities, and like everyone else with a shared sense of humanity, I am horrified by the slaughter of innocents. For those who’ve lost loved ones this year – or anyone struggling right now – here’s to carving out a moment of calm in an otherwise chaotic world.

Thanks to all the bands, labels, distros, and indie record stores that provided so much tasty noise in 2023. And a shout-out to all the bloggers, friends, and frenemies who recommended so much great music this year.

Thanks to Sorry State Records’ excellent newsletter, which is crammed with fun write-ups. And cheers to YouTuber Analog Attack and his What Are You Listening To? series, which features upbeat chat about countless rad records.

Most importantly of all, a hearty thanks to you, dear reader. There’s no point writing any of this garbage unless you’re here to read it. I owe you a colossal cyber-hug for supporting this old dog’s underground dreams.

Stay safe. Be well. Kia kaha.

xx