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 second 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, attracted 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.

PS: I slapped this post together while running a fever so high I could only open one eye. Lord knows what shape it’s in. But you’re welcome! I love you. xx

In Crust We Trust ‘23 – Introduction

Kia ora friends, whānau, and frenemies. Greetings from the El Niño-blasted shores of Aotearoa New Zealand. You’re reading the second and final edition of ICWT’s year-end coverage, which focuses on my favourite full-length releases from 2023.

The first part of ICWT’s end-of-year action spotlighted my favourite EPs and demos from the past 12 months. If you’re curious, feel free to check that post out – it’s crammed with great releases.

Before I go any further, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it’s a hectic time of year, so cheers for taking the time to hunt down this backwater blog. I know you’ll be well-acquainted with my choices below, but I hope you find a couple of unheard releases to devour.

This year, we witnessed the loss of several creative geniuses who’ve influenced the bands below; see Geordie Walker (Killing Joke), Shane MacGowan (Pogues), Sakevi Yokoyama (G.I.S.M), Tom Verlaine (Television), Glen “Spot” Lockett (SST producer extraordinaire), Mark Stewart (The Pop Group), Gary Young (Pavement), and more. Loss is always challenging, and when the voices that soundtrack important eras or moments in our lives depart this realm, it understandably stings all the more. In one sense, though, those voices are not silenced. We still have the music they created – or helped to make – and maybe that music means even more to us now.

I don’t mean to start on a sad note. I’ve just been thinking a lot about how much music means to me and how writing about the records that hit home hardest remains a pleasure and a privilege. I’m old as the hills – and at this point, barely hanging in there – but I never tire of listening to whippersnappers or grizzled ol’ veterans tearing into breakneck tracks. There were scores of first-rate punk and hardcore releases this year, and you’ll find plenty of sledgehammering noise to sink your teeth into below.

I chose 50(-ish) full-lengths and 15(-ish) reissues to spotlight this year. That’s a slither of the 11,500 punk recordings Discogs notes as being released in 2023. Most of my choices orbit a very similar sonic sphere, and you should consider surveying other end-of-year articles for a much broader picture of all the great punk and hardcore released in the past 12 months.

In the introduction to my first year-end edition of ICWT, I detailed the ins and outs of writing these posts. I also mentioned that it’s a tough time for many right now, and I’m glad we’ve got music to distract us, support us, and keep the flame burning inside us. I won’t repeat all the boring intel from that intro, but there are four points to remember:

ICWT focuses on crust, d-beat, raw hardcore, stenchcore, noise punk, and metalpunk. However, other sub-genres definitely feature below.
I’m a hermit. And I’m not on social media. I’m positive that means I’ve overlooked several obvious end-of-year inclusions. Whoops-a-daisy. And sorry about that.
I’ve been in and out of the hospital recently, and I’m currently basting in a stew of meds. I’d be the first to admit I’m not firing on all cylinders. But I did my best below. Apologies if it reads like a fucking train wreck. Honestly, I was in two minds about hitting the publish button, but my desire to thank all of the bands and labels whose music bolstered my resolve in 2023 overrode any likely embarrassment.
End-of-year list-making is reductive, subjective, arbitrary, and needlessly competitive. (That said, I love a lengthy listicle!) As a result, I don’t rank or order my year-end lists. For me, it’s simply about spotlighting my favourite releases, not arguing about who’s better or best.

Thanks to all the DIY bands, labels, distros, and independent record stores who provided so much tasty noise in 2023. And cheers to all the journos, bloggers, friends, and foes who recommended so much great music this year.

Thanks to Sorry State Records’ excellent newsletter, which I look forward to every week. And cheers to YouTuber Analog Attack, whose What Are You Listening To? series delivers reliably upbeat chat about a host of rad records.

Most importantly, give yourself a hearty pat on the back for visiting ICWT. The truth is, my writing is little-read, and this blog is obscure as Hell. Thus, your support is hugely appreciated. It fills my rotten little heart with glee when we can gather and celebrate the endless joys of shitnoise together. You röck. And röll.

Stay safe. Be Well. Kia kaha.

xx

Ps: If, like me, you’re interested in weird, outsider, or alternative music in general, here are a few end-of-year listicles I’d wholeheartedly recommend: Quietus Albums Of The Year 2023, tQ’s Reissues, Etc. Of The Year 2023, Aquarium Drunkard: 2023 Year in Review, Straight Hedge! The Best Punk And Hardcore Of 2023.