A split from two bands, one from New York, the other from Tokyo, who draw inspiration from the same raw hardcore punk well, but then take things off in two quite distinct directions.

‘Curate a scapegoat, twist the average mind, Tolerated violence by those who stay blind, Scrambled, narcissistic, ego ideals, Conform for safety, losing empathetic feel’ (Thread Of Hate, Vaxine)

Brooklyn’s Vaxine, who feature members of Scalpel, Porvenir Oscuro, and PMS 84, are following up last year’s debut full-length, Frontal Lobotomy.  Their fierce refashioning of the classic UK82 sound continues to brim with an anarchic energy that is then honed through a tautly aggressive lens.  War Criminals and Thread Of Hate hit home with particular velocity.  Across their three tracks, the rasping, snotty vocals focus on the continued horrors in Palestine and the wider world’s complicity in the conduct of the Israeli government.

‘Here comes another gloomy day, Kick in the door and get on the way, I feel blood in my vein, We can do it all over again’ (Teenage Days, The Last Survivors)

Tokyo’s The Last Survivors have been active to varying degrees of intensity for just over 20 years.  In contrast to Vaxine, their sound is a notably looser, more determinedly melodic one.  It also pulses with a discernible rock’n’roll sensibility, especially on their own track, Teenage Days.  Their other contribution is a riotous cover of Dead And Gone by Wigan punks The Insane, taken from their 1981 EP, Politics.