Punk Rock Record Reviews: The Best of 2026, Part One.

Album ReviewPunk RockCommentary
Written By Paul Holstein

I listen primarily to punk, with my preferred subgenre being street punk. Speed rock, garage, skate punk, hardcore, pop punk, oi!, ska, grindcore, crust punk, mincecore, psychobilly and even rockabilly fit the bill if done right. If I can catch a live show, it gives the release an edge. Here are a few releases from 2026 that I recommend you check out. These are in no particular order; however, I’m only reviewing releases that are in contention for the best release of the year. If I’m reviewing it, I liked it. When the New Year rolls around, I’ll put them in order and do a final article of the best of the best. Drop a comment at the bottom if there is a 2025 release you think I should check out; I most definitely will.

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Armor Class "Demo '26"
Released: January 16, 2026
Format: CD, Digital Download
Label: Setterwind Records
From: Lansing, MI
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

I first heard Armor Class from Lansing, Michigan, when they released the killer song "Black Market Lobotomy" on Setterwind Records' "Tied Down '25 Collection" CD in mid-2025. If you aren't familiar, "Tied Down Detroit" (named after the classic Negative Approach LP) is an annual hardcore festival in Detroit, Michigan, held at the Russell Industrial Center (and it's the hardcore highlight of the year). I was hoping for a full length from Armor Class later in the year, or at least their own EP, so that I could give them a proper review. That didn't come until 2026, but it was worth waiting for. This is beatdown hardcore, which I'm hoping will bring them to Edgemen Printing or Tangent Gallery some time this year. 5 songs, none over 3 minutes, with one at 1:10 and another at just :30 (I love short songs). If you like beatdown hardcore, this is essential. Fans of Blood For Blood, Bad Beat, Drop Rate, Haywire, D-BLOC, Bitter Truth.

The Convicted "Sunshine City Rot"
Released: January 15, 2026
Format: Digital download
Label: Self-released
From: St. Petersburg, Florida
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

A lot of bands these days don't realize how important a first impression is. I check out up to 10 releases a day, and many of them I don't get through more than a few seconds. For others, I may listen to a couple of songs or even the entire release and still be on the fence as to whether or not I'm going to do a review (I only review records that I like). I wasn't more than 5 seconds into this one, and I already knew. This is also a rare case where I couldn't find a single social media account for the band, so I had to reach out to them directly. This has only been out for a few days, so I'm guessing they are a new band and this is their first release? Social media accounts, records, videos, and a tour will come next. Well, let's hope so. Female vocals, screamed and sung, to a street punk beat and multiple guitars. This couldn't get much better; I purchased so many individual tracks from Bandcamp that I may as well have bought the full release. "Sunshine City Rot," "I-4 Suicide," "Red Tide Rising," "Ybor is Dead," "Strip Mall Hell" were all initial favorites. Fans of Vice Squad, The Last Gang, The Casualties.

Kimbo Slice "S/T"
Released: January 1, 2026
Format: Cassette, VHS, CD, digital download
Label: Pretty Good Records
From: California
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

I'd never heard of Kimbo Slice (R.I.P.) before I spun this, so I started with some research into the man. He was a professional MMA fighter but seems to be most well known for videos of backyard bare-knuckle brawling (which earned him the title "The King of the Web Brawlers"). This release is fully dedicated to Kimbo, with plenty of soundbites (and visuals if you get the VHS release) mixed with blasts of powerviolence-style punk rock. I wish it were broken out into individual songs on Bandcamp (it's bookmarked into 9 tracks on YouTube); I listened to it there (multiple times) as a single 10-minute track. Not a lot of 10-minute powerviolence blasts will keep my interest, but this one did. Goody will most definitely need a lozenge after performing this. One of the comments on the YouTube video was "Holy Shit Dude!" and I could not agree with that more. Fans of Charles Bronson, Infest, Spazz, or just top-shelf powerviolence will want to get this right away. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I still need to spin this a few more times (while watching Kimbo Slice videos on YouTube).

Chopping Block "Nowhere To Run"
Released: January 9, 2026
Format: Vinyl LP, CD, digital download
Label: Indecision Records
From: Seattle, Washington
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

Wow, this one hit me like a brick. Following cassette releases in 2019 and 2021 and a 12" EP last year, we finally get a full length. This is solid, in-your-face, screaming hardcore that never lets up. I've heard them described as a perfect blend between modern and 1980s hardcore, and that's hard to disagree with. This is a 14-song release, with only one song over 2 minutes and plenty of others under 1. My favorites were "Same Old Shit" and "Monsters," which both went directly to my current playlist. These guys would fit right in with Bad Beat, D-BLOC, The Sissy Boys, WMD, and the other heavyweights of my local hardcore scene. Great release, highly recommended if you are into beatdown hardcore. It plays really loud too; the production is insane (an underrated quality sometimes).

Violent Way "A Need For Something More"
Released: January 13, 2026
Format: Vinyl LP, Digital download
Label: Longshot Music (USA), Contra Records (EU) and Battle Scarred Records (USA, TAPES ONLY)
From: Buffalo, New York
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

I first saw Violent Way on tour with Agnostic Front and Murphy's Law, and I can almost say that they stole the show. Oi! music has been producing some of the best punk rock music lately, which you can see in how heavily stacked my top 50 releases of 2025 were with Oi! releases. This is a great example of a near-perfect release and follows their incredible 2025 single. We get Wattie Sharp (Lion's Law) and Greg Huff (Bishop's Green) doing guest vocals on a few tracks, excellent production, and artwork featuring crossed switchblades and a smoking skull. What more could you want? There is not a bad song on this, but "I'll Ask You" and "Working Class Rejects" were both standouts. Expect to see this one again on my top Oi! releases of 2026. Fans of Bullshit Detector, Templars, Tear Up, Booze & Glory, Lion's Law, Oil!, Taker-N-Users.

Briefbombe "Deutsche Pest" (German Pest)
Released: January 9, 2026
Format: 7" vinyl, Digital download
Label: RilRec, Spastic Fantastic Records
From: Hamburg, Germany
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

If you read all of my posts, you may have noticed that the pre-release single from this one, "Weihnachtszeit Überstunden Fuck You" (Christmas Time Overtime Fuck You), made my list of the top Christmas songs. It's a banger for sure, so I was eagerly awaiting the full release. I was not disappointed, as this entire record is incredible. 10 songs of blazing fast hardcore (other than the final track) primarily in German with a few English phrases here and there. Not a single song over a minute, but every one is catchy (I would scream along if I knew German). Top tracks were "Intelligente Delivery Drohnen Nein Danke" (Intelligent Delivery Drones No Thanks), "Weihnachtszeit Überstunden Fuck You" (Christmas Time Overtime Fuck You), and "Praktikum bei der Deutschen Post" (Internship at the German Post), but you are going to want to play this one all of the way through (likely multiple times). Fans of Asspatch, Negative Approach, Poison Idea, Direct Order '82, or just solid screaming hardcore.

Manicdotes "Soros Ouroboros/ I'm So Tired"
Released: December 29, 2025
Format: Digital Download
Label: Self-Released
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

It's hard to believe that this is the same Ramonescore band that I reviewed previously (see their "All Cats Are Beautiful" EP, which is excellent). I remember reviewing that, loving it, but thinking it was just a little bit too sappy, but damn if they only played hardcore. They were obviously reading my mind, as this one rips. Not only did the music take a turn towards hardcore, but the cover art matches as well. I wish there were lyrics with this one, as the title song "Soros Ouroboros" is interesting. Ouroboros is the ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, and Soros may be a reference to George Soros? Either way, great song, and even though it was technically released at the end of 2025, I didn't want to miss it.

Playboy Manbaby "Violence"
Released: January 6, 2026
Format: Vinyl LP, digital download
Label: Waffle Haus Records
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

"Playboy Manbaby is not a band. Playboy Manbaby is a corporation. Finally someone who can give a voice to a group that has never been treated fairly. Corporations." Definitely a band based on humor, I was first subjected to them when they came out on stage at a Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival pool party supporting Sloppy Seconds. The song "I Love Myself" stuck with me, and I've been waiting for a chance to review something new. This exceeded my expectations, with the standouts being "Shitshow," "Criminals," and "Mental Breakdown." I wouldn't call it hardcore, but it has a punk rock sound with enough humor and catchiness to give it a thumbs up. Also a shout-out that they toured recently with local legends The Koffin Kats, with the only show they didn't play on that tour being the one I was at in Detroit. I'll catch them next time.

Cripped Fox "Metal Recycle Forever"
Released: January 15, 2026
Format: Digital Download
Label: Self-Released
From: Budapest, Hungary
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

If you love thrash, these guys are some of the best to ever do it. Their guitar player is aptly named Speedy Gonzales, given that they blast 4 songs in about 2 minutes. Last year I had them at #27 on my list of the best releases of the year (from over 500 that I spun) for their splits with Biting Sox and Licksplit (check out "Very Serious Bandana" and "Sad Little Man"). This time we get an entire EP from Crippled Fox with more of the same (and that's not a bad thing). 30-second songs that bring me back to early DRI, and would most certainly require a mosh pit. This is a band that I need to see live. Name your price on Bandcamp.

Dream Warriors "World Without Dreams"
Released: December 21, 2025
Format: Digital Download
Label: Quarantined Fanzine & Records
From: Skåne County, Sweden
Photo of the album cover that is being reviewed.

Swedish hardcore, with old-school Japanese hardcore and metal influences. A 5-song EP, technically released right at the end of 2025 but I gave this one a lot of play so I wanted to include it in my reviews. They have little to no social media presence, I couldn't even find this on YouTube. It was on Bandcamp though, so check them out there and keep an eye out for future releases. "Becoming" and "Madness" were my favorites, but they are all ragers. Fans of Poison Idea or just solid old-school hardcore.

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Paul Holstein
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Maria Chaos’s 10 Best Festivals of 2026