Punk Rock Record Reviews: The Best of 2025, Part Twelve.
I listen primarily to punk, with my preferred subgenre being street punk. Speed rock, garage, skate punk, hardcore, pop punk, oi!, ska, grindcore, 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 2025 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.
Asspatch “No More Fun” EP
Released: January 17, 2025
Format: Digital Download
Label: Poached Records
From: Saskatoon, Canada
After spinning over 300 new releases this year, and having reviewed 120 of them, you aren't going to often hear me say that a release is in contention for the best release of the year. This one is, with really the only thing holding it back being that there are just three songs. This looks like a new band that played their first show in 2023. In addition to this year’s releases, they had some songs that they recorded live in 2023 that didn't make the records and that they won't be playing again. I'd like to get as much from these guys as I can, and especially "Painkillers & Aliens" sounded pretty good live. No worries though, because "Quit Your Job" and "No More Fun" (the first two songs on their new EP) are stellar. Name your price on Bandcamp, with no minimum, so you have absolutely no excuse not to go get this right now. This is exactly how punk/hardcore should sound. Fast, snotty, screaming, and angry but also catchy and had me screaming along. Expletives where needed, great artwork, DIY—this literally checks all of the boxes for me. The final song, "The Last Day," leans more towards punk or even oi! (rather than hardcore) and slows it down just a bit (but is still great). Please tell me this is a precursor to a full-length album coming soon; I will most definitely be watching for it. Essential!
Asspatch “Life Of The Party”
Released: May 14, 2025
Format: Digital Download
Label: Poached Records
From: Saskatoon, Canada
If you read the above review, you know already that this is one of my favorite new bands of the year (if not my favorite). The full length that I was hoping for is looking more probable now that I found a second single, also released this year. This one starts with a cover of The Manges’ "I Shot Cyrus" (a song that I hadn't heard before, but that I immediately tracked down), along with one more new song, "Life Of The Party." This one didn't initially pack the punch of the songs "Quit Your Job" and "No More Fun," but that is a really high bar, and it's already growing on me almost as much as those did. Honestly, if Asspatch had 10 eps this year, I would fill an entire set of reviews up with nothing but Asspatch. I didn't find a YouTube video for the second EP, so scroll up and listen to the “No More Fun” EP again (if you don’t already have it still running).
The NoName “Anti-”
Released: July 18, 2025
Format: Vinyl 7", digital download
Label: Abbruch Records, Smith & Miller Records, Kids-Union Records
From: Xi'an, China
This one was a bit confusing when I started out. First of all, the album title is prefaced with "Tribute To Joe Strummer," which made me think it may be a Joe Strummer/The Clash cover album (it's not). Then I noticed that three of the four songs are different versions of the same song, with only one other song (a cover of an obscure Motorhead song that I wasn't familiar with). I'm really glad that I stuck it out, because the original is a great song, the Motorhead cover is amazing, and the band is from China (a rare location for a punk rock band to be from). I'm not sure that they really need three versions of the original song, but the first one has a guest singer, "Sucker" (ex-Oxymoron), from Bad Co. Project. That was another research project in itself, but it turns out that Bad Co. Project (no relation to the band Bad Company, which was a relief) is a band that formed from the break-up of Oxymoron around 2002 and also includes a member of Mad Sin. The second version also includes guest vocals, this time from a bunch of different punk bands that include one of my favorite street punk bands, Acidez. The third version, the only really necessary version, is just The No-Name. Apparently the reference to Joe Strummer is just the overall sound and some of the lyrics that quote him. I headed over to YouTube to watch a video of the original "Shine" by Motörhead, and it's great. The cover does it justice, and I'll leave it there, as it would border on blasphemy to suggest that the cover could be as good as the original. The Motörhead cover was also released on the Motörhead tribute album "Never Too Old To Motörhead: Final Chapter." Great release; can’t wait for more.
Clobber “God Loves, Man Kills”
Released: August 1, 2025
Format: Vinyl 7", digital download
Label: Venn Records
From: London, U.K.
It looks like Clobber started in 2021 and had a few more releases prior to this, which would be well worth tracking down. The title of the EP, "God Loves, Man Kills," is an obscure X-Men reference, with the band being huge comic book fans. This is three short, fast, gruff hardcore/Oi! songs, and it grabbed me right away with the opening song, "Do Less." "Be Someone" is the standout, though, and there is also a professional video for it. No doubt that "Be Someone" will be popping up on lists of the best hardcore/Oi! songs of the year, and I'd guess that it's currently their most requested song live (or their encore, if bands do that anymore). Just watch the video and you will be hooked. Get this now.
Heartwells “Ollie”
Released: July 8, 2025
Format: Vinyl 10", digital download
Label: Hey!Fever Records
From: Long Beach, California
If you read my reviews last year, particularly my top 50 releases of 2024, you will be familiar with Heartwells. Their 2025 EP "The New Old School" made #2 on the list, very close to the best release of the year. Given that, I was excited for this new one a year later, and I wasn't disappointed. They still have that distinct NOFX-core sound on some of the songs, and again that is in no way a bad thing (NOFX is my all-time favorite band). "Backstabbers" is the clear standout, followed by "Piss N- Gums," but all 6 songs made my current playlist. Another amazing release by one of the best new bands of this decade. Start with "The New Old School" if you haven't heard them yet, but everything they have done is essential.
Heartwells / Stoke Signals
Released: August 12, 2025
Format: Digital download
Label: Hey! Fever Records
From: Long Beach, California
As mentioned in the above review, Heartwells are killer and one of the best new bands of this decade. They have a considerable NOFX influence in a good way, and even the slower songs are good. It looks like they are planning a 2024 tour with label mates Stoke Signals, hence the split single. This is a bit more mellow than some of their standout songs (check out "Death of Rock 'n' Roll" and "Coasted" from last year, or "Backstabbers" from earlier this year), but I like it and am glad to add another of their songs to my personal playlist. Stoke Signals has a very similar sound, and their song "The Squid" may be the real gem here. Now all that I can hope is that their mini-tour brings them to Detroit.
Exo-Gen “Demo”
Released: June 20, 2025
Format: Cassette, Digital download
Label: Designated Moshers Unit
From: Atlanta, GA
I love screaming fast hardcore/grindcore. While I also love skate punk, melodic hardcore, and pop punk, hardcore is the music that gives me goosebumps when I play it. Exo-gen is a perfect example of this, with crazy energy and a perfect balance between high volume and good production but also sounding like it was recorded in someone's basement. It would be impossible not to mosh to this. "Take Acid Now," "Hate You," and "Soft Tissue" all went straight to my current playlist. And to my surprise, there was even a badass cover of The Ramones’ "Teenage Lobotomy" to cap off the release.
Disco Assault “Illest Pursuit To Remain Relevant”
Released: August 7, 2025
Format: Digital download
Label: Self-Released
From: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Old-school hardcore perfection; it's hard to believe that they have been around for 20 years. I was lucky to catch them opening for The Dayglo Abortions back in 2024, one of the best shows of the year. On this release (Bandcamp download only), they cover "United Races" by Cause For Alarm, "Pure Hate" by Poison Idea, and one of my all-time favorites, "All Night" by Detroit's Screaming Bloody Leper Children. That's on top of 15 rippers of their own that include favorites "Working Classes Cancelled," "Something I Ate," "Religious Kontrol," and "Step Aside." Normally I just download my favorite songs, but there is not a bad song on this one, and I was forced to buy the entire album ($12 on Bandcamp, and my best purchase of the week). Guitarist Matt Bishop has been a staple of the Detroit scene for decades and also plays in a stellar Oi! band, The Reckless Upstarts. I haven't watched it yet, but a new independent film, "Dinner In America," was also advertised to contain music and cameos by Disco Assault. This is a band on the move, and deservedly so. This will be high up on my list of the best releases of the year. Hopefully this gets a proper physical release.
Klobber “A Rope For You”
Released: May 12, 2025
Format: Vinyl 12", Digital download
Label: Take The City Records
From: Madrid, Spain
"Joke's On You" and "Civil War" were standouts, and both went right to my current playlist. Although the spelling is different, it's unfortunate that two bands in this week's review list have the same name (Clobber and Klobber), but I'm sure that was unintentional by both. While Clobber is hardcore, this leans more to English punk rock. The cover art is more disturbing than it needs to be and hopefully doesn't hurt this release because the good songs are really good. I honestly could have done without the Thin Lizzy cover ("Jailbreak"). They also cover The Damned's "New Rose ” which is better, but I'll judge this one on the originals. I was only able to find "London" on YouTube, but check out the two aforementioned songs, and I think this release will move up a few rungs on your playlist. It did on mine.
Violent Way “I’ll Ask You/ They Said”
Released: August 12, 2025
Format: Digital download
Label: Self-Released
From: Buffalo, NY
Two songs from their upcoming LP, but I'm throwing this out here since I'm a big fan. I saw them open for Agnostic Front earlier this year on the "New York Blood U.S.A. Tour 2025", and they made an impression. Classic boots-and-braces, boot stomping Oi! with the first song slower and the second song kicking it up a notch. The artwork appears to be a nod to The Clash's "London Calling" 2xLP, a favorite of mine growing up. I'll be on the lookout for more, but this is a great start to what should be a stellar full length.
