Pura Mania - La Banda Es La Ley LP Review

Pura Mania is from Vancouver, British Columbia and features Cabeza from the band Fracaso on vocals, former Spectres' Zach Batalden on Guitar, Jason Renix on the bass as well as former Sore Points Mitch Allen on drums. This band has been around for a while now, releasing a couple of 7"'s and a cassette back in 2014. La Banda Es La Ley is the band's second long player, following 2017's Cerebros Punk. All of the songs are sung in Spanish but don't worry, Spanish was the first language I spoke as a kid and even I can't make out some of the lyrics. When you consume yourself in this record, you'll find that the universal language of punk rock translates just fine in your mind. 

With this new album, Pura Mania's songs seem more focused, razor sharp and going straight for the throat. Theses guys blast out a unique, punchy, and very charismatic brand of punk rock. It's loud, it's catchy and sung by a dude with very throaty vocals. Like he's hoarse from shouting too much at the match the night before. Pura Mania's style and delivery land somewhere between early Southern California, Posh Boy Records punk rock and anthemic British Oi!/Street Punk like Blitz or The Partisans. All that and add a pinch of synths and a dash of Bovver in the mixing bowl as well.  However the Bovver cup spills over on the last track of the record "Amor de Coladera (Veneno y Glam)," This is then crammed in a pressure cooker that's now ready to detonate. Pura Mania has the energy, they have the aggression, all supplied with catchy riffs to bring it all home for all you malcontents to start kicking over your furniture! 

The physical records are available from 

Roachleg Records

Sorry State Records

Interview with Marcus of Nausea Records

So Marcus, tell me about how you came to discover punk rock?
Hi Jay, thank you so much for the invitation to participate in your zine.
Punk rock came into my life when I was 14 years old, in 1985. I was already a fan of heavy metal because that style was much more accessible at the time. The first punk record I bought was a compilation of Brazilian punk called "Ataque Sonoro" with bands like Ratos de Porão, Lobotomia, etc. That changed my life forever. The punk ethos has always guided me through life to this day. I've lived in London since 2006, and it was here that I had the opportunity to see more bands and make friends who share the same mindset, and it was also where I had the idea to start my label, Nausea Records.

It's Marcus! And more of those killer Nausea Records shirts are coming soon, I already asked!

What led you to decide to start the label? And more specifically, a reissue label?

The idea of ​​starting the label came from boredom. I was tired of just working, drinking too much, and paying bills. I needed something to exercise my creativity, to give something back to punk, and especially to bring these forgotten bands back to the present day so that younger people could enjoy them. I've been collecting vinyl records since the 80s, I've always loved vinyl records. One very stressful day at work, sometime in 2015, I decided to start looking for bands I grew up listening to, contacting the former members, and starting the release process. All this without any experience. The first band was Fear of War from Sweden. I searched incessantly for the former members on social media and found the former vocalist. Everything started to flow naturally from there.



What sorts of things did you not anticipate and wish someone would have told you when starting Nausea Records?
Very good question Jay! don't think I encountered many unpleasant issues during the record release process. Perhaps some anxieties from delays in receiving materials and delays from vinyl factories. The biggest problem is, and always will be, the high cost of manufacturing vinyl, but that was something I was already expecting. Despite the financial problems and the current state of the world, I find refuge in working with the label.

Has it been tough releasing records by bands that are long gone and typically can’t help promote the record?
Each band comes with a different story, audio recordings from different sources. Some are better or worse than others, but that's where the pleasure lies. Of all the releases on my label, I don't think I preferred the original mix to the mastered version. Mastering truly brings the music back to life.

What would be your holy grail of a reissue? Is there a record out there that you feel is in dire need of a 2026 Nausea Records release?
There are several bands that deserve the Nausea Records treatment. The band that comes to mind right now is Huvudtvätt from Sweden. I've been itching to reissue an LP with all the 7"s. I've been trying for years but without success.



Have you ever discovered a band’s recordings, only to contact them and realize they have no idea why you’d want them? Or a band that doesn’t like their old recordings and would rather keep it buried?
This has happened many times. There are bands that recorded excellent songs and didn't realize their importance. Yes, there are many great bands with great recordings, but the band members aren't interested in re-releasing them or simply aren't taking the band seriously anymore. Very sad.

Have you ever walked away from a release because something didn’t feel “right”? Like maybe all members weren’t on board or something like that?
Yes, it has happened. I gave up because the biggest problem was the political maneuvering involved and also my inability to meet the financial demands. It's happened at least three times already. I also find it very sad and frustrating, but it is what it is.



So what lies in store for Nausea Records in 2026?
Besides the excellent Belgian post-punk band T-RED, which is already on sale on a beautiful blue vinyl, I'm currently working on INTENSIFIED CHAOS with a ferocious punk hardcore from California, which is almost ready! Rare recordings of a demo and an entire show from 1982. I'm also almost finished with the artwork for the covers and booklets of the legendary Italian goth/post punk band DANZA MORTA, featuring rare studio and live recordings from 1985. That should be released soon. There's also the Belgian post-punk band called YOUR EYES with unreleased studio tracks. There's an English band I'm about to start working on, STRIKNENE, with a very beautiful mod/anarcho-punk sound. And a punk hardcore band from Sweden in 1983 called ALBYL. There's also a great synth minimal goth from the band RICKY BENZ AND DISTRIBUTORS from Italy. Keep your eyes peeled folks, there's a lot of good stuff coming!

Where can people go to buy your records or follow the label?
Thanks for the opportunity Jay
There are several online options:
nausearecords.bandcamp.com
nausearecords.limitedrun.com

Instagram: @nausearecords
Facebook: nausea records

Email: nausearecords@outlook.com

Also on brick and mortar records stores such as All Ages in Camden, London and some punk distros across the world such as Puke and Vomit (USA), Refuse Records (Poland and Germany), Agipunk (Italy), A.N.D Records (Canada), Radiation Records (Italy), No Front Teeth (London), Inflammable Material (London), Hohnie Records (Germany)

Bloodstains Interview

Let's start off by telling me who’s all in Bloodstains and what does everyone do in the band?

The band is Nick Espinoza on bass, David Espinoza on guitar, Miles Gretsky on drums, and myself on vocals. Nick and David also do backup vocals on some songs.

How did you guys all meet and decide to play together? I have known David and Nick for like 15 years now, I believe we met at some backyard kickback and just had like similar taste in music and got along good. We decided to jam with each other almost immediately. We’ve been in and out of bands for a while but Bloodstains started in 2019.

Did you guys grow up listening to punk music? Being from Southern California I imagine it wasn’t all that hard to access. How did you get into it?
Yeah of course. Since a very young age, being in Southern California it is pretty common to find out about punk stuff. And I'm pretty sure through skateboarding. I would watch skate VHS that had a ton of sick ass bands like the Ramones, The Stitches, and Black Flag to name a few.

For your first 7”, you guys released it on Hostage. Seems like a perfect label for that release! Were you guys fans of the label prior to working with them?
Sort of. Obviously knew the label but they were putting more of the old bands by the time I heard about them and I was more interested in modern bands. But I knew the importance of the label and a fan of some of the records they put out. But yeah it worked out perfectly and am so stoked that our first release on vinyl was on Hostage.


For your debut LP, you guys recorded it with So Cal punk legend Jerry “The Animal” Adamo at his studio! How was that experience?
It was awesome. Jerry is an old school type of engineer and honestly so easy to work with. He let us do our thing and gave some advice a few times. I believe we will work with him again for our next record.



Being from L.A., a city that seems like it has a lot going on most nights, is it hard being in a band and getting people to come to shows at all?
We are not from LA, we are actually from Orange County which is about 45 mins down South. So there's not as many shows as in LA but when there is one it’s almost always a great one. I think it’s hard for us to get LA shows because there is so many shows going on.


And speaking of Bloodstains shows, I know you guys have played some pretty stacked lineups in the past. Can you tell me what one of your favorite shows you played at was and why it still sticks in your memory?
Man there have been a lot of great ones. There was a cool rooftop gig we played in Santa Ana with Chain Cult that was a fun and wild one. Our record release gig was also with Poison Ruin in Santa Ana as well and that was very special to us. We had a lot of friends and people from Orange County at that one, even my parents came to watch!

Again, being from Southern California and being in a punk band, everyone probably automatically assumes all your influences. But what are some bands that influenced your sound that you think people might be surprised by?
A lot of us love all sorts of punk and just different types of music. We start off our set with Link Wray’s “Rumble” and that’s a bit different to hear I guess. I know David is a huge fan of his guitar work. From old rockabilly, 80’s thrash metal, 90’s “grunge”, and even for myself Mexican music I grew up listening to. I think it’s important to take influence from all that stuff and apply it to how it makes sense to you. From lyrics to song structure. All that shit.


So what does the future hold for Bloodstains in 2026?
More gigs! We got a few out of state gigs planned and honestly hopefully have a new record out. We will be recording soon so going to try to have a new record out before the year ends.



Where can people go to hear your music and get your records?
You can listen to us on our Bandcamp and all streaming services. We’ve been sold out of records for the time being but working on something new and hopefully also repress the LP again

Station Model Violence - S/T LP Review

A week ago, I knew absolutely nothing about Station Model Violence, zero, zip. However, it's bands like this that are the reason I started writing about music and built a platform on which to do it on. I got several emails, all from different people urging me to check this band out. I hate to say I love a good buzz band and it seems like Station Model Violence has folks getting the tingles on several continents. 

The band is from Sydney and has members of Total Control, DEN, and R.M.F.C. They've been called "supergroup" but that doesn't mean squat to me. You know how many "supergroups" I've heard that stink up the room something awful? Well, let's just say it's enough for me to squint my eyes and think, supergroup huh? Well, we'll see about that! I mean, I thought Total Control were kind of a "supergroup" already as well?

One of the things I found so interesting is that a lot of  the songs have such a different feel to them. The first track of the LP, a song called "Learn To Hate" is an extraordinary, melodic number. As the record progresses, so does the tempo of the songs. The song "Drip Away" is a killer punk number that scorches the earth beneath your tattered canvas sneakers. But that's not all folks! You listen to the song "Heat" and it's got an anthemic New Order feel to it. With all these different approaches to their songs though, Station Model Violence don't lose their identity or focus. All of the songs have a unique despondent feel to them and that's what gives them a sharp edge. That's what makes them feel so haunting and what threads all the songs together tightly. They give me the feeling of standing in the snow covered woods in the middle of  a winter's chill. It's difficult to pin point the band's exact modus operandi though, it's secret and they hide it well like a cold war double agent hiding stolen spy plane schematics.

This LP definitely offers a distinct  approach to contemporary post punk and new wave and sets it miles apart from so many other bands doing this sort of thing lately. This is something you should be excited for, because it doesn't come along very often. Station Model Violence help breathe new life into a genera who's corpse is already becoming bloated and diseased. I just hope this band doesn't become a one and done for these guys before they go and scatter to their other projects. The mountain avalanche has begun and there's no stopping it out now. This LP is available from Static Shock Records and Anti-Fade Records.    

Static Shock Records Bandcamp 

Anti Fade Records Bandcamp

Miscalculations - Paradox Intact LP Review

Paradox Intact is the band's first release since 2020 I believe. This is when their remarkable The Perfect Candidate LP came out. So if I'm counting correctly, this would make it Miscalculations sixth long player since their debut dropped back in 2013. I mention this not because the band is starting to sound trite or dull after so many releases, quite the opposite in fact. Shaun Clark and Marco Palumbo Rodrigues jump back into the melee head first with fists tightened and teeth clenched.

On this much anticipated new record, the band's resolve appears herculean, vision seems clearer, and direction is locked in and focused. Like urban nocturnal hunters honing in on their prey in the darkest of moonless nights. The band continues to take us down a rainy, dimly lit, neo-futuristic world with songs that evoke only the most ruinous of human emotions. Most of the time the tracks on this record have the bass guitar guiding the way through the murky waters like Charon through the river Styx. Meanwhile, the guitars fade in and out, swirling all around the unlighted, driving rhythms like restless apparitions. The vocals howl and wail desperately like a regretful soul, trapped in a spiritual prison of their own making. These hymns of psychosis featured here range from fast, hard driving blasters to mid tempo numbers that remind me a bit of early Killing Joke or Rozz Williams era Christian Death with a dystopian twist. Miscalculations aren't a goth or death rock band though. They do however stay on the shadowy side of punk, post punk and new wave, mixing a new sinister elixir of their own.

Make no mistake, Miscalculations are not here to hold your hand through a break up, or to try to make sense of your small, petty world for you. They simply hold a mirror to the dark and desperate lands in which we now dwell in or will soon come to pass. And that right there may be the most unnerving approach to an art form there is. Album is available now digitally with vinyl careening our way soon from No Front Teeth records.