The ghosts in the machine clearly had it in for me this week.
My first 30 minutes vanished into the digital ether, swallowed whole by whatever gremlin powers the Louder Than War Radio transmitter. Praise be, then, to the blessed sanctuary of Mixcloud where the entire show survives, preserved like a holy relic for the sonically devout.
I began my wanderings where all good pilgrimages start: home soil, with The Affliction – “Good People.” Three minutes and fourteen seconds of pure Colwyn Bay glory — the kind of track that outlives the band, outlives the decade, possibly outlives Rhyl itself. Its video is a snapshot of people and places that still haunt the North Wales coastline.
From there the trail shot north to Cumbria with Afflicted – “Fake,” discovered by way of a review in Last Stop Sounds, before bouncing back to Copenhagen where Wyn had already planted a flag last week: NEXØ – “Concentration,” from their new EP Mindful Inaction on TNS. Wyn played it while I was wading through Albanian rainwater; now it returns as a tighter, harder punch to the ribs.
Germany beckoned next — the Black Forest gloom of Brach – “One Day,” inhabiting that dim corner where crust meets melancholy and refuses to give way to despair. The sort of track you’d expect to find echoing around a crumbling viaduct on a long walk home.
A sticker on a lamppost in Bari (always pays to sticker!) pulled me toward Romania with Avoid Humanity – “Between Now and Never,” a perfect example of why you should never travel without looking up — the scene is everywhere.
Then: Newport-ish silliness meets sincerity with Thronk – “There’s No A.I. In Team,” launching discount codes and EP bargains like confetti, before drifting into the warmth-free memory of summer with Without Love – “Soul Purpose.”
Hamburg’s Rauchen – “[Das] Brennen” arrived via Garry (who else?), ex-Death of Youth members still radiating heat. Then straight into Blackpool mud with Cock Batteth – “Mary’s Estate,” a Mick Magic-approved racket.
Wrexham came next — it always does — with Eight O’Clock George – “Barricades,” ahead of their new album, followed by Stuntface – “Million of You.” I’ll be joining them at the Magic Dragon on Dec 20th; Wrexham on a Saturday will be chaos and probably perfect.
Merseyside’s Decibel – “Visitor” shook the dust loose — their new album Bones is absolutely solid — and Belfast’s own filth merchants Rats Breath followed with “Conduit of Shit.”
Poland chimed in with AM – “Co Tam Słychać,” complete with a freshly uploaded gig video, and then Bristol’s chaos providers Cool Jerks – “We Live In Hell,” not pulled from their new live LP, but from their excellent England album.
Rich then dragged me to Greece for Distress – “Пиздаболы (Fucking Liars),” as wholesome as Greek hardcore ever gets — which is to say: not very.
A tour of Europe, of bedrooms and basements, of stickers and cities, of bands new and dead and halfway between. That’s the beauty of it — even when the broadcast ghosts steal half an hour, the noise always finds a way through.
