COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: OCTOBER

Cover of the month 10/12: “Power From Hell” (Onslaught), 1985.

Heading back to the UK for October’s cut, and it’s a stone cold classic we decided to take on this time. It goes without saying that Onslaught has had a big influence on us and they were one of those bands you heard early in your youth on a mixtape without knowing which band it was. An obvious choice that we could no longer resist. Having their roots in the UKHC/Crust-territories and adding those very strong Venom and early thrash-influences with the release of their debut album, Onslaught ’85 created a musical landscape that we really feel at home in.

Even though the punk-vibe is still present, it feels quite remarkable that the shift in style seemingly happened quite fast, yet they really mastered the metallic sound so well immediately. It’s pretty much only “Thermonuclear Devastation” that tells of a crustier past, a song that might as well could have been written by Discharge or Shitlickers and the like. Kind of unique to have a 1:30 long 2 riffs-song like that on your album, if you’re looking at contemporary thrash metal bands. That aforementioned tune would have been a cool one to try out as well, but eventually the title track was a bit too hard to pass on. As a first suggestion we additionally had “Death Metal” with an idea of changing it to “Punk Metal” in the choruses.

Also considered trying something by English Dogs, or some of the classic UK crust heroes, but Onslaught is what we all agreed on and ended up going for. Actually talked about doing this one back in 2015 already, along with Possessed which we also discussed for this year, but never happened then. Super stoked to be able to share our take on it with y’all this time instead.

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed from his prison….

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, September 2025. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, October 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/K28Gvt0xul8

COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: SEPTEMBER

Cover of the month 9/12: “Wargasm” (L7), Bricks Are Heavy, 1992.

They say it’s important to make a strong first impression, and L7 certainly did. Can still see those rabbits being skinned and slaughtered by the town sheriff while the song “Shitlist” fades in on the horror movie Pet Sematary II.

The time machine is set at destination LA ’92, and what might be the furthest away from what we normally consider our primary influences that we’ve ever ventured before. To our conservative (and perhaps a bit narrow-minded) traditional metal obsessed teenage selves, as much as approaching anything considered being the slightest part of the whole grunge-thing would be seen as a mortal sin. Instant irrevocable poser/sell out/commercial wimp-alert all the way. At the end of the day though, who cares? A great song is always a great song as we all know.
As soon as the suggestion of Wargasm came up, everyone felt very intrigued by doing an interpretation of this song. It truly has this sort of 90’s black metal vibe going on with its mid-tempo riffing, and the lyrical themes are obviously (and unfortunately) as relevant these days as always.

L7 has truly accomplished a lot, and influenced many, over the years. Celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2025. What primarily appeals to us is their uncompromising “we don’t give a fuck” saucy attitude, wild sounds and approach to the industry in general. Without apologizing, they rightfully took their place in a male-dominated elitist world and unknowingly most likely empowered a lot of young inexperienced and insecure musicians/creators to dare to believe in themselves. They should be highly commended for that.

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, April-August 2025. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, September 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/6a9faOaX25Q

COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: AUGUST

Cover of the month 8/12: “Werewolves On The Hunt” (Stormwitch), Walpurgis Night, 1984.

Already two thirds into this year’s cover of the month project, time flies by! For August we’re going southbound, heading towards the land of bratwursts and lederhosens. A bit strange that it took this long for us to make a cover of a German band, considering their such extensive musical heritage. But now, at last, the time has finally come.

As traditional heavy metal and the good ol’ teutonic thrash might be what they do best down there (along with kraut!), we chose to go for this little speed metal tune that could be seen as sort of a bridge between them. The debut album of Stormwitch is truly a forgotten gem that shouldn’t have surpassed anyone with some kind of interest in hidden 80’s-metal obscurities. Although they might have been lacking the most impressive falsettos, shredders and such more commercially appealing traits, few contemporary bands could match their strong songwriting and melodies.

We gave it a shot rehearsing Dead City by Violent Force as well, but unfortunately had a hard time finding the right vibe, Werewolves just felt like a better fit. We actually had Violent Force as a suggestion back in 2015, obviously along with style-defining bands like Sodom, Living Death, Kreator, Exumer, Running Wild and so on as well. The list can be made infinitely long when it comes to not only good German hard rock and metal bands but also that have influenced us over the years. Die by teutonic steel!

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, July 2025. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, August 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/YErOyBT8Cdo

COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: JULY

Cover of the month 7/12: “Slaughter Of The Innocent” (Repulsion), Horrified, 1989.

For July’s cover we’re going for a cut from one of the nastiest, gnarliest and most relentless albums to ever be put on wax. The term “all killers no fillers” have seldom felt more accurate. The way it grabs you in a stranglehold from the first riff of Stench of Burning Death (what a song title!), to the very last note of the title track is simply matched by very few. They somehow managed to mix an unpolished blend of grindcore, death metal and hardcore. A total meltdown previously unheard.

Just fascinating how you can achieve such perfection using only a few seemingly rather simple means. Like the crushing mid-tempo stomping (Black Breath!), faster 2-beat parts (or could it even be d-beat?) and the overall dominating total blasting grind madness. The fact that it was recorded way back in 1986, three years prior to its official release, makes the whole thing even more impressive and really shows how far ahead of their time they actually were.
Repulsion is an important cornerstone of the genre and a real game changer in the extreme metal scene who not only influenced similar bands in the 80s but also generations ahead.

Alternatives we considered were going for something slightly earlier, like Master/Death Strike, or later, like Nihilist/Entombed, but going for Repulsion really felt like the right move to make eventually. Especially considering that it’s not the first time we’ve discussed recording a cover of them. In addition to Slaughter Of The Innocent, the choice was also between Bodily Dismemberment and Radiation Sickness.

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, February-March 2025. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, May 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/9KLlILxJMGo

COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: JUNE

Cover Of The Month 6/12: “Faces Da Morte” (Lobotomia), S/t, 1987.

Well, don’t know how you feel, but in our opinion, any month is a good month for some South American thrash! Just like the 2015 cover series when we covered the mighty Sepultura, we’re setting our sight towards Brazil once again.

Flash forward ten years later, São Paulo’s crossover-legends Lobotomia are up next. It was really a song that felt like a pretty much perfect fit for us as soon as the suggestion came up. The metal/punk ratio here is really perfectly balanced, and it’s just such a simple yet efficient tune that catches your attention from the very first listen. It’s a timeless and classic album that we listen to a lot.

As far as what potential alternative candidates were, taking on any of the unhinged mid-80’s proto-black/death metal maniacs such as Sarcofago, Vulcano or Parabellum would have felt a little compelling. But after all it probably would’ve been quite difficult to recreate the unique atmosphere they all possess.

Lastly, to wrap it up, singing in a language you don’t speak is always a challenging task, hopefully the pronunciations and articulations aren’t way too off. Lyrics sung in spanish/portuguese really give it this certain kind of genuine vibe that always seems to distinguish it from its presumed influences in such a nice way.

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, May 2025. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, May 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/FoBzdCj15EM

2x Live in October

COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: MAY

Cover Of The Month 5/12: “Döda Mig” (Svart Snö), Ren, Säker och Billig!, 1989.

It was a no-brainer that we wanted to pay tribute to the early Swedish hardcore scene in one way or another this time around as well. But as you all know, there are lots of good and influential bands to choose from. Initially, SOD (Sound Of Disaster) was mentioned along with Crude SS and D.T.A.L. But finally we agreed on Svart Snö. A very underrated band that rarely gets the attention they deserve. It’s strange that there isn’t, or has been, more fuzz about them. Like, how come you never see punks around the world wearing bootleg printed Svart Snö merch or having their logo painted on the jacket? Think about it.

Some find it difficult to categorize them and that’s perhaps one of the reasons why people have such a hard time accepting the band. The fact that they don’t sound like many others makes them even more interesting and appealing. Picked up a copy of “Nemesis Divina” at the local record store in the mid-90s and been a fan ever since!

During their active years between 1987-1997 they managed to release three albums and a handful of EP’s. We narrowed down the selection of songs and ended up with three final candidates: “Klättra mot himmelen”, “Komfort” and ”Döda mig”. The first two actually represent the band’s unique sound and songwriting better, but instead we preferred a good old straight forward banger for this month.

Worth mentioning, and not to forget about, is that ”Ren, säker och billig!” is not only Svart Snö’s debut EP but also the legendary label Finn Records first release. An independent label that was also an important and very influential component of the Swedish punk and hardcore scene in the 90s.

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, April 2025. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, May 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/IvHKIEK1hCo

COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: APRIL

Cover Of The Month 4/12: “My Mind’s Diseased” (Battalion Of Saints), Second Coming, 1984.

Four down, eight to go. Things are moving swiftly. We felt like it was about time to delve into some good ol’ USHC territory for this month. Tough choice, like always, do you go New York, D.C., Boston, Midwest…? Opportunities for all the style-forming bands and all-time classics you’d like to pay tribute to are endless!

After some serious consideration we eventually settled for the west coast, and the weapon of choice became the opening track from the debut album by this badass San Diego-outfit. It just captures the spirit of the early/mid 80s in such a perfect way with its juvenile kind of snottiness, intensity and spontaneity. It simply contains everything you want from a hardcore tune.Well, the whole album is brilliant. Some even claim that you can hear clearer influences from the UK punk and heavy metal scene on “Second Coming” compared to other US hardcore bands. We leave that unsaid, but who knows, subconsciously maybe that’s why we also chose Battalion of Saints in the end.

It’s worth mentioning that we also tried out rehearsing “I don’t belong” by Jerry’s Kids and both “It’s an action” and “Rich get richer” by Poison Idea. But there was no end to the list of suggestions for songs/bands. You don’t want to take the most obvious ones and in our opinion, Battalion of Saints isn’t talked about to the same extent as other bands from the same era. Essentially we mainly felt it was a song that suited us.

Fun fact: I actually had “My mind’s diseased” on a mixtape that I got in the early 90’s from a buddy’s older brother. I thought the singer sounded crazy and reminded me of “En slemmig torsk” by KSMB and the Dead Kennedys. I also remember that the odd elements and stops in the music made an impression on me. Not to mention the scream he makes at the end of the first bridge. How is that even possible? I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
I tell you this, references and availability of non mainstream punk/hardcore bands were very limited before the internet. At least if you lived in a small town and your social circle consisted of a handful of people who shared your taste in music. I was completely unaware (until many years later) of which bands and songs he had recorded for me, still it quickly became one of my favorite tapes. 24/7 rotation and the perfect soundtrack when you were out sk8-boarding late at night.
Fast forward to the present, our minds are still diseased but instead with daily life, it’s diseased with social media and disinformation. Wouldn’t you agree?

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, February-March 2025. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, April 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/952_NIgAb2k

COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: MARCH

Cover Of The Month 3/12: “I Am The Hunted” (Charged G.B.H), City Baby Attacked By Rats, 1982.

Just like back in 2015, we’re going UK for the March cover in this year’s series as well. We can’t deny how much of an impact and influence the UK punk/metal scene has had on us over the years. Not to mention all the classic hard rock bands from our childhood.
Anyway, that time it became a song by The Exploited that we chose, but before finally settling for them, another strong candidate we also considered back then as well was G.B.H. So this time around they felt quite given to be saluted with an interpretation by yours truly.

As one of the most iconic and classic punk bands of all time both music- and style-wise, we surely cannot be alone to have them as one of the first bands we got into when discovering this genre in the first place. There’s just no end to the insane amount of bangers they’ve produced, which is something that made the task of choosing just one song a bit complicated.

The songs from their early EPs and singles are perhaps the ones that most people strongly associate them with. We thought it felt a bit too obvious and after some serious consideration we eventually decided to go with a song from their first album. Which in retrospect feels like an excellent choice since it really suited us well as it has elements of punk rock, the rawness and a certain melody. We also gave “Slit Your Own Throat” a try, but it literally stumbled at the finish line.

By the way, is it just us or aren’t Eddie on the cover of Iron Maiden’s debut album and Colin Abraham from the same era strikingly similar? Anyone else ever thought about that?

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, February 2025. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, March 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/A1eG2NAzqCM

COVER OF THE MONTH 2025: FEBRUARY

Cover Of The Month 2/12: “State Oppression” (Raw Power), Screams From The Gutter, 1985.

While discussing which songs to choose this time around, we early figured out that we really wanted to do something Italian. They have such a rich history and strong tradition of great bands, and their scene seems to stay ever so alive, active and vibrant. It can be hard to choose among all of our favorite bands, and at the same time be in agreement, but we tried to be spontaneous and go for what the gut feeling said at the moment. A band and a song that immediately felt right without analyzing and discussing it too much.

We decided to go for this all time raging opening track from a stone cold classic album. The way that they’re stylistically moving in the borderlands between punk, hardcore, crossover and thrash is something that we really feel that we can relate to. Bands with such versatility are always a huge inspiration.

With its mindless intensity and anthemic sing along chorus, this is simply the kind of song that you just can’t resist urging to play, and wish you were able to write yourself. The rest of the album is full of songs that ain’t too far behind either, and to wrap it all up it’s also graced with one of the sickest looking cover artworks you’ll ever lay your eyes upon. That twisted sewer-creature in those shrieky colors is just a perfect match with the craziness of the music itself.

Recorded by Jocke D-takt at Studio Mangel, December 2024. Mixed and mastered by Kenko at Communichaos, January 2025.

Note: the songs are only available via our YouTube channel.
Link: https://youtu.be/hl45Bqf1D7Y