Destroy//Exist is spotlighting fresh releases and hidden gems from the punk underground; a blend of new statements and overlooked records which continue to shape the punk rock spirit.
The column's second edition is a cross-section of intense, gritty punk and post punk releases spanning modern aggression, dark atmospheric heaviness, and essential archival history.
Billed as San Francisco’s most hated post punk/indiepop trio,
Neutrals carve out a sharp, hook-laden sound rooted in post punk grit and power pop melody. Their second full length album,
New Town Dream, is punk to the core, raw, spirited, and steeped in the lineage of the genre’s past. Beyond their albums, the band has a rich trove of EPs and demos already out in the world, all of which are well worth digging into.
Armed with six hard-hitting, D-beat-driven punk tracks, Melbourne’s newest hardcore force,
Whose Reality?, arrives swinging. Recorded in March 2025 and released on August 22, 2025, their debut demo delivers a scorching, unfiltered sound. It’s a raw and riveting first strike, all gritty, relentless, and addictive, exactly what punk’s next wave of troublemakers should be offering for the genre's future.
Crust collides with apocalyptic fantasy on this devastating release from Sweden’s
Swordwielder. Tracks like
Weapons of the Dark Ages and
Devil in Command create a brutal war-torn realm, driven by grim lyricism and earth-shaking guitars. Released in June 2023, it’s a portrait of pure sonic ruin, relentless and unhinged.
One of the year’s most remarkable archival releases,
Hüsker Dü's
1985: The Miracle Year captures the band live at First Avenue in what may be the best-sounding recordings from their celebrated SST era. The expansive release features Beau Sorenson’s full restoration of the January 30, 1985 performance, plus 20 additional live tracks from that year’s relentless tour schedule, as well as a deluxe book that documents twelve months of history-defining momentum.
Edmonton’s
HOME FRONT have steadily risen through the underground, creating a sharply defined sound that fuses post punk tension with pop punk immediacy. Their album
Watch It Die explores the struggle of living while fully aware of mortality, driven by vintage drum machines, analog synths, and searing guitar work. Blending pop sensibility with punk grit is no easy feat, especially without softening the edges, but HOME FRONT pull it off with conviction.
Top photo Whose Reality? by photoyunist
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