Earlier today, a few hours before heading to a gig featuring Australia's best hardcore band Straightjacket Nation, I was sent a new track from Wiccans, some of America's finest rowdy punks. After playing "Under the Sun" a bunch of times and listening to guitarist Payton Green's inspiring guitar lines, it made me think that in a perfect world Straightjacket Nation and Wiccans play on every hardcore bill. Always. Forever. Actually, they are the only two bands on any hardcore bill.Like Straightjacket, these Texans understand the basic principals of good tight hardcore; simplicity, volume and a general aversion to superfluous bullshit, posturing and trends. After playing for eight years, the four-piece who are now all based in Austin, sound like a well oiled hardcore machine but have lost nothing of their unhinged fury.Their third full-length, Sailing a Crazy Ship was recorded by Texan punk rock royalty Mark Ryan and Jeff Burke of Marked Men and is about to be released on Dull Tools, the label co-managed by ex-guitarist Andrew Savage.
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'Sailing A Crazy Ship' is available June 9 from Dull Tools.