Punk Eternality

Where have all the mohawks gone? Punk as it was when it first emerged in the ‘70s, might be gone. But the spirit of that revolutionary scene is still alive. In fact, plenty of bands from the modern era look to the past to find inspiration. These artists around the world are prolonging the punk era’s glory. In fact, the genre is still ever-prevalent in the modern scene. Albeit presented with a different mindset a new approach, a different slant than the original sound. We cover this today in Punk Eternality. 

It may well have started in the USA as a sound but the name and movement of Punk was the most British of affairs. We cannot mention punk without talking about The Stooges and The Ramones who prefaced the genre. As well as The Sex Pistols who fully expressed its potential in England later.

It was music impresario malcom McLaren was inspired by the youthful exhuberance of bands playing in USA, who bought it to England. He exported this energy bringing it back to London with the name Punk along with his fashion design partner Vivienne Westwood. The pair bought the visual and the anphem to this viral style of music.

Today, the movement unites the entire world from Europe to Asia passing by Africa. With bands such as Slant, straight out of Seoul. Coincidentaly Slant is Cent’s theme for this month.

First, we go to United States, where the roots of the movement stem. Yet, half a century later, the genre is still going strong in the US.

PEARS is a punk band that arrived on the scene in 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It can be described as the infusion of pop and hardcore into traditional punk. In fact, their sound is reminiscent of the early 2000s. PEARS among many other bands, prove that the genre is still a staple in the United States.

This is also the case across the entire world. In fact, in Europe it is also still well and alive. To start with, in England where the movement first crystallised into sub-genres in the mid-70s.

False Heads is a garage punk band that hailed from Essex in 2016. The group quickly got into the limelight of the scene, even catching the attention of Punk’n’Roll legend Iggy Pop. False Heads is one of many modern-day punk bands.

But, we also had a post-punk wave in another European country we wouldn’t necessarily think of.

The Quitters, are a French five-piece punk rock band from Montpellier, that was assembled in 2015. They were influenced heavily by indie punk rock, the sound they grew up to. At this time, the group is bringing new life to the genre by innovating with new sounds and vocals.

As well as Brooks Was Here, a four-member screamo punk band, created in Warsaw, Poland in 2011. Their raw and aggressive guitars coupled with strong vocals are a vehicle for a harsh commentary on the socio-political situation in Poland and personal struggles.

Or even the Swedish trio Randells which was created in 2014. The group showcases elements of surf rock. In fact, the group shines light on more traditional punk sounds.

Most surprisingly may well be Africa, which was also a pillar of Punk culture. Indeed, it generated the afro-punk genre. And to this day Africa still provides us with talented punk artists.

For example, we have Runaway Nuns a 5-piece garage-punk band that originated from Cape Town, South Africa in 2014. Their gang vocals, and intricate guitars combined with a pounding rhythm section make them stand out.

And the Fulu Miziki Kolektiv literally “Music from the garbage” from Kinshasa, Congo. This unique eco-friendly afro-punk band uses an orchestra made purely from objects found in trash. What’s more, they are touring the UK in 2023.

As surprising as it may seem Asia is also a hotspot for the genre. Therefore Punk Eternality is global.

Slant is proof of this. This Seoul, South-Korea-based five-piece hardcore punk band originated in 2005. The group released their first full-length album in February 2021, titled 1집. The songs on the project have been described as journeys of incandescent fury.

And Numba69 is a Japanese melodic punk band, founded in Tokyo in 2014.  Their sound feels influenced by bands like Good Charlotte or Sum41. It is a reminder of hanging out in skate parks in 90s and 2000s.

travelling further across the Earth. We have, Amyl & The Sniffers an Australian pub rock and punk rock band founded in Melbourne in 2016. Their debut album won the Best Rock Album category at the 2019 ARIA Music Awards.  

To finish we have Latin America with Fryturama. This Mexico City duo born in 2019 emanates explosive punk energy. Moreover, they showcase the thrill of grunge. All the while adapting the sound through experimentation, producing hypnotic sounds.

Ultimately, the punk genre is clearly alive and well. Furthermore, it is safe to say that it is global. In fact, the few examples we used only show a fraction of the genre’s prominence today. We have also been seeing this in fashion recently, London Fashion Week last week showed quite a few new young labels with gothic and punk influences running through their collections. Moreover, we cover this in our article London Fashion Week A/W 23. It’s in the air, it’s Punk Eternality.

If you enjoyed reading Punk Eternality why not read Global Aroma, Italian Style

.Cent Magazine London, Be Inspired; Get Involved