Hardcore punk from Santa Ana, California. Our take: Debut 7” by this band from the punk hotbed of Santa Ana, California. Abuso de Poder’s sound toes the line between hardcore punk and oi!, reminding me of early 80s bands like the 4 Skins, Iron Cross, or Blitzkrieg. The gruff vocals and alternately stomping and charging rhythms keep things sounding very tough, but there’s a subtle tunefulness at the heart of Abuso de Poder’s sound. They may not be as catchy as Rixe, for instance, but these six songs are laced with the kinds of touches that keep you flipping the record over and over… 86 Mentality is another good point of reference, both in terms of Abuso de Poder’s sound and that flip-ability factor. I also love that this is a 33rpm 7” with 6 killer tracks… it reminds of old Dischord EPs, which are pretty much my favorite records in the world. Excellent stuff.
