Dirty Wombs came onto my radar when my favorite Athens punk, Bak, sent me their split 12" with Gutter as part of a larger trade in 2013. Their side stuck out to me for being exactly the kind of shit I like: 'Japanese hardcore'-style, with powerhouse riffs, memorable songwriting, epic solos, and tons of attitude. Over the years, I excitedly bought every new release as it came. I continued to watch from the sidelines as Dirty Wombs matured and refined their style, writing more complex and moody arrangements, keeping the Japanese hardcore-style but bringing in underlying Greek sensibilities and thrash metal flourishes. I took note as they hosted cool bands like Crude (Japan) and Backlash (Finland) in their home country. Their records remained among my favorites of recent years. Now, Dirty Wombs is bursting forth with their second LP, 8 of their most riff-heavy songs to date. Japanese hardcore is the obvious starting point, we all love Death Side and Bastard, but Dirty Wombs throws in some pinches of thrash metal and Greek crust to make for a more compelling emotional approach. The kind of shit I like, indeed. Art by the skilled hands of Andrew Morgan (Endless Grinning Skulls/Viral Age Records).