Pat & the Pissers “SOIL/America’s Dream” 2022/2019. Romanus Records, on very limited MAGGOT filled vinyl. The grossest record, literally, I’ve ever purchased. Yes, those are actual, real maggots (more specifically, black solider fly larva) and I can barely look at this thing without feeling nauseous. According to my friend and the mad genius behind Romanus Records, Chris Banta: “I made a maggot-filled mockup for a potential client that I cant legally mention at this time. They said no to the maggots as I continued to search for real black flies in their fly state. The idea was simply too good, too gross not to use. I talked to Pat And The Pissers and asked, ‘does your new LP have anything at all to do with bugs?’ They said the artwork on SOIL literally has some grub bugs on it, and then we were off….The challenges of making the vinyl work are mostly getting some gross maggots in there while maintaining a balanced record. All of these custom LPs we make are pointless if they can’t actually play. Thankfully, after eight years of experimenting we have a pretty good idea how to make this all work.” (loudersound) And yes, this record does play and the music isn’t nearly as gross as the record itself.

Side A is America’s Dream from 2019, a short, 7-song release from the Indianapolis-based Pat & the Pissers. It has a decidedly political resistance bent lyrically and a mix of classic hardcore punk musically. My top tracks are “Freaks,” which calls to mind the vibe of early 80’s Suicidal Tendencies and the super-short thrasher “So Thick.”

SOIL is Side B, released in 2022. Snotty and speedy punk, not a single track hits the 2 minute mark. My top track from SOIL is “Konner” which happens to be the longest song on the LP – it’s very reminiscent of the mid-80’s hardcore sound with tempo changes, a stellar bass line and a really good hook. I also really like the title track, “Soil,” which is lightning fast and the shortest track (clocking in at just over 50 seconds).