In the overall history of punk rock and hardcore, Vancouver, British Columbia has played a surprisingly significant role. From the mid-to-late ’70s up to today, the medium sized metropolis on Canada’s west coast has been called home to some of the best of the best of the genre. As far as current bands go, my favorite has to be Chain Whip. This new six-song banger picks up where their 2019 14 Lashes record left off: short, caustic blasts of punk rock mustard gas. Getting your face too close to the speakers and you’re running the risk of chemical burns. Faster, anxious songs of depression and decline that perfectly sum up what is going on out there. As an added bonus, they’ve thrown in a cover of “Death Was Too Kind” by The Subhumans (my second favorite song by my all-time favorite Vancouver band). We’re living in society’s twilight years and Chain Whip is narrating the soft launch apocalypse. –Ty Stranglehold (Neon Taste)