Hardcore punk from Malaysia! How privileged are we, the native English speakers, that our language has become the de facto language of rock music, where even a band from Southeast Asia releases a killer punk record and we don’t even need to grumble about the (like, definitely for real) hardship of translation. Rooted in ’80s hardcore punk but with a clear acknowledgement of the more modern evolution of the style, Man Dead Set seem to have escaped many of the tropes and ill-advised trappings of modern punk to create a decidedly un-modern yet still current album. If that word salad doesn’t convince you, then just take a listen to relevant end-times anthems like “Everything Is Shit” and “Peace and Make Up” for yourself. Maybe it’s the locale or maybe it’s just great instinct and conviction, but this album really meets the moment—and has a nice Rollins Band-looking album cover to boot. –Chad Williams (Ruined, ruinedrecords.com)