Asocial – Aldrig Som Er

Originally active in the early ’80s, Asocial are among the foremost of the classic Swedish hardcore punk pantheon. The Scandinavians have always been on the cutting edge of raw punk, and Asocial were no different. Their 1984 Asocial Attack tape was absolutely essential to the creation of the kängpunk canon, along with bands like Anti Cimex, Shitlickers, Mob 47, Crude SS, and Avskum.

In early 2017, the band awoke from their decades-long slumber and began playing gigs and writing new material with a reformed lineup. This wasn’t their first reunion, though, as they played a few shows and released an EP in the ’90s. This time, however, Asocial returned angrier and more furious than ever. Two new albums, Död Åt Kapitalismen (2017) and Föralltid Underground (2019), were released on the finest Italian label F.O.A.D. Records, and both are fucking excellent by any standard.

The band’s latest Aldrig Som Er LP—released earlier in 2021 by a triumvirate of d-beat raw punk specialized labels—features both new songs (Side A) and re-recorded versions of classic Asocial songs from 1984-1986 (Side B).

There’s nothing particularly new Asocial are doing now than before, except for maybe incorporating some more aggressive crust punk tropes that weren’t available back in the early ’80s as the genre didn’t even exist at the time. I get it that some people are not content with old bands re-recording their classic material now, but there’s nothing stopping you to enjoy their old stuff—widely available online and re-released in various anthologies throughout the years. I love the fact that Asocial are still writing excellent new material, and I firmly believe that, if you want to play your old repertoire in 2021, you should take note of the genre’s massive evolution since the 1980s and try to make it sound as faster, angrier and crustier as it gets.

Whether it’s brand new tracks from these Swedish veterans or re-recordings of their classic material, Aldrig Som Er is comprised of seven great outtakes of old fashioned raw punk, filled to the brim with distorted riffs, vitriolic vocals and punishing d-beats. It’s all louder with better recording quality! Song titles like “Religion Still Fucking Sucks”, “Crossa Nazismen” (Smash Nazism), and “Asocial Attack” speak directly enough about the band’s message. What else could you ask for? This is an essential listening for anyone into Scandinavian hardcore punk.