Giglinger – Jävla Nazi EP

Jävla Nazi is one of the latest releases from Helsinki punk band Giglinger, whose first single was released back in 1997. Containing two short songs, the record begins with the title track “Jävla Nazi”, which they sing in Swedish despite being from Finland. As you might guess, the track is about the right-wing idiots that infest our communities. 

The second track is called “Independent Action”, which is a classic punk anthem about taking back your life and breaking down all the barriers that have been imposed on you. The track also reflects the band’s total DIY attitude. Giglinger have released all their records themselves and although they don’t play live shows, most of their songs were recorded live in their rehearsal room. Except for mastering and artwork, everything is done by the band.

Despite the raw production quality, the songs are quite well written and the lo-fi production only ensures that they hit you right in the face. You can hear a lot of classic ‘80s punk influences, including some of Finland’s greats like Rattus or Destrucktions, but there is definitely some garage-rock influence bleeding into these songs as well. I can also hear some heavy metal influences, reminiscent of the Japanese band Gastunk. The record is quite short, but the band has been really active lately—they released a 13-track cassette in 2022. The 13-song tape is also their longest record to date and is available on their Bandcamp page. I love 7-inch records like Jävla Nazi, though, and I’m still amazed at the sheer number of raw-sounding punk bands from Finland, past and present.