Tozcos – Infernal

Tozcos are a punk powerhouse from Santa Ana, California, who have been tearing through the Latinx punk scene in the States for over a decade with their all-Spanish bangers. Their discography started with a rawly recorded demo in 2013, followed by an equally stripped-down EP in 2015 and the hard-hitting debut album Sueños Deceptivos in 2018. Then, toward the end of 2023, their second full-length, Infernal, suddenly appeared and caught plenty of people off guard.

Perhaps even more surprising was the label behind it. Toxic State Records has always been closely associated with the New York punk habitat, so releasing a California band was a fairly unusual move. The label is certainly no stranger to Latinx punk, though, having recently put out excellent records by bands like Abism, Salvaje Punk, and Ataque Subliminal. Still, seeing Tozcos join that roster felt unexpected.

Musically, Infernal is a huge step forward. It feels more dynamic, sharper, and far more electrifying than their debut without abandoning the foundation the band has built over the years. Tozcos remain deeply rooted in the tradition of California Latinx punk, with clear nods to pioneers like Alice Bag, The Zeros, The Stains, and The Plugz. Elsewhere, the occasional surf guitar riffs and infectious hooks bring Agent Orange, Adolescents, and TSOL to mind, while the rhythm section often carries the blunt force of classic UK82.

Yet the band’s influences stretch much further than California. You can hear it particularly in the harsher, more raucous vocals, with traces of Spanish punk like Eskorbuto and Toreros After Olé, alongside European bands such as B.G.K., Negazione, and Svart Framtid. There is also something here that recalls all those obscure bands scattered across classic ’80s compilations like Welcome To 1984.

Of course, all this name-dropping is mostly beside the point. What it really shows is that behind Tozcos’ seemingly simple and effective formula lies a deep understanding of punk’s history and cultural significance. They know where the sound comes from. More importantly, they know how to make it their own.

As descendants of Mexican immigrants in the United States, the lyrical content of Infernal feels every bit as important as the music itself. The record digs into questions of identity, self-perception, displacement, and what it means to exist within a society shaped by racism and inequality. It’s punk with a purpose, confronting both personal struggles and the wider structures that keep producing them.

From the opening seconds of “El Vacio,” Infernal grabs you by the neck and pulls you straight into the void. Razor-sharp riffs and a relentless pace frame lyrics that question fear, insecurity, and the conditions that create them. “Ven A Ver” and “Nadie Dice Nada” spit at indifference, forcing attention toward injustices that people would rather ignore, while “¿Quién Te Va Enterrar?” honors people’s stories and struggles, refusing to let them simply disappear.

“Desilusión Total” and “Regeneración” dig into disillusionment and the desire for renewal in a world shaped by systemic barriers. “Presos” and “Ojos Muertos,” meanwhile, paint a much bleaker picture of confinement, alienation, and a society increasingly numb to suffering. The lead single, “Presos,” also came with a killer video that channels the spirit of the ’80s Latinx punk underground. Grainy, glitchy, and deliberately lo-fi, it looks like some obscure television performance rescued from a battered VHS tape.

Then come songs like “Sigio Infernal,” “Nunca Pasarán,” and “Viboras,” all carrying the same sense of struggle against oppression, deceit, and the slow violence of everyday survival. The closing track, “Abolición,” makes the album’s political position even more explicit. It’s a direct condemnation of systemic violence and a call for the abolition of oppressive institutions such as the police, drawing a clear line between the album’s infernal imagery and the conditions endured by marginalized communities.

True to its title and aesthetics, Infernal works on two levels. It’s a relentless and incredibly fun punk record, but underneath the riffs lies a serious social critique of the realities faced by marginalized and immigrant communities at a time of growing inequality and increasingly conservative politics.

Certainly one of the punk highlights of the year. Europeans can get the record from Quality Control HQ in the UK.