ho99o9 destroys the punk police on their new ep

Ho99o9 have long straddled the line between punk and hip-hop, but on their latest eardrum-shredding record, they’ve officially taken the mantle of punkest band on the planet. Cyber Cop [Unauthorized MP3.] is a computer virus for your ears, it will take over the auditory processing center of your brain, move into the frontal lobe and cause you to smash the system. Ever read Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash? It’s like that but for anarchy. By the time you read this, it’s already too late. Sorry not sorry.

Cyberpunk themes run throughout the album, but are loudest on the standout “Mega City Nine” which reinvents Inner Circle’s “Bad Boys” for Judge Dredd’s hometown. “Punk Police” takes square aim at any punker-than-thous who accuse Ho99o9 of being “not punk enough” because they “can’t tell you what the first Subhumans album was called.” All the best punk bands have a song about anyone who says they’re not punk enough can get bent. Fugazi had “The Argument,” Crass had “Punk Is Dead,” and now we got “Punk Police.” Come to think of it, that’s more like half of Crass’ discography. Whatever, song’s dope. Punk police can fuck off.

“Delete My Browser History” feels like listening to Nine Inch Nails in 1991, in the best possible way. Over a loping synth bass line, the song expands from a tense industrial rager into a punk explosion, the mantra beneath intoning, “I do what I want / You can’t tell me shit.” (I just wrote Ho99o9 on a Trapper Keeper in Sharpie. I don’t know where the Trapper Keeper came from.) But the band saves the best for last with the epic anthem “Leader of Pain.” Calling it now: Best punk song of 2018! The end.

Wait, one more thing. I forgot about the zine. Ho99o9 made a zine. It’s fucking rad. It’s over HERE.