A write-up written by our good friend, Ralph:

An open palm implies a giving nature, ya dig?, and of course that gift may be the plaid socks from an errant aunt, the deadbeat dad’s birthday card celebrating a year +/-5 what we should really be celebrating, the stocking stuffer of bargain bin men’s cologne and matching de-odorant. And the bigger implication? You’ll never scrub clean that deep, deep funk.

But here, the Open Palm begets Deodorant: organic, time-tested, mother approved, Aluminum Free. Guaranteed to upwrench and unclench the stench of monotony from yer fetid pits, leaving only the Phunkiest of Pheromones behind. A few years removed from their stellar debut LP “Smells Good,” the Deodorizers in question cooked up what we’ve all come to expect from one of Chicago’s most interesting, creative, and uncompromising Hardcore Punk outfits: five tracks with the boom to make ya zoom (or vice versa), cemented dead center in a three circle Venn diagram titled “Cool Fuckin’ Shit” w/ SST 1-30, The Native Tongues Collective, and “the 25¢ comic section” comprising los outer tres orbs that some slap happy Nowhere, USA yuckster cooked up at 2AM.

Breathe deep, take a whiff. From their Open Palms to yours: Deodorant - Aluminum Free.


Our take: We last heard from Chicago’s Deodorant when they released their excellent 12” on Not Normal back in 2018, and they remain a gripping and unique band. While Deodorant’s technical intricacy, the lack of self-seriousness in their presentation, and their flirtation with straight-up hardcore remind me of Warm Bodies, I think they’re digging a little deeper for inspiration. The first track, “Bunta Groovin’ / Boast Mk. II” sounds like the Big Boys’ punk-funk with rap vocals, while “Top” reminds me of the Minutemen’s tenderest moments, and “Vs. Son of Baconator” channels the prog-ism of the later SST Records catalog, albeit at several times the tempo. Then they end with a straight up hardcore ripper, “Guitar Hero World Tour,” that sounds like YDI or something. It’s eclectic, but Deodorant is adept enough to nail all of it. A must for those of you who value both originality and intensity in your punk.