Monotony Asylum

A Beginner's Guide to Crust Punk Subgenres

2025-07-11T15:13:00.003-04:00

Let’s Start This Shit

Alright, so it’s been a minute since I posted here. It’s just me (one of the twins, Feel) now. Still have this site so figured I’d try stuff out.

Anyway! Are you ready to dive into the gritty, intense world of crust punk? Fuck yeah you are. Whether you're a seasoned punk veteran or a curious newcomer, this guide to crust punk subgenres will take you on an audio journey through the gritty, crusty underground. From the raw aggression of d-beat raw punk to the emotional and lyrical intensity of neocrust, you’re in for a treat.

So What Is Crust Punk?

Crust punk is being a cool as fuck dirty kid living in a punk house or hopping trains. That’s it - that’s the guide!

Just kidding. Crust punk emerged in the early 1980s, blending the anarcho-punk ethos of bands like Crass with the heavy sounds of extreme metal. It's characterized by its raw, distorted sound, politically charged lyrics, and DIY aesthetics.

Why This Guide?

Because I’m broke, still have Google Adsense on this blog, and didn’t find a cool guide of my own. And not gonna lie, the world of crust punk can be overwhelming for beginners. It’s got numerous subgenres and regional variations, so it's easy to get lost in the noise. That's why I’ve created this quick guide to help you navigate the crusty landscape and discover the bands that speak to your inner oogle.

Subgenre Breakdown

Here’s a list of the main subgenres of crust punk, from the earliest to the most recent developments:

1. Early UK Crust

2. D-Beat

3. American Crust Punk

4. Stenchcore

5. Neocrust

6. Stadium Crust (Melodic Crust)

7. Emo Crust

8. Crasher Crust

9. Blackened Crust

This should be enough to pique your interest and get you started. If there’s interest in this post, however (or if I get the time), I’ll probably follow up with more comprehensive guides that will cover:

- An overview of the style's characteristics

- Essential albums that define the sound

- Key tracks to check out

- Information on the subgenre's evolution and influence

Stay Dirty, Comrades

Whether you're drawn to the apocalyptic sounds of Amebix, the d-beat fury of Discharge, or the emotional intensity of Fall of Efrafa, there's a raw punk path waiting for you. (Unless you’re a fascist - then fuck you.) So crank up the volume, raise your fist, join a DIY community, and blast some sick beats! (A)//(E)

Keywords: crust punk, subgenres, D-beat, Neocrust, Stenchcore, punk rock, extreme music, anarcho-punk, DIY, underground music

HEY, LISTEN

2011-09-17T01:19:00.002-04:00

You all suck.

Cheers,

Touch<3

HEY, LISTEN

2011-09-15T02:49:00.000-04:00

So what's everyone been up to?

Two for One

2011-09-12T01:48:00.000-04:00

Aaaaand here's another post!

This one's another music video, but a very good one at that.

I concede, there are other "good" music videos out there with hipsterly dressed band members prancing around on treadmills (which I do like, by the way) but this one is genuinely good, going beyond being a purely aesthetic addition to the song.

You'll see what I mean.

Cheers,

Touch

Oh Fuck

2011-09-12T01:33:00.000-04:00

I need this shirt.

[Insert quirky and witty title to attract readers old and new]

2011-02-16T02:48:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I come across something so funny that even when rereading it I can't stop laughing. To achieve this stature the thing in question has to be craftily constructed and brilliantly executed--and that's exactly what the story I'm about to share with you does.

To be fair, I found this on stumbleupon and to be fairer it's originally from the beloved 4chan.

Enjoy

Cheers,
Touch

Insomnia

2011-02-08T04:27:00.000-05:00

So whenever I stay up too late I start to get a bit loopy, but to prove my dedication to posting something here I am.

I few days ago I found this article that some of you gents might find hilulzy and you gals may find offensive--but hey! It's science and Psychology Today, not me.
^^^^^^^^^^
Link up there

Hu-zah!

Cheers,
Touch

HELLO COMRADES.

2011-02-06T23:24:00.000-05:00

We shall not abandon you.

FOR THE MOTHERLAND!

The Brothers Mario

2011-02-03T22:28:00.001-05:00

According to YouTube a couple million people have already seen this. Chances are though that at least someone that's following this blog, hasn't. So here's a rather ingenious video made using something that reminds me of The Sims.

Hope you enjoy.

Cheers,

Touch

Guess who's back, back again!

2011-02-03T16:29:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of your followed this because you genuinely found it interesting or if everyone just did it to get bumped, but I've committed to keeping "For the Motherland" alive for the sake of those that did care!

Here's a funny picture.

And even if nobody did, too bad, I'll be spamming your feed with my rantings.

Cheers!
Touch

Music: Crass - Big A, little a

2010-12-01T20:13:00.003-05:00

I'm going to start this post by making a broad assumption: a lot of songs today don't make a whole lot of sense. Yes they (usually) speak proper English but even then they either Kurt Cobain it and you can't understand what they're saying or it's so autotuned out that they could be coughing and it'd sound like God Himself was crying tears of music.

With this you too can sound like a robot.

This post isn't about one of those synthesized animal screams; this song is about, in my opinion, one of the most meaningful songs ever written by one of the best bands ever to compose. If you're not familiar with the song already, it's "Big A, little a" by the amazing anarcho-punk band, Crass. To abridge a lengthy subrant, anarcho-punk is punk rock that usually sounds like UK 82 or Oi!, but can really sound like anything since no laws govern what anarcho-punk sounds like (get it? It's "anarchy"!).

Crass is also the band that created this.

Elaborating on the song, "Big A, little a" is about just being yourself and not listening to what government, religion, or anyone else tells you what to be or do. I implore you not only enjoy some good anarcho-punk, but also to read the lyrics while you listen, especially if you're not good at picking out words in songs (personally, I'm not) because the message is really worth paying attention to.

Cheers,
Touch
(edited by Feel)

Stumble Findings: Ice Meteorite Found with Extraterrestrial Life

2010-11-28T03:26:00.000-05:00

First off, I have to say that this discovery is HUGE. It doesn't matter if you don't like science and don't keep up with the going-ons of discovery, you should take a little time out of your day to ponder the gravity of this milestone in human history.

One of my favorite paintings.

From the time our ancestors first stopped crapping in their hands and began philosophizing over our place in the cosmos, we have only been able to speculate at the possibility that we are not alone. Until now, "proof" of other life has existed only within the confines of dark, lonely, basements full of empty pizza boxes, energy drink cans, and grotesque excuses for human beings---but without any actual scientific backing.

All you naysayers that insist we are the only life in the universe: fuck you.

Stumble Updates: Minecraft Creepers...

2010-11-26T16:19:00.000-05:00

DEAR GOD WHY--!!

(Quick update; may expand later. Also, If you cannot relate to this...you must check out Minecraft!)

Music: I'm Blue

2010-11-24T02:54:00.000-05:00

A few nights ago I started a new obsession as I often do on days when divine inspiration hits me. On this occasion, my inspiration was a faith-crushing lab report that left me longing for the sweet respite of death. Knowing this was not an option, I was forced to delve deep into my psyche to find the right song to listen to in order to keep me from losing it.

And by the graceful hand of two 5hr Energy drinks it hit me: Blue by Eiffel 65.

But wait, it had to be harder, faster, with a better beat--I realized that what I need was a remix.

Disappointingly, there was no standard remix that everyone loves and hates that I could take a listen to much to my amazement. Here was one of the most awesome songs of the past 20 years and nobody had had the heart to butcher it beyond recognition for better or for worse.

I was undeterred, however, and soon I found a remix that almost hit the spot even though I still felt it was lacking. It was the difference between heroin and methadone though and this jumpstyle tune was decent.

Now, if you hate jumpstyle that's perfectly alright because I personally prefer hardstyle as well, but that's no reason not to take a listen to this remix of the hit Eiffel 65 song "Blue". The remix is done by Dj Bryan and is so far the best remix of "Blue" I've been able to find (in my opinion).

Enjoy,
Touch

Loney Infermo

2010-11-22T03:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you that haven't had the blessing of finding this gem of a comic, here's the Loney Infermo. This is one of those comics that not only makes me laugh it makes me laugh out loud and not just type "lol" like an illiterate wrist-cutter.

Now, I can't take the credit for finding this little fella' since it was Feel that found it by means of witchcraft and wizardry--prostitution--and I give him full credit where credit is due. To whet your senses to this comic, here's a cock tease:

MOTHERFUCKING LOFL
LAUGH. OUT. FUCKING. LOUD.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Touch

(p.s. Ahh-haha! Here's the LINK. You thought I forgot didn't you?)

RAGE RAGE AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT

2010-11-22T02:47:00.000-05:00

So I've been super busy these days with schoolwork and crying myself to sleep as I wallowed in self-pity. It was during one of these intimate moments of vulnerability that it hit me: For the Motherland.

I am not a citizen; I am not a man; I am not an individual. I am your comrade.

With this newfound might I have vowed to wage a one-man war on the demons of procrastination and sloth that have almost damned this blog to the ephemeral. I will fight by laptop, Droid, and by desktop. I shall never surrender.

I will fight on comrades.

Salutes,
Touch

Music: Giulia

2010-11-11T01:10:00.001-05:00

Keeping this blog up and running in the midst of an engineering major is turning out to be quite the untamable bitch. Try as I might, I just can't seem to break this horse. Alas, I do have something to share with all of you, and because I have spent the past few days listening to songs I like on iTunes this is not surprisingly a song.

To share a bit about my ignorance, I didn't know this song until relatively recently even though it may be a throwback for some of you out there (especially the Europeans). The song is "Giulia" by DJ Lhasa and it was a very popular song back in the early 00's. I personally find it to be one of the catchier dance songs I've found to date and am surprised it didn't cross my path sooner. In my defense though, I don't think it ever got big here in the States because we are all culturally illiterate--am I right Europe?

Anyways before I finish teasing all of you, I want to apologize to all our followers for my general absence and lack of reciprocity in comments and to Feel for making him do all the work of a supposed team blog. I have forgotten the face of my father.

(Bonus if you catch the reference!)

Stumble Findings: Random, Funny, Inspirational Quotes!

2010-11-08T01:50:00.001-05:00

Sorry guys, this breakup has been tougher than I anticipated. But I will not be abandoning this blog or you followers any time soon! Here's a quick update:

Link: http://www.fromupnorth.com/2010/08/inspiration-gallery-103-various-quotes/

Cheers!

-Feel

P.S. I will respond to all comments eventually! I like doing it, it keeps this blog personal. :)

Stumble Findings: Save Ink! Use Garamond font!

2010-11-05T18:23:00.001-04:00

Hello, followers!

Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with midterms and breaking up with my girlfriend (baw I know but it's cool). Anyway, this update is coming to you late because my friend from California came to visit and BROUGHT ME IN-N-OUT ALL THE WAY FROM L.A!!!!!

BEHOLD.

Despite the fact that it had not been refrigerated in over 12 hours, I scarfed that mofo double-double like a boss and my stomach was so satisfied to have such a glorious burger inside of it that it refused to puke it out. DELICIOUS.

Anyway! On to the actual post..

Ever wonder which font used the most/least ink, and wanted to test it out by drawing the fonts on your wall using pens? Well, too bad, because someone already did it!

Someone ALWAYS steals your bright ideas!

This awesome experiment was done by designers Matt Robinson and Tom Wigglesworth using ballpoint pens. These were the results, with Garamond the clear winner and Cooper Black living up to its name.


(That comment up there was in no way racist.)

So there you have it! Next time you're raging about how expensive printer ink is, well...at least you can change your font!

Source: http://flowingdata.com/2010/01/29/save-pens-use-garamond-font/

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Cheers!

-Feel

Stumble Findings: Awesome Short

2010-11-04T02:04:00.000-04:00

While there are a lot of short films out there (many of them crappy) there is occasionally a gem in the heap of dung and this short is one of them. This film is titled Your Lucky Day and while I don't know by whom it is by--mostly because I was too lazy to look at the credits closely--it is powerful in its delivery and surprisingly well made in my opinion.

Short and brief is how blogs are best so I'll let the explanations and all on the blog the url above links to do the rest of the work for me.

Cheers,
Touch

Legitimate Thoughts: Atheism--Is it in you?

2010-11-02T21:19:00.003-04:00

In light of the religious Holidays that just took place (yes, "Halloween"--actually All Saints' Day on the Catholic calendar--is a holy-day.) here's my thoughts on the fad of atheism among young people and hipsters. Let me start by saying that I am neither a bible-beater nor do I hold innate contempt towards atheists. To give a bit of context, I was born and raised Catholic and attended Catholic school most of my life; despite this I haven’t been a practicing Catholic for over 4 years and I haven’t gone to confession in almost 7. Sound familiar? Chances are you or someone you know has followed a fairly similar pattern of being raised in a religious family only to become non-practicing later on, usually during the enlightening—sarcasm—teen years. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to choose whether or not to be religious, there is something wrong with assuming that an immature teenage brain is somehow capable of grasping the complex concept of God and simultaneously casting it aside as archaic and unfounded.

You see, there’s a distinct difference between real atheists like Richard Dawkins and Bertrand Russell, the former who has famously written some of the most thought out and insightful arguments for atheism (a brilliant example I’d recommend to anyone being ‘Teapot Atheist’), and your average 13-20-something-year-old bandwagon atheist. For one, atheists like Dawkins and Russel have researched both sides of the argument and have references upon references to back up their stance. On the contrary, most bandwagon atheist are like their namesake and only go with what’s popular and not necessarily with what they know—simply stating “everyone that believes in God doesn’t know anything about science” is as good an argument as the “all atheists are going to hell because the bible said so” defense of Go-God-Go fanatics.

Bringing things back to the aforementioned science over God quote, this is one of the things that most gets to me about bandwagon atheists and my response to them is this: if you’re going to make the claim that religion and science cannot coexist you should probably take a look at your 6^th grade science book and reread about Gregor Mendel (oh snap! An Augustinian priest!?) for starters. Or if you’re a little more versed and make more clever arguments like “God didn’t make the universe, the Big Bang did,” you might be surprised to know that the theory was first proposed by Georges Henri Joseph Édouard Lemaître, a—I'm seeing a trend here...—priest.

Case in point, some of the most brilliant men in all fields of knowledge have been religious and I’m pretty sure the likes of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein knew more about what makes the universe tick than a high school or college student. In fact, Sir Isaac Newton even warned against seeing the universe as a mere machine and had this to say about his theory of gravity: "Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done."

To bandwagon atheists out there: you’re going to tell me that this guy is dumb for believing in God, right?

The moment something goes wrong I’m positive 90% of bandwagon atheists start praying to SOMEONE (be it God, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or Tom Cruise and his witchcraft). As the saying goes “there are no atheists in foxholes” (referring to how in extreme situations, such as warfare, everyone hopes for a higher power). To rebalance my stance, I’ll reiterate that I am not religious, at all. I don’t go to Church and I don’t pray the rosary every night or watch that annoying Catholic channel on cable, but try as I might I can’t fully convince myself that there is no higher power. Maybe it’s the Catholic brainwashing I received throughout my youth.

Cheers,
Touch

Events this weekend! Creatures of the Night 3 and Rally to Restore Sanity

2010-10-29T00:39:00.000-04:00

We've both been very busy, so this will be a quick update.

For all of our Bos-Wash followers, this weekend has a few awesome events for this Saturday!

If you are near Washington, D.C., you CANNOT miss Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear"!

This event is for all of us who are tired of the venomous partisanship in the U.S., where the loudest and most extreme voices are the ones that are given all the attention.

Here are the respective facebook pages for the joint event:
Colbert- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154317524597618
Stewart- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118856078167623

Also, if you are unable to make these events, there are dozens of satellite rallies being held across the country in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago. Maybe there's one near you!

And, after getting your political muscles all fired up, or if a party is more your thing, you can go to New York's Halloween Massive rave, Creatures of the Night!

(Open in new tab to view in full.)

The rave is just outside of New York City, in Elmsford, so if you have a car, you should definitely drive. Tickets are still on sale for $35 (plus a $3.26 service fee from Fla.vor.us) but this rave is gonna have a LOT of things--Haunted house,bumper cars, billiards, and a live performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Michael Jackson's Thriller! And lots more.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153076704708033

And, of course, it's Halloween!! I would really love to talk a bit more in detail, but as I said, I'm short on time. Hope you guys enjoy!

-Feel.

(P.S. If you're in New York City and don't feel like paying for the rave, then go to the Village Halloween Parade! It's free, and it's a lot of fun.

Cheers!)

Letters to an Absent Father

2010-10-28T00:06:00.000-04:00

If you're older than 14 or have some grasp of popular culture over the past decade, then you've heard of Pokemon. You know, that show featuring 150 different pocket monsters (get it? That's why they're called "Poke-Mon") and revolving around the lovable trio of Misty, the fanboy fantasy; Brock, the only minority in all of Kanto; and Ash Ketchum, the loyal if incessantly clumsy protagonist.


I refuse to acknowledge anything beyond 250 Pokemon.

Growing up this was one of my favorite shows and probably the first anime I watched, except for maybe Dragon Ball Z. I was so dedicated to watching a bunch of glorified prepubescent slave owners force their Pokemon to fight to the brink of death that I would get up at 6:50 just to watch the show at 7:00. Kudos to YOU fellow reader if you not only remember those bygone days, but did the same.

But I digress.

Going back to my list of characters, one might even add Ash's mom to the mix since she's practically a recurring character throughout the series. We learn that she's an amazing cook, that she loves Ash, and that she has no problem sending her 10-year-old son to wander the world on his own without even Chris Hansen's protection. And she does all this as a single mother!

None of this to protect Ash's virgin ass.

But wait..So where's Ash's dad?

Truth be told it is never revealed in the series; but as any child without a father can tell you, the question is constantly whittling away at you, even if they were too young to remember that father. As a boy, the absence of a father figure must have been doubly pressing to a young Ash growing up and the argument can even be made that his quest to become the best stems from his feelings of rejection from an ever absent father.

(click on the image if it gets cut off)

This is the premise behind Maré Odomo's project "Letters to an Absent Father," wherein a fatherless Ash writes letters to his absent father (which he may or may not send). My brother found these comics (there are 16 total) scattered here and there on the Internet before finally finding the original page, which is the link I have shared above with you. Hope you enjoy this read as well.

Cheers,
Touch

Stumble Findings: Dex-Starr Origin story.

2010-10-27T00:10:00.004-04:00

I didn't actually find this one on stumble, but I'm sure it's out there somewhere (you guys could also put it on stumble by liking this blog post with stumbleupon *wink wink*).

Anyway, this is the origin story of Dex-Starr, one of the DC Universe's most brutal Red Lanterns. He was originally created as a joke by comic book artist Shane Davis, but he was fleshed out into a full-fledged character due to positive feedback from writer Geoff Johns and the Green Lantern fan community.

Here is the origin story of how Dexter the stray kitten became Dex-Starr, the feared Red Lantern. I will admit, I am a total cat person, but if this story does not melt your heart and bring a tear to your eye..well, nothing against you, but you have no soul.

Story (1-6):

3. (this one cuts off towards the right; open in new tab!)

6 (Fin).

Note: For you non-comic fans out there (myself included--I learned this after researching the different Lanterns due to my curiosity about Dex-Starr) Red Lanterns are powered by rage. In Dex-Starr's case, the red power ring was attracted to him by the rage he felt towards the thugs that tried to throw him over the bridge and the robber who killed his owner. As a Red Lantern, he makes it his mission to hunt down and kill this man. Dex-Starr is also able to form rudimentary sentences in the last panel because the Red ring bestows him with a limited sentience and projects his thoughts.

Further, according the wikipedia, Dex-Starr "is currently traveling with Atrocitus on earth, in search of the Red Entity known only as 'The Butcher.' " Not sure what this means, but there you have it!

Enjoy!

-Feel

Stumble Findings: BMW Used Car Ad

2010-10-26T02:22:00.000-04:00

Now, I know how some people feel about used cars: it's never as good as new. And, of course there's the horror stories of getting a lemon or finding a dead body in the trunk (or was that just me?).

Though these things may be true, they do not mean a used model can't still awesome as hell. In fact, if it's a good enough car--like, say, a BMW--then the fact that it's used may not matter much.Why, you might ask? Well, here's a nice visual analogy:

No, I do not care one bit.

Sexism aside, this ad has definitely convinced me to give used cars a second look. Especially if they're as hot as this nice piece of...automobile.

Of course, the lemon equivalent for this would be her having an STD--or AIDS.

...Hm.

Cheers!

-Feel

source: http://www.eligr.com/2010/04/great-bmw-used-car-ad/