Punk isn’t dead, it’s just gone underground, and luckily, The Clipper is here to give you five of the best underground punk albums released within the last five years.

“Huff My Sack” by Lumpy and The Dumpers

Released in 2016, “Huff My Sack,” by Lumpy and The Dumpers, is an album of punk every bit as disgusting and trashy as you’d guess, and yet all of that grime still doesn’t keep it from shining. From the title track right at the beginning, you know exactly what you’re in for. Shrieked, goblin-like vocals deliver lines such as “I have but one desire/Set this bar on fire” and about halfway through the song the sound of glass bottles being broken cracks over the sinister guitar grooves; all of this packaged in a slimy, lo-fi recording that somehow manages to reek despite not being something you can smell. Subsequent songs like “Subordinate” and “I’m Gonna Move To NY” keep the grimy aesthetic but add in sarcasm and social commentary. Under all the dirt, “Huff My Sack” is laden with catchy, belligerent songs that are dumpsters full of fun, so give it a chance.

“The Cosmo Cleaners” by The Uranium Club.

Released in March of this year, “The Cosmo Cleaners” is the third full-length album from Minneapolis punk outfit The Uranium Club. This entry in the Club’s oeuvre keeps familiar aspects from their earlier work- anxious yet catchy melodies that puncture your eardrums like needles, ironic lyrics, and a tongue in cheek corporate aesthetic. The second track, “Grease Monkey,” opens with a salvo of automotive sounds- doors opening and closing, keys being turned, engines starting, horns honking as the main riff begins the attack; as the narrator begins to describe the intimate relationship he shares with his car: “I’m in love, but I don’t know if my parents are ready to meet her.” “The Cosmo Cleaners” features some of the Club’s most experimental songs yet, like “Michael’s Soliloquy,” an eight-minute biography of the Club’s mascot, Michael, narrated by none other than the man himself, set to a perky, upbeat bassline. The Uranium Club is one of the best bands around, and this album does nothing to dispute that.

“II” by Bleeding Gums

Flowery descriptions don’t suit Bleeding Gums’ style, so I’m going to keep this short. This is pure, unadulterated punk rock at it’s finest. Topping in at about 10 minutes, the whole thing can be easily listened to in one sitting, and each track is full of red-hot fury. So instead of reading this article, sit down right now, listen to this whole album, and make sure you’re holding on to something while you do.

“Warm Bodies,” self-titled

Warm Bodies are weird. Even the Bandcamp page for this album begins by describing them as a “crazy free jazz weirdo punk band,” and not without reason. High pitched vocals wail over acid-drenched guitar riffs that blaze through at breakneck speeds, and at every moment this album sounds ready to burst into a storm of psychedelic colors and barely intelligible surrealist lyrics, and wonderfully so. “Something Weird Is Eating Me” features lyrics that may or may not be about sexually transmitted diseases shrieked over lightning fast guitar work, all backed up cascading drums. Take a look at these wild rockers and be aware that you may never be able to look away.

“Hot Liqs Revenge” by Liquids

Much like Bleeding Gums, mentioned earlier, Liquids are not the type of band that really warrant an extensive description.  Lo-fi and high octane, this album is an assemblage of previous recordings all by this amazing band. Punchy, catchy riffs are accompanied by snotty vocals in attitude filled anthems like “Don’t Give A Fuck About You” and “Wanna Throw Up (When I See Your Face).” Don’t be afraid to pour these hot Liquids into your earholes.