New releases last two weeks: Punk/Hardcore

Review: After rising through the ranks of the local punk scene in Palto Alto, California, during the late 1990s, all-female outfit The Donnas were whisked to national (and international) superstardom via a deal with major label Atlantic Records. This retrospective looks back on that period of the now-dormant band's career, combing their two albums from the imprint (2002's Spend The Night and 2004's Gold Metal) with a disc of singles, B-sides, rarities and live takes. That means heaps of heavy riffs, vocals espousing suburban teenage angst and hooky choruses on discs one and two, with the third disc delivering an attractive mixture of raucous pop-punk, nods to metal (one of their major infuences, fact fans) and becalmed and cheery acoustic versions.

Review: Originally released in 2004 as their sophomore full-length, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge would change both the career trajectory of New Jersey goth-punks My Chemical Romance whilst simultaneously turning the genre on its head with its unique fusion of macabre Misfits and Alkaline Trio worship married to the stadium-sized hooks and melodies of Blink-182 and Green Day. While it would be 2006's follow up The Black Parade that would turn the band to alt rock giants, it all started here with the iconic pop-punk banger and hit single 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)', whilst later singles 'Helena' and 'The Ghost Of You' highlighted their expansive melding of emo, post-hardcore and punk rock, elevated by vocalist/lyricist/graphic novel illustrator Gerard Way's uniquely grim vision and Billy Borgan-esque vocal cadences. Certified Platinum less than a year after initial release, and selling 3 million copies in the US alone, this new deluxe edition features an entirely new remix plus four previously unreleased live recordings.