Antiseen

We're # One! To some people, Antiseen will always be GG Allin's backing band. That does a great disservice to their significant legacy. While 1991's Murder Junkies is a classic, it's only one record in the bands sizable discography. Since 1983, Antiseen has been playing their signature 'Destructo Rock'. It's basically hardcore punk with a hillbilly flare. Antiseen's future looked murky after the 2014 death of founding guitarist Joe Young, but sole original member and singer Jeff Clayton has persevered. 2016's We're # One! is a 12-inch EP and the bands first significant post Young release. More than 30 years into their career, Antiseen still loves wrestling and still feels dangerous and menacing. -Tom Trauma

Bl'ast

Split with Eyehategod Bl'ast! is a punk/hardcore/proto grunge band originally formed in Santa Cruz, CA in 1983. They put out three influential albums before disbanding in 1991. Since reforming in 2013, Bl'ast! has become a supergroup of sorts. Original singer Clifford Dinsmore and guitarist Mike Neider were first joined by bassist Chuck Dukowski (Black Flag, FLAG) and drummer Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters). Now they feature bassist Nick Oliveri (Dwarves, Queens of the Stone Age, Mondo Generator) and drummer Joey Castillo (Wasted Youth, Sugartooth, Danzig, QotSA). Their 2016 split with New Orleans sludgemasters EYEHATEGOD proves that Bl'ast! still has their chops. -Tom Trauma

The Bouncing Souls

Simplicity When the topic of punk veterans kicking out jams in 2016 came up, the first band that came to my mind is The Bouncing Souls. Yes, it is 2016 and yes the Souls is still putting out new jams. They put out a full-length album this year called Simplicity and is touring to support the effort. For 27 years, The Bouncing Souls seem to keep churning out great three chord tunes that you can all sing along to. This time around they have enlisted drummer and friend George Rebelo to record with them. Simplicity is a return to true Souls sound and form. -Sam Barrett

Culture Shock

Attention Span The I-Did-Not-See-That-One-Coming reunion of 2016 has to be Culture Shock. Out of the blue, the Subhumans spin-off weirdo-reggae-ska-punk band appeared and released their first album in 27 years… and not only that, it is snappy and tight as hell. There is a reason Dick Lucas and crew are routinely cited as champions of anarcho-punk AND ska-punk and that's because they exhibit the best aspects of those genres without ever feeling like they're specifically trying to play any genre at all. This is genuine music. Attention Span exemplifies everything that's wonderful about these punk titans. -John Gentile

Dag Nasty

Cold Heart Everyone loves a good comeback story, and for fans of melodic-hardcore harbinger Dag Nasty, the case is no different. Though the band has seen its fair share of member changes, break ups and make ups over the last 31 years, the OG line up featuring Shawn Brown, Roger Marbury, Brian Baker and Colin Sears is at it again, fanning the flames of the seminal D.C. Hardcore scene. With this year’s 7” release, Cold Heart, Dag proves that they’ve still got new tricks up their sleeves, while Can I Say?, released 30 years ago, has stood the test of time and rings just as true today as it did then. -Stevie Allen

Dayglo Abortions

Armageddon Survival Guide For more than 35 years, Dayglo Abortions have been pissing all over anything that anyone might consider sacred. The Victoria, British Columbia band has never been afraid to take on the establishment, and has never been bound by standard ideas of good taste. Founder/guitarist/vocalist Murray 'The Cretin' Acton is still writing songs that confront corruption, and he doesn't care if he hurts your feelings. Their 2016 LP Armageddon Survival Guide is a razor sharp return to form that viciously attacks US President Barack Obama, deceased Apple founder Steve Jobs and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Hopefully Dayglo Abortions will soon be able to clear up their legal issues and return to touring the US. -Tom Trauma

The Descendents

Hypercaffium Spazzinate The Descendents are like a phoenix. They put out one amazing record and then they go back to the desert for a decade or so and start the cycle all over again. 2016 they have risen and graced with not only their fantastic album Hypercaffium Spazzinate, but also a five-track EP Spazzhazrd to go along with it. The energy is still there in the studio and also on stage after all these years. I saw them earlier this month in Hollywood and at Punk Rock Bowling and they managed to melt faces at both shows. The old songs sound amazing, as do the new ones, which have a bit of an updated edge to them, but they fit in the set list seamlessly. Mug, Mug, Mug. -Ricky Frankel

Discharge

End of Days Few bands have been as influential to both punk as metal as Discharge. The British band's 1982 LP Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing is an undisputed classic. Their anarchist pacifist politics inspired countless crust punk bands. They're also often credited with inventing the D-beat sound that helped propel the thrash metal movement. After a some lean years in the 90's, Discharge is once again on the upswing. 2016's End of Days is an album worthy of the bands considerable legacy. With a good chunk of their classic lineup still in tact, their recent north American tour drew big crowds at every stop. Discharge seems poised to impact a whole new generation. -Tom Trauma

Face to Face

Protection It's pretty impressive for a band to be around for 25 years. It's even more impressive for a band to be making great records 25 years into their career. In 2016, Victorville CA's finest, Face to Face, released their excellent 11th LP Protection. Singer, guitarist and sole remaining founding member Trever Keith reminded us that he's one of punk's best songwriters. The angry young man is older and wiser, but still has some righteous rage. The band's material remains top notch, a perfect balance of classic and pop punk. Since returning from hiatus in 2008, Face to Face's live shows have crackled with an energy that defies their age. Don't pass up the opportunity to see for yourself. -Tom Trauma

Harley Flanagan

Cro-Mags Despite all the confusing squabbles between this guy and that guy, and who knows who else, one thing has continued to shine through in spite of the battles: Age of Quarrel is an amazing, landmark album. And since then, all of us fans have hoped for an album that reaches the same rarified atmosphere of that album's crushing sound and its seemingly counter-intutive street-philosopher mindset. I'll keep this short: Harley Flanagan's new album finally achieves that high level. Simply put, it's the best Cro-Mags-related release since AOQ, no question. -John Gentile

Green Day

Revolution Radio Green Day—they’re one of “those” bands. Either you credit them as your gateway drug to punk, the easily-digestible bastion that reeled you in as an adolescent, or you begrudgingly lament the moment they shipped off and “sold out”—whatever that may mean. But despite, or even in spite of, your take on the matter, the accolades speak for themselves. With 30 years of mileage as a band under their boots, and three #1 Billboard albums in as many years (the latest being their 12th studio album, Revolution Radio, released October 7th), love them or hate them—Green Day won’t be forgotten any time soon.-Stevie Allen

The Melvins

Basses Loaded Melvins are relentless (in the best possible way). Every year they release one, two, or three albums! This year they released TWO full lengths, a bunch of singles, and even founded a new band, Crystal Fairy. Their second platter released this year, Basses Loaded found the band teaming up with six different bassists and proved just how big their musical galaxy is. From the Hakwindian rumbling of Decay of Lying to a classic-style Beatles cover, this is band that seems to grow more energy the harder they work- a perpetual Melvins machine if you will. Physics be damned, this band is a fan's dream. -John Gentile

NOFX

First Ditch Effort When it was announced that NOFX was releasing a new album this year. There was plenty excitement mixed with a little cautiousness. Where were they going to take their music after Self-Entitled? First Ditch Effort shows that Fat Mike and the crew not only still have it, but that they are still pushing themselves musically after all these years and especially when it comes to being brutally honest in their lyrics and their book The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories. They are not a band that is stuck in one period of punk rock. They aren't afraid to experiment and update. 2016 is yet another milestone in the band’s career. -Ricky Frankel

Pansy Division

Quite Contrary Pansy Division celebrated their 25th anniversary this year with their new album, Quite Contrary. The self-proclaimed “buttfuckers of rock ‘n’ roll,” Pansy Division have never been nuanced lyricists. Instead, starting with their 1992 debut single, Fem in a Black Leather Jacket, they’ve gone out of their way to tell us in plain and explicit language about every intricate detail about gay male sex and gay male lifestyle that they could think of, whether the straight world was ready for it or not. That very first single featured the B-sides “Homo Christmas,” which features some very creative suggestions about things to do with candy canes, and “Smells Like Queer Spirit,” which blasphemously takes the biggest song of the previous year and rewrites it to be about gay culture. Pansy Division have done a lot to normalize queerness in the punk scene. A lot of progress has been made for queer punks since 1991, most recently even for trans punks, but we couldn’t have gotten this far without Pansy Division. -Julie River

Suicidal Tendencies

World Gone Mad Crossover pioneers Suicidal Tendencies took 13 years between their two previous studio albums. It only took them three years to come raging back with 2016's World Gone Mad. It's an LP that draws from their classics like How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988) and Lights…Camera…Revolution! (1990). With former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo behind the kit and legendary frontman 'Cyco' Mike Muir at the helm, ST is once again a musical force to be reckoned with. High profile tours with Megadeth and Slayer have reintroduced the Venice Beach, CA band to metal audiences, and punks still love them for their 1983 self-titled hardcore punk masterpiece. -Tom Trauma

UK Subs

Ziezo UK Subs are one of the longest running UK band that are still going strong. 2016 marks their 40t anniversary and they are still touring and releasing their classic and unique sound of angry punk rock. Fans young and old still love them enough to fund their newest album Ziezo this year through Pledge Music. Despite the long list of line up changes, the UK Subs still persist and remain true to the punk rock ethos four decade later. -Ricky "Bollocks Buster" Frankel

Violent Femmes

We Can Do Anything 2016’s We Can Do Anything is the Violent Femme’s first album in 16 years, marking over 35 years of the folk-punk band’s career. While there have been a few falling outs over the years, and several different drummers, the core collaboration between Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie keeps chugging along. The Milwaukee trio’s sound is an ever-shifting grab bag of punk, folk, gospel, and soul, creating one of the most organic, earthy punk sounds on the scene. We Can Do Anything shows that the years haven’t dulled their talents any, as it rollicks through a new set of songs about love, religion, and dragon slaying. In 2016, the Violent Femmes are the same quirky folk punks that they’ve always been. -Julie River