Stream UK punks Rifle’s new EP ‘Pack Mentality’

UK punks Rifle have been making a lot of noise lately. They made a fan out of Spiritual Cramp vocalist Mike Bingham, who called their 2023 EP Under Two Flags one of his favorite releases of last year, saying (with his trademark fake-arrogant sense of humor), “This band is one of the only bands I’ve seen in recent memory who look as cool as my band and we are cool as fuck.” They also made a fan out of Fucked Up’s Jonah Falco, who’s long had his ear to the UK punk underground, and who produced that EP. The Bandcamp description of that EP was also written by Jonah. It reads:

Rowdy, musically bankrupt, furious, and tuneless diy punk made by 5 likely lads as well suited to tanning beds as they are the parking lot at a plant hire, Rifle bring a delicious vacancy to their mid tempo wallop with just enough melody and ear-infecting wormery to keep us all pinned to the turntable.

Since Under Two Flags dropped, Rifle vocalist Max Williams lent his voice to the new guest-filled Fucked Up album Someday (along with members of High Vis, Fiddlehead, and more), and now Rifle have capped off 2024 with another new EP, Pack Mentality, also produced by Jonah. If you like the classic-street-punk-meets-modern-hardcore vibes of Rifle’s UK neighbors The Chisel (who also work with Jonah), or anything else in that realm, you’ll almost definitely like this. It’s the kind of good old fashioned, no-nonsense punk that never goes out of style, and Rifle do it very, very well. Pack Mentality is also their first release for the Year0001 label (Viagra Boys, Yung Lean, Bladee). Check it out below.