There’s something about Maximum Effort’s frantic, stripped-down sound that seems to suit its home state. While Missouri is considered part of the south, it’s got one foot in the Midwest, and St. Louis seems to stand outside the stereotypes of either region. Similarly, Maximum Effort have a twanging, almost rockabilly-ish guitar tone, but their vocals and drumming possess an urgency that feels distinctly hardcore. Given just how awesome the band is, and considering that punk is so often best when it’s reactionary, one has to wonder if St. Louis is either amazing to live in, or if it totally sucks.
Required Listening: Money, Lies, And Media Reels (2017)
Honourable Mention: Trauma Harness, Doom Town, The Pubes