If you remember Absolute Garbage, you probably remember the absolute ripper they dropped in 2024, Chef’s Kiss—a record packed with greasy New York pizza flavor and old-school punk attitude. As a Christmas gift at the end of 2025, the New York middle-aged punks came back with Now We’re Cookin’, a 14-track feast that keeps the band’s momentum alive. Even better, it came out on vinyl (DIY by the way), and we’ve got a copy spinning on our turntable.
The artwork is anything but ordinary. Instead of the usual punk clichés, the cover serves up a bizarre menu loaded with stale calories, aimed straight at those sitting at the top. It’s funny, weird, and fits the band’s sarcastic personality perfectly.
Musically, nothing has been watered down. Absolute Garbage sticks to the same formula that made us fans in the first place: the energy of Dead Kennedys, the rawness of Circle Jerks and Germs. Fourteen loud, no-bullshit tracks driven by sharp riffs, infectious hooks.
Lyrically, the band doesn’t waste time dancing around the point. Anti-racist, politically charged, and brutally honest, these songs hit like a punch to the liver while never losing the sense of fun that makes great punk rock so addictive.
The album was recorded and mixed by Mike Bardzik at Noise Little Critter, with mastering handled by Steven Berson at Total Sonic Media, giving the record a powerful, gritty sound without sacrificing its old-school character.
If you’re into East Coast punk done right, Now We’re Cookin’ deserves a spot in your collection. Do yourself a favor—grab a copy. You won’t regret it.
Absolute Garbage members:
Human Waste – guitars/vox
Grossmeat – bass
Chef Jaime – drums
Trash heap – vox
Absolute Garbage Social Media:
Punk Rock Mag 
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