Demerit – “Out of the Fog”

Out of the Fog (Chinese title: 走出迷霧) is the 2018 sophomore full-length studio album from Beijing-based street punk veterans Demerit. Arriving a decade after their landmark debut, the album was released digitally and on CD by independent Chinese label Maybe Mars, acting as a major comeback document for one of the foundational groups of the Chinese underground DIY circuit.

The material signals a significant structural pivot, leaning away from the polished Oi! and street punk templates of their early work toward a much darker, heavier style of d-beat crust punk and crossover thrash. Musically, Demerit breaks up the breakneck tempos and aggressive gang vocals with unexpected stylistic detours, incorporating acoustic refrains, occasional ska-punk rhythms, and guest keyboard contributions from David Bond. The record also highlights international solidarity within the Asian punk underground, featuring a guest vocal appearance from Won Jong-hee, frontman of the veteran South Korean punk band RUX, on the track “Stronger Than Ever“

Track Listing:

1. Do You Smell It / Sink or Swim
2. Truth Is Silence
3. Under the Flag
4. New Generation Genocide
5. Barefaced Lies and Bullshit Peace
6. M.S.W. (Modern Society War)
7. Childhood Nightmare
8. Boys Are Coming Back
9. Stronger Than Ever (feat. Won Jong-hee from RUX)
10. Out of the Fog