RETARDED (I)

Rising from the ashes of ’90s pop-punk pioneers Home Alone, RETARDED were born in Voghera and debuted in 1998 with three singles and a self-titled LP, fully inspired by the Ramones. Over the years, the album became a landmark for fans of what would later be called Ramonescore—recently, Rolling Stone even included it in their list of the Top 10 Italian punk albums of the ’90s. After multiple pressings and sold-out editions, the album was reissued on vinyl by Hey Suburbia Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The album was followed by two more LPs, two split CDs with Dutch band The Apers and American band The Huntingtons, a long series of 7” singles, and several compilations and collections.
RETARDED have played over 450 shows across Europe and completed two U.S. tours, sharing the stage with bands like NOFX, Turbonegro, Ben Weasel, Queers, Teenage Bottlerocket, Travoltas, Squirtgun, and many more.
After disbanding in 2009, the band reunited in 2022, releasing a series of singles and a brand-new album in January 2024, titled “Same as the First”.
The record is a clear statement of intent—both a nod to the Ramones (as Dee Dee shouted in “Judy is a Punk”: “Second verse, same as the first”) and a declaration of their unwavering commitment to a raw, straightforward punk rock aesthetic, stripped of any unnecessary frills (“I don’t waste my time, I’ll repeat always the same,” sing RETARDED in the album’s title track). It’s also a promise to return to their roots, revisiting the spirit of their beloved debut album.
They released a bunch of singles since then. Hey ho lets go!