Iconic Los Angeles Punk Band Releasing First Standalone EP Since 1995
· Vice
It’s been 31 years since Circle Jerks released their final album, Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities in 1995. But as of October 2026, the L.A. hardcore icons have announced a new release, slated for November 20.
The band is releasing a four-track EP, titled Revenge of Nervous Breakdown. While the tracks themselves aren’t completely new compositions, they’re re-recordings of existing songs from frontman Keith Morris’ time with Black Flag. “Depression”, “Fix Me”, “Revenge”, and “Nervous Breakdown” originally appeared on Black Flag’s 1979 debut EP Nervous Breakdown.
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Longtime Circle Jerks fans can get Revenge of Nervous Breakdown on 7″ vinyl, CD, and cassette, as well as digital format. Additionally, the EP includes new artwork by Raymond Pettibon, who designed Black Flag’s earliest album art.
Morris formed Circle Jerks in 1979, when he left Black Flag after two years. His new band went on to become hugely influential in the hardcore punk scene, inspiring everyone from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to The Offspring to Pearl Jam.
Circle Jerks To Release EP of Re-Recorded 1979 Black Flag Classics
Alongside this exciting EP release, Circle Jerks also have a run of live dates scheduled. On November 14, they’re among the lineup for Darker Waves Festival in Huntington Beach, California. They’ll join acts like Morrissey, The Smashing Pumpkins, Bad Religion, Buzzcocks, The Damned, Manic Street Preachers, and more.
Then, in December, they kick off a handful of exclusively California shows. The live performances include a screening of the 1984 film Repo Man, which notably featured Circle Jerks performing “Coup d’État”. Shows begin in Sacramento on December 4, hitting Monterey, San Francisco, Fresno, and Los Angeles before concluding in Gardena on December 12.
Circle Jerks have disbanded several times in their storied history. After gaining popularity following their appearance in the 1980 Penelope Spheeris documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, they disbanded in 1984. This allowed guitarist Greg Hetson to join Bad Religion full time, however. Once reunited in 1994, they released their final album, Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities, the following year. Another break-up, another reunion in 2001 with periodic live shows. What seemed to be their final split came in 2011.
However, the band reunited once more in 2020 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut album, Group Sex. Since then, they’ve spent time touring with Descendants since 2023, and played Coachella in 2025. Now, fans are finally getting the current Circle Jerks sound in its studio-recorded glory.
Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella
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