The Nikoteens

Reviews

The Nikoteens Raw Power 1980–85 2xLP

A heavy slab of early German punk here. Formed in 1979, the NIKOTEENS’ debut Aloah-Oehh LP was released in 1983, and this double record set includes that album in its entirety along with a slew of live cuts and rarities. The band played a style of hardcore that was equal parts playful and powerful, playing blistering kängpunk rhythms one moment and suddenly breaking into an Oi! anthem the next. With rabid vocals over ripping guitars and merciless pounding drums, the studio tracks of the first album are crazy, sometimes hitting eyebrow-raising levels of frantic intensity. The bonus material is all over the map, showcasing the band in all their eccentric glory as they slide through a diverse range of modes and tempos in the various collected recordings. Altogether there’s over 78 minutes of music and it’s an entertaining ride, packed complete with a booklet of liner notes and photos.

The Nikoteens Slamdance Party Vol. 3 LP

Divided into a “Romantic” side and a “Realistic” side, this band pulls off an out-of-the-ordinary LP. Their punk is not generic usually, but doesn’t really drift into experimentation or post-punk to pull it off. Can’t really say what it is, but it’s a tad different. Worth checking out.

The Nikoteens Hardcore Holocaust cassette

Claiming to be the fastest band around, they’d like us to tell them who’s faster. That might be difficult, as they do totally shred on their recent tracks here. And even at such speed, they manage to hold it together musically, and even inject a bit of melody, too. Looking for a US label.

The Nikoteens Aloah-Oehh LP

Boy, what a turnabout! The NIKOTEENS used to have a slow Oi!/punk approach, and now they’re out there thrashing with the best of them. The guitar tone here is extremely trebly and piercing, and the general sound quality is hot, so their stronger material (like “Frieden,” “Cowboy Song,” and “Geisterfahrer”) really blasts off the turntable into your gut. This album proves that musical changes can lead to major improvements.