Chronic Disease The Lost Recordings 1992 LP

I was not familiar with CHRONIC DISEASE, but they were a Belgian band active from 1986–1992 who showed up on quite a few gig posters of the day, sharing the stage with the likes of NAUSEA and SPERMBIRDS. The band plays a tight blend of D-beat and near-crossover hardcore with some tasty riffs and intricate, snare-heavy drum fills. The guitar tone sounds like ANTI-CIMEX, with a mix of chorus and distortion, and the bass is frequently dirty as well. When they kick into a song like “Tomorrow Looks Grim,” or standout “Sacrilege,” it’s really good. Precise D-beat mayhem with infinite tech fills and some thrash chugging that is fist-in-the-air great. Where CHRONIC DISEASE loses me is the vocals—they just don’t match the speed and power of the music. The vocalist’s voice is perfect, raspy and haggard,  but I can only imagine him reading the lyrics in a booth while the band rages together in a different room. The energy just does not match. I looked up some live footage to see if it was any better, and it was—ripping and passionate on all fronts. If you’re a history punk and love digging into geographically diverse scenes and time periods, give it a listen. This particular recording didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

• Reviewer Nick Odorizzi
• Label Vulle Pulle
• Issue MRR #487 • December 2023