For review and radio play consideration:
Please send vinyl (preferred), CD, or cassette releases to MRR, PO Box 3852, Oakland, CA 94609, USA. Maximum Rocknroll wants to review everything that comes out in the world of underground punk rock, hardcore, garage, post-punk, thrash, etc.—no major labels or labels exclusively distributed by major-owned distributors, no reviews of test pressings or promo CDs without final artwork. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!
This comes with issue #10 of Trust zine and has one song each by three of Germany’s current crop of HC hopefuls. The EMILS play an ultra-fast tune, CROWD OF ISOLATED have a slightly slower but very powerful sound that rips, and JINGO DE LUNCH come on with a late-period AVENGERS sound.
Half central California acts like ASSAULT, WIMPY DICKS, AK47, and more. The other half is world punk acts. Not bad ‘tall. Half the profits go to the No More Censorship Defense Fund.
By golly, this sure is a good one! 23 bands performing 37 songs, all being in the realm of punk/HC. Varied but good quality, some examples of talent being FINAL WARNING, ACCUSED, CRUCIAL YOUTH, ANATHEMA. Great sampler!
A mostly Mexican comp with MASSACRE 68, SOLUCION MORTAL, PAZUZU, HISTERIA, and DESECRATION. Sound quality is OK, material is energetic HC. Comes with booklet (all in Spanish).
Hot tunes from acts all across the globe, featuring DIRECT ACTION, SUBVERSE, OPINION ZERO, and more. Good sound quality and 60 minutes of non-stop action makes this a righteous comp.
A really fun comp of Detroit-area garage bands. Lots of grunge and great rock’n’roll beats. Features ELVIS HITLER, LOST PATROL, GORIES, ARTPHAG, ZOMBIE SURFERS, and others.
High quality melodic thrash here. Three of the tunes just rip, showing tight playing and lots of energy. The last is a speedy surf number that rocks too. Good debut.
Chunk punk here, with a garage-y edge. Lyrics cover vegetable soup, dumb stories, and more fun!
The Florida-based KML label has come out with yet another great punk rock record. Eight short, fast, energetic, catchy tunes from this Mississippi band, all delivered with tough crunchy guitars and super gravelly vocals.
Demented. “Lunkhead” is sorta normal, “Get in the Car” is spooky and scary, and “I Forgot the Hay” is amusing. I think psychotherapy is in order here.
These guys have a tune called “Positive Hardcore” which pretty much tells the story: clean punk and thrash with optimistic words about unity and the evils of drugs and alcohol. Pretty good.
A self-avowed “foodcore” release, these eight songs dwell on the ridiculous, dealing with burgers, being too hot, beer quests, bugs, and other important topics. Goofcore from WHOPPERS TASTE GOOD.
Four tunes from early ’78, in well-done (but a bit toned-down versions) from their studio releases. Still, this material (especially “I Am the Fly” and “106 Beats That”) is mandatory for those who can’t find their first three 12” releases.
The OPERATION IVY of Japan? These guys utilize a slightly ska approach to their punk and HC, a ragged but enjoyable edge. Four tunes.
More hot Japanese stuff. This month’s batch has been largely exciting, really raging, cut-loose HC and this one’s right up there. A four-song, one-sided red 8” flexi that contains this warning: “This is disgusting music.”
Pretty run-of-the-mill Oi! No real spark, just basic rock‘n’roll music and attitudes.
A long LP by this Aussie band, who have a pretty well-developed sound, mixing different influences into their punk tunes without losing sight of their roots. Most noticeable is the guitar work, which really holds things together. Lyrically, they deal with both personal and political subjects in an intelligent, well thought-out manner. Good.
A mixed bag of psych pop and pop punk, most of which is culled from previously released LP tracks. Includes SMARTIES, TRASHING GROOVE, CRETINS, FURY IN THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, and more.
Out of Massachusetts come the CREEPS and ANGRY KIDS. The CREEPS rip it up on four songs, all done in a raw and energetic style that harkens back to punk’s early days—a treat. ANGRY KIDS have a more modern HC sound with a bit of DC influence on their two longish tunes. Pick it up.
A real variety pack of differing rock’n’roll styles. JOT reminds me a bit of BEEFEATER; MODERN VENDING will appeal to Minneapolis pop fans; SCRAMBLE GRIT has a DC-ish sound; DATURA SEEDS is Paul Mahern’s (ZERO BOY and producer of this LP) current band; SLOPPY SECONDS turn in three more punk classics; RIGHT TO LEFT is a GIZMOS spinoff; and MIKE’S HOUSE is rocking folk.
Eighteen bands, most of whom are in the non-melodic thrash vein, contribute tracks to the theme of the world’s ongoing warfare mentality. Included: CIVILISED SOCIETY?, ATAVISTIC, CHUMBAWUMBA, REVULSION, REST IN PAIN, DAWN OF LIBERTY, and lots more—a veritable who’s who of modern UK hardcore.
Not a bad comp here featuring acts like A.P.P.L.E., AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, SFA, and more. Includes a variety of sounds and even some poetry. Pretty cool.
Yeah, this is another bloody noisy punk comp, including acts from all around the globe, the standouts being SICK OF IT ALL, DROWNING ROSES, and the INSTIGATORS. Good.
No title on this international release. The cover only indicates the bands: COLERA (Brazil), CIRCLE OF SIG-TIU and DUNKEL TAGE (Germany) and W.D.M. (Finland). One song each on this blue vinyl slab, all good, powerful studio tracks.
Great upbeat pop punk that’s comparable to WILMER X’s good stuff. All-Swedish vocals, excellent sound quality, sing-along choruses, and melodic tunes.
Regulation mid-tempo English punk with hoarse screamed vocals and football-chant choruses. Not earth-shattering, but competent.
A garage hell recording, which probably helps in this case. Very crude garage punk, just blasting out five tunes into the most basic recording device imaginable.
Non-generic punk and HC with on-target political and social words, heavy on innovation and intensity make this a hot one.
For the speedcore types out there, a non-stop barrage of tuneless thrash. Lots of it!
These prolific guys strike again, this time with four driving songs. Distinctive vocal style sets them apart, and as usual, their powerful classic punk kicks ass.
Tommy and Co. let loose with yet another excellent hardcore blast. Lots of production but lots of the basics as well, adding up to an A-1 release. Got a promo EP with mine, a white vinyl job that’s fun as well. Funny-ass cover art on the LP.
This six-song 7” is the third in a series of Christmas releases from Ohio’s SS-20. The A-side features three hardcore Christmas originals by SS-20; the B-side features their “alter-egos”, THOSE JUGHEAD APACHES, playing three slow, cheesy, straightforward versions of Xmas standards. For collectors, Christmas-lovers, and fans of SS-20 only.
Side One is spastic and crazed punk and HC with an idiotic edge that takes potshots at just about everyone except themselves. Side Two is more industrial.
We will let SPOT indulge himself because he deserves it…comic rock-outs, twisted jazzy jams, guitar doodlings, country hoedowns, rock ballads, perceptive rentings, and pure electric indulgence. Those who love him, love it.
A three-song post-punk release that relies on a heavy drum beat and loud guitar. Lots of power despite the chunky rhythm; decent listening.
The former GERMS guitarist puts out an eclectic, boring, self-indulgent LP that makes early ’70s rock look good.
A limited edition 7” put out by the band and available through them directly. Side A features “She’s Not on the Menu;” the same version is on Flipside Comp #3 but titled “Heavy Menu.” This time around, the song has way better production. Side B sports the original version of “Life of a Bag Lady” with “This is the End” tagged on for good measure. Both of these songs are from an early demo. If you can get one, you most likely won’t be disappointed. Great cover art.
Countrified, psych craziness on two rousing instrumentals with the melody care of kazoo on “Gestampo” and via harmonica on “Chicken Scratch.” Sound strange? Well, it’s really rockin’. Really!
It’s from NY, it’s HC, but this isn’t the NYHC sound that has become prevalent recently. This is more garage-y (may be the production), more straightforward, with lots of different tempos.
Splatter rock, mainly aimed at cutting up women. “Hey, but it’s a joke, dude.” True enough, and everyone’s entitled to their cup o’ tea, no matter how dumb. It’s just great that all the men involved in this project are so enlightened and have such a good sense of humor that violence toward women is OK to joke about. Hey, racism is funny too, dude, for white people.
This indie contains four long-ish tunes that range more into post-punk than punk. The guitar sound is too “pretty” for me, but the vocals have an edge, as do the lyrics (very politically aware, especially in terms of Argentine politics). Most tunes here are slow-to-medium, though they do sometimes gain third gear.
Decent pop punk out of this Vermont group, though the music is pretty lightweight at points, and that, coupled with the “pretty” vocals and harmonies, makes it difficult to set teeth into. No lyric sheet, though from what I can hear there’s nothing too biting there either.
Side One is SCHIZOID’s live weirdness: wacko HC with metal influences. Side Two is POOR WHITE TRASH, who sound similar, but includes studio stuff. Neat and worth the buck.
Spontaneous jamming, two little kids telling us about peace punks, safe sex, Tim Yohannan, and more. Amusing for short periods of time.
’50s horror hostess Vampira and SATAN’S CHEERLEADERS team up for a truly bizarre single. The aging star of “Plan 9 From Outer Space” moans, groans and intones, while the band does a pretty good CRAMPS imitation. Cool and crazy.
Metally HC with a definite garagey feel to it. Lyrically they attack issues like abortion, AIDS, drug/alcohol abuse, etc. Good.
This straightedge “mystery” record comes with issue #7 of Schism zine. All the songs are negative—how’s that for positive—and insinuate violence, revenge, threat, and other forms of good living. Contains members of various NY straightedge bands.
Full-on speedmetal, but with mostly good lyrics about vivisection, war, and reality. These bozos are also fun live, but I’d only recommend this to metal fanatics.
Cool basic punk rock with words challenging the media, the military, leaders and more good garage-y fun.
Pretty tense stuff here: fierce DRI-ish thrash with herky-jerky breaks and a good amount of innovation. Lyrics cover racism, vivisection, and other evils of society. Hot stuff.
