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!
Catchy hardcore with a definite admiration for the DC sound. Buildups, tempo changes, breaks and heartfelt, seemingly sincere lyrics for all the “positive,” “unity,” and emo aware. Pretty refreshing in an attitude sense.
Jersey kooks will go nuts over these thirteen Garden State acts, featuring CRUCIAL YOUTH, CHRONIC FEAR, and more. Righteous punk tuneage from these loonies.
A good consistent compilation of HC and speedcore tuneage. Almost all U.S. acts; standouts include FEAR ITSELF, ATTITUDE, IMPULSE MANSLAUGHTER, and more. Mostly unreleased stuff, with a couple live cuts. Thumbs up.
A limited edition colored vinyl comp EP with AMQA, CONDEMNED, IMPULSE MANSLAUGHTER, SEA MONKEYS, and PSYCHO. Lots of gonzo thrash with slight metal bits. Not bad.
A comp of Yugoslavian punk acts, both past and present. Featured are KAOS, BLITZKRIEG, CRIST, and more. Most seem to have an energetic early punk sound. Booklet included.
An above average world comp featuring QUOD MASSACRE, DISARM, the WRETCHED, and more. Lots of scorching thrash and all profits go to various humanitarian groups. Booklet included.
A pretty hot east coast comp featuring CHEMICAL WASTE, AWARE, CRUCIAL YOUTH, and other quality acts, blasting out punk tuneage. Booklet enclosed.
A relatively solid comp featuring UK SUBS, GBH, and smaller acts like IRSTAS and BAD DRESS SENSE. Not bad, but did you have to include “Big Women”?
A pretty good comp here with DISORDER, QUOD MASSACRE, BARN AV REGNBUEN, FOLLOW FASHION MONKEYS, and more. Lotsa cool tuneage from around the globe. Booklet included.
Some pretty enjoyable sounds from Yugoslavia, ranging from ’77-ish tunes to all-out thrash. Includes QUOD MASSACRE, SOLUNSKI FRONT, and many, many more.
An above-average comp featuring acts from around the globe such as POWERAGE, SCREECHING WEASEL, POLITICAL ASYLUM, and more. Quite nice.
A benefit LP for a youth center in Germany, featuring German and Italian bands such as SPERMBIRDS, DUNKLE TAGE, SKEEZICKS, DIOXINS, JUMP FOR JOY, DISPERAZIONE, RESISTANCE, and more. Green vinyl.
A damn ferocious comp featuring IMPULSE MANSLAUGHTER, SHATTERED SILENCE, the UPRISE, and other fierce acts. Lotsa scorching thrash within.
I wish there was more info on the bands included on this Irish comp, ’cause they’re largely excellent. Lots of pop punk, garage, psycho surf, etc. Fans of UNDERTONES, CRAMPS, REVILLOS, etc. will enjoy the CANNIBALS, PARALISED PURPLE RAYS, PARANOID VISIONS, GOREHOUNDS, BARRACUDAS, etc. Rocks.
Big names are on this effort (7 SECONDS, ADOLESCENTS, CIRCLE JERKS, the BRIGADE, M.I.A., S.N.F.U., DOGGY STYLE, TESCO VEE & WHITE FLAG, C.O.C.) as well as medium names (LITTLE GENTLEMEN, VATICAN COMMANDOS, MAD PARADE, SLAPSHOT, 76% UNCERTAIN, LEMONHEADS, SHONEN KNIFE) and the newer names (BULIMIA BANQUET, PROBLEM CHILDREN, COPULATION). Tunes are both live and studio, of varying sound quality. Interesting notes: what does it mean when the BRIGADE rocks more than 7 SECONDS?
Sorry, no sperm here, but there is an okay comp with the WALLMEN, A.P.P.L.E., PSYCHIC VIOLENTS, and others. Moderately enjoyable, and a great title.
A pretty good selection of English acts, from CHELSEA to CONFLICT to the STUPIDS. Sound quality varies, but the tuneage and production is good.
An hour’s worth of East Coast HC and metalcore. Bands featured are PRONG, CHRONIC FEAR, PSYCHO, LETHAL AGGRESSION, and many more. Consistently hot powercore stuff, not for the timid.
A Philly comp featuring a variety of mostly mid-tempo punk and some thrash. Standouts include DEADSPOT, PAGAN BABIES, TONS OF NUNS, BLUE, SHE MALES, ANTHROPHOBIA, HOMO PICNIC, MCRAD, DAS YAHOOS, and more.
Can’t help it—this stuff just slays me. Wild, obscure white trash rock and rockabilly tracks from the ’50s and early ’60s. Although they all sound fairly similar the first volume has plenty of “outer space” songs that should please fans of the LEGENDARY STARDUST COWBOY. Yowsa.
A pretty good buffet of tuneage here from experimental punk to scorching thrash. Standout acts include PSYCHO, BOURGEOIS DISEASE, and CANCEROUS GROWTH. Worth investigating.
A pretty hot comp of Yugoslav acts who play it mostly hard and fast. Standouts are 2227 and GENEV DELRET. Worth looking into.
A new one from BCT with CHALLENGER CREW, FEAR ITSELF, YOUTHQUAKE, SUBTERRANEAN KIDS, and other quality acts. A great tape and it helps this dedicated bunch to get out of debt. Buy now.
A comp of up-and-coming German bands like ALPTRAUM GMBH, BLUTSTURZ, MONEYPULIERTE, JUGEND, etc. Most are on the raw, loose punk side of things. Comes with booklet.
Kind of an after-thought tribute to a swell pool hall in Santa Cruz that experimented with live music for a while, and because of the location it’s leaning heavily towards SC bands like the WRESTLING WORMS, RAINING HOUSE, and the BARNACLE CHOIR, as well as related bands like CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN, SPOT 1019, TEN FOOT FACES, and the HOLY SISTERS of the GAGA DADA. Also some neat tracks with the CATHEADS, VOMIT LAUNCH, and the DONNER PARTY.
A pretty darn good comp of acts like CIVILISED SOCIETY?, A.D.S., DEAD SILENCE, and more, giving their views on war, animal, and human rights. Booklet enclosed, nice job.
Great, mature guitar band in the tradition of TELEVISION and SLOVENLY. Lots of somber, tense, well-developed music here.
The second release by these guys before their debut album once again has a tough, hard-edge rock sound that recalls bands like the CELIBATE RIFLES, RADIO BIRDMAN, and early SAINTS. Nothing too earth-shattering, just heavy sounding guitars melded with layered melodies.
The mid-tempo punk style here is assisted by a good feeling for melody in their power chord structures, and the two songs on this 45 are undeniably good at what they do. The vocals are gravelly, with lyrics that seem to have a certain humor to them. Very good release.
Pretty cool melodic punk with a neat, rich guitar sound. Original tunes with unique twists and turns, gets a thumbs up from me.
Spew number two for these…uh, Seattle “sound-sculptures.” Actually, this is some of the ugliest, noisiest, hairiest all-out garage wonk ever to see daylight. Three songs, but it might as well just be one. Along with the HELLCOWS and the U-MEN, these guys are making the great Northwest a pretty scary place. 600 pressed.
Pretty intense punk and thrash with varied lyrical topics ranging from “Blood Feast” to personal subjects. Good tunes, but the words seem pointless.
Quite a variety of sounds here, from classical keyboard to punk noises, all with sung female vocals. Very diverse, I enjoyed some of this, but not all.
The record is dated 1982, but it was just sent to us as a new release. Hmmm. Anyway, catchy basic pop punk, rapid-paced and fun. Sounds like ’82. Hmmm.
Two punky tunes with experimental tinges and a real smooth instrumental. Pretty good lyrics and an interesting sound.
This came out earlier this year, but we just now got wind of it. And I’m glad we did—this is raging US-type non-metallic thrashcore, dudes, and while not the tightest or best-produced record in the genre, it’s a totally enjoyable slab. Sparks of distinctiveness should develop with the next record.
Twenty grungy guitar fuzz thrashers here. Sound quality lags, but if early AOD, 7 SECONDS, and ILL REPUTE tickle your fancy, this might too.
Fairly enjoyable melodic pop punk from these French loonies. Contains live and studio material, a little stale in points, but pretty good otherwise.
A seven-song guitar/beat record. Slow tunes, lots of raw guitar, straight beat, psych feel, but not enough rage in the vocals (a touch of SUICIDE would’ve appealed) or feedback noise in the guitar. Otherwise, decent.
First heard from on the Seattle sludge-rock compilation Deep Six. This is a sound that’s growing in popularity every day—a big, full rock sound. Not slick enough to warrant major label attention but powerful enough to grab punkers. See also JANE’S ADDICTION, GREEN RIVER, and SKINYARD.
Twenty-seven “songs” here (most under ten seconds) of utterly tuneless hyper-fast chaotic thrash. Good novelty, little substance; NAPALM DEATH fans take note. All profits go to ALF Bust Fund of Toronto.
A bone-crushing hybrid of metal, thrash, and the BLACK FLAG sound. Lyrically, they dwell on the horrors of modern day living. Totally mind-blowing material.
Raw, jangly pop punk with fun garage-y sound and spirit. Catchy tunes, for sure.
Wonga. Six-song cassette from Melbourne by a young…uh…noise group. This is the sound, along with groups like THUG, LUBRICATED GOAT, and the god-like FEEDTIME, that will deliver the goods on a new Australian (or anywhere for that matter) music. Using the BUTTHOLE SURFERS/SONIC YOUTH sludge as a starting point this group slowly trudges into their own voice with a great sense of doom and humor. Shit—just get the goddamn thing as soon as possible.
The system robs us all of identity and power, and encourages us to fight amongst ourselves to maintain their grip. So, it’s always lovely to see working class people (oi, mate) take out their frustrations on people who are even more fucked over and vulnerable. What can you say about a singer who has his favorite footwear tattooed on his cheek?
Jesus…who are these guys? B-side sounds awful, like a bad BLUE ÖYSTER CULT pop song. But “Bikers,” sheesh…in-your-face hard crunch fuzz, almost like having IGGY POP’s grandson doing STEPPENWOLF covers in the garage. Ow!
I’m usually a sucker for a Midwestern group that blends ’60s psych with hard garage rock, but here they lean a little too heavy on the ’60s stuff. A bit too much CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND and BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD for my tastes.
Gruff sing-along vocals backed up with well-produced, melodic rocking hardcore, similar to early INSTIGATORS, NO ALLEGIANCE, etc. Thirteen songs, two being live, as for lyrics…if you speak Norwegian you’re in there! This month’s value special!
Slow-to-medium-paced basic ’77 garage, one side studio and the other live. Nothing electrifying, but a simple, catchy debut. Good lyrics.
A three-song release, all of which rage pretty good. Hard-driving thrash with tuneage, no let-up, pounding drums and lots of power. A good one.
