Active Ingredients Fly Again cassette
An interesting variety of sounds here: pile-driving punk and thrash, rap and MENTORS-ish metal rock lyrics and personal and political. Some pretty hot stuff on this one.
MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
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An interesting variety of sounds here: pile-driving punk and thrash, rap and MENTORS-ish metal rock lyrics and personal and political. Some pretty hot stuff on this one.
BIG BLACK meets JESUS AND MARY CHAIN. Tough but post-punk rhythms and noise guitar galore work together with machine gun vocals. Precious little info on this colorful fold-out sleeve that becomes a poster.
The “funny” side of the SPERMBIRDS, it’s amazing this is the same band. While the BIRDS thrash like crazy, this is more poppy, coming off like a French punk band or TOTEN HOSEN.
“Common sense, enjoyment, respect for life and responsibility” appear on the insert for this, the sixth vinyl release from this durable Aussie band. Four well-produced rockin’ punk tunes accompany and enforce this message. “Turned to Stone” is the standout.
This album represents a variety of Norwegian HC styles, the most interesting being that by BRENT JORD, TMB, OVERLAGT DRAP, and KAFKA PROSESS. Production is good but basic, and the best material here demonstrates a richness of talent from this country that makes me hankering for more.
An international comp featuring FUCK GEEZ, GLORY, B.P. THE PRISONER, UK JUNX, FREEZE and ASBESTOS ROCKPYLE from the U.S., SCRAPS from France, S.O.D. from Sweden and the DEFORMED from England. Varying quality and sound, and hopefully more international punk will get exposure there.
This split LP contains the ABNORMAL and BARBED WIRE. The former has fairly decent lyrics but pretty unexciting music. The latter cooks musically (straight on fast punk) but they’ve little to communicate cept they’re bored.
Though both bands sound pretty similar, these are two entirely different bands. Both play engaging mid-tempo British political punk, with the latter band using both male and female vocals. Good indie effort, nice package.
A split EP featuring ex-TERVEET KÄDET guitarist Tiimo on one side (playing all the instruments) in a speedcore frenzy, while the flip contains tracks by WOLFGANG RUTH doing a synth pop ditty.
A unique and good looking package here, with a 7″ comp EP and flexi. Bands from the U.S., Canada and Japan include SEPTIC DEATH, FRATRICIDE, C.O.P., FINAL CONFLICT, NEGATIVE GAIN, GHOUL, OUTO, S.O.B., and GHOUL SQUAD. No info on the bands, but the needle jumps, and that’s the bottom line.
Two songs each from FEED YOUR HEAD and HEX. Both offer basic mid-tempo UK punk, pro-protest and anti-system. This label continues to support relative unknowns. Keep it up!
I’ve been telling Tim that these guys produce some of the most tuneful and rockin’ post-punky stuff that’s come around since the early GANG OF FOUR, especially live. And now that sound has been captured on this album, which really nails the band’s chunky rhythm section, tasteful (but loud) guitar attack, and droll political wit. A cooker.
Cheese whiz pop. It’s got a beat but no balls.
Just the thing for folks who can’t afford the steep import prices for great Swedish garage music. While the MOUTHS aren’t the best at what they do, they still manage to kick up a decent fuss full of 60s style ravers. Lots of early demos and alternative takes for the completist.
Ten mid-tempo pop-punk songs here, with melodic bratty vocals and a consistently pounding drum beat being a major force behind each song. Overall, there are a couple of hits here, but way more near misses, which might be due to the lack of catchy riffs and choruses. The potential is here (including good punk anthem lyrics), but it doesn’t come all together. Still, a very suitable release.
SEARCH AND DESTROY sounds good, though the tracks with the female vocals (half) stand out the most. Sort of a chaotic thrash, and when it gets it’s hot.
Straight forward thrash with simple three chord riffs, rapid fire drum beats, loud bass, and harsh vocals, all which is put together at 100 MPH with a stop and go structure. This makes for 15 aggressively enjoyable songs, with the nice added touch of diverse lyrics which deal with subjects from farting and skateboarding to war and vivisection. Good stuff.
The A—side is semi-rockin’ Pop, but the flip shows a lot more character. It’s a medium-paced pounder about shooting up, sort of a noisy, relentless tune that gets the point across.
This South Africa band makes another political stand that shows real courage, but the music here is the best POWERAGE has yet committed to vinyl. Simple, urgent HC with a rich guitar sound is the style — and it’s that combination of power and credibility that makes this a winner. Very strong!
Pretty ordinary melodic punk and thrash here, and though the lyrics are very strong. I don’t think the music really comes across with the same emotional impact. This isn’t a bad album, just a not a pissed kick-in-the face.
Political punk from Greece. This is ’77-style punk with a bit of a CLASH influence. Reconfirms my opinion that Greek, along with French, is the worst sounding language to work with in punk songs.
A real powerhouse band and album. Non-stop quality thrash, great sounds, and even hooks and choruses. Guitar gets out front a few times, but it’s restrained and the overall band sound is maintained. With titles like “Lost of Words” and “Not Worth Dawn” (they do mean “damn”) you can’t go wrong. Killer.
On their second LP, this German band upholds a uniformly good quality of energy, instrumental tightness, and anthemic lyrics. Overall, a very pleasant package, but on listening to the individual songs, nothing really stands out as unique or especially gripping. Just another buncha mid-to-fast tempo HC/punk songs with the slightest of core tinges.
Pop punk and thrash. The music’s good, song titles like “Fuck’n Girl” and “Nagality” leave me scratching my head, and it came packaged with a flexi from another band the JOKERS. Same planet, different worlds.
Hardcore, sort of like a fast PERSONALITY CRISIS. Rock structures, pounding beat, crunch guitar, semi-theatrical vocals. Heavy handed.
The really outstanding thing about this album is the remarkably flexible, yet plaintive female vocals which grace the songs. The instrumentals veer into a kind of bassy mid-tempo HC drone as the tunes progress, but with more distinctive material, this band could really excel.
This band frequently has flow, metalish intros, then launches into non-metallic straight ahead thrash. Five tunes, some catchy.
A three-song, lightweight pop-punk release. Comes packaged like the first PIL 7″. “Punk the World” it says on the back. I guess their approach is to lull em into it.
Missed this when it came out, but it’s well worth listing now. Very much in the English “peace punk” tradition, there are CRASS—like rants set to driving simple punk, poetic conversations and folky interludes a la CHUMBA. Well done.
Most of this month’s Japanese batch have been really poppy, as is this one. I guess it’s a trend. First metal punk, now this. But it’s not ace pop-punk. Just wimpy ass stuff. Aaagh!
A serious political band whose music has a lot of comparisons with CHUMBAWAMBA due to their hard-driving punk and light, mid-tempo poetic numbers. But this band tends toward a slow, melodic gothic sound which at times drags on. However, their message is strong and communicated loud and clear with female/male vocals and an inspiring booklet.
This Aussie outfit employs an approach to HC which emphasizes simple, riffy structures (frankly with not enough variety to keep my musical interest) abetted by the upfront guitar sound. The real highlights here are the exceptionally passionate words, and of course, the great cover art.
A five-song release of pretty high quality thrash. Lots of melody, though, no metal, tight playing, and lots of energy.
Sort of MC5 meets BIG BOYS and BUTTHOLES. Hope ya like wah wah.
Sounds like a rawer-edge Homestead band with a political consciousness (a contradiction in terms?). Very HUSKER-ish guitar, aggressive but controlled post-thrash: I think they’d be very at home in DC today. The final COR release, distributed by…
Straightforward basic driving thrash unaffected by other musical styles. I’d understand the words if I hadn’t failed my Spanish class. Good youthful energy.
Slightly metallic hardcore similar to POISON IDEA, but with a real sense of drama and passion. Lyrics are heartfelt and truly progressive. Hot stuff.
An eclectic album full of guitar pop. Most of it is quirky and the rest is countrified psychedelic. Occasionally, it even rocks out, but not nearly often enough. The guitar playing is very high quality, the musical structures are too clever for their own good. Someone should make the CREEPERS listen to the RAMONES’ Road to Ruin LP because a dose of cretinism is needed here.
While there’s no overt fascist ideology in most of the lyrics, the mentality is there, both on a more subtle level (the admiration of blind violence, the skin “look” and the inferences to racism in “White Cap.”) on the sleeve itself, graphics are by “KKK”, as well as plenty of iron crosses. Musically, pretty decent Oi sounds.
The second LP from CHUMBA is as lyrically on target as ever. They blend many musical styles, tempos and deliveries and top it off by putting it out on their own label. A superb effort with excellent results. Gatefold cover, too.
This is German thrash in a pared down American style — thirteen no-nonsense, short and to-the-point songs….terrific energy….riveting bass riffing….great guitar attack. This one has it all, so you’d be a sucker not to snap this baby up. (Great cover art, too!)
Three of the four songs are really decent medium-fast punk with a drum sound that seems like a machine til it does stuff a machine can’t. Catchy tunes, pounding beats, and good guitar. 75%.
Ninety minutes of enjoyable punk noise from one of Germany’s first punk bands. Lots of catchy originals, plus covers of “Paranoia,” the Bonanza theme, and more. Weeee!
Really great garage here, really pounding punk. Cool cover of the RATIONALS’ hit, plus two other ravers. No info on sleeve as to their origin, but they don’t seem to be the band from Wales. Ragin’ stuff.
Was expecting a bit weirder than the ’77 pop I got. Like wimpy CLASH? Wrong generation.
A “live in the studio” recording, this band is of the ’77 ilk, featuring a female singer, organ, and cover “Pretty Vacant”. Where am I?
Four ultra-catchy pop-punk tunes with a definite RAMONES influence without being copycats. Very basic, very rockin’, very good.
Mostly JESUS AND MARY CHAIN-trend stuff here. Pop, feedback, distant, a beat.
Andy Martin has always been a bundle of contradictions, and on this, their fifth LP, he comes off with his reactionary side, a perspective that would make SKREWDRIVER proud. There’s as much hatred, racist bullshit, and “white tribalism” here as on any LP by the aforementioned sickies, and this time the APOSTLES even sound like SKREWDRIVER. Very fucking sad.
Three fairly similar speedcore songs, short on melody and long on guitar squawking. Good lyrics, good intentions, but nondescript speedcore is even worse than nondescript thrash.
