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!
ABRATZK provide garden variety thrash on their cuts, with one pop-punky change-of-pace number that took me off guard and is quite good. On the other hand (and side), G.E. delivers amazingly intense HC thrash with spirited gruff vocals — a totally winning band. Two outfits to watch out for—and recommendable for the ELEPHANTS’ songs.
No lyrics sheet or song titles make it difficult to understand what this album is about. There could be some kind of underlying theme but the music resorts to loud repetitious thrash, speedcore, 70s rock, instrumentals, Italian movie soundtracks. Overall, this is good, but not very clear as to its message. What the fuck?
Good wholesome lyrics like the FEEDERZ and CRUCIFUCKS backed with thrashy punk rock. Songs are structured with enough great hooks to keep you on your toes. My faves are “Godarchy,” “Russians on TV.” And “Anal Roberts.” Good shit!
The greatest hits of Homestead. Can’t afford all those records? Get all the hits here. Included are: VOLCANO SUNS, BIG BLACK, NAKED RAYGUN, LIVE SKULL, DEATH OF SAMANTHA, DINOSAUR, SQUIRREL BAIT, SALEM 66, and many more.
A fine collection of known and unknown, previously released and unreleased psychedelic and psychotic bands of 1987. Nothing “neo” about this. Just hit after love hit. Features among many: HALF JAPANESE, SHOCKABILLY, ARTLESS, BONGWATER, FRED FRITH, KRACK HOUSE, STEVE TAYLOR, and ALLEN GINSBURG. Absolutely wonderful.
Compiled by the BUTTHOLE SURFERS, there’s two tracks each by said band. Steve Fitch, Daniel Johnston, and STICKMEN WITH RAYGUNS. It’s all Texas weirdness/bad acid stuff. Highlight is the latter band, whose sound is like the SCREAMERS meets FLIPPER.
Sort of interesting comp of mostly East Coast pop bands. I’ve never heard of (except homeboys TEN TALL MEN). From pretty catchy to extremely droll. A little electronics and a little psychedelia. SIGNS OF LIFE, TEN TALL MEN, BIG DIPPER, and EXPANDO BRAIN are the highlights. So-so.
A pretty solid world compilation featuring the INSTIGATORS, YOUTH QUAKE, UPRIGHT CITIZENS and more. Contains studio and live material. Good job.
Three separate EPs, three different sounds, three different color vinyls. PILLSBURY HARDCORE, PEACE CORPSE, and WHITE’N’HAIRY get their individual say here. Made for collectors, comes in a box.
This blows doors! Innovative powerful thrash with lots of spark and bite, great production, the works. My suggestion; get this tape.
Sort of a BUTTHOLES/BIG BLACK on the A-side, while the flip’s got a bit of BEEFEATER sound to it, though a bit more rock. Hard bite.
Pretty good thrash from this SoCal outfit. Lyrics mostly fall in the personal category: values, friends, etc. Fans of ILL REPUTE should check this out.
This NY-based band for the most part stays clear of the “straight edge mosh style” and goes for more of a melodic HC sound that at times creates some great rockin’ songs. The lyrics, however, are a mix of silliness, dark, and social-political. The most annoying point here is their narrow minded patriotic support for Vietnam vets.
Every one of these German bands (CHALLENGER CREW, UNWANTED YOUTH, SPERMBIRDS, JUMP FOR JOY, SKEEZICKS, PMA, and ANTITOXIN) deliver one song each, and great ones they are. It’s rare to find a comp that’s really consistently sold, but this one is. Put out by Trust fanzine.
Hot, hot, hot stuff here by UNSEEN FORCE, IMPACT, INFERNO, ELECTRO HIPPIES, and more. Informative booklet enclosed and this is a benefit for Animal Liberation Front. No excuses, get this!
Four Holland acts on this disc: LAITZ, BTD, KIKKERSPUUG, and LOUD WARNING. All take the hard and fast approach, with a bit of variation. Not too much originality shines through, but the intensity is present, especially on BTD’s material.
About seven years after the trend, along comes a sampler of NY area ska bands. Varying calibre, mostly rocking.
An OK European comp with THE UNACCEPTED, UNION CARBIDE, and more. Music is mostly hard and fast and comes with a booklet. Nothing special.
A five-band comp that features one song each from groups that span the length of this island nation. ACID REIGN, HOLOCAUST, DEFIANCE, and MINDFUCKERS all have a ’77 UK sound, and all the recordings are amateurish, though the latter has a most interesting track. NAZGUL is in the thrash vein, and attacks! Good cut!
A great, diverse benefit comp for the Leeds Hunt Saboteurs. Music ranges from punk to folk, most of which is powerful and backed up with good meaning. Included are UPRISING, CHUMBAWAMBA, AUTONOMY, ELECTRO HIPPIES, and CIVILISED SOCIETY?. Worth looking into.
Some good old style pop punk from HUNGRY FOR WHAT, KDP, MOTHER’S RUIN, and three other Swiss acts. Enjoyable shit, dudes.
A mega swell comp featuring a slew of hot upcoming Bay Area bands such as STIKKY, FORETHOUGHT, SHORT DOGS GROW, ISOCRACY, and mucho more. Great sound quality, a first class effort. GOOOOO!
A nice mixture of garage punk from APPLE, SCAB, etc., and ranting poetry from Donny the Punk, David Hiberman and more. Pretty enjoyable.
YO LA TENGO, BIG BLACK, and KILSLUG present one track each for pretentious and depressed pseudo-intellectuals, and MOVING TARGETS kill ass as usual in their allotted space. Comes with issue #5 of…
An hour international comp featuring the likes of FALLOUT, 8TH ROUTE ARMY, RUDOLF’s RACHE, and many more!
Interesting title for a varied comp of mostly European acts. Music ranges from ’77-ish stuff to thrash and spacey punk. Relatively enjoyable.
A benefit tape for the Lincoln Park Peace Festival which will occur on August 1 & 2 in Chicago. This consists of 9 Chicago-area punk acts and is an effort well worth supporting.
The Captain musta been drunk when he chose these, because it’s one weird combo of eccentric pop and a dollop of HC to top it off. On the punk side, there’s GOD, WILLARD, CONTINENTAL KIDS, LOODS, and LIP CREAM.
This EP contains one good punk track each from FREEBORN, CRIMINAL SEX, BLOOD AND THUNDER, and NICK TOCZEK (the ranting poet backed by a rocking band). Nice to hear decent stuff from relative unknowns, and…bring back more 7″ers!
I’ve never heard any of these cool, trash 50s bands featured here, but I’m sold on the fact that this is definitely a keeper in the tradition of other great oldies comps like the Back From The Grave samplers. Not so much heavy grunge guitar, but more swaggering, twangy rock’n’roll tunes. Loud, noisy, and fun.
Another international comp from this Swiss label, this being a 90-minute barrage of HC. With such powerhouses as DEPRESSION, GISM, etc, it’s recommended for the thrashers out there!
DRILL, EXIT, 16 TONS, and T.D.F. present eccentric pop, punk, and industrial. Odd record, odd format.
The ZETTLERS, TRAPPERS and RINGO & MAINERS all deliver two songs each of instantly disposable R’n’B and Mersey stuff dating from the mid-’60s.
Professional punk that just barely maintains its roots after all the production and arrangements. Kind of like the Japanese equivalent of the DAMNED. Slightly better tunes appear on the 12″ of “Catholic Day.”
This band has gone totally metal, both musically and in mentality. Lame isn’t good enough to describe this.
Much of this material’s been out in the States before, but this is a good overall sampler for Europeans (or anyone who doesn’t already have their prior releases). Energetic 60s oriented punk.
Rather uninspiring mid-tempo punk without many memorable qualities. Not bad, but it just didn’t keep my attention.
The only thing likable about NY bands aside from SONIC YOUTH or even TEENAGE JESUS/LYDIA LUNCH was that their first few records sounded like this. A clean crunchy grind with raunchy vocals, dirty lyrics, and no noise — just garage-y and trashy psychoticness. Hope they stay this way.
A very enjoyable punk/thrash debut. 5 songs in all, most are catchy and rip as well, featuring inane but creative lyrics. Check it out! A rarity: no pic sleeve!
Yeee…Ouch! Clean, vicious, scorching thrash with shitloads of power and energy. Lyrics cover personal and political sentiments. Buy this tape, you fuddy-duddy!
Stop-on-a-dime thrash and punk with strange quirky hits interspersed. The personal lyrics are pretty “punk”. Tight and hot.
…and pretty soothing vibes these guys are! Distorted melodic stuff here with a relaxing, hypnotizing effect. Very nice. I like this.
Mid-tempo punk with female vocals. While the lyrics are on the mark (anti-racism and anti-state abuse), the music is a bit repetitive. This is not to say it’s limp, but just that the tempo and structures are very similar on all 3 tracks, and given their length, a bit more change might’ve livened it up. Decent.
A novelty here, as Tesco of the MEATMEN indulges in a little punk rock nostalgia. While his covers of the AVENGERS and FLESH EATERS are nothing special, this is the kind of one-off thing I wish there was more of. Credit for persistence goes to Jimmy Johnson for getting this out, a freebie for subscribers of…
A 4-song debut that shows promise. Outside of the occasional wanking guitar leads, I like the mixture of fast and slow hardcore and the straight-ahead attack. Watch for more Orange County releases on this label.
Straightforward HC that’s tight and everything, though there’s little in the way of distinction except on a couple of tracks (like “Gutgekotz”).
A femme Japanese RAMONES trio? They sound like it, and although the tunes all sound a bit familiar, it’s still enjoyable. Catchy stuff.
Short fast angry songs from this Spanish act. Production is a bit muffled, but the energy, power, and emotion is there.
Fun juvenile pop-punk with humorous lyrics slagging the cops, the government, and Ted Night (who does totally suck). Catchy stuff within.
Three-quarters of the old WILLFUL NEGLECT play metal-riff rock on side one, almost too much to take. On the flip, the metallish aspect is still there, but the basic tune is good, as well as the singing. Lyrics aren’t very important here, and the guitar is a pain.
