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Please send one copy of 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. We reserve the right to reject releases on the basis of content. Music without vocals or drums will not be considered. All music submitted for review must have been released (or reissued) within the last two years. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!
Well, they’ve heard early PRETTY THINGS-type primitive R’n’B, especially the Jagger-like vocals, raw plunky guitar sound (though nowhere as grungy as the THINGS), etc. Out of Sweden.
Great thrash cover of the KINKS’ “Dandy”, a couple of slower tunes with a good snotty-sounding vocalist, and a recitation of the Gettysburg Address set to ominous sounds. Enjoyable.
The BYGONE ERA sound is just that, 78 all the way, relying on a steady and fast punk beat. WARNERS too are a blast from the past, with gruffer vocals and more rock-type guitars. Two songs each.
One of my favorite young, unknown Australian bands. They have the same kick and drive of a group like the HARD-ONS but they’re not as goofy. More somber in the style of the GUN CLUB or DREAM SYNDICATE.
Some good original singalong straightedge thrash from AZ. They mix it up well, plenty of hooks and positive lyrics you can relate to. If you like STALAG 13, UNIFORM CHOICE, etc. check em out!
Totally enjoyable stuff from the crooks, catchy rockin’ mid-tempo punk with oodles of energy and drive. Way bitchin’.
VIKTIMZ pride themselves on their highly sarcastic, “fuck-you” lyrics and high-velocity thrash attack. A variety of topics, from abortion and nuclear war to martians, is covered with adequate musical punch and fair production — but the attitude is the main attraction here.
Old fashioned punk both in musical style and lyrical content, mainly dealing with getting fucked (take that any way you want).
One track each from thirteen primal Aussie punk bands, most being off 77 era singles and most being hot! VICTIMS, RADIO BIRDMAN, ROCKS, NEWS, PSYCHO SURGEONS, RAZAR, LEFTOVERS, X, THOUGHT CRIMINALS, SCIENTISTS, and more. As many U.S. bootlegs claim Australian addresses, this release claims a U.S., but don’t be surprised if no one’s home.
A grand collection of Australian sludge/noise bands. Great names too — BUSH OYSTERS, PURPLE VULTURE SHIT, LUBRICATED GOAT. Also includes the last track ever by the now defunct GRONG GRONG.
A very on-target U.S. comp featuring tuneage by INSTED, SCREECHING WEASEL, FRONT, DIDDLY SQUAT, and more. Another righteous rad tape from this cool label.
Three bands share this tape: BACK TO BACK (CA) who have a hot clean thrash sound, YOUTH UNDER CONTROL (AZ) playing positive HC with energy, and LAST OPTION (AZ) dishing out fierce thrash with personal lyrics. Live records with booklet, great stuff!
A damn good comp of Icelandic acts ranging from straightforward punk to more conventional rock sounds. SOGBLETTIR, GULT AD INNAN, and the DAISY HILL PUPPY FARM stand out as the best.
This selection of neo-’60s bands covers Germany. Bands like LEGENDARY GOLDEN VAMPIRES, the CHUD, BEATITUDES, SHINY GNOMES, and more drop all over the turntable for your delight. Nothing too raving here, just fifty mike doses.
NEW DRUGS, the 5.6.7.8’s, SHUFFLE, and another band whose name is in Japanese present cowpunk, SHIRELLES/DOLLS-style early 60s stuff, and 77 punk. Weird mix to say the least, though the SHUFFLES’s “Working Class” has SHAM catchiness.
A six band comp which features the catch punk of ALLIGATOR PARADE, HALF OFF’s powerhouse thrash, and GOV’T THRASHER’s hot noise. A hot consistent tape.
Seven highly moshable tunes here, all showing some kind of searching attitudes. While there are still traces of the NY “hard” attitude, there’s much more of a human quality that’s replacing the naive “unity for unity’s sake” approach. Bands include YOUTH OF TODAY, SICK OF IT ALL, SIDE BY SIDE, BOLD, WARZONE, SUPERTOUCH, and GORILLA BISCUITS. Pick it up, and hope that as these bands mature they will prove less mercenary and display more emotional depth than the previous wave of NYHC.
First off, you get 70 minutes of MOTO STILL BIRTH recorded live at Jake’s last show. They’ve been around forever and yet no one seems to know who they are. They mix thrash, metal, punk, and even a little reggae and remain politically aware and totally incoherent at the same time. Plus 20 minutes of VICTIMS FAMILY, including three non-LP tracks.
What a wicked cool comp featuring the likes of DESECRATION, SONS OF ISHMAEL, LIFE SENTENCE, and many more. Prime choice North American acts. Booklet enclosed.
Don’t let the posi-punk title scare you, cuz this fucker rocks hard with acts like PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, HALF OFF, and FALSE LIBERTY. This rocks your gizzard!
This flexi comes with the first issue of Future-Now! UK zine and features one song each by HERESY, STUPIDS, and DEPRAVED (now called VISIONS OF CHANGE). All three songs are great, each with its own style of thrash, all backed by high energy and good intentions.
A pretty hot comp heavy on the HC and speedmetal with acts like SUBVERSE, DEATH SENTENCE, FRATRICIDE, and a slew of Canadian bands. Worth checking into.
An all-Japanese release for those who can’t locate the stuff. Contains a track or two from DEADLESS MUSS, SO WHAT, DETROIT, and FUCK GEEZ. Decent thrash material, nothing lame but little awesome from the current crop.
Three songs, all good garage/’77 punk with good production. Pretty decent lyrics, too, highly caustic towards retardo-punk attitudes. Cool.
This is simple, three-chord punk with basic production and messy vocals — all played in a moderate tempo. The four songs here sound uninspired and rather monochromatic, though I did like the harmonica break in “Control U.”
This duo of Spanish bands demonstrate a remarkable similarity to Finnish bands from 82 or so. U.G., with their ultra-fast, messy thrash sound, is reminiscent of that first BASTARDS EP; R.D.R., with more extended song structures but the same general style, recalls the first EP by RIISTETYT. Altogether, rather like a blast from the past, and recommendable for the U.G. side.
Really powerful garage rock’n’roll with lyrics that are unpretentious but not dumb. Sounds like 76 era pub rock’n’roll with some 77 hindsight. Title track is an apt anthem.
TOTALITÄR, with a grinding HC guitar approach and a tasteful speedcore edge, pummel out five tracks on this one. The closest comparison I can think of is ANTI-CIMEX, and the vocals on this one manage to convey a real sense of urgency and power. Very strong release.
A noisy and confusing blast of electrical air that throbs and throbs like a bad toothache. The only thing I could come close to comparing it to would be CABARET VOLTAIRE’s “Nag Nag Nag” era. Great.
Crossover stuff which leans a little more to the metal side. Powerful, hoarse vocals, can’t decipher the words, but “Punk Virgin” sounds a bit suspicious…
Hot straight thrash with personal lyrics. Tight, competent stuff with a good sense of melody and clean production. Good tape.
Metal damage, leads, and metal structures overwhelm whatever non-cliche aspects remain. Pretty driving, but hard to take or sift through to get any fun out of.
Great creative punk with loans of innovation and unique twists and turns. Angry personal and political words topped with tight instrumentation. Not generic by any means.
Echoes of ASTA KASK and 6-10 REDLOS reverberate through the eight tracks on this fourth release from this Swedish band. Melodic, driving pop-punk is the order of the day, and it’s handled with style and verve. Nice choruses, powerful instrumentals—a good showing.
Insanity. 39 loony thrash tunes which would make the most serious hard-ass punker crack a smile, and at 5.1025641 cents a song, it’s a real bargain. Song title of the month: “Skinheads Move to Hungary.”
The rambunctious pop-punk on this record has a pleasantly tough power chord instrumental sound (abetted by sloppy, but good arrangements), and screamed vocals over the whole thing. The two songs on the A-side rock, while the one on the flip is less special.
More of their BUZZCOCKS imitations, though it’s not any more rockin’ on this live recording than their studio material. They do indulge in a cover of “Purple Haze,” which is HENDRIX on white bread.
Two years after the Hayseed Hardcore EP and some lineup changes, the Canadian SONS return. This is a great album of sociopolitical thrash and the lyrics are right on target. And yes, the cover of “Stairway to Heaven” is priceless.
Fast energetic tuneful punk from the Aloha State, reminds me a bit of the FREEZE. Not sure about the lyrics, includes a tune called “Pussywhipped.” Hmmm.
Three straight powerful thrashers and two pounding metalchord numbers with “jugga-jugga” guitars galore. Hot shit…and a great band name, too.
Kicking off with a rad cover of the Sesame Street theme, these guys blaze out some driving melodic punk with buckets of energy present. Rad shit.
These guys claim to be inspired by DRI, but this is mostly mid-tempo metalpunk with so-so lyrics and lotsa guitar tweedling. Yeah, it’s powerful, but they should stop listening to crossover and put on early DRI for some spark.
Terse, speedcore riffing energizes this fast, to-the-point trio of songs. The abrasive vocals are quite good, and the guitar work aims for original reworkings of the basic core figures we’ve come to expect from this genre. Verdict: a top-notch example of the style, though not exactly my cup of tea.
A four-song release, doing very bouncy and catchy 77 punk. Distinguishing features are a really fuzzed guitar and good snarly vocals. Cool.
A hilarious sleeve introduces four HC numbers along fairly predictable lines: mid-to-fast tempo, shouted vocals, messy guitars, mosh intros, and no melody whatsoever. The energy’s cool, but more originality is needed here. From South Africa.
This band’s sound here is rockin’, but their punk sound is pretty muted by smooth production, which limits the power and accents the pop. A bit too polished.
SM-70, hailing from W. Germany, opt for short, fast songs in a messy thrash mode. It’s a style that’s familiar, and you can bet there’s loads of aggro and a pummeling sound from track to track — it’s also, despite its effectiveness, a trifle too common to make a major impression. Still, it’s good.
Blistering innovative metal punk from San Jose. Includes a cover of a cover (“Psycho Chicken”) and I like it.
These New Yorkers sound like New Yorkers — a vicious, angry, aggressive powerful HC assault with “fed up” words. Some metallic bits but not overbearing, just forceful NYHC.
Their sound lurks somewhere near the STOOGES with a dash of early SAINTS to spice it up. Songs do go on and on, but I guess on the right drugs you can hang with it.
