Smersh The Beat From 20,000 Fathoms LP
Industrial punk set to a rhythm machine, reminding me a bit of early TG or TUXEDOMOON. Plenty of guitar-like feedback and distorted vocals set the mood for this NJ combo.
MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
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Industrial punk set to a rhythm machine, reminding me a bit of early TG or TUXEDOMOON. Plenty of guitar-like feedback and distorted vocals set the mood for this NJ combo.
It’s taken quite a while, but they finally got their LP out. Though both the music and lyrics tend to be unexceptional hardcore, SHELL SHOCK is to be congratulated for sticking with it, especially as they hail from the heart of Klan Kountry.
Forceful hardcore, but not as metallic as other recent NY acts, instead relying on powerthrash and grinding most breaks. Hot.
An excellent pop-punk LP. This band combines great female unison singing with ultra-catchy pop tunes and driving delivery. Lots of guitar and pounding drums — sort of a VELVETS/JESUS AND MARY CHAIN approach.
This French band shows a real skill at fast-tempo thrash with punk overtones. Guitars are in the front where they belong, leading a ferocious instrumental attack, and the vocals are extremely strong and characteristically French. A fine effort, and very recommendable.
This is yet another “Best of…” compilation, and a fine one it is. SHAM 69 were the original singalong Oi style band and they pounded out lots of catchy, memorable rockers, most of which are captured here. If you don’t have this stuff yet, get it now.
SEMINAL RATS owe some of their stylistic nuances to fellow Aussies the CELIBATE RIFLES; this seven-track EP rocks hard, especially on standouts like “Rat Race” and “Change.” While none of these tracks will revolutionize rock’n’roll, this release is solid. Very decent, and very Aussie, if you know what I mean.
A quality Finnish hardcore release. Great at both thrash and slower grunge, a genuinely hot first release. More!
The RUTS were one of the early, and best, of the English punk bands. These five tracks, although recorded in a bland studio atmosphere, still have the bite and punch of that era. Nice little document of punk from 1979.
This LP has a mixture of tiresome mid-tempo punk and melodic hardcore. The music has potential, but this effort fails to create anything outstanding — the fair melodies lack force and the vocals seem to be very forced. The effort is there; maybe next time.
A hot speedcore act mixing the sounds of METALLICA and the ACCUSED. Six songs and a funny interview, one darn impressive tape.
Great garage-y punk and thrash that brings CODE OF HONOR to mind. Lyrics seem to be in the social/political vein. Good stuff, and a tasteful name, too.
MUSTA LAMMAS straddle that boundary between hardcore and thrash, adding a loose Finnish sound and ending up with nothing too grabbing. The songs mine a gritty, medium- to fast-tempo style, and it was difficult to remember much in the way of riffs, much less songs, when the EP ended.
A three-song release in the pop genre. One song is fairly straight pop, one sounds like the late Mod band the JOLT, and one’s a real good rocker.
This Dutch band seems to model itself after outfits like PANDEMONIUM, who specialize in ultra-fast thrash with political lyrics. The harsh, speedmetallish vocals are way in the front of the mix, which unfortunately pushes away the great instrumental sound here, but this is still a respectable debut.
The second cassette by these garage gods. This one boasts solid musicianship and thoughtful, sometimes humorous, lyrics. Quite a blast.
Definitely hardfuckingcore. Fast, slow, hard, gnarly, unrelenting, pounding…you get the idea. First rate in the genre.
This four-tracker from the MALINHEADS has all the elements of great thrash: stop on a dime instrumentals, passionate, throaty vocals, ripping production, and roller coaster energy. The fact that nearly every song here is distinctive doesn’t hurt matters, either.
Don’t know what the big deal is over this band, at least after listening to this three-song release. I found the tunes boring, lengthy, and exactly what I’ve been trying to avoid in music for a long time. Maybe live they make it.
The music here ranges from dirge thrash to pop noise, but the lyrics are the high point, raging on subjects like hair length and old people, with classic stupid humor. Much like early AOD but in a more seriously obnoxious manner. Worth a laugh.
That basic French pop-punk style, complete with those trademark vocal choruses, seems to be the order of the day on this release. Unfortunately, though, the songwriting is un-notable except for the catchy “Maurice,” which opens this seven-track 12″. The other songs have hooks that are predictable, and songs with little if any staying power.
The JONESES seem to have glammed out, judging by the cover pics, and their music has definitely veered even more into a slicker, more generic rock direction. To wit, compare “Ms. 714″ and “Crocodile Rock” to the versions on their first 12″ — the rawness and immediacy are gone. Nice guitar mix, though.
Missed this one a while back. Apparently, this band is known as the GBH of Germany, but I hear that sound as well as a melodic SoCal sound, adding up to an excellent sounding, politically aware release. Good one.
Mostly mellow, almost folky with occasional bursts of mania reminiscent of the Minnesota sound (HÜSKER DÜ or a soft SOUL ASYLUM). Admirable for this as the rockin’ parts are good and the mellow parts pretty but still a little too subtle.
With an almost entirely new lineup, the music here is a mixture of their early sound with a “progressive” U2 feel which hangs some of the time, but I did find myself picking the needle up before a couple of songs ended. The vocals are also hard to deal with, carrying out each word with too much attention.
A very lively live recording that’s perhaps better on tape than vinyl. Actually, it’s hard to tell if this is a boot or legit as there’s no identification or label or other information. But it’s genuine, and sounded like a great show.
Musically, this is fairly unimaginative Italian HC with four grinding mid-to-fast-tempo numbers, and one ripper, “Non Per Me.” Lackadaisical production and playing buries most of the material here.
HUNGER ARTIST has a great non-metallic hardcore sound with personal lyrics. N.O.D.R. remind me of a less polished SUICIDAL TENDENCIES with political and socially oriented lyrics.
Some serious noise with a beat here for the BIG BLACK/SONIC YOUTH fans, as well as those who like loud guitar/drum power. Thanks to Kent for making me aware of this.
After several 7″s, we get eight songs together finally. HARD-ONS combine punk, HC, metal, and 70’s rock and roll into a hard-driving, energetic blend with geeky lyrics.
One of the better sounding domestic HC releases in a while. Good power and production on all four tracks, and although it’s mainly generic metal-influenced hardcore, there’s a gripping urgency that carries it off. Lyrics are pretty bleak, although “Consider the Alternative” offers some hopeful thought.
The band’s name says it all: this is a series of demented versifications backed by a kind of improvisational MINUTEMEN style. An eccentric concept with interesting results, but not astounding.
Was expecting gloom and doom, but got some varied innovative thrash with funny lyrics, one song being a gloom satire. Contains live and studio material.
One side of this fan club record has five unreleased GERMS tracks recorded in 1981, none frankly up to their highest standards, while the flip contains a number of songs from their last show at the Starwood in L.A. A good memento for fans of this once great band.
GASH turn in four songs here, showcasing a mid- to fast-tempo hardcore format with excellent lyrics and strong female wailing. A real progression from their debut LP, sacrificing nothing in the way of power or drive.
VIIMEINEN RAKKAUS, with their emphasis of funk and post-punk influences, spread their ingenuity a bit too thin on their two tracks, but one song by FSF — a punkish treat with a “beat” intro, has personality and flair. Decent.
The instrumental work on this EP, which sounds the work of an undisciplined MINUTEMEN, tends to lack focus and drive. While “Sunburn” sustains energy, the other four tunes use more complex, “funk” guitar figures that left me unexcited.
Sounds like LINK WRAY meets funk meets your average rock’n’roll bar band. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes dreadful. A little of both here.
An early 70’s rock’n’roll sound here. Not on the slick side at all, but much more of a rough guitar sound.
Their last record was notable because half of it was great aggressive post-punk. But this second one is very mellow, comparable to the quietest JOY DIVISION or SAVAGE REPUBLIC. There’s definite musicianship, but it’s pretty boring.
This is the new group arising from the untimely death of D. Boon, and MINUTEMEN fans will be neither too surprised nor disappointed. The music is softer in places, and even though the guitarist only picked up an electric guitar a year ago, this is a good start.
Mix GUN CLUB, BUTTHOLES, and THE WALL, and you get a pretty cool down and dirty bastard blues/punk mix that is modern as hell and timeless at the same time. Excellent.
A dressed-up KILLING JOKE? Poppish, driving rhythms with a basic pop-punk mood. Lots of hooks, but the relatively unchanging medium tempo does leave you wandering at times.
Highly political melodic punk. A three-song giveaway that comes with the equally political World War 3 comic (#7). Both are well worth checking out.
Jesus… noisy little thing. Try to imagine the CRAMPS on speed. The music here is a pretty wild trashy guitar romp but the best thing is the pretty irreverent humor in the same vein as the ANGRY SAMOANS, MENTORS, and DICKIES.
A speedcore instrumental edge, featuring hard, fast guitarwork, underlies the three songs here, which operate in a faster HC vein. Powerful, but lead breaks and lackluster songwriting detract from this effort.
This German garage band has crunchy guitar and a frantic rhythm section from the start, but after the singer kicked in, it became painfully obvious where the weak link was. If you can stomach the “soulful” NANCY SINATRA vocals, you’ll still get groovy psych in the vein of TELLTALE HEARTS or CHESTERFIELD KINGS.
This strong three-tracker exploits a riffy, rock’n’rolly approach to the kind of music perfected by bands like the LIME SPIDERS and CELIBATE RIFLES. “Action,” with its rambunctious energy, rates as the standout here. A very good showing.
A little bit of punk, folk, dance, and pop appears here, but the message remains the main interest. A combination of thought-provoking lyrics, written information, tape commercials, and acted-out situations has been done before, but there is still a need for this type of effort and this band is doing their part.
Here’s a furious little album, this time exploiting the studio more to bring out a swirling tight-fisted sound that’s not punk and not metal but something in the middle and very cool.
