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!
Varied female vocals are featured on these seven songs, most of which plumb a poppish vein with the hooks on the subtle side. Moments of rockin’ energy emerge from time to time, but the predominant style is soft and mid-tempo. Adequate, but I’m not convinced.
Actually, this is a re-issue, one side containing their first EP Lungs, and the other presenting their Bulldozer 12″, both of which came out in 1982. Lots of driving darkness here, though the Bulldozer side has a lot more power to it.
Some great melodic SoCal-ish punk from this talented bunch. Songs are dramatic, a bit long, but someone sign these guys. Great Damned cover, too.
ANOTHER DESTRUCTIVE SYSTEM bases their intense diverse sound around their even more intense message; speaking out against governments, war, and human exploitation. Dedicated.
WUT cruise with a basic HC style that’s either slow or moderate in pace, but spurt outbreaks of unbelievable fast thrash to add power and interest. This band only connects during these moments of instrumental fury; the reggae and mid-tempo HC doesn’t hit the spot. Uneven.
All 16 tracks were recorded from ’83-’85 and have finally made their way to vinyl. The music is hyper-melodic thrash that has the same roots as UK’s STUPIDS. A mixed bag of happy, silly, and serious lyrics only add to this record’s potential, making this a high energy surprise.
WCF play their thrashy punk very competently, with screamed vocals and an acceptably fast instrumental complement. Nothing stands out, however, and the DISCHARGE influences, both lyrically and musically, don’t show off WCF’s originality. Pretty good.
Eleven medium to fast paced hardcore numbers featuring exceptional recording quality. Lyrics deal with society, personal problems, and the military. Recommended if you’re into East Coast HC.
Great rocking punk from this new four-piece. I’m not sure about the lyrics on a couple of the songs since no lyric sheet was provided. But “Freaks” is a classic. Nice package.
The VARUKERS’ usual style varies from ultra-intense thrash that rips, to a metal-tinged HC approach with occasional guitar breaks. The latter style predominates here, and although powerful, the song structures tend to become repetitious. Not up to their standard, but it’s still respectable speedcore.
Six bands from around the world, one track each. AEMATRACK from New Zealand kicks it off with one of the better recordings, a slow/fast rocker. There are two GUERILLA URBANA’s here, one from the Canary Islands and one from Peru, both of whom turn in raw but exciting thrash. DOC WOR MIRRAN is from Germany, doing an experimental punk cut that works. NO LIP is from Japan with an okay tune albeit on the slick side, and BULK (Denmark) wraps it up with a post-punk CURE-ish song.
The soundtrack of a movie, I think, with six tunes, all in an older punk vein. All the bands were from Hamburg, including SPIEL 77, 100% DISKRETION and others. Liked MEINE SCHUPPEN the best.
Another cool neo-60’s recording put together by YARD TRAUMA’s Lee Joseph, this one international in scope. Overall, it’s kind of uneven, but there’s some top notch stuff here, including AL PERRY’s funny garage cut, the LAST DRIVE’s raw, folk-psych offering, the BROOD’s haunting number, and so on.
Four British bands share this compilation 45. SATANIC MALFUNCTIONS and ACTIVE MINDS play hot and heavy thrash, while basic punk and folky approaches are mined by INDIAN DREAM and RADIO FREEDOM, respectively. A respectable, interesting EP made recommendable by S.M.
This triple 60-minute cassette comp features 22 bands from around the world, all of which have good recording quality. Lots of favorites, such as: KGB, DEPRAVED, APOSTLES, KINA, and many more. Also includes a band info sheet.
Another great effort from this king of punk satire, a great, fun-packed 15 band compilation. Features such notables as PLEASED YOUTH, DEAD MILKMEN, and F.O.D., to name a few.
Lots of 60’s influenced bands, though more can trace their roots back to the MC5 heyday than to earlier garage punk days. Some poppy stuff is here, as well as pop-psych influenced tunes.
A live comp of up-and-coming East Coast acts. Making appearances here are CANCEROUS GROWTH, PTL KLUB, and a handful of smaller bands. Good job.
England’s DISORDER and Norway’s KAFKA PROCESS share this LP. Both sides supply a great amount of thrash delight: honest, loud, and powerful. Each band has an average of five songs that are backed up with strong production without being slick.
A nice mixture of pop-punk, thrash, ’77, and even some ska punk thrown in, all delivered by Yugoslavian outfits. Comes with a booklet, neat package.
Here’s a Peruvian HC comp showcasing acts which range from frantic thrash to energetic ’77 punk, with varied sound quality. Most notable is LEUSEMIA, Peru’s answer to the RAMONES.
Despite the uninspiring cover art and the LED ZEPPELIN-like intro to the title song, this new release has all the UPRIGHT CITIZENS trademarks — tight, imaginative instrumental arrangements, plaintive lead vocals, memorable hooks, and generally on-target lyrics.
The female vocals here recall a mid-period SIOUXSIE, but not overtly, while the instrumental sound falls into that flanged British post-punk approach popularized by VIRGIN PRUNES et al. This is a good example of the genre, but by no means special.
I liked this band’s debut EP last year for its twanginess and scruffy vocals. Here, they have kept just a little bit of that while concentrating on the musicianship. “Thing…” is basically a somber instrumental, and the flip has a charming shit-faced singalong feel to it.
On the two zippier tunes here, they sound like GIRLS AT OUR BEST with a shade of BUZZCOCKS. On the other two, I fell asleep and can’t remember.
A reissue of the ’77 classic by Martin Rev (rhythm) and Alan Vega (vocals). SUICIDE pioneered this experimental but raunchy early punk sound, using effects in a psychotic VELVETS meets THROBBING GRISTLE manner with a dab of rockabilly. Get it!
The Spanish equivalent of MINOR THREAT? Well, they cover “Straight Edge” and they have a fast, clean sound. Lyrics in Spanish, fucking great stuff.
One of the greatest snarly teen voices in the neo-’60s vein, combined with a rockin’ R’n’B combo makes for hot listening. The addition of Farfisa doesn’t really help a lot, but the band is so astute that it certainly doesn’t hurt. Excellent.
Not quite as frantic as their fellow Italians NEGAZIOONE or INDIGESTI, STIGE favors a slightly melodic thrash sound, characterized by a hyperspace guitar sound. Good job.
A one-man band, believe it or not. Reminds me a little of the UK SUBHUMANS, with an energetic sound and impassioned political lyrics. Small booklet enclosed, great effort.
Varied musical approaches for this (relatively) long-lasting Ohio band. Fraser Sims and company prove they can do thrash, hard-edged mood music, funk-influenced beats, etc., with equal ease and power. Hard-thumping Midwest stuff.
The STAR CLUB are at their best when playing their trademark ’78 sound, with good guitar hooks and catchy melodies. This album is not quite as consistent as their last two, but contains a few flashbacks of their former glory, albeit without the characteristic grunginess. Okay.
Live, these guys impress with their tunes, energy, and performance. Here, you get a well-crafted pop LP. I know the HÜSKER DÜ comparison is uncool, but it’s so obvious, along with a REPLACEMENTS touch, that I gotta do it. Power-pop.
New wavy power-pop with saxophones and some funky elements thrown in. I don’t like this.
This outfit has a power-pop approach very similar to GET SMART or early ANGST, though the hooks almost (but not quite) connect on this three track EP. “I Made Love to A Vulcan” is pretty funny. Good sleeve, too.
This is a tough upbeat debut by an accomplished young band. There’s lots of heavy guitar sounds with swaggering melodies. At different times, I heard elements of the DOORS, LOVE, and the first record by the FLAMING LIPS.
A bunch of great country bumpkins with a swell sense of humor. There’s a goofy garage quality that made FLAMING LIPS so cool. They have a slight tendency to slip into ZZ TOP guitar riffs but the spirit of these guys make it forgivable.
The long awaited follow-up to their first LP is here and takes off where the other left. Classic SNFU songs are filled with catchy riffs, breaks, hooks, beats, howls, and laughs. These twelve songs rip from start to finish, and the band has yet to compromise their sound and ideas, and hopefully never will.
A real homemade job, just 300 pressed of this one-sided, hand-painted cover LP. A cleaned up CHEMOTHERAPY? Perhaps, but this is still grungy Midwest punk. No frills from this now-defunct Pittsburgh band, just basic garage democracy.
More typically an “Amigo” band, there’s a “big” garage-type sound here, straightforward pounding rock’n’roll and snarled vocals. Both sides rock. Heard this is the NOMADS under an alias.
This album sees the genesis of a much cleaner and more defined RAZZIA sound, with synth even making an appearance. The best songs here are engaging and passionate, and contain a measure of accessibility to compensate for the loss of power. This band is still a force to be reckoned with. Very good.
I’m always suspicious of records that only have song titles of three or less words. All the “tunes” here (except the title song) have just two words, and the music is equally imaginative. For the speed metal genre, it is pretty well done, but ultimately dulls the senses.
One side is way too pop for my tastes (as are many of their releases), but the flip has much more of a rockin’ feel, with a sound reminiscent of many of the bands on this label (NOMADS, etc.)
Your standard but well done Euro-thrash release — meaning lots of guitar, gruff vocals, and light on melody. Four songs, no surprises, but tight and loud.
A searing performance from this overlooked Boston outfit. About thirty minutes of insane thrash and even a funny interview on side two.
Cleanly produced garage punk which occasionally ventures into surf, funk, etc. Lyrics seem to be quite sarcastic. A fun tape.
Like RED KROSS, this band draws from 70’s hard rock for influences, combining guitar power-pop with punk crunch for maximum effect. Well done.
Fast melodic punk from these Swedish crazies. Includes five originals and a cover of “I Saw Her Standing There.” Fun.
Five songs in a punkish vein here, with good female vocals to boot. The operative track is “Fuck SACEM,” a steamroller in the tradition of the ELECTRIC DEADS with blazing guitar and great wailing, though the other songs are adequate.
Thrash, jazz, and funk up the butt, dude. A total crackup, right down to them saying Oi stands for Oppressed Intelligence. Too funny for words.
