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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!
The four tracks on this, FUZZBOX’s second record, demonstrates that this band has more in the way of a distinctive sound than great material. Cool synth bass with instrumental intrusions (sax, rhythm box, but no guitar I could hear) provide spare backdrops for vocals reminiscent of HAGAR THE WOMB. Nothing special.
FULL FATHOM FIVE sounds like the better Homestead bands, with their powerful guitar sound, varied arrangements, and abstract vocal concerns. I liked their HUSKER-ish changes on “Why Their Faces Are So Worn,” and the other tracks are quite respectable.
Recorded (I believe) during a recent incarnation of San Francisco’s GROOVIES when they played Australia, these two songs extend their folk pop direction even farther. Both tunes hold back, threaten to burst out, and never do. For collectors only.
I guess these are early and unreleased CANNIBALS cuts — who knows, who cares — it’s just so-so but fun garage R’n’B based trash. Okay.
Noisy meets early CURE here for three grinding tunes. Lots of guitar from this three-piece on all three tracks, including a slide sound.
Another in CBGB’s live series, this one being a relentless barrage of fast punk and thrash with singalong choruses. Fucking intense!
Do you like the pop HUSKERS sound?
When I first heard this, I thought it was a great mix of Chris D’s tough-as-nails lyrics with a good, classy production. But as I play it more and more, I’m afraid he must have left a lot of drive and fire of the early FLESH EATERS music for smoother production. Really commercial stuff.
I admire this band for their hilarious lyrics and rich, hard guitar sound, and there’s certainly cause for interest in their punkish, rockin’ tunes. The problem is that the goofy vocals don’t hold down melodic interest, making the songs run into one another. Still, there’s talent and drive here; I want to hear more.
Citing the SAINTS and TELEVISION among their influences, one can hear it a bit. But those groups, despite sometimes extended length songs, always made them memorable, whereas DOS seldom leave traces of tunes re-emerging through the mind rubble. Undelivered promise.
Well, here it is 1986 and I finally discovered why people used to rave about DMZ. After hearing their other releases and being sorely disappointed, I thought the hype was underserved. But now that a tasteful purveyor of primitive raunch has managed to unearth a live DMZ recording that frankly blows away everything else they’ve put out, I’m convinced.
These guys call themselves a HC ska band and that’s pretty accurate: upbeat jangly ska tunes with Oi choruses. Mostly energetic stuff here, lotsa fun.
A four-song old Britpunk style release, simple on the beat, fast punk and growled political lyrics.
Probably the most intense, tight, ripping act from SoCal since EXCEL, who seem to be a big influence. In fact, I’d say a number of “metalphobes” could get into these guys because of their sheer intensity. Wild.
I guess if Joe POP-O-PIE could build a career on just one song (GRATEFUL DEAD’s “Truckin”), then the COOLIES certainly can with just one artist (PAUL SIMON…well, actually it’s SIMON & GARFUNKEL). Yep, most of the tunes here are rocked versions of S&G hits (“Scarborough Fare,” “I Am A Rock”, etc., etc.). Gets old fast.
Strange fuzz fusion metal core. All the typical metal speed changes are here and mixed in with high speed thrash that is accompanied by snarling vocals. The production helps create a spooky, dark sound that is too forced.
This exceptional album features a load of dynamic uptempo thrash by two accomplished outfits. CHAOS UK, in possibly their best work to date, wins by a length for their thick vocals and layered guitar attack, but ENT have fascinating arrangements to recommend their side of the LP. A thunderous, exciting release.
If debauchery, sexual domination, or being a MENTORS fan is your trip, you might check this out. Six live songs of pure auditory copulation, for the truly hard-up.
Cool guitar sound and an almost rockabilly beat are offset by slick singing and pop structures. Tight and shows promise, but they gotta cut the cutesy crap.
I would’ve reviewed this, but after hearing two songs we winged it across the room in disgust, smashing it to fifty pieces. Unadulterated dance music bites the dust!
Not quite up to the standards of their exceptional debut 45, the A-side still manages to cough up the requisite rockin’ 60’s punk energy to keep the toes tapping, though the melodic punch is largely absent. The flip is more poppish and less enjoyable. Pretty good.
Disjointed, dissonant punk which reminds me a little of DIE KREUZEN’s recent material. This has some rockin’ energy, and is more interesting to listen to than a lot of other bands.
Highly produced yet still garage-based R’n’R, both songs have a CRAMPS-like feel though the B-side is much more basic.
This one sounds more Swedish than Finnish, with an accent on well-constructed thrash with great tunes, melodies, and a variety of paces. Like it very much.
An over-the-edge group with a lot to say. This is not rock and roll, but is a pop form of experimental music, largely instrumental, but with thought-provoking printed accompaniment. Not too pretentious.
Atmospheric post-punk with novel studio effects and original song structures. None of the music stands out in the way that top-notch SPK or EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN does, but it’s okay for its genre.
Two uneventful covers of ’50’s tunes. For a good update of the B-side, check out the KINKS’ cover of this CHUCK BERRY obscurity on their debut You Really Got Me LP.
This Danish outfit plays rock in a darker, discordant vein which tries to maintain power through atmosphere. “Who Is the Man…” almost pulls it off, but the overall effect of this EP is nondescript — as if the band were purposely trying to distance you from the music.
An interesting mix of ’60’s pop, late-’70’s Boston rock’n’roll, country, MINUTEMEN, and REPLACEMENTS. All the recent Midnight releases seem to be less raw and aimed at a “broader audience.” This might be the one to attain that.
Folky-rocky with a decent beat, but a bit lacking in energy on the A-side. Nothing special, from New Zealand.
Their second release contains a slower droner, two PISTOLS type tunes, and two thrashers. All are well done, lots of guitar power as well as atmosphere. Good.
Female vocals over rocking pop punk. Like BLONDIE at their early best. The cover is a total RAMONES rip-off. Best title: “I Wanna Be Yourself.”
A prime example of hard-driving, snot-nosed, heavy-on-the-melody Australian garage bands. Truly a great debut—starting from the FLAMIN’ GROOVIES sing-a-long style to the tough-edged guitar sound. This group needs an album, now.
Wouldn’t normally review shit like this (you got it—HANOI ROCKS B.S.), except that this is what became of the once-awesome COMES. Incredible.
An aggressive guitar sound that strays away from the metal leads and relies on fast-paced metal riffs. The vocals are gravelly, and the music is powerful but repetitious at the same time, yet the band’s message sticks with a hard political stance.
Seven bands, including the SCAM, PSYCHO, GG ALLIN, and CANCEROUS GROWTH contribute a song each to this thrashy EP. Two songs rip (STUPIDS, SPASTIC RATS), one is pretty good (PTL KLUB), and the rest lapse into genericness.
There are some cool experimental tracks here, mostly by English groups like YEAH YEAH NOH, FLESH PUPPETS, and the BUMBITES. Also, a couple of good German punk tracks by RANOLA and HUNGRY FOR WHAT, plus plenty more — even a cut by APPLIANCES-SFB from Wisconsin.
First, the music of GAUZE, OUTO, LIPCREAM, and SYSTEMATIC DEATH comprise some of Japan’s best HC, a variety of approaches, all gripping. Now the cover—one of the best all time graphic jobs, both in layout and content. Impressive.
Here’s yet another cool int’l comp with vicious, urgent stuff from LARM, MASS APPEAL, PESADELO, and more. Sound quality gets crunchy at times, but overall, this blasts.
This compilation is put out by Senzapatria, whose political magazine is included with this disc. Bands featured are MYDGARD, LINK LARM, DISPERAZIONE, and ANTISBARCO, who present different brands of hardcore. As with many of the Italian bands, their tastes run eclectic, and within any given song you’ll hear lots of changes and styles. Stiv art graces the cover.
Smartly divided between the “guitar” side and the “machines” side, this sampler has a K-Tel greatest hits feel to it. Aside from a STEVE ALBINI spoken word track and songs by NAKED RAYGUN and the WIPERS, all of this is previously released. Still, it’s nice to have a listen to SONIC YOUTH, SCRATCH ACID, BOY DIRT CAR, and others all in one sitting.
A benefit tape for this Arizona fanzine. It’s short but very sweet, with absolutely raging tracks from FALSE LIBERTY, VIRULENCE, PSYCHO, and more. Explosive stuff.
This solid 4-track EP contains upbeat HC with a uniformly slicing guitar attack from the likes of GAGIZE, WEEDY EGGS (more pop-punkish), SWORD, and REZIST (excellent ripping thrash). Good record.
A 60-minute compilation consisting of nine UK and French political punk bands, like ANATHEMA, FINAL BLAST, and PIN PRICK. Excellent sound quality, and includes a band information booklet. Nice job!
Three bands here: NECROPHILIA, playing fast buzzing thrash; HERPES DISTRESS, with a straight-forward ferocious approach; and SOLUKSKI FRONT, who show more control, but still rock. Keep up the good work.
This EP contains very basic, simple power chord thrash, the vocals uninventively mimicking the guitar progressions for the most part. The instrument sound is biting, but the record itself is rather generic.
This flexi comes with 10 Years On #7, and contains a pair of ’78-style pop-punk tunes. Nothing special, though, as they’re fairly lacking in excitement. Oh well — it’s free with the zine, though.
This latest in the series (which is not being issued in sequential order) covers the Pacific Northwest, home of many of the earliest U.S. garage bands like the SONICS, WAILERS, KINGSMEN, and PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS, none of whom appear here. What does appear are a host of lesser-knowns, bands that would play bars/frats and rock out. Hottest are SIR RALEIGH, and the STATICS. The rest will appeal only to historians, with the usual fine liner notes by Lee Joseph.
This sampler from the Cryptovision label goes to great pains to capture that trashy, one-take sound. The most successful at this are the DISTRACTION BOYS, MOD FUN, and STEPFORD HUSBANDS. The other groups have a more forced, contrived sound.
This compilation contains a few tracks from already released LP’s (DR. KNOW, COC, MENTORS), some unreleased tracks (DRI, UGLY AMERICANS, BEYOND POSSESSION), and a few odds and ends (INSOLENTS, DEPRESSION, and CIVILIAN TERRORISTS). As you might guess, this is death/speed metal up the ass. Aargh!
