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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!
Rock’n’blues reigns supreme here, helped along by nasty, satiric lyrics and a gritty guitar sound. Perhaps accidentally, punkiness shines through a handful of tracks (like “Jealous”), though the primary impression this LP leaves is that of a cool, fun bar band. A good release.
PISTOLS meets GISM? Okay results, but nothing amazing except maybe the song title “Fuck Day.” Whadda they mean, are they pro-night? Oh, these punks. And yes, they do have a song called “I Love Punk.”
This is well-done speed stuff with guitar leads, lots of power, and intense vocals. Excellent lyrics to boot—good debut… but those leads.
Poppy teen punk. Big in melody, simple construction, decent production and guitar sound. Midwest garage meets BUZZCOCKS. Jumpy.
A good punk and thrash record with lots of zip, good lyrics, and that’s fun to listen to. But what makes these guys stand apart is that in the great tradition of the SCREAMERS and SUICIDE, they rely on synth. You’d never know it, though, as there’s no trace of wimpiness—just two hard-driving machines, drums, and vocals. Not to be confused with another fine band of the same name in New York, and another in Finland.
I think you’re familiar with the “NYHC” sound by now—a mixture of HC and metal. This release is no slouch, a high production job that displays tightness and power. Can’t comment on lyrics as no sheet was included.
Brother in kind to Midwest bands like KILLDOZER, BIG BLACK, etc., this group has always had a strong streak of inspired lunacy but still rocked hard. Here they poke some serious fun at how stupid it is to be in a rock band. The flip is a near perfect rendition of the MOUNTAIN classic—complete with cowbell.
A short tape consisting of five rapid fire stop-and-go thrash bursts with machine gun drumwork. Lyrically, war and conformity are the focal points. A darn swell tape.
More well-done ’77 punk, though there’s a sameness and lack of real fire that ultimately dulls. These KIDS have had plenty of time to liven up, so no excuses for them. Okay pop punk.
“The same old CONFLICT,” says Vote Vasko. So true, and vintage sounding material at that. Great production and sound supertight, and gripping delivery all add up to one hot release.
Some speedcore trappings, managed in an entirely tasteful and powerful manner, make the thrashy songs on this album very creditable on a musical level; bands like BROKEN BONES should look to the SOX with envy. The socially and politically responsible lyrics, however, make this one into both an intelligent and very listenable record. Very good.
COLERA fans won’t be disappointed with this one. This album has more of that uncompromising, Finnish-style thrash in a style very similar to vintage APPENDIX. While I would have preferred a little more guitar (the approach of fellow Brazilians, RATOS DE PORAO), this is still a very good release—and I appreciated the translated lyrics, too.
Apparently made up of former members of another Dutch band, L’ATTENTAT, these guys have a great snotty garage sound and a singer who sounds halfway between ecstasy and death. Musically somewhere between the CRAMPS and the FALL. Gimme some more.
Mike Watt (ex-MINUTEMEN) teams up with Ethan James and Greg Ginn for a hard, heavy, and thoroughly funky version of the MADONNA song. SONIC YOUTH gets their chance on the flip with a weird, dreamy version of “Into the Groove.” Too cool.
A hot, clean-sounding speedcore release with tempo changes galore. Lyrically, Satan doesn’t show his face, but personal politics do. A smoking tape from this Bay Area outfit.
Still another progression for this interesting Connecticut band. Several loose, spirited thrashers (like the catchy original, “Summertime Blues”) vie for one’s attention along with mid-tempo numbers reminiscent of a rawer HÜSKER DÜ. Songwriting is inconsistent here, and their hallmark intensity and humor are in short supply. Still, it’s an original effort.
Here Eugene is joined by two members of VIOLENT FEMMES and the outcome is extra good pickin’ and the same strictly CHADBOURNE twisted folk protest songs. All classic, no fan disappointed, all lyrics hitting their mark, and lots of good clean fun.
Bizarrely, this offering sounds like BILLY IDOL singing over a LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH instrumental backdrop; the result is a rockish, slick, and highly commercial pair of songs, neither of which left much of an impression on me.
Formed by Randy Turner after the break-up of the BIG BOYS, this moves more into the funkier, dark side of rock, but I just wish there was a little more bite to it. Maybe it’s just a case of testing the waters before they really let loose.
Another unexpected pleasure from the Netherlands. An excellent crunchy garage/psych band in the same vein as WILMER X or the NOMADS. Some cool covers from the STOOGES to the OUTCASTS. Lots of fun involved here, not just a 60s necrophilic trip.
Two riffy, rockin’ tunes appear here: the A-side contributes GUN CLUB-style guitars to agreeable, half-sung vocals, while the flip is a sloppier and less interesting mixture of the same. Not memorable, but hardly mediocre.
Unconventional fuzzy guitar licks, industrial grade drumming, and twisted vocal effects highlight this 8-song cassette. Some studio tracks are included, but the live ones really throb.
This fucking rocks! The BIG GUNS play jammin’ mid-tempo punk with metallish guitar embellishments, but their sound seems to have a western feel to it. Cool.
On a third of the tunes here, this band gets too mellow for my rockin’ meter to register, but on the others they play a rough pop rock’n’roll that’s pretty neat. The guitarist can really wail—he just doesn’t do it often enough. A neat cover of the VELVETS’ “What Goes On” that mutates into the STOOGES’ “1969.”
Performing both older punk and thrash styles (mainly the former), most of the material is fairly generic, but then there are little twists (vocal tricks, weird guitar sounds) that set it apart. But not by much, at least yet. Could develop into something distinctive.
England’s answer to the RAMONES, with a driving three-chord melodic sound. Only three songs, but damn good, especially for gabba gabba hey fanatics.
Ten ultrafast HC numbers with the vocalist spitting out urgent ideas about apathy, oppression, and manipulation, all reinforced by an informative booklet tackling the subjects of religion, vegetarianism, the arms race, pacifism, and more. Dedicated, committed, and cool.
Critics have been falling over themselves for this band, but frankly it’s some of the worst music I’ve ever heard. I keep going back just to double check, but to me, it sounds like MARIA MULDAUR singing with a bad new wave band. On top of that, the BEATLES cover on the flip is just inane. Pass.
A surprising entry from Florida, AMAZING GRACE clicks in with a rock’n’roll approach that varies in passion and slickness. For me, the songs didn’t stick, though the energy here is commendable, especially on numbers like “Raw Power” (an original). Contains a stupid song, “Boat People,” that shows misinformed political views.
High-production punk like a lot of UK bands got in ’78 or so. Decent on both tracks with the power able to overcome the slickness.
Good ’77 punk with female vocals, great choruses, and a pounding beat. Many of the ’77 rip-off bands in Japan (and there are a lot!!) fail to convey the strength, but this one is as vital and fun as the originals were.
Another UK band returning to earlier punk, or rather what we now think of as post-punk, roots. Minimal melodies and rhythms, noisy and full of screeches and snarls. Reminds me of when the FALL, PERE UBU, CABARET VOLTAIRE, and THROBBING GRISTLE were “punk” bands. And just as good.
Somewhere in the midst of JIM MORRISON, MARK RILEY, NICK CAVE, the CRAMPS, and other rockin’ doom and gloomers steps in this Greek band that screams, moans, and sings of inner turmoil and damnation, and basically gets down, jams and rocks out. What more can be said except it’s mostly pretty good.
A four-band, four-track comp featuring HEX, STALAG 17, OI POLLOI, and SYMBOL OF FREEDOM, all from the British Isles. All the bands are powerful as hell, though SYMBOL OF FREEDOM is the most traditionally Britpunk (though they’re from Wales) and the least dynamic. An excellent release.
For the most part, this international comp kicks out some classic fast-tempo punk and hardcore. With bands like the INSTIGATORS, DETONATORS, SONS OF SADISM, MOSKWA, and a dozen others, most will hear something enjoyable here. Good production, a well-rounded sampler.
A four-band international comp with a cool title. POLITICAL ASYLUM and NEUROTIC ARSEHOLES play fast, melodic punk on Side One, while Side Two showcases a thrashier sound with MASSACRE and SOLUCION MORTAL.
Okay, this latest volume of raging thrash contains more of Sweden’s finest. Included are AVSKUM, DISCARD, DTR, SSS, EXISTENZ, SLAM, DISARM, BEDROVLERS, and many more. As with the other Really Fast comps, you get really fast thrash with the usual Swedish flair for hooks, though this one tends to be more straight noise thrash.
A largely German comp (MOTTEK, R.A.F., GIER, COCKS, TOXOPLASMA, etc.) with a couple of tracks each. There’s also TOXIC REASONS, ARTLESS, and FRITES MODERN thrown in, making for an energetic, well-recorded sampler.
An on-target English comp with grade-A stuff from OI POLLOI, GENERIC, SUBHUMANS, and more. A consistently great tape, and comes with a lyric book, too.
Four Mersey-like tunes, but nothing to click your Cuban heels over. Why bother rehashing the past, especially with cover tunes, when the originals win hands down?
One of these two German pop bands, TOT ODER gets the bonus points for interesting instrumentals. Still, both songs are fairly slow and lilting, lack engaging hooks, and are listenable primarily through my adoration of female vocals. Uninspired.
A bit confusing (their logo is “TCACT”) but this is the latest TIN CAN ARMY release. This multi-track 7″ has one side of up-tempo punk, and one in a more jazzy punk vein. They are experimental in some ways, though their pop HC format and vocal sound reminds me most of the DKs.
Their second big ‘un is as ripping as Peruvian Vacation, again with a decided North American feel to their hardcore approach. Lots of melody, but not at the sacrifice of power or energy. You can guess what the lyrics are like.
Containing younger siblings of TERVEET KÄDET (and on Laja’s label), this one-sided, six-songed EP is a raging, eccentric, jazzy thrash noise fest, much in the crazy approach of the late NEOS. Real short tunes, no let up.
Good noisy buzzsaw guitar drive at mid-fast tempo. Young roots punk with verve and garage appeal. Good production.
The SECT make their debut on vinyl with two ’77 style punk anthems in the STIFF LITTLE FINGERS vein. Both sides are up to the highest standards; skillful melodies, a hard guitar sound, and solid lyrics (especially on “A Free England”) make this one absolutely essential.
A three-song job, two of which are decent pop-punk with femme vocals, while the third has a bit more spunk, especially in the singing (cool choruses). Decent.
Not unlike an Italian MIRACLE WORKERS, this band has five mid-to-fast-speed garage psych punkers on this likable 12″. Nearly everything here is catchy but the snotty vocals and kinetic energy of “Out of Control” is definitely above the standard. Very good record.
Stop-on-a-dime powerhouse thrash with interesting musical tidbits here and there. A dozen songs of tight and forceful HC that is definitely worth checking out.
Pop-punk with a good beat and a decently noisy delivery. Some ’60s and ’77 influence, but the production gives some of that current UK noiseband feel to it. Good putdown song aboout JESUS AND MARY CHAIN.
