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!
These seven songs are nothing but classic melodic power, as the music comes across as early UK BLITZ backed up by the Boston HC sound that until now was lost in a fog of stupid metal. Gravelly vocals are broken up by catchy sing-alongs, and the production is slick yet only enhances the band’s sound.
SCRATCH ACID shed some of their BIRTHDAY PARTY influences on this LP, which contains an assortment of powerful, gritty rockers mixed in with a few artier numbers. More of a rootsy rock approach is evident here, and the overall variety makes it recommendable.
A side project for COUCH FLAMBEAU and the APPLIANCES, this pretty much sounds like a side project. “Scarey Love” has an experimental feel with dark, brooding vocals, and the flip is funkier, sort of novelty. Interesting, but…
ROT has a poppy SoCal beach punk sound accented by fuzzed-out guitar work and sarcastic lyrics. Ten songs of pure fun!
Decent but unoriginal power-pop on these six tunes. Jangly guitar and pounding drums are the cornerstones here, a more BEATLE-y version of the CHORDS or JOLT. I’d use the late, great QUICK as my standard in power-pop, mainly due to their guitar power and tunemanship—these guys’d get a 6 to the QUICK’s 10.
This seven-song job rocks hard, but also contains a number of instrumental and vocal over-indulgences that infect even the more promising tracks. It’s like the MINUTEMEN in terms of song structure, with lots of guitar wankings and awkward vocal intrusions. Basically unappealing, for me.
PAINFUL DISCHARGE specializes in mid- to fast-tempo hardcore addressing personal/social themes. “Not So Cool” has some riveting instrumental changes, but the four other tunes lack distinctiveness. Overall, a respectable debut release.
A dozen tunes of that forceful SoCal sound. A good mixture of thrash and melodic punk with angry vocals. Hot release.
Both sides of this 45 are great rocking tunes that do the term power-pop justice. Plenty of zip, great guitars, and catchy tunes and vocals. Fine.
This band was great early on in the San Francisco punk scene, but before they split up they went way soft. Back again now, they’ve taken up where they left off, with soft pop. Unless wimpy BLONDIE meets bad NICO is your passion, avoid this.
A pretty strong blast from these Washington weirdos. This is slow to fast HC with thoughtful lyrics. My one gripe: it’s only five songs! But it still rips.
Yes, it’s the same HERB ALPERT song that your mom and dad listened to, but these Austin garage pups mix it up a little bit more for a pleasurable trip down the muzak/noise road. Flips does a double-take on the so-called “New Sincerity” movement in Austin. Maybe this is the Austin band to watch.
The passion comes through on this frenzied EP of high-velocity thrash. A pummelling guitar and drum attack combined with harsh vocals makes each of these songs decisively effective, as well distinctive and dynamic in their own right. A winner!
Formed from the ashes of VIOLENT COERCION, this band plays powerhouse thrash and pounding BL’AST-ish noise, accented by anti-authority lyrics. A fierce band to watch out for.
Boston has given us some great pop-punk like STRANGLEHOLD and the NOT, only to see them slip away largely unappreciated. OK, Boston’s giving us another chance in MOVING TARGETS, whose debut is quite a gift. Hope you try this one, and you’ll find there’s more to this city than metal.
The MR. T EXPERIENCE definitely connects with an entertaining record here. This is simple and catchy punk rock, presented with biting guitarwork and high energy. What’s more, they address a variety of offbeat themes in a trademark funny/dumb manner I found winning. Good work, guys!
This tape will blow Pee Wee Herman’s house down, no problem, OK? Eight metallic thrash numbers in the same vein as ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, ACCÜSED, etc. Keep the adrenaline flowing at an accelerated rate. Check ’em out, another hot unknown from the Northwest!
There’s a basic “SF street punk” sound forged out by the LEWD, FUCK-UPS, etc., and this band seems to fit that classification, save their sing-along choruses. Pretty good.
Slow, grinding punk with a metal influence. This band relies less on annoying solos, though, and more on a crunching pace to knock you down. Victor loves these guys, but then again, Victor is crazy—so test these waters ourselves.
The long-awaited MDC LP is an interesting release. Thematically, they cover South Africa, cops, food, bullies in the pit, soup kitchens, nukes, skateboards—the gamut of HC themes. The mix isn’t quite as full or noisy as it could’ve been, but a cover of “Big Picture” (Canada’s SUBHUMANS) is a treat, and the rest of the material is pretty much thrash, though country, R’n’B, jazz-metal, and even rap influences sneak right in. Dave’s voice seems a bit straight at times, but that may have been intentional to make the vocals clearer.
This is a Kansas-to-LA transplant that manages to capture the KINKS “Waterloo Sunset” era—not an easy thing to do right. The song also manages to effectively poke a little fun at the LA psychedelic scene. Nice bit of pop.
They’re not going to like this comparison, but this is better than anything the DREAM SYNDICATE have ever done. The TRAINS use the same approach as the SYNDICATE, but are much looser in their approach, they rock a lot harder, and their subjects aren’t as tired. For fans of GUN CLUB and RADIO BIRDMAN.
A torturous, grinding experience that occasionally lurches into third gear, only to slam back into first, not to mention reverse. Metallic gears of guitar driven onward by the pounding, crunching rhythm section and the howled-over grated vocals. The ants will get you! Hey, somebody’s got to do this since Pus ain’t doing it here anymore.
A sloppy, messy version of RKL? These guys do have potential, and with time, they’ll rock like crazy.
This is heavy with the post-punk drum and bass sound, and while the title track has interesting lyrics, the music simply drones. The flip is a bit more upbeat, combined with more of an edge, yet still doesn’t stand out.
Besides a pair of folk-tunes, what you get from this young band is a thrashing, HÜSKER-ish folk rock sound. Complex yet straightforward, these tunes show promise, though the various members are strewn around the country in colleges.
This is the second release from this terrible duo resplendent with song titles like “Razors in My Apple,” “Daddy Melted,” and “The Vacuum Ate Timmy.” All are recorded live and have a sheer dimwitted glee of ugliness and howling fear. I loved it. File between FLIPPER live and the BUTTHOLES.
“Teen trash” is right—this neo-’60s garage outfit presents a clutch of primitive, upbeat rockers on this one. We’ve heard it all before—and that’s the problem. Montreal’s GRUESOMES don’t recycle their riffs to sound new or different, though there are a few nostalgia moments here, like “For All I Care.”
Underlying garage pop riffs and harmonies potently mixed with pounding drums and gut-wrenching vocals, the end result is nothing less than powerful. Six songs that are drowned in rawness and energy, and can’t help but grab our attention in one way or another. The lyrics lean toward personal concerns.
GI seem to alternate releases between Dutch East and Mystic, this one on the former. Excellent production and melodic punk tunes are the hallmark here, and while you can still pick out that DC sound, they’ve broadened to reach back to punk roots, as well as even earlier (the WHO?), all without losing that oomph or character of their presentation. Interesting.
18 short blasts of repetitious DISCHARGE-ish thrash with horrific lyrics mostly dealing with war. Neat lyric booklet, pretty good job.
Little or no fluff here, just eight blasting tunes, fueled by lots of booze if most guesses are correct. Tight, fast, and intense, even if you wouldn’t rather “drink than fuck.”
On repeated playings, I figured I liked the idea of this retro-’60s disc more than the outcome. All the right trappings—good sense of humor, some interesting melodies. But the juices never really flow and I can’t really recommend it against hardworking prole dough.
Back again with their noisy brand of raunch’n’roll, these gals don’t disappoint. Most of their songs are slow-to-medium-paced and only occasionally drag—yet somehow maintain a special quality, be it in the lyrics (“Punk Rock Jail Bait”), singing (Freedom”), or that down and dirty pounding (“Crazy World”). Oh yeah, they’re even better live.
Ten songs from this new Bay Area band that has influences ranging from dirge to blues, rock, and punk. The simple melodies and complex beats add to the interest here but detract from the power, but an intensity can be felt through the raw, loud vocals.
Hardcore energy melds with funkiness on this record, which sounds somewhat like a jazzier version of late BLACK FLAG. I didn’t care for the songs here, but there’s a certain catchiness and power that might make this band into a future contender.
Great music, great lyrics, and great guys. Eurothrash meets US stop-and-go. Though a bit generic in sound, the intensity and urgency easily overcome that potential problem. Hot stuff from the Northwest.
Unfortunately, you have to make a comparison with HÜSKER DÜ/REPLACEMENTS with this record. The melody and hoarse vocals are too close not to. But still, there’s a creative element here that is just as charming as those other groups and that should be given some room to grow.
Hard thrash with some speedcore tendencies. The band is tight, the lyrics are personal and social, and the tape is enjoyable, but a bit lengthy.
Like many hardcore bands today, DISORDERLY CONDUCT has incorporated growly metal vocals and some metal guitar licks into their song. They keep the “damage” to a minimum though, and the overall feel, both musically and lyrically, is punk with a sorta SoCal feel. Should be popular with fans of both ’cores.
This 21-song album may well be the DK’s swan-song, and ironically is one of their best releases. 95% thrash, this one rages from start to finish, but also contains some of those nice little touches which make some rock’n’roll a cut above. While I haven’t really gone to a DK’S album for quite a while, this one stands out, lyrically as well as musically. “Chickenshit Conformist” is the most accurate, no-bullshit analysis of the current state of punk on record to date, a must for all concerned.
Dirty straight-ahead thrash not unlike POISON IDEA. A few miniscule bits of metal show through: the MOTÖRHEAD-ish power, wailing guitars, etc. Pretty rockin’.
This outstanding Fresno band barrels along still relatively unknown after all these years, and undaunted by their lack of recognition, continues to produce hot material. Besides being some of the nicest folks in HC, they are among the most proficient, and on this LP, they’ve broadened their material to include blues, jazz, and other influences, as well as adding a lot more guitar work.
Punkish fright-rock is performed adequately on this EP. While the ballad “Fiend Without a Face” lacks any measure of menace or melodic interest, the other two numbers boast an upbeat, riffy energy and sung choruses. Basically unmemorable.
The A-side is a tuneful thrasher that holds your attention with its pounding, building drive and lyrics. The flip is a ballad about growing up that starts out interesting but goes on far too long. Worth it for the “Death Beach” alone, though.
Sadly, this may be the last record we see by this great DC band: it appears they too have split due to personnel changes. BEEFEATER was never a cliché normal thrash band and they proved it once again with the 12″ with hard-hitting, really thought-out lyrics that stand out. Some of the songs have an experimental feel. But it’s the title track that rocks the best. They’re missed already by me.
Rockin’ garage punk with raunchy female vocals and personal lyrics. Sounds a bit like the AVENGERS, and you gotta hear grungy classes like “He’s a Slut” and “Beer Picnic.”
This defunct post-punk band had a knack for the slow, somber songs recalling the best from bands like the SLEEPERS and TOILING MIDGETS. This album relies on the plight of cattle, check the title, but still manages to keep things fresh and interesting throughout.
These guys are very diverse with their influences and styles, varying from song to song: rock’n’roll, blues, funk, ballads… But regional similarities are too obvious to ignore. They have that distinctive Twin Cities sound (somewhere between HÜSKERS and SOUL ASYLUM). Vocal and guitar harmonies abound. Catchy and recommended. Each cover is handmade.
Plenty of good stuff from the state of Washington these days, and count this one in there. Great, fun punk/thrash with really nice touches throughout. Check it out.
