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!
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.
The A-side will bring a smile to your face—a great, ripping punk song, more melodic than their previous material yet still powerful. The flip builds from power crunch to absolutely raging thrash. Great.
The second release by this band is not an easy one to peg. It’s god that heavy rock-fuck-you-we-do-it-this-way sound that you hear in bands like BLACK FLAG and DAS DAMEN, but some of the vocals really remind me of SACCHARINE TRUST with their strange poetry. I like this… but I still like BLACK FLAG.
Both songs on this single are fun but not really substantial. They feel more like outtakes in the studio than full-fledged songs. Fact is, with any other band, they would have sounded terrible, but the SUNS could play the phone book and make it sound cool. Hope the LP has more for it than this.
A heavy 10 on the psych/mind fuck meter. A swirling twist of real aural mind-fuck. All this done by one person, Marc Casey, formerly of the New York REACTIONS. Try to imagine GEZA X if he had a real problem with LSD.
Good, tough but melodic garage music from the Midwest. It’s really weird but at times this record sounds like some of the cool, hard rock music coming out of Australia.
A way-out comp with one German band, INFERNO, and a handful of smaller LA-area outfits. All the acts are impressive, but EXCEL and FINAL CONFLICT really get the ball rolling.
Four bands offer one song each on this nifty sampler. We get an intense, original HC offering from RUIN (with great lyrics); hook-filled pop punk by ELECTRIC LOVE MUFFIN; SCRAM performs an okay reggae-tinged number; and F.O.D. go completely crazy on their trashed out live track. Cool record; buy it.
The likes of TUPELO CHAIN SEX, SCREAM, and several other artists offer largely mediocre tunes on this comp, which covers punk/rap, HC, pop, C&W, and even spoken word on the various tracks. Only MCSHRED connects with two high-velocity thrashers; I daresay it would be impossible to skateboard to the rest of this.
A couple of live tracks from Canadian punk bands like NG3, DEATH SENTENCE, and MY THREE SONS as well as darker, art damaged like RHYTHM MISSION, RED HERRING, and NERVE TUBES. This is a good mixture and a nice way to hear how the bands come off live.
Here’s one where I liked the idea better than the final outcome. Take the best East Coast and Midwest garage bands and showcase a couple of their tunes—should be a great collection, right? Well, they started off right by getting the right bands—from Chicago, DWARVES, CUNTS, GREEN, from PA, the CYNICS and the ENDORPHINS, and also tracks from the LIBERTINES and others. But the whole is mixed horribly and just ends up a limp mess. What a disappointment.
Way rockin’ stuff here from two dozen Northern California bands displaying one or two songs each. Includes VICTIMS FAMILY, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, SHORT DOGS GROW, and more, contributing to 90 minutes of sheer insanity.
Great, raging hardcore—tight as hell and power production to spare. Glad to see another new outfit not pandering to metal clichés or influences, delivering the straight goods, musically and lyrically. Contains Dewey (ex-WHITE CROSS) on lead guitar.
Taking obvious cues musically, philosophically, vocally, lyrically, and even graphically from MINOR THREAT (and to a much lesser degree, MDC) might lead these guys in for criticism for being unoriginal, but what they do is so powerful and convincing that it’s easy to overlook these charges. Good lyrics, though a bit unspecific, hopefully to broaden with age and growth. Keep the commitment!
New wave delivered with punk energy, as many “wave” bands were doing in “the early days.” But the female “singer” and keyboards put me off, as well as the rock/wave arrangements and slick production.
Sort of MEAT PUPPETS-ish in their 70s rock gone amuck approach to modern music. Should be popular with SST fans with their tight, jazzy eccentric approach. Most tunes are pretty fast-paced.
This is your basic rock’n’roll punk a la ’76. Okay guitar-strong garage punk that rocks okay and only occasionally gets embarrassing. Reminds me of the RAMONES or HEARTBREAKERS. It’s the lyrics, though, that are really embarrassing—definitely “sweetheart” stuff.
One side of this LP is your basic funnypunk a la thrash with a taste of MISFITS among others. The flip is indeed a flip, foregoing the thrash for early punk, rockabilly, country, etc. Interesting approach.
These songs chug along at a decent pace but they don’t really hook like the ones on their LP. This is more of a holding pattern until their next album. I guess I’m still with em… for now.
Fun, jangly melodic punk with common-sense political lyrics. This is also available as the NEW VULGARIANS with different words… all about rock climbing. A blast either way.
Containing members of GONE, REGRESSIVE AID, and other bands, this Jersey outfit is into noise, FLIPPER obviously comes to mind, though there is a funk aspect to some of their grunge as well. By now you know if you’ll go for this or not. A live recording.
The five hardcore numbers on this EP boast screaming vocals over the basic slow/fast arrangements, none particularly notable. “All By Myself” has a certain vocal power to it, but this record doesn’t excite or surprise as it should.
Wimpy folk-rocky trendy A-side but a decently rockin’ surf/garage “Frenzied” on the flip with lots of noise and guitar pounding. A 12″ is on the way soon.
“Terrorist Attack” and “Drunk Driving,” of the five songs here, show an approach to punkish thrash that’s anything but general. Tense vocals and energetic guitar work fuel these songs well above the standard for the rest of this EP, making RANDOM KILLING a potential powerhouse. I’d like to hear more.
The music on this disc is definitive RANCID VAT—loose punk rock, infused with a gritty guitar sound and often hysterical lyrics. The individual tunes lack distinctiveness by and large, but the fart choruses in “Low Blow” and the goofy cover art help make up for it. Spirited, and basically okay.
So many bands pretend to have something to say, but the PROLETARIAT have always had articulate and pointed lyrics to match their sharp, precise music. The addition of two vocalists is kind of cool and makes things a little more interesting.
High energy here, with a slightly metallic HC flavor, not unlike RAW POWER. Nine songs, “positive” lyrics, and intense music add up to an impressive release.
This band does at times have a bit of a mid-period BLACK FLAG sound to them, but I can also hear some groovy part of REDD KROSS and CIRCLE JERKS in there. They got a pretty rippin’ version of “Little Red Book,” too.
Hard to believe this is the same band as on their pair of EPs (but it largely is). They began as a garage thrash band, moved to a more melodic style of the same genre by their second release, but on the two tunes here they’ve gone way poppier. The A-side is pretty straight pop, while the flip has a bit more garage to it. Can’t say I fully appreciate these changes.
The NOT have captured their exciting upbeat melodic energy well in a live setting, recorded late last year. Seven originals plus two covers add up to nine fun foot-tapping tunes. Shame they broke up.
