NOFX So What If We’re on Mystic EP
A very hot mix, and sound (I know, I know… “but they’re on Mystic”… It’s still hot), and eight really ripping thrashers, no metal, lots of power. Good record.
MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
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A very hot mix, and sound (I know, I know… “but they’re on Mystic”… It’s still hot), and eight really ripping thrashers, no metal, lots of power. Good record.
Largely juvenile lyrics (except one song “Distracted from the Truth,” which shows some subtlety and thought) set to older garage and punk tempos. Well produced though with such a trashy aesthetic, perhaps it could have been cruder.
Psychedelic tinges weave their way through these two songs, which have strong female vocals and an agreeable sense of melody. These racks don’t really take off into orbit, but the A-side rocks solidly and the flip boasts a pleasant, up-tempo ballad. I liked this.
Basically this is a one man show by a guy named Mark Edwards who had drummed with a number of Cleveland punk and garage bands. Normally I tend to hate these one-man solo albums but this is a kicker. If you’ve ever heard bootlegs of very early JOY DIVISION before they discovered the recording studio, then you have an idea of what this sounds like. Rough, murky guitar sounds with great shitty production.
JAN AND DEAN meets the RAMONES? Yup. Since I’m a fan of 50’s music, and that NY quartet’s ’77-ish sound, I enjoyed this, especially the silly lyrics. A whole lotta fun.
This live tape shows New York’s LUDICHRIST at their best, with wailing guitars, jarring tempo changes, and mind blowing power. Get some of this screaming intensity on vinyl.
This is the second record by the IGUANAS who were also on the Fresh Sounds Compilation #3. And again they bring out the heavy sound of the early STOOGES into the eighties. Sometimes the singer slips into a SISTERS OF MERCY tone, but that can be forgiven for the simple grunge that’s accomplished. One of the neatest records I’ve heard this year.
Ultra-fast thrash similar to DRI or CAUSE FOR ALARM with personal and political words. The sound quality detracts a little, but with time, these guys could develop into an awesome force.
This band covers typical MENTORS lyric territory with less satiric justification, and plays excruciating guitar rock with flailing leads that bored me to the point of wanting to make this sucker into an ashtray. But then I realized that I may be able to trade it to my local record store…
Really good mid-fast paced hardcore, a good variety of tempos, lots of oomph, that SoCal melodic thrash sound, and really tight playing all make for good listening. Mystic’s new recording studio is way better than their Hollywood set-up, and this (along with a whole slew of new 7″ers) is proof.
The cover pic (of the space shuttle explosion) is only the beginning of the offbeat, twisted message. The music has thundering drums and the great combination of rockin’ and experimental guitar work. The vocals are angry and slide toward an expected demented nature, but are demanding at the same time. A great documentation of how bad taste can be used for creative communication.
A posthumous release, six songs in all including a cover of GENERATION X’s “Your Generation” and MAMAS AND THE PAPAS’s “California Dreamin”. The originals mix the FACTION’s pop/surf punk style with a DOA-type hardcore sound, while the covers are credible. Good power.
Slow tempo but rough as hell garage punk. Definitely in the STOOGES school of grunge, a 5-song raw assault. Hear this is WHITE PRIDE minus the singer.
From the masters of sex-starved geek rock comes a new 10 song LP filed with silly fast goof songs and power pop love songs. When I listen to this record I get a mental picture of a high school teen love problem movie for which I think this LP would be an appropriate soundtrack.
Heard they rip live, but this debut LP is heavier than livelier, and the weight takes its toll. Lyrics fall into the “life sucks” category with little glimmer of imagination or hope beyond mere survival. They live up to their name.
These guys ain’t no dorks, playing cool varied punk with an experimental edge. The lyrics are humorous and sarcastic, reminding me of the DKs or the CRUCIFUCKS. A totally great tape from the Iowan farmers.
Some great punk rock here. A 7-song release, lots of frantic power, great lyrics, and plenty of imagination. A punch in the face.
Delightful raw production sets the atmosphere for this five-song EP. The music is set to a clean fast tempo and involves simple changeovers and stead beats. The vocals are shouted and represent an angry tone. Overall, this seems to have captured a strong DIY feel by bringing back some of punk’s basic nature.
This promising EP features impassioned screaming vocals over a bunch of frenzied, almost-interesting thrashers. The lyrics cover the basic punk-rock subjects, but it strikes me that bands like the QUEERS and E-13 have done a much better job with this kind of music. Adequate.
Could this be the coolest all-female psych band from Minneapolis? Maybe the only? I like this mixture of the LYRES, FUZZTONES, and even SALEM 66 just fine. I just wish they’d kick up more of a ruckus — I get the feeling they may be holding back a little here.
Good ol’ punk with a good amount of spunk. Four songs, RAMONES-ish vocals… a swell job overall.
Here’s a basic angry punk attack similar to S.F.’s SICK PLEASURE, with fed-up, hateful lyrics. Sounds great if you’re totally pissed off.
An eight-song posthumous release. Recorded in 1983, this is standard NY thrash, though I’m not sure why this particular release came about so late or what particular historical significance it contains to NY HC. Decent.
Following their effective 7″ (included here with an additional track), BIG STICK pushes five guitar-oriented songs through a flanger, adds pounding drums, sprinkles demented vocals over the mix — and what results is funny, wild rock that many PERE UBU fans might find agreeable. Interesting.
Finally some new material, a limited edition release (to entice a big label?) that is indeed a bit “different” for Metal Mike, Greg Turner and Co. While the five originals still have the trash edge, they don’t have the thrash delivery. Harkening back to their 60’s punk roots, these tunes are not frantic but are “love gone bad” garage — snottiness fades to sadness. Includes folk-punk cover of “Somebody to Love”.
Sounding much like a rockin’ DOA, this particular live performance is AGGRESSION is decent, though a bit disjointed at times. Guess I’m not one for most live recordings unless incredibly magic moments are caught, and in this case it’s just an average performance.
Proving there’s more to NYC than street survival and “fuck you” lyrics. Fueled by strong female vocals, intelligent lyrics, and still powerful playing, there’s a PENETRATION/ POISON GIRLS influence, but also more going on here — funk influences, folk rocks aspects (cover of “Blowin’ in the Wind”) and classy production. 8 songs, worth mailing away for.
Ninety minutes of hard-hitting music from 7 SECONDS, CANCEROUS GROWTH, SCARED STRAIGHT, and many more. Production and performances are generally good, so I bet even Jack Klugman will send for this!
A four-band comp from the Basque region of Spain, containing three tracks each from the above-named bands. KORTATU is a peppy ska band—decent. CICATRIZ rages with some fine punk, the best tracks here. JOTAKIE and KONTUZ HI! have some pretty unmemorable pop wave stuff.
13 bands from all over the globe spew out their own brands of rapid noise. Sound quality varies and the POLISIVALTIO and LUDICHRIST cuts stood out from the rest of the pack. Good effort.
WARPAINTED CITY INDIAN has a GBH-meets-PISTOLS sound, does both thrash and mid-tempo punk, is tight, and occasionally surprises. Overall—good punk.
90 minutes of melodic ’77-ish punk with serious pop tendencies, especially on side two. About 1/4 is studio material, and is pretty “smooth.” The rest is live, and packs a little more punch. Fair.
So-so early English-style punk. Four tunes, no real standouts, but not dragging either.
One JOY DIVISION-type song, one decent punker, one tune in between. Well produced but not especially remarkable.
Pop punk and thrash owing to the RAMONES, DK’S, etc. Singing is way wimpy, but the music cooks at times. Afraid to know how tame the lyrics are.
A pulsating beat full of melodic musical structures pushing forth a steady pace with grinding vocals and good harmonizing. Very tight with a raw appeal for this three-piece from Japan, making a fun, enjoyable sound that sticks. Good guitar effects work with the right charm. Good stuff from the MCR label.
A refreshing yet rockin’ departure from HC, reverting back to early punk’s simplicity and yet maintenance of power. Just a drummer and guitarist who sings as well, this is rock’n’roll as it should be, though there are a few limp tunes.
Poppier than I remember their previous efforts, there’s a lot of psych guitar and feel here, though rarely crunching. With the female vocals, they at times sound like some early UK pop-punk outfits on the rockier tunes.
Real pounding beat and buzzsaw guitar, mid-tempo punk. While not remarkable, one tune, “Move Onward,” is quite special, a catchy classic.
A very strong HC release possessing a hefty amount of force and innovation. This has great words, an intense female screamer, and even a cool lyric booklet! Get this or eat eggplant!
Excellent at both classic punk and thrashy punk. Lots of back-up singing adds to the more-than-adequate playing and production. An English feel.
Their second release (first was a one-sided 7″), this one flexing some muscle. The three A-side songs are slightly-better-than-average pop-punk, but it’s on the flip where they really cut loose. Three more tunes, much more energetic, both thrashy and imaginative.
Not to be confused with the Ohio outfit, this Italian band presents fast, aggressive, utterly tuneless punk and HC in a suitably non-descript style. Tempos are fast, energy high—it just doesn’t connect.
Gruff, rough vocals set to pounding classic punk. Four-and-a-half tunes, mid-tempo, decent power but no really blasting memories.
This very strong release almost seems like a Dutch version of DIE KREUZEN, with the emphasis on high-speed thrash and the occasional guitar squiggles (and sometimes more than squiggles). I liked several of the tracks here, which at their best, seem to combine all of the elements. Recommended.
A pic disc 12″ in a regular color cover, and the weirdness doesn’t stop there. There’s one “normal” punk tune, one change-of-pace thrasher, one BLURT-type raver, and then a bizarro mix of that same title song. Quite a treat.
Intense shouting damaging these vocal chords raunch out a wailing voice over an extreme beset of raw unrelenting guitar buzzing with crackling fury. Yet it break into a few acoustical-type riffs, then the madness explodes, the members fully delivering a mayhem so true to hardcore.
An interesting new Swedish band. KRAPOTKIN have a heavy guitar attack, and the song structures are quite diverse. “Vallum” is too slow, “Temor i Teheran” is too arty, but the EP is saved by the title track, which as a rougher sound, a driving beat, and a great hook.
More pop-punk with powerful guitar and drums from KENZI. An early UK punk sound on all three tunes, all quality.
Fast-paced sing-along punk from Germany. I enjoyed the energy and style (as well as the interesting arrangements); I can’t say I was altogether blown away by the tunes. I’m certain that an understanding of the lyrics would have helped in this case.
