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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!
Loud guitars and occasional vocal choruses are a good starting point, but they only do so much to enliven this album, which contains largely undistinctive mid-tempo hardcore. Even the lyrics, covering a range of punk rockfish themes, also seem to lack the extra punch to push this one over the top.
A 17-song demo quality cassette consisting of five originals and covers from such faves as MDC, BLACK FLAG, DOA, etc. I prefer the originals—good, raw punk rock with sarcastic social lyrics.
The growled vocals and rebellious lyrics on this LP are definitely punk, but the music is poppish in almost a PATRIK FITZGERALD style. The result is credible without being especially powerful, and frankly I wasn’t exactly bowled over by the tunes, either. An interesting idea marred by lackluster execution.
Eccentric garage punk with very clever lyrics—sort of like early DEVO meets Gulcher Midwest bands, with Doc Dart meets Allen Ginsburg on vocals.
KATATONIX display a knack for catchy, inoffensive neo-psych on this one. The A-side contains synth and poppish vocal harmonies in a ballad form, while the flip is even slower, but has some good, hard guitars. Basically okay for what it is.
This trio of songs uses a punkish power chord style to address fairly nondescript lyrical themes. “Nowhere” has varied guitar work melded into an energetic, bouncy rocker, and it rates way above the two other simpler and less interesting tunes. Recommended for the good song.
Well, they sorta are. Two of the five tracks are bluesy rock, one more punked out than the other. The other tracks are thrashed out, but still with a slight country/blues inflection. Definitely a Texas band.
Ten crankin’ songs reflect the classic FREEZE sound with catchy fuzz guitar and a strong steady fast beat. The lyrics still maintain that warped quality as do the vocals, although a little bit of experimentation does come through. A very enjoyable LP from a band that seems will never lose its raw edge.
Hot dog! These weenies play driving punk of all speeds, fueled by Kool-Aid. Six originals and fun covers of “I Got a Right” and “Good Guys Don’t Wear White.” Totally wacko.
This Welsh punk outfit presents four songs here, all in a plodding, mid-tempo Britpunk vein. The hooks are unconvincing and the power variable, though there seems to be a partially redeeming element of sincerity on this disappointing release.
Imagine Kevin Seconds singing over a high-velocity thrash backdrop, with periodic lead breaks interrupting the proceedings, and you have a rough approximation of FANOUS CHEEZCAKE. Production is very basic, the songs fairly typical of the genre.
A ringing, thrashy, riffy guitar attack sets the pace for this set of dynamic, distinctive numbers. This has it all—intensity, spirited vocals, and (from what I can gather) committed lyrics. Terrific!
Two bands from the Canary Islands (Spain) share this tape. ESCORBUTO CRONICO favors a hard driving mid-tempo punk sound not unlike early DOA, and GUERRILLA URBANA is more thrashed out. Pretty neat.
In the LIME SPIDERS school of rockin’ Aussie punk, EASTERN DARK shows an added element of accessibility and real consistency in songwriting on this one. “I Don’t Need the Reasons” has especially memorable hooks and strong guitars. Top notch!
Speed metal with all its excesses and pretentiousness. Four songs, all heavy.
This classic protopunk band existed back in ’76 or so (when this was recorded) and starred Jeff “Mono Mann” Conolly, now in LYRES. They released a great 7″ on Bomp and a couple of LPs, none of which had these two rockers. B-side is a great FLAMIN’ GROOVIES cover.
DISPER-AZIONE kick up a nasty dust-cloud of dark, energetic chord progressions in their mid-tempo HC, add some powerful vocals, and also opt for lots of self-indulgent lead guitar breaks. When disciplined, as on the superb title track, this band is stunning; otherwise, this album is still rather impressive, but flawed.
Too horrible for words, this aggregation of the once-great DISCHARGE goes full-on metal sounding like LED ZEP (15 minute songs to boot!). No traces of punk at all, even to the point that the drummer Gary has covered over his CRASS tattoo with some metallish tattoo. Last DISCHARGE release we’ll be reviewing. (Unless we decide to ridicule them further. —Ed.)
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.
