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!
Apparently Mystic does still consider these samplers necessary. This one includes tracks from other recent Mystic released by GOVERNMENT ISSUE, WHITE FLAG, PTL KLUB, ILL REPUTE, MENTORS, FACTION, AGRESSION and several samplers. Me, I’m unconvinced.
A really great garage compilation featuring all Midwestern contemporary bands. Sounds range from 60s punk, surf, mid-70’s punk, psychobilly, and beyond. Hot stuff from MANGOS, ELVIS HITLER, MYSTERY BLUES, 3-D INVISIBLES, and lots, lots more.
A Buffalo area comp, featuring punk and garage trash. Thoroughly enjoyable, raging madness, a must for all indie collectors. Features, PAINKILLERS, PEOPLE’S FRONT, POKACON, TEMPLE OF CHUD.
The second LP by the group led by ex-PERE UBU guitarist Tom Herman. The trick here is a sharp, clear mix of the early UBU paranoia and the driving punk/funk edge of the MINUTEMEN. All the hooks and melodies are feinted and stick with you long after the music’s over. Tasty.
Full speed ahead metalcore, with a couple straight HC numbers as well. Lots of power and tempo changes make this a hot tape from these Bay Area bangers.
While metallic in the beat (and perhaps the growling vocals), the overwhelming feel of both tracks is power punk a la ’77. Hard heat, powerful but non-metal guitar, and decent lyrics.
Out of Texas blazes this eight song ripper. Owing some of their sound to fellow Texans DRI and the OFFENDERS, I think you can form an idea of how they rock. Hot!
Grungy marching thrash with hoarse vocals similar to NEGATIVE APPROACH. This tape contains six speedy blasts plus a slow grinder which stands out from the rest.
Insanely silly! This is rockin punk with lyrics about religious surfers, urinating, vanilla ice cream, and other topical subjects. Also memorable are the hilarious elements between songs. A total crackup!
Two different recording sessions are mixed together here — one done in DC in ’85 by Ian MacKaye, and one done by BYO in LA in ’86. The DC sessions rock hard while maintaining that 7 SECONDS melodic appeal, while the LA tunes are decidedly more commercial sounding, with a U2 influence. Fortunately, 7 SECONDS makes even these tunes sound great live.
SAND IN THE FACE have a hard-sounding DOA structure to begin with but they’re not afraid of diversity and melody. They seem to mix both HC and thrash with mid-tempo early punk sounds that recall the best of the ALLEYCATS and X.
After all these years, SACRED ORDER finally get their own vinyl out. Sounding very little like their tapes of yore, the thrash is gone and is replaced by a heavy rock/punk sound. On some of the songs, that makes it work as an early punk sound emerges predominant. But on many tunes, the old rock blues-based riffs just don’t cut it. Enough with this early 70’s rehash.
This debut LP comes across with a good measure of honesty and credibility — and that would be enough, but there are some catchy melodies mixed in with the fine lyrics to make this album a winner. This is punk in the best sense of the word: aggressive, original and committed. Most of the songs are nifty, too. A strong release.
“Crummy Stuff” is the draw here, though not really a knockout with tinges of synth here and there. “Something to Believe in” rears its ugly head again, and the painfully slow rock number, “And I Don’t Wanna Live this Life” is the finale.
Because some people can’t really appreciate the fine act of sarcasm and irony, the PREVARICATORS have been too easily dismissed as a joke band or maybe just jerks. Too bad, because this is one band that consistently gets better with each new release. With both their sharp, pointed lyrics that attach stupidity and their full-charged guitar thrust, I keep getting reminded of NAKED RAYGUN at their best.
At long last it’s out, and well worth it. Proving that life exists after metal (or at least hardcore does), this is a power-paced assault without a tinge of dinosaur damage. Very pro package by Pushead, though there’s no lyric sheet included, and Tom Roberts has got to be seen to be believed. A powerful punch. Now.. if they’d only tour.
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.
