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!
Much along the same lines as CRUCIFIX or the VARUKERS, this has loud smashing guitars topped off with metal-edged leads. Vocals are in the infamous gravel style and the lyrics possess political awareness. Speed is kept fast, making this a very tasty platter.
A three-song job—one slow punker, one medium punker, and one fast punker. All are fine sounding, hot vocals, and lots of power. Good stuff, and neat guitar.
As featured recently in MRR, this Icelandic band plays a somewhat energetic brand of post-punk, though it’s somewhat restrained. The sound quality here is decent though thin, but given the lack of availability of their native recordings, collectors of the unusual might want to check this out.
Very English-sounding dirge with some redeeming value in that they have a melodic tinge with a simple rhythm section up front. Kind catchy and kinda weird.
’60s-influenced yet not derivative pop-rock. Good beat on two of the three tracks, owing more to bluesy rock with punk tinges (like GUN CLUB) than anything else, only cleaner sounding.
This band is a hybrid of the Swedish outfits MOB 47 and FILTHY CHRISTIANS, and they pack in 32 songs on this 7″er. The ditties range in the under-30-second category, with ultra-raw production, not unlike the early NEOS, and I only wish I knew Swedish so I could understand the humorous lyrics. Real fun!
Sort of like early B-52’S, with LENE LOVICH on lead vocals. Decent, but borderline schlock.
Another hard-rockin’ Swedish garage band, this one produced by Jerry Nolan of the NEW YORK DOLLS. Both songs have that loose, sloppy feel, kind of like an outtake from a JOHNNY THUNDERS record.
Punk with rock influences, usually pretty up-tempo, a bit oversung, with lyrics in English. Decent words.
Three songs in a CURE/PSYCHEDELIC FURS mold. Decent energy, but a bit too self-conscious.
Fairly rockin’ folk rock with female vocals, like a less-slick (no pun intended) early JEFFERSON AIRPLANE. Part of the Milan underground scene of Leoncavallo and Virus, this band is dedicated to the autonomous movement, opposing commercialism and rockstarism.
Grrrrrr, perhaps the hottest debut yet to smash yer face into the mirror with fast fast crazed rhythms and straightforward lyrics. Intense speedcore chunks of insanity rip this new Dutch ensemble into a stormfest of sonic mayhem. Four songs that slice at the jugular vein and suck all the blood out. This is the best dose in ages.
This must be thee latest by THEE MILKSHAKES. It’s got that trebly guitar, it’s got the names of Childish and Hampshire on the songwriting credits, and it’s got thee overall sound of thee early KINKS in a dank basement. What this EP lacks is inspiration and the only song that came close to grabbing me was the title track—the rest sound like outtakes.
A four-song, one-sided release, this is decent but unexceptional thrash and driving punk, some of it which reminds me of a Finnish DOA.
Hard-driving hardcore with slight metalish influences, but largely straightforward. Good energy, good playing, decent sound quality. Pretty hot.
The A-side is a jaunty post-punk tune with punky vocals, somewhat reminiscent of early CURE, while the flip lags pretty much. I found the topside to be pretty catchy, though I imagine wimpiness is just around the corner.
Atmospheric but energetic post-punk. Actually, at times they’re more punk than not, with a rockin’ beat, driving guitars, and somewhat crazed vocals.
What comes in a black and white and red sleeve, looks punk, has conscious lyrics, and sounds way metal? Now you know what you’re getting, and it’s decent, for the genre.
M.B.P. is a noisy yet melodic thrash outfit who hit the spot—no complaints here, as they play an American style hardcore, energetic but tight. Turning the tape over for AMPACHEN we find a less frantic but nonetheless equally enjoyable and imaginative band. They too have wild vocals, great guitars, but are a bit more tuneful. Good buy.
As expected, this slab rips most intensely with wild fast blasts of excited energy and raging ferocity. A classic choice speedcore howler with growing vocals and an overall explosion of musical power. One of the ten best bands to come out of Japan that rips with every riff and eats away at your brain. A+ OK.
Holland’s version of a young DRI. This band whips out 16 simple generic thrashers on this one. Strong vocals are the center of the music, and an undistinctive guitar sound relies too much on distortion for the frantic riffs and stop-and-go songs.
Pretty good hardcore with OK hooks and power, though a bit short in the vocal department. Another Finnish one-sided wonder, six songs in all.
Moody, atmospheric post-punk on most tracks, though one (“Bapteme”) breaks out into driving powerpunk, a welcome change. Helps to understand French, as the words are way up front.
This rather original Swedish outfit balances just a tinge of metal influences in some of the vocals and riffing with a definite punk sensibility everywhere else. The result: crunching, powerful punk delivered with HC energy. Another cool Swedish punk release…
Alleged to have reactionary/stupid lyrics, this band has an older punk sound with Oi influences. Pretty up-tempo stuff, lots of choruses and melodies, etc.
Political speedcore. Vocals like RAW POWER, and musically they shred, although the drummer seems a bit pressed to keep up at times. Pretty hot.
Non-stop intensity comes from this longtime Italian outfit. The powerful music is complex and at times awkward due to the band’s capacity in integrating leads and riffs that create some great, hard-hitting melodies. BAD BRAINS-type vocals add to this tight, original, impassioned release. This puppy shreds!
PISTOLS-type punk rock here, well done though a bit on the quieter side. Good pounding stuff.
A record that sounds like ’60s pop-punk infused with surf and folk rock tinges, knocked out with verve. Catchy fun.
The new gods of speedcore thrash on a double-sided flexi, pushing six choice tracks into your lungs, but not letting you exhale. Rapid chaos gone berserk with thousand-MPH riffs and lightning-fast exertion. To say it all, this boils to the brink. And for $1.
Great-sounding classic punk—heavy on guitar power, riff drumming, and tough vocals. Love it.
Excellent fast punk that slows down, thrashes, lurches into reggae. Hot playing, political lyrics, and great melodies. Male and female vocals add to the potpourri. Powerful debut, quite recommended.
Some former SID PRESLEY EXPERIENCE members come up with a powerful, catchy three-song release. The title track has great guitar hooks, fine drumming, and tough singing. Wish it wouldn’t end. On the flip, we get more of a rock’n’roll song and a tribute to John Barry’s James Bond-type theme songs.
A great blend of high energy, thought-provoking lyrics, and hyper-power thrash. Five songs blaze forth some intense 100-MPH thrash in the vein of much American hardcore. Good loud stuff!!
Now we’re talking—hot Japanese speed thrash with an American singer, and 16 tracks of wailing madness has you ripping your hair out. Great classic intensity in that frenzied vein of DIE KREUZEN and C.O.C., with fast guitar work and slashing drum action, while the vocal has the definite Japanese appeal still spitting at ya. Fab, so find it.
A cool garage sound with ’60s fuzz punk influences. Decent power, lots of guitar, and solid production make this quite listenable.
A live “benefit” LP, this one to help various centers aiding in riot defense zones. The target here is unnamed (a band who “sold out” to EMI), but should’ve been since it’s not obvious to most people I’ve asked. Recorded at the Olympic in LA, the sound is appropriately live, and quite energetic with 22 songs. Anyway, CONFLICT, after you get done ranting about other rip-offs, why not send MRR the $30 you owe us for your ad of last year?
Ya think it’s gonna be ’60s? How’d ya know? Anyway, three of the four tracks are pretty decent at that, the best one (“Renée”) sounding like an outtake from the VELVETS’ first LP.
Really cool raging five-song EP from this Belgian four-piece. The music can closely compare to early DISCHARGE minus the poor production and adding a lot more American thrash influence. For the most part, all the songs rip and have enough power to blow out any pair of speakers. Good stuff!
Much more rockin’ than their previous releases, the BRIGADES cut loose with powerful pop-punk. Their style is a cross between mid-period CLASH and ’80s Brit-punk, while their lyrics are unabashedly political. Driving, well-recorded punk rock.
This German combo has a strange amalgam of styles, most of it except for the vocalist who reminds me of early nu-wave vocalists.
Hard-driving thrash and punk with metalish guitarwork. Strong production and lots of energy, so will appeal to both speeds and cores.
The A-side is a ballad, and gets tired in a hurry. The flip is an organ-dominated instrumental, a more crazed R’n’B-based tune. Though it rocks, I’d sure like to have heard some guitar on that baby, especially as this band’s name evokes the SHADOWS OF KNIGHT and rockin’ R’n’B.
Raw wall-of-sound aggression from out of New Zealand which harbors a power-packing punch in its medium-paced drive. Both bands deliver similarities with catchy harmonies and flowing chord melodies, capturing a good sing-along energy. Two fine bands on this promising debut.
Finally, their first LP (after five 7″ers), and they continue with their scaringly personal and honest lyrics and liner notes, but the music itself (offbeat as ever) has toned down considerably, to the point of being almost folk. With this band, though, it’s their wordage and politics that matter, so…
This four-song slab has a sound very similar to STIFF LITTLE FINGERS due to the melodic, raw mid-tempo music and harsh gravel vocals. The lyrics on the other hand stress political awareness and action like England’s CONFLICT. Combined, these influences blended with originality makes an entertaining and inspiring record.
This Norwegian outfit displays their political commitment in a highly distinctive HC style: gruff vocals bark over a mid-tempo series of smoky minor-chord progressions, with a very occasional hook to sustain interest. This album tends toward unpleasantness, though the band’s desire to communicate makes this an effort well worth supporting.
Seven politically motivated experimental noise songs held together by a rhythmic beat. The vocals are distorted and have a rough feel to them. The music has the ability to bring across a strong, powerful sound, but fails somewhat due to the production. Potential does exist.
This project is up-tempo rockin’, heavy on the industrial rhythms and hooks. What a find! Ranting poetic words that discuss a wide variety of relevant topics. Yer SPK-type deformation pics. I’d love to see ’em live.
Lots of metal damage here, which maybe would be decent sounding in the studio, but on this live recording (ten tunes) doesn’t come off that slickly. The power is evident (especially on the drums). Studio should produce better results.
