For review and radio play consideration:
Please send one copy of 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. We reserve the right to reject releases on the basis of content. Music without vocals or drums will not be considered. All music submitted for review must have been released (or reissued) within the last two years. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!
More goofiness from the FLAG. Their satirical songs recorded live all over the country with special “guest” artists and lame in-between song banter. This is supposed to be all-live but side two has a special groove cut to make it a three-sided record.
A split tape by two Colorado Springs bands that will be out touring this summer. WILLIE THE DISK have a powerful pop-punk sound and can thrash on a dime. ANTE BELLUM have a “heavy” sound more often than not. Sound quality is decent.
Though the recording is just a bit on the thin side, there’s lots to pick up on here—lots of energy and tight as hell, quick changes and blazing yet melodic thrash, and some positive lyrics. Like the singing and harmonizing, too. A good start.
DOLLS meet Death with six HEARTBREAKERS-ish tunes. Other influences thrown in, such as metal rock.
One of Connecticut’s finest thrash bands pops up LP #2 full of whirling hardcore that packs an introspective message. Both celebrating the positive notion of the underground and also pointing a finger at its failures. Musically, it’s a little more melodic this time, something like the catchiness of the DESCENDENTS. A must.
I like this record a lot, with its straightforward powerful punk/thrash and teeny-nasty vocals. Nothing really unusual here, but its simple punch and power are really enjoyable. A no-frills treat from this now-defunct band.
A lengthy but enjoyable tape of real good pop-punk thrash. Good production as well as way clear vocals makes this even more enjoyable. Good lyrics and neat back-up singing as well.
The pretentious artsters will like this one: neo-no-wave music, down atmosphere, nihilistic lyrics. Too “cool” for me.
Alas, the RAMONES, on their latest release, are heading back to their overproduced period of a few years back. Too many instruments (synth, horns, extraneous shlock and vocals) clutter it all up, absorb the power, and detract from their simple raw pop power. Disappointing three tunes.
CAPITOL PUNISHMENT crossed over with early STRETCH MARKS makes a good comparison of what this Canadian band has to offer. Eight songs that rage through your speakers at hyper speed. Catchy chords and high-pitch tapping beat.
This band is back with a vengeance! Great, powerful punk that inspires, both musically and lyrically. A most welcome return, so get this hot 7″.
This is a retrospective comprised of tracks from POP RIVETS’ two LPs from ’77-’79. This is garagy pop that’s plenty fun and basic rock’n’roll punk.
A big punk/thrash sound here. Their wall-of-sound production and punk power are pretty overwhelming, but not to the point where it all gets homogenized. Some real rockers here.
Yet another SoCal band that’s got good power, hooks, tunes, and delivery. Sort of D.I.-ish…a good job.
A decent little record that sounds like it’s straight out of ’79. While not too exciting or raucous, it’s got that simple punk beat and attitude, a garagy pop sound.
Good power-pop with a punky edge, meaning good guitar and bass, driving beat, and good hooks and vocals. Six tunes, all decent.
Some really cool, driving punk rock—like a more melodic early TOXIC REASONS. Two originals as well as a punky cover of the STONES’ “Mother’s Little Helper.” Good.
This is the second album by this group and again pushes for the UK punk sound similar to the DAMNED. Clean production shows how they opt for more melody than sweat in their sound. It’s OK, but it could move a little bit more.
Funnypunk, ’60s garage style. This original Bay Area group, which encompasses the acoustically oriented Koel Brothers and Metal Mike (ex-ANGRY SAMOANS, etc.) offers 20 songs satirizing American mores from “Floridah” to “Davenport, Iowa.” The lyrics are hilarious and some of the songs really kick ass.
Harkening back to punk’s melodic power days (and to punk’s less political lyrics), this band is in reaction to the metal direction many HC bands have gone—it’s done decently, thought the singing doesn’t really cut it (OK for thrash, but punk demands more in this department). Like the direction, though this beginning leaves room for growth.
Good first effort from this Virginia band, who whips out six blazing melodic thrashers spliced with vocals that don’t rely on shouting, but on a harmonizing approach to communicate. The speed is kept to a moderate pace and catchy musical riffs and sing-alongs only add to the power.
JFA present two lackluster instrumentals on one side of this EP, but the showcase for this band’s talents, “Desert Jewel,” demonstrates adeptness at a diverse punk approach: a haunting intro, bright guitars, and impassioned vocals make for their best track in a long time. Very good.
Hot damn, this is a great record and the best yet from this band. They surely can’t be labelled and shelved as SONIC YOUTH clones again. Raving vocals with the most fulfilling melodies and arrangements I’ve heard from them while maintaining a powerful, steady rhythmic backbeat. Eclectic post-punk at its finest.
Diverse influences crop up on this four-track EP. The less urgent numbers on the “9” side didn’t capture my attention, owing more to a loose rock approach. Side “FF”, however, contains two dynamic, mid-tempo punkers which represent this band at their best. Not altogether catchy, but still respectable.
Driving blues-based stuff with a dance beat. Funky punky rock treads the fine line between obnoxious art and wavish vapidity, but maintains some power.
Six pop-punk tunes from out of the garage but well produced. They rock good, have lots of guitar and drums, snotty singing, a tinge of REDD KROSS meets ’60s UK R’n’B.
Mod, early punk, R’n’B pop influences here. Not especially powerful, but could develop their own sound yet.
The gut-crunching antics of this bizarre combo will take you on an insane journey into thrash, metallic mayhem, raw energy, and odd effects. Definitely a band with their own style, DEHUMANIZERS approach some new ground which works well sometimes. The vocals are heavy and growling, and the pace changes frequently, from speed to quaking riffs.
Although this band was involved in the DC scene in the classic years of ’81-’83, they do not follow along the same musical line as many of the other bands. This band resorts to raw, good ol’ sloppy rockin’ punk, much in the vein of the GERMS, especially the vocal style. All seven songs do a good job of documenting this needlessly ignored outfit.
Tough young aggression hurling the handballs of power with that all-too-familiar Boston sound deliverance. Kicks into gear with a forceful driving beat that plunges into chunky thrash, as vocals scream and shout over the chaotic pace. Combine a mixture of DYS and SSD in their early prime, thrust the clutch down, and CRIPPLED YOUTH grind down hard and delightful.
The title is off their latest LP, and the other two tracks are nothing to rave about. “Get Off the Road” and “Give Me a Woman” are very simple tunes, but lack any special character or zip. Like the RAMONES’ new 12″, a poor follow-up to their recent LP.
Really well done charging thrash. Good lyrics, lots of anger, some metal guitar damage and tough vocals. Check it out.
Good but undistinguished melodic thrash. Lots of stop-and-go stuff, good playing, appropriate lyrics. Decent.
TEARS FOR FEARS meets the ALARM meets the CURE meets FRANK SINATRA. This new band, formerly called YOUTH BRIGADE, has a new sound which will take most by surprise. The classic YOUTH BRIGADE sing-alongs in a different character and well-executed lyrics are combined with very complex creative music that in my book spells—CHEESY! The slick production and studio trickery will play an important part in helping this record be a major radio hit. What’s next, an MTV video? Progress, growth, or change…you decide for yourself.
I’ve thought the BUTTHOLES’ records frankly variable in quality to this point, but I am really enthusiastic about this one. More subdued than usual, at times boasting a pounding backbeat, this is their first attempt at “acid pop”—and it’s a real breakthrough. Absolutely fascinating from song to song. Get it.
Impassioned singing and raw punk and thrash. Anger and hope are expressed lyrically and musically, and this EP, however basic, is enjoyable at times though tends to degenerate into self-indulgent wanking occasionally. Decent power.
Expect the same abrasive uncompromising thrash you enjoyed on their debut 12″, but with an additional grunginess—almost a looseness—on their latest. The band is hot, no question about it, and I still enjoy their offbeat humor and personal commentaries represented in the lyrics.
Heavy garage influences prove very good on this tape, which has female vocals rough and loud over songs with a slow, grungy, pounding beat. Production is raw, making the tape one powerful, hard-hitting package.
A three-song job that combines neat vocal harmonies and simple pop songs with an edge. Sounds like mid-’70s pre-punk rock’n’roll like the REAL KIDS. Nothing frantic but enjoyable.
Good, snotty early punk, basic no-frills smart-ass stuff. Five tunes, all fun.
There’s quite a variety of nasty sounds on this fine-sounding studio LP—lots of drive, dirty guitar varying tempos, and power. Much better than I had expected; a pleasant surprise.
You missed last time, so don’t miss this chance, ’cause this firebomb rips with that kind of crazed ferocity of speed, lightning-paced and raw deliverance that cranks the rug out from your feet. The dentist rips teeth from your jaw as Blaine tugs at his frenzied vocals in a passionate form of chaos, and the band giggles with nerve-smashing thrash. The original plus eight new tracks to light up your neighborhood.
Tony (ex-ADOLESCENTS) adds his great vocals to a more metal band (ADOLESCENTS meet STOOGES?). Nothing lyrics, but the sound is OK.
On ZOLGE’s third release, that unique wall of sound is gone, replaced with a catchy pop-punk flavoring, still not losing any potent harmonies. Strong instrumentation with tight vocals and good production make for a very sharp delivery. Has a current ’77-punk feel to it. Crafty stuff.
Wild, fast, art-damned craziness that’s endless and tireless. SONIC YOUTH on speed…Yow! The B-side slows down the turns into what’s closer to an emotional ballad and not as inspired.
One of the best and roughest of the Swedish neo-psych bands gives the NOMADS a run for their money. Both tunes are sung in Swedish, but that doesn’t lessen any of the power, and like their previous records, there is a wild harmonica that matches the fury of the band.
An above-average noise thrash release, rife with buzzsaw guitar, raging beat, and gnarly vocals. All nine songs are sung in English, the intelligent lyrics driven home with passion and power. Hot.
Along the lines of Bullshit Detector, this LP is a collection of mainly English bands (with German and French representatives), a benefit for hunt saboteurs. It’s quite good, and introduces some relative unknowns like AXE THRASHER, DEATH ZONE, REVULSION, etc. as well as the likes of DISRUPTORS, HAINE BRIGADE, and NICK TOCZEK.
A pretty good world sampler featuring mostly previously released material that falls under the ranks of punk, hardcore, and post-punk. Some of the talents in the limelight are BOSKOPS, VARUKERS, TOXIC REASONS, RATTUS, WHITE FLAG, BRISTLES, and many others. Comes with a free six-song EP.
Well, it had to happen, an Oi LP out of Japan, and it carries all those classic poundings from the English Oi hey-day. Chunky beats with sing-along chants and some wackiness, too. A wide variety of styles to choose from, with BAD VULTURES, COCKNEY COCKS, WANDERERS, BULL THE DOGS, and more. Fun and crazed.
