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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!
A good example of generic suburban hardcore punk. This band falls into the “We’re pissed off at something and we don’t know what it is, but let’s still form a band” syndrome. The music isn’t that bad, and with time it should develop. The lyrics, on the other hand, are meaningless and don’t have a bit of fun quality to them. The best thing about this tape is that this band was formed, give them time and hope for the best.
Basic, slow trash-thrash led by the asshole antics of none other than GG himself. Again, like all other GG material, this is beyond sexist, beyond obnoxious, beyond stupid—just simply fucked up!
These Australians continue to put out interesting records. This LP contains tracks in their ’77 power-punk sound as well as more eclectic sounds that rock. Can’t say I like it all, but for a band that’s been around so long, they still pound.
This all-girl combo recalls PARANOIA in some respects, yet seems altogether more diverse. This is poppish post-punk with snappy rhythms and a nifty sense of counterpoint, providing an overall impression of freshness, despite the absence of catchy melodies. Pleasant.
Four bands (PAST, CHARTA 77, LOST NOT POSERS, and PISKAD SENAP), four songs, all excellent pop-punk with great Swedish hooks and classic punk delivery. A joy.
A sampler from this mainly pop label. HAPPY HATE ME NOTS live up to that standard, EASTERN DARK clocks in with some cool psych noise, ITCHY ART come off with a driving dirge entitled “Attempting to Give Your Name to a Policeman While Tripping,” and TACTICS do a live folky punk ditty.
A Kyoto-area comp featuring INFECT, SCABIES, WALTZ, FUCK GEEZ, SEX COMPLEX CLASS, and the SADIST. Mostly ’77 stuff except for ripping thrash from WALTZ and SADIST’s fast punk.
A 50/50 proposition. OK tracks from LOODS, ZOLGE, and the POGO; losers from SISTER RAY (yet another band with, this name that doesn’t have a VELVETS sound at all), and IKARI; and hot stuff from ROSE ROSE.
A Finnish-US effort (being sold in the US by BCT, in Europe by Kaaos). The US entries are ENTROPY, SPASTIC RATS, and CAUSTIC DEFIANCE, while from Finland hails MASSACRE, PRAVDA, and POLISTVALTIO. All I’m gonna say is HOT! Some of these bands never sounded better.
A bunch of Yugoslavian punk bands (U.B.R., III KATEGORIJA, EPIDEMIJA, TOZIBABE, ODPADKI CIVILIZAGIJE) present four to six songs each on this cool sampler. The mode of HC is grungy and loose, following the examples of the Italians, yet veering toward the speedier approach of the Northern Europeans. A very good sampler, and fairly consistent from song to song.
Best part of this is the driving beat and occasionally guitar chords. Otherwise, it sounds like a slightly tougher GRASS ROOTS, what with all the lush harmonies and production. Too clean.
Despite the four-track quality, the eight songs here are pretty listenable. Thoughtful, melodic, medium-paced punk with interesting guitar work and, at times, post-punk singing. Not ordinary.
This LP includes material from the last 12″, and even the new material sounds like a rehash of his past few records, though it’s more thickly layered and more difficult than before. However, ex-POP GROUP’s Stewart and Adrian Sherwood still create some of the best haunting wildness and lyrical nightmares. Still will keep the fans happy.
These two bands are actually fairly much the same band, but with divergent styles. SPERMBIRDS indulge in an upbeat hardcore style with hilarious lyrics, while their alter-ego boasts a totally winning pop-punk approach, especially on “Kaiserslautern.” A very good record, and look forward to more.
Ripping melodic thrash attack by this West German band. A definite 7 SECONDS influence can be heard throughout the six songs, which have high-speed sing-alongs, classic tempo changeovers, and positive lyrics. Great stuff.
This combo shows promise on two tracks, where their individualistic pop songwriting melds with their pleasant female vocals; and they connect solidly with the EP’s title song—a gritty, melodic mid-tempo track that sticks in the memory. Not hardcore—just good independent-minded pop/rock.
One pop song each on this release that comes with The Legend fanzine #4. SHOP ASSISTANTS are the more enjoyable of the two, being more upbeat with good drive and female vocals.
I don’t want to imitate Tim’s brief analysis, but this record really does sound like BIRTHDAY PARTY. (Old members are present, I believe, but name changes make it hard to be sure.) Great screamin’ blues, rockin’ moments, and other dementia. If you can find it, get it.
This four-song release is well produced, featuring medium/slow-paced moody post-punk. There’s a decent amount of power, but the excitement level never quite boils. Also, given the language barrier, a lot is lost in this music where you can hear the singing so clearly, and where, I’m sure, the lyrics set the whole mood.
A neo-’60s band that plays punk and pop-psych. Nothing too startling here, and as you can judge by some of the covers (“Gloria,” “I Can Only Give You Everything”), not too much delving into the musical past. OK.
Here is a fascination with the CRAMPS and early American pop and blues. In any case, there are lots of covers that are rockin’ and dirty. “Haunted House” really rips, as does most of the rest of the record.
Even though the sound quality is not the best, one can get off on this release because of the sheer energy put out by Finland’s RATTUS. I wasn’t too excited by RATTUS’ last vinyl (a more metallic direction), but there’s no hint of it here—just blazing, ripping, and sometimes tuneful thrash. The pace is awesome.
Pounding, unrelenting high-energy music made up of awkward chords intermixed with several tempo changes. The 28 songs are a good blend of studio and live recordings, all of which have strong production and loads of power. Cool stuff.
A two-song job, and a curious blend of punk energy with early and progressive punk. Absolutely no info on sleeve.
New Zealand uptempo punk that sounds British circa 1980. Seven songs that toe-tap their way through a variety of styles with ska time beats, medium-paced aggression, and quick dance-step drumming. A fun record that keeps a good momentum.
Reminiscent of English atmospheric pop (VIRGIN PRUNES, etc.), MADAME EDWARDA succeeds moderately with the title track, although as with most examples of this genre, the poppishness and hooks get stretched too thin for the sake of mood. OK.
Raw, savage guitars scream out madly with very American-sounding vocals. LAST BOMB continues in the new Japanese form, yet more of a garagy GASTUNK sound that cries for more. Fast drumming overpowers a bit, but the noise is intense.
Back again quickly, these crypto-rockers hit with four songs, three of which are bizarro blues, twisted Á la BUTTHOLES. The fourth song is a cover of PINK FLOYD’s “Lucifer Sam,” an OK version.
Classic Finnish thrash in the DISCHARGE mold. While not as noisy as some, the basic ingredients are there, though a bit more slowed down on about half of the six tunes. “Brainless” is the anthemic tune here.
Decent successor to their earlier recordings. Over half of the songs have that enjoyable, melodic ’77-punk sound with heavy guitars, though there are others, including post-punky and pseudo-rockabillyish material, that make one worry about their future direction. But the LP has some killer cuts, like “Marie-Janee” and the title track.
Early punk sound with really awkward and unfitting vocals. Would’ve been an OK PISTOLS-type release otherwise.
Eight rapid tracks that spit and crack, sending chills with the frenzied overdoses of disorderly parts. Guitars are all over this disc, screaming at you with grinning craziness. Radical is a small word for the mayhem that grinds from this unique Japanese band.
Three loud crashers that for the most part live up to this band’s sound but fall short due to an obviously repetitious beat and continuously distorted guitar. The echoing vocals have problems coming across clearly and seem hidden behind the wall of the music. The artwork and written material is interesting, however.
Pretty cool fast Oi-sounding stuff, four songs, good vocals, back-ups, and tight playing. Classic title: “All My Oi.”
A simple guitar, drum, and bass playing basic raw punk rock’n’roll Á la ’76. Nothing spectacular but enjoyable in its basic nature. Pretty garagy, but the spirit is right.
While the A-side is a bit too poppish for me, the B is a bit punchier beat-wise. The pop aspects crop up here, too, and at their worst remind me of the BOOMTOWN RATS. Too cute.
That weird ol’ Jello has a passion for dementia (FLIPPER, BUTTHOLES, etc.) and after seeing these guys Down Under, decided to get ’em released domestically. Like the aforementioned bands, though a bit more frantic (at least on vinyl). Sure to go over big with both punks and the art crowd.
Rockabilly with just a slightly modern feel, as evidenced by their cover of “Batman” and “B-Side Blues.” Nothing too special, but decent.
Pop female BLONDIE-ish vocals set to early crunch punk sound. Vocals ruin it completely, and the BEATLES cover doesn’t make it.
Liner notes state: “This record will perhaps be one of the greatest rock’n’roll records of a generation.” Hardly, but this is decent boppin’ folkish rock. Six tunes, the hotter ones owing more to psychobilly than anything else.
GHOUL’s second EP gets heavy as an apparent VENOM influence brings the harsh power down, but the band still has chaos in their blood and slashes at those ears with fast chords biting hard. Gnashed out vocals spit out as this combustion explodes into a disorderly zoomfest. Ace stuff.
An intensely politically motivated record whose message is augmented by information on the sleeve and in the lyrics. The five songs are made up of a high-speed pounding thrash and harsh, gravel-voiced vocals. All in all, worth looking into. Shreds.
GASTUNK fires it up again with the metallic storm of HC excitement as Baki’s vocals dominate the entire affair, as they should. Heavy and fast, the production is strong, leaving your ears open to the wild attack. Hardcore riffs with metal leads is just one of the reasons this band has risen so fast in Japan.
As expected, a lot more metalish leads and chords present here. Of the twelve songs, there are maybe only a couple that find their roots in that classic upbeat punk style that this band had years ago. Oh yeah, in case you’re wondering, the lyrics haven’t changed a bit.
Reminiscent of the first RED ROCKERS LP, this changes and burns with a strong medium-paced feel. Grinding twangs from the guitar are the focal point in the mix and the work’s choice. Well-delivered with a fluid drive, the compositions are musically thought out and catch harmonious notes soon to bounce around the brain.
Really melodic sing-along punk with good drive and bounce. This sounds more like French punk than Swedish (in fact, I could swear it’s French because they’re singing in—actually, it isn’t). Good production, good singing, and tight pop/punk playing with tough guitar.
Pretty noisy thrash, more like Finnish than Swedish hardcore. There are some tunes here, but it’s largely a non-metallic blast of crazed thrash energy.
Fast mayhemic thrash that rips with aggression in the norm of Sweden or the US, this accelerating disc packs a mean bass whallop with loud splashing of the cymbals. Thrusting power keeps CROW alive and attacking with every note.
Very slick rock with pop/punk influences, kinda like X. Weirdest part is that they dedicate the record to DICK DALE, CLIFTON CHENIER, and HOUND DOG TAYLOR (among others), none of whose grungy blues or surf influences appear at all.
COSMIC PSYCHOS employ a riff-laden punk style with very prominent guitar solos, as well as a strange arty edge that mixes poorly with the punk elements. I’m uninspired by the songwriting, and hope that the self-indulgent wanking doesn’t get in the way of future releases.
