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!
An excellent political thrash/metal crossover that’s a mixture of polished riffs, leads, and speed changes resulting in a sound like early DISCHARGE, yet still original. The production has a slightly tinny sound to it, but thoughtful lyrics give this one quality. Recommended.
Around for a while but finally out with vinyl, this highly eclectic band debuts their sounds: post-punk, industrial, folk-punk, and more. Following in the footsteps of TOILING MIDGETS, SLEEPERS and even FLIPPER, you’ll find musicianship and intelligence at work here. Comes with booklet.
Variable quality mid-tempo punk/rock on this one, and none of the five tracks left any impression on me. I’ll credit their aggressive guitar sound and the total absence of metal tendencies, but the songs and performances just lack punch.
A-side sounds like ANIMALS meets LEMON PIPERS, while the flip is less bluesy and more poppy. OK bandwagon stuff.
The stick-on label says “Iggy-esque post-punk.” Forget that shit, this is full-on punk. While the vocals do remind me of IGGY, the music is raving punk stuff, not unlike early SAINTS. Excellent.
Great psych cover, but the music is more of that quasi-folky LA-style ’60s pop than the trashy punk or the mindbending sound. “Camp 9-0-9″ is faster, rawer, and by far the best song on this EP. Personally, I’ll take the STOMACH MOUTHS or MORLOCKS any day.
Very well-produced power thrash. This is hard-hitting, head-on, stop-and-go hardcore. No frills, no innovations, and lots of tight meat-cleaver stuff. Good lyrics, too.
This pretty cool collection of songs contains all their hits, all of which were recorded live though 1982-85. The production varies from song to song but does a good job of re-creating the experience that this band brings across live. Worth looking into.
Somewhat garagy and loose, but more than made up for by the sheer zest and crunch. Cool guitar and good drumming center this ripper. Lots of thrash and a good cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” all done with lots of power. Good punk lyrics as well.
Basic funny rockin’ punk thrash that blends a lot of diversity and metal leads with satirical humor resulting in an entertaining collection of songs. The recording is live, and the cover of “Wild Thing” breaks new ground for that song alone.
The first comparison that comes to mind is early SSD or NECROS. The music is a power-punching concrete wall-of-sound strengthened by gravelly vocals. The speed is kept under control, which creates an echoing, pounding effect on your body. Cool stuff!
Slow, screeching noise guitar and pounding drums become the background for chanting vocals, together there are a lot of similarities to the WITCH TRIALS and CRASS-type bands. There are 51 songs on this cassette which really shows the growth of this band, but the muffled production takes away a lot and can become the main concern when listening.
77 punk, both musically and lyrically. I mean it’s fun stuff, retarded lyrics, old punk format, but there’s not an overwhelming power behind it or special wit. Decent regressive venture.
A schizophrenic album with a melodic “then” punk side that includes material from their previous 7″ releases, and a semi-commercial “now” side with recent post-punky material. I much prefer the former, though there’s not a total separation. This is a decent record with some good lyrics, but only “No Leaders” is really irresistible.
One of the best sounding tapes I’ve heard in a while; these guys utilize ’60s punk, surf, and old punk, but weld it into a very modern, hard-driving punk sound, not unlike AGENT ORANGE running headlong into NAKED RAYGUN. Very tight, very powerful, intelligent, and not cliché at all. Plus there are tons of tunes. Dynamite.
DRUNK INJUNS—the greatest enigma of our times. Can you afford to miss the classic, rockin’ SF garage band who, apart from a hard-to-find cassette and a few comp tracks, are treating us to decent (not great) live recording which includes their greatest energy and material? There’s only 1000. Get it!
A four-song “death metal core band” that zips along at a frantic pace, isn’t as metal as it is thrash, and avoids lame lyrics and sticks to political/social subjects. A pretty hot debut.
Simply great. Classic SoCal pop thrash with hot Agnew guitar and Casey vocals. Hot production, too. Rips completely.
A seven-song release from this up-and-coming SF band, most of which are thrash. There’s a heaviness to their sound, which becomes even more apparent on the two slower numbers, powerful post-punk dirges. Dave (ex-JERRY’S KIDZ from Albuquerque) sounds good, and the band is tight and strong, though I think the super-clean production here detracts a bit from their normally noise-intense live performance standard. A band to watch.
A combination of new studio and live tracks keeping with a basic, medium-paced thrash sound. The lyrics have a warped sense of humor and a predictable satirical flavor. The new vocalist adds more power, but the music could use a little more development. The covers are fun.
Fans of early NO TREND will appreciate this rockin’ noise. With funk, jazz, and experimental leanings, this screamin’ combo raucously slashes their way onto vinyl. Angry yet absurd.
If it were 1966, this record would be cool. But alas… Anyway, most of the tunes here are originals (and decent at that, including the classic “She Told Me” from their last 45), breaking away from their cover syndrome which spans back many years. Now if they could only break into the ’80s thematically…
A live tape that has its pluses and minuses. The drumming is really strong, the guitar raw, and the vocalist rivals CAPITOL PUNISHMENT’s for lowest range around. Drawbacks include the mix and the somewhat “heavy” aspects of many tunes. Still, it’s crude and powerful.
A change of pace from the typical thrash syndrome with the new 12-song demo from this Grand Rapids outfit. Overall, a PROLETARIAT comparison comes to my mind, but this band keeps a stronger guitar-oriented sound. The vocals sing right along with every beat, which after a couple of songs becomes annoying. The speed is fast but still falls short of a lasting impression.
This Connecticut band sometimes sounds like one of those tedious UK post-punk outfits, then they turn around and produce rockin’ 60s-tinged guitar-heavy numbers. The best of the latter is probably “Prey for Me,” but the lack of slickness on the production makes this debut pretty enjoyable in an early MISSION OF BURMA-type way.
From Chicago, high-production post-punk with good power, occasionally delivering straightforward punches, but like the robot boxers on the cover, there isn’t an overwhelming sense of identity or heart. Maybe I’m just OD-ing on all these major “indie” releases that rely on major-type production, making them sound homogenized to me.
Dark punk with rock overtones, reminding me a bit of some ROKY ERICKSON. At times, it’s too “rock” for me, but there are some songs with late-STOOGES influences (“Agents of Faith”) that make up for it.
Originally planned as a live flexi (rejected by Eva-tone, monopolist flexi-pressers in the US, because of language), this limited edition comes out as a 7″ with no pic cover. The A.O.D. stuff shreds as always, including a thrash version of “We Will Rock You.” BEDLAM’s side is rawer, but still rips. Well worth sending for.
Some pretty basic rhythmic punk rock here. The recording is well-done, and probably shows them at their best, but there’s no real imagination at work yet. This is a young band and there’s evidence of future specialness.
Good driving, pounding early punk sound that kicks both musically and lyrically (anti-war). Interesting divergences are thrown in here and there, but don’t detract at all. Cool vocals, too.
This is a sampler of little known, or even unknown “psychedelic” English bands. MAGIC MUSHROOM BAND and SLEEP & THE CREATURE VAMPIRES have something going, but the rest of these bands play uninspired marshmallow music. To top it off, most of these bands don’t even exist anymore. Consumer beware.
A compilation of nine pop-punk/thrash bands from France. The music is split in half. 50% is average background, entertaining pop that at times becomes annoying. The remaining music consists of some really hard thrash, French style. For the most part, enjoyable and well worth looking into.
An excellent comp which features some of the more popular politically conscious bands involved in the scene such as CONFLICT, OI POLLOI, ANTI-SYSTEM, STALAG 17, ICONS OF FILTH, and the list goes on. All the songs were recorded live at England’s infamous Station Club. Good sound quality. Recommended.
A comp that features all Yugoslavian bands (PVJS, CZD, MASAKER, and MARZIDOVSHEK). There’s a bunch of experimental thrash, which while wandering into the unknown, always comes back with power. Sound is decent.
An intense power-thrash compilation which features OI POLLOI, H.D.Q., CRIMINAL JUSTICE, DEPRAVED—all who blast out incredibly loud, ranting, politically conscious songs. A powerful comp in which all the songs shred and will have a satisfying effect with each listening. My only complaint—no lyrics sheet.
An hour tape containing nineteen Polish punk bands recorded live at the Jarocin music festival. With this compilation, the average music enthusiast can get ahold of the kind of punk Poland has to offer. The production and sound quality are really good considering the situation and conditions. Recommended.
This hot Brazilian HC comp features ten bands and a variety of styles from supercharged thrash (RATOS DE PORÁO, LOBOTOMIA) to Oi (VÁRUS 27, GAROTOS PODRES—dig that harp!—and AUSCHWITZ) to folkish punk, classical punk, and even skate punk. The trebly Brazilian production adds to the appeal, and most of the lyrics are concerned with political issues like oppression, nuclear war, and corruption. Cool gatefold cover.
A four-band comp, featuring CRISMA KAOS (melodic thrash), SLAM (metal-laden), PAST (straight-on melodic thrash), and BIZARR (melodic thrash, with the most bite here). All in all, OK, but not awesome.
Charlie Harper (of UK SUBS) and Knox (of VIBRATORS) pair up on this album of lackluster ditties in a proto-punk style. The songs on this release, while unrepresentative of the talent here, also display a noticeable lack of passion. These URBAN DOGS do have a pedigree, but here I could have mistaken them for strays.
From Sweden, this combo plays pretty competent ’60s punk (an eerie aspect of said genre) and a bit of rockabilly. There are traces of CRAMPS and NOMADS in here, but little in the way of originality or special verve. OK.
Instead of the wild trashiness, this band has a murky, melodic charm to them very similar to SALEM 66 or even the GO-BETWEENS. The flip moves more towards a psychedelic nature, but more in the area of, say…DONOVAN? Not too shabby.
Abrasive, grinding mayhem, crazy splats of distortion, crackling vocals, and the next Japanese cult fave. This CHAOS UK-type noise corrosion slapper growls with insanity, roaring feedback, and those raw barks like stormtrooping bombs.
Take a variety of musical approaches (yet still the style the SUBHUMANS have established for themselves), push it all together into 12 new songs and one instrumental, and the third LP release brings this band even higher in growth, creativity, and continuous stamina. Multitudes of paces and Dick experimenting with different vocal approaches has the SUBS into another serious exceptional effort.
A-side is a schizophrenic ditty combining acoustic guitar with ’60s snotty punk vocals with DYLAN-esque undertones, pop melodic instrumentation, and a folky BYRDS-like break. The flip is even weirder, with more cryptic changes Á la SOFT BOYS. Nuts.
Decent moody pop neo-psych. Both sides have their ominous slower moments (almost like certain aspects of the DKs, including East Bay Ray-type guitar work), and then pick up at times. Just OK.
More French skunk from SNIX. The guitars could profitably be rawer, but the tunes are generally good (especially “Madou”) and the overall effect is quite appealing. The big question here is one of values: SNIX may not be supporters of M. LePen, but some of the song titles and dedications don’t reflect much that is positive. Who knows?
This, their second 7″, is pretty rockin’ ’60s fuzz punk, but doesn’t stand out too much from the crowd. Nonetheless, there’s great guitar, tight beat, and non-wimpy production.
Famed for their super-short, incoherent noise blasts, these guys have changed their “musical direction, attitude, and bass player” after getting “fed up with those short songs.” Trying now to write “decent tunes,” they sound only slightly tighter (if that), still thrashing away frantically and raving about the ills of the world. In other words, they’re still a charming garage mess.
This tape is hardly audible, but the smashings and rantings thrown rapidly at you, with extreme lyrics, give proof that if this band released an EP of quality recording, it would be intense. Don’t let the name fool you—it’s not demonic, but intelligent, especially toward animal rights.
Stop-and-go thrash at its finest. Nine tight tunes blast forward with such a strong amount of energy, your ears will be left in amazement. In many ways, the music might come off as very basic, but if you’re a crash and bang fan, this tape will not leave you disappointed.
