Snake Out Gollywobblers From Hell! LP
The CRAMPS meet the old FLAMIN’ GROOVIES? Raunchy R’n’B meets countryish rock’n’roll meets surf. Nothing new, not quite psychobilly, but OK fun stuff.
MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
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The CRAMPS meet the old FLAMIN’ GROOVIES? Raunchy R’n’B meets countryish rock’n’roll meets surf. Nothing new, not quite psychobilly, but OK fun stuff.
With a name like SISTER RAY, I expected a real pronounced VELVET UNDERGROUND sound, but not so. There are some ’60s influences (punk, Batman-theme-type guitar), as well as early US ’70s punk sound. All four tunes cook, with the guitar being the driving force. Nothing flashy, but they rock.
San Francisco’s newest garage band comes above ground with a raw cassette that perfectly imitates their stage appeal. Rockin’, hook-laden, goofy (even when serious), wild, immature, satirical, and completely genuine. Watch out for these guys—you’ll be humming their songs before you know it.
A mod band that “springs from the Maximum R’n’B tradition” (early WHO expression), their accent is on rock’n’roll and not ska. This group is integrated racially and sexually, and rocks good, more in the manner of the JOLT than anything else in recent memory. Good ISLEY BROS. cover, and record dedication to the African National Congress rebels in South Africa.
A three-song demo that’s really good, though it seems totally out of time and place (nice change, though). The tunes combine older-style punk tunes and raw, powerful playing, much in the way some of the early English, and especially Irish punk bands did. Enjoyable.
Outside stuff aimed at smashing both pretentious arty/industrial music and the stagnant aspect of hardcore. Whether they accomplish this or not remains to be seen (heard). To quote the press release, “They will use anything at their disposal to fucking obliterate everything.” Sounds like it.
Bill of Toxic Shock fronted this band back when, and I guess couldn’t resist releasing this somewhat death rock relic “posthumously.” Actually, lyrically it’s not death rock (more intelligent than that!), but it’s the overall sound, enhanced by lots of production, that gives it that “ghostly” feel. Well done, if you like that heavy, power sound. Excellent guitar noise from Julianna.
Much more produced sound than their earlier raunchy classics, sometimes including a disco-ish sound. Yech. While there are some garage ravers here, the bigger sound doesn’t become the PANDORAS much and that’s especially telling on their new version of “You Don’t Satisfy.” “Let’s Do Right” and “It Felt Alright” are pretty hot, though.
This Boston-area band is composed of members of now-defunct STRANGLEHOLD, which explains the catchy guitarwork and the overall rawness. This band’s potential falls short due to the new sound, making a firm stand in the college radio crowd. The power is put aside for a more poppy rockin’ sound, which is sad, but comes as no surprise.
Despite the homemade sound quality, there’s still plenty to listen to here. Their ominous overtones permeate fast-paced guitar/noise raves and slower/experimental/industrial dirges, making for an eerie but non-cliché horrific mood. Much potential, as long as they maintain their edge.
Real garage hardcore punk. Most of the songs are medium-paced with super-gruff vocals and raw as hell noise guitar. Good garage.
Out of Baltimore, this tape has a live feel to it. Lyrics are pissed off but intelligent, music is heavily rhythmic hardcore with good vocals. Should be something real good if they stick with it.
If self-righteous Christianity and punk are your bag, go for it. Well-done hardcore it is, but you get 20 songs telling you about “the Lord” and why you’re wrong about everything until you accept “Him.” I’m waiting for a Toothfairy HC band myself.
With this album, KILSLUG dirged their way into aggravating the hell out of me. Good, bassy guitars hold down a dose of dark, discordant hardcore in the basic FLIPPER mode, but devoid of hooks or power. Nothing really drew me in on this LP.
I guess it was inevitable, so here’s a ’77-style send-up, retardo/reactionary lyrics and all. The A-side equates AIDS to decadence and Hollywood—sheer genius. The flip is equally “brilliant,” attacking liberals as being the ones in the way of freedom. Hmm, guess they’ve been asleep since Ronnie took over.
They say they’re one of the best bands in America. Well, I can honestly say they’re the kind of band you’d like to have in your scene. They straddle the line of sludge/garage music and weird spazz sounds. Kind of like having IGGY sing with the BIRTHDAY PARTY in the bad part of town, during a thunderstorm, without a decent PA and not enough beer. You get the picture.
Could you guess they’re speedcore? Pretty good actually, though the drumming lags a bit. Gruff vocals and raunchy thrash guitar with metal inflection. Practice tape but decent sound quality.
This GUNS (not the Ohio band) is a one-man project of George Smith of SENSELESS HATE. Playing guitars (tough), bass (driving), and drums (tight), this is powerful punk with both the crunch of ’78 and the imagination as well (from pop/punk to slight experimentation).
Four songs, two of which come from their first demo and fall into the great GANG GREEN tradition, the remaining two being different cover versions of TIL TUESDAY’s AM radio hit “Voices Carry.” AC/DC covers would have been more exciting. All in all, just two great songs.
Makes me feel like I’m in a time warp, shipped back to some hokey ’77 scene. This is early garage punk meets new wave rock’n’roll and wrestling mania. I’ve heard the DICTATORS are reforming, so this could become a trend.
Surprise, surprise, surprise! Full-on melodic thrash, varying speeds, and Keith Morris-type vocals creates an interesting combination of early DC and SoCal HC. Lyrics rant, rave, and communicate thought-provoking ideas and attitudes. Both refreshing and inspiring, all packed into 16 songs. Recommended.
FLIPPER-ish trash meets folk rock? Definite “sun damage” here, garage charm, and nutso/intelligent lyrics. Early Dylan gone punk rock.
Straightforward, first-stage thrash that touches base with a lot of other young hardcore bands. The potential is there, and needs time to develop. With this eleven-song studio demo comes some classic stop-and-go thrash that is dominated by severing buzzsaw sound. Basic.
After all these years! This classic NYC punk band is powerful, rockin’, full of hooks, and has unrelenting political prowess in matters social and political. They include recordings of their now hard-to-find singles plus lots of other great songs. My life is now complete.
This former hardcore band has gone the way of the buffalo (or is it the dinosaur?), opting for an older metal sound meets ’70s rock meets post-punk. Of the six songs, only “Talk of the World” (speedcore) contains any real zip, though the vocals really detract from it. Lyrically, it’s quite “dark” and self-absorbed.
Adam (ex-FACTION) and friends come up with a couple of almost power-pop tunes, which means lots of melody and hooks powered by punchy and guitar-oriented backing. Good effort.
A Geza X production job, these tracks combine elements of punk, metal, and ’70s R’n’R, perhaps exemplifying their proclaimed influences of “GRAND FUNK RAILROAD and the TROGGS.” Decent, but not overpowering.
Surprise of surprises, I liked this. Punk with a genuine pop sensibility combines with metal on the two songs from the flip of this EP—the vocals are gruff, the music gritty and mean. DECONTROL’s cover of the STEPPENWOLF standard connects with abundant energy—so much so that I hardly noticed the flailing guitar leads. Recommended.
This is aggressive rock’n’roll distinguished by intriguing vocal choruses on both sides as well as prominent lead breaks. I enjoyed “Complaint Dep’t” better of the two songs here, if only for its studied poppishness. Fun.
Long-time no-see from these Canadians, and they’re back with a vengeance. One side features most of their now out-of-print first LP, and the other is new material. The new stuff is a little metal-tinged at times, but old and new are rockin’ classic punk. Dirty, violent, obnoxious, and lovable, DAYGLO ABORTIONS have their hearts in the right place.
I took a lot of grief for liking the first DC3 record, but it was OK because it had memorable hooks and riffs. But there isn’t much to defend here. They’re guilty of all the retro-rock behavior that people have been dumping on them. Too bad.
Always been a fan of this morbid, upbeat gothic craft with the frenzied guitar cries, and this three-song 12″ keeps the faith. Tight compositions make for exceptional deliverances in the title track and the harmonious “Between Youth” keeping the haunting appeal and vigorous drum poundings. Will taunt you with the mystic aura and special effects of an eerie soundtrack yet paced a bit stronger.
In their early days they were M.A.D. (see Not So Quiet comp) and were a raging thrash band Á la BLACK FLAG of ’82. Then BLACK FLAG and SSD changed to a “heavier” sound, and so did these guys (now BL’AST!), only they hung to it. This LP captures that “power” hardcore sound well, combined with angry, yet positive lyrics, and even a few thrashers thrown in. A strong release.
This odd release from the Phoenix area could go over with metalers, punks, psychedelics, and rockers—a really bizarre mix of styles. Something for everybody, or maybe nobody…
This Boston-based band cranks out powerful pop-punk. Owing more to ’70s bands like the REAL KIDS than ’60s rockers like the REMAINS, their sound will appeal to lovers of powerful rock’n’roll, hence its release in Australia where that sound still reigns supreme.
Yup, a match made in… Anyway, Mykel Board’s ARTLESS material is the same as what appears on the recent Placebo Records one-sided 12″, while I don’t know nor care if G.G.’s stuff was previously released. This label wants to license more US bands for European release.
Well, actually this is half of a 12″, with an etching (come up and see my…?) of Mykel Board (the star of this disc?) on the backside. ARTLESS presents their version of thrash and punk, incorporating saxes (non-offensively?) and Mykel’s pseudo-conservative lyrics (“How Much Punk Rock Do You Hear in Russia?,” “We Want Nuclear War,” “We’re Republicans,” etc.). And hey, great liner notes!
The sound quality is passable, but had it been well done, you’d be in for a thrash treat—excellent stop-and-go stuff with power. Hope they’ll get into a good studio.
ANTI-SCRUNTI FACTION champions the grunge-o-rama attack on their debut LP. The lyrics and punky spirit of this band go a long way, but the sameness of the songwriting detracts from the album’s ultimate impact. I’ll tell you one thing: if the whole album were as hot as “Suicide Note,” an impassioned thrasher, they’d have dynamite here.
A 28-song release displaying the BALLS’ hard-hitting but almost pop hardcore sound. There’s a lot of attention on melody, vocals, and back-up singing, as well as many changes within songs. This can be annoying, but their overall power and unrelenting energy carries it off. Pro job, fine lyrics too.
Throbbing, pulsating, driving intensive post-punk with gnarly distorted vocals. Maintains the edge while striving to be different, yet somehow ends up like KILLING JOKE anyway.
The brain blows to smithereens as this nitro-charged speedcore whip hauls at 1000 MPH currents of wind-blown mayhem. Perhaps the best yet in non-stop, tight, aggressive zoomfests of energetic action that cleans the table in the chaotic fashion. Good lyrical content adds to the ferociousness of this rambunctious five-piece.
A good mixture of high-power HC, speed-metal, and melodic mid-tempo garage thrash bands. The majority of tracks are unreleased and a few are recorded live. Standouts include: DER RISS, RAYMEN, IDIOTS, DIE MÄNNER. Something for everybody on this sampler.
An all-European comp LP with the bulk of the bands hailing from Germany. There’s quite a range of punk/hardcore styles evident, though the thrash from Holland’s PANDEMONIUM and Germany’s CIRCLE OF SIG TIU stand out for me. Other bands include ENOLA GAY, TIN CAN ARMY, WUT, A.N.A.L., EKLATANT, and France’s VERDUN. Comes with a thick magazine that leads me to believe that most of the songs are politically oriented.
This next We Won’t/Don’t… LP is an international blow-out with the likes of D.O.A., SACRILEGE, VIRUS, DIATRIBE, OI POLLOI, DEATH SENTENCE, NIC TOCZEK, STONE THE CROWZ, POST MORTEM, A.O.A., CONFLICT, TOXIC REASONS, and tons more. Sound quality makes for a Bullshit Detector varied effect. Scant info included.
A new compilation made up of Finnish and English bands. The Finnish side has the likes of RATS, SANCTUARY, and DORIAN GRAY, doing mostly raw, pre-released material. On the flip, we hear a ballet-type rant by ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER, and ten great melodic thrashing cuts by the UK ICONOCLASTS, who with their catchy riffs and vocals are the standouts here.
A good German HC sampler featuring many under-exposed bands like MOTTEK, CERESIT, DIE RUSSEN, INTERSCHROTT, and many more. Sound quality varies but still the music is listenable and enjoyable.
Spit out that raging energy with 38 bands delivering a wad of good slugs. This two-LP French comp also features a few international acts. This collection will separate the spine into sections with the likes of S.O.D., PSYCHO, HEIMAT-LOS, SOLUCIÁ”N MORTAL, MELAKKA, BUTCHER, and more. For thrash-mongers and punk-harbours.
Some new Aussie bands show their stuff on this new comp. Excellent effort courtesy of: GASH, FILTHY TRASH, MIMOSA TRIBE, LONERS OF STENCH, and DEPRESSION. This is one diverse thrash compilation that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Recommended.
A compilation that features some well-established names in European punk and HC. With bands like the VARUKERS, NO CHOICE, RATTUS, and ENGLISH DOGS, you would think this would be a very powerful piece of vinyl. Well, it’s not, and most of the tracks are at the most average and leave no lasting impression. Nothing outstanding.
