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!
Sensational dwellings into the mystical realm of haunting rhythms. Strong similarities to CHRISTIAN DEATH, PHAIDIA mist forth a long LP’s worth of magical, creeping, abrasive, and deadly harmonies that capture the spirit. Good instrumentation and frenzied vocals. If you can get this, it’s a bloody feast.
Out of left field (literally), this Yugoslav band has done a great job of resurrecting the best aspects of ’76-type punk. It’s a hard-rockin’, R’n’B-based punk style, reminiscent of JOHNNY MOPED or some early NY punk and proto-punk bands. Despite those roots though, PARTIBREJKERS manage not to be derivative, and almost every track has some spark of originality.
Hardcore that’s based on R’n’B, extrapolated through ’60s punk, early ’70s rockin’ blues filtered through HEARTBREAKERS into the ’80s. In other words, imagine a totally punked out version of CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND’s “Let’s Talk About Girls” in French and you’ve got the idea.
A pretty uneventful outing for these normally exciting guys. Their cover of CREEDENCE’s classic is no improvement at all on the original, while the flip seems pretty uninspired as well. C’mon guys, get psycho!
This collection of the prototypical French punk band is not to be missed. Their sound (raw guitar and vocals combined with a rhythm machine) set the standard for “the French sound,” evident still in many punk and hardcore bands. Contains LP and 45 material, as well as their later incarnation as METAL BOYS.
MELLAKKA’s second EP continues where the first left off, storming with fast Finnish beats in the traditional set by LAMA and KAAOS. This is high-caliber stuff and has that continual punch that keeps your ears attached to it. The beat is titanic and the guitar roars, vox effects work well also. Rate it a 9+.
More “electric Q-tip” music from the neo-noise boys from England. A-side contains a JESUS AND MARY CHAIN meets the BYRDS noise/pop ditty, while the flip is more in the ultra-treble tradition.
Is this really from Greece? Countrified rockabilly meets SUICIDE for three rockin’ tracks that are hotly produced with neat psych effects here and there. OK.
Very well-done and punchy pop-punk with femme vocals. All four tracks rock hard but maintain great melody. Unfortunately, one of them, the title track, is marred by the addition of horns. Otherwise, fine effort.
A great new LP by an interesting (and now proving without a doubt) diverse band. Clean, catchy rhythms and distinctive melodies that lean toward the post-punk end of things. But they incorporate gothic, folk, psychedelic, and especially the punk element. Side one is full of great melodies, and side two rocks out. Recommended.
Great, punchy, high-energy English ’77-punk with hooks that even a depressed Jeff Bale could lay into. With a vocalist who sounds like a wide-awake IGGY POP and wonderful power-punk songs, this is the band to watch for. Good stuff.
Formerly PLASMID, this band drives to sheer quickness of distortion and abrasive thrash. The combination of DISORDER meets WHITE CROSS is how this band sounds, and at that level, your eyes will pop out since this rips. This will be the next cult band. Forget DRI. Here’s HERESY. ’Nuff said.
Mark E. Smith has always opted for making ugly, twisted music during the career of the FALL, so I expect him to be sacking just about everyone in the band after this record. They continue with hypnotic drone songs with sly pop melodies, with lyrical lashings against middle-class mores and attitudes.
Better-than-average power-pop from France. There’s a hint of ’50s rock ’n’ roll, GROOVIES-type pop (late period), and surf.
Another “noise band” that has managed to get better technically without sacrificing anxiety or power. Has the original mix of “Yu-Gung” that was released on an EP this year, and there’s even an angelic (or demonic?) choir style on the vocals that gives a neat haunting quality to their sound.
Grinding, spooky stuff with a heavy drum beat that is haunting in its abrasive persuasion. Combines the flavors of AMEBIX and 1919, for which you get a dark, thrusting sound. Eerie, sinister, the DEFORMED raise three cryptic melodies from the depths, using many effects to full advantage. A creepy delight and a band to take notice of.
Quite an auspicious debut for this hard-rocking outfit. DEADLOCK hits with powerful yet varied hardcore, playing tight as hell and with melody as well as speed. Holds your attention.
This is the Canadian band not the Aussie one, and their debut contains what I’ll call the “Western Canadian” punk sound with the DOA rock ’n’ roll influence. When I heard em live last year, they were straight ahead thrash, but their debut contains eight songs that rip along with a combination of melodic thrash, DOA, and even a sort of DEAD BOYS influence at times. Like fellow Canadians the ASEXUALS, lots of good hooks and choruses, and good lyrics, too.
Hard to tell what’s what on both sides, but it doesn’t really matter as this bugger is excellent. Besides a very stimulating eight-page booklet/cover, the music is riveting as well, making good the band’s stated desire to not just entertain but inspire. Get it.
Recorded back when men were men and the COCKNEY REJECTS were the heirs apparent to the PISTOLS sound, I was hoping for a real knockout. While most of the tracks here are decent, they are largely studio doodlings, outtakes, jamming, etc., and rarely approach the awesome power and impact of C.R.’s first two LPs. For collectors.
CHAOS U.K. represented here with a pretty tight rehearsal, featuring the current line-up doing all the faves and some new aaaarrghabilly classics. This a collection of great stuff for all you out there who eat up those cassette-only jobs. Don’t miss this scourging delight.
Interesting. Solid pop-punk music-making distinguishes this enjoyable three-track EP. The title track is quite an engaging ditty, though I was caught by the vocal harmonies and lyric satire of “Heroin,” and a hard guitar sound bolsters the power of all the tracks. Recommended.
The BIRTHDAY PARTY have left their mark on much music played today, and this comp collects some fine odds and ends, like “Release the Bats” and “Junkyard,” along with harder-to-find tracks like the unreleased “The Plague” or the alternate version of “Friendcatcher.” A treat for the true fan, or a good introduction.
This reminds me of early raw, mid-tempo punk mixed with traditional garage rock ’n’ roll. The second side does offer a faster speed with most of the songs, but still…well, it’s been done before. The band does rip on the surf tunes, which makes this tape more exciting. Overall, not too bad.
At their best, ACTH show a real ability for crunching mid-tempo punk with nifty vocal choruses and guitar riffing. Another up-and-coming Italian band which deserves their chance at vinyl. Good stuff. (Does ACTH stand for “andrenocorticotropic hormone”?)
Besides an outrageously funny and lewd cover, this comp delivers two tracks each by eight SoCal bands, most who hail from the Long Beach area; RHINO 39, VANDALS, RED BERET, CREWD, FALLEN IDOLS, SECRET HATE, NIP DRIVERS, and TARGET OF DEMAND turn in surprisingly unraucous tracks, mostly in the mid-tempo HC vein. Decent, but not mind-blowing.
From Texas comes this compilation which features bands from across the country, with the exception of Italy’s RAW POWER. The majority of the material is in the thrash vein and comes from previously released demos or vinyl. Some standouts include MORAL DISGUST, AGNOSTIC FRONT, CHRONIC DISORDER, VERBAL ASSAULT, and ILL REPUTE.
They snuck this stuff out from behind the Orange Curtain, the stronghold of ultra-fanatical right-wingers here in the US. And yes, even in this suburban hell, an underground exists (and an extensive one at that). The likes of D.I., DOGGY STYLE, JUST BECAUSE, EXOBIOTA, CONVICTED, BLIND HATRED, LOVE CANAL, and tons more (only notable exclusion is UNIFORM CHOICE) turn in one song each in many varied punk styles. Good comp with high sound quality.
“If there’s no discussion there’s no growth” is the byword here, and the lyrics and accompanying text/graphics certainly live up to the challenge. Musically, it’s surprisingly melodic (as in great pop punk thrash), considering the anger of the words. Very well done and should be sought out.
The best of post-punk without wimping out. In fact, this new one rips. You can hear BIRTHDAY PARTY, CRAMPS, and country blues influences, but the material stands on its own. Reminds me of NAKED RAYGUN and SCRATCH ACID in terms of classic post-punk originality and guts.
This one took me by quick surprise. A vast improvement over their previous vinyl. The band has discovered a new crossover between musical styles and seem to be taking it in the right direction, with not as much of a metal influence as I expected. There’s more of a chaotic, awkward, complicated power pounding sound. The lyrics are creative and slightly twisted, but only add to the record’s sound. Hard to classify, but I like it!
Haven’t heard a record quite this primitivo-garage in quite a while. I mean, they guys are barely out of the basement, let alone the garage. But the lyrics are not stupid, and as with some few records of this genre, they come across with charm in their ineptitude, making this a very enjoyable seven-song thrash/trash disc.
Where has this band been hiding? Definitely a well-kept secret, at least until now. This Maryland-based four-piece has unleashed six unruly, loud, pounding thrash tunes. The power is at an extreme and is the main factor in making this EP addicting. Watch out for these guys.
This band had a great pop/punk EP out a few years ago, and while this new tape still contains their gritty approach, the material is a bit slower (wasn’t too fast to begin with) and a bit more “heavy” (not metal, though; more like mid-period SAINTS). Decent.
Four blasting East Coast heavy hardcore tunes, almost a rarity these days. No metal here, just straight-on thrash-and-burn, no let-up killer stuff. Keep it up!
One of the greatest US ’60s bands gets reissued yet again (third time?). The first album contains all the tracks from their awesome ’66 LP, as well as all the 45 tracks from their heyday. The second disc contains mostly studio outtakes, only one of which (“I’m a Man”) really matches their pinnacles. Definitely worth snagging, for great R’n’B-based powerhouse rock ’n’ roll Á la early STONES, KINKS, BEATLES.
OK, here’s your chance to pick up REDD KROSS’ early stuff, back when they had short hair (see photos this issue). Classic stuff like “Annette’s Got the Hits,” not to be missed. Great reissue!
Named after a great YARDBIRDS song, this band is nothing at all in that rave-up vein, but rather sounds like tons of early ’70s blues rock bands. Laid back and uninspiring, this is in no way “alternative” or exciting. Not happening.
Many personnel changes since their debut 12″, making this aggregation a little less popish and a bit more powerful. Without resorting to metal, this new disc should appeal to both punks and metallers. Lyrics: Desperate Anger Dept.
While not as eccentric as, say, the CRUCIFUCKS, there is an intelligence at work here that combines great lyrics with a Doc Dart-type vocalist and good garage punk music. Hope they keep working at it.
Decent neo-’60s punk, at times attention-grabbing though ultimately unmemorable. More towards CRAMPS than METEORS. There are a few covers, the most unusual being the SMALL FACES’ “Whatcha Gonna Do About It?”
Fast, tuneless metallic DISCHARGE-ish thrash, heavy on repetitive riffs and choruses, rapid-fire guitar, and relentless drumming. Contains some former VORKRIEGSJUGEND jugends.
Smooth, predictable melodic hardcore. The tunes are all tight and powerfully done, but lack a specialness or rawness to make them stand out. Titles are translated in English, but I’m sure understanding the lyrics would make this form of Finnish HC more exciting.
There are three German guys from AJZ Youth Center (where many of the tracks here were recorded live) peering over my shoulder, making sure I give this tape a good review. Like most live tapes, I think charm is there only if you’re really into or friends with the band, so these guys love it. There are German bands like NUCLEAR, RAZZIA, BLUTTAT, NIKOTEENS, etc., as well as foreigners like TOXIC REASONS, MOB 47, KANGRENA, BGK, JERRY’S KIDS, etc…
Garage recordings of some newer Finnish bands, such as KUMISKRISTUS, WANKERS, KAYTTO-OHSE, VIVISEKTIO, and more.
CÁ”LERA, PSYKOZE, FOGO CRUZADO, and the fabulous RATOS DE PORÁO appear on this reissue of the excellent ’83 compilation. Superior thrash by all concerned, in a Finnish style. Get it—it’s a must.
An international comp tape inspired by Chris of BCT. This effort covers a bit of Spain, England, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Holland. Represented are ANTI-DOGMATIKSS, MANIACS, CHRONIC SUBMISSION, RÖVSVETT, CERESIT 81, POST-MORTEM, BLACK VAMPIRE, ANTI-HEROES, AD NAUSEUM, FIEND, and BLUTTAT. Good sound quality. More comps to come.
A benefit tape for Greenpeace, and, in a word, awesome. Incredibly tight and powerful yet melodic Swedish thrash from S.O.D. (get their EP) RAPED TEENAGERS, ASTA KASK, ASOCIAL, DISTRUST, HERRAIDS, and MOB 47.
This unusual comp accompanies Hide zine #5. And unusual it is, in that all of side one features all-female bands (FIFTH COLUMN, ASF, UNWARRANTED TRUST, WORD OF MOUTH, CURSE, BETTYS, GIRL WAR III), an effort to “make women an integral force in punk once again.” Side two features women and men together, such as MYDOLLS, RAGGED BAGS, and many more. Varying degrees of sound and competency.
The follow-up to Pebbles #15? This Part 2 contains mostly punk with lots of fuzz, a few covers, and at least average material and bands. Pretty cool raves from the TYKES and VIKINKS. Most material is from 1966-’67.
