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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!
Start off with a blistering attack of grinding guitar and total speed composition in “Uniforms,” to the powerful grinding surge of “Why I” which is reminiscent of early IRON CROSS. Then over to the start/stop chaotic action of “Stoer Zonder Stud” and this Dutch band really catches your attention. They’ve combined lots of variations and different styles to make this a highly enjoyable record.
This is a fan-club-only release limited to 300 copies. Some of this is a little sappy, but most of it is exciting post-punk-style rockers with charging saxophone and guitar rhythms.
Well-produced, mid-tempo punk that’s both emotionally unmoving and unmemorable for me. None of the four tracks made flail in any way, although “In Unity We Fall” did have me moving my hands in the air with its upbeat airs and choruses.
Medium-to-fast-paced punk and thrash. Pro production, good tunes, and occasionally innovative changes make for good listening. Trad punk with melody is their forte, and they do it well.
LEBEN & LEBEN LASSEN exploit a nifty and unique guitar sound on this EP—it’s all refined treble, and remarkably effective. Unfortunately, the band doesn’t do as much with their sound as they could; “Nightmare” rates as a cool change-of-pace HC number, but the other tracks don’t fare as well. All in all, an OK record.
The NUN has done another one worth mentioning. They cover WIRE’s “506” and pull it off quite well, except it’s not the hottest WIRE song to begin with. But most noteworthy are the two songs on the B-side—”Fly Angels Fly” and “I’m Alive.” There are basic rock’n’roll riffs reminiscent of early STOOGES and RADIO BIRDMAN. Cool lyrics, too.
The stereo guitar sound adds interest to this tape of incendiary thrashers, which boasts first-rate songwriting, good lyrics, and a shitload of excitement. In fact, the instrumentals remind me of DIE KREUZEN’s first EP. An exemplary effort!!
The second release from this Swedish group really clears the sinuses. On the “Blapopsida,” they produce more of the killer thrash that characterized their debut, although their head-numbing instrumental attack, gravelly vocals, and short, piercing guitar solos are occasionally undermined by too much chaos or too little tunefulness. The “Bopsida” combines this approach with lengthier and more innovative musical sections; a crunching wall of noise and hilarious lyrics make “Free Fuck” sound like BELFAGORE meets the MEATMEN.
Both sides sound very similar, employing noisy slide guitar over a rat-a-tat rockin’ beat, combining post-punk pop with R’n’B. Interesting neo-noise.
Fast, ferocious, and fun in the INFERNO tradition. These German maniacs tear it up and spit it out in a furious thrash slaughter. Crazed guitar bitings with forceful vocals make this another unique platter. And on a US label.
Kind of a lighter RAMONES sound, almost folky at times, or perhaps it’s a dash of Merseybeat thrown in. Garage but clean production.
HIGH CIRCLE sticks to a well-disciplined mid-tempo thrash style on most of these six songs, resulting on listenable (and rather staid) hardcore. But “Lucida Follia,” the standout track here, approaches the domain of RAW POWER with its frenetic instrumental attack and spirited vocals. I’d like to hear more of this power in future recordings, but I still recommend this 7″.
GEPÁ˜PEL doesn’t beat around the bush; they beat the bush to death. Ultra-high energy thrash with virtuosic chord changes is this band’s stock-in-trade, and this eight-tracker consistently plumbs that style with skill. Easily up to the standards of the better Dutch outfits. In other words, first-rate.
Positively awesome attacking thrash Á la DRI or MDC. This band is highly politically motivated (see Spain report this issue), and their music reflects their anger and commitment. Send $2 for the tape and $1 for their zine, Drama Del Horror. Nails.
Belgian hardcore with a gritty, whining guitar sound, fast- to medium-paced aggression attacking twelve songs with hoarse vocals. Reminds me of earlier punk melodies and ideas.
Swedish exhilaration, wild and chaotic delivering speedy punches with gruff, raunched-out vocals. In the tradition of the SHITLICKERS and ANTI-CIMEX, D.N.A. pushes a rapid pace with enough energy to keep it all together, odd guitar leads and strong bass surges are the prominent highlights as this outfit terrorizes in mayhemic melodies.
Backed by the MILKSHAKES’ raunchy guitar sound, this trio of shoutin’ femmes are a treat (except every song is about “boys boys boys”!). But in a way, this rippin’ LP is a rip itself, as eight of the sixteen tunes herein appeared on their two 7″ EPs. Why??! LINK WRAY’s title track is covered with gusto, making it the highlight of the previously unreleased tracks.
Utterly frenzied, like most Italian bands DECLINO utilizes a guitar sound which is somewhat less full than the typical power-chord thrash approach. Song quality varies from cut to cut, but the best material (like the live version of “Vita”) shows the class of this distinctive outfit. Committed and often pleasing.
The ultra-gruff vocals on a lot of Japanese hardcore may seem tedious reading about or cliché to some, but you really have to hear them to “appreciate” this new standard. DEADLESS MUSS provides a good example, backed by a wired and loose aggregation. Good.
A beautiful cover photograph greets your eyes to this slice of horror harmony in gothic punk. Smooth melodic, with that big audience appeal yet still holding those eerie dealings of the DAMNED. The raw craziness might be gone, but what exists taunts you with robust rhythms. Surprising how a band that could do “Neat Neat Neat” does a spaghetti western-type ballad in “Shadow of Love.” Again, this isn’t punk—or is it?
As with many other of the current crop of Italian HC bands, there’s definite jazziness to their music as well as totally gnarly vocals, tight musicianship, and plenty of emotion and political awareness. Both male and female vocals lead the charge.
The A-side is an unbearable, slow, long, tedious bluesy number never to be heard again. The flip is more in a melodic but tough punk style—OK, but not at all exciting. Disappointing.
This, CHARTA 77’s second album, continues in the fast punk/occasional thrash groove they’ve established. Mostly tuneful material with a steady (sometimes too much so) beat, chorus back-up singing, and every now and then a song that jumps out from the rest. Good, but not awesome.
The first US release of Australia’s CELIBATE RIFLES contains eight tracks from their first Aussie 7″ and LP. Half super rocking punk Á la early SAINTS or RADIO BIRDMAN, and half hard-edged ballads.
Cleanly produced but noisy post-punk. Most of the songs are pretty dirgy, with a few that are quite driving. The music itself is powerful and churning, although I found the vocals a bit on the annoying side.
Again, Mr. BRAGG returns with more of his biting social commentaries set to punky folkish music. Whether the themes are overtly political (like the cover of “What Side Are You On”) or more personal (like “Richard”), the lyrics will delight, and unless you demand the full sound of a traditional band, you’ll probably find the music stimulating, too.
Totally excellent melodic punk/thrash record. This, their second LP, is no letdown at all, cruising along the autobahn at 120 km/hr, powered by non-stop punk fuel. No knocks, no sputtering—great ride.
Tim might say that “this sounds like KILLDOZER meets COLIN NEWMAN watching an SPK video en route to a concert by KING SUNNY ADE.” Suitably confused? Join the club. This is highly original, intensely percussive music that defies categorization; some of the tracks, like “Ostrich” and “Soul on Ice,” have really grown on me. Real good.
Highly produced and accomplished pop-punk with punch. Catchy songs are the hallmark, done in the older but quite powerful punk style; this four-songer from Japan (not the LA group) is excellent.
As if a soundtrack for an ultra-bizarre horror treat, AMEBIX scorches down with a deep, haunting sound while the guitar and bass churn out some cauldronistic spells of eerie havoc. Vocals are booming and strong, pushing with character, and Arise is superbly recorded and shows the improvement of the AMEBIX sound still as powerful as ever. One of the best of 1985. Get it!
ALIEN SEX FIEND’s musical style concentrates on a gritty, vaguely spooky rock/post-punk approach without any discernable emphasis on songwriting. Nine songs appear here. Only the rockabilly-tinged “Boneshaker” connects with its up-front percussion and psychotic echo effects. Nothing special here at all.
At times this is rather usual mid-tempo Brit-punk, with some of the intros being more exciting than the body of the song itself. But then at times they surprise with their sudden bursts of extra excitement and energy. Also, this is a live tape of this anarcho-punk band, and a studio might produce a much livelier product.
This band features Peter Prescott of MISSION OF BURMA, and is indeed reminiscent of those days, but this is a little less tame and more likeable. They are being touted as the “new HÜSKER DÜ,” which I’d like to avoid doing but it’s incredibly hard not to. Nevertheless, the VOLCANO SUNS are unto themselves in imagination and talent. This record is fabulous.
A US compilation consisting of IBEX, VOA, BUTT ACNE, JUVENILE BEHAVIOR, BEDLAM, A.O.D., MAGGOT SANDWICH, LONELY CROWD, and MUTES. Varying sound quality and musicianship, but overall an OK comp.
A whole range of anarcho music, mostly in the British anarchist band tradition, but also including sparse post-punk, poetry, and semi-industrial—all of it coming off pretty well. R.A.F. PUNK, ICONOCLAST, INDIREKT, HAGAR THE WOMB, DECADENT FEW are among the choices. Some disparity in sound quality, but most is up to snuff. Good job.
A domestic US comp featuring VATICAN COMMANDOS, VERBAL ASSAULT, CAPITLE, LOST GENERATION, SACRED DENIAL, PLASTIC BANGS, and CANCEROUS GROWTH from the East; BURNING WITCHES and MINISTRY OF TRUTH from the West; and TOEJAM from the Southwest. Good sound quality and good studio production are the call of the hours, as are the performances themselves. Well done.
From an underground movie that stars JOAN JETT, TEX (of the HORSEHEADS), Derf Scratch (FEAR), and El Duce (MENTORS). Includes incidental music, dialogue, and some pretty good tunes from SOCIAL DISTORTION, TEX AND THE HORSEHEADS, MENTORS, JOHANNA WENT, and a killer track from DR. KNOW. Although there are some cool tracks here, it’s not the kind of thing you’re going to slap on the turntable too often.
Four of the Northwest’s best thrash bands put together on a 7″ with excellent, powerful production. POISON IDEA, still one of the raspiest, gnarliest thrash bands, careens through a track called “Laughing Boy.” And both LOCKJAW and FINAL WARNING have crunching, muscular tracks, while the song by E13 draws more from the ANGRY SAMOANS. Buy this record now.
A bizarre East meets West combo. One side contains D.C. area bands (EXHUMED LUNCH, SPASTIC RATS, MALICE, G.I., UNITED MUTATION, etc.) and the flip are all from Albuquerque, New Mexico (JERRY’S KIDS, AKA, WONGS, and more). Slightly uneven in sound equalization, but overall, it’s an enjoyable thrash/noise experiment.
From the graphic look of the cover and band names, I would’ve thought this was a largely punk record. Not so. Fully two-thirds of it is various forms of new wave—some listenable, a lot not. It’s only with the last eight or so tracks on side two that we get some punk, with cuts from many bands previously not recorded such as HICKOIDS, SHOCKHEAD, CRIMINAL CREW, HAPPY DEATH, IDEALS, and JEFFERSONS (ex-DICKS minus Gary). Mixed bag.
This mini-comp proves the D.C. scene is indeed alive and kicking with six tracks, all by different bands. The standards are solid all-around, though the songs by MARGINAL MAN, UNITED MUTATION, and GRAY MATTER seemed especially impassioned. Good record.
This band had former members of SLEEPERS and NEGATIVE TREND, and this record was released after they had broken up for a couple of years. A very hard band to peg, because they play too slow for the punks and too loud for everybody else. But they had a great thundering guitar sound that was mixed with delicate, chiming pieces that had a dreamy quality to it.
Another guitar/garage effort from Austin and this one delivers more into the area of GREEN ON RED and a harder MEAT PUPPETS. I even detect a little bit of a Doug Sahm influence on the vocals. There’s a real nice mixture of raunchy guitars and psychedelic structure, but these guys are great live.
Another great Florida garage punk band. I don’t know if this breed of trashiness and psychosis is a by-product of the heat and humidity down there, but for some reason that state produces a lot of entertaining outfits with semi-retarded lyrics. These guys sound more than a little like the ANGRY SAMOANS, which is the highest sort of compliment.
Billing themselves as an “industrial hardcore half-breed,” I’d say they’re more on the industrial side of life. While there are some post-punk influences, the noise/mechanical factor is predominant. This is a “live” tape, and well-done if you’re into modern pain.
Poppy garage band with ’60s bubblegum sound meets ’60s punk. Organ sound and lightweight guitar characterize their “teen sound.” OK cover of “These Boots Are Made for Walking.”
This band combines the sneering sarcasm of punk with bursts of mid-tempo energy, and it’s the humor that makes this effort interesting. The frantic “Running Wild” contains some power-chord abrasiveness; the other five tracks lack a distinctive punchiness. Not great, not bad.
Wrestling Hardcore, folks. Yep, all you pencilneck geeks will wanna snap this mutha up to show how on top of things ya really are. Musically, good blues meets punk. Enjoyable.
Continuing along with political/topical material, the RAMONES hit on Ronnie’s trip to the German cemetery with SS dead. The song (B-side is off LP) is a medium tempo rocker, a catchy tune that grows and grows and grows and grows and grows on you! Great!
This reunion was recorded last year with all original members intact. This is the band that helped define the sweaty, cheesy punk sounds of the late ’60s which later inspired a ton of other bands. This recording is full of their old fire, and any true fan of the LYRES, FLESHTONES, or any new underground garage bands must have this tape.
