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!
Good production really helps sometimes, and it’s nice to finally really hear this band. All four songs, whether thrash or punk, feature plenty of melody and musicianship, making for hot listening. Really like “Sad.”
It’s gonna be really hard to be kind on this one. What you have here is a live “jam” recorded last year in San Francisco. Basically this constitutes an SST supergroup with members of BLACK FLAG, SACCHARINE TRUST, and the DESCENDENTS. And the music is pretty much sludge, making this probably a lot more fun to make than to listen to.
Really quite good for a debut. Their sound is charging hardcore, but with plenty of melody and full guitars, not unlike fellow Midwesterners HÜSKER DÜ. That touch of psychedelic/metal adds a lot to thrash when it’s not overbearing.
MOOSE AND THE MUDBUGS recall the halcyon days of power-pop with these four songs. Most of this EP is unnotable—instrumentally adept but somewhat geeky in the vocals department—though I enjoyed the Farfisa/guitar combination on the pleasant rocker “20 Ashford.” Somewhat below the standard.
MOD FUN had an earlier single that had a sharp, snappy sense of fun. Therefore, I was really looking forward to this. The band seems more contrived now; the press release describes them as a cross between the CREATION and the JAM, but I hear more of the SMALL FACES and 3 O’CLOCK. Some good hooks, but all pretty bland.
With a title like that, I was expecting to end up on Jupiter after listening, but instead ended up asleep in bed by 10 P.M. Must be weak acid cuz I didn’t hardly get a buzz. Very tame shit, cut thin. Gonna complain to my dealer… Gimme Swedish or Australian for a real flash… this ain’t pure ’60s Owsley!
MIHR means “peace” in Russian and that’s what preoccupies this intense thrash band. Both subject matter and music are delivered with lots of energy and commitment. Kicks ass!
A semi-serious stab at making hit records. So once you get past the shock at hearing horns, guitar breaks, and longer songs on a MINUTEMEN record you discover that they’re writing incredible songs. “King of the Hill” is the centerpiece with a full, complex structure and lyrics that bring politics onto a more personal level. Also a nice mantra-like psychedelic feel to “Tour Spiel, Part 2.”
MENTAL ABUSE performs thrash within some longer punk song structures, and what results is a gritty, kinetic, and highly enjoyable album. It’s difficult to pick standout tracks here, though “Rat Race” works well in the ’77 mode. Rambunctious and a hell of a lot of fun.
Outflanked by G.G. ALLIN on the outright perv side of punk, Tesco and co. uphold the intelligent irreverent side of the genre. And even if musically they venture into metal, flamenco, and other forms, this is really humorous/satirical punk (attitude) at its incisive best, although there are some pretty dark overtones and self-indulgent meanderings (musically and lyrically). Wish I could play most of this on the radio.
A chunky punk instrumental attack characterizes the latest LOST GENERATION LP. Despite some overly rockish parts, Victim’s solid mid-tempo sound, multi-dimensional songs, strong hooks, sung (rather than screamed) vocals, and sometimes thoughtful lyrics make it the best release by this band since their awesome debut EP.
This second LP by GREEN ON RED pushes the guitar sound up front and uses the keyboards only for emphasis. This is one of the few bands lumped into the “American Western” style (TRUE WEST, LONG RYDERS, etc.) that really go after their own style, using other influences (NEIL YOUNG, BOB DYLAN, even LITTLE FEAT) as reference points.
One of the more accessible releases Happy Squid has put out in a long time, this band existed briefly in early ’83, then they went the way of the buffalo. Musically, and even lyrically, they are so close to early GANG OF FOUR that it’s not funny. I doubt it was meant to be, though.
With the exception of the SUICIDE COMMANDOS and the REPLACEMENTS, Twin/Tone has had a reputation for releasing really wimpy pop records. So it’s good they’ve picked up a band like the FORM. This is just a straight guitar garage band that makes no excuses but does make catchy, driving songs. I can even forgive the pedestrian cover of MOTT THE HOOPLE.
For a band that claims to be “from nowhere,” they certainly are “somewhere.” There’s a lot of accomplished and powerful HC on this tape, and while most is fairly generic, there is ample evidence of future distinctiveness.
A different kind of thrash band, consisting of vocals, drums, and… lead synth and bass synth. Does it work? Almost. It’s an interesting change, but the power just isn’t there. Synth worked great in some early punk (SCREAMERS), because the tempo was slower and the power came across better. In this case, perhaps better equipment and recording would enhance their impact. Hope they keep experimenting.
Even though the artwork on the back tries to tie the songs into a concept album, this is just another cool effort from a band that keeps cranking out trashy records. This one is a little more mellow than their last disc, but it’s still worth the effort of finding.
Imagine Doc Dart of the CRUCIFUCKS (his sharp wit and bizarre voice) singing for the VANDALS with a ’60s punk guitarist and a little ANEMIC BOYFRIENDS thrown in for good measure. The result: totally enjoyable punk and thrash, with intelligent and satirical lyrics.
A nice bit of melody mixed with a great trashy guitar sound, somewhere near the DB’S but with more balls. The flip howls along like a drunken REPLACEMENTS song.
Finally an LP full of raw CHRONIC DISORDER melodies. But these guys are only making 300 copies. Fast and fluid, yet not thrash, with a STIFF LITTLE FINGERS feel to it. Something went wrong on the mixing board, so the recording lacks, but the effort is really there. Good luck with this one.
A very hot tape, this one features 18 mostly mid-tempo hardcore assaults on all things evil. There’s a lot of power here, delivered with authority. The vocal sound is scary and raspy, adding to the overall atmosphere. Very well done and well recorded.
This outfit is from Boston and this is their second LP. They have it over a lot of garage type bands in that they have a good sense of melody that usually generates into snazzy little hooks. Unfortunately, they’ve decided to go more in that area and leave in little of the great driving guitar sound that made their first LP so cool.
A retro-collection of jabs and jibes from these fun-loving troublemakers. While punk in attitude, there’s only one really punk song here, the rest being acoustic or rhythm-machine backed—but somehow that doesn’t matter too much given the lyrics to such gems as “Pastaman Vibration.”
The sneering, cynical thrash on this EP should appeal to fans of bands like JACKSHIT, despite special studio effects which hurt some of these songs. “I Hate MTV” rates as a rousing thrasher, though this record falls beneath the standard of their ripping debut EP. Above average.
A comp that features many cuts each by the likes of LEGION OF PARASITES (UK), EX-HUMANS (Greece), DETONATORS (US), ANEEB (Germany), and many more newcomers like NEGATIVZ, OBSCENE FEMALES, etc. Okay.
An all-Vancouver tape, this baby contains mostly live recordings of varying quality (mostly decent to good). Includes BILL OF RIGHTS, IMMORAL MINORITY, A.O.T., UNKNOWN FIBRES, DEATH SENTENCE, FITZ, SPORES, and more.
NIXKONNER, ANNEXION RUSKI, and SEX TEENS, and the recording is fairly good. Basic thrash and punk is featured on this one, nothing particularly astounding, though there is some up-and-coming underground talent evident on this cassette.
An all-Eurpoe compilation that features, surprise, RAW POWER, along with HEIMAT-LOS, MOB 47, SUBHUMANS, WUT, GEPÁ˜PEL, BOIKOTTZ, CAPITAL SCUM, and more. Good sound quality, and there are 30 songs.
An all-Yugoslavian compilation featuring a shitload of HC bands, most of whom you’ve probably read about in reports here before. Sound quality is okay, but not great due to difficult circumstances, but there’s still lots of noise to enjoy—both studio and live.
Decent-to-excellent sound quality, this tape is an area compilation (see German scene report for listing of bands). 90% thrash, lots of energy, and a welcome sign of a thriving small scene.
Very strange. This package is incredibly elaborate: sturdy box enclosure, 84-page book detailing the history and discography of Japanese punk/hardcore in color, and typically wonderful Japanese punk graphics—all leading up to…a six-band cassette? Yep. Two songs each by LAUGHIN’ NOSE, GAS, GISM, WILLARD, LIP CREAM, and COBRA. Not that the music is bad (it’s not), but somehow I’d have expected the tape itself to be as comprehensive as the literature. Still, a collector’s item.
A variety of underground German HC bands share this tape, including TIN CAN ARMY, IDIOTS, ANI(X)VAX, and eleven others. The sound quality is adequate, the songs respectable, and the tape’s a good value for those curious about the prolific German hardcore scene.
On first listening, I didn’t think that many covers on this neo-’60s garage collection cut it, but I’m changing my mind right now. Classy acts like the CANNIBALS, X-MEN, and MILKSHAKES are joined by equally raw outfits like KILLED IN ACTION, VERTEX, and BAD KARMA BECKONS. How could a record with a band called LEGENDARY VEGETARIANS on it be bad?
No name to this Japanese collection, but at least the bands are identifiable : the SEXUAL, CONFUSE, JIGA, and M78 (actually a “fuck” band with members of GAS, GASTUNK, GHOUL, and SYSTEMATIC DEATH). All the tracks on this EP shred, with noise thrash and DISORDER-type thrash prevailing. Great!
Mostly high-quality recordings of high-quality bands, like UPRIGHT CITIZENS, BEDRÖVLERZ, DEPRESSION, CHRONIC SUBMISSION, AOD, EXECUTE, DEZERTER, HEIMAT-LOS, SOLUCION MORTAL, OFFENDERS, SVART FRAMTID, etc. Good collection.
Three bands share this effort. RIP from Spain, HERESIE from France, and VI from Denmark. The sound quality is okay but not excellent, but the music still shreds.
Quite an international line-up, starring UNDERAGE, DEZERTER, KROMOSOM 4, SCAPEGOATS, UNNATURAL SILENCE, FOAD, NEON CHRIST, BLOEDBAD, PROTEST!, INFERNO, and more. It’s non-stop thrash, for the hyper among us.
This is the second release from an English band that has superb garagability. Both sides here have great hooks with the A-side being slower and starker; it’s the poppier number here. The flip is faster, more upbeat, and has a great grinding guitar break. A must for psych-pop garage fans.
Crisp, tuneful rockabilly (invested with a rich musical and lyric sense of humor) melds with punk on this bright four-tracker. It’s such infectious, hysteric, clever fun that I defy anyone to keep their feet from tapping during their three upbeat originals, or their delightful rockabilly reworking of the RAMONES’ “Blitzkrieg Bop.” A must-get.
Competent, but ultimately unexciting post-punk. Sparse, GANG OF FOUR-ish tunes, but nothing that catches fire. But then, maybe it’s not supposed to—after all, it’s from Iceland. Shut up, Tim.
Punk with a rockabilly twist, or visa versa—it’s hard to tell. In any case, it’s a modern, yet old sound—something the French are apparently the best at, these days.
This one didn’t really set me on fire. Fast with crusty production, they trade vocalists with each song and one of the singers manages to sound a little like Joey Shithead. Could be compared to BGK or the OFFENDERS if their stuff were a little more catchy.
Great rocked-out pop-punk. Very straightforward, driving, fuzzed-out R’n’R… catchy and powerful. B-side is not the VELVET UNDERGROUND song.
I like this record…a lot. This German outfit comes blazing out with great stuttering thrash guitar. Their overall sound is rough and raspy but still manages to keep a controlled fury. They sing most of the songs in English so that you can sing along.
SVEA SKANDAL contributes four adequate compositions on this EP, and despite some good musicianship and vocal choruses, it doesn’t quite connect. “Nar Solen Gatt Ner” comes close to a spirit of aggressive catchiness, but this record basically contains medium- and fast-tempo punk with the vocals imitating the chord changes. Okay.
A six-song mid-tempo punk effort that’s unmistakably British. While it’s a change of pace from thrash, it’s about as “progressive” and “new direction-y” as metal thrash claims to be. Enjoyable, but definitely older-sounding.
Both of these 4+ minute sides are definitely in the BIRTHDAY PARTY post-punk vein—screaming vocals, punchy but varying sparse rhythms, etc., etc. “Modern” but abrasive.
Great psychedelic touches add a lot to this release. Abrupt intervention and special effects turn good raw, mid-tempo punk into something special. Neat female (I think) harmonies remind me a bit of SIOUXSIE or S.F.’s MUTANTS, but this goes beyond.
These two refreshing slices of Swedish punk revive a ’77 sensibility without losing a mite of the hard-driving energy needed to excite in the ’80s. “Ni Ska Få Ångra” in particular maintains an invigorating pace and style that updates the work of older Swedish outfits like EBBA GRON. A fine single.
Mid-tempo Brit-punk that’s fairly energetic, though not thoroughly tight. Somewhat hindered by mediocre musical production, the lyrics do come across here—and they’re basically personal/political. Decent.
