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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!
On their debut release, Canada’s GENETIC CONTROL displays a pretty rippin’ thrash attack. It’s not exactly original, but the trebly production and frenetic tempo evoke mucho head-shaking and foot-tapping; a couple of good choruses (especially in “Love Rat”) and a crunching metallic break in “Urban Cowboy” serve to provide some diversity. Decent lyrics, too.
COBRA sounds something like a Japanese version of the TOY DOLLS, with their high-pitched vocals and studied pop-punk trappings. “Real Now” is a delicious burst of power-chord pop, but in fact the whole EP demonstrates fine songwriting abilities. Atypical punk for Japan, but strongly recommended.
Australian post-punk. CLUB OF ROME has that heavy, rhythmic approach with a deep bass, a loud, biting guitar, and fairly aggressive vocals. “Germany” is the more engaging of the two cuts.
This EP has one band with three songs. “Punk Islam” has lots of effects and an ethnic style that paints a vivid picture of Middle Eastern strife—it’s slowish, slightly catchy but still intense. The other two songs are better, mining a sort of UK peace punk style: “Spara Jurij” is the best, most rockin’ song here. An enclosed booklet discusses international war tactics: I wish I could understand it. Interesting and worth tracking down.
A bizarre mixture of five tracks appears here. There’s one experimental, a thrash instrumental, a cover of “Green Acres,” and two stop-and-go thrash songs. All are well done, especially the title track. Interesting.
Not to be confused with the English band, this Memphis outfit is a punk/metal/rock amalgam. The overriding emphasis is on the punk side, but there’s a lot of guitar wanking and soloing, and you know how excited I get about that. But find out for yourself.
A very noisy but interesting tape. While punk to the max, this garage outfit employs some “special effects,” making this effort varied and enjoyable. Hope they make a record.
Crypto-cowboy music, maybe? Bizarre guitar playing meets poppy no wave? Not exactly pop; not exactly punk. You tell me.
Listening to this, one gets the impression that Australia’s ACID DROPS are trying to fuse psychedelic and CRAMPSish influences, but the results are not generally satisfying. “Rattle My Zulu” lacks the raunchiness to make for effective psychobilly, and their cover of ’60s classic “Outta Sight, Outta Mind” isn’t up to the trashy standard set by the OUTTA PLACE’s recent rendition; only the punky title track, with its snarling female vocals, really connects.
While in the psychobilly vein that’s becoming more and more popular, these guys kick ass a bit more than most of their contemporaries. Even the slowest number, “Mini-Skirt Blues,” has got good power. Plus, they do a great cover of the COUNT FIVE’s “Double Decker Bus.”
If only this wasn’t November 6th (the day before this issue goes to press and, coincidentally, election day in the US), maybe I’d find this British “peace punk” outfit inspiring. But it is, and as I watch Reagan taking 49 states on TV, I can’t help but wonder why the SEARS or anyone else even bothers to try to increase awareness. Unfortunately for all of us, the world doesn’t operate on the basis of morality or, indeed, rationality. Oh yeah, their music is alternately haunting and powerful, so try and ignore my pessimism.
More rockin’ rollin’ from the METEORS. Both cuts here are uptempo numbers with raunchy vocals but overly clean guitars; the sound effects in “Electro” are particularly cool.
Another more-than-competent release from these lads. For your money, you get three medium-fast punk tunes, and one thrasher. They handle both styles well, though seem better suited to punk, making them sing-along-simple.
I’ve only occasionally enjoyed the British pop-punk of MAJOR ACCIDENT in the past, but this rather bootleggy sounding live LP sacrifices the primary merits of past recordings—production quality and layered instrumentation. Only for diehard fans of this outfit.
This is their first LP after two strong EPs and they’re lyrically and musically just as strong as they ever were. In the tradition of the RAINCOATS, their four female vocal harmonies really stand out—you’ll either love it or hate it. They do mostly somber, melodic ballads but every once in a while they pick up the pace and sound almost psychedelic. “Nervous Breakdown” is especially good.
Sorry kids, but I could only make it through one and a half sides of this “rock ’n’ roll” record. Not my cup of tea. Amazingly, though, Jeff actually liked it (I worry about that boy sometimes) saying it was “funny” and had “some OK music.”
Fucking egg, were you at that gig? Fucking 50,000 bleeding punks jammed into Madison Square Garden for this one-time performance. A wall of sound, the punks cheered and clapped all night, giant thrash circles, the pit, it was fuckin’! VAN HALEN was the opening act. But when CHAOTIC DISCHORD came on stage, the crowd went fucking apeshit. If you’re gullible enough to believe this fucking mess, then those thrashing CHAOTICs wanked a joke on you. Oh yeah, say “fuck” every other word. The best fucking novelty fucking thrash fucking album yet.
“Boneshaker Baby” is a real neat CRAMPS-type rave, rockabilly beat and echoes to the max. Boss. But the A-side is that post-punk dreck that I can’t handle at all.
It’s touching to see old bands hang in there, although I’m not too ecstatic about this case. Maybe I’d like a slightly less-produced version of some of the songs (way too clean and sparse for such slow-tempo stuff), but some of the songs are just plain lame. Splodge does a good job on the vocals though.
This third Big City compilation EP features solid, aggressive material by ULTRAVIOLENCE, ARMED CITIZENS, UNJUST, and in particular, NO CONTROL, who delivers a gripping mid-tempo blast reminiscent of the AVENGERS live. Some rowdy, biting material here (although some has been previously released, and all are slightly dated)—so give it a listen!
Three former members of Houston’s PISSED YOUTH moved to NY, joined with a fourth party, and put out a real gem of a thrash record. If you love fellow former Houstonites DRI, then you know what you’re in for here. Short, sweet, and vicious blitz attacks are the vehicle for their assault on hypocrisy, apathy, and fascist behavior. Get it!
Norb reminded me that on an earlier review of one of S.U.M.’s gnarly tapes, I said “I fear the day they get into a studio and we get to find out what is underneath all that noise”. Well, that time has come, and according to Norb, it’s “more noise.” Not quite. S.U.M. has managed to maintain their “noise” on this studio LP, but we also discover some great, frantic, crazed thrash “music.” No let down at all.
This spirited release contains loads of wildly satiric funnypunk, with dabblings into C&W, funky rock, and similar musical madness. A lyric sheet is desperately needed to enjoy this album (none is provided), but a few songs, like the hysterical “Mohawk Town,” provoke laughter without such assistance. In the same general mood as their debut 12″, and therefore recommendable.
They look punk, but sound more rock. There is some early punk-sounding stuff, but about half the material is sort of pre-punk or else has a lot of wanking guitar solos. Those songs that are “punk” are pretty good (and powerful), and those that aren’t are pretty bad. Note: not too enlightened (as in sexist).
The impression this music gives off is one of being on the “dark side”—whether by more traditional classic punk sounds or post-punk, the depressing element comes through. It’s all well done (tight and powerful), but it does leave me “cold” emotionally. Hmmm…who’s this Jack Rabid on drums?
This clever Michigan outfit is obviously obsessed with grade-B horror and sci-fi films. While I share their enthusiasm for such things, I think their music is a bit too campy and cute to transmit that genre’s combination of awe, humor, and fear into the aural dimension. The basic garage pop/punk/rock songs here could benefit greatly from a more distorted guitar sound. Comes with DIY 3-D glasses.
Hey, buy this gnarly thrash record and find out everything these guys hate: anarchy punks, speed punks, Henry Rollins, frat boys, rabbits, moms, commies, Reagan, and probably themselves. However, they do love “Kate,” the lucky girl. Music’s pretty cool.
To be creative, one needs not overtly placate our inherent need for aggro; this lot chooses the back way in much the same way a certain strain of barbed leeches swim into children’s rectums when they stop moving in the Amazon. A disc like this will languish on record shelves only because people would rather cop out on the tried and true rather than burn their big toe in the boiling hot-spring of newness. Your loss, fuckers.
“Wally Wally” satirizes the arch-conservative Wally George TV show with a disciplined power-chord attack, some studio gimmicks, and self-consciously funny lyrics. The flip is a spoken word/tape dub track. I admired the spirit of this 45 more than I really enjoyed it.
RHYTHM PIGS play good “meat and potatoes” thrash with surprisingly effective vocal harmonies and musical changes of pace. Most of the songs here manage to break the typical thrash mold without sacrificing a whit of power in the process. Check this one out!
These ORANGE DOE-NUTS from Kansas City present us with almost two separate bands. One side is pretty much an excellent thrash record, with snappy, rapid-fire clear-cut songs. But flip it over, and suddenly we’re hearing reggae, jazz, and experimental stuff. I realize we’re all a bit schizophrenic, but….
A new band that contains Tim and Chris (BIG BOYS), Mike Carroll, Bill (ex-HAPPY DEATH), and Jim (ex-EL B J). There’s a mixture of some of the best elements of ’60s punk (especially the vocals), ’70s punk (a cover of RICHARD HELL’s “Blank Generation”), and blues rock (Á la GUN CLUB meets CREAM). The beat is pounding, the guitars are powerful (slide guitar even!), and the production and execution are tight. They rock.
This varied album contains quite a few lilting acoustic tracks, some straightahead rockers, a bit of metal, and some really inspired lyrics. “We’re Coming Out” and “Favorite Thing” are exciting enough, but the remainder of this release lapses into lackluster, uninvolving pop. Severely inconsistent.
Somewhat disappointing, especially after such a long wait for a REDD KROSS R’n’R fix. Mostly all covers (STONES, BOWIE, KISS, etc., etc.), the only real killer for me, the only composition with that ol’ RK pizazz, is the only original, “Linda Blair.” Hey guys, don’t wait so long for the next record—and get back in your groove. Pin-Ups this ain’t!
Superficially not unlike SIN 34, KREMLIN KORPS opt for a more churning guitar sound and longer songs that emphasize personal politics. The compositions are OK, but not exceptional; the things which really make this four-tracker work are the rich instrumentals and sneering, satiric vocals. Interesting.
Powerful production and an incisive guitar sound conspire to make this debut album by JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT both dramatic and exciting. None of the songs in particular stand out from the rest, but the ten mid-to-fast-speed HC tunes here boast clever arranging touches that add good measures of texture and vitality to the proceedings. A solid LP—with some exotic lyric themes.
NO TREND’s debut EP was a grungy blend of demented lyrics and near-insane instrumentals—in other words, a classic. This 12″ contains those tracks remixed to sound a bit cleaner, plus two additional songs. Of the newer stuff, “Die” in particular rates for its chilling vocals; of their older material, “Mass Sterilization” still maintains its dynamicism. Great record.
There’s some fine rocking stuff on this five-song release; it’s consistently great garage R’n’R with plenty of power, great snarly vocals, and fine production. Especially liked “Cleo,” which brought images of the BAD BRAINS to mind.
Very bizarre. A reissue of a ’60s punk band made up of G.I.s stationed in Germany during the Vietnam era. Besides their unusual haircuts (bald spots dead on top of their heads), their music was quite experimental for a pop/punk band. They utilized a banjo, among other weird sounds, incorporating them into tough, rhythmic R&B rockers. Worth looking for.
They sound like they come from Ireland (S.L.F., UNDERTONES), but actually it’s Covina, California (they appeared on Barricaded Suspects comp). Lots of excellent pop/punk with good hooks and choruses, with more of a SoCal not-quite-thrash rush. They look like poseurs, though, and while they might give SOCIAL DISTORTION a run for their money in that field, I hope they don’t end up like the RED ROCKERS (you gotta check the cover of their latest LP!)
Travel back with me, if you will, to the boring ass days of the late ’60s-early ’70s. These were the days of laid-back, countrified rock music and self-conscious “me” lyrics. You want outta there, you say… then take the needle off this record, fart!
Sounds like ’70s Irish rock cum folk. Cum whatever, this is lightweight, jaunty stuff that we wouldn’t ordinarily review, cept it’s on the HÜSKERS label. But not even Bob Mould’s magic can bolster this one.
Rhythmic pop/garage straightforward ditties. It’s all very clean and well-produced and new wavish and I think I can’t handle this anymore. It’s for mildly mild mildewed kids.
Don’t let them fool you: beneath those goofy faces, beneath their copycat music (YOUTH BRIGADE), beneath their imitative cover (U.S. CHAOS), and beneath their lame lyrics (Alan King?), lies some real intelligence. How can I tell? Well, if you play this record backwards, you can barely make out the following: “Lone Live Proletarian Internationalism!” and “All Power to the Soviets!” I just knew they weren’t as lame as they acted.
Excellent, powerful ’77-style punk in a MISFITS/UNDEAD vein. The title track is instantly memorable for its sickoid lyrics and preeminently catchy instrumentals, but the other two songs here keep up the standard just as well. My opinion: get this EP as soon as humanly possible.
Mostly guitar and synthesizer dementia from one Terry Snider, done over the course of years. It’s sort of folk/pop/industrial trash (again Europeans, not thrash), some of which is listenable but painful, some of which is actually enjoyable. One person’s expression.
This is an unusual release in that it mixes short garage thrashers like “I Hate Pigeons” and “Older People” with lengthy, droning tracks containing feedbacking guitars, noise effects, agonized vocals, etc. (the title cut and “This Is Hell”). CYANAMID may be too primitive and tuneless for some people, including me, but they are different. Give em a listen.
This may be the CUNTS’ best effort yet. Like YARD TRAUMA, they manage to produce an organ-based ’60s punk sound that’s simultaneously evocative and tough. Both sides here are strong, but “Apocalyptic Breakfast” is particularly impressive.
C2D are mostly down to a three-piece (new singer only takes part on a couple of numbers), but still scorching out those banzai power chords. This LP sheers away the flesh with metallic HC, fast with effective grinds, raw thumping rhythms, and whining with blood thirsty guitar leads. If you craved more of their EP, quench yourself on this 12-song gem. And where do they get those song titles??—”Hair Spray Randy,” “Bang Your Maiden Head,” and “Lost Tweekend,” to name a few.
These guys have a knack for extremely clever punk arrangements, and demonstrate a good hand for satiric lyrics, as well. I only wish the ultra-boring guitar solos had been excised from these boisterous and intelligent mid-to-fast-tempo punk tunes. “Spontaneous Human Combustion” is a pop-punk near-classic.
