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!
An extremely hot “live” tape that demonstrates why so many people have raved about these guys. It’s highly energized and even thrashy at times, but always innovative, tight, and powerful. And they found a good use for Falwell’s propaganda tapes!
Some real trashy garage punk can be found here, the musical equivalent of the tape’s title, but the themes are somewhat serious. Need I go on?
Mix ’60s-laced pop-rock melodies with contemporary punk production values, and you’ll get an idea of how cool “Situation Kid” is. The B-side is an even better straightforward garage punk number with some blasting guitar parts. An appealing debut.
A ripping new English thrash release (except for one slower sing-along called “Savages”) with hot production, flailing guitars, and accelerated tempos. The vocals are in the more traditional Britpunk vein and the stuttering drumming occasionally doesn’t mesh, but it’s a bloody good record anyway. The “No!” choruses make “Eroded Freedom” a mini-classic.
This band features members of UK groups RUBELLA BALLET and the MOB, and it has that type of temperament. It is folksy yet intense, and they add little tidbits like a piano solo at the end of the first side. I especially like the catchy melodies and the clean, grating guitars in “Camp,” and the well-done rhythmic poetry in “Cold War”; the lyrics are of course strong and intelligent. Recommended.
It could be a hell of a lot worse than this! Side 1 contains a dozen thrashers by ASOCIAL that absolutely rip. Then Side 2 kicks in with the BEDRÖVLERS who, if anything, are even more intense. Killer Swedish hardcore!
I passed this up for ages because I thought it was a reissue of a British ’60s band. But no, this goes way beyond most past and present psych outings into the uncharted realms of hammering acoustic guitars, cave-echo vocals, and just the right sprinkle of tinkling piano. Add sax to the B-side for a taste of the best of John Berry’s spy movie soundtracks, and you end up with something truly spooky.
I was anticipating a jazzier sound from these Utahans, but this strangely produced EP contains fast thrash with periodic, unexpected stops and starts and fluid instrumentation. The lyrics are political but not simplistic, and some of these songs have a distinctive, hard-to-define quality.
More high-powered thrash from the OFFENDERS. This time, they’ve managed to capture an incredible guitar sound, one that reminds me of HÜSKER DÜ’s. “I Hate Myself” just careens right along, whereas “Bad Times” has a slow, lengthy, half-spoken intro. Ace.
A folk-rocky pop-punk group from France with cutesy female vocals. The CALAMITIES are competent enough, but not really exciting or emotionally gripping. They do covers of songs by the TROGGS, the WHO, and the DOVELLS, and wish they could be the GO-GO’S.
Yeah! M.A.F. plays fast punk—not thrash. A fist-full of energy with good hooks and speedy beats makes me want to sing along, even though I don’t understand German. Like many German bands, they have that ’77 UK influence in some of their songs, but it’s very energetic, like the best from that era. “Gefangenschaft” and “Alkoholiker” are great blasts; they also do a spirited cover of “If the Kids Are United” and some mock drunken rousers. Recommended.
The PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES track, remixed from their second album, boasts some great production values and inventive guitar figures, but still seems a bit uninspired. On the other hand, I found the FITS tracks at least moderately appealing, with its catchy guitar riffing and melodies. Nothing special, though by no means offensive.
If this 45 is representative, the PRIMEVALS are Scotland’s answer to the early FLESHTONES. Both of these tracks have that upbeat ’60s sound, with fake tough vocals, rockin’ beats, semi-fuzz guitar parts (in “This Kind of Love”), or catchy “hey” background vocals (in “Where Are You”). A great little debut.
While PLAN 9 are much better than the bulk of today’s lightweight ’60s revival groups, they don’t touch certain other outfits in terms of snotty vocals (the OUTTA PLACE, the CHESTERFIELD KINGS) or raw guitar power (the NOMADS). I find the latter inexplicable, since they have five guitars! In any case, they write some strong songs and have an atmospheric organ, but everything is just too professional sounding to evoke real teenage angst.
Right, here we go. The APOSTLES have released two new self-produced EPs, one with highly intelligent rants (The Curse of the Creature), the other with both sensible and very misguided rants (The Giving of Love Costs Nothing). But since we’ve given them space elsewhere in this issue to air their sometimes inconsistent views, I’ll concentrate on the music here. They have a droning, mid-tempo punkish attack with primitive two-chord guitar and half-spoken, half-sung vocals. sort of like SIX MINUTE WAR’s old garagy, semi-experimental style. Some of the more basic numbers click (such as “Our Mother the Earth…”); others meander about too much and don’t do much for me.
Some well-intentioned and intelligent slow-to-medium-tempo punk that doesn’t quite spur my interest. While consciously striving to stay away from predictable three-chord thrash, they haven’t really created something in its place that generates comparable excitement. They do perform a cool version of ALBERTO Y LOS TRIOS PARANOIAS’ “Kill,” though.
A haunting, evocative ’60s-influenced band with loud, quasi-psychedelic guitars and vocals occasionally reminiscent of the ONLY ONES’ Peter Perrett. Most of their songs are hard-edged and atmospheric—like the distinctive version of “Steppin’ Stone”—but MISSION sometimes “rock out” too much (as in “What Goes Around” and “The Girl Next Door”). Worth listening to.
A rock-oriented punk record by ex-EXPLOITED guitarist Big John’s new band. The title song is a slow but catchy little ditty with some tasteful guitar playing and anti-war lyrics; the flip contains one good semi-pop number (“Bad Connection”) and one awful pub rock song (“No Explanation”).
Raging fury from New Zealand. A raw, lightning-fast explosion of boisterous momentum, delivered in a quicker skunky fashion. Strong guitar and bass keep a continual movement of booming force spurting out in flaming vigor, as exerting vocals buck out sonic assaults. Young and compelling.
Churning metal-punk, or perhaps even speed-metal, depending on where you draw the distinction. GISM are undoubtedly a heavy metal band who’ve been heavily influenced by hardcore, but the music is so intense and the vocals so ominous that even I’m in a state of shock. These guys make VENOM sound like the KNACK, especially on side one.
There are a couple of pop clunkers on here, but most of the GURUS’ songs are fairly powerful in a style combining T. REX and SAINTS influences. Like many Oz bands, they’ve adopted that earlier ’70s punkoid guitar sound, but lay it over somewhat poppier song structures. At least one person we know thinks that the GURUS are God!
A new Danish outfit that specializes in tasty mid-tempo punk with an interesting post-punky flavor. The overall sound is heavy, the lyrics are political, and there are some cool rhythmic shifts and guitar frills. “Laederhalse” has especially catchy vocal arrangements, whereas “Schlüter’s Kabinet” is a thrashed-out blast.
With a name like KARNAGE, I expected this band to play full-tilt thrash, but such did not prove to be the case. In fact, they produce aggressive post-punk with loud, punky guitars, steady, slow rhythms, politicized lyrics, and some interesting keyboard effects. Improves with increased familiarity.
Rapid-fire speed in the common new Swedish tradition. Enchanting doses of uproarious thrash at a non-stop pace that shovels up thundering fury and belts out some bellicose blows. KRUNCH’s invasion is exultant in invigorating, with simpler musical work that’s nevertheless effective and fast.
One side of studio and another of live cuts can be found on this typical-sounding British Oi release. Some of the studio material has previously appeared on 7″ EPs, but aside from the intriguing “Violence,” most of their medium-speed compositions leave a lot to be desired. The live side is particularly poor, and the lyrics on a number of cuts are backward. Buy at your own risk.
The A-side is smashing—full of power, anger, and determination. Excellent stuff that’s superbly produced! The flipside is taken from a live performance; I have a general dislike for live recordings, and this one is no exception.
“Make Homebrew, Not War” serves as the motto of the second pummeling DISORDER 12″. And they must live by it, judging from the production here, which is too weird and primitive to have been created while sober. That’s not a criticism, but a statement of fact, as fuzzy guitars scream out from toilet bowls, drums are hollow and loud as shit, and trebly bass licks rumble around, all complementing DISORDER’s absurd brand of thrashing noise perfectly. Drunk and disorderly.
Yecch! “The More I See” of DISCHARGE, the more nauseous I become. That song is unbelievably pathetic—both the music and the vocals have a full-out metal sound. The B-side, taken from one of their earlier 12″s, demonstrates just how much they’ve declined over the years. A complete waste of vinyl.
Fairly mundane mid-tempo punk characterizes this new DISRUPTERS release, except for one spoken piece (“Make a Baby”). The bass tends to carry the melodies, and there’s a particularly gruesome, thought-provoking back cover, but there’s little else to comment on here.
This is definitely from the whiny Bat Cave genre, but it has that extra punch that few such bands have. It’s catchy enough to warrant a review, but insipid enough to be easily categorized. “Craving” is the best cut, due to its KILLING JOKE beat.
The EYES are a British ’60s group along the lines of the early WHO—mod to the max—who never did manage to put out an album back then. And now the reason becomes clearer, as this one contains too much filler. But there are a few killers, including the haunting “When the Night Falls” and the hilarious “My Degeneration.”
A pretty snappy release with lots of tuneful thrash. This Scottish aggregation has some of the drive of early DISCHARGE (especially in the guitar sound), and some of the hooks of, say, SOCIAL UNREST. In my book, that’s a damn good combination.
I’ve always been partial to the unique punk stylings of the PARTISANS, and their latest album, which contains one side of studio and one of live tracks, is quite strong. Most of the studio material has a richly arranged, dense rock ’n’ roll flavor, but with an abrasive hardcore edge. Their new version of “I Never Needed You” is much more raw and powerful, and the meaty, mid-tempo pop-punk title track is surely the best. The live songs are also excellently recorded.
“Respectable” is just that—melodic and well-executed mid-tempo pop-punk stuff; the flip is a bit catchier and zippier. Pretty decent.
This looks like a typical punk record, but it’s not. What it is is a fusion of political punk sentiments and black musical influences. “The Last Offensive” is a clever ditty with a reggae-ish beat, a steady build-up, and some interesting guitar work; the flip is a rather lame rap number. RAT PATROL is now known as WESTWAY, perhaps for commercial acceptability.
Ferocious speed thrash that continually displays that disorderly early DISCHARGE attack, but it smashed forth much faster. Hardcore guitar soloing whines generate electrical volts, as ANTI-CIMEX spews out an intense onslaught of clamorous nitro-laced aggression. Jonsson’s vocals get rawer with each release. ANTI-CIMEX, the kings of chaos in Sweden.
Another boiling speed-merchant band in the tradition of ANTI-CIMEX, right down to the guitar solos. Maniac snarls overbite into brutal distortion and missiling quickness, which belts this hammering havoc into a forceful bombardment of chaotic punches. Great, but not unique—if you ordered this and ANTI-CIMEX, and the records got mixed up, you’d never know.
This is as strong as their album, featuring one unrelenting thrasher after another. “Action Man,” the title cut, and “Bite the Hand That Feeds You (Shit)” have especially great hooks and breaks, and all seven songs contain some biting attacks on conditioning in modern society. This one is a must, and don’t miss them on their US tour this summer.
BRUTAL VERSCHIMMELT’s debut album reveals them to be a garagy band that specializes in playing fast punk (as in “6 Millionen”), but they’re also capable of playing thrash (“Hey Mann…”) and slower, driving numbers (“Kenein”). Most of the songs are catchy, the lyrics are both political and satirical, and the ultra-raw, trebly production accentuates all of their strong points and, in the process, makes them stand out. Look for this one.
This is an amazingly meaty package. A graphic/lyric book, a poster, and two discs make this ominous piece quite remarkable. They plunder, explore, and ramble through many hideous subjects and musical flavors, from Christ: The Album-type CRASS opera to frightening industrial rhythm electronics like KOSMONAUTENTRAUM. If you’re familiar with the EX and like their work, this new release must be experienced from start to finish; if not, check it out.
I’ve changed my mind about the value of this band about ten times, so I’ve decided to give up trying to figure them out and just let myself enjoy their powerful and funny music. This 12″ may well be their best release yet. Side 1 has some terrific ’77 punk parodies and some famous guest punks (KNOX, CAPTAIN SEN*I*LE), whereas the flip has more of their roaring, satirical thrashers. Great fun.
Astonishingly original. ATTILA’s latest album adapts Renaissance instrumentation to clever, satiric views of contemporary British life. At times, the amalgam seems tiresome, but some novel tracks—the slow, moving title song, the somewhat thrashier “Dies Irae,” with its exciting mandolin work, and he hilarious “Boadicea Über Alles”—make the record interesting enough to appeal to those with broader taste.
Despite my obsessive fondness for horror films, I’ve never been overly impressed with the pretentious, image-conscious crap called “horror rock” or “death rock.” But this recent ALIEN SEX FIEND release is terrific, with its pounding drum rhythms, abrasive metallic sound, and raw vocals. Both of these songs have enough drive and punky power to disinter some moldy bodies.
This is the first solo effort by one of the outstanding bands on The Rebel Kind and Battle of the Garages Vol. 2 samplers. Again, they come up with some fuzzed-out jams with belligerent vocals and psychedelic effects. I only wish they’d do more originals and less covers (here, songs by the SONICS and the 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS).
MDC deliver a funnypunk classic in “Chicken Squawk,” an uproarious C&W thrash tune which belies a more serious argument for vegetarianism—it even has banjo lead breaks! On the flip, “Kleptomaniac” rates as a strong, catchy thrasher, although “Death of a Nun” suffers from lackluster performance and production values. A mandatory EP, however, and the foldout sleeve is extremely interesting and informative.
There’s quite a lot of variety to this garage band (outside of the overused name). The songs sometimes have real neat hooks, and are enhanced by quirky things like harmonicas! Interesting topics, too.
The best band on Bona Fide’s Train to Disaster album returns with their own 12″ release. “You’re So” was a distorted ’60s punk blast, but here they merge elements from ’70s and ’80s punk in an extremely effective way. The production is crude enough to highlight their garage tendencies, and the songs are both powerful and original. A sure winner.
The NOT produce six more examples of their JAM-oriented material on their debut vinyl. In some cases, that approach doesn’t work too well (as in the overly rockish “In Trouble” and the slow “World War”), but elsewhere their clean guitars, bouncy rhythms, and Wellerish vocals combine in an engaging way. If they’d only absorb some influences from the JOLT—a ’78 “mod” group with more explosive energy and guitar power than the JAM—they’d really turn some heads.
This 12″ gives TRAGIC MULATTO more room to be weird than their earlier single. It sounds like physically disabled persons attempting to play jazz, blind people playing from sheet music, or some self-indulgent artists with saxophones. But since most of it has a hard, steady beat and a melodic guitar—not to mention peculiar lyrics—it’s tolerable and interesting for other weird-asses like myself. Likable in short doses.
A very clever Phoenix band that mixes a couple of garagy thrash tunes (“Little Tuff Kid” and “Mr. Ackers”) with a slower boppin’ thang (“Paperboy Blue”) and an absolutely hilarious country-punk satire (“Hardcore”). The latter is one of the year’s outstanding funnypunk creations, and the whole EP will tickle your funnybone. Order it today.
