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A German band that should not be confused with the Santa Cruz version that appeared on our Not So Quiet compilation. They have a total thrash attack with hot vocals, decent guitar work, and energy, but the drumming seems to be draggy or off a bit.
Still more skunk from France. The thing that differentiates REICH ORGASM from the pack is some extremely tasteful guitar frills inserted at just the right moments, but they don’t sacrifice any hummability in the process. I find this EP very enjoyable, but I’m beginning to wonder if this particular style is peculiar to French punk bands as a whole, or only to those on the Chaos Production label.
This new release on BCT contains the stuff from their Italian tape plus tons of live tracks. Together, they show why this band is awesome. Watch for their upcoming tour of the US.
This tape contains a lot of stuff off previous Finnish releases, plus other songs sung in English. Some of the cuts are in the funnypunk vein, but most have a truly killer thrash attack. These guys will be in the US soon, so find out why you’ll want to go see them. The incredible song translations are alone worth the price.
RAPPIO’s 45 showcases the kind of punk that used to be common in Finland around 1978-’79, with its medium pace, poppy melodies, sung vocals, and hummable choruses. The twin-guitar attack and CLASH-style background singing make the B-side the superior song. An atypical ’84 release.
Two bands appear here. Rambunctious political punk rushes from the grooves of the PAST. Foot-stomping melodies, shot forth through whining distorted guitar and shrill vocal yells, are pumped in short doses of up-tempo bursts. ZYNTHSLAKT shares a similar quality, dealing more with a harmonious sound than a breakneck attack. Lots of variety, but still holding your attention.
The NIGHTERS are one of the first Italian outfits to capture that irresistable ’77 punk style, and translate it into convincing ’80s hardcore. “Live It Anyway” boasts powerful guitar riffing and a hummable melody, but “Nightrise/Take a Look” is the winner here, with its especially energetic guitar work. Very stylish and entertaining.
NABAT’s second EP contains a bevy of aggressive Oi onslaughts with those delightful soccer choruses you can almost sing along with. The amazingly raw guitar sound and distinctive material found on their debut 7″ is somewhat lacking this time around, but I still enjoyed this record, especially the catchy “Potere nelle strade.”
This Swedish band is confusing. Their earlier Oi-influenced tape contained what might have been blatant stupidity. With song titles like “Anti-Fag” and KKK” and chants of “skinhead… sieg heil,” it was impossible to tell where they stood. But on this new EP, there’s a change, both musically and lyrically. Now, they combine sloppy thrash in the ABSURD vein and ponderous drones with anti-war themes, but the results remain mixed.
OK-sounding mid-tempo skunk from Germany, with an occasional speedy song. The MANIACS’ strong suit is a constant buzzsaw guitar that breaks loose with some exciting licks on a few numbers (like “Nazischweine”).
I’m not too hot on the B-side, but the A-side is killer. It’s got a real heavy guitar that wrenches its way across the slow, tortuous course of the song, spitting feedback every which way. Added to that are IGGY/BOWIE-type vocals, and production that mesmerizes and pulverizes your senses. This Swedish band has been around for years, and this is their first American release.
More great stuff from Sweden. The magnificent title song has a roaring wall of guitars and a staggered join-in chorus; the other three cuts are almost up to that exceptional standard. A mandatory purchase for fans of thrash.
Another French band with that English “skunk” sound. By that, I refer to the draping of soccer-style sing-alongs over a loud mid-tempo punk instrumental base. The title track and “Barcelone 1936″ are the best of the songs in that style; “Les Vauriens” is the sole fast cut, but it too has a chanting chorus. Good.
LES KAMBRONES, named after the first French public figure known to have uttered the term “merde” (“shit”), have a chunky mid-tempo sound and the type of tuneful hooks that seem to be a characteristic of many French punk groups. But they’re more consistently fetching than the bulk of their peers, and all three of these songs will be running through your head after only a couple of listens.
Like VORKRIEGSPHASE, INFERNO rips out intense blasts of thrash enveloped in a wall of guitars, but they lack their compatriots’ tightness. In particular, the out-of-sync drumming often seems to hold back the rest of the band’s momentum. Still, the guitarist wails, and this nasty-sounding record has more than enough ass-kickers to warrant your attention.
INCHARGE come forth with a powerful strength of bitter thrash mixed with an early raw punk sound. The songs are crude and hard-hitting, but lack a certain posture to keep them standing straight. The music is high-speed and the vocals are slow, which makes it all the more confusing. On the other hand, E.A.T.E.R. continues their banzai assault with songs in their own language (unlike their EP). Two of Sweden’s up-and-coming bands.
This is a magnificent album, one of the best thus far in 1984. First of all, the extraordinarily powerful sound whacks you across the face, then you realize how superb the band is and how well-crafted the songs are. Most are in the hook-filled fast- to medium-paced vein (like “Als je Haar…” and “1000 Aspirines”), but there are also a couple of adrenalin American-style thrashers (the satirical “U.S.A.” and “Bedankt”) and some slower, older-style numbers (like “Een Droevig Verhaal”). The potential hinted at on FRITES MODERN’s earlier 6 Met tape has been fully realized here.
The sound quality isn’t the greatest, but the music more than compensates for that. F.P.E. are hard to describe—they’re thrashy, jazzy, damaged, crazed, and real intense. If the MEAT PUPPETS met MDC in a Chilean secret police torture chamber, the result might sound like this.
Not to be confused with the ’77 U.K. punk band EATER, this Swedish group (ERNST AND THE EDSHOLM REBELS) floor down on the acceleration and rapidly hit fast, lightning doses of 1000-m.p.h. thrash mayhem. An outrageous display of burning speed and mind-boggling turbulence, combined with chaotic chops of lyrical expression. Don’t be fooled by the hilarious intro to the title cut—this EP hauls its load fast and furious in the new Swedish tradition.
Some very original-sounding noises can be found here, with clean, snappy production to boot. It’s punk all right, but with so many quirky musical interjections that it seems surprisingly new. Great musicianship, with no loss of edge, musically or lyrically. Highly recommended.
More well produced mid-tempo punk from LES CADAVRES. Most of the songs here have that chunky skunk feel, but the standout track is “Mort Á l’avance”, with its accelerated tempo and singalong choruses. Powerful, but not quite as catchy as KIDNAP.
Impregnated by an orgy of thrash from across the world, Australia shoves forth one of its first high-speed rocketing barrages in the form of CIVIL DISSIDENT. Wild, uncontrolled quickness charges into a screaming fracas of blaring guitars and brawling drum snacks, stinging sharply with missiling vocals and catapulting this nitro-packed projectile head-on to chaotic dilapidation. This rates up there with the current crop of torpedoing intensity that fills this brain’s excitement.
Mix some skunky melodies with abrasive Swedish thrash and you end up with the BRISTLES, who continue to produce high-powered potential mind bombs. Their latest tape release is a step up from their debut EP, all the way around. Storming out the maniac mayhem with blitzing guitar distortion and lots of boisterous activity, whether chanting or slowing down the speedy pace, this fires a full round of quaking thrash. “Don’t Care About Me” is a quick laugh riot.
Another great release from BLUTTAT. It’s got a roaring wall of guitars, intense male/female double vocals, full-throttle thrash momentum, and perceptive political lyrics dealing with topics like South African apartheid policies. Don’t listen to this if you’re the overly sensitive type, because it rips at loud volume.
A good debut effort by a new Vancouver band. Not surprisingly (coming from D.O.A. land), they have a chunky, older-style punk attack and an extremely basic approach. “Decide” is an especially fine number with a chorus that sticks; the other cuts are less memorable.
BASTA have captured a rich, bassy instrumental sound on this debut EP, which features some solid mid-tempo Oi anthems. Of the compositions here, “Nessum pudore” and the tasty “Caos” exploit the raw guitar assault and gravelly Italian vocals to good result. Recommended.
Buzzsaw guitar echoes throughout this Swedish ensemble’s second EP. Tight rhythms of punky-paced aggression, not thrash, to move and sing with. Fast, with youthful energy and a spunky sound, like an exhilarating tune you’ve heard before but can’t place. Seven songs of marvelling headlong titillation.
This compilation of anarchist and “human rights” punk bands from the UK is a strong, varied, and provocative selection, one that should be of major interest to hardcore aficionados. It’s somewhat uneven, as are most samplers, but the brilliant track by CONFLICT stands out, and is almost matched by those of some surprising new groups.
A new collection of UK bands performing a variety of styles, including basic Britpunk (RIOT SQUAD, CHRISTIANITY BC, the X-CRETAS, DEAD MAN’S SHADOW, the CLOCKWORK SOLDIERS, and EXTERNAL MENACE), Oi (BREAKOUT), “classical” punk (RESISTANCE 77), and tense experimental punk (PARANOIA). RIOT SQUAD, the CLOCKWORK SOLDIERS, and the X-CRETAS each do one thrashed-out number, and RESISTANCE 77 have the most retarded lyrics. Although Wet Dreams represents a positive effort to give new bands more exposure, it doesn’t always satisfy from a musical standpoint.
The A-side contains bands that all, more or less, owe their chops to the NEW YORK DOLLS/HEARTBREAKERS school of rock ’n’ roll (except the BARRACUDAS). There are groups like the BAD DETECTIVES (a DOLLS song) and the BABYSITTERS (HEARTBREAKERS?), and songs like GENOCIDE’s “Private Hell,” which can be compared to the DOLLS’ “Private World.” The B-side slips into more mundane rock, and isn’t at all memorable save for the reemergence of former SWELL MAP NIKKI SUDDEN.
The fifth in the series of “Oi” compilations. Like the others, it contains a mixture of punk bands (COCK SPARRER, the ANGELIC UPSTARTS, PROLE, PARANOID PICTURES, and the NEWTOWN NEUROTICS), Oi groups (the BUSINESS, CLOCKWORK DESTRUCTION, the 4-SKINS, MANIAC YOUTH, and the VICIOUS RUMOURS), ranting political poets (PHIL SEXTON, TERRY MCCANN, MICK TURPIN, and the great GARRY JOHNSON, not to mention a cameo by ATTILA), funnypunk outfits (the GONADS, the ALASKA COWBOYS, the “L.O.L.S. Choir”), and assorted oddities. A lot of the music is appealing, so give this a listen.
Another fine compilation contains fourteen bands of varying degrees of competency doing 22 songs of varying degrees of sound quality. You’ll find FLUX, POLITICAL ASYLUM, the BLOOD ROBOTS, LEGION OF PARASITES, IMPACT, and the ABDUCTORS, among others, most of which are mid-tempo punk bands. The best track is “The Race Is On” by CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
Another fine compilation with both English and American bands represented. POISON IDEA really rips out some incredible stuff, as do LEGION OF PARASITES, the most intense UK thrashers yet. Other tracks are by the INFECTED, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, the WARDS, XOSET UK, the OBSCENE FEMALES, and STAGNANT ERA.
Two choice new jams from the VIBES. “Flying Home” is a haunting cut with sharp drum rolls, bittersweet vocals, and quasi-psychedelic guitars; the B-side is one of their irresistible rocking blasts with brilliant guitar riffing. Too cool to contemplate.
This guy’s material sounds sort of like the FALL. Most of the tape consists of literate ranting poetry, but three of the tracks also have tough instrumentation and funky rhythms. Interesting listening that’s probably best appreciated by native Brits.
The A-side is totally great, full of that powerful, cleanly produced, uplifting, and distinctive SUBHUMANS sound. The B-side revolves around the theme of the album’s title, and runs through many musical styles from lyrical point to lyrical point. As with most such ambitious ideas, some of it works and some doesn’t, but the higher moments remind me of nothing so much as ATV or CRASS. I can’t wait to see them live!
The new ONE WAY SYSTEM has excursions into three different but related musical sub-genres—”Children of the Night” is an undistinguished slow- to mid-tempo punker rooted in a heavy metal chord progression; “Down” is a faster, catchier ditty in the old ONE WAY SYSTEM tradition; and “Shine Again” is a grinding post-punk cut with a heavy guitar. Diverse but unexceptional.
Whoever these guys are—and they are reputed to be members of the DAMNED in disguise—they’ve captured the 1966 punk feel amazingly well, right down to the classic psychedelic “soundtrack” album concept. The numerous covers here are true to the originals (by groups like the ELECTRIC PRUNES, the HUMAN BEINZ, PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS, the LITTER, and the SEEDS), but generally not quite as good. It might prod you to pick up the real things, though.
Beki Bondage, formerly of VICE SQUAD, has a decent outing with this new EP. “Crime and Passion” is a confounding yet effective mixture of pop, metal, and ’77-style punk, but still nowhere as good as early (or even recent) VICE SQUAD. The two songs on the flip unfortunately swerve toward genericness with that same combination of influences. Merely adequate.
A very likable new release from Scotland’s LAST RITES. The guitars are primitive, the production is raw, the lyrics are spot-on, and there are some irresistible sing-along segments on the A-side. “No Right to Take” is particularly seductive.
VERBAL ABUSE specializes in creating tight, powerful thrash and metal-punk. The band is originally from Texas, and has the same intense, ultra-frenetic approach as M.D.C. and D.R.I. What distinguished them from those groups is the presence of ex-SICK PLEASURE vocalist Nicki Sicki, who expresses hostility and nihilism rather than political concerns in his lyrics. A hot-sounding release with a hilarious “mystery” track on side 1.
Dave Edmunds got his hands on these guys and upped the ante plenty. From the rough weirdness of their debut EP, they’ve gravitated to a smooth big-time wall of sound. That’s both bad and good. The weirdness has been sacrificed, but their current variety of modern R&B/rockabilly is very powerful.
Both sides contain metallic-edged rhythmic punches Á la BIRTHDAY PARTY. The vocals evoke that band too, but it really doesn’t diminish the value and strength of these songs, as there are other influences here (the CRAMPS?) that make for fine listening.
While the ICONS aren’t as consistently dynamic as some of their peers, their debut album shows that, at their peak, they can thrash with the best of them. Incisive lyrics, mostly emphasizing the need for individual responsibility and autonomy, work particularly well on steamrollers like “Power for Power” and “Sod the Children,” and the cover art is equally impressive. Intelligent and politically astute, if a trifle inconsistent musically.
At first, this new long-player from FALLOUT all seemed to have that familiar anarcho-Britpunk style, but after more listenings, the variations and intensity come through. They have a PiL sound on “Know Your Enemy” and “Apartheid,” an IGGY POP riff on “Trojan Horse,” and lots of early CRASS garage influence. Well thought-out and executed.
On this bizarre and surprising double album, FLUX alternates between strangely mixed, highly inflammatory hardcore attacks and bursts of industrial noise. Most of the material here is rather unpleasant listening, though the vitriolic lyrics and some of the studio effects are remarkably compelling. I’m not sure whether I like it or not, but it’s certainly challenging.
This CULT MANIAX 45 is hard to get ahold of, and it reflects the musical transition they underwent between their fantastic “Blitz” 7″ and their album. “American Dream” is a mid-tempo punker with their usual high-pitched singing and some post-punky frills; the overly long flip is more measured and psychedelicized.
On the charitable side, one could call this “adventurous industrial experimentation.” On the not-so-charitable side, it might be termed “eclectic self-indulgent crap,” similar to the terminal stages of ’70s “progressive” rock. Take your pick.
Only one thing differentiates the Accursed from their many Britpunk contemporaries—they lack the well-produced sound that characterizes so many releases from England. Instead, they have a dense, raunchy guitar roar that adds oomph to fairly predictable material. “Going Down” is decent.
