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!
HATED PRINCIPLES’ song structures may not be as provocative as they really should on this five-song debut EP, but their lyric sentiments and engaging sense of humor add spunk to this effort. “Burn Those Churches” has a satiric outrage worth of GG ALLIN, as well as a welcome thrashy power, while the other compositions mine equally nasty concerns with less musical aplomb.
This limited-edition album from Sydney, Australia features seven bands (POSITIVE HATRED, VELLOCETTE, the KELPIES, QUEEN ANNE’S REVENGE, BOX OF FISH, WHAT?, and WORLD WAR XXIV) that push forth a certain energy, but swirls with that so-labeled ’77 sound. Raw and still humming with harmonies and chaotic knockabouts. WORLD WAR XXIV produces the standout tracks, with their raunchy vocals laced with heart-pumping aggression, spun into sing-along “skunk” chanters. For the connoisseur and collector!
This provocative tape contains material from a variety of political English punk bands. Although the sound quality varies (sometimes drastically) from cut to cut, the material by the XPOZEZ, the INFECTED, and SCREAM & THE FITS provide enough moments of interest to present an effective cross-section of British underground music.
Three songs whose high points are often dissonant, fuzzy guitar leads. The rest is nothing new, just fairly fast-paced punk with good production. Like I said, the guitar work is the SOLDIER DOLLS’ strength, and hopefully they’ll accentuate it even more in future releases.
Another hot EP from Denmark’s ELECTRIC DEADS. Their earlier speedballs have given way to even faster blasts, but without sacrificing their most unique characteristics—a screaming fuzzed-out guitar, and highly-distinctive female vocal styling. I’m so impressed that the redone version of “Fish in a Pool” will appear on MRR’s forthcoming “1984” compilation.
This new Long Beach hardcore group seems to have been influenced quite a bit by DRI The comparison shouldn’t be exaggerated, however, because TARGET OF DEMAND adds characteristic SoCal hooks to their intense thrash attack, and the results are startlingly good. Of the songs, “The Poor Rich” takes a potshot at wealthy Malibu residents endangered by mudslides, and “Judgement” and “Plastic Bullets” are particularly savage and to the point thematically. Quintessential American ’80s thrash.
This new Canadian compilation is very much like the English samplers that proliferated wildly in the ’78 epoch, in that it features a bunch of pop bands and one or two token punk groups. Of the latter, SNFU produces two powerful mid-tempo gems with crunching guitars and sing-along choruses (including the classic “Real Men Don’t Watch Quincy”), while DOWN SYNDROME offers a couple of raunchy garage punkers. Of the pop bands, the STANDARDS and the THIEVES stand out above the wimpy pack by virtue of a heavier guitar sound and an unobtrusive ’60s tinge. The overall effect is rather refreshing in our current era of musical segregation.
SECTOR FOUR exhibits a garagey mid-tempo approach on their debut EP. They’ve got a chunky guitar sound and the kind of goofy humor that seems to be common in Florida. “Jump on You” and “Time” are irresistably catchy numbers with cool choruses; “Heartbreak Hotel” is an absurd punked-out trashing of an old ELVIS song; the rest are nondescript.
Well, the newest TESCO VEE affair is predictably centered around “offensive” themes, including satires dealing with lesbians (“Lesbian Death Dirge”), television, evangelists (“God’s Bullies”), heavy metal goons (“Wine, Wenches, and Wheels”), new wave dance trendies (SLY’s “Dance to the Music”), and the rap phenomenon (“Crapper’s Delight”). The latter three cuts feature music related to their respective themes, whereas the first two have more of a garagey Meatmen approach. Entertaining as all get out!
Somewhat tame psychobilly, sort of a poor man’s METEORS. Actually, it’s on the same label, which caters to offbeat ’50s- and ’60s-sounding psych bands. The GUANA BATZ do play some twangy surf guitar, though.
A 12-song studio demo that’s well-produced. It’s got that chunky drumming that I don’t go for too much, but the guitar sound and vocals are real good, and it’s real powerful overall. The main problem with ENOLA GAY is that they rely a bit too much on the basic repetitive thrash structure. More variation would help.
A “greatest hits” tape from a band previously known as CRIB DEATH. I think this is what Jeff could call “garage punk,” since it’s obviously a product of Midwestern winter shellshock and deprivation. They have a slower, ominous sound.
A year-old tape by Chicago’s coolest young thrashers, which was originally supposed to be released as a 7″ on Version Sound. Except for the funky title song, the cuts are fast, frenetic, and a bit rough around the edges, but that’s no problem unless you’re overly concerned about professionalism. I’m not, so I wish someone would press this humorous trash. Yeah!
With a name like that, it’s gotta be “punk rock,” right? Right! It’s like a flashback to ’78 or something, which can be both fun and a bit tedious. The PUKES have an American style of early punk—slow, garagey, and sometimes silly. The cool part lies in being able to hear the snarly lyrics that jump all over jocks, patriots, and parents in a sarcastic manner.
A budding original approach from this new band (see Northern California scene report for more info). They combine certain aspects of the early Germs sound with garage and post-punk qualities, and have interesting lyrics. It should be fun to watch them grow.
PLAIN WRAP plays tight, trebly, frantic thrash and punk with melodies. They remind me a little of the DK’s, both musically and in the narratives, which sometimes are more like tales. An excellent beginning, so look out for them.
An eight-cut demo from still another young thrash outfit. It’s a bit generic and sloppy, as it seems to be a live recording, but remember that they’re from Bakersfield (home of MERLE HAGGARD), which is enough reason to support these lads. Actually, there are some sparks of originality—”Hey You” has a certain FEEDERZ feel—so give them time.
OUTERWEAR mainly presents slower, metallish thrash with lyrics that strain to cover the irrelevant. It looks as if these stimulus-starved Ohioans did too much LSD. Over the course of 24 songs, they scream and slither their way into the sicker corners of your heart. Outta sight.
Forty-five—count em—forty-five songs are on this tape, probably this Chicago band’s entire repertoire. Unfortunately, you can’t really hear too much because of the sound quality, mostly live and garage tracks that are almost buried beneath the rumble. You can barely hear some cool shit going on, but this one’s more of an artifact.
The KNUCKLEHEADS offer mostly mid-tempo thrash with metal influences. Again, there’s nothing new here—it’s well done but predictable, including the themes. But again, given where they come from, it’s probably not at all predictable and generic.
This is a pretty good thrash debut. While DON’T NO don’t break any new ground, they do have snap. The drumming and bass playing are hot, the vocals have back-ups, and the lyrics are pretty sharp, with a definite straight edge bent to them.
This is a well-produced demo by a group who were once called FUTURE RUIN. It’s no instant classic, but there are certain twists here that make for enjoyable listening. They’ve got potential, and the tape is well worth the “price” (S.A.S.E.).
A fairly original 15-song demo with some good musicianship, fairly non-standard structures, and really gruff vocals. Most of the tempos are medium to medium-fast.
Musical absurdity from some wild Northern Californians. Record some characters who are trying for that NEOS sound in their living room, and you’ll have the basic idea. Completely incoherent garage thrash, more experimental than listenable, though some of the lyrics are worth hearing.
We fucked up by not reviewing their recent US release, so here’s one of the European debut of this New York combo. They’re sort of a refreshing throwback to the “No Wave” era in NYC, especially in the singing and guitar parts, but they’ve infused it with certain English- or German-style post-punk constructions. It all adds up to “art with an edge.” Lyle H’s fave.
A seven-song treat from Spain. Most of it is medium to fast HC, but not your run-of-the-bull thrash. It’s got unique twists, insistent drumming and bass playing, fuzzy rhythm guitar leads, and vocals that remind me of Fabio from OLHO SECO—gruff but clear. Simple, yet appealingly distinct.
Another diverse effort by CITY-X. Their new EP contains a pair of awkward post-punk numbers (the title song and “Gnister”) and a couple of punkier jams. Even the latter are much more unusual than the standard punk offering, so those with broad taste may find favor with this Danish outfit.
An amazing 105-track demo that sharply hauls forth wild typhoon madness in incredible bounds. This would be a gigantic English thrash express, but with very close listenings, I noticed that some of the music wasn’t even theirs! A lot of your faves are here—B.G.K., TERVEET KÄDET, CRUDE S.S., GANG GREEN, and more—overdubbed with GENOCIDE ASSOCIATION’s exhilarating lyrics and vocal tracks. It sounds great, but I don’t think this is fair to the bands that made the music, do you?
This two-album set rates as good value for those who enjoy the socially conscious and unusual pop stylings of the POISON GIRLS. Album 1 combines unreleased and classic P.G. material, some of it out of print for years, while the other disc contains live tracks from a number of vintage concerts. As a retrospective, Seven Year Scratch shows the POISON GIRLS’ original music-making off superbly, and I’m sure that fans of both punk and pop will find much of value in this document.
This band is obviously well-meaning, and I share their fundamental values, but their music doesn’t always grab me. To be honest, the entire CRASS-inspired quasi-experimental approach to punk is starting to seem more and more pretentious and self-indulgent, especially in the hands of their many imitators. Both parts of “Sexism’s Sick” have enough drive to hold my interest, though.
A compendium of old and new Monterey-area bands. Different styles of punk are represented here, but raw thrash and garagey metal punk predominate. The recording quality is generally poor, making this more of a historical document than a listening pleasure, which is perhaps to be expected. The groups include FALSE ALARM, (another) C.I.A., PUBLIC PROBLEM, DON’T NO, E.O.T.W., (another) KENT STATE, (another) DEPRESSION, and the ever-lovable BIOHAZARD.
This compilation highlights some southern California bands (WHITE FLAG, KILLROY, and the WALLFLOWERS), and includes others from Tijuana, Mexico (SOLUCIÁ”N MORTAL), Seattle (DERANGED DICTION), and the Midwest (NO RESPONSE, CORRUPTED SERVICE). Most of this stuff gnaws your speakers apart, so eat this one up before it eats you.
This scion from the DISCHARGE family tree performs highly metallic, fast-tempo hardcore with considerable abandon, and provides some moments of blistering intensity. Aside from the tasty bass guitar licks on “Problem,” however, the three songs on this EP owe a great deal more to strong production than distinctive songwriting. BROKEN BONES fail to innovate with this release.
This very young punk band—mostly 14-year olds—thrash and growl their way out of the garage. There are a whole slew of songs here, pretty roughly produced, and they have their say on a whole range of subjects. The guitar work shows promise, and there are some truly crazed items thrown in.
A good double-billed 7″. The INSANE offer a mid-tempo number with a wall of guitars and a great singalong chorus; the SKEPTIX’ cut alternates between slow-building parts and thrash. Worthy material and hot production make this a winner.
Two more high-quality cassettes from BCT that further their effort to give more exposure to international bands. These were recorded in Pisa, Italy, just prior to 1984. Tape #1 is a C90 with nine bands. Most of them thrash away in a frantic rage, with those classic demented Italian wails, but one band (the USELESS BOYS) are in a ’60s garage mold. Other groups include BRONTOSAURI, RAW POWER, the WAR DOGS, JUGGERNAUT, STATO DI POLIZIA, PUTRID FEVER, the DEMENTS, and AUSCHLAG. Tape #2, a C60, highlights the CHEETAH CHROME MOTHERFUCKERS, I REFUSE IT, and TRAUMATIC. A must for the international collector.
A titanic spirit oozes from the reels of this live, exerting collection of raging friction and grinding fury. It features bands from Austria and West Germany, and was recorded in Vienna at an anarchist house during a three-day punk fest. Untamed ferocity devastates frantic spurts of driving disorder, which continually unleash a sonic flail attack. Frenzied, quick, and intense, this thrash compilation digs down with invasions of lightning squashers. Great stuff by INFERNO, KGB, the NIKOTEENS, K-70, and more from Germany, plus EXTREM, DER BRUSTKREBS, and DEAD NITTELS from Austria.
This all-girl sextet from Holland combines an abrasive, post-punky quality with lyrics that address primarily personal concerns from a woman’s viewpoint. “Second Part” is a brisk, spirited rocker, but the rest of this album accommodates offbeat guitar figures that sacrifice a great deal of accessibility. Novel, though uninvolving.
More garage grunge from Mr. HYSTERIC. A couple of noisy, almost poppy songs appear here, the best of which is “Wanna Be a Kid” with its cool background vocals, fuzzy guitar, up-tempo approach, and lyrics that I can totally identify with. For SHAGGS and old TV PERSONALITIES fans.
’77-style punk from Switzerland. The A-side has a satirical anti-macho approach and a nice chorus, but the flip, with its loping bass line, primitive guitar lead, tightness, and irresistible sing-along character, is by far the better song. Good fun.
This compilation features six young Dutch punk and thrash bands (ANTIDOTE, BLITZKRIEG, GEPÁ˜PEL, KNAKKERBROT, INDIREKT, and the HAEMORRHOIDS) and one new wavey outfit (the NOUS). There are varying degrees of competency, sound quality—mostly live—and excitement here, which sometimes makes for an annoying experience, but INDIREKT positively shred!
This Italian punk outfit plays pre-eminently catchy mid-to-fast tempo stuff, and seems to have an exceptionally fine sense of orchestration. Production is a problem, though—the drums and vocals are up front in the mix, guitars in the back, which detracts from the level of power this record could have had. Nonetheless, the songwriting is excellent, particularly on the gripping “Corri e sopravivi.” A promising release.
A strong politically minded band from Sweden in the vein of DISCHARGE, including the metal-laced flailing. Quick, turbulent charges of headlong crudeness, dished up with unclean vocal crassness. The recording of this tape is poor, which dampens a lot of the fire, but the effort is still overwhelming in abrasive force. Powerful and creative.
Finnish thrash in the RIISTETYT tradition. More specifically, KANSAN UUTISET produce the sort of incoherent thrash with poorly synchronized vocals that characterized the first RIISTETYT EP, which I found too tuneless and similar-sounding. There are some noteworthy blasts here (like “Army Cannot Make the Man” and “Economic Appraisal”), and the less compressed B-side has a better sound quality, but on the whole this album is overly derivative.
The first solo release from this great French band is somewhat uneven in quality. The title song is almost as tremendous as “No S.S.” from the Apocalypse compilation, and “Sympa les gros bras” approximates that extraordinary high standard for medium-tempo “skunk,” but the other two cuts are less memorable. Still, it’s another fine release from Chaos Productions.
A raw garage punk record, and the first funnypunk release I’ve heard from Spain. Larsen boast a distorted, trebly guitar sound, a heavy rhythm section, a distinctive vocalist with a sarcastic “nyah, nyah” style, and real basic song structures. The abrasive “Vomitas Sangre” and the up-tempo “Nacido de la Pota de un Punk” strike the most responsive chords.
Tight, speedy charges of Spanish thrash from ULTIMO RESORTE. Crying female vocals in the vein of RUBELLA BALLET or DIRT, but with their own passionate touch, combined with overall compositions of rapid high-hat/snare slashes and fiery guitar licks, make this a power-packed barrage of dispatched happiness. If there were a hardcore Sesame Street, I have the feeling that this band would do the theme song. Unquestionably a fun possession.
This retrospective album by the current leaders of the industrial noise set features some remarkable material. Side one contains tracks from SPK’s out-of-print Australian singles, including classic cuts like “Kontakt” and “Mekano,” while the flip features studio material previously heard on their Live at the Crypt tape. Auto-Da-Fe has obvious moments of unevenness and even tedium, but the best compositions here possess astonishing rawness and power.
KANGRENA have a raw, primitive approach that goes over reasonably well on faster cuts like “Agonia” and “Fum, Fum, Fum,” but only annoys on the slower, tuneless numbers. The spirit is wiling, but the flesh needs to age a bit.
A lot of German thrash bands have a tuneless quality that makes it hard to distinguish individual songs, but the MALINHEADS have more of a catchy, well-produced attack, like many new Swedish groups. Highly recommended for that, and the noteworthy bass playing.
