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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!
This four-track effort presents thrash of screaming intensity and instrumental punch, addressing themes of teenage angst and rebellion. FINAL CONFLICT is particularly adept at compositions with dramatic yet subtle changes of pace, like the title song and the clever steamroller, “Self-Defeated.” Heartfelt, riveting, and therefore highly recommended.
What can I say? Wherever MINOR THREAT left off, FAITH might be able to step in. Even though I worry that they might be too much of a sound-alike, they’re cool. They play fast songs, slower songs, and songs with shifting tempos, to which they add interesting studio bits, a lot of spirit and energy, and sincere discussions about the day-to-day aspects of their lives. Could become a classic.
By now, everyone should know that DRI is one of the fastest, tightest, and most powerful thrash bands in history, and their new EP is a total killer. The title cut is a bit slow for them in parts, but the rest are faster than the speed of sound. If these guys aren’t intense enough for you, try pulling your teeth out with a pair of pliers. Awesome.
Here’s a budget-priced live album with at least sixteen tracks and a whole booklet with every fact you’d ever want to know about the MAU MAUS. The quality is definitely live, which they apologize for on the sleeve, but it’s got the energy that every live recording should have. This band is one of the first English bands to be inspired by US thrash, and they’re still good, though at this point somewhat ordinary. Regardless, if you like powerful punk, this is a good deal.
On this Australian post-punk release, a noisy fuzz guitar overlays heavy bass and drum rhythms, thereby setting an ominous tone. While it may be a bit repetitious, there are definitely some original ideas here.
The third 7″ from UPROAR isn’t bad, it just goes in one ear and out the other. It has great production, good lyrics, and I really like the song “Your Empire,” but it sounds like a million other English punk records.
Despite the all-too-obvious SIOUXSIE influences, SKELETAL FAMILY has managed to produce something of value here, mainly because of their tasty, haunting guitar work and snappy drum attack. The B-side is more intriguing, with its occasional shrieks, and if this band can hold onto their musical muscle, they could develop into an exceptional combo.
This new RIOT SQUAD record is in the predictable Britpunk tradition, but the damn thing sounds real good anyway. “No Solution” hits the mark due to its simple but classy chorus, while the flip relies more on speed. Both are improved drastically by a loud-as-fuck drum mix.
A slightly disappointing follow-up to their great recent 12″. The A-side is a passable but unnecessary cover of the old STONES classic; the choice flip has fantastic back-up vocals that remind me of the early SKIDS. The band’s guitar work is also as brilliant as ever, so axe aficionados should seek out this 45.
A superior post-punk—or is it “positive punk”—record from England’s MARCH VIOLETS. They’ve got an innovative guitar style, and a knack for writing rhythmic, up-tempo songs with interesting structures. “Snake Dance” is an exceptional tune not equaled by the flip.
Although nobody could respect CRASS’ political efforts more, I no longer have any desire to listen to their annoying music. It’s not that I object to bands experimenting in principle, but in practice I like to hear fast, raw stuff with a primal beat, and CRASS rarely provide it these days. Despite some intense moments and an out-of-character guitar solo (!), this EP doesn’t quite click.
After hearing the first three cuts on Side A, with their punchy mid-tempo attack, melodic high-powered guitars, and uplifting choruses, I was on the verge of raving about the survival of COCK SPARRER in top form. But despite the greatness of those songs (one of which—”Where Are They Now”—is a blistering critique of the punks of ’77), and one interesting track with a pronounced KINKS-ish feel (“Out on an Island”), the rest of the album slides into more pedestrian rock ’n’ rolly material.
YOUTH BRIGADE pays some homage to their native land by including many excellent Canadian bands (the NILS, YYY, the UNWANTED, SNFU, PERSONALITY CRISIS, the YOUNG LIONS, ZEROPTION, the STRETCH MARKS, and DOA) on this collection, as well as some LA newcomers (RIGOR MORTIS, the TOURISTS) and veterans like the BIG BOYS, 7 SECONDS, KRAUT, CH3, and themselves. A good sampling.
The DICKIES’ first vinyl in almost four years ranks up there near their previous funnypunk triumphs. Most of the eight songs here veer toward amphetamine pop, with irresistible layered choruses to boot, but the highlights include the poppish “Rosemary,” “She’s a Hunchback,” and an incredibly fast cover of LED ZEP’s “Communication Breakdown.” Buoyant and entertaining as hell!
A proficient debut EP from this LA band. The lyrics are thoughtful, the production is good, and the delivery is fast, but they tend to reduce the songs to a formula by throwing in similar breaks and changes of tempo that confuse me. Although they show potential, it needs to be developed. Not bad.
Here are three ditties that rouse all the “protest and survive” sentiments you might need. “No Fuckin’ War” is a slow, grueling masterpiece that’s simple but powerful, and will have you singing along before the end. The other songs are short, quickly delivered minor chord headbangers in the best of the new DICKS style. I especially like “I Hope You Get Drafted,” an unrelenting anti-stupidity song directed at “apolitical” punks, which I’d like to see being sung in the streets, busses, and homes all over the world. Somebody finally had the guts to come right out and say it.
Some classic SoCal sounds are captured on CONFEDERATE’s debut album. With its melodic guitars and songs, multi-tracked vocals, and fine production (courtesy of ex-ADOLESCENT Rikk Agnew), the listener is treated to a non-innovative but enjoyable release, not unlike the VANDALS’ debut.
I like C2D because they epitomize the late SF “vat” soul. Here, they offer six ripping semi-thrash numbers that are real spirited. The songs are good and rousing, but they constantly remind me of other bands. Still, it’s hard not to like them.
Primitive mid-to-fast-paced punk with a garage aesthetic and some fetching guitar parts can be found on this debut. The production is uneven at best, and the music is occasionally sloppy, but the BURNT display enough enthusiasm to make up for these shortcomings. “Industrial Accident” is a minor classic, due in part to an amazingly cool chorus.
The long-awaited release by an inactive band featuring Steve Miller—ex-FIX guitarist—and dear ol’ Tesco (MEATMEN), getting down and dirty in a slow, noisy, art-damaged, and—dare I suggest—FLIPPERish drone with the purity of true nihilists. I find it a little refreshing in a musical sense, and a fine way to start my day if I don’t want to get out of bed.
The eight tracks on this release showcase BAD POSTURE’s hysterical brand of aggressive funnypunk to its best advantage. The title song and “Time for Smack” are good examples of this band’s abrasive, mid- to fast-tempo hardcore assault, and while I admire their on-target lyric sense, the song structures could use more catchiness and originality as a rule. Nonetheless, there are some nice, gravelly vocals on this entertaining disc, so give it a listen.
“Underground” bands from Tucson, volume two. This runs the gamut from arty to wimpy, but has a healthy helping of neo-’60s psych and garage bands like the HECKLERS, ROTE KAPELLE, and YARD TRAUMA (yea!) to make it all worthwhile.
An excellent well-produced sampler of new French hardcore bands. Although REICH ORGASM and KOMITERN SECT contribute some irresistible chunky mid-tempo punk, and the weaker NO PUB offers a splendid little ditty called “Viol-ence,” KIDNAP steals the spotlight with some amazing bone-crunching stuff. Their “No SS” is one of the most brilliant, dynamic songs of 1983, with its dense fuzz guitars, tense build-up, and haunting background vocals; their other tracks are also killers, and the politicized lyrics go straight to the heart of the matter. Much better than Chaos Productions’ earlier Chaos en France compilation, so order it and support a valuable independent label.
Where to begin? Well, there are ten bands on here spanning the years from 1978 to the present, all of which contain overlapping personnel. Stylistically, the music encompasses garage punk, old-style punk, post-punk, and thrash. The sound quality is fairly primitive, but the concept is interesting and there are enough good tunes to hold your attention.
Much stronger than their first release, this Dutch ensemble now drives to the hilt. Quick, effortless, and savage shrills of gut-grinding stormers with bulldozing power chords combine to create a vivacious delight. NV LE ANDEREN come off like BGK, without so much speed and closer to the VOPO’S metal edge. Interesting rhythms and concentrated riffs.
Three amazing albums that chronicle the exciting musical history of the L.A. youth underground. Volume 1 (1965) presents the raw ’60s punk sound that once blew my young mind, and includes such items as the blasting Colony classic, “All I Want,” and the neanderthal sneer of the AVENGERS’ “Be a Cave Man”; Volume 2 (1966) features some overt anti-police teen protests by TERRY RANDALL and the “PEOPLE OF SUNSET STRIP” that’ll strike a familiar chord among contemporary punks; Volume 3 (1967) offers a mixture of trippy “flower power” cuts and nasty psychedelic punkers like the HUMAN EXPRESSION’s “Every Night.” And dig KIM FOWLEY’s philosophizing on “The Canyon People.” This stuff transcends nostalgia and serves as a timely reminder that cultural rebellion didn’t originate in 1977. Highly recommended.
A mixed bag of punk (very little), rockabilly, post-punk, blues rock, etc. CRANK is the only real standout.
For my money, the most essential ’60s compilations beside the Pebbles series and Nuggets are the two Back from the Grave collections. Unlike other releases, there’s never any psychedelic sounds, just primo teenage punk served up with plenty of guts, enthusiasm, and anger. Reams could be written about classics on this album like the UNRELATED SEGMENTS’ “Cry, Cry, Cry,” the BANSHEES’ “They Prefer Blondes,” the LYRICS’ “They Can’t Hurt Me,” and “The Crusher” by the NOVAS. Not a duff cut, but plenty of fuzz. Truly amazing.
More older-style punk from Spain’s TNT “Guernika” isn’t too exciting, but “Gilmore 77″ has charm and drive. The bass playing is excellent.
Mind-boggling growls of speedy Danish hardcore. WAR OF DESTRUCTION hit hard with a swirling rapid barrage that claws forth high, grinding vocals, abrasive guitar, and slashing cymbal splashes. This debut vinyl offering shows an inspiring promise of cranking aggression and quick sonic blasts, the type of sound that has made current Finnish, Swedish, and Dutch hardcore so earth-shattering. Put a check by this one.
Very militant, political punk and thrash that comes with a bilingual lyrics booklet. The A-side of this tape is a little tinny-sounding, but the other side has a full production sound and really blows out the windows. It’s like night and day—weird!
A fairly average Oi release from Germany. Most of the songs are in the medium-tempo vein and the guitar could be a lot grungier, but the speedy “Skins” and “Freiheit” are catchy little blasts with ambiguous lyrics that make it worth a listen.
Extremely powerful French in the medium-tempo ’77 tradition. The guitars are really cranked up, the female singer adds a lot of spunk and color, and the tunes grow on you more with each listen. “Oublions l’Amerique” is terrific.
This isn’t what one expects from a Finnish punk band. 013 play guitar-heavy rock ’n’ roll that’s greatly influenced by both early UK punk-pop and ’60s-ish garage rock. I think the early UK-type material is the strongest, but all their songs are delivered with power. If you like raunchy punkish rock, check this album out.
Canada’s YYY play real fast punk rather than thrash. The tempos are driving, the guitars are plenty loud, the singing exhibits a lot of emotion, and the lyrics are very thoughtful. I like every song individually, but then played back-to-back, they tend to run together a bit due to the unusually consistent tempos and vocal inflections. It’s a high-powered debut, though.
A potpourri of modern punk styles can be found on this fine new compilation, from thrash (the UPRIGHT CITIZENS) to older-style punk (the BUTTOCKS, SS ULTRABRUTAL) to rousing funnypunk (DEUTSCHE TRINKERJUGEND) to Oi (DAILY TERROR). Many of the best bands—BOSKOPS, RAZZIA, ZSD—play more than one type of punk, but it’s their thrashers that really stand out. An illuminating introduction to some old and new German hardcore outfits.
As the title indicates, this compilation contains a mixture of Paris bands. Stylistically, it ranges from loud, tasty post-punk (GUERNICA, ZONA, and PEGGY LUXBEURK) to funny Oi with mutated rockabilly beats (the SWINGO PORKIES) to strong fuzzed-out mid-tempo punk (PROP SACK) to pretentious new wave (ICE). All in all, a “mixed” blessing.
By the look of things, Punk Etc. will put Belgian hardcore in the minds of all dedicated fanatics. This is an outrageous cassette collection of six bands (MORE ACTION, ZYKLOME A, SUBVERSION, KRANK, FIXATION, and the DIRTY SCUMS), featuring vigorous approaches to power and speed, each exceptional in its own way. Support this label, because their attitude is what punk is all about.
I missed this when it first came out a few months ago, but better late than never. Six of Toronto’s best bands contribute two-to-four songs each, and it’s well worth getting. The bands are APB, CHRONIC SUBMISSION, DEAD END, DIRECT ACTION, the YOUNG LIONS, YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH, and ZEROPTION. A real good sampler.
West Berlin’s SICK PLEASURE produces a raw style of punk with cynical lyrics about desperation and street life. They combine gruff vocals, heavy guitars, and distinctive song structures which steadily build in power and intensity. Down and dirty.
Frantically paced thrash, with traces of metal guitar and structures, and wild vocals. This band exhibits finely controlled madness, and will run you ragged. I don’t know what their message is, but SHOTGUN SOLUTION shred musically.
With a name like SS ULTRABRUTAL, I at least expected an ultra-hardcore sound, but it was not to be found anywhere here. They should change their name to SS ULTRAWIMPY, because most of this is boring ’77ish stuff with flat guitar tone and few hooks. There are a couple of strong songs (like “1236Y-Atom”), but not enough to make this album worthwhile.
The most thrashed-out French group I’ve heard. Songs like “Chemical War” and “Why Not” have a drum-heavy rhythmic emphasis, while others (especially “Disorder”) really rip. The music is pretty hot; too bad about the stupid shock value band name.
These two bands thrash to the max, although they are a bit ragged around the edges. But that sloppiness is more than made up for by their intensity and excitement. FLERE have a wailing female vocalist, the RAZOR BLADES a gruff male singer; both have hot guitarists and plenty of potential.
Oi from France. Although derivative from a stylistic standpoint, this EP has an appealing garage quality. The songs are almost evenly divided between mid-tempo numbers and real fast singalongs. I prefer the latter, especially “Chasse Á l’homme.”
RAZZIA were one of the better German hardcore bands on the Underground Hits vol. 1 collection, and their first solo album continues in the same basic direction. They produce medium-speed punk, fast punk, a bit of thrash, and one weird rhythmic tune (“Barriere/Karriere”). Overall it’s a solid release, and some songs really stick in your head (like “Kriegzustand” and “Nacht im Ghetto”).
The second EP from Italy’s PEGGIO PUNX features frenetic, disjointed thrash. It has an exceptionally loud snare drum track (à la DESTRUCTORS), intense paint-stripping singing like that of TERVEET KÄDET’s Läjä , a relatively clean guitar tone, and a stuttering rhythm reminiscent of the MEAT PUPPETS. A weird record that could use a louder guitar track.
OBERKAMPF have an archaic punk sound with traces of the NEW YORK DOLLS (the title song), the DEAD BOYS (“Maximum”), and PLASTIC BERTRAND (“Poupee de cire” and “Tout ce fric”). The latter song is an especially appealing pop-punk number, but nothing here is likely to cause much of a stir.
This Swedish four-piece must have problems getting gigs, as their sound is pure ’60s-style garage punk. Their main influences seem to be from the Pacific Northwest, most notably the SONICS and the WAILERS, yet the NOMADS also display some rockabilly tendencies. They are modern masters in the war of distortion, and fans of the CHESTERFIELD KINGS, the UNCLAIMED, and the FLESHTONES should check them out.
Boy, what a turnabout! The NIKOTEENS used to have a slow Oi!/punk approach, and now they’re out there thrashing with the best of them. The guitar tone here is extremely trebly and piercing, and the general sound quality is hot, so their stronger material (like “Frieden,” “Cowboy Song,” and “Geisterfahrer”) really blasts off the turntable into your gut. This album proves that musical changes can lead to major improvements.
