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Please send one copy of 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. We reserve the right to reject releases on the basis of content. Music without vocals or drums will not be considered. All music submitted for review must have been released (or reissued) within the last two years. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!
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.
Sixteen classy ZERO BOYS songs. A few have already appeared on their superb album, but the rest are hitherto unreleased gems that reveal why this band should be rated right up there with the CIRCLE JERKS as prime exponents of brisk, hook-laden thrash and punk. Excellent.
Former members of CIA and REFLEX FROM PAIN combine to form a new band with a sound that reminds me somewhat of DIE KREUZEN. Bones’ vocals are intense and backed up by a very tight sort of medium-paced thrash that’s delivered with power and hooks. Definitely recommended.
Yaaaaahhhhh!! Not since those hot MINOR THREAT releases has a record displayed so much charm that you become an alley cat howling at the moon in sheer excited pleasure. Well-placed melodies and sing-along harmonies sharply deliver 7 SECONDS to the forefront of energetic fun, and a quality production really adds credit to the Brandt brothers’ total dedication. Kevin’s songwriting and impelling vocals yodel the gigantic brilliance, while younger bro Steve plucks out the bass with rambunctious might, and the rest of the band knocks out another superior performance. This one’s stuck on my turntable.
SACCHARINE TRUST’s new album has an artistic approach that reminds many of the MINUTEMEN, although they seem even more demented and experimental. It exhibits a marked unevenness from cut to cut—the faster rockers (like “The Giver Takes” and the wonderfully scratchy “Craving the Center”) add a level of accessibility to the proceedings, but a number of the slower, artier pieces (such as “The Cat Cracker” and “Our Discovery”) don’t take long to become tedious.
Phoenix, Arizona, the depraved city that gave us ALICE COOPER, the FEEDERZ, and the MEAT PUPPETS, has struck again. What crosses are to vampires, SPHINCTER is to music. Even some BUTTHOLE SURFERS fans would gag in horror at the sight of this band. Their sound is a bit more pet-metal than punk, kind of like CHRISTIAN DEATH and VENOM played backwards through a jet engine.
The MONEY DOGS play good modern semi-thrashers. The distinguishing features here are some gnarly guitar fills, better-than-average lyrics, and rather annoying vocals.
A long overdue vinyl release from these Sooners, one that fully demonstrates their power and punch. This is a four-songer with fast and medium thrash, all of which hits you right in the gut. Let there be more!
NEGATIVE TREND was one of the most exciting bands to emerge from the early SF punk rock scene. This is a reissue of their 7″ EP from 1978, and the music is as intense and immediate today as it was then. NEGATIVE TREND was more than just a band—they were a different way of seeing things, a mirror to the brutality of everyday life, and a vision of what could be. Every budding young rebel should do their homework and check this record out.
Snotty teenage thrash with a creative spark. Some of the guitar intros are real unusual (as in “Parental Suppression” and “It’s Mine”), the vocalist has a great youthful sneer, and the overall feeling is exuberant and innocent. “After” is a particularly unique and atmospheric post-holocaust number that captures NEON CHRIST’s hard-to-define flare.
This 12″ from Mississippi’s WINDBREAKERS is vastly better than their debut 7″ EP, mainly due to the presence of somewhat zippier material and louder guitars. They’re still attempting to mine the folky ’60s pop vein, and have managed to jettison the more tedious rock influences that marred their earlier effort. Pretty good, especially “Ya Gotta Go Away.”
TOEJAM lets loose a metal-punk blast with lots of noise and echoey, gruff, sometimes distorted vocals. A lot of the tracks here are too metalish for me (including guitar solos, etc.), but there is power to spare.
Raw, brilliant pop in the early EMBARRASSMENT’s ballpark. TOOTHPASTE’s music shifts between fuzzy, guitar-oriented blasts (like “Amerikan Beauties” and “Skinheads Are O.K.”) and unpredictable but generally engaging amalgams of funk, punk, pop, and post-punk. The lyrics are often both exceptionally clever and politically motivated (note “Palestine” and the live unlisted track, “R.M.N. Is Better Than Sex”).
A six-song effort that reminds me somewhat of ’78-era stuff, in that it incorporates funk and pop elements into a punky aesthetic. It’s fairly aggressive, with biting social commentary and a female vocalist on some tracks.
Garage-quality noise meets folk-rock meets older-style punk meets experimentation. For the adventurous or simply disturbed.
The SMASHCHORDS are an unusual instrumental combo—just two guitars—who knock out some basic rock ’n’ roll tunes. While this tape is certainly unique, it’s also a bit frustrating, since their catchy rhythms make you hope they’ll cut loose in a real savage way. But they can’t, because they’ve got to keep providing the rhythm section—the Pete Townsend syndrome.
A basic thrash album by a newer Berkeley band. It features a very tight instrumental attack, some catchy multi-voice choruses, anti-establishment lyrics, and standard gruff singing. The main problem here is a general lack of musical variation, something which will no doubt be overcome with time. Fun with beer.
STALAG 13 demonstrates a sleek, clean thrash attack with occasional metallic lead breaks which remind me of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, and their songs deal thematically with teenage identity and rebellion. “Black Stix/Silver Badge” is a chilling thrash number, and the unexpected changes of pace in “The Choice Is Yours” make for solid, inventive hardcore. Recommended.
The new SHOCKABILLY fare isn’t as accessible as their earlier stuff, which was more R&B-oriented. They are either returning to the early days of the MOTHERS OF INVENTION or doing lots of LSD. They do everything from “freak outs” to DOORS’ acid jams to sweet southern ballads to a wild version of “Homeward Bound” (God forbid!) to songs with a fuzzed-out guitar and Eugene trying to blow his nose. Whoooaaa…
After their great debut EP, I was afraid the ensuing album would wimp out, as often happens with this ’60s “teen punk” genre. No way! What we get are twelve killer songs, ranging from folk-rock to snarling ’67-era punk, all delivered with guts and drive. The music is tight and raunchy like that of their heroes the SHADOWS OF KNIGHT, and it’s hard to believe that all the members are female, because the vocals have such a deep, gruff sneer. Fucking excellent.
A super hot ’60s-style punk release by a hitherto unknown female band. The fuzzy, distorted guitars and crude organ are emphasized in shrieking rave-ups like “I’m Here, I’m Gone,” and even their “mellow” folk-rock cut (“It’s About Time”) has that raunchy teenage snot-nosed quality that separates the punks from the calculated poseurs. Plus, they do a damn good cover of the DIRTY WURDS’ “Why”—no mean feat.
A goofy garage punk effort from some ex-members of SIN 34. The tempos are medium-speed, the guitars are crude, the themes are seriocomic, and the vocals are rough and semi-psychotic. Entertaining, but not outstanding.
Yeah! New York’s “cave teens” return with another raw ’60s punk attack. What makes them stand out isn’t the material per se—most of it consists of cover versions of old chestnuts—but their growling, screaming, trebly sound. And, they’ve got enough snottiness to carry this primitive stuff off in the ’80s, unlike so many of today’s “revival” bands. “Things Are Different Now” and their “theme song” are killers.
A totally impressive release! Most bands have a hard enough time putting out a single album without filler, but these guys have managed to fill all four sides here with catchy, powerful, and musical songs… real songs. The singing wails, the Oriental psych guitars shine, and the rhythm crunches. It also sounds as if they’ve been listening to the psychedelic-period BYRDS lately, because there are a few reversed tracks for instrumental background included. Tremendous!
This is what happens when garage rock ’n’ rollers try to make a post-punk record, and I’m not sure whether I like it or not. The flip is more straight-ahead, so it could appeal to closet Jeff Bale types.
An incredibly intense thrash blast from F.O.D. The guitar buzz is piercing, the overall instrumental attack is ultra-tight, and the Biafraesque vocals are exceptionally demented. Along with DRI, GANG GREEN, WHITE CROSS, and a few others, these guys leave the rest of America’s current thrash bands spinning their wheels in deep ruts.
Finally, an heir-apparent to the DRIVING STUPID! What is it about Arizona that creates such warped people? Their music is your basic FUGS-style electric grunge-folk, and their lyrics feature some of the meanest put-downs of American consumer culture that I’ve heard in years. Includes “God Is a Groovy Guy,” “Pieces of My Poodle,” and “Cow of My Dreams.”
Maximum exhibits of brutal force zoom in turbulent aggression, as this Portland-based band savagely grinds out a storming spasm. A vibrant, discharging guitar sonance drives raucous melodies, swift and fluid, with metallic decibels that piledrive a crude invasion of exhilarating iron licks. A tight new outfit with outrageous appeal, so don’t pass this one up.
“Corpse in Disguise” comes out as a MISFITS-influenced tune with an unrefined rocky sound. It’s got all the catches and hooks, but like most FACTION melodies it lacks something which is hard to put the finger on. The entire EP has a metal/rock flavor, though the lyrics are getting more intelligent with each release. The FACTION drives a powerful, energetic set live; in the studio, what emerges isn’t usually the same. A young band that’s bound to grow.
Surf instrumentals are cool. Any hardcore musician who wants to branch out and play something besides heavy metal should check out this type of music. The EVASIONS’ 14-song semi-picture disc is part of a growing ’60s punk-style revival movement. These guys write almost all of their own material, unlike their better-known contemporaries like JON & THE NIGHTRIDERS. Banzai!
On this album, the EFFIGIES continue to develop musically, though not everyone will view this development positively. The material here is pretty diverse. Most of it has a post-punky feel and emphasizes Earl’s metallic guitar playing; only a few songs are in the traditional EFFIGIES vein (“Patternless,” “Rather See None,” etc.). I personally prefer these latter, but the other cuts have grown on me with repeated listens.
The first solo effort from DEAD KENNEDYS guitarist EAST BAY RAY, and it’s a good ’un. “Trouble in Town” would make a good theme song for a spaghetti Western, with its plucky Spanish-flavored guitar, siren-like backing vocals, and plaintive singing; “Poison Heart” is a bittersweet, atmospheric number with some semi-psych guitar. Tuneful and original.
This new DROOGS 45 features a classic ’60s-inspired original with belligerent singing, loud guitars, and boss background vocals in the choruses. The B-side has a suitably raunched-out live version of the old VELVET UNDERGROUND chestnut. “Change Is Gonna Come” is truly wonderful.
This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great!
DIAMANDA GALÁS is a performance artist who relies on multi-layered vocal effects à la LAURIE ANDERSON, but whereas the latter speaks in soothing tones, GALÁS screams, gags, and shrieks in the piercing ONO-esque tones of an animal being electrocuted. While smoother and less intense than her previous 12″, this album is essential for addicts of the truly primal. Besides, it’s the only record I’ve heard lately that’s left me standing in the middle of my bedroom sweating and staring at the wall.
An unusual release, both musically and lyrically, DEATH PIGGY’s sound is discordant and diverse, and ranges from relatively straightforward funnypunk with weird vocals (like “Fat Man” and “No Prob Dude”) to off-the-wall raps (“Eat the People”) to brief acapella chants (“G.O.D. Spells God”) to permutations of the above (“Mangoes and Goats” and “Splatter Flicks”). Not at all typical.
I can see Greg Shaw having multiple orgasms over this one! The CORSAIRS play soft, ’60s-inspired pop with some decent melodies and harmonies, but the wimpoid overall sound and obtrusive piano severely detract from their potential appeal. Someone should crank up their guitar amp and trash the keyboards.
Wild, abrasive power that blares out with growling punches of intensity. Snarling guitar distortion and rapid chord changes smack down crucial crunches of feverous exertion, as vocalist Eric rasps out harsh grumbles of throat-bursting ferocity. Fast thrash with raw sonic slaughterings of chaos, thrusted with convulsions of strong lyrical stamina. Only a few bands can excite with C.O.C.’s tough-sounding power. Earth-shattering and ear-blasting.
I think this falls into the industrial category because of its starkness, repetitive rhythms, loops of breaking glass, and obsession with radiation death, but it’s much more musical than most industrial music. “Maya” has a wonderful rhythm (even if the vocals sound too much like JOY DIVISION’s Ian Curtis), but it was this song that got me to listen to all of it, many times. A compelling effort, eerie and rather listenable.
Was it worth the wait? Fuck yes, says I! Song after song kicks ass with a metal-punk sound that doesn’t teeter over too far into lame guitar sololand. Lots of power, a tight delivery, and especially intense vocals add to a great release from the BATS.
This selection of material, recorded between 1982 and ’83, both reveals ANTI’s strong points and suggests areas for improvement. The upbeat compositions (like “We Will Die”) and the short thrashers seem to burst with energy, while others (like “Media Scam” and “Backfire Bomber”) seem lethargic and just sort of sit there. A decent, though inconsistent release.
