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!
I hate to admit it, but the SLADE cover song on the A-side is a surprisingly effective merger of punk and metal-glitter styles, with its wall-of-noise guitar and catchy background vocals. The B-side is an excellent fast Britpunk number which already appeared on the ONE WAY SYSTEM album. Much better than anticipated.
The NEWTOWN NEUROTICS’ command of melodic ’77-style punk is reconfirmed with this single. They cover the RAMONES’ classic, but add explicitly anti-war lyrics in an effort to increase its salience as ’80s political punk; the change works, though the vocals aren’t as affecting as Joey Ramone’s. On the flipside, they reprise the splendid song from their debut single, “Hypocrite.”
The new RIOT SQUAD release features mostly faster songs. The super raw guitars are the best part; unfortunately, the drumming seems to hold back their momentum a bit. Not bad.
A very hard-to-find English debut. POTENTIAL THREAT are one of a new generation of British thrash bands that get ridiculed or overlooked by the “established” critics over there. Too bad! Though they’re not as intense as DISORDER or CHAOS UK, this EP contains some solid material and features a female vocalist.
Like their first 7″, this new SERIOUS DRINKING release contains a mixture of cool sing-along funnypunk (the title song) and silly quasi-ska ditties. The former is what makes this a worthwhile investment. Eye-catching cover, too.
“Let’s Be Free” leads in with a modified guitar riff from CRISIS’s classic “UK ’79,” and stands out for that very reason. The other tracks are tasteful, mid-tempo punk songs with political lyrics and good melodies. I particularly like their critique of the Special Air Service (S.A.S.), Britain’s rough equivalent of our Green Berets.
Melodic Britpunk at its contemporary best. The UNDERDOGS combine a rich, powerful guitar sound with strong tunes and come up with a winner on their debut EP. “Dachau” is a timely reminder that medium-tempo punk songs can grab you when they’re infused with imagination and a slight poppish sensibility; “Dead Soldier” is fast and eminently hummable.
Fast punk and thrash that’s well-produced and snappy. The guitars sound great here (as they do on most English recordings), and the songs have that little extra something that makes them memorable. A pretty good album from the UK.
Reasonably fast Britskunk that sounds a bit too much like GBH for my taste. Still, the title song is particularly hot, with its great sing-along choruses and classy guitar frills; “No War No More” is almost as good. Likable, but not groundbreaking.
Eighteen previously unrecorded young bands that range from ’77-style punk to thrash to current Britpunk to Oi. The quality of the material and sound varies, but most of it is absurdly predictable. I like SOLVENT ABUSE, the ABORTED, and DEVOID the most, but there certainly aren’t any classics here.
A lot different than their post-punky LP. This 7″ features quite decent English-sounding punk with some great hooks and an engaging style. They also do a couple of thrashers.
Mono-dimensional but well-produced German punk. BLITZKRIEG favors a basic mid-tempo attack with some join-in background vocals and a female lead singer, but the amateurish drumming puts a bit of a damper on the proceedings. “Auschwitz” has well-taken lyrics criticizing popular inertia in the face of genocidal horrors.
An extremely likable thrash album from Germany that’s well-produced, powerful, and full of great hooks. At times, the wall-of-guitar sound reminds me of DISCHARGE or CHAOS UK. There are some slow songs, but most of them really rip.
Well, hardcore thrash it’s not! KOSILI play older-style punk that’s quirky and sort of funny-sounding. The lyrics are probably funny too, but they’re in German and Italian so I don’t know for sure. That’s probably to be expected though, because these guys hail from the rarified atmosphere of the Swiss Alps.
1000-mph lightning darts. Rapidly flailing unbelievable lashings of tremendous thrash. But wait, bring that all to a screeching halt. The label states 45 RPM, which would make this the wildest vinyl in existence, but it’s actually 33. The music is still manic, uncontrolled fury busting out of the asylum, but the vocals become the rawest, severest case of throat growls and harsh havoc ever. At either speed, this four-song EP leaps forward with hammering rage and ecstatic swiftness, the caged beast unleashed.
CANALTERROR produce diverse hardcore material on their debut album, including full-tilt thrash (“Multis,” the title cut, etc.), Oi-influenced stuff (“Bonn-Duell”), ’77 punk with melodic guitars (“100 Mann”), reggae-punk mixtures (“Mallorca”), some cool rock n’ roll (“Hey”), and even a funnypunk version of “My Bonnie.” The guitars should have been emphasized more in the mix, but this record is still entertaining as hell.
Two bands share this 7″ slab. EU’S ARSE, who have a previous release, combine breakneck DISCHARGE-like repetitive riffs with unlikely-sounding vocals that suggest a poet gone berserk. IMPACT add a bit more variety, including fuzzier guitars and raspy vocals that mesh better.
HALSABSCHNEIDER remind me of a sloppier German version of the NEOS. They play 78-rpm garage thrash which stutters along incoherently and with considerable humor (except on the slow “Unser Lied”). NACHDRUCK, on the other hand, have a more controlled ’77-style punk attack with engaging choruses, more serious lyrics, and a occasional post-punk flourish. A good contrast.
Having lambasted Nazis and neo-fascists on their first two albums, OHL now turn their venom against the Soviet Union. I have no objection whatsoever to anyone attacking documented Soviet repression, but they’ve adopted an extreme right-wing approach worthy of Bavarian minister Strauss by including a sleeve cartoon suggesting that independent peace demonstrators are under Russian control. The remixed punk and thrash songs here sound great, but such ignorance doesn’t deserve support.
Medium-to-fast-tempo punk, with a bit of thrash thrown in for good measure. This live record is well recorded, and the band displays good musicianship, some neat guitar work, and strong vocals. On this record NO TAG succeeds in shedding their previous Oi approach, a change for the better.
Copycat Oi from New Zealand. That wouldn’t necessarily be bad, except that NO TAG end up with a glossy, overproduced sound like the 4-SKINS rather than the down-and-dirty growl favored by the likes of IRON CROSS and NABAT. The two cuts on side two far overshadow the band’s theme song.
Hard-driving melodic rock meets punk. The NILS remind me a bit of the WIPERS, in terms of the vocal qualities, the heavy guitar orientation, and the hooklines. A nice change of pace.
God, how many hot hardcore bands can there be in Italy? Here’s another ten-song power release, mostly in an American-style stop-and-go thrash mode. The lyrics are overtly political.
Highly political hardcore with a raw edge. The sound quality on this tape is pretty mediocre, so it’s not the best opportunity to judge this band, but they sound pretty repetitive here.
RIISTETYT continues to produce insistent cranks of compelling aggression, an invasion of rapid-fire artillery frenzied in a blizzard of thrash. This time, they come out more musical, glowing with a metal appeal, strong leads, and creative arrangements, but still with the velocity of a speeding train bombarding the tracks in quick pursuit. Another overwhelming blitz of amplified mayhem that shatters the senses and leaves the body spasmodic.
Ten songs of a political nature, most of which are pretty long (perhaps too long). The music is eclectic and rockish, incorporating funk, pop, jazz, etc.
A really unique German record. SOILET GRÜN employ a disconcerting combination of chaotic drive, shrieking vocals, raw production, and an undistorted guitar tone. The songs vary a lot, and the overall effect is vaguely reminiscent of the MEAT PUPPETS.
England’s SKEPTIX and one of Germany’s premier thrashers share this four-track EP. While SKEPTIX’s “Got No Choice” boasts a scorching delivery and good, trebly production, OHL’s “Spionage” ranks as the best song on the record, with its catchy guitar progressions and clever stop-and-go arrangements. The mid-to-fast-tempo hardcore on this release earns a strong recommendation.
The A-side here consists of crude straight-on thrash-and-bash, whereas the flip contains two raw Oi-influenced numbers. STOSSTRUPP have really improved since their appearance on the Die Deutschen Kommen compilation LP, and the screaming guitar mix on this record should be the envy of every hardcore band.
This is a good basic album. Most of the songs are fast punkers with catchy choruses and a buzzing guitar wall, though there are also thrashers (“Teenage Frust”), songs with slow breaks (“Traumer”), and slower numbers (“Führer”). “Vakuum” sets the musical tone for the remainder of the record, and the lyrics range from broader subject like police states to more immediate, personal topics like teenage frustration. Recommended.
Wild blistering insanity. A whirlwind of pile-driving quickness blasting explosive vocals at a sonic split-second rate; crazed grinding and drum crashing rapidly storms this band into an invading blizzard of frizzling thrash extraordinaire like DRI. Brutal non-hesitant lyrics (especially “Misfits Are Innocent”) keep the nervous system running amuck. This tape is a must.
One of Germany’s better bands follows their 12″er with another mixture of thrash and punk. All of it is competent, and some of it is especially moving. I love the cut entitled “The End,” which is moody and scary until all hell breaks loose. As the UPRIGHT CITIZENS say, “fuck their wars.”
Eight bands from Ottawa and possibly Quebec. Some are thrash (OUTBREAK, HERGS CORPS), some are punk (RANDY PETERS, MODERNES PICKLES), one is garage (the LAST PRAYERS), and the rest are experimental or HALF JAPANESE-type noise bands. Another eclectic regional compilation for the archives.
Raw, full of energy, recorded live from the punk festival in Brazil (November 27-28, 1982), and featuring nineteen bands scratching the vinyl in a brutal assault of blistering fury. Attacking, incinerating numbers by OLHO SECO, COLERA, LUZIO FINAL, HINO MORTAL, and FOGO CRUZADO surge forth in a stampede of bulldozing mayhem that is hard and abrasive, carrying a heavy momentum of unrelenting power. The live recording is the only thing that mars this effort.
From 1977-79, the AVENGERS were the quintessential SF punk band. Fronted by the electrifying Penelope Houston and powered by Greg Ingraham’s amazing guitar playing, they were far ahead of their time and, like many others in that situation, unable to stay together. Finally, this 14-song memento has been released for those poor unfortunates who never saw them live in their heyday, never got their first 7″ EP (included here), and/or never got their 12″ EP (alternative versions included here). Other tracks include unreleased studio outtakes and an incredible live version of “Fuck You” that totally destroys. A must.
D.I. have well-executed, concise songs with interesting but not necessarily innovative arrangements. There are a lot of obvious influences here—FLIPPER, ADOLESCENTS, CIRCLE JERKS, MISFITS—but the witty lyrics and good production make it plenty entertaining.
Nine bands, only one of which—ZMIV—appeared on the Als Je Haar… compilation reviewed last issue. Yet all of these bands are terrific as well, and indicate the depth of the new Dutch hardcore scene. On this 70-song tape of varying sound quality, one can hear the SQUITS, LÄRM, ZWEETKUTTEN, the VIKINGS, STANX, GLORIOUS DEATH, KNAX, and LA RESISTANCE.
Here are ten new hardcore bands from West Germany, without a sleeper in the bunch. Most of the bands thrash—E-605, RAZZIA, MASSAKER, SS ULTRABRUTAL, and HH MILCH are all great; OXENSCHWANZ is totally weird, and the others go off in a variety of directions. Well worth the time and money.
A contagious masterpiece. DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES ricochet outrageous doses of full horsepower across the cranium. Strong instrumentation provides an invincible attack of intense staggering speed, rawness, and momentum. An unrelenting, sustained guitar growls and whines, as crushing vocals lunge out notes of gnashing abrasive melodies. From Boston, the DYS rate high with the likes of SS DECONTROL and NEGATIVE FX. A shimmering release.
A very strong new release from Ohio’s NECROS. This album contains a few slow-fast metallic numbers; the rest consists of power-charged thrashers, including a remix of “Police Brutality” from their long-out-of-print debut EP. I don’t understand why Barry devoted so much lyrical attention to petty in-scene squabbles when he’s obviously capable of writing highly intelligent critiques with broader themes (like the title track), but this record should nevertheless appeal to all fans of forceful hardcore. Way cool!
Double-LP, to be exact. Out at last, seemingly a year in the making, it features 19 bands, most from the Midwest, and a few from the East. There’s some great stuff, so so-so stuff, and lost of variety in aggressive, abrasive punk styles. It’ll take too long to run down who does what, but you’ll undoubtedly find out for yourself, as it’s really affordable, and definitely necessary. But it’s murder on disc jockeys (finding the correct tracks).
From the City of Brotherly Love comes this great compilation. It features a few songs from ten bands (see the Philly scene report for a list), and includes all kinds of modern punk sounds. There’s out-and-out thrash, quirky punk, slower punk, faster punk, jazzy punk, etc. Mandatory listening.
This great band from Japan has been putting out records since 1979 (five 7″ers, one 12″ EP, and two LPs), but they’ve somehow escaped notice in the West until now. Their latest picture disc album is amazing, like those of the best Finnish bands. The slower songs are wickedly powerful and tuneful, with great wrenching guitar work, and the more numerous thrashers are awesome. Plus, Japanese production is the best in the world, so order them when Rough Trade begins distributing them.
The B-side is the star track here. It has the powerful, thrashed-out VARUKERS we’ve come to expect. They slowed it down on “Die,” which is somewhat disappointing, but it’s still tuneful and well produced. Watch for an upcoming album.
The STILLBORN CHRISTIANS, NO LABELS, BLOODMOBILE, and COC contribute about three songs each to this exceptional testimony to the variety and power of the North Carolina hardcore scene. Don’t miss out.
Real fine thrash from New England. It’s high-powered, creative, and fairly intense, but the melodies and semi-sung vocals still manage to escape obliteration. Add a strong production and some memorable hooks, and you end up with a release rivaling those of the LOST GENERATION and CIA in overall quality.
Five Florida bands share this record. HATED YOUTH are full of clichés, but have a really intense thrash sound; SECTOR 4 do both thrash and fast punk; MORBID OPERA are simultaneously weird, melodic, and garagy, and have female vocals; RAT CAFETERIA offer thrashy punk with gruff singing and some cool guitar leads; and ROACH MOTEL (who put out this entertaining EP) return with more garage thrash, including “My Dog’s into Anarchy,” the best funnypunk song to have appeared so far this year.
Where did they find these recordings? This tape contains lots of long-lost original psychedelic bands, including the BAD SEEDS, the CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND, STILL ROVEN, the LOST TRIBE, and a bunch more. Anyone interested in obscure psychedelic punk from the ’60s should look for this.
Powerhouse drumming is the only thing going for this Oi-punk release. ACTION PACT’s style changes so little from song to song that this four-track sounds like a retread of old material, except with plodding tempos and even a sax section on the title track. Boring.
“Bad Boy” is an incredibly boring CLASH-type “rock” song which is best ignored; the flip is a much faster pop-punk number with some sparkle to it. I still think the ADICTS are rapidly in decline, but it’s a bit too early to be certain.
