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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!
Hard-edged power-pop with definite Mod influences. The vocals are a bit reminiscent of early Jonathan Richman, and the music also has traces of those MODERN LOVERS, along with the early Jolt and Jam. Unfortunately, they try to cover the TROGGS’ “Lost Girl,” which proves to be a disastrous failure, but then nobody is quite like the TROGGS.
More fun and games from these noisesters. Their message emphasizes mankind’s idiocy, and it comes through loud, clear, and inescapably in the lyrics and music. In the best punk tradition, they irritate people, especially punk rockers.
If you thought the SEX PISTOLS’ sound was dead in 1983, you’ve got “a lot to learn,” because this Southern California group is the mirror image of the PISTOLS stylistically. They’ve got the same crunching rhythm attack and wall-of-sound guitar (courtesy of Steve Jones’ production?); on the Rotten one’s vocals are missing. Highly recommended for nostalgia buffs.
Ohio’s OFFBEATS provide eight lunging melodies of eager exhilaration and swiftness. Strong voltage carries a cargo of stimulation and singalong strutters with scorching boom-crazed guitar. Action-packed juices flow wildly with each agile OFFBEAT firebolt. Like the label states, “Smell the fun.”
Norway’s BETONG HYSTERIA takes a base of gruff ’77 punk drive and overlays it with pulsating quasi-psychedelic guitar playing. The effect is both very appealing and somewhat unique, so look for this one.
Another hot debut from New York with lots of fast, raw thrashers that compare to the best of MDC and CAUSE FOR ALARM. The songs are unpredictable, but the lyrics to “Foreign Job-Lot” are suspect, to say the least.
Good production and fascinating song structures distinguish this new release by ARKANSAW MAN. Post-punk influences are softened by lively tempos and the addition of a brass section, and there’s certainly more than enough originality on this record to make it a solid contender.
This is the obligatory slag review. Basically, this new BAD RELIGION album totally sucks, unless you like slickly produced early ’70s wimp rock. After playing it, I hurled it out the window, into the unknown.
A surprising follow-up to their great garage thrash debut. Here, these New York boys rap it up with lots of effects and a certain ethnic flavor, and also include a dub version. Punk should meet rap more often, but it may not be for everybody.
BETTER LIVING’s vocals verge on the psychotic, and they’re enhanced by frantic, spastic instrumental outbreaks. I’ve got to say that this stuff is absolutely berserk and wonderful!
A bunch of 13- and 14-year-olds, bored with the beauty of the Monterey peninsula, crank out some primitive, amateurish thrash. The production on this homemade tape is so bad that it’s hard to decipher the songs, but there’s plenty of compensatory youthful spunk. For fans of recording in a breadbox.
Another Philly area band that provides evidence that a lot is going on in the City of Brotherly Hate. They offer somewhat unoriginal thrash, but perform it well for a young band. The music here isn’t nearly as goofy as their picture in MRR #8.
There’s some genuine sickness here, kids. Some of it’s slow, some fast, some jazzy, some thrashy, but all of it combines BEEFHEART-type weirdness (with slide guitar, even) and twisted punk humor to produce classics like “The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey’s Grave.”
CAPITOL PUNISHMENT finally raised enough money to put out an EP, and it’s well worth the wait. Musically, there’s three strong thrashers and one slow, measured mood piece (“Jody Is My Bloody Love”), all distinguished by Ralph’s amazingly raspy singing; the lyrics alternate between personal introspection (“Wrong Direction”) and the kind of straightforward political critiques that invariably drive the apolitical wimps into a frenzy. Hooray!
Blistering thrash with positive, idealistic lyrics. This is one of the best new bands I’ve heard since DRI. CAUSE FOR ALARM have the type of intense, committed attack that leaps out of the speakers and slaps you in the face to get your attention; then they get you thinking. You can’t expect any more from a punk band, so don’t ignore this EP.
Totally crude and psychotic garage stuff here. They’ve got amazingly primitive drumming, raw guitars, and lots of super-short outbursts of madness called songs. A delight for NEOS and early HALF JAPANESE fanatics.
Spunky teenage hardcore from Connecticut. CHRONIC DISORDER blast out fast semi-thrash punk which is infused with a garage aesthetic, youthful Rotten-esque vocals, and common sense. A real appealing limited edition debut.
A very interesting record. Musically, it’s mostly well-done thrash, with some slower, lighter touches thrown in. It sounds good. Lyrically, it’s an odd combination. There are progressive anti-capitalist (unite against the rich man and his power, manipulation) and anti-racist (don’t let them divide us by color) sentiments. But then there are some glaring contradictions too, such as religious fervor—the blaming of man’s evil (including homosexuality) on Satan, the apocalypse as predicted in the Bible, our need to accept “Him.” Anyone for the People’s Temple?
This is a raw ’77-style punk EP characterized by teenage vocals and an overall naive quality. At first, it seems laughably amateur, but after awhile, it really begins to grow on you, especially the cool title song. I like it, but listen for yourself.
DEAD HIPPIE present highly produced punk in a variety of styles familiar to Angelenos. Some of their material approximates thrash, some is metallish, and some falls into the horrific death cult genre. I suspect that these people have been around for a while, because there’s more here than can be found on a typical vinyl debut from a previously unknown band.
Hardcore that reminds me a bit of early SOCIAL DISTORTION, CH3, or YOUTH BRIGADE, while still retaining its distinctiveness. The DETONATORS use harmonies and what appears to be an acoustic-sounding guitar in their medium-to-fast-tempo songs, yet they have a lot of power and a certain edge. This album contains the classic “Do You Understand.” Great lyrics, too.
The title song here is a minor classic, and it sets the pace for a very high-speed record. Most of it is pretty good, although the drummer can’t quite seem to keep up with it all.
A blistering thrash attack, matched by very intelligent lyrics. These guys really shred, and their material belies the current clichés about “mindless anti-government” punk rock that are bandied about in some circles.
A very well-recorded and interesting release. Some of it is thrashed-out, but it mutates into several styles—heavy metal, jazz, power pop—without falling apart at the seems. The title song is a real standout.
Damn, those HÜSKERS sure can play! Their new EP elevates the musical brilliance of their last album to dizzying new heights. Not only are these songs loud, powerful, and creative, but Bob manages to produce the most extraordinary guitar sound—it actually shimmers. Buy this and keep yourself entertained for months.
This new IRON CROSS EP represents a step forward for the band. For one thing, the lyrics are vastly better, especially in “Wolf Pack,” where a stand is taken against mindless violence. For another, the songwriting is more developed. Finally, the production is much improved from a technical standpoint, though I personally prefer the gravelly guitar sound on their debut. “You’re a Rebel” is an amazingly catchy Oi chant.
This geek probably wishes he could be David Lee Roth, but he ends up sounding more like GG ALLIN due to sheer ineptitude. “Beer” is dumb old American garage punk , which is somewhat marred by a tacky synth solo; the rock ’n’ roll flip is too horrible to contemplate for more than two seconds.
This is weird but ultimately unsatisfying. The A-side consists of a medley of old soul songs done in a neo-psychedelic style, but these LOVE CIRCUS versions pale before the great originals (“My Girl,” “Car Wash,” and “Sex Machine”). The flip, which starts out slow and druggy, then snaps into a jangly overdrive, is considerably better.
A fuzzed-out bass and guitar are the musical hallmarks here, along with real echoey drumming. These guys unfortunately seem to have it in for hippies, who are the targets of three of the five songs on this EP, including a retarded racist diatribe against Yoko Ono (“Oh No”). Pathetic in the thematic department.
As most of our readers already know, the MINUTEMEN have a very innovative sound that combines funk, jazziness, and disjointed semi-thrash. On this new EP, they add some atmospheric psychedelic guitar and other forms of weirdness. I like some of it a lot, especially “Cut,” but most of it is too experimental for my tastes.
The second EP from this New York group, and it’s really quite powerful. There are only three songs, but each is delivered with strength and seeming conviction, with lyrics of a positive but militant nature. Dynamite.
Solid medium-to-fast-paced punk. The song titles are also in the older idiot punk mold—”She Won’t Cum,” “Jerk Off,” “Bust Yer Face,” etc. Hmmm.
The MORAL MAJORITY DANCE BAND present raunchy slow-to-mid-tempo garage punk on their debut EP. The vocalist sounds demented, the production is nice and raw, and the lyrics to the title song are very provocative: “There’s a little bit of a Nazi / In all of us.” Unfortunately, that’s all too true, in the sense that everyone has occasional attacks of righteous intolerance. A pretty damn good record.
The long-awaited NAKED RAYGUN EP has finally been released, and musically it’s a beauty. The songwriting is extremely imaginative, the vocals are unbelievably catchy, and the unique fuzzed-out guitar work sounds wonderful. The only problems here are one klunky track (“Swingo”) and some suspect lyrics in “Tojo.”
Even though I don’t always agree with their opinions, the NIHILISTICS provide more food for thought than 90% of today’s hardcore bands. And their music is as brutal, uncompromising, and cacophonous as their lyrical assault. This great album is jam-packed with raw, intense blasts of a furor borne of futility. It certainly doesn’t make for easy listening, but it rivets your attention and makes for provocative listening, which is ultimately a hell of a lot more important. A mandatory purchase.
Pretty intelligent stuff from this Modesto, CA band (no relation to North Carolina’s NO LABELS). Their music is bass-heavy, slower, and fuzzed-out. Interesting.
Well-done—but fairly standard—thrash. NO DIRECTION’s lyrics cover a wide range of subjects and, compared to what’s generally available in America’s stifling heartland, they’re a breath of crisp, cool air.
This band has joined WHITE CROSS on the Zero Degree label. They play straight-ahead punk with some flair. The production is rather thin, and the themes are a bit silly, but I think these guys will develop further with time. For now, this is a pretty good effort.
A lot of Boston bands sound great, but few—if any—have the political sophistication displayed by the PROLETARIAT on their debut album. I would liken them to the early GANG OF FOUR, both musically and ideologically, though the comparison shouldn’t be overdrawn. They create equally complex structures, but they replace GANG OF FOUR’s sparseness with a full-bodied sound and punky guitar power. In fact, they’ve mixed several straightforward punk blasts (like “Torn Curtain”) in with the other stuff. A fabulous record that renews my faith in Bosstown.
These two Seattle bands have a side each to get across their points. Live, the REJECTORS are the stronger band, but on this record they lack a certain explosiveness and come off a bit generic. On the other hand, the ACCUSED seem to have more snarl, zip, and variety here. Oh yeah, you’ll also learn why all Seattle punks say “do the Frog.”
This band contains some former members of Y.I.A. The vocals and lyrics are the most noteworthy qualities, as the music tends to lack a certain zip. “Sid Is Dead” is a classic cut, though.
This self-produced debut album is a 50/50 proposition. Half of it consists of adolescent punky pop with a bit (like “Do to Me” and “Lady on the Radio”); the rest is made up of wimpier stuff, including ballads (“Something for a Friend”) and awful commercial rock (“Every Love Song Ever Written”). I sort of appreciate the SCORE’s blatant amateurishness and naïveté, but I’m not sure if you will.
Not as dumb as the title might indicate. Most of the lyrics are typically “hardcore,” as is the music, most likely due to the fact that this is a brand new band (featuring Orlando on vocals). There’s one hilarious song here called “Maggots,” which is a real horror show.
These L.A. STAINS have been around for quite awhile, but they’ve only now gotten around to putting out vinyl of their own. It’s hard-hitting thrash with a lot of metal influences, including sledgehammer rhythms and lead solos. I was expecting more of the slower metal-type songs, but this record kicks ass. Not to be confused with the Texas STAINS (now MDC).
Slowish punk in a CRASS-like style, done exceedingly well. Their sound is minimal and cleanly produced, and there’s some great moody guitar work. For more info on TRIAL, see the report under “Northern California” in this issue.
The psychedelic sixties, maaan. These guys are from the slightly goofy school, mostly in the SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET/SYNDICATE OF SOUND mold. They have Americanized Jagger vocals, psych guitar, and then lots of bubbly percussion, which gives the record a lighter sound than the punkier stuff I love.
This is an example of creative guitar-oriented post-punk with real drive. It’s forceful and engaging in its own right, and it marks a welcome change from today’s standard punk formats. ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN should sound so good. Recommended.
Although the sound quality varies, this is one of those must-have regional compilations. There are plenty of keen tracks here from the likes of DIE KREUZEN, SACRED ORDER, the TAR BABIES, NO, MECHT MENSCH, the CLITBOYS, S.U.M., the CRUSTIES, and many more.
In general, this is much stronger than the first Eastern Front compilation album, especially in the production department. There are good performances by WASTED YOUTH, JFA, CH3, the FARTZ, CIRCLE ONE, BATTALION OF SAINTS, FREE BEER, the LEWD, and England’s CHRON GEN. The only drawback (again!) is the lack of an info sheet on the bands.
Nine bands from all over the US are featured on this compilation tape from a new alternative label. Most of them are in the thrash vein—the CLITBOYS, VIOLATION, the VATICAN COMMANDOS, POISON CENTER, the SKOUNDRELZ, EAT THE RICH, and CULTURAL BREAKTHROUGH—but MR. EPP appears to provide some humor and variation. Good show.
