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A fine sounding debut. It’s got the classic SoCal punky thrash sound a lot TSOL and BAD RELIGION, mixing hard attack with pop sensibilities and clean production. They come off better on record than the time I saw live, when they indulged in some retarded sexist banter.
I really like this debut release by Atlanta’s DDT. They do two charged thrashers, two deranged post-punk numbers (side two), and an absolutely fabulous ’60s-style psycho-pop song (“Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”) That reminds me of the early LAST and is vastly better than most of today’s self-conscious neo-psychedelic music.
An eclectic mixture of material can be found on this EP—CLASH-type rock with horns and spiffy backing vocals (the title track); snappy punk with clever lyrics about future “punk” politicians (“Vice Presidente”); and a harsh critique of military recruitment set to slower CHELSEA-style material (“Professional Killer”). Multidimensional and thoughtful.
Three songs, three styles—rock ’n’ roll punk on the title cut, folk-heavy metal-punk on “Communisty,” and thrash on “California.” All are produced well and performed well, though they might be a tad too clean for THE END’s garage approach. A good basic release.
This four-track EP doesn’t live up to the EFFIGIES’ standard. The record’s title track has a notable guitar riff, and the thick, heavy metal-punk instrumentation keeps the excitement rolling; the compositions are less distinctive than usual, however. Rambunctious, but not exceptional.
Like their cool debut EP, JFA’s album is chock full of super enjoyable thrash tunes. Their songs, whether high-speed blasts or the occasional surf-style instrumental like “Baja,” are perfect for hot fun in the sun—skateboarding, surfing, drag racing and, of course, slamming and skanking. The main improvement here lies in the area of production—the guitar has more edge this time around. Even though they’re from Arizona, JFA are the California beach band of the ’80s.
This tape contains fourteen songs that shred musically and lyrically. It’s an all-out thrash attack that I highly recommend.
“Inside My Head” is an excellent example of ’78-era power-pop, with enough guitar punch to justify the “power” half of the term. It succeeds in generating a bit of misty-eyed nostalgia, but the lame flip features disposable white reggae-rock.
This new JONESES EP is a 50/50 proposition. Half of it is really lame rockabilly-type swill that seems to be aimed at the STRAY CATS’ trendy audience; the other half consists of raunchy guitar-oriented blasts in the HEARTBREAKERS mold, and it makes it worth hearing. Still, it should have been a 7″.
Garage punk (the instrumentation) meets early SoCal surf punk (the vocals), drops acid (the production), and voila! I really like this seven-song debut.
A good tape with original, intense thrash. The lyrics are pretty dark and depressing, but somehow they don’t crush you down, maybe because they’re obliterated by the screaming fuzzed-out guitar.
Strong ’77-type punk appears to be the LITTLE GENTLEMEN’s stock-in-trade. Side one contains two engaging guitar-heavy numbers with brain-damaged leads (“General Hospital”) or sing-along choruses (“Rant Rant Rant”); the flip has a more experimental number with a scratchy psyched-out guitar laid over a rhythmic bass and drum. Atypical.
As with their first record, the sound here is tight and raw, and the vocals rip. And as with the first EP, there are some good lyrics and some real losers—”Portland” and “Full of Hate” are sound critiques of politics, but “No â’¶” perpetuates the common misinterpretation of anarchy as a lack of order, and “She’s a Slut” exemplifies the old double standard at work.
Four new songs that come enclosed in a well-researched and informative fold-out sleeve. The music is in MDC’s intense, complex, stop-on-a-dime thrash style, but the vocals have developed into an amalgam of rap and hardcore phrasings. This latest assault by one of the world’s leading political bands, in terms of both beliefs and commitment, is strengthened by excellent production.
This sounds like ’79-style US punk with Debbie Harry singing. Most of the cuts put me off, mainly because of the poppy vocals, but I do like “Gimme More Distortion.”
A reprise performance by one of the great ’77-era American punk bands, Cleveland’s PAGANS. At first, I was put off by the “Recorded Live Spring 1983″ sticker on the cover, because a lot of their recent material has had an unappealing arty quality. But although there are some covers like “Seventh Son” and relatively subdued numbers (“Angela,” “Wall of Shame”) here, it also contains several raw garage punk blasts with exceptionally gritty vocals. Tracks like “Give Till It Hurts,” “Cry 815,” “Cleveland Confidential” and the classic “Dead End America” make this limited edition album well worth it, but I wish someone would release some older material from the vaults.
Great tape! Some of it is slow, painful FLIPPER-ish noise, and the rest is manic. There’s a helluva lot of feedback, whether droning or thrashing, and the vocals are cool. And how can you hate a band that loves to bowl?
A strong three-track outing that displays more ’60s punk influences than I’ve heard in them before. The title song and “Not Now Generation” are hammering metal punk efforts that remind me slightly of what the STOOGES might sound like today; the other number (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL’s “Fortunate Son”) is the most obvious ’60s connection.
The new MISGUIDED EP is louder and more powerful than their debut, but the off-kilter drumming tends to interrupt the momentum of these somewhat disjointed thrashers (especially “Defy Standards”). Mixing problems are involved, though a spirited amateruish quality characterizes the entire record. “Blacklist” has lyrics of considerable contemporary relevance.
Two songs in a fast, powerful thrash style (seemingly augmented by an organ), and two in a slower yet engaging style. Some of the lyrics are incomprehensible, even after reading them, and their live shows leave a lot to be desired, but this record is good.
The usual excellent Poshboy production adds to the impact of this Northern California punky-pop band. They have a powerful clean sound in the CH3 vein. The songs aren’t real short, but they don’t drag at all. All in all, a fine album.
It’s garage tape time. That term applies to both the sound quality and the thematic humor. SOCIAL REVENGE isn’t real tight, but they’re fun.
The GANG OF FOUR is the obvious reference point, but these guys add a more powerful and raw guitar sound to the funk rhythms, and occasionally break into more thrashy structures. The recording is excellent.
Yahoo! The most remarkable thing about this fine album is that the production is every bit as raunchy as it was on their four-year old debut EP. When you add that extra-grungy edge to the DICKS’ absorbing mid- to fast punk songs, heavily distorted guitar work, and gruff Texas vocals, you’re bound to have a winner. The drunkenness and political commitment come across clearly in the music, but gems like “Bourgeois Fascist Pig” deserve a lyric sheet.
A reissue of the provocative FEEDERZ EP with a new picture sleeve. In case you never heard it, it’s got innovative song structures, memorable hooks, and some of the most biting, “subversive” lyrics around. The easily offended should steer clear and stick to the trite and predictable; all others should rush out and buy it.
A mixture of fast and slow hardcore from a Wisconsin aggregation with a close relationship to the TAR BABIES. The arrangements are fairly complex, like those of DIE KREUZEN, and my fave cut is “Land of the Brave.” Watch for an upcoming TAR BABIES disc.
Nine urgent, powerful punk anthems on this EP, all enriched by elaborate, carefully conceived instrumentation and fine lyrics. The production does seem a trifle muddy, but it hardly restrains the inventive compositions here, which very often combine the pop elements of “classical” punk with thrash energy. Atypical and strongly recommended.
More varied and experimental than their previous outings, and it suffers for it. Overall, it’s not nearly as powerful or rocking; there are several bluesy or countrified numbers in place of their standard raw blasts. The standout cut is “You Lose,” which is great, infectious, and innovative rock ’n’ roll, with a bassline right out of the MOVE’s repertoire.
Instrumentally, SECRET HATE utilizes an interesting variety of thrash tempos, although two songs have a Latin or funk influence. The lyrics are appropriately vague and cryptic, a New Alliance trademark.
Another superb 7 SECONDS release. This new EP highlights all of their traditional qualities—raging thrash music, great tunes, intelligent and inspirational lyrics (more personally-oriented this time around)—and adds more guitar power, some new musical twists, and improved production. There’s a very noticeable MINOR THREAT influence in the vocal phrasing, but this is still Skeeno hardcore at its finest.
LEGAL WEAPON’s second album is a workmanlike collection of slow- to mid-tempo punk rock numbers made more enjoyable by fine female lead vocals. Hardly a revelation, it manages to hit the mark with nicely arranged rockers like “What a Scene” and “Equalizer,” and with ballads like “Only Lost for Today.” Some of these songs go on too long, and this release isn’t as evocative as their debut, but I found myself drawn in by the rich, guitar-oriented production and complex arrangements. Maybe you will, too.
Flying in the face of the anti-political, anti-peace reaction, ANTI fearlessly display a peace sign and a V-symbol on the cover of their second album. The lyrics continue the counterattack, meshing both general and personal politics to form an intelligent complement for their attack. The sound here is more refined and harmonic than that on their last outing, sort of like early CHANNEL 3.
This new EP showcases A.O.F.’s musical versatility. “I’ve Got Mine” is a relatively slow CLASH-influenced song with great dynamics and a quasi-psychedelic guitar that sporadically breaks into full-tilt thrash; “Wait” and “Buy This War” are intense, distinctive thrashers with innovative guitar interaction. A big step forward.
Competent thrash with a quirky edge, but the lyrics… yuk. “4 X the Fun,” like the cover art and the band name, revolve around the joys of gang rape. I suppose it’s just another punk “joke,” but in the offensive 6th grade style.
Disappointing. The new B. ARNOLD EP isn’t nearly as appealing as their old “Kill the Hostages” release. Stylistically, these humorous songs range from garage punk (“I Hate Sports”) to ’60s jams (“Hollywood”) to silly ska (“White Boy Sings Ska”), but the biting satire and an innovative cover concept aren’t quite enough to compensate for the lackluster musical attack.
A severely underrated Bay Area band, Angst specializes in intricate rock arrangements buoyed by occasionally hilarious lyrics. Such is the case here—songs like “Neil Armstrong,” “Pig,” and their soon-to-be-classic “Nancy” have a listless dementia about them that allows them to cross the boundaries of art-rock and funnypunk with equal ease. A fine effort, so buy it.
An excellent album by this long-standing Austin band. Solid production enhances the many musical styles this group bashes out with ease—thrash, funk, punk, pop, ballads, you name it. The words are barbed and confrontational, and Biscuit’s singing reminds me a lot of the UNDERTONES’ raspy vocalist. It’s a good ’un.
A pretty unremarkable release. All three songs are in the ’78 UK style and, though they’re adequately performed, no real enthusiasm is displayed and no cuts really stand out.
This is a bit better than the other UK records I was assigned this time. It contains some thrash and some older-style punk, all of which is delivered with considerable power. Personally, I like the live tracks best—they have a totally industrial quality to them, sort of like hardcore meets THROBBING GRISTLE.
Despite the silly cover, this is probably the best ENEMY release to date, mainly due to the excellent B-side. “Why Not” is a double-time blast with a distorted guitar backing that leaves the A-side spinning its wheels in the dust.
After their exciting debut EP, this effort ranks as a disappointment. Strong female vocals are amply supplemented by a fair song on the A-side (“Say No”), but the two B-sides are dismally produced and sound almost as if the band didn’t care what they were singing about—a lack of commitment that’s fatal here. Maybe next time…
Good latest effort by this metal-punk outfit that’s quickly gathering a bad rep as having an advanced stage of “Rockstaritis.” The B-side is especially strong and well produced.
’80s Britpunk at its unimaginative worst. This band plods forward uneventfully, spitting out hackneyed lyrical clichés along the way. It sounds like they don’t care, so why should anyone else?
A solid, committed seven-track EP from Surrey’s LOST CHERREES. Female vocals and a basic, well-balanced production complement this varied selection, but the straight-ahead rockers like “Real Crimes” and “Pain Relief” are the most effective of these highly political compositions. A fine debut, even if “No Flag” sounds for all the world like a punk version of “O, Christmas Tree.”
Though named after a group of 19th-century rebels who went around sabotaging industrial machinery in Britain, these LUDDITES have adopted a quasi-industrial post-punk approach in their music. Herein one can find measured tension, a heavy bass, interesting drum flourishes, and a somber overall attitude.
The MAU MAUS provide a strong argument in favor of the benefits of speed in modern punk music. They have fairly typical chord progressions, generic themes, and a rather annoying vocalist, but somehow the frenzied tempo compensates by keeping your arms and legs flailing about. “Facts of War” is a killer track.
A severe early CLASH influence, right down to the Joe Strummer vocals, mars the offerings on this band’s second 45. The better of the two tracks is “Fight to Win,” an unadventurous ’77-style punk number with a fair melody and uninvolving background choruses. This kind of thing has been down better elsewhere.
Inveighing lyrics highlighted by a raunchy hard-edged guitar sound that whines and grinds. The SYSTEM make a blend of melodies and vivid rhythms that are distinct and vivacious, a raw exhilarating sound similar to ANTHRAX or CRASS, but with a strength all their own. Good enjoyable music.
Can old hippies still produce good music? MICHAEL MOORCOCK proves that they can rise to the occasion with “Dodgem Dude,” a wonderful psychedelic blast with loud guitars and haunting background vocals. A really excellent cut, not equalled by the flip. Flicknife is an innovative little label.
Oh yeah? You must have lost it all before you recorded this. Actually, it’s not that bad at all—I just couldn’t resist. There are a few decent “skunk” tracks here, but most plod along with no special spark.
