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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!
The PURPLE HEARTS return with three fairly pedestrian pop ditties that make one long for their older neo-Mod classics like “Millions Like Us.” This stuff isn’t really bad, it’s just totally unnecessary. Oh well!
You could easily become poor purchasing all the great records being reissued these days, and this one’s no exception. One of the most sought-after ’60s LPs, Orgasm is a great collection of English psychedelic pop music. Take some good songs and dub in the screams from A Hard Day’s Night and you get one of the most intense “live” albums ever made. Included are the original studio versions of “Smashed, Blocked,” “Just What You Want, Just What You Get,” and fantastic liner notes.
Yet another in a seemingly endless line of British punk records. Though this new group doesn’t really break any new ground, better songwriting ability lifts them above the pack. If you insist on rehashing a ’70s punk format in 1982, you’ve got to write memorable tunes to hold anyone’s interest, and MAJOR ACCIDENT occasionally succeed where innumerable others are failing. Cool recording, too.
This British band does it up like PRETTY THINGS/KINKS circa ’65 with a punk tinge you can feel. Nice sound too, crude like live. Betcha the BEATLES sounded this wild before they started making records. This outshakes most “mod” bands.
Standard Britpunk mining a heavy metal vein. This kind of thing has been done so often and so much better elsewhere that a record like this really has a hard time maintaining interest. Fast, loud, and tedious.
The third and final LP from this soon-to-become-legendary band. They Could Have Been Bigger Than The Beatles is a collection of outtakes spanning the whole TVPs career, a great collection of wimp pop gems, neo-psychedelic favorites you’ve never heard, and two CREATION covers, “Makin’ Time” and “Painter Man.” The price is worth the admission into Daniel Treacy’s mind. Buy and make them “bigger.”
This exciting British import combines the trashy songwriting of the CRAMPS with atypical hardcore energy and bite, resulting in a disarmingly effective debut EP. While all the songs are very good, “Valley” sets especially high standards in Halloween-style noisemaking. Also note the cheap price.
Great roaring post-punk with an abrasive sax, horror themes, and frantic drumming, especially on “Mind Disease.” “Nine” is more arty and hence less effective, but these guys have real potential. For early KILLING JOKE fans.
Another great-sounding Oi record from SPECIAL DUTIES, but regrettably they’ve exhibited completely reactionary values on this one. “Bullshit Crass” is an anti-CRASS diatribe which might be funny if these clowns did even 1/100th as much as CRASS to generate intelligence and help other bands. And what can you say about goons who consider CRASS—the ultimate anarchist group—to be “Reds”? Embarrassingly stupid.
It’s been a long time since their first single and the SEIZE haven’t come out of the garage yet. In the great tradition of slam, crash, and slobber, this EP has a nasty edge and should be played at high volume. Four great ditties are included, but “In For Me” is the standout track.
Ditto for this long-player. SPECIAL DUTIES have everything—ripping guitars, amphetamine speed, sandpaper vocals, catchy choruses—except the all-important brains. This time they rail against the “Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament,” asserting with jingoistic passion that they don’t want to die for a weak England! (Fellas, you were born about a century too late.) If the imbecility quotient wasn’t so high, this would be one of my current faves. As it is, I can’t recommend it.
TOTAL CHAOS specializes in a terse, powerful hardcore sound when they so choose, and this four-track EP is quite distinctive stylistically. Songs like “Factory Man” and “She Don’t Care” contrast well with the brooding protest of “I Die,” making this an atypical, though by no means outstanding record. No major developments since their debut.
A very lengthy reprise of the militaristic song that once appeared on the VIBRATORS’ second album, courtesy of original member Knox. The 45 rpm side has more punky spunk and guitar effects; the 33 rpm side is more brooding and bass-heavy. If you like the song (as I do) you’ll enjoy this, but it’s not exactly good value for money.
The second release doesn’t fare much better, “Three Cheers” being another OK instrumental; the flip is a lighthearted romp about vacations.
This is a cool punk record with pop overtones. The latter appear as melodic riffs laid over a buzzing mid-tempo structure, very reminiscent of the late, great CRISIS. The intro to “Never Say Goodbye” is lifted straight from “Boredom,” the Buzzcocks’ old chestnut. A little nostalgia never hurt anybody.
Well-recorded English punk. The guitars are loud and the sound is heavy, but the material is just too typical to sustain interest. Ho-hum.
The fourth and supposedly final Oi compilation LP is far from the best. In fact, I’d say they’re scrapping the bottom of the barrel here. Aside from fetching cuts by the BUSINESS, the OPPRESSED, ATTAK, SKIN GRAFT, and our own BLACK FLAG, as well as a magnificently funny poem by ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER (“Away Day”), the res is pretty disposable. Gary Bushell’s silly liner notes are well in character, but he’s got a lot of cheek trying to force BLACK FLAG into an idiotic Oi mold.
Two new releases by this relatively unknown band. “Dangerman” is supposedly from a forthcoming LP based on the Joe Orton screenplay, but this weak instrumental is not the TIMES’ finest hour. It’s backed with the fourth version of their cult gem, “Patrick McGoohan.”
Those who found Bullshit Detector 1 disappointing may be pleasantly surprised at the quality and intensity of this important double album set from the people at CRASS. The musical spectrum ranges from experimental and poetic right through to the trashiest of contemporary hardcore, and the tracks by BOFFO, RIOT SQUAD, and the SUSPECTS are worth the price of admission in themselves. In addition, you’ll find this to be the best document of the current British underground scene to date.
An American release of this, the second in the series of England’s best and most current independent singles. Contains cuts by VICE SQUAD, DISORDER, GBH, the EXPELLED, RIOT/CLONE, the ABRASIVE WHEELS, and many, many more. If you can’t afford to buy all the import 45s, this is the way to go.
Like the LAST RESORT album, this compilation suffers from weak production and generally lackluster performances. Only TDA generate real firepower with their speedy instrumental attack. The ACCUSED and the SEDATED also have their moments, but almost all the other groups have trouble writing a memorable tune. The biggest surprise here is that the newly reformed SKREWDRIVER—a seminal ’77 proto-Oi band—display little of the obnoxious punch that made older songs like “You’re So Dumb” so classic. On the whole, disappointing.
Super fast thrash, the characteristic Finnish hardcore sound. The BASTARDS have strong vocals and a nice wall of noise, but the weak drumming occasionally lessens the punch and the tunes tend to blur together. That doesn’t keep me from recommending it.
Powerhouse drumming seems to be the hallmark of this band. The songs on this EP tend to be in the older punk style of ’78, but it’s delivered with great intensity and commitment.
The missing link between LAMA and the younger Finnish thrash bands. KOHU-63’s newer material is considerably faster than the tracks on their ’77-like “Pelimanimusaa” EP. They certainly haven’t lost any drive or power, though some of the melodic hooks may have been trampled in the stampeding tempo. Still, a fine record, and check out the COCKNEY REJECTS/EXPLOITED parody (“Härpsälä Kids”) for a good laugh.
Fast classical-style punk with a chunky instrumental attack. It’s really good but not as awesome as some other Finnish hardcore releases. “Paskaa” is the standout cut, with its throbbing bass and drum beat.
Extremely biting ’77 punk with rough sandpaper vocals straight out of a horror film. This is really strong stuff and, best of all, it doesn’t evoke any close comparisons with other groups. Laryngitis rules, OK!
More ultra thrash from Finland. On this EP every individual song is manic and would sound super if played by itself, but it’s hard to distinguish between the various tracks when they’re all played back-to-back. I guess distinctive songwriting is what separates great thrash from good thrash, but this stuff is still pretty wild.
A raw one-sided thrash record with vocals that sound like they’re coming out of a covered garage can. In other words an extremely nasty debut with loads of promise.
Powerful Finnish thrash punk. The closest comparison is probably GBH, except that these guys are better. “Jos sota tulee” is the best of a bunch of great songs.
The newest release from these scene veterans, and they’re getting faster and more intense each time around. Given the youthful competition, it’s not surprising that this EP showcases heavy thrash stuff, and it’s well worth your attention. Watch for an LP soon.
More of the same great sound. The material here is very much like early DISCHARGE, only more garagey. I defy anyone to try and surpass T.KÄDET’S primitive guitar leads. Highly recommended.
With this release, T.KÄDET come of age and prove they’re among the world’s best hardcore bands. This well-produced record has everything—ultra tight thrash power, join in choruses, and lead vocals so demented they make the MEAT PUPPETS sound like the BEE GEES. The hottest punk EP released thus far this year, really.
“Osat” is a great punk song in the classic late ’70s tradition, complete with choppy fuzz guitar and cool background vocals, added for punctuation. Only the handclaps are missing. The B-side is slower and far less memorable, but this band is mining a rich if overused vein.
Unlike most Finnish bands, which pursue their chosen genre with a single-minded and frenzied dedication, 000’s debut is a mixed bag. Their crunching sound is applied equally well to thrash, mid-tempo punk, and even a couple of engaging post-punk numbers. It’s good to see experimentation, but I still favor the straight and nasty.
LAAHAUS and KAAOS have four songs each that shred to the max. (I’m getting desperate for adjectives here.) Really rad. VAPAA PÄÄSY, on the other hand, pale in comparison due to their wimpier sound.
Swedish thrash—sounds like WAR ZONE to me. Crude, abrasive, raw guitar and vocals. Definitely US-influenced.
The band now includes Joey and Dave from the other line-up, plus Dimwit and Wimpy Roy from the “other” famous Vancouver band, the SUBHUMANS. This record isn’t as frantic as Hardcore ’81, but it’s more typical of DOA’s live rock ’n’ roll, somewhat reminiscent of the old MC5. They also do some reggae, and covers of “war” songs by EDWIN STARR and the DILS.
Oi in one country is enough, nicht wahr? Boring.
The second album from an old Toronto punk band known for its cavalier offensiveness. Compared to their classic In Love with the System LP, which was filled with unforgettable satire like “Elvis Is Dead” and “No Beatles Reunion,” this new release is rather tame. Despite the personnel changes, the group retains its infectious pop-punk sound and its absurdly ironic quality, but the themes are much more pedestrian and much of the obnoxiousness is gone. I guess that’s “progress” for you.
Nine songs that absolutely rip. Very much in the DISCHARGE vein, as are many of the European hardcore bands. This one’s from Holland.
Punky pop-rock from Germany. The songs range from the heavy PROFESSIONALS-like pop of “Pest Club” to the PISTOL-ian “Rote Masque,” but they all have dense guitars and hooks aplenty. A mixed bag, but definitely worthwhile.
Cockney kids from Hamburg? Jawohl, mates! German teens from that city were highly influenced by the Brits in the ’60s—the BEATLES played the Star Club and the RATTLES emerged. In the ’80s, it’s NAPALM’s turn, right down to the accents and soccer chants.
A live recording from this German group. It utilizes a sax, but it’s not “arty.” The A-side has a hard-driving, sparse, “Peter Gunn”-like sound; the B-side is punkier and even stronger. They’re coming to the US in January.
This is the second album from this German group. It’s like meeting the VELVET UNDERGROUND and SUICIDE in a rainstorm. It isn’t gloomy either, it’s a lot of fun. They don’t get too wild but the rhythm is rigid. They even do “Louie Louie” without making it sound old.
Mid-tempo ’77 punk from this German hardcore band. If the guitars were turned up twice as loud and the vocals were more raspy, the NORMAHL might have something going here. This isn’t the case, so the results are less than satisfying. These is an appealing amateurishness evident here, but it’s not enough to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings.
Four songs, each with a different style. One is in the UK post-punk style, one is a surf standard, one is CRAMPS-ish, and the final one tears it up. Good female vocals, but unfortunate intrusion of the synth.
Basic ’77 punk with no surprises. I’m not sure why, but most German hardcore groups are still mired in the slow ’70s punk tradition. The SYSTEM display little power, no intensity, and undistinguished songwriting. “Knall sie ab” is the best of this batch of material, but someone should send these guys a MINOR THREAT or NECROS EP to show them how it’s done in the ’80s.
This West German band plays tight, hard, powerful punk and hardcore. Great record, along with all their previous releases.
The best garage punk album of the year. The SAMOANS have once again produced a brilliant amalgam of 60s punk, 80s punk, and heavy metal. The punchy uptempo sound, buttressed by three guitars and extremely belligerent mid-60s lead vocals is so dense that it’s well-nigh impenetrable, but it’s the SAMOANS’ exceptionally retarded sense of humor that really accounts for their perverse appeal. This brain-damaged approach is vastly better than the commercialized punk and self-conscious Satanic crap which currently dominates the LA scene, so don’t miss out.
