The Samples Dead Hero EP
Second release, pretty ordinary power-chord punk. Bring back early STIFF LITTLE FINGERS.
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Second release, pretty ordinary power-chord punk. Bring back early STIFF LITTLE FINGERS.
A brilliant punky follow-up to their excellent rockabilly-tinged debut. The double guitar power really grabs you, but the Straps also have a knack for writing dynamic, unforgettable tunes. “Brixton” is a mini-masterpiece dealing with Britain’s recent riots.
Like their last single, this latest EP by the SUBHUMANS (UK) offers one excellent ’77-style punk cut and three good examples of filler. There’s no doubt that “Religious Wars” has it all. Inventive guitar-work, manic velocity, and scathing anti-religious lyrics; unfortunately, the other songs imitate generic Brit-punk.
This record demonstrates improvements over the VARUKERS’ very good debut, and also a development from their early DISCHARGE influences. “Dance Till Your Dead” maintains a thrashy power with added melodic complexity, though “I Don’t Wanna Be a Victim” seems more ordinary. All in all, the VARUKERS mix energetic songs and powerful production with astute, intelligent lyrics.
The TV PERSONALITIES (a.k.a. the TIMES, the GIFTED CHILDREN, TEENAGE FILMSTARS, etc.) perform a truly charmed version of “Geoffrey Ingram” here, a perfect pop song from the HERMAN’S HERMITS camp of pop music. The wry human commentaries which made their early singles so disarming, however, are missing from “And Don’t the Kids Just Love It” and the mildly catchy, psychedelic “Three Wishes.” For TVP fans.
Some feel that VICE SQUAD is falling into the morass of contemporary post-punk. Not quite yet. Stand Strong Stand Proud, despite several throwaway numbers, clashes with social malignancies like vivisection (“Humane”), political passivism (“Freedom Begins at Home”), and the steady erosion of punk values (“Out of Reach”) with power and complete credibility. In addition, Beki’s point of view provides a welcome contrast to the typical male-dominance in modern-day hardcore. Highly recommended.
Slow punk verging on post-punk. These songs are powerful and rather hypnotic, but they don’t match the band’s irresistible “No War” on the Punk Is… cassette LP. Singer Tez is dedicated to disseminating obscure punk through his Retaliation Records enterprise, so support him and buy this 45.
One cut each by EXPLOITED, CHRON GEN, and INFA-RIOT. All I can say is, “Bring back SHAM 69!” Secret must have the worst taste in punk.
Not as accessible as the first two BIRTHDAY PARTY LPs, Junk Yard meanders into the nether realms of dementia, violence, and sex. The style here reminds one of the POP GROUP, but this is only a comparison of convenience; the predominately dirge-like song on this record captivate your attention with their originality and unusual lyric concerns. An acquired taste, though worth an investment of time.
Deathly industrial noise abounds on this well-recorded tape, a document of SPK’s last American tour. Simply the best band of its type, SPK runs through their disturbing pop music parodies and every manner of human atrocity, and always with that dynamic tribal beat in the background. The show must have really fried their brains in Lawrence, Kansas. This cassette is extraordinary.
SPK, utilizing their encyclopedic knowledge of sound and its relation to specific emotional states, hit the bull’s eye with this landmark industrial music release. Leichenschrei takes perfectly orchestrated chunks of noise, modulates them with a powerful percussion section, and even adds little shreds of humor for the hell of it. The result: industrial music-making that, instead of isolating the listener, involves them. One of the three or four best LPs of 1982, no question about it.
Classical punk from Holland. The vocals are nice and rough, but the guitar is too clean to scrape the wax out of your ears. Not as good as their well-rounded Dead Entertainment LP.
This compilation from the Netherlands features seven bands, the hottest being the OUTLAWS, NITWITZ, and AMSTERDAMNED. Runs the gamut from ’77 punk to full-tilt thrash.
Another one for collectors. Sound quality varies a lot, but contains some unobtainable punk from Poland, Germany, Italy, Finland, etc. Including incredible hardcore from Brazil’s OLHO SECO.
26 hardcore punk and abrasive post-punk cuts from Sweden, Finland, Italy, Brazil, Norway, England, and the US. Sound quality varies. A must for those who want to keep up with the worldwide spread of the punk plague.
Twelve groups from Scandinavia presenting punk and thrash, including the great TERVEET KÄDET and KAAOS. Finland rules, OK?
Hard Finnish punk, ’77-style. “Totuus” is almost fast enough to be thrash; the others are slower. Nice buzzing guitar.
This group’s first EP had a certain charm that they have now replaced with a leaden sound like that of label-mates ANTI-PASTI. The result is pretty nondescript.
With a name like DISEASE and a song title like “No Future,” this record has to be punk, right? Wrong, it’s weak post-punk with squeaky-clean guitars. This is about as wimpy as ORANGE JUICE, so someone ought to sue them for false advertising.
Doom with a very fast beat. Don’t say that these guys didn’t warn us if someone drops the big one, because this is the second LP (they also have four 7″ers) that hammers away without mercy at the potential hell of nuclear holocaust. The songs here tend to be a bit similar (repetitive riffs and some heavy metal guitar), but the delivery is so powerful, the words so convincingly committed, that it’s a winner. Much like watching a huge fire—horrifying, but riveting at the same time.
A bona fide classic, manic thrash punk of the most intense kind. This EP demonstrates that DISORDER is the very best punk group in the UK and the only one that can even approach Yank outfits like MINOR THREAT and the FARTZ in terms of sheer power. If you get only one English record from 1981, this should be it.
The new release by the UK version of the PLASMATICS may contain the best song they’ve ever written (“Alternative”), with its snappy hook-laden chorus, raw power, and—perhaps strangest of all—intelligent lyrics. Unfortunately, the flip exemplifies their usual mediocre standards.
RAMONES clones who sound more like the LURKERS except for some obvious vocal touches. Even so, these are the type of good poppy tunes that “da brudders” don’t seem capable of producing these days. I guess that’s a recommendation.
Lots of really fast HC stuff here, but you can’t tell what they’re singing about—no lyrics sheet. But maybe it’s better this way. I’m afraid to know what these “geniuses” are saying. Cover says it all.
GBH are real fast and real powerful, but for some reason I’m not wild about them. Their songs just are not that distinctive and I have a nagging feeling that they’re all form and no content. Even so, “No Survivors” is one of their best efforts to date.
Disappointing. The sound is certainly heavy enough, but it’s too slow to keep up with their first thrash EP. Thematically sound but musically average, and I could do without another version of the HEARTBREAKERS’ “Chinese Rocks.”
Your basic English punk here—steady beat, drone guitar, political protest lyrics. B-side “Working Class” is catchy. Good-looking sleeve, but best part is the name of the label.
By no means special, but a vast improvement over their first heavy metal-punk release. Increased speed is the differentiating factor rather than improved songwriting.
A bunch of losers from the DAMNED, DEAD BOYS, and SHAM 69 band together and prove they’re not has-beens. This is a really original record featuring irresistible hooks, tasteful psychedelic guitar work and enough snottiness in the vocals to hold down the pretension. A pleasant surprise.
It’s got those UK punk choruses OK. Straight-ahead delivery, but not as supercharged as their first release.
Very clever and very funny, but all too typical from a music standpoint. Except for the thrashed-out “Got Any Wrigley’s John?”, it’s the humor that makes this one stand out. (Not the award-winning title: “I Lost My Love to a UK Sub.”)
Awesome thrash punk from DC. This band has the kind of power and commitment that most groups only dream about. Not only does this blast right off the turntable, but the songs really stand out. One of the two or three best releases of 1981, no doubt about it.
Medium-tempo SF punk with anti-war lyrics (I think), a few experimental touches (especially on “Mercs for Hire”), and a guitar that could use a helluva lot more distortion. The main problem here is the lack of any discernible passion.
Weirdly-structured guitar raunch crammed with cynicism. Some of the cuts are fast (“Red Brigade”) and some are slower with herky-jerky rhythms, but all of them stimulate thought. The vicious critique of fashion-clone punks (“Mohawk Man”) is alone worth the price.
An extremely talented ’60s band from Riverside, CA that eventually immigrated to England to seek fame, fortune, and appreciation. This album, which contains some valuable unreleased material, showcases their evolution from a raw blues band with punk overtones (side 2) to a powerful, guitar-oriented group with Asian influences in the YARDBIRDS’ vein. Innovative records like this don’t age with the passage of time.
I read that the URINALS decided to change their name so they could get gigs, but apparently it also signaled a change of musical direction. Only the speedy “Dyslexia” reminds one at all of the old URINALS on this EP: the others are examples of their slower neo-psychedelic approach. Personally, I’d prefer the return of the greatest garage band in the world, but then what do I know?
If you long for those great Irish punky pop groups like the UNDERTONES, RUDI, and the MOONDOGS, you’ll love this one. In addition, this Wisconsin bunch is that rarest of birds—a political pop band (“Make the Rules”). A minor classic in a currently neglected sub-genre.
Fast synth/drum-machine music with politicized lyrics, sort of like punk without guitars. Interesting, but not for the narrow-minded.
Power pop with real power. Loud, jangling guitars and exceptional catchiness make “Friends” one of the best examples of this style in a long time. The flip is more mundane, but the OUTLETS are getting better with each release.
A really cool debut. “West Coast” is a satirical look at the California punk phenomenon which parodies the ADOLESCENTS’ “Kids of the Black Hole.” The flip is more strong mid-tempo punk with a short bridge that reminds me of the TURTLES! Recommended.
Wild thrash punk in the FARTZ tradition, minus the distinctive songwriting. For some reason, only “Fight Establishment” and “Go Die” really stick in my head later, probably because of their strong choruses. Still, this EP is raw as hell and has great lyrics.
A thinking person’s punk 45 from Philly. Two politically sophisticated songs, one a thrasher (“Apathy”), and the other slow and measured with a focus on the half-spoken, half-sung vocals. Recommended.
“Wherewolf” is yet another entry in the SoCal shock-horror-punk sweepstakes. It’s pretty good if you like that genre, and I guess it was inevitable that LA punk would branch out somewhat. “Shapes” is a pedestrian punk cover of the old YARDBIRDS’ classic.
Short snatches of New York thrash with heavy echo on the vocals. Not particularly original, thematically (“Hardcore Rules”) or musically, but such efforts still deserve support.
Representative English punk circa 1982, with gruff Oi-influenced vocals grafted onto a typical punk background. “No Escape” is fucking hot, the rest merely ordinary.
Generic Oi with a five-year-old theme and a banal sound. Too little, too late.
The best of the “skunk” bands comes up with a second terrific release. On this one the guitar sound isn’t quite as heavy and dense, but it’s more than compensated for by the accelerated tempo. A must.
Super lame. Boring songs, weak guitar, and a general lack of imagination make this a waste of vinyl. CHRON GEN were much better on their debut EP, before they allowed themselves to be overproduced. Live and learn.
A wild thrash attack makes this one a necessity. Better than 90% of the current crop of Britpunk. Why are there so few bands like this over there?
A great record that sounds exactly like CRASS at their vitriolic best. I’d swear it was CRASS if I didn’t know better, but I am convinced that CRASS have mastered the cloning process. Seriously, this is intelligent raw noise with a militaristic beat, so march out and buy it.
