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Please send one copy of 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. 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!
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.
Like their first 7″, this is garage pop from the deep Midwest. I’d classify it as garage punk if the guitar overwhelmed the Farfisa-type organ, but it doesn’t so I won’t. Pretty good in an unremarkable way, and the critical anti-conformist lyrics to “Zombie” prove that these Okies aren’t from Muskogee.
Superior thrash punk from SoCal with a roaring sound and more punch than most in a genre known for hitting power. Need I say more? Highly recommended.
MDC, formerly the Texas STAINS, are one of the most politically-aware punk bands around today, and this record has enough food for thought to gorge the average listener with ideas. The music is exceptionally fast but much more complex than the typical thrash attack, a combination that can be disorienting until the material becomes more familiar. My one complaint is that the mix emphasizes the vocals at the expense of the guitars, but this is still one of the year’s best albums.
Garage punk at its finest. Only someone as smart as Touch and Go fanzine editor Tesco Vee could be responsible for something this trashy. With its gritty sound and themes like infanticide, repressed sexuality, and Beatlephobia, this EP is guaranteed to offend anyone with a speck of decency, so buy two and send one to the moral puritan of your choice. Me, I’m sending a copy to Senator Jesse Helms (R-North Carolina).
A mod-punk hybrid which is kind of catchy but too wimpy to have much impact. At least it’s different.
A new political punk group whose music isn’t yet wild enough to shake you up, though “Death to Humanity” comes close. “Bottled Oi” is notable for its ironic feel and its vicious critique of Oi mindlessness.
One of the truly magnificent records of 1981, which inexplicably received almost no media attention. 12 thrash garage tunes (a new subgenre) like the best of the MEAT PUPPETS, but with political themes. It’s really too great for words, so get it if you can find it.
Depressing. Once a great guitar-heavy pop band, RUDI has now resorted to sickening keyboards. Just because the UNDERTONES added strings doesn’t mean that it’s OK for other Irish groups to get wimpy. Shoot the synth player.
A better-recorded 11-song follow-up to their first release, but loses speed and rawness in the process. A bit more post-punk influence here, and a bit more repetitive, but still strong.
Great funnypunk with a powerful sound and Oi vocals. This is the kind of record that it’s uproariously fun to sing along with, especially if you’re drunk.
“Big City” is a really outstanding cut, fast and with a ’77-style chorus. The rest is generic English punk rock.
An oddball release from a new funnypunk group featuring brilliant satire (“No Russians”) and a snarling song sans guitars and bass (“Revolution #10″). Atypical and recommended for that reason.
A strong debut for this group. Real fast standard punk throughout, none too original, but better than most.
A band that’s really deteriorated since their first two EPs. This new one, though not as bad as its immediate predecessor, barely halts the downward spiral. Beki seems bent on taking the same route as Siouxie, and the band appears content to follow lamely along. Only “Tomorrow’s Soldier” packs a real wallop because of its straightforward nature and louder guitars.
The third 7″ from one of my favorite Oi bands. Though their amazingly gruff vocals and speedy tempo again lift them above the usual fare, none of these tracks is as irresistibly catchy as “Violent Society.”
Whether you call this slow punk or fast post-punk, it’s got a certain flare. The buzzing guitars in “Fugitive” are attention-getting, and the melody line sticks in your head. Give it a listen.
Manic thrash punk with gravelly Oi singing. With its speed and intensity, this is probably the best record yet from Sweden. They thank BLACK FLAG, the DEAD KENNEDYS, DISORDER, and Dischord Records on their info sheet, which should give you some idea of their influences.
Cuts by UK groups VICE SQUAD, ORGANIZED CHAOS, ABRASIVE WHEELS, COURT MARTIAL, CHAOS UK, DEAD KATSS, RESISTANCE 77, HAVOC, MAYHEM, EXPELLED, TDA, UNDEAD, LUNATIC FRINGE, CHAOTIC DISCHORD. A few previously released tracks, most not. Pretty good collection. Favorites are by HAVOC and CHAOTIC DISCHORD.
Possibly the fastest thrash garage punk ever recorded. So fast that the music cannot be structurally confined and sometimes degenerates into total noise. Some might think it’s too fast, but I really like the NEOS’ combination of aural chaos and political conscience.
A ska-ish band from SoCal. I was prepared to hate this, but it’s not all bad. “Disarm” is fairly straight ska, but “Destiny” is an engaging ska-punk fusion with a super fuzz guitar. Progressive lyrics provide a further bonus, so check it out.
Boston is happening! SS DECONTROL fired the shots heard ’round the world and generated a thriving hardcore scene. This great album shows why, with its ferocious thrash assault, committed delivery, and intelligent radical lyrics. Fan the flames!
A strong new release from the only real underground label in New Orleans. This EP offers ’77-type punk with a bite. Worth your attention.
LA Satanic chic by 45 GRAVE’s lesser shadow. “Become a Pagan” is a fast, haunting chant with spooky vocals that would provide an excellent soundtrack for pagan ritual dancing. The rest are slower dirges better suited to luded-out covens.
A huge disappointment. This is so lame it’s hard to believe TSOL put out one of the best punk EPs of 1981. “Man & Machine” is alright punk, “Statues” is embarrassingly wimpy and pretentious, and the others sound like substandard out-takes from the LP.
This female trio from Austin plays melodic, harmonic music. But underneath that soft exterior are fine poets who say the obvious but not so obvious. “Men in Politics” is a gem.
This band successfully combines punk and hardrock, much like early GENERATION X and SUICIDE. Some tasty guitarwork and nice fuzz, one of the few bands to make longer songs tolerable. B-side is weak.
“Life Is Cheap” is cool garage punk with hilarious lyrics, and “Expectations” is punky enough to be OK. The rest is basic rock of the most boring type.
A fantastic group with a chunkier sound and a slightly slower thrash attack than MINOR THREAT. “Pay No Attention” is an awesome musical steamroller and this EP would be perfect if they’d included the classic “I Object,” but you can’t expect everything.
LA punk with female lead vocals. Stylistically, it fluctuates between modern thrash and more traditional punk. Surprisingly good for unknown band, and the song about Oki Dog—the infamous punk grazing ground—is hilarious.
The hype surrounding FLIPPER has already reached nauseating proportions, and I have no intention of adding to it. If you’re downed out, you’ll like their abrasive slow numbers and if you’re straight-edge, you’ll probably prefer the fast abrasive tracks (“Living for the Depression,” “Nothing”) that they seldom do these days. FLIPPER was much better back when this album was recorded, before they started taking themselves too seriously. After all, any joke—no matter how effective—ceases to be amusing if it’s told too often.
The best band from Hoosier territory since the PANICS and the early GIZMOS. The ZERO BOYS have managed to combine elements from the ’60s punk-STOOGES axis of their first EP (especially the great vocals) and ’80s thrash without losing anything in the process. This well-recorded album is varied enough to hold the interest of punk afficiondos from all eras, no small achievement.
The ZIPPERS return with a whimper rather than a bang, as might have been expected. This is undistinguished pop-rock without the faintest glimmer of originality. Ray Manzarek ought to be ashamed of his sickly production.
A strong release of exceptional historical interest, but one that’s a bit erratic and not always up to the standards set by Dischord’s awesome 7″ catalog. This record includes outtakes from all the core bands, as well as a sample of material by defunct bands like the UNTOUCHABLES and new outfits like those on side 2. The thrash material ranges from good to great (MINOR THREAT, YOUTH BRIGADE) and the experimental punk of RED C and VOID is noteworthy for its power and originality. Oi clones IRON CROSS are a bad joke and the grooves are too compressed to yield maximum power, but these are minor gripes about a hot compilation.
An anti-violence compilation from the kids at Better Youth Organization—the folks that put on shows at Godzillas. Features tracks from LA, Santa Barbara and San Diego bands SOCIAL DISTORTION, JONSES, Youth Brigade, AGRESSION, ADOLESCENTS, BLADES, BATTALION OF SAINTS, and BAD RELIGION. Strong album, but not as thrashed-out as one might expect—tending more toward the melodic, but still hard. Great production. Pick it up.
We’re in no position to be objective about this one, since we compiled it. All we’ll say is that it features 47 Northern California and Nevada bands (a few known elsewhere, most not), and ranges from hardcore to garage. All cuts previously unreleased. Comes with 48-page zine on the bands.
This one’s probably the best US hardcore compilation available. The material of course varies in quality, but all of it cooks. It’s pretty hard to choose, but GANG GREEN has the fastest and most intense thrash attack, though JERRY’S KIDS come close. On the other hand, the PROLETARIAT and F.U.’s (especially “Preskool Dropouts”) have the most perceptive lyrics. The FREEZE combine original music with intelligent content, and DECADENCE weigh in with a critique of mindless, ultra-violent slamming. All in all, a great introduction to Boston’s finest (excepting SS DECONTROL, who don’t appear here).
Reactionary bikers posing as punks put out a second heavy metal 45 as pathetic as their first. All the record industry hype and rich backers in the world won’t make these do-dos popular unless punks have become as undiscriminating as conventional rock fans.
Another excruciatingly boring release from this overrated band. Their attack is a slow-motion one, and I can hardly stay awake till its conclusion. The wimpy pop sound on this 45 makes it even worse than their usual offerings.
Standard UK punk, slow and passionless. “Future Girl” has a unique intro and cool ’60s guitar break, but on the whole this effort isn’t as strong as their 1980’s debut. The vocals sound like Gene October of Chelsea.
A new 10-song EP from the DC area. Half of it is the standard DC thrash—pretty good but not outstanding. The other half consists of short bursts of concentrated noise with a stop/start arrangement, sort of like the MINUTEMEN. Mail away for it, because you probably won’t find it in the stores.
