This selection of material, recorded between 1982 and ’83, both reveals ANTI’s strong points and suggests areas for improvement. The upbeat compositions (like “We Will Die”) and the short thrashers seem to burst with energy, while others (like “Media Scam” and “Backfire Bomber”) seem lethargic and just sort of sit there. A decent, though inconsistent release.
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.
The most intense thrash album from LA in quite a while. The music is pretty generic, but it’s also plenty loud and fast. Lyrically, ANTI range from intelligent (“Fight War, Not Wars,” the title track, and “The Cycle”) to the semi-moronic WASTED YOUTH level (“Poseur” and “I Hate You”). Go for it if you can’t get enough thrash punk, but not if you’re searching for something unusual.
