The Squirt

Reviews

The Squirt Men and Their Masters LP reissue

Remastered reissue of this fairly obscure Swiss band’s LP from 1983. If I didn’t read the bio, I would have placed them on the US West Coast, as they pull from the early recordings of bands like BLACK FLAG and DEAD KENNEDYS with their speedy, simple hardcore attack and occasional dissonant solo runs. If this is an era of punk you enjoy, it completely rules. What is striking is how crisp the production is and how it accentuates the playing, especially the killer drum patterns. This is a tight band playing hyper-speed rock music, stripped of all the feedback and grime that accompanies a lot of modern HC. Drop the needle for a full-tilt Alpine time capsule that is just as potent now as it was in ’83.

The Squirt Men and Their Masters LP

This gang from Switzerland has done a damn good job at fooling me with their neat 1980-’82 Los Angeles punk sound. All the songs are sung in English and, believe it or not, there’s a bit of bands like DEAD BOYS, DETOX, BIG BOYS, and early TSOL. Really cool.

The Squirt In the Name of God cassette

Even though this tape was recorded before they had a drummer—his tracks were overdubbed—it shows potential. SQUIRT produces some of the best Swiss thrash I’ve heard. It’s not quite up to the Alpine levels attained by other European bands, but it’s definitely worth a yodel or two.