Silver Abuse Ruff Kuts 2012–2014 cassette
A bizarre and interesting piece of punk history here. SILVER ABUSE is known as being the second punk band ever from the Chicago, IL area, originally forming in 1977. With a bunch of lineup changes and long hiatuses, this is only the third SILVER ABUSE release in their almost 50 years of existence. The Fall From Grace EP was released in 1982, its follow-up was the Consider the Pigeon LP not released until 2016, and finally this cassette, released in 2024, is outtakes/alternate versions of the Consider the Pigeon LP session. A vast majority of the songs on this cassette are freeform, plodding, goofy no wave absurdity, which isn’t unexpected if you’ve listened to the band’s debut EP. Also similar to the first EP, there are the occasional unexpected driving, stomping tracks. Sure, nothing’s as pummeling as “Plastic Rows” (which is off the Fall From Grace 7” and is absolutely worth a listen), but there are certainly cool aspects hidden within this long cassette. There are a lot of “leaving the mic running during practice sessions” sounds and jamming while working out the kinks in songs. Probably a very cool release for a Chicago-based label to get to put out as an active piece of history, but I would bill it as a demo session, certainly not the band’s second full-length release. Cassette is limited to 100 copies and not available anywhere digitally. Essential for the first-wave Chicago punk purists out there.