A 28-song release displaying the BALLS’ hard-hitting but almost pop hardcore sound. There’s a lot of attention on melody, vocals, and back-up singing, as well as many changes within songs. This can be annoying, but their overall power and unrelenting energy carries it off. Pro job, fine lyrics too.
The sound quality is passable, but had it been well done, you’d be in for a thrash treat—excellent stop-and-go stuff with power. Hope they’ll get into a good studio.
Very fast and snappy punk that’s got a fairly distinct and clear sound (especially with the drumming). Gnarly singing, hot but simple guitar, and excellent production. Enjoyable political punk, in German.
ANTI-SCRUNTI FACTION champions the grunge-o-rama attack on their debut LP. The lyrics and punky spirit of this band go a long way, but the sameness of the songwriting detracts from the album’s ultimate impact. I’ll tell you one thing: if the whole album were as hot as “Suicide Note,” an impassioned thrasher, they’d have dynamite here.
ANTISECT has gone through a few changes, member-wise and musically. Yet, the strong beliefs are still there. The wall of power still exists, but throw in a SABBATH/METALLICA sound influence, and ANTISECT is hitting hard with metallic grinds and vicious growls. Forceful noise that speaks no riddles.
Well, actually this is half of a 12″, with an etching (come up and see my…?) of Mykel Board (the star of this disc?) on the backside. ARTLESS presents their version of thrash and punk, incorporating saxes (non-offensively?) and Mykel’s pseudo-conservative lyrics (“How Much Punk Rock Do You Hear in Russia?,” “We Want Nuclear War,” “We’re Republicans,” etc.). And hey, great liner notes!
Yup, a match made in… Anyway, Mykel Board’s ARTLESS material is the same as what appears on the recent Placebo Records one-sided 12″, while I don’t know nor care if G.G.’s stuff was previously released. This label wants to license more US bands for European release.
The brain blows to smithereens as this nitro-charged speedcore whip hauls at 1000 MPH currents of wind-blown mayhem. Perhaps the best yet in non-stop, tight, aggressive zoomfests of energetic action that cleans the table in the chaotic fashion. Good lyrical content adds to the ferociousness of this rambunctious five-piece.
Mid-tempo punk that’s in a Brit-punk style. Not especially inspiring musically, although there is post-punk moodiness, which might suit the lyrics well (except I don’t know what the subject matter is). OK for the style.
Throbbing, pulsating, driving intensive post-punk with gnarly distorted vocals. Maintains the edge while striving to be different, yet somehow ends up like KILLING JOKE anyway.
In their early days they were M.A.D. (see Not So Quiet comp) and were a raging thrash band Á la BLACK FLAG of ’82. Then BLACK FLAG and SSD changed to a “heavier” sound, and so did these guys (now BL’AST!), only they hung to it. This LP captures that “power” hardcore sound well, combined with angry, yet positive lyrics, and even a few thrashers thrown in. A strong release.
Their sound is a raw, crunching guitar-based one with post-punky effects, and it really works. Lots of power, edge, drive, and diversity within the medium-tempo genre. Good.
Bizarre mayhem from France with a wild combination of guitar and total distortion bass plucks, as a drum paces forth with shrilling vocals. A unique blend of hardcore staying away from the traditional approach, capturing a very disordered rumbling of bass frequency as the highlight. Very creative, interesting tunes.
Their name translates as “Creative Chicken Fuckers,” and if that isn’t enough to get you to buy this, then the music will be. Awesomely fast and powerful thrash that’s both non-metallic and creative. Contains songs both in Dutch and English, and from the latter one can discern their radical political bent. 20 songs.
Always been a fan of this morbid, upbeat gothic craft with the frenzied guitar cries, and this three-song 12″ keeps the faith. Tight compositions make for exceptional deliverances in the title track and the harmonious “Between Youth” keeping the haunting appeal and vigorous drum poundings. Will taunt you with the mystic aura and special effects of an eerie soundtrack yet paced a bit stronger.
Despite the fact that me and Pus both listed this on our Top 15’s months ago, we failed to review this killer three-song EP. Sharp, audible vocals that attack hard drugs (among other things) are driven by raw, powerful, but somehow melodic raging hardcore. Lots of anger and frustration here, but tempered by intelligence. Excellent, and a shame they split.
Put members of ADRENALIN O.D. and STUPIDS in a studio together for 14 minutes, and you get no less than 22 songs full of wacky confusion, sure craziness, intense energy, and an overabundance of good humor. Very spontaneous and rough, but funny as shit.
I took a lot of grief for liking the first DC3 record, but it was OK because it had memorable hooks and riffs. But there isn’t much to defend here. They’re guilty of all the retro-rock behavior that people have been dumping on them. Too bad.
Long-time no-see from these Canadians, and they’re back with a vengeance. One side features most of their now out-of-print first LP, and the other is new material. The new stuff is a little metal-tinged at times, but old and new are rockin’ classic punk. Dirty, violent, obnoxious, and lovable, DAYGLO ABORTIONS have their hearts in the right place.
This impressive Norway band expresses their musical influences through catchy melodies and raw vocals, and then turn right around and kick out some crazed power thrash in the very next song. Both live and studio tracks prove the band’s unpredictability and talent to create enjoyable music.
Surprise of surprises, I liked this. Punk with a genuine pop sensibility combines with metal on the two songs from the flip of this EP—the vocals are gruff, the music gritty and mean. DECONTROL’s cover of the STEPPENWOLF standard connects with abundant energy—so much so that I hardly noticed the flailing guitar leads. Recommended.
This is aggressive rock’n’roll distinguished by intriguing vocal choruses on both sides as well as prominent lead breaks. I enjoyed “Complaint Dep’t” better of the two songs here, if only for its studied poppishness. Fun.
Classic European punk with great late-’70s English punk influences. The music is somewhat poppy, but has a raw edge and is backed with high power melodies. The vocals switch between male and female—a nice combination. Good stuff.
A very silly, enjoyable, and decidedly low-tech effort from Germany. This is high-energy pop-punk, heavy on the RAMONES riffs, with excellent lead trumpet on many of the cuts that adds to the levity. They even do a rave-up version of the Waltons TV theme-song. Put these guys on vinyl soon!
A slightly toned-down REVILLOS meets early-’60s garage/surf. Pretty garage in approach (though the recording isn’t) and the flip is a zany freakout. Loonsville.
This former hardcore band has gone the way of the buffalo (or is it the dinosaur?), opting for an older metal sound meets ’70s rock meets post-punk. Of the six songs, only “Talk of the World” (speedcore) contains any real zip, though the vocals really detract from it. Lyrically, it’s quite “dark” and self-absorbed.
More cool crusty psych from Australia. This time around it’s a band that has listened to a few RAMONES albums. But instead of the RAMONES/Spector sound, it’s more like the RAMONES meets RADIO BIRDMAN or the SAINTS. They do a pretty cool job of “Pipeline.”
After all these years! This classic NYC punk band is powerful, rockin’, full of hooks, and has unrelenting political prowess in matters social and political. They include recordings of their now hard-to-find singles plus lots of other great songs. My life is now complete.
Straightforward, first-stage thrash that touches base with a lot of other young hardcore bands. The potential is there, and needs time to develop. With this eleven-song studio demo comes some classic stop-and-go thrash that is dominated by severing buzzsaw sound. Basic.
FLIPPER-ish trash meets folk rock? Definite “sun damage” here, garage charm, and nutso/intelligent lyrics. Early Dylan gone punk rock.
Surprise, surprise, surprise! Full-on melodic thrash, varying speeds, and Keith Morris-type vocals creates an interesting combination of early DC and SoCal HC. Lyrics rant, rave, and communicate thought-provoking ideas and attitudes. Both refreshing and inspiring, all packed into 16 songs. Recommended.
Makes me feel like I’m in a time warp, shipped back to some hokey ’77 scene. This is early garage punk meets new wave rock’n’roll and wrestling mania. I’ve heard the DICTATORS are reforming, so this could become a trend.
Four songs, two of which come from their first demo and fall into the great GANG GREEN tradition, the remaining two being different cover versions of TIL TUESDAY’s AM radio hit “Voices Carry.” AC/DC covers would have been more exciting. All in all, just two great songs.
This GUNS (not the Ohio band) is a one-man project of George Smith of SENSELESS HATE. Playing guitars (tough), bass (driving), and drums (tight), this is powerful punk with both the crunch of ’78 and the imagination as well (from pop/punk to slight experimentation).
Eclectic and offbeat hard-driving punk. The Italian BUTTHOLE SURFERS? Definitely outside stuff without losing the power.
Could you guess they’re speedcore? Pretty good actually, though the drumming lags a bit. Gruff vocals and raunchy thrash guitar with metal inflection. Practice tape but decent sound quality.
I can understand why these guys are anti-labels, coz their music somewhat defies categorization. There are elements of punk, ’60s, metal, and rock thrown into the blender and out comes a heavy beat with big production. They rock, but both tracks are somewhat hard to settle into. Jello says he likes this a lot.
I guess it was inevitable, so here’s a ’77-style send-up, retardo/reactionary lyrics and all. The A-side equates AIDS to decadence and Hollywood—sheer genius. The flip is equally “brilliant,” attacking liberals as being the ones in the way of freedom. Hmm, guess they’ve been asleep since Ronnie took over.
One of the earliest still-existing German punk bands have regrouped (with a few replacements) and kick out a really good pop-punk/thrash four-song EP. A band that deals with political subjects humorously, these four tunes are catchy, well-produced, and up.
Their debut single made me look forward to listening to this LP, but I was disappointed in KALASHNIKOV’s lackluster pop and pop-punk compositions, despite the plaintive female vocals. Some adventurous musical changes of pace—and sadly very little in the way of hooks or power.
With this album, KILSLUG dirged their way into aggravating the hell out of me. Good, bassy guitars hold down a dose of dark, discordant hardcore in the basic FLIPPER mode, but devoid of hooks or power. Nothing really drew me in on this LP.
SPUNK BUBBLES come through with eight very catchy and driving punk songs with ’77 appeal and girl-boy lyrics. KING PIG couldn’t be further from that spirit, presenting five moody, psych post-punk guitar-effected songs (also well-done). Top-notch production on both.
For such a young bunch of kids (15-17 years old) this is a pretty good debut. Mid/fast-paced punk and thrash, with decent hooks and fairly tight playing, lacking only a bit in the drumming. Keep it up.
Jazzy punk with rock influences. I find this too distracting overall, but I think the more adventurous among you might like the variety of influences. Decent power, odd thrash.
A good rockin’ pop-punk song with ’60s influences on the A-side, a more contemporary, ultra-fast-paced pop-punk tune on the flip. The latter is pop only in form, as the delivery propels it well into the ’80s.
LIBERTY has the benefit of political commitment abetted by an original approach to mid-tempo British punk. Great guitar riffs abound on two of the four numbers here, and the overall sound is rough, gruff, powerful, and uncompromising. Good solid release.
A split EP by LUNCH MEAT and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, two up-and-coming DC-area bands. Both outfits create and exhibit three high-energy melodic thrashers backed by interesting lyrics. Neither outfit falls into the DC stereotype of musical direction but really do break the ice for a lot of the underdog bands from that area. Worth looking into.
This Japanese punk ensemble has done a bit of changing since the last release. Toned down, but musically better, MOBS have added a creeping, harmonious flavor to the distinct sound, yet still keeping the pace active and alive. A cult release, but heading towards Japanese positive punk. Interesting.
MUSHROOM PLANET performs Aussie rock’n’roll in the usual fashion, and here a distinctive guitar sound provides the interest. “The Chair” is the operative track, with its psych guitar riffing and sneering vocal attack—a wonderful song. The flip fares less well.
Out of Baltimore, this tape has a live feel to it. Lyrics are pissed off but intelligent, music is heavily rhythmic hardcore with good vocals. Should be something real good if they stick with it.
Playing ripping hardcore at many speeds, this mostly female combo (a fact they don’t accentuate) attacks with power, confidence, intelligence, and proficiency. Six songs that make me think this is what the AVENGERS and UXA would’ve sounded like today. Great!
Real garage hardcore punk. Most of the songs are medium-paced with super-gruff vocals and raw as hell noise guitar. Good garage.
Despite the homemade sound quality, there’s still plenty to listen to here. Their ominous overtones permeate fast-paced guitar/noise raves and slower/experimental/industrial dirges, making for an eerie but non-cliché horrific mood. Much potential, as long as they maintain their edge.
Discordant, psychotic, psychedelic, and painful. Simple, stark, and crazed. OH! DEV plays twisted jazz meets the most painful blues. Definitely arty, but not wimpy. Nick Cave and Lux Interior take heed.
Bill of Toxic Shock fronted this band back when, and I guess couldn’t resist releasing this somewhat death rock relic “posthumously.” Actually, lyrically it’s not death rock (more intelligent than that!), but it’s the overall sound, enhanced by lots of production, that gives it that “ghostly” feel. Well done, if you like that heavy, power sound. Excellent guitar noise from Julianna.
Outside stuff aimed at smashing both pretentious arty/industrial music and the stagnant aspect of hardcore. Whether they accomplish this or not remains to be seen (heard). To quote the press release, “They will use anything at their disposal to fucking obliterate everything.” Sounds like it.
Good rockin’ punk with a slight RAMONES inflection and more serious lyrics. Not a lot of power, but the melody and catchy delivery make up for that. Decent.
Their second release, this one is more CRAMPS-like than their debut. A-side is a pretty typically raunch’n’roll fuzzer, while the flip is a cover of the NOVAS’ classic, also covered by the CRAMPS. OK.
An excellent blend of tongue-in-cheek humor and youthful positive thrash from this band. They sing in both English and German and show a lot of diversity in their music. Good swipe at both John Peel and jaded punkers on “John Peel Said.” Good record.
Awesome. The fourteen songs crammed in here are up to the quality and style of Boston HC from 3-4 years ago. Just rippin’ from start to finish. And good production sound to boot. Get it.
A three-song job, one track of which is a rhythmic, driving, raw song with a dash of early CRASS or the EX. The other two are raving, noisy thrashers. Lyrics are of a political nature, and all in all, this is a band to watch for. Confusing note: their flyer says seven songs are on a 20-minute tape for $3.50 ppd.
San Francisco’s newest garage band comes above ground with a raw cassette that perfectly imitates their stage appeal. Rockin’, hook-laden, goofy (even when serious), wild, immature, satirical, and completely genuine. Watch out for these guys—you’ll be humming their songs before you know it.
With a name like SISTER RAY, I expected a real pronounced VELVET UNDERGROUND sound, but not so. There are some ’60s influences (punk, Batman-theme-type guitar), as well as early US ’70s punk sound. All four tunes cook, with the guitar being the driving force. Nothing flashy, but they rock.
The A-side is a kick-ass fast punk tune with pounding drumming, cool singing, and though some of the structure is self-consciously broken up, it still clicks. The flip is more like a better produced PISTOLS-type sing-along. Pretty cool.
The CRAMPS meet the old FLAMIN’ GROOVIES? Raunchy R’n’B meets countryish rock’n’roll meets surf. Nothing new, not quite psychobilly, but OK fun stuff.
This band has always done great pop and post-punk but I have never been able to dig out those essential hooks. I guess they transcend them, because this is a fine recording full of melody and great rockin’ moments. They seem to have split it into a rockin’ and melodic side, but whichever way you splice it, these guys deserve attention.
This record captures the Aussies’ rock sound, but without the overwhelming power you’ll find in the LIME SPIDERS or CELIBATE RIFLES. The songs are pleasant and quite listenable; I just felt that an added punch was needed to push it over the top. Adequate.
This Boston-based band cranks out powerful pop-punk. Owing more to ’70s bands like the REAL KIDS than ’60s rockers like the REMAINS, their sound will appeal to lovers of powerful rock’n’roll, hence its release in Australia where that sound still reigns supreme.
Despite the sometimes rough sound quality, there’s a lot to check out here. Intermixing news reports and music, there’s a compelling reality at work here—almost an industrial nature to their approach—which pervades their punk and thrash, an accent on atmosphere and meaning, not slickness.
This odd release from the Phoenix area could go over with metalers, punks, psychedelics, and rockers—a really bizarre mix of styles. Something for everybody, or maybe nobody…
A Geza X production job, these tracks combine elements of punk, metal, and ’70s R’n’R, perhaps exemplifying their proclaimed influences of “GRAND FUNK RAILROAD and the TROGGS.” Decent, but not overpowering.
Adam (ex-FACTION) and friends come up with a couple of almost power-pop tunes, which means lots of melody and hooks powered by punchy and guitar-oriented backing. Good effort.
They say they’re one of the best bands in America. Well, I can honestly say they’re the kind of band you’d like to have in your scene. They straddle the line of sludge/garage music and weird spazz sounds. Kind of like having IGGY sing with the BIRTHDAY PARTY in the bad part of town, during a thunderstorm, without a decent PA and not enough beer. You get the picture.
If self-righteous Christianity and punk are your bag, go for it. Well-done hardcore it is, but you get 20 songs telling you about “the Lord” and why you’re wrong about everything until you accept “Him.” I’m waiting for a Toothfairy HC band myself.
The A-side is about as hard a rocking pop song as one can find—powerful, with pop structure. The flip starts out slow, but picks up considerably. Superior playing that reminds me of the EASYBEATS or a less psych CREATION. Cool ravers.
This Boston-area band is composed of members of now-defunct STRANGLEHOLD, which explains the catchy guitarwork and the overall rawness. This band’s potential falls short due to the new sound, making a firm stand in the college radio crowd. The power is put aside for a more poppy rockin’ sound, which is sad, but comes as no surprise.
Much more produced sound than their earlier raunchy classics, sometimes including a disco-ish sound. Yech. While there are some garage ravers here, the bigger sound doesn’t become the PANDORAS much and that’s especially telling on their new version of “You Don’t Satisfy.” “Let’s Do Right” and “It Felt Alright” are pretty hot, though.
A three-song demo that’s really good, though it seems totally out of time and place (nice change, though). The tunes combine older-style punk tunes and raw, powerful playing, much in the way some of the early English, and especially Irish punk bands did. Enjoyable.
A mod band that “springs from the Maximum R’n’B tradition” (early WHO expression), their accent is on rock’n’roll and not ska. This group is integrated racially and sexually, and rocks good, more in the manner of the JOLT than anything else in recent memory. Good ISLEY BROS. cover, and record dedication to the African National Congress rebels in South Africa.
Two girls and two guys playing poppy punk. The A-side is lighter but with good psych atmosphere, while the B is punkier with a KINGSMEN/Northwest sound, raunchy and rockin’.
A highly enjoyable three-song debut from these ska-influenced skins. There’s one ska tune, one ska-tinged rocker, and one Oi tune. All are well-done, good-natured, and seemingly without any negative or fascist overtones.
OK, this is a “rock” album, meaning the accent is on tunes, power, and production. What it’s missing is the excitement and spark of this band’s earlier releases. Punk background music?
Jazzy thrash from this English band that contains the former drummer of Italy’s STAZIONE SUICIDA. Very well done, and though I’m not prone to like such material, I found myself into it. Don’t know if this is a UK or Italian release though I think it’s the former.
With the accent on non-hardcore punk (“so one can hear the lyrics”), this band comes forth in a 1977 tradition. The B-side is reggae, whilst the topside is quite powerful guitar-oriented punk that’s really catchy…but I still can’t hear all the lyrics.
More two-chord rants about unresponsive gurls. I keep waiting for the quality in this series to decline so that I won’t have to bore everyone by reiterating how great these reissues are. But I guess I’ll have to wait longer, for this volume has mind-numbing ’60s punk gems by the SHAMES, SAVOYS, BARRACUDAS, etc. One of the few series which can honestly be described as “all killer, no friller.”
The bulk of the bands here hail from Ontario (ANGRY RAISINS, AFHAKKEN, PORCELAIN FOREHEAD, MADHOUSE, APB, TERMINALS, and more), while the remainder are from scattered US locations (BLATANT DISSENT, 1/2 JAPANESE, PSYCHOTIC NORMAN, etc.). Mostly punk, with some thrash and experimentation. Good sound quality.
A furious-paced comp from bands all over the US, most of which are pretty good sounding. Some groups are STEVIE STILETTO & SWITCHBLADES, REALITY OF TRAIL, MAGGOT SANDWICH, SHELL SHOCK, GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, LEGION OF DECENCY, PSYCHODRAMA, and several more. Lots of music, lots of energy.
Some great Connecticut punk and HC can be heard on this seven-song EP which comes free with the third issue of Run It fanzine. VATICAN COMMANDOS, YOUTH OF TODAY, CHRONIC DISORDER, and SEIZURE appear—a well-rounded bunch, to say the least. Music varies from intense thrash to funnypunk. Sound quality’s a bit on the bad side, but it’s worth getting your hands on.
Sadly, the two biggest names score very low overall. MENTAL ABUSE for being too long and metal, and the tracks by AGNOSTIC FRONT for being too dumb. Younger hands like SEIZURE, VIOLENT IMAGE, and SUBURBAN FLASHBACK come out with some real cool songs, though, for the real surprise of the album.
A non-geographical comp, this one is a cut above some of the previous multitude. The OTHERS, ROGUES, BRIMSTONES, and STYX come across with some cool ditties in punk and folk rock veins. Good comp job by Lee Joseph of YARD TRAUMA.
This follow-up to the previous Godfodder comp covers new ground with the exposure of more experimental bands and ones that are closely related. Some of the talents include: GLORIOUS DIN, BRAIN RUST, MORK LANE, SARCASTIC ORGASM, and the list goes on. Pretty good production and as a whole, a nice package.
Not exactly a perfect overview of the SF scene, but a good sampler of the more shaggy-type bands like the CATHEADS and XTAL and some psycho-funk from FAITH NO MORE and THREE MOUSE GUITARS. Not earthshattering, but fun.
A Detroit comp of mainly neo-’60s sounding bands. The Motor City has long been a holdout for this heritage, and some hot tracks are delivered by 3-D INVISIBLES, CINECYDE (still around!), and the BONERS. Other bands in a lighter vein include HYSTERIC NARCOTIC, FRAMES, SLEEP, VERTICAL PILLOWS, and BOOTSEY X AND THE LOVEMASTERS.
A super hot tape that includes DISORDER, CHAOS UK, LUNATIC FRINGE, and AMEBIX. These tapes are either unreleased demos or in-house tapes. The sound quality is above average, and it all is powerful as hell. Class stuff.
Pretty cool English comp featuring the likes of SLAUGHTER TRADITION, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, INFECTED, and many more under-recognized bands. A lot of catchy melodies and sing-alongs. Sound quality varies with the influences, but still very interesting.
A ten-band compilation made up of all Polish HC/punk bands. It’s a well-rounded mixture of live and studio tracks, most of which have never been released. All the common European hyper-noise is represented, with melodic hooks and leads thrown in for good measure. Includes DEZERTER, MOSKWA, ABADDON, and more.
A good selection with two or three tracks each, starring INSTIGATORS, KAFKA PROSESS, PYHAKOULU, S.O.S., WRETCHED, AKUTT INLEGGELSE, SUBCULTURE, etc. Lots of energy, no clunkers, and decent-to-good sound.
Taking their cue from the British “Big Beat” sound, these Danish bands are more Mersey than punk or raging R’n’B. While not a bad compendium, this record will mainly appeal to avid collectors as the recording facilities in Denmark were not the best. Plus, many of the tunes are covers, or covers of covers, and somewhat inferior at that. Historical document.
The French are smashing the boundaries of speedcore with eight out-of-control fiery bands. Just when you thought the explosion was over, the thrash terrorizes again with VANDALES, the tongue-twisting zoom battle of RAPT, FINAL BLAST, four exceptional tracks from BUTCHER, HEIMAT-LOS, BLOODY FUCKERS, and GONO COKE. There are enough tracks on this tape to drive you totally mad as this is a sheer intensified dose of quality chaos!!
A great cassette comp of Japanese scorchers from Hiroshima. Wailing havoc with knock-me-cold punches from FUSE, MOO, DEAR JOHN, and FACE. Rough vocals with fast actions makes for a very exceptional offering. Side A definitely for those GISM/MAYHEM lovers. Intense.
A tremendous introduction to the current German underground scene. On this massive, 80-band, 90-track, three-hour compilation double-cassette, you’ll hear everything from ultra-fast thrash to melodic punk to synthesizer ravings with a variety of styles in between. Almost everything by both well-known and obscure bands is worthwhile listening, though there’s no information on which bands were on which side of the cassettes. Otherwise, improve your life and send away for these cassettes.
An unusually well-documented comp that comes with a fold-open glossy cover that becomes a history of the many bands involved, lyric sheet, a family tree of bands, and poster collection. Bands include X, BEDSPREADS, JOHNNY DOLE AND THE SCABS, HARD-ONS, FEEDTIME (great!!), BEGGARS COURT, XL CAPRIS, and LOCAL PRODUCT. And, oh yes, the music is great. Hot job, Bruce!
A very raging international comp featuring such rippers as STUPIDS, MG 15, GEPØPEL, TERVEET KÄDET, INFERNO, CIVIL DISSIDENT, RAPT, NO LIP, DIATRIBE, and many more. Three or four songs each, non-stop intelligence, and an intense madhouse. Great.
Four bands from Sweden (BULLSHOT BABIES, GEGGAMOYA, GALER, and KRONSTADT. Driving punk and post-punk, all dedicated to animal liberation.
The vast majority of the tracks here are post-punk of various stripes, with a few punk tracks interspersed (SUBHUMANS, RUBELLA BALLET, AUSWEIS, LUCRATE MILK). Other bands include K.U.K.L, BRIGADES, MARTYRS, SHOCK CORRIDOR, etc.). Sound quality varies from track to track with many live recordings. Interesting insert concept.
This three-tracker calls to mind JuJu-period SIOUXSIE, and they do a commendable job with this moody, new wave material. I expected to dislike this immensely, but the B-side, “Polarlicht” in particular, is undisputedly first-rate post-punk—completely unique and memorable.
Very tough but controlled. I like the way this German band has a solid foundation similar to DOA or SOCIAL DISTORTION but blends the roughness with a clean, high-quality production.
