This looks and sounds familiar to me, but I can’t place. It. Anyway, here we have 18 medium tempo garage-y punk tunes, with catchy lyrics. Reminds me of the early Los Angeles underground sound, very rocking with tasteful twists!
Good obnoxious punk with sarcastic lyrics. Catchy choruses, adolescent rebellious attitude. Neat stuff.
ANGRY RED PLANET has developed their own unique and accessible punk style, passionate and full of immediacy, and this LP is dynamite when it connects. “Mediocrity” and “Pasturetime”, in particular, show off this hand at their best, but even the less memorable cuts tend to grow on you. Very good!
Yahoo! Great HC in the Italian tradition: powerful thrash with metallic guitar work, but much tighter than many of their peers. Excellent.
A great tape divided into a “then” side, 77-ish punk with reggae and pop flavorings, and a “now” side with a more HC sound, with some thrash tunes reminiscent of SOA. Excellent.
An interesting mixture of thrash and melodic punk with topical lyrics. “McPunks” is the standout, musically and lyrically.
Okay, this album’s worth on two 7″ers is your basic, hard-to-find-today punk fucking rock. No frills, just basic driving punk with the appropriately pissed off lyrics. A big middle finger to you, too!
Here you can get the GROWTH’s LP, some old demos, and a recent live show all on one cassette! Good, forceful HC, especially the live material.
This Bay Area band has been around for a few years and have built up a small, but growing and devoted following. Musically, it’s a tough call but I’ve a sneaking suspicion these folks think the BUTTHOLE SURFERS are too wimpy and normal. A good taste of their weirdness, and each tape comes especially packaged — some packed in chopped onions, others in old nylon stockings.
On this love recording of fantastic sound quality, CERESIT delivers an onslaught of some of the best Euro-hardcore I’ve heard lately. Original, powerful, great! Get this!!
Much more metallic than their demo. CLOWN ALLEY now sounds like a cross between METALLICA and C.O.C., with lyrics that range from topical to abstract. Powerful production, nice packaging, not much guitar wanking. I dig this!
Hot thrash with some interesting breaks, but the lyrics take the cake, covering horns, clove cigarettes, beer, and more important topics. Song title of the month: “You Can’t Eat Marx.”
This is the version of DOGGY STYLE that contains the majority of the original members. While this record rocks, it doesn’t quite come across with the humor on first hearing. Musically, good but polished melodic fast punk. Artwork: amazing ripoff of LED ZEP II, sure to draw attention.
This fan club only release shows good command of a more tasteful speedcore style. Still, there’s a monochromatic element in the songwriting which makes this fall a bit flat, despite good energy and power. Adequate.
An animal rights/human rights approach, packaged in a large fold-out sleeve. Four buzzsaw punk tunes, some medium, some fast, all enraged and powerful. Good effort.
Japanese speedcore, complete with lead breaks, mosh breaks, and every manner of instrumental self-indulgence. Good energy, but this is too close to Rock for comfort.
Pee-pee.
There are a couple of really good songs that have the always great combo of heavy rhythm, and melodic craziness. They maintain their own definite originality. The other songs are more of a crooning dirge which is fine, but not as fun. Overall, recommended, though.
Melodic guitar pop abounds on this album, with 60’s pop edges which add a certain charm to the proceedings. Mostly, it’s effective, though all the best hooks seem to be concentrated on Side A. Above average.
Don’t expect a simple, straight ahead punk rock record here. From the brooding, dark passages that explore into full passioned screams to their mixture of psychedelic and metal, this debut comes across as a mature, well thought-out sound. You hear something new every time you hear it.
Totally ridiculous insanity from these dorks. With songs like “Cheddar Cheese Party” and “Annoy the Cat with a Maracca,” you just can’t go wrong. Gooncore rules!
Some hot thrash an enjoyable 77-ish punk from these jokers. Lyrics are mostly serious, but inject some silliness in, along with sexist overtones. Pretty good.
Finally some new material, but a letdown. They’ve always been pop, but with a lot of punk punch. In this case, three of four tunes never deliver that wallop, and the other does so sparingly. Boooo!
This exceptional Dutch band comes back with a four-track EP even more impressive with their fine debut album. Passionate female vocals, a biting guitar attack, punchy mid- to fast-tempo punk compositions with melody…what more could you ask for? Great lyrics, too. Buy this now.
Yet another INSTIGATORS live tape, displaying their catchy melodic sound. There’s no doubt they’re a great band, but are all these cassettes really necessary?
A great record that just pumps out of your speakers — full adrenalin charged rocker with no let up. Much more to the point than their earlier single; the flip shows down a little more for a more conventional rock-type song with cool saxophone breaks.
Basically, a descriptive monologue of the prison life from a first hand experienced source. For those who have never done time or directly know someone who has, give this a listen. It will amaze, shock, repulse, and educate you.
A re-release of this retarded song. Trubee sent off ultra-weird lyrics to a Nashville recording outfit, doubting they would ever record it. They did, and Mykel Board now wants us all to know and enjoy it. A short but sweet joke.
Previously only available on costly bootlegs, these four tracks may not have the production crispness of “official” releases, but there’s still a brace of alternative versions that will please JD fans. “She’s Lost Control” is just as good as always. Recommended.
Another band that’s hard to peg. It’s a very lean sound, somewhat akin to early English bands like DR. FEEDGOOD. Quite a few slower, more somber tunes along with a good cover of JOHN CALE’s “Mercenaries.”
This German band showcases a mid- to fast-tempo HC approach with somewhat engaging vocal choruses and a dynamic instrumental punch. While there were a few interesting moments here, the overall effect is aggressive but not gripping.
New York’s alright if you like saxophones.
This band manages to take up all the space they can with their mixture of JESUS AND MARY CHAIN dissonance and SONIC YOUTH meets BIG COUNTRY melody. The instrumental on the flip is one of the most incredible production jobs I’ve heard in a long time.
Despite the cheesy new wave pop record sleeve, this record has guitars that sound like annoying mosquitoes with an ugly banshee woman screaming lyrics somewhat like the best of LYDIA LUNCH. An inspiring, wild, messy, and ugly record that doesn’t stray at all near melody. Just wonderful.
Forget the MIQUEL CO. side (sounds like Irish folk meets bad 70s rock), and the MASSACRE side is a 50/50 proposition. One tune is a pretty driving yet tuneful thrasher, but the other is a miserable metal clunker. Why?
Three French acts here: MST (basic but hot thrash), MASK HAAGAZ (more basic but not thrash), and BUTCHER (noisy thrash). Pretty good.
This release touches on that fringe where HC meets haunting, discordant post-punk. The shouted female vocals, rhythmic instrumentals, and loose, fragmented compositions were difficult for me to enjoy.
This great new live album should dispel any ideas about this band being a wimpy, light pop band, and prove that they can hold their own with the likes of “Detroit-style” rock bands from Australia like the CELIBATE RIFLES or the SCIENTISTS.
Here’s some solid garage punk with realistic lyrics covering starvation, war, the underprivileged, etc. Comes with a lyrics book with effective graphics. Great job (not the band from Pomona!)
If you don’t have a sensitivity to noise, this will sound like a self-indulgent instrumental mess. What we have here is an insane, grinding, industrial-strength set of “tunes” which purposely tries to disorient and infuriate. You know what? It works.
A true cheese classic. Extolling the virtues of too much acid and hanging out in Haight-Ashbury complete with wah-wah pedal and go-go dancers singing backup. The flip is a little more serious but pleasant melodic pop song with just enough bite to keep you listening.
POPTONTO utilizes a riffy, traditional approach to mid-tempo HC with an emphasis on power chords and serious lyrics. A very sincere bunch of tracks, but this band doesn’t stand out in the areas of songwriting, or overall personality. Okay.
Totally raging obnoxious adolescent thrash with some pretty good lyrics, and some pretty bad ones. Lots of spirit and energy in these guys.
Easily one of the coolest garage trashers from Australia for a while. Rough-edge vocals with a great hook and anthemic lyrics — a future classic. Just a true slide of sludge with a heart of gold.
This album provides a lot of mid-tempo melodic punk with strong rock’n’roll roots. The songs have a good mixture of humor and serious concerns brought out through the lyrics as well as the music. My only complaint: the songs tend to drag on too long.
PSYCHO has released a full album’s worth of blazing thrash which is undeniably powerful, but some tempo variations would have helped. Lyrics cover conformity, society, Ed Gein, and more. A solid, vicious release.
A cassette-only release in a limited edition of 500, doing an entire and complete cover of the STONES’ heroin masterpiece. However, tongue is firmly in cheek as half the songs are done straight and half are completely trashed. Yes, a classic.
The RAID play basic but enjoyable garage punk with pop influence. Lyrics are in the rebellious vein. Pretty catchy stuff here.
On the basis of their first two singles, I was expecting bouncy female vocal pop-punk with a great sense of personality. This set of tunes, however, veers into X-MAL DEUTSCHLAND territory with its sung vocals, slower tempos, and thinned out guitar sound. Too bad.
Japanese skate metal thrash— what’s next? Well done, but all four songs are devoid of personality. I think Roger really likes them so they must shred.
These mid-’79 tracks, five in all, show a fair diversity of punk styles and some rockin’ power, especially on “Society.” The RUTS were never a major force in British music, at least in my opinion; fans will find this an interesting document, nonetheless.
This record has more drive and power than a lot of post punk releases these days, but that energy is often sapped by annoying breaks, too many funky riffs (for my taste), and sometimes irritating vocals. Could be worse, though.
SCRATCH ACID is back with six demented, charging rockers, a nasty guitar attack, and vocals very reminiscent of NICK CAVE. While not as rootsy as their last LP, the band emphasizes power on this release, which rates as very good for its genre.
Here, we have coupled the previously available PHANTOM OPERA EP, a group that rose from the break-up of the criminally underrated SECRET HATE, whose EP is also featured here. Both bands combined heavy riffing punk with everything they could get their hands on, from metal to surf. Too cool.
Fans of The Scream period SIOUXSIE will find favor with this excellent four-track release recorded in late 77. “Love in a Void” is as great as always, but “Mirage” and “Metal Postcard” also connect with a vengeance. Rawer than other versions of the same songs, and a real treat.
Heavy on the twangy guitar and vocals lush with harmony, this group cuts a delicate balance between pretty pop songs and tougher guitar based garage sounds. Good songwriting, like softer tracks by the CELIBATE RIFLES, or the harder stuff by DIED PRETTY. Good, though.
An energetic trio that has a pretty sparse (guitar is largely rhythmic) and clean sound. Goofy lyrics and boppin’ tunes are the thing here, and should appeal to a broad range of listeners.
The re-formed STARVATION ARMY showcases four medium-tempo rockish punk songs on this EP, which lack much in the way of power, melody, or interesting lyrics. Below the standard.
Distinctive, nasal vocal meld with a gritty instrumental sound not unlike a cross between BLACK FLAG and traditional fast-and-loud HC. The result is unique and effective a fair proportion of the time, though consistency isn’t S.D.T.’s strong suit. Aggressive and loud.
A good sampling of tunes from the APOSTLES’ vinyl offerings. A swell introduction to this English outfit’s unique sound.
Both bands collaborated on this split EP which contains four tunes by a single band who shares members between them. One side has spare instrumentals, delicate female vocals, and a punk attitude, while the other contains a good APOSTLES-style tune in “The Wasteland.” Interesting.
Highly percussive punk/post-punk with hot guitar slashing in and out. Sounds like a cross between early punk and some current Chicago bands — meaning delivery, loud but clean and melodic punk.
Aside from the excellent version of “Release the Bats,” the BIRTHDAY PARTY is not captured to their best advantage on this release. First rate production bolsters the mid-period output of this band moderately, but the material mostly doesn’t stand out.
I’m a moron. The RIFLES come clear across the world to play in America, and I’m too busy to see them. Fortunately, I’ve got this live show recorded on that tour at their CBGB’s performance. Must have been an incredible show, because these tracks just blaze full of a hard-edged guitar sound.
This band has a big tribal beat like GUN CLUB, punctuated with heavy, fuzz soaked swoops that kind of recall the BIRTHDAY PARTY. There’s real tension throughout where it seems the band is as confused as you as to where they’re going next in the song.
Strong musically with almost new wave meets punk meets Three Penny Opera vocals — a more new wave DK’s? Intelligent lyrics, very tight and driving pop punk music, but the singing, though gruff at times, does detract a bit. Different.
Yet another album full of grungy, usually driving noise. Most of this is listenable, a pretty fair reflection of modern, urban bullshit.
All right! Hot mid-tempo punk with a 50s rock’n’roll sound to it. The only set back are the long leads; otherwise, this knocks down the walls!
This reissue (?) of an early 80’s Aussie punk single by the KELPIES shows a studio approach to the same restrained punk style that was showcased in their recent posthumous live LP. The guitar work is rather like CHELSEA, the two compositions here pleasant but not earthshaking.
Somehow, Norb Ugly (ex-S.U.M., now of DEPO PROVERA) dug up quantities of two early Green Bay “punk” singles and now wants to foist them off on you. This one is from 81 and has that new wave punk sound of 79-’80 — okay beat, but with deep pop-rock roots.
This all-girl band from Japan specializes in upbeat, melodic pop with tight, clipped, melodic vocal harmonies and nifty songwriting. Bouncy and energetic. I like this a lot!
Another release in the spirit of early UK punk with just a tad of the old post-punk. Catchy (almost danceable in their B-side dub remixes), and raw enough to be interesting. “South Africa” sounds remarkably like the PISTOLS with effects and “Power for the Many” is a studio piss-about.
This Texas band opts for a truly punk approach on this five-song effort, and the charm here is largely due to the hard guitar sound and the “fuck you” punk attitude. I liked the title song in particular, though the entire platter is filled with riffy, punchy, enjoyable punk rock. Good.
SINS specialize in solid mi-tempo punk with good instrumentals and vocals reminiscent of the early SAINTS. Aside from a few less interesting songs, what emerges here is an extremely promising effort, especially on rootsy punkers like “In the Red” and “Fair Share” which balance power with finesse.
The special appeal of this record is in the fact that it’s the first real taste most people have had (aside from a pathetic bootleg) of the early, punk SLITS. Some familiar, and some unfamiliar material — all of it very raw and quite interesting. Recommended.
Three songs this time, two of which are up-tempo pop-punk ringers, and another which builds up (too little too late). Again, the obvious BUZZCOCKS influence, and again, enjoyable.
This well-known English ska outfit fares quite well indeed on this selection of early cuts. Terrific tunes and energetic performances make this record special — in particular the bouncy version of “Monkey Man.” One of the better Peel session releases.
Another of Rev. Norb’s “finds”, and the A-side is again barely palatable pop wave, but the flip has a more punk edge. As Norb said, “OK, so they ain’t quite the PAGANS or AVENGERS, but this ain’t S.F.”
Mostly pretty tedious 77-ish punk with a few catchy choruses to make some cuts memorable. Lyrics are in the “personal rebellion” vein. Okay.
Relatively powerful punk with a considerable amount of gusto. Cool guitar sound, pretty rockin’ stuff here.
This decent North American comp has something for every musical taste: powerful hardcore, funnypunk, melodic rock, reggae, a 70’s cover and a couple of mid-tempo standard tunes. F.O.D., A.O.D., DISSONANCE, and SCRAM stand out from the pack, but there could have been better tracks from the name bands overall.
All from Spain, most of the bands here favor a psychotic thrash sound, although a healthy dose of ska/reggae appears. Hottest tracks are from B.A.P., ANTI-DOGMATIKSS, and SUBTERRANEAN KIDS. Good job.
A metalcore sampler, featuring ANNIHILATED, CIVILIZED SOCIETY?, LORD CRUCIFIER, and DESECRATORS. Unless you’re really into speed metal, this is pretty hard to take, with guitar wanking all over the fucking place. Only CIVILISED SOCIETY?’s cut is listenable, but a better version appears on their LP. Some good lyrics, and a collective effort.
A good sampling of West German bands (CERESIT, CIRCLE OF SIGTIU, etc.), a few U.S. bands (SEIZURE, BURNT, etc.), and more. This is mostly forceful stuff, so pick this up.
Thrash or die, indeed! DEPRESSION, GASH, PERDITION, and five more Aussie acts blast out some rad shit, all with pretty good production. Booklet enclosed. Cool.
A 14-song, 8 band punk/hardcore comp tape from the Philippines. Some notable material from BETRAYED, PHILIPPINE VIOLATORS, and COLLISION to name a few. Nice package, lyrics, and band info included.
A comp from the garage, featuring punky and thrashed out noises from STATE OF CONFUSION, BORN WITHOUT A FACE, S.N.O.T., and more. Some good stuff here.
A solid Filipino comp with hot cuts by the BETRAYED, WUDS, and PUBLIC SCANDAL. Mostly punk, but a couple rockabilly tracks are thrown in.
Contains many “big” European acts like INFERNO, RATTUS, WRETCHED, INSTIGATORS, etc., plus smaller acts scattered around the globe. Lots of good stuff here.
This on-going chronicle of unknowns swings to Sweden, 1964-67. Most of the tracks are Mersey, Mod, or R’n’B, with the hottest coming from the PALMES, HEP STARS, and TAGES. This volume, unlike the others, contains many live tracks, some of which aren’t the hottest sound quality.
Ahhh, some diversity — 14 bands, 24 songs, from Spain to the USA and over to Japan. Styles ranging from ska inspired pop-punk to speedy hardcore mix this international sampler up nicely. Great sound quality and some notables such as STEVE STILETTO and TARGETS plus a nice package make this a winner.
A blazing hot dose of live HC by the likes of BGK, LEEWAY, FALSE LIBERTY, and many more. Sound quality is generally good. Snag up this fucker.
This Philippine comp features four bands, BETRAYED, PRIVATE STOCK, GI AND THE IDIOTS, and the WUDS, all recorded live at the last show at Katrina’s (a club at Manila). Good quality punk rock, includes band photos and has a nice package to boot.
A way hot tape starring CLOWN ALLEY, LEEWAY, RAPED TEENAGERS, VICIOUS CIRCLE, and many more. Ninety minutes of great material, so get this, dude!
Another comp of European outfits, showcasing a variety of punk and hardcore sounds. Most notable are GEPOPEL, DISACCORD, and PLAGUE. Good selection of material here.
Both bands (the former now defunct) do the same song. One version comes out like early new wave/pop punk, while the other comes off more 60s garage psych. Fun concept.
Punk attitude/lyrics meet post-punk almost wave music. Assets: great female vocals, sometimes haunting moods which remind me of several recent UK femme-vocal bands. Drawbacks: doesn’t quite pack the punch of their live set. Comes with free 70’s Top 40 schlock 7″.
DRI-ish thrash with a slight shade of personality. They’re competent and possess good lyrics, but need to develop their own style.
Recorded 3-½ years ago, I’m surprised this LP finally saw the light of day. If it had come out back then, the YOUNG LIONS would have been seen as the forerunners of today’s “HC gone eclectic” bands. One side maintains the HC edge while indulging in rock, metal, and other slight influences — powerful sound. The other side sounds like another band entirely — pop, country, etc. Good lyrics throughout, but schizo as hell.
