This record marks a low point in the career of this influential Reno band. The style of this record has been described as reminiscent of U2, but I found the tunes here unpassionate and the sung vocals unsuited for the mid-tempo material. Come on guys wake up!!!
Okay, okay, so dumb lyrics aren’t just limited to the USA. Actually, less than half the tunes here have gore-related subject matter, while the rest are introspective and brooding, not so lame at all. Musically, mostly speedy thrash, but more musical than speedcore, as well as some slower tunes.
These guys are as punk as their name! They play basic powerful slow-to-fast punk with angry vocals and hateful lyrics.
Highly intelligent and politicized anarcho-punk here, which delivers in packaging, lyrics, and music. Supporting this kind of indie effort is a pleasure.
This New Zealand band opts for a pop-punk approach with good guitar bite on their second EP. Of the three tracks, “Deja Vu” and “Friends” are especially strong, and aficionados of upbeat melodic punk will enjoy this one a lot. Very good.
Mid-tempo speed metal without the leads. Gruff-ola vocals, repetitive riffs, good production, and a song called “In My Eyes” that isn’t the song we all know. Oh, the band’s from Sweden.
An Xmas record I just got a hold of, and excellent pop punk it is. Four songs, all with a characteristic French punk rhythm machine, fuzz guitars, good hooks, and even bagpipes. Cool.
Hot!! Blazing thrash with unique embellishments and male and female vocals. A dozen songs, good stuff!
On their debut LP, this band gathers together a very consistent clutch of pop-punk tunes, all of which meld Scottish vocal motifs, catchy power chord progressions, good melodies, and interesting lyrics. BLYTH POWER has a unique sound exploited well here. A solid LP.
Eccentric as hell, BOMB go for varied song structures which go from soft to loud, sung to screamed, weird to punky. The experiment wore thin on me, but suckers for novelty might give this a listen.
Can’t read the lyrics sheet — it’s kind of black and red print, not synchronized. It does say “UKHC” in several places, does have a song called “Best of Both Worlds,” but after hearing it and seeing the cover, it should be called “UKHM” …and I understand why the lyrics don’t matter.
Decent but relatively unexciting pop punk à la ’78 or so. Eight songs and all, with little variation from the mid-tempo beat.
More fun in the mud and sun from the anal outlaws. It’s kinda hard to do a review on these jokers; if you haven’t figured it out yet, then you never will. Loud, noisy, fuzzy, ugly, and wonderful.
While I wasn’t impressed by their debut single, this album is really something to crow about. Strip down to a hard-edged bluesy sound, all the songs have that really fervent sound similar to DMZ/LYRES. Very cool.
This follow-up to their fine debut album, despite some moments of power, shows a decline in songwriting and a notable increase in speedcore tendencies. This band would profit by increasing their influences rather than narrowing them.
HERESY’S side rips out six ultra-thrashers that have a slight metal edge to them, which is overpowered by the sheer force that each song holds. The flipside has five songs by CONCRETE SOX which have a way more metal feel to it due to the guitar riffs; it’s still powerful and rock, though.
A hilarious, scathing parody of the positive outlook straight edge scene, with songs like “Positive Dental Outlook” and “Posi-Machine.” A total crackup.
Yahoo!! Energetic reggae/ska based material with insightful, creative lyrics by Dick (ex-SUBHUMANS). Totally great enjoyable stuff here. Watch for vinyl.
The original D.I. 12″ is re-released here, along with 3 current tracks. Despite the fact that I dearly love their music, I’ve never seen a band with so many re-appearing tracks on their “new” vinyl. Should be a whole new LP’s worth soon. Dudecore — totally.
I liked their earlier EP, but I didn’t fall over myself like some people who thought their brand of scruffy 70s rock was manna from heaven. Basically, this is just some pretty cool rock sounds with a surprisingly flat production.
Very political, very basic, and very speedy thrash with both male and female vocals. Actually some songs slow down and break into pretty eclectic stuff. Interesting and sincere.
Features Marlene Dietrich singing semi-industrial pop music. No?
This album sees the DESCENDENTS with somewhat longer songs than usual, a more power-pop compositional style, and the hooks we’ve come to expect from these popsters. The problem is that their emotion of ’82 is largely gone, but this is listenable for those who value melody over crunch.
A cover of BTO’s “Takin’ Care of Business” might tell you something about the rock approach of this new DOA platter, as many of the songs have that same heavy rock sound. A couple rage, though, “To Hell and Back” being one, as does the revised classic “Nazi Training Camp.” Mostly strong, political lyrics, however ironic that is for this label.
The cover sticker bills them now as “metal,” and there is a lot of thrash in that, but overall it’s still D.R.I. — lyrically and musically (though weighted down at times). While C.O.C. has soured on this “crossover” business, D.R.I. seems to be making a blatant marketing approach — just catch the cover art.
This import collects all six of the early DROOGS singles which were impossible to find when they came out. The sound here is rougher and tougher than their last album, and a great collection of trashy LA garage punk by one of the best. Lotsa covers.
Raging distracted punk and thrash with metallic tinges and straightforward intelligent topical lyrics. Explosive stuff here.
Both German bands here come right in your face with power crossover music like that of BLAST, C.O.C., and early BLACK FLAG. Lots of stop and go thrash, melodic raw vocals, and even some tedious speedcore riffs. Lyrically, both bands communicate a lot of energy and concern.
Modern power and late 60s/early 70s influenced music and lyrics. Sort of a modern NAZARETH or something.
This spirited EP features female vocals over a nicely fleshed-out set of mid-to-fast tempo punk and thrash tunes. The playing is excellent and songs are well-arranged; one track, “Eins-Eins-Null,” even uses the violin to interesting effect. An excellent release!
Back again, and funny as ever, these original Canadian punks deliver their melodic PISTOLS-type rock’n’roll. Only real complaint — production does away with any real grunge, which this type of punk needs.
GENERIC mines a punk vein with an informal style not unlike a thrashy APOSTLES, with occasional lapses into poetry and folk. ELECTRO-HIPPIES, however, deliver an ultra-distorted HC/thrash variant that hits and misses. Two interesting bands, both highly credible from a lyric point of view.
Shitty adolescent cover, great shitty rough production, and this six song “best of” 7″ is probably already rare. If you can’t get it — don’t sweat it — he’s got a tape coming out on ROIR as well as a full LP on Homestead soon. Jesus…
A song for each of these personalities. One song is a driving, punky tune by this duo, while the other is a catchy but quiet ethereal ditty. Weird.
This six song EP tends to show off musicianship more than anything — some really good bass playing. Most of the songs are slower and come closest to HONOR ROLE or the RHYTHM PIGS in performance. Not thrash, but very good punk.
Terse Greek hardcore is played tightly and with real passion on the six tracks. While the songs could have been more memorable and catchy, I liked the first song on this 12″ a great deal, and hope to hear more from this very promising outfit.
Another slice of cosmic psych-sludge from this off-shoot of OTTO’S CHEMICAL LOUNGE. The A-side is fast and maniacal, while the flip is a slow, groovy CREATION cover.
Hard-ass thrash with a hefty supply of unique twists and turns. Hyperactive lunacy at its best. Quality stuff here.
Yet another insane Italian act blasting out lunatic heartfelt thrash. Lyrics seem to be of a political nature. A definite thumbs up.
A must for those NY DOLLS/HEARTBREAKERS fans, 21 live songs of fantastic sound quality, recorded in NYC in 1983 featuring other ex-DOLLS Lure and Nolan. This rocks! Anyone got a spoon?
A nifty cover of the SWEET classic is augmented on the flip with more of KGB’s upbeat, guitar-oriented punk. Good power here, but the cover alone makes this worthwhile.
Some great 60s influenced garage rock here, 17 original tunes of great sound quality. Some of this has a taste of early CRAMPS, GUN CLUB, X, to add some modern flavor. Nice full-color package.
Two pop punk tunes, both with a big production sound, 60s sensibilities and modern punk drive. Like this stuff, but the lyrics are stone age, especially on the flip.
I think this is the first modern punk record Bomp’s put out since the ZEROS and WEIRDOS days, and this one is excellent. Really good, driving tunes, crunching guitars, and fun/tough vocals. Pick this up.
A great LP from this Chicago band, this is melodic hardcore at its best. Clear, straightforward, fast music that is anything but mundane and is enhanced by strong, catchy vocals much in the vein of early 7 SECONDS. This music is hot.
One this album, M.I.A. adopts more of a SoCal melodic punk approach (which is good), but grafts it onto the slick style of their last LP. “Beautiful World” is strong, and their cover of “California Dreaming” engaging, but this LP is not up to the standard of what used to be one of the best bands going.
A disappointment. MADNESS was the very best of the English ska bands, but this effort comes across as limp and unenergetic despite some pretty good material. “Bed and Breakfast” is the catchiest number here, but better versions of the songs are to be had elsewhere.
This surprisingly catchy twelve song record is a mixture of pop-punk and hyper-thrash, using mid- to fast-tempo songs with simple structures and memorable riffs. The vocals are straightforward and at times cuts through with some great lyrics. Good stuff be here.
This retrospective release contains tracks from this band which was around during the No Wave scene, but the music is still pretty influential. By their slow churning sounds, you can hear where PUSSY GALORE, LIVE SKULL, and SWANS might be considered their offspring.
This is their most polished record yet and will probably be the place that their fans of crusty, wild desert punk stop listening and where college radio goes apeshit. Some of this sounds like FLEETWOOD MAC. You decide.
Very powerful Swedish HC with “fuck you” lyrics and attitude. Words cover conformity, Freddy Krueger, and more. Good clean fun.
It’s the first time that Moe Tucker has recorded since her solo LP and she managed to snap VELVETS fan Jad Fair of HALF JAPANESE to help out and produce. Out of the five songs here, three are VU covers, including a very respectable version of “Guess I’m Falling in Love.”
This sucks! Wait, are you kidding? This is a live recording of C.O.C.’s metallic madness and NOTA’s HC barrage, with good production and comes with lyrics. Fuckin’ righteous shit, dude.
One thrash tune, the rest being rock/metal at varying tempos. Lots of squeaky guitar bits, which we ruin otherwise almost palatable songs. Promo sheet contains a quote “…we didn’t want anything to do with punkers”. Do you want anything to do with them?
One of those modern rarities, a truly self-produced UK release. This three-song job is very straightforward, mid-tempo, non-dogmatic political material. Though nothing new or special, there’s a basic honesty here that is refreshing, sort of like early NEWTOWN NEUROTICS.
If you’ve been trying to locate their previous and impossible to find vinyl — relax. Finally, this incredibly hot combo comes up with something to almost equal their live shows. Well, not quite, but people who love the BUTTHOLES, NEOS and No Wave clamor will all find something here.
Wow! Hard-ass punk and thrash with unique twists and turns thrown in. Lyrics cover this crazy fucked up stuff. Check this puppy out.
I heard the first song of this LP, and I said to myself: “Eric Hysteric.” He produced this, and the same distorted, trebly punk you remember from DER DURSTIGE MANN appears here, complete with the nice vocal choruses. Nothing on this quite equals their hilarious cover of NENA’s song, converted into a beer song — “99 Kasten Bier.”
It’s great to see this white South African anti-apartheid band still expressing themselves in the face of extreme repression. Both songs here are mid to slow-tempo jobs, one with a one-sided anti-Russian attack, the other dealing with the nuclear fear. Sad to see Rubin Rose out of the band.
Mania this ain’t. Decent pop rock ‘n’ roll it is, with early pop-punk influences. The A-side is pretty light, but the flip reminds me of 79 UK anthemic mod/punk stuff. Wish it were crazy.
All originals this time, and way toned down from all previous releases. I guess the kids are growing up, and production and fancy arrangements take over. Too bad.
Socio-political renting poetry by Norman Nawrocki backed by the Dem Stink Rebel Orchestra. Good sarcasm captured live, comes with a great rant-along booklet. Fun, fun, fun.
Every time I see this band, they get tighter, but on this LP, too many weak songs just drive this record into the ground. Maybe it’s just a case of too little time to prepare for this album. In any case I’m still listening because I know just how good these guys can be.
Some intense, powerful speedmetal from this young Bay Area outfit. The big influence here seems to be SLAYER, judging from the fast straightforward approach and lyrics about ghouls and goblins. Could’ve been a bit more original, but this still blows down the walls.
SHOUTLESS combines 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s into one, adds big production, and the end product sometimes cuts it, sometimes not. The grunge is maxed out and I think that hurts their impact. Needs a bit more madness.
Funny, mid-tempo melodic punk not unlike early DESCENDENTS. Lyrics have a unique personal angle also similar to the DESCENDENTS. Great stuff here.
Their second LP should dispel any doubts about SPECIAL FORCES and generic thrash. This Berkeley band hits hard and with variety, though Bill Collins’ excellent guitar work is now history for this band. Orlando was always a more interesting performer than good singer, but on this LP even that aspect seems very improved. Very hot!
A difficult band to pigeonhole, SPOT 1019 veers into pop-punk, C&W, lite funk, and pseudo-surf on this LP, with good and consistent results. The material is almost always funny and catchy, and their best songs (“Surf Machine,” “16 Wheels”) very enjoyable indeed. Poppish, but very strong.
These guys seem to be able to handle any speed of melodic punk and hardcore, delivering all with power and zest. Very well produced record to boot, making this a definite cut above. Rocks.
Totally brutal!! This is the most savage, ferocious thrash I’ve heard since SIEGE. Full on confrontational power thrash back with intelligent words. Keep this away from small children.
Predictably, this album combines the instrumental excesses of BLACK FLAG with certain rockish tendencies, resulting in a nicely produced but self-indulgent effort rife with lead breaks. A nice melodic element creeps in via the vocals; still, it’s not quite enough. Not good.
What is this? It’s hard enough to figure out the name of the band from all the stuff on the record and sleeve, and things go downhill from there once on the turntable. Actually, three of the five tracks are pretty decent older style pop punk, while two are goofy as shit. The jokes lost on us non-Swedes.
I had all but given up on these lads when, “boom,” they surprised me. Besides some of the mellower stuff they’ve done recently, this LP includes folk, blues, spoken word, industrial, and a really decent portion of raw, well-done punk a la CRASS. Includes a great cover of one of punk’s all time classics, ATVs “How Much Longer?”
This German garage band has three nice songs in more of a “jamming” style with some pretty good interplay between the electric organ and guitar. Limited to 750 copies.
I’m not too keen on live recordings unless they’re amazingly electric, conveying a dynamic unavailable in a studio. As far as this one goes, it’s okay, giving you a good idea of the RIFLES’ hard-driving Australian rock meets early punk. But special? No.
The killer title track is an uptempo 60s punk cut with loud fuzz guitar, maracas, and snot-nosed vocals. The flip is a bit slower, but has the same tough qualities. A real ass-kickin’ gem.
The slow, deadpan vocals remind me a whole lot of late 60s SF psych groups, but musically it’s in the same ballpark as a lot of Aussie garage music. This is even more amazing since this band is from Germany, which has a history of blowing it so far as garage/psych music is concerned.
The Boston EDGE have moved back to Ohio, and somewhere along the way picked up a banjo to augment the band. “Just An Illusion” is a poppish ditty with a good melody and nifty banjo pickin’, while the flip is slower but still pretty good. Takes getting used to, but I recommend it.
A four-song lightweight pop rock’n’roll. Could be a lot more garage-y, considering the neo-’60s R’n’B trash material.
Energetic country punk: fast and furious with bouncy bass lines. Hot stuff here.
Sixties-type pop rock ‘n’ roll, sort of in the “Hippy Hippy Shake” vein, the only one of three rocks that much.
Now re-released as a 12″ EP with four live tracks on the flip, including LOVE’s “My Flash on You” and a cover of “Mr. Soul.” Pretty much what you’d expect from the best Australian garage punk band.
Many of the tracks on this album are stylistically similar, but I enjoyed the grungy, basic production here, as well as the urgent songs and sarcastic lyrics. This is punky thrash with good velocity and an infectious spirit of fun. Good work! I liked this a lot. Filed under “Speedfolk.”
I guess it had to happen, but the NOMADS have toned it down. Both sides lack the raucous, free-swingin’, guitar crazed rock ‘n’ roll that I loved em for. Instead, we get two medium paced, thick sound production tunes that are decent but pale in comparison to their early rave-ups. Alas.
This is supposedly a “giveaway” single, but is on sale in some places. The A-side is an overly long mid-tempo ballady thing, but the LITTLE RICHARD cover wails!
On their third 12″, the PRIMITIVES show a slight decline. The title check, despite a nice chorus and good guitars, lacks the catchiness of their past pop-punk efforts; “Laughing…” is too wimpy for words, though the rockabilly bounce of “Buzz Buzz Buzz” is pleasantly bouncy.
Hailing from West Germany, this thrash band shows off a highly energetic approach to thrash rather like the better German outfits from 82 and 83. Abrasive vocals and a hard guitar sound push this one over the top — a strong and spirited debut album. (Great sleeve, too.)
Some neo-’60s stuff here, early rockin’ R&B to be more precise. I hear hints of the YARDBIRDS, early STONES, PRETTY THINGS, etc. This is great — half demos, half live. Nice package, too.
A collection from ’82 — ’85, this is a fine example of their garage, grunge, sixties, noise approach. A good sampler for those without.
Dated 1986, this one slipped by us but I’m glad I found a copy. BAD BRAINS type vocals and pop-thrash music combined with stuff like “Too Fat To Flirt” make this bizarre. Album coming soon.
A more punky PIL meets early MEKONS with a GANG OF FOUR lyrical bent. Excellent five-song debut that exudes intelligence, drive, and what’s so good about punk. Get it.
“Next summer” is a pretty pop tune with really quirky lyrics, but the flip is a cool pop punk tune with femme vocals, a more rocking B-52s. A giveaway single.
Neo-Mersey R’n’B, but nothing too wild. Would have been cool in ’65, though…
This domestic release is a bit different than the recent UK job. It contains three songs not on the UK version (two of which disappeared on their last 7″) but one song that’s on the UK version doesn’t appear here. Rockin’ improvement.
Good Swedish pop-punk/thrash on most cuts, with one folk fool-around track and one rock number.
The A-side is okay melodic neo-psych with Farfisa and lead guitar soloing coolly along, while the flip is more jangly. Adequate, but not particularly exciting.
Hot punk and thrash with slight metal influences, but not too much. Lyrics are in the personal/political view. Great stuff guys, keep it up! Lyric book enclosed.
A 180-minutes benefit comp for the opening of an anarchist center in SoCal. Acts include DIATRIBE, APPLE, GUERILLA URBANA, and more. Well worth buying. Booklet included.
An 11 band comp from Toulouse, some bands being PIN PRICK, BLA BLA SHMURZ GROUP, and GREMLINS AFFAIR. Good 4-track recording, a good pop-punk sampler.
Another Filipino sampler — this has 16 love songs from the DEAD ENDS, BETRAYED, PRIVATE STOCK, and others. Fair to good punk musicianship, good sound quality.
An international comp with HOMO PICNIC (U.S.), KAZJUROL (Sweden), QUOD MASSACRE (Yugoslavia), and INSTIGATORS (England). Four bands, four styles (pop-thrash, speedmetal, pop-punk and thrash). Good selection, good production, a worthy effort.
Hey, yet another indie UK release, this one featuring the DISTURBED, LIVING DEAD, LEFT FOR DEAD, and SILENT COMMUNITY. One track each isn’t enough to drive any real conclusions, but these bands all convey a basic, unglamorized punk appeal. Honest.
An all-Welsh comp featuring one song each by CLASSIFIED PROTEST, I MOBSTER, BUGS, YR ANHREFN, ELFYN PRESLI, and HERETICS. Faves: BUGS (sounds like DESPERATE BICYCLES), ELFYN PRESLI (great pop punk), and HERETICS (charge old punk).
One of the best of the 60’s garage punk series, maybe second only to the Back from the Grave set. Some really incredible finds throughout each volume, complete with hilarious and insightful liner notes. RECOMMENDED.
Pretty darn good stuff here from nine US acts, including NO FRAUD, CORRUPTED MORALS, SEWER TROUT, and more. Good song selection plus clean production add up to a good comp.
BCT bounces back with a hot EP featuring Italy’s WRETCHED and RAW POWER, Sweden’s MOB 47, QUOD MASSACRE from Yugoslavia, SATANIC MALFUNCTIONS from the UK, FUNERAL ORATION from Holland, and PSYCHO from the US. Get this one!
Mucho good stuff here by bands like INSTED, FALSE LIBERTY, CORRUPTED MORALS, and more. Just basically a consistently great tape.
A four-band, one track each regional comp from Hagen. Hottest tracks are by CZERNY SMIERTELNY (sounds Polish to me) and SJORBUT, but WICKIE and HEMMUNGSCLOSE EROTIK are both enjoyable. Good indie punk effort.
Ninety minutes of good stuff featuring many of the “Comp Tape Faves”: HALF OFF, FALSE LIBERTY, INSTED, and many more. Pick up this swell tape.
Thrash to the max from a number of Swedish acts, including MOB 47, RAPED TEENAGERS, AVSKUM, and many more. Lots of brutal stuff here.
Kind of a companion to Garage Punk Unknowns. Here you get 58 instrumentals spread out all over three records, all from 1957 to 1965, and all really lean to-the-point rockers. There’s very little filler as you go from surf to punk and rhythm and blues.
Another excellent 60s punk series but this one deals strictly with garage trash from all over the world. Unfortunately, no liner notes, but the raucous sounds from Europe and Canada make up for it. Hot, hot, hot.
60 minutes of wicked thrash noise from the likes of LAST OPTION, CIRCLE OF SIG-TIU, CONDEMNED ATTITUDE, and more. Rockin’ stuff here.
Relative unknowns like SCHLIESSMUSKEL, CRETIN HOPPERS, TARNFARBE, A.N.A.L., and others play punk, thrash, and post-punk. All bands are from Germany, and this is a fun, non-commercial effort.
Here’s a good mid-tempo punk band that reminds me of the melodic sing—song French punk, and I hate French punk, but this is okay. The flip is kind of like MADNESS! Strange record, but a good group.
This self-declared skinhead band hails from NYC and puts forth seven raw, demo-tape quality hardcore anthems which are similar to early AGNOSTIC FRONT, lyrically and in mentality. However, WARZONE takes the straightedge path. Patriotic graphics leave me skeptical.
WILMER X has a good rep in Switzerland as a great live band on par with the NOMADS, with maybe a bit more of a rock influence. This new studio has a much more swinging R’n’B feel to it with some real neat harp playing.
This LP doesn’t really have the zip, or even the overwhelming angst of many of Greg Sage’s previous efforts. Maybe it’ll grow on me, but I wanted to be taken to a stranger different place…and got half way there.
Fans of Japanese metalthrash will suck this baby up, though the lyrics here are highly intelligent. Growling, slashing, metallish noise — well, you know.
These New Yorkers have finally released a record that does them justice. A collection of clean, powerful hardcore with committed positive lyrics. Not as fun as their live show and a little short on innovation, but this is still a good LP.
