Angry Ducks We Are Far East Skinheads flexi 7″
“Far East skinheads oi.” That’s what it says on the back, honest. Two songs are slow and catchy, one is long and somewhat boring. These DUCKS have hair, by the way.
MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
“Far East skinheads oi.” That’s what it says on the back, honest. Two songs are slow and catchy, one is long and somewhat boring. These DUCKS have hair, by the way.
Very impressive hardcore. Tight, aggressive, with just enough flair to make it special. All the songs cook, have lots of power and jump. Lyrics are in the personal/questioning vein.
Speed metal from Colombia? Yep, Satan has even reared his ugly head in Juan Valdez’s backyard. Both tunes have all the characteristics you’ve come to know and love(?).
Above-average Aussie rock’n’roll, fast and energetic. The B-side, an instrumental ode to the rubber-suited star of the movie Basket Case, wins this month’s award for the best screams on vinyl.
Straightforward, tight thrash and ’77-ish with male and female vocals, lyrics tackle vegetarianism, nuclear way, oppression, etc. Good.
Garage-y, rebellious punk & HC with youthful energy & sloppiness. Sound quality gets odd at points, but this is moderately enjoyable.
It seems like 7” EPs are a dying breed and it’s ones like these that remind me how good they can be: hot, tight, straightforward HC that sounds like early ’80s US thrash. Intense stuff.
Garage-y punk with enough variation and intelligence to set it apart from the pack. Good sentiments and catchy tunes.
A pretty well-developed band, mixing punk and HC with some slow doomy breaks, metallish licks, a fair amount of innovation, and lyrics dealing with ignorance, the arms race, and personal subjects. Good stuff.
After releasing a couple demos, these dudes put out a righteous slab o’ wax: probably one of the best thrash acts in the Bay Area, with good social words. A swell debut.
Of all the Australian bands trying to be mistaken for the STOOGES these days, the COSMIC PSYCHOS perhaps come closest to achieving the goal. A few of these songs actually sound like they might be rediscovered STOOGES classics, and the overall feeling of this LP recalls the Funhouse era of everyone’s favorite band. Noisy, nostalgic fun.
These guys have a garage ’77-ish toe-tappin’, finger snappin’ sound which will make you hum along happily. Four fun tunes, all energetic yet melodic, and very catchy.
Pretty vapid stuff. The title track comes the closest to being listenable, but it is just a few hairs away from being the utterly commercial rock dreck that the other two tracks are. Sad.
Two songs created by DANBERT of CHUMBAWAMBA that simply communicate an intelligent view of being male yet being a victim of needless, painful stereotypes and expectations. Instead of merely complaining, DANBERT offers several great insights and thoughts concerning the subject. The music is heavily folk-influenced with the main instrument being an acoustic guitar. A lot rougher than any BILLY BRAGG song yet just as capturing, but a little more honest.
Great! No let up, powerful as hell, raging hardcore with hooks, changes, and cool vocals. Five songs, all good.
Hard-driving hardcore that addresses the personal (relationships, alcohol, etc.) as well as the political (apartheid, abortion). Eight tunes, all delievered in a gritty, varied manner—some fast, slow, some both. Like it.
Classic-sounding funnypunk. Most tunes are catchy, mid-tempo, sing-along types that’ll get you humming even if you don’t understand German.
One of the best in this series, nine raving punk and thrash cuts that sound hot! Highly recommended, a treat.
Out of Austria, this band shared an LP a while back, and on their first solo vinyl they deliver six sizzling hardcore tunes. There’s a bit of metal riffing but no solos in their attack, just lots of tight, raging power and political lyrics.
Alog the lines of CRUCIFIX, FINAL CONFLICT are carrying on a tradition of politically aware hardcore. Very strong musically and politically, they don’t hold back, and in an all-too-hedonistic and conservative environment like Orange Co., it’s no small feat to maintain one’s values and drive. They do.
On Side A, B.S.L. have a fast, energetic punk sound with truly progressive lyrics. FLECKS OF DROOL suffer from rather noisy sound quality, but their thrash (with good words) is pretty god. Overall, not bad.
Garage-y but varied songs from this bunch; from improvisational jamming to chunky punky numbers. Fair.
This band’s answer to problems is drinking the world away and partying. Their more commercial rock sound is played hard, but it’s nowhere near the ferocity of days gone by. Lyrically, again it’s frivolous and escapist, but “Another Bomb” and “The Climb” show there’s still a mind beneath the booze.
Pretty hot straightforward HC with good lyrics concerning individuality, oppression, etc. Quite enjoyable.
A dingy STOOGES-meets-post-punk deathrock sound. Some make it, some don’t.
Pretty enjoyable medium-fast-paced punk. Lyrically, very astute and conscious, with a “fuck you!” anger to boot. Very clean and well-produced sound with lots of power, but perhaps too many similar sounding tunes. Should appeal to a broad sector of the punk/HC audience.
Totally insane searing thrash with metal influences and thoughtful words which reveal intelligence and integrity, rejecting rockstar-ism, competition, mindless stupidity, etc. An incredible EP by one of Britain’s finest bands. Thank you, HERESY!!
Recorded live in Germany last summer, and although the INSTIGATORS’ sound is there, it’s not totally. Meaning that it’s a pretty low fidelity recording, more suitable for tape release than vinyl.
With the music being a mixture of speeded-up quality FLIPPER and early MINOR THREAT, this record kicks it with HC anthems that cover such topics as love, Gilman St. Project, anarchy, and all-out wackiness. The band’s smart-ass sense of humor is in abundance throughout the lyrics, packaging, and general concept. Equally abundant is the band’s “we can do whatever we want” attitude, which is a pleasant relief in these days of professionalism. This be great!
This Philly conglomeration featuring ex-members of MCRAD and AUTISTIC BEHAVIOR is pretty rockin’ on all six songs. They’re fast, catchy, and even though they sing mostly about girls and booze, they’re pretty fun. Who’s to knock these guys’ tradition? Pretty hot.
Fun, chunky mid-tempo punk with humorous lyrics concerning the dating game, organized religion, food and more. Good production, hot material.
Hot uptempo melodic punk with personal lyrics. Catchy, memorable, mid-paced fun tunes with good energy. Neato.
GISM-like growls set to punk and post-punk arrangements. Nothing special, but competent.
A crack-up. I assume these guys are satirizing stupid metal bands, cuz with songs like “Shit on Your Mother’s Ass” (song title of the year, hands down!) and “I’ll Pulverize You,” they just can’t be serious. Stupidly hilarious!!
There’s a ’77 quality to their sound, perhaps in a GENERATION X pop punk vein, but a bit speedier with today’s HC influence. Very good lyrics (personal and political), 21 songs in all, nice looking package.
This Aussie-release of Boston band MOVING TARGETS contains two tracks from their classy pop punk LP, plus rocking “Square and Circles.” Good stuff.
This NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH Is from Canada and they’re pretty good, alternating between powerful thrash numbers and slower punk tunes which have a DR. KNOW feel. Lyrically, they attack porno, religion, etc. A worthwhile release.
Full-on punk meets ska! Six great songs that get their influences from early punk, non-wimp ska and high energy hardcore—the best of three worlds. Your ears will quickly become addicted to the rockin’ riffs, catchy song-a-longs and righteous raw vocals. Lyrically, the band deals with day-to-day life in a way that most of us can relate to. Straight up—this is a must!
The A-side is a 1979 studio recording of this seminal Ohio punk band, though it doesn’t have the excitement of their early singles, LP, or subsequent and current releases. The flip is zippier, a live recording that rocks hard but is a true classic.
This album has more in common with early ’70s rock groups like BIG STAR and STORIES than it does with the band they evolved from—PARIAH. This is PARADE’s second LP, a poppish, highly-produced and lyrically introspective album.
Soaring thrash with some tinges of innovation. Plenty of power, personal words, and comes with a mini-booklet. Good.
This is an all-girl metal band from New York, featuring a zillion guitar solos and a screeching vocalist trying to sound like Satan. If this sort of thing is your cup of tea, then this record fills the bill, though it sometimes tends to sound a bit mainstream. Lyrics range from slightly dogmatic political/social commentary to “Midnight Rambler”-type axe-murderer nightstalker “gonna getcha” biker-style tunes.
Back again with their fuzz-bass ’60s punk attack, these wigged-out dudes would go over great in L.A. They combine punk, surf and basic rock’n’roll into a fun (though nothing new) experience, and thankfully they tread lightly with the wah-wah this time.
A very unique release, this band combines hardcore ferocity with an aggressive post-punk rhythmic attach, all the while maintaining their clarity and pop sense. Another way to describe it is mixing the BIG BOYS, BIG BLACK, and the STALIN. Hot!
A slowed-down “Blitzkrieg Bop” beat and a “I don’t wanna fight” message with Phil Spector-type production highlight the B-side, while the A is in the vein of their recent over-produced releases.
With a name like this and the RAMONES-type artwork, I was surprised that only about half of the tunes sound like direct ripoffs, while the others are more generic pop punk. That’s not to say this isn’t enjoyable—it is. Strange concept, though.
Noisy Australian guitar-oriented pop, kind of like a punchier JESUS AND MARY CHAIN. What saves this 12” from predictability is the unexpected sick humor in the midst of the pop tunes. “She’s Gone” is a plaintive lament about a dead cat, and “Car Crash” with the immortal line “Sorry about the car crash / I hope you don’t mind / We’ve killed your family and loved ones… hope you’ve got insurance” is notable for its catchy tune and hilariously deadpan vocals.
Raging in a NYHC style, mixing metal and thrash along with ragged vocals, non-stop banging galore. Best song line: “Justice is like a dick’s hair on a toilet seat.”
Insanely harsh HC with deranged shrieking vocals. Loads of energy, not the type of thing you listen to when you have a headache. Live recording.
They’ve had it up to here and they’re not gonna take it anymore. So, they’re gonna bitch ‘n moan and strike out in anger. No solutions offered or recommended. The only tune that offers any emotion other than anger/revenge is “Give Respect,” which says that it’s actions that prove the person—a worthy thought. Hope to see a broadening of their range of emotions/humanity; otherwise, this is your moshable NYHC.
Hot uptempo punk with other influences creeping in. Powerful production; reminds me a bit of TOXIC REASONS. Good.
That’s not all female singer Ranko is shaking loose on the front cover. Both originals are rock-punk—not too bad, coulda been worse. But on the cover song, “Train Kept a Rollin’” (a song lots of bands, like the ADOLESCENTS, are doing), it gets pretty unbearable.
Straight HC with words concerning personal issues such as equality, insincerity, and straight edge, a tad more original than the average “positive” act.
Five powerful songs in the vein of CRUCIFIX or early RAW POWER with intelligent words questioning rape, vivisection, religion, governments, etc. Solid music and thoughtful lyrics. A great job!
Not too hard to tell this is a DC release. From the cover art to lyrics to musical approach, this is DC all the way. The lyrics seem to have a fixation on the concept of “time,” which shows up in a couple songs. OK start.
These recordings date back to ’82 and were, at that time, a five-year reunion of this ’77 DC proto-punk band. Whatcha see is whatcha get. Onward.
This is the American issue of their first three singles. Predictable, as one side has A-sides and the other the B-sides. The band’s debut single is so far above anything else they’ve done that the rest, especially the B-sides, are really slow, tired, and pale in comparison. Still worth it for “Bamp Bamp” (great garage mania) if you don’t have it.
This is the DAMNED’s second release in this series (the first being from ’77), and this was recorded in ’76. Needless to say, all five tunes here are very energetic, classic punk rock, and for those who don’t already have their early material, here’s your shot.
Finally vinyl from this band! Two slow-ish surf instrumentals, one raging surf instrumental à la fellow chem-rockers AGENT ORANGE, and one brooding tune. What binds them together is the really cool guitar work, which combines surf and psych in an interesting and tough manner. This one’s growing on me.
Rockin’ ’60s garage-grunge in the PANDORAS vein. A competent example of the genre with some satisfying vocal yowls.
The NILS have maintained their pop sound since their 1985 debut 12”, but this Canadian band has edged closer to the border, taking on a HÜSKER DÜ overall feel and a more compressed sound that reduces any edge to homogenized pop.
Thrash, punk, pop, garage, all rolled into one rough EP. Four tunes, garage aesthetics, basic rock’n’roll lyrics.
Well done ’77-style classic punk. No real twists here, just tight, fun punk rock. Very tacky cover stuff showing food on one side and semi-naked blonde woman on the other.
Quick, hyper, melodic punk with animated vocals and silly lyrics, which brings the DICKIES to mind. Super-energetic and tuneful fun.
One of many emerging post-hardcore, offbeat bands that usually signs to SST or Touch & Go. Actually, post-punk or post-hardcore may not exactly be right, sorta more like pre…something, and I’m not sure I wanna know what. Intelligent doodling.
On most of the tunes, the CAESARS update (maybe) the early KINKS’ sound, so their “punk rock” goes back to the roots. But they do three covers here, “A.T.V.,” “Neat Neat Neat,” and “Submission,” all done fairly faithfully to the ’77 originals. Weird shit!
Six songs that musically have a lot of roots in simple funk/dance punk, yet stick to a fast tempo and catchy rhythms. Lyrically, the band words itself very well when dealing with political subjects from a good common sense point of view mixed with pro-awareness emotion. Fun and serious at the same time. Too bad this debut vinyl comes out several months after the breakup of this Fresno band (includes an ex-MANIAC and ex-Stop Skate Harassment publisher.
It’s been three years since their last EP, and while these two tunes maintain their catchy approach (GARY GLITTER-ish on the A-side, early wave-punk on the B), there’s not much beyond that in the way of content.
Sloppy hardcore cum metal, reflecting an admirable and sincere (I think) concern for the dangers of toxic waste disposal, and more generally for all society’s ills. The record has its humorous moments, many of them unintentional. But you gotta give these guys credit for trying: to quote the ‘ZOMBIES, “punk is great, punk is cool.”
This Scottish split LP (OI POLLOI and TOXIC EPHEX) has been out for several months, but I had a hell of a time finding one till recently. O.P. dish out their usual bass-heavy rage, and T.E. play melodic class punk, all of it good sounding. A fine indie product.
Out of the four tunes here, only “Friend Larry” cuts loose hard. The others have a decidedly rockin’ pop feel that reminds me quite a bit of NICK LOWE or UK pre-punk r’n’b/country pub rock.
When they aren’t busy weirding out into jazz, German, or la-la land, they play a mean brand of modern eclectic DC-type hardcore. Each LP cover is an original artwork done by one of 50 area artists.
Ultra-fast speedmetal/HC with political lyrics covering the arms race, war, terrorism, and Garfield, comparable to NAPALM DEATH, but these guys are a bit more listenable, because of the tempo changes and clear production.
Way above average HC, but that might be because these eight songs were released way back in ’82 on Mobstyle. Just totally raging stuff, great vocals, to-the-point, no frills attack. Highly recommended.
More tasty musical tidbits featuring EMILS, CHRIST ON A CRUTCH, DECLINE, and more, courtesy of Flush Productions. Lots of energetic punk tunes by hot upcoming hands!
Their third twisted “holiday” comp, much in the vein of the previous LPs. Most of the bands are ’60s garage, blues, psych, featuring IGUANAS, GOREHOUNDS, SHARKY’S MACHINE, SENDERS, BROOD, etc., but my fave is the raunchy all-female STERILLES doing “Mrs. Claus has Menopause.”
This series’ second go-round on Sweden, covering neo-’60s garage bands. This one features the HIJACKERS, HIGH SPEED V, UNDERTAKERS, SUBTERRANEANS, PRESCHERS, BANGSTERS, CORNFLAKE ZOO, and CRIMSON SHADOWS, capturing a variety of mostly hard-edged guitar punk à la ’67.
Four bands that combine “tunes and speed” says the promo sheet. Well actually, what we have are four bands (JOYCE MCKINNEY EXPERIENCE, INCEST BROS, DECADENCE WITHIN, and NOX MORTALS) that play more traditional sounding punk—melody and medium-paced tempo. Female and male vocals on two bands, neat package, good stuff.
All Icelandic groups here, including S.H. DRAUMUR, SOGBLETTER, and more. Mostly straightforward punk, some more experimental, some on the commercial side. Generally pretty good.
A great title, and a pretty darn good tape, too. Featuring DECLINE, SCREECHING WEASEL, DISGRACE, SOCIAL DECAY, and more US acts with fair to good sound quality. Booklet included.
Risto Eronen has been doing a lot for the Finnish punk scene for years, but he’s now doing even more—putting out vinyl. This first release is a one-song-each comp featuring APARTHEID, IRSTAS, KUMIKRISTUS, VAPAUTUS, YTIMENJATKE, and NOJDANKENA. Lots of hardcore styles are represented, and I found the latter band’s slow but powerful attack the most refreshing. Watch for more.
A solid comp with DISSONANCE, A.D.S., DEAD SILENCE, and more. Lots of energetic material (poetry too!!) with a message. Booklet included.
The third in this sorta series, another monster with 41 bands, plenty of great punk, and of course, no info on any of the bands. I’m sure a lot of these tracks date back to ’83 and are by bands long gone as well as current groups like NOFX, MANIFEST DESTINY, CRINGER (who never sent in a tape and didn’t know anything about it till they saw the LP at my house!), LIFE SENTENCE, DEHUMANIZERS, CANCEROUS GROWTH, PTL KLUB, etc., and lots of vinyl virgins.
COCKNEY REJECTS, ANGELIC UPSTARTS, and SHAM 69 from the older generation and a host of newer Oi! bands like INDECENT EXPOSURE, BRIAL, INTENSIVE CARE, SECTION 5, etc. Some OK lyrics, some shaky ones such as the Y.D.L. song, overall good catchy tuneage.
A hot comp featuring OUTO, CHICKEN BOWELS, SYSTEMATIC DEATH, GUDON, S.O.B., and LIP CREAM. Raging from start to finish, the OUTO and S.O.B. cuts are definitely the highlights, especially the latter who are unbelievable.
A pretty solid comp including everything from pop-punk to speedmetal to noisethrash. High points are FEED YOUR HEAD, DOOM, and NO FRAUD. Worth a listen. All proits go to No More Censorship Defense Fund.
Vol.1 of a worldwide HC comp series, with most of the songs being in a speedcore vein. Lots of the tunes have been released before, though several are re-recorded, and there are a few unreleased tracks as well. Included are VELLOCET, ACCUSED, DAMAGE (Finland), INFERNO, CAPITAL SCUM, STUPIDS (huh?), NO ALLEGIANCE, MANSON YOUTH, MANIACS, and G.R.B.
A three-song release that accompanies issue #10 of 11 Years On ‘zine. BLOOD AND THUNDER, HEAVY DISCIPLINE, and INSTIGATORS all do one, the latter being live. Last issue of this ‘zine, so pick it up now.
A pretty solid world comp of mostly wild punk and HC tuneage. Standouts included VISUAL DISCRIMINATION, EXTREMES, and more. Worth checking into. Booklet included.
Quite a diverse selection of material from acts like the STIFFS, INFECTION, F.V.K./EMG, and lots more. From slow, melodic punk to whirlwind thrash, it’s all here.
This is a No More Censorship Defense Fund benefit LP with a variety of styles and bands. On the punk side are OI POLLOI and CÁTERAN, while there are a host of aggressive-sounding post-punk bands like PASTELS, SHAMEN, MEMBRANES, PRIMEVALS, PALOOKAS, MEAT WHIPLASH, etc.
This compilation is intended as a document of the underground rock scene in Bødø, a small Norwegian town north of the Arctic Circle. The music is incredibly diverse, ranging from pop-punk to grungy hardcore to syntho-disco to experimental art-noise to jangly guitar pop. There are also some rumbling synth “mood music” tracks which are quite relaxing. Production tends to be on the muddy side, but the concept is bizarre enough to make this one interesting.
A pretty good comp here, with acts like TERVEET KÄDET, YOUTH QUAKE, INSTIGATORS, and more. Good sound quality also.
Garage rap is here and anyone can do it. Or so prove these guys. And they are really tough with songs/raps like” “James Dean is an Overrated Asshole” (“I’d kill him if I were able”), a song about a school chum called “Billy the Scab” who they want to die for various reasons, and of course a “We’re the Warlocks” anthem that all rappers must have no matter how stupid. This record is ridiculous but pretty funny.
These gals make the BEASTIE BOYS look like flaccid wimps, doing intelligent and hilarious acapella raps about macho goons, the FCC, poo, etc. With loads of funny between-the-songs banter. Totally rad, and the “special prizes” are yucky!
