Very solid punk and thrash with a hefty helping of innovation and originality. Sorta doomy, sorta metal-y, but all powerful. Includes a lyric book, but if you can’t read Swedish, you’re out of luck.
Aside from a song or two, this live LP represents their latter sound, a rock-oriented approach. The songs are less anthemic and less gripping, more prone to length and dilution. It’s hard for me to relate to this approach, especially as 7 SECONDS was my fave for many years. And given my fondness for Kevin, it’s doubly hard to say I don’t really like this period of their work, never mind the thin sound on this LP.
Some sloppy drunken punk rock for ya, with both serious and silly lyrics. Fun, but not the sort of thing you’d listen to often.
So-so hardcore without too much distinction. Competent musicianship, good lyrics, but just nothing special.
These guys make the CRAMPS look slick. Totally demented, rocking trash for all you retardos out there. A classic.
Yet another HC band that’s pissed, full of brotherhood, and advocates a “love it or leave it” patriotism. “Back Off” is their by-word. See ya.
Good powerful thrash tunes from this Chicago band. “Not Just My Head” is a short blast, while “One Track Head” is a bit more complex and interesting, with loads of energy. An impressive start.
Early-style punk with an emphasis on melody. Lyrically, I don’t know what’s going on, but the music sounds good.
A repackaged “greatest hits” LP, this features “Wasted,” “TV Party,” “Six Pack,” “I Don’t Care,” “I’ve Had It,” “Jealous Again,” “Louie Louie,” “Gimme Gimme Gimme,” “Slip It In,” and more.
Metallish, hard rock-ish HC with tweedle-dee leads. Lyrically, I don’t know what’s going on, but they do have a song called “Suck My Cock.”
Varied punk and pre-punk/post-punk styles. Two or three of the songs are fairly straight-ahead rockers with both ’60s and ’77 influences, while the others are more eclectic and slower-paced.
A sexually offensive pic on the front (girl and gun mode), and an equally ridiculous essay on the back. Can’t figure this band. But the music is like a demented PIL meets early GODFATHERS bordering on industrial pop with very catchy melodies. Quite good.
OK, this little gem features no less than 46 songs, all varying in style, content, and quality. From C&W to the harshest HC, all aimed to pierce your skin. GG fans take note.
This is the legendary SF garage band that spent years preparing for this release. Although I’m partial to their rockin’ live show, this record is an adequate representation of the garage madness they’re capable of. Couldn’t live without it.
Raging female vocals lead this HC frenzy. Sounds like a slightly more metal version of the early COMES. Intense.
This Minneapolis band blends a hard melodramatic rhythm with the typical complexly performed pop their town is known for. Ugly words, big buildups, and a hard drive make for a promising debut. Reminds me of WIRE at times.
The second demo by this mysterious Arizona band, playing a variety of styles from straightedge HC to rap to synth silliness to speedmetal, making fun of everyone and everything, except the Master Cheez, of course. Rad shit.
As a tribute to their European tour, Brazil’s CÓLERA releases this live tape of their solid, powerful punk sound. Production is very clear, making this one more than worthwhile.
100% speedmetal for the SOX now, and it’s pretty good, probably their most solid release. Sounding comparable to METALLICA and the ACCUSED, they have maintained their intelligent lyrical outlook, questioning religion, inequality, greed, oppression, etc. My only gripe is the slightly trebly production, but that’s minor. This is swell!
You betcha! Awesomely weirdly produced noise thrash that just tears out your eardrums. Definitely insane.
Two fast tunes and two slow ones, both with a lot of guitar and beat, though the latter gets old fast. The poppy pair have a R’n’B based rock structure, sorta like DR. FEELGOOD meets NOMADS on a so-so day. Plenty of potential, but lagging somewhere along the line.
Cool straightforward punk noise with lyrics about drug abuse, religion, personal issues, and more. “Family’s Only Family” stands out as a catchy tune.
Pretty catchy melodic garage punk with a distorted guitar sound. Lyrically, I’m not sure what’s going on. OK.
Grunge-y punk mania here, with pissed-off lyrics slagging the rest of the goony world. Great juvenile fun.
Early punk sounds with fun barroom sing-along vocals. A total gas: you can almost see the beer spilling all over the place.
Straightforward punk and thrash with loads of energy and powerful guitarwork. Not too original, but pretty rockin’ nevertheless.
Basic thrash with mediocre production. Musically, nothing special, but the words are totally on-target, covering pacifism, peace, religion, etc. with intelligence. Great sentiment.
No, they’re not hippies, they play basic garage-y punk and HC with socially-oriented lyrics. Pretty good lyric book included.
Some super-grunged out punk rock with a totally distorted guitar buzz and rockin’ crazy energy. Spazmo stuff.
Speedmetal, slick production, female vocals, and unbearable listening. Ouch!
A rather grungy and depressed-sounding four-songer from this committed bunch, which could be due to the gruff vocals. Musically, punk and hyperthrash are their forte, and the words seem a bit more personal this time around. Slightly different that their previous releases, but good nevertheless.
Searing trash with tinges of that old metal stuff. Very professional (in the good sense) packaging and production, which makes for a rad tape.
Fast and hard punk, powerful as hell. Wild, chaotic and noisy, there’s a real coherence to all six tunes, a sense of tightness in the midst of madness. Good shit.
Pleasant Aussie power pop. The B-side is forgettable, but the A-side is much better than expected, owing to some rough edges left in the mix and some catchy hooks. It’s not as strong as some of their earlier stuff, but it’s a good tune anyway.
Punky/country mix, with accent on the corn. Kinda dippy little stories, almost nursery-rhyme-ish, set to jaunty and sometimes driving music.
A pretty peculiar band, While basing their music on ’77 punk, they employ ’70s rock guitar and eccentric arrangements that are partly amusing, partly nauseating—mostly the latter.
Quick punk with a melodic edge. Relatively memorable stuff, but only three tunes.
Very powerful HC with metallish influences and intelligent words covering war, capitalism, right wingers in the punk scene, and more. Also includes a booklet which explains their lyrics further. Pretty damn impressive.
Still demented, psychedelic, with painfully slow power rhythms and that unmistakable growling voice, this is no surprise except that they sound more like SCRATCH ACID than I remember. (Or did they just leave D. Yow off the credits for “Never Gave Me a Kiss”?) Oh well, no standouts but as good as ever and equally as irritating.
Quick, rapid-fire thrash that is powerful, though a bit noisy. The slower bits, however, reveal a bit more melody and tightness. Not bad.
A very good debut 7” by this AZ act, eight clean, powerful songs, mostly thrash with an accent on energy. Far from generic, they have their own sound, different from any other particular band. Lyrically, the emphasis is on caring for others and working for social change. Totally great!!
The first French speedcore release. AGRESSOR has less speed and more tuneage, while LOUDBLAST has the speed, more wanking, and even falsetto screeches. Gore themes, with a bit of politics.
Borrowing from ealy punk influences, early ’80s UK post-punk, no wave, modern US hardcore, post-BUTTHOLES insanity and post-VICTIM’S FAMILY jazz, this combo rages. Fans of NOMEANSNO, KILLDOZER, etc, take note.
Continuing in the vein of their fine LP of last year, but these three songs are a little bit more homogenized. The sound is similar throughout, keyed by a signing, high-pitched guitar, clean production, and good tuneage.
On the B-side, MASSAPPEAL show some real talent at crazed, frenetic HC in the DISORDER vein, with the rockish edges showing. The flip is a bit repetitive, but this is by and large a solid effort.
Basic punk rock and HC with a variety of lyrics, from silly to serious. Not bad, 21 tunes.
Pretty tense stuff here: fierce DRI-ish thrash with herky-jerky breaks and a good amount of innovation. Lyrics cover racism, vivisection, and other evils of society. Hot stuff.
Cool basic punk rock with words challenging the media, the military, leaders and more good garage-y fun.
Full-on speedmetal, but with mostly good lyrics about vivisection, war, and reality. These bozos are also fun live, but I’d only recommend this to metal fanatics.
The former GERMS guitarist puts out an eclectic, boring, self-indulgent LP that makes early ’70s rock look good.
This straightedge “mystery” record comes with issue #7 of Schism zine. All the songs are negative—how’s that for positive—and insinuate violence, revenge, threat, and other forms of good living. Contains members of various NY straightedge bands.
Metally HC with a definite garagey feel to it. Lyrically they attack issues like abortion, AIDS, drug/alcohol abuse, etc. Good.
Side One is SCHIZOID’s live weirdness: wacko HC with metal influences. Side Two is POOR WHITE TRASH, who sound similar, but includes studio stuff. Neat and worth the buck.
Decent pop punk out of this Vermont group, though the music is pretty lightweight at points, and that, coupled with the “pretty” vocals and harmonies, makes it difficult to set teeth into. No lyric sheet, though from what I can hear there’s nothing too biting there either.
This indie contains four long-ish tunes that range more into post-punk than punk. The guitar sound is too “pretty” for me, but the vocals have an edge, as do the lyrics (very politically aware, especially in terms of Argentine politics). Most tunes here are slow-to-medium, though they do sometimes gain third gear.
Splatter rock, mainly aimed at cutting up women. “Hey, but it’s a joke, dude.” True enough, and everyone’s entitled to their cup o’ tea, no matter how dumb. It’s just great that all the men involved in this project are so enlightened and have such a good sense of humor that violence toward women is OK to joke about. Hey, racism is funny too, dude, for white people.
It’s from NY, it’s HC, but this isn’t the NYHC sound that has become prevalent recently. This is more garage-y (may be the production), more straightforward, with lots of different tempos.
A limited edition 7” put out by the band and available through them directly. Side A features “She’s Not on the Menu;” the same version is on Flipside Comp #3 but titled “Heavy Menu.” This time around, the song has way better production. Side B sports the original version of “Life of a Bag Lady” with “This is the End” tagged on for good measure. Both of these songs are from an early demo. If you can get one, you most likely won’t be disappointed. Great cover art.
A three-song post-punk release that relies on a heavy drum beat and loud guitar. Lots of power despite the chunky rhythm; decent listening.
We will let SPOT indulge himself because he deserves it…comic rock-outs, twisted jazzy jams, guitar doodlings, country hoedowns, rock ballads, perceptive rentings, and pure electric indulgence. Those who love him, love it.
This six-song 7” is the third in a series of Christmas releases from Ohio’s SS-20. The A-side features three hardcore Christmas originals by SS-20; the B-side features their “alter-egos”, THOSE JUGHEAD APACHES, playing three slow, cheesy, straightforward versions of Xmas standards. For collectors, Christmas-lovers, and fans of SS-20 only.
For the speedcore types out there, a non-stop barrage of tuneless thrash. Lots of it!
Side One is spastic and crazed punk and HC with an idiotic edge that takes potshots at just about everyone except themselves. Side Two is more industrial.
This is volume one of a “roots of punk” series, featuring Northern Ireland’s BEARS. They put out two 45s in ’77, one of which “bears” the name of the LP and rates in my top ten all-time punk list. However, that track on this live in ’77 recording is nowhere near as electrifying. Decent, but not necessarily magic.
Their name could be serious, judging by the lyrics to “Girl in Red,” but it could be a parody. Anyway, this is noisy punk and thrash with a metallic edge. Lyrics cover cops, skating, and moshing.
Pretty hot upbeat early style punk with a good sense of melody. Four live tunes and two studio ones.
Out of Massachusetts come the CREEPS and ANGRY KIDS. The CREEPS rip it up on four songs, all done in a raw and energetic style that harkens back to punk’s early days—a treat. ANGRY KIDS have a more modern HC sound with a bit of DC influence on their two longish tunes. Pick it up.
Fairly light pop punk, combining melodic strains of HUSKER-ish “mould” with ’79-ish punk. Should appeal to a wider audience than usual, but nothing especially gripping.
Early UK punk sound slightly updated with guitar overdubs. Four tunes, nothing exceptionally memorable.
Spontaneous jamming, two little kids telling us about peace punks, safe sex, Tim Yohannan, and more. Amusing for short periods of time.
Countrified, psych craziness on two rousing instrumentals with the melody care of kazoo on “Gestampo” and via harmonica on “Chicken Scratch.” Sound strange? Well, it’s really rockin’. Really!
Tommy and Co. let loose with yet another excellent hardcore blast. Lots of production but lots of the basics as well, adding up to an A-1 release. Got a promo EP with mine, a white vinyl job that’s fun as well. Funny-ass cover art on the LP.
These prolific guys strike again, this time with four driving songs. Distinctive vocal style sets them apart, and as usual, their powerful classic punk kicks ass.
Non-generic punk and HC with on-target political and social words, heavy on innovation and intensity make this a hot one.
A garage hell recording, which probably helps in this case. Very crude garage punk, just blasting out five tunes into the most basic recording device imaginable.
Regulation mid-tempo English punk with hoarse screamed vocals and football-chant choruses. Not earth-shattering, but competent.
Great upbeat pop punk that’s comparable to WILMER X’s good stuff. All-Swedish vocals, excellent sound quality, sing-along choruses, and melodic tunes.
No title on this international release. The cover only indicates the bands: COLERA (Brazil), CIRCLE OF SIG-TIU and DUNKEL TAGE (Germany) and W.D.M. (Finland). One song each on this blue vinyl slab, all good, powerful studio tracks.
Yeah, this is another bloody noisy punk comp, including acts from all around the globe, the standouts being SICK OF IT ALL, DROWNING ROSES, and the INSTIGATORS. Good.
Not a bad comp here featuring acts like A.P.P.L.E., AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, SFA, and more. Includes a variety of sounds and even some poetry. Pretty cool.
Eighteen bands, most of whom are in the non-melodic thrash vein, contribute tracks to the theme of the world’s ongoing warfare mentality. Included: CIVILISED SOCIETY?, ATAVISTIC, CHUMBAWUMBA, REVULSION, REST IN PAIN, DAWN OF LIBERTY, and lots more—a veritable who’s who of modern UK hardcore.
A real variety pack of differing rock’n’roll styles. JOT reminds me a bit of BEEFEATER; MODERN VENDING will appeal to Minneapolis pop fans; SCRAMBLE GRIT has a DC-ish sound; DATURA SEEDS is Paul Mahern’s (ZERO BOY and producer of this LP) current band; SLOPPY SECONDS turn in three more punk classics; RIGHT TO LEFT is a GIZMOS spinoff; and MIKE’S HOUSE is rocking folk.
A mixed bag of psych pop and pop punk, most of which is culled from previously released LP tracks. Includes SMARTIES, TRASHING GROOVE, CRETINS, FURY IN THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, and more.
A really fun comp of Detroit-area garage bands. Lots of grunge and great rock’n’roll beats. Features ELVIS HITLER, LOST PATROL, GORIES, ARTPHAG, ZOMBIE SURFERS, and others.
Hot tunes from acts all across the globe, featuring DIRECT ACTION, SUBVERSE, OPINION ZERO, and more. Good sound quality and 60 minutes of non-stop action makes this a righteous comp.
A mostly Mexican comp with MASSACRE 68, SOLUCION MORTAL, PAZUZU, HISTERIA, and DESECRATION. Sound quality is OK, material is energetic HC. Comes with booklet (all in Spanish).
By golly, this sure is a good one! 23 bands performing 37 songs, all being in the realm of punk/HC. Varied but good quality, some examples of talent being FINAL WARNING, ACCUSED, CRUCIAL YOUTH, ANATHEMA. Great sampler!
Half central California acts like ASSAULT, WIMPY DICKS, AK47, and more. The other half is world punk acts. Not bad ‘tall. Half the profits go to the No More Censorship Defense Fund.
This comes with issue #10 of Trust zine and has one song each by three of Germany’s current crop of HC hopefuls. The EMILS play an ultra-fast tune, CROWD OF ISOLATED have a slightly slower but very powerful sound that rips, and JINGO DE LUNCH come on with a late-period AVENGERS sound.
’50s horror hostess Vampira and SATAN’S CHEERLEADERS team up for a truly bizarre single. The aging star of “Plan 9 From Outer Space” moans, groans and intones, while the band does a pretty good CRAMPS imitation. Cool and crazy.
A long LP by this Aussie band, who have a pretty well-developed sound, mixing different influences into their punk tunes without losing sight of their roots. Most noticeable is the guitar work, which really holds things together. Lyrically, they deal with both personal and political subjects in an intelligent, well thought-out manner. Good.
Pretty run-of-the-mill Oi! No real spark, just basic rock‘n’roll music and attitudes.
More hot Japanese stuff. This month’s batch has been largely exciting, really raging, cut-loose HC and this one’s right up there. A four-song, one-sided red 8” flexi that contains this warning: “This is disgusting music.”
A self-avowed “foodcore” release, these eight songs dwell on the ridiculous, dealing with burgers, being too hot, beer quests, bugs, and other important topics. Goofcore from WHOPPERS TASTE GOOD.
These guys have a tune called “Positive Hardcore” which pretty much tells the story: clean punk and thrash with optimistic words about unity and the evils of drugs and alcohol. Pretty good.
Demented. “Lunkhead” is sorta normal, “Get in the Car” is spooky and scary, and “I Forgot the Hay” is amusing. I think psychotherapy is in order here.
Four tunes from early ’78, in well-done (but a bit toned-down versions) from their studio releases. Still, this material (especially “I Am the Fly” and “106 Beats That”) is mandatory for those who can’t find their first three 12” releases.
The Florida-based KML label has come out with yet another great punk rock record. Eight short, fast, energetic, catchy tunes from this Mississippi band, all delivered with tough crunchy guitars and super gravelly vocals.
Chunk punk here, with a garage-y edge. Lyrics cover vegetable soup, dumb stories, and more fun!
High quality melodic thrash here. Three of the tunes just rip, showing tight playing and lots of energy. The last is a speedy surf number that rocks too. Good debut.
High-powered and high-production ’83-ish UK style HC. Six tunes, all with good tuneage and power galore. A bit too studied perhaps, but good listening nonetheless.
Really hot raging HC on the dozen tracks here. The vocals are distorted and sound hot, but there’s no way the vocalist, “Margaret,” is a female, at least not of any species I know. Ripping!
The OPERATION IVY of Japan? These guys utilize a slightly ska approach to their punk and HC, a ragged but enjoyable edge. Four tunes.
