ANGST aim for a “roots pop” approach, incorporating elements of punk, country, blues, and power-pop into a clutch of highly accessible ditties. Some songs are slow, but this band’s forte is in faster, intricately arranged tunes like “It’s All a Lie” and “Butler Grace,” which demonstrate a subdued, yet punky energy. Fans of the NEATS and EMBARRASSMENT should enjoy this.
The original line-up is here, but the sound is quite subdued these days. There are one or two thrashers (even those are not the ravers of times gone past), while the rest of the songs are strongly based on various forms of ’70’s rock, most of which don’t really excite.
A pretty bleak picture painted here. On one hand, BL’AST demands we not be led, that we awaken and fight, yet on the other hand they inform us they’re withdrawing into solely self-oriented gratification. Hmmm. The music is in the FLAG-rhythm hardcore we’ve come to know, tight and powerful lurching stuff.
I’ve always liked BL’AST for doggedly keeping the BLACK FLAG sound alive, but unfortunately, their first release is one of the wimpiest, lamest covers I’ve heard in quite some time — like some stupid rock band down the street covering the ALICE COOPER classic. The two songs on the flip capture that classic My War grunge mix of blues and thrash.
A side of BLACK FLAG’s most commercial song, and features current drummer Emil. B-side’s “I’ve Got to Run” and “My Rules,” sound more like the LP, with fill-in drummer Bill. Production is even cleaner though. Bring back Robo!
Nothing more than a typical painful BLACK FLAG jam session that should be on a Woolworth’s cassette rather than vinyl, and yes, it has a Raymond Pettibone cover.
I’ve tended to like their post-Damaged records a lot more than some people I know; here, instead of long, drawn-out solos, the songs are shorter and more concise, and therefore pack more punch. The cassette version contains three extra tracks.
My turn to do a BLACK FLAG review already? Uh-oh. OK, Side one has a couple of tunes that grab me, full of power and with a full sound. The rest of the slower numbers, and most all of Side two, leave me cold. I think it’s got something to do with the thinness and cleanness of the sound, making me focus in on the jazzy aspects and lyrics, which don’t do much for me. Seems like those memorable, catchy, sing-along noise days are history, except for pale imitations like “Modern Man” or “Best One Yet.”
A superior quality live tape showcasing an evening with a seminal, legendary, masochistic, poignant, chaotic beast of an outfit who have not lost one iota of aggro. Will the years catch up with BLACK FLAG? Will they cease and desist this rampant high-speed lurch? Hope not…
Side one of this rather strange release contains a brace of spoken word recordings by BLACK FLAG, only one of which is graced by an instrumental backdrop, and most of which are OK as novelties. Side two has four metal-punk instrumentals, none of which are even passable. You have to be a pretty desperate BLACK FLAG fan to want to buy this LP.
After My War, I was expecting the worst, but this new BLACK FLAG album is much better. Many of these songs have more streamlined drive and less self-indulgent pathos. Greg’s metallic guitar playing is generally too discordant and frenetic to fall into the heavy metal junkyard, and Henry seems to have brought his most annoying pretensions under control (except on “Rat’s Eyes”). Although nothing here approaches classics like “Nervous Breakdown” and “Jealous Again,” songs like “Wound Up,” the title cut, and “The Bars” are new reminders of BLACK FLAG’s power.
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.
BLACK FLAG have worked long and hard to break ground for punk, and weathered a lot of legal harassment in the process, so it’s impossible to casually dismiss them for putting out a bad record. But that temptation certainly exists with the release of this album. To me, it sounds like BLACK FLAG doing an imitation of IRON MAIDEN imitating BLACK FLAG on a bad day. The shorter songs are rarely exciting, and the three tracks on the B-side are sheer torture. I know depression and pain are hallmarks of BLACK FLAG’s delivery, but boredom too?
If you’re one of those people who aren’t wildly enthusiastic about BLACK FLAG’s current metal orientation, this should be like a manna from heaven. It might even be the last BLACK FLAG record you’ll actually kill to buy. The records include all unreleased material and feature each of their first three vocalists. Keith’s (“Johnny’s”) vocals may be the most distinctive, and Greg’s guitar tone might attain the most piercing extremes in the Dez era, but I personally prefer the almost ideal balance achieved during Ron’s (“Chavo’s”) tenure as singer. Enough bullshit, this is a mandatory purchase that demonstrates why BLACK FLAG once headed the US punk pantheon, so buy it and pin your ears back.
An all-instrumental combo out of St. Louis, Missouri. Lots of darkness in their big sound, but the ever-present pounding drums save it getting too heavy or dreary most of the time. As with most Instrumental efforts, there’s lots of repetition and little to bring you back for additional listenings, unless you’re a stoner.
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.
This is the new band formed by ex-BLACK FLAG singer Dez Cadena; it also includes the rhythm section from the STAINS and Paul Roessler of TWISTED ROOTS on keyboards. This is really Dez’s baby, as he really stretches out into his roots and experiments. No thrash—just a big power trio sound from the ’70s with fuzzed guitar, ethereal keyboards, and rapid time changes. For fans of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, HAWKWIND, VAN DER GRAFF, and KING CRIMSON.
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.
This is the swan-song for the DESCENDENTS—without Milo again they’ll be called ALL and thankfully this live record isn’t an end-of-the-career-rock-bullshit move. It turns out to be an extremely tight “best of” set recorded in Minneapolis. A lot of the clunkers from previous albums sound incredibly gutsy with the in-yer-face production. A classic.
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.
Yahoo! The most remarkable thing about this fine album is that the production is every bit as raunchy as it was on their four-year old debut EP. When you add that extra-grungy edge to the DICKS’ absorbing mid- to fast punk songs, heavily distorted guitar work, and gruff Texas vocals, you’re bound to have a winner. The drunkenness and political commitment come across clearly in the music, but gems like “Bourgeois Fascist Pig” deserve a lyric sheet.
I gotta fess up—I’m really a sucker for the FLESH EATERS sound and any related project but I was a little disappointed with the last LP by the DIVINE HORSEMEN, a little too clean sounding. On their latest record they’ve coupled four new tunes with some pretty respectable covers by DAVID ALLAN COE, the CRAMPS, ELVIS PRESLEY, and THE ROLLING STONES. This might actually be the right place to start with this group.
When I first heard this, I thought it was a great mix of Chris D’s tough-as-nails lyrics with a good, classy production. But as I play it more and more, I’m afraid he must have left a lot of drive and fire of the early FLESH EATERS music for smoother production. Really commercial stuff.
This is the new group arising from the untimely death of D. Boon, and MINUTEMEN fans will be neither too surprised nor disappointed. The music is softer in places, and even though the guitarist only picked up an electric guitar a year ago, this is a good start.
What more can be said about these guys—even traditional rock critics like them. That shouldn’t be held against them, though, because they have more brilliant ideas up their sleeves than 50 normal bands, and they can play rings around the competition. Here, they come up with yet another platter full of classics that combine innovative structures, every exciting species of guitar noise, loads of intensity, and diversity of mood. Ace all the way, and “The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill” is amazing.
Damn, those HÜSKERS sure can play! Their new EP elevates the musical brilliance of their last album to dizzying new heights. Not only are these songs loud, powerful, and creative, but Bob manages to produce the most extraordinary guitar sound—it actually shimmers. Buy this and keep yourself entertained for months.
This is a great record. Although the songs are some of the best they have ever written, there is a certain flatness to the production that seems to have been mixed for a three-inch speaker in an AM radio. Vocals are way up front while the raw guitar and drum sound we’re used to are shoved back. Could be a case of experimentation or maybe a sign of things to come.
A totally impressive release! Most bands have a hard enough time putting out a single album without filler, but these guys have managed to fill all four sides here with catchy, powerful, and musical songs… real songs. The singing wails, the Oriental psych guitars shine, and the rhythm crunches. It also sounds as if they’ve been listening to the psychedelic-period BYRDS lately, because there are a few reversed tracks for instrumental background included. Tremendous!
HÜSKER DÜ’s version of the BYRDS’ psychedelic classic is an impassioned, screaming track which combines their live fury with a certain studio sophistication; the flip is an intense live version of “Masochism World” that loses a bit of its spunk due to rather bootleggy production values. Yet another iconoclastic release from the HÜSKERS.
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.
The MEAT PUPPETS have nothing to do with punk or psychedelia. This is thrash in a wind tunnel. It’s so frenzied, it moves as fast as the human brain. Your opinion is genetic. It depends on what you ate. Or what your mother ate.
Album number three from the PUPPIES has them pretty much mining the same territory as their second LP. This should alienate the shit out of the punk rockers and make college radio writhe in ecstasy. All of this doesn’t negate the fact that this is an outstanding record with great playing. Not real fast, but curling-up-on-the-porch-after-a-long-hard-day LP.
How strange! You’d expect this album to mirror the manic ultra-thrash which characterized their debut efforts, but it’s almost exclusively Country & Western. It’s pretty good, too. The rock’n’rolly charms of “Split Myself in Two” are contrasted with gentle, melodic numbers like “Climbing” and the swingin’ “Magic Toy Missing.” Is there a C&W revival going on that I don’t know about?
This is one of those things that looks better on paper. Basically a jam between the MINUTEMEN and BLACK FLAG back in early 1985. The one song written by Boon manages to hold its own, mainly because of the structure there, but the rest end up like some late night jam fest with nothing getting accomplished.
This is the most blatant, consciously political effort yet by the MINUTEMEN. From the painting on the cover to their choice of covers (CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”), they attack war, Central American repression, and political apathy—and all the while still pumping out, fast and furious, the thrash/pop/jazz/rock sound they’ve honed to an edge.
Do I really have to describe them after they’ve put out so much vinyl? No radical departures here, as their whole style is a continuing radical departure. You’ll know if you like them by now—I sure do.
A semi-serious stab at making hit records. So once you get past the shock at hearing horns, guitar breaks, and longer songs on a MINUTEMEN record you discover that they’re writing incredible songs. “King of the Hill” is the centerpiece with a full, complex structure and lyrics that bring politics onto a more personal level. Also a nice mantra-like psychedelic feel to “Tour Spiel, Part 2.”
The MINUTEMEN have packed 45 of their minimal, funk-punky songs onto this very satisfying twin album. Most of the compositions here rate from fair to very good, and utilize some combination of melody, guitar riff, or interesting lyric twist to sustain the listener’s interest. The seven or eight really excellent numbers live up to the MINUTEMEN’s best standards—”Corona” and “My Heart and the Real World” have superb melodies, while cuts like “Nothing Indeed” employ the typical MINUTEMEN formulae very well.
As most of our readers already know, the MINUTEMEN have a very innovative sound that combines funk, jazziness, and disjointed semi-thrash. On this new EP, they add some atmospheric psychedelic guitar and other forms of weirdness. I like some of it a lot, especially “Cut,” but most of it is too experimental for my tastes.
Fourth album by this very hard to describe East Bay group. Sound collection and sculpture at least gets you in the right neighborhood. Stellar line-up of guest stars includes the RESIDENTS, Garcia and Hart from the GRATEFUL DEAD and even JELLO BIAFRA. But the real stars are pieces which include an incredible punk tune, “Carbomb” and “Here.”
It’s gonna be really hard to be kind on this one. What you have here is a live “jam” recorded last year in San Francisco. Basically this constitutes an SST supergroup with members of BLACK FLAG, SACCHARINE TRUST, and the DESCENDENTS. And the music is pretty much sludge, making this probably a lot more fun to make than to listen to.
The long-awaited debut of this medium-fast metal punk band. The songs are positive, spirited, and catchy, with lots of power to ’em.
This is like the WÜRM record, or one of those records on SST after the band has broken up. Too bad, because OVERKILL managed to blend equal parts of harsh metal and snarling punk. The vocals have a cool rasp sound that may give MOTÖRHEAD a run for their money.
This band (includes some ex-SIN 34ers) seems to be moving away from their more explicit political origins towards a mix of politics and personal love/hate songs. Musically, it’s mid-tempo punkish stuff with early-’70s rock influences. Not yet well-formed personality-wise.
This band does at times have a bit of a mid-period BLACK FLAG sound to them, but I can also hear some groovy part of REDD KROSS and CIRCLE JERKS in there. They got a pretty rippin’ version of “Little Red Book,” too.
The former GERMS guitarist puts out an eclectic, boring, self-indulgent LP that makes early ’70s rock look good.
SACCHARINE TRUST’s new album has an artistic approach that reminds many of the MINUTEMEN, although they seem even more demented and experimental. It exhibits a marked unevenness from cut to cut—the faster rockers (like “The Giver Takes” and the wonderfully scratchy “Craving the Center”) add a level of accessibility to the proceedings, but a number of the slower, artier pieces (such as “The Cat Cracker” and “Our Discovery”) don’t take long to become tedious.
This Ellensburg, WA band’s second LP is an exciting moment. They get more indulgent here, proving themselves a real ’80s psyche band. Intricate swooning and meaty jams with a few melodic ’60s influenced songs. But ravers like “The Pathway” make it worth living for.
On their second release, they have shed their gloomy post-punk shadow and their tendency for arty experimentation in favor of a harder two-guitar edge. There’s a delicate interweaving of rhythms that should excite guitar fans of TELEVISION and even the SOFT BOYS.
Hey, there’s one song on this LP I like, a cover of CRIME’s “Hot Wire My Heart”. The rest is just too oozingly cool for me, though there are VELVET-y moments that appeal.
Not all that different from their last LP. There’s not a lot of maniacal guitar noise—more concentrated on the low, somber sound. More spooky weirdness from these folks.
These L.A. STAINS have been around for quite awhile, but they’ve only now gotten around to putting out vinyl of their own. It’s hard-hitting thrash with a lot of metal influences, including sledgehammer rhythms and lead solos. I was expecting more of the slower metal-type songs, but this record kicks ass. Not to be confused with the Texas STAINS (now MDC).
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.
Less sludgy this time out—more jazz riffs creeping into the act here but still good enough to recommend to fans of midwest-wump like the APPLIANCES-SFB, COUCH FLAMBEAU and a little KILLDOZER. Also elements of pop and funk seeping in to draw comparisons to earlier MEAT PUPPETS and the MINUTEMEN. You decide.
They’re not going to like this comparison, but this is better than anything the DREAM SYNDICATE have ever done. The TRAINS use the same approach as the SYNDICATE, but are much looser in their approach, they rock a lot harder, and their subjects aren’t as tired. For fans of GUN CLUB and RADIO BIRDMAN.
Vancouver’s legendary SUBHUMANS deliver their first record in years, but it’s been worth the wait. An aggressive ’77-punk style melds with strong lyrics to create brilliant cuts like “America Commits Suicide” and a very catchy version of “Googolplex”; there’s even a killer cover of MENACE’s “Screwed Up” to satisfy Britpunk enthusiasts. All we can do now is hope that they get back together and tour.
Clearly half of this soundtrack LP stars the LOVEDOLLS, who seem to mainly to do the vocal tracks (sounding like the RUNAWAYS), and backed by the likes of REDD KROSS, SWA, PAINTED WILLIE. Remaining tracks star BLACK FLAG, DK’S, GONE, MEAT PUPPETS, SONIC YOUTH. Fun, in a Hollywood sort of way.
