Reaktio Minimum Rocka&Billy CD

Soooo… REAKTIO were a Finnish punk band that lasted all of five glorious months in 1979, before changing their name to STALIN and issuing one of the greatest early Finnish hardcore punk EPs, then changing their name again to NUKKETEATTERI in ’81, and then putting out a couple more bangers before fading away. In the interim, STALIN got a swank reissue, as did the first (and best) NUKKETEATTERI EP, but REAKTIO, having only produced a handful of homemade cassettes, remained unheard. Now, 40 years after the band’s brief existence, the members have reconvened and recorded fifteen tracks of vintage Finnish punk. The thing is, it’s fuckin’ amazing! Like, I was shocked to find out this is a recent recording. Stylistically, it’s just what you’d want, just as much influenced by the SEEDS and BLACK MONKS as the PISTOLS or CLASH, and unafraid to deploy harmonica, kazoo, cowbell, and even a flute! That being said, the core of the band centers around two guitars, one pretty clean and one equipped with some Pebbles-style garage fuzz (the fuzzbox enables some nasty solos later along the disc) and the snotty vocals (how is this not the work of a teenager?!). Does it end with a ten plus minute psychedelic jam with tons of solos and a flute riff for a chorus? You better believe it does! Too good, this record is punk as fuck.

• Reviewer Andrew Underwood
• Label Poko / Step Backwards
• Issue MRR #439 • December 2019