Trained Attack Dogs Trained Attack Dogs cassette
These jokers play a variety of styles with punk energy. Six fun, varied tunes, all with good production and spark.
MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
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These jokers play a variety of styles with punk energy. Six fun, varied tunes, all with good production and spark.
This postmortem release brings us previously unreleased material from this early Swiss band. Twelve great punk tunes with female vocals of the same caliber as the AVENGERS, BAGS, early SIOUXSIE, etc. Good stuff!
A textured guitar sound fronts the four mid-tempo songs on this EP, which opt for a pop-punkish approach — paradoxically without much in the way of hooks. The slower “Everything Turns Grey” is the best track here, but this band has to eventually decide whether it wants power or melody.
Twelve angry snarling thrash tunes crammed onto one 7″, this one has good sound quality and all of the lyrics in Finnish.
Fast punk and thrash with that grungy garage edge. But on one tune they ask “Who would ever think that a band like us would have all the pussy on a big bus?” Give it up, guys.
This band opts for an atmospheric approach not unlike the more moody UK outfits, with excellent production on both tracks. “Blue Army” has interesting filtered vocals, but the material here does not grip.
A “drinking” band, they must have gone over the edge cuz all the songs are radically different: thrash, Euro-pop, punk, country, and sometimes all of the above together. “Straight Edge Band” is a classic. Hilarious!
Total commercial rock, and the worst thing I’ve heard in a long time.
Jazzy HC with metallish guitar on the A-side, and catchy straight-on HC on the flip. It’s like two different bands, but both sides are done with verve and class.
Six clean-sounding live tunes from this good upcoming band who have a fast melodic sound similar to early 7 SECONDS. Best cut: “Dicks Deli.”
Well, the little skate geeks are back with another dose of U.S. hardcore a la U.K. Fueled on pure root beer, Tommy and company indulge in a few longer tunes this time, including a hilarious scratch song. Why go to L.A. when you can have the VANDALS meets D.I. in the UK?
This Aussie garage psych effort comes with the new German zine Splendid, which exposes new and old bands alike. The two tracks by the STEMS aren’t exactly incredible but should satisfy followers of tough Aussie psych.
I think this is a reissue of the STALIN’s first two 7″ records, as well as the track they put on MRR’s international comp LP. This is nice to have as a collector, although this relatively primitive punk doesn’t hold a candle to their subsequent material, which raged.
This French outfit has a great sound, combining a melodic early pop punk style with dominant guitars and politically oriented lyrics. Reminds me of the music that warped my mind back in my formative years, so check it out.
Speedy hardcore with jazzy/metalish guitar riffs but otherwise straight-ahead thrash. Fans of non-melodic aggression will get into this — no let up, no distinction.
Pop-punk meets surfing sounds in Buffalo? The three tracks are not hokey, musically, but are pretty passe. Lyrically “nothin’”.
A good showing by this West German act. The A side is a catchy mid tempo basher with good lyrics and powerful guitars, while the B side alternates between thrashy and reggae. Hot stuff.
What the SOUP DRAGONS are to the BUZZCOCKS, these guys may be to early SAINTS, with a dash of 60s punk and perhaps Belgium’s KIDS thrown in. Really rockin’ pop punk with great guitar and good snarly voice. We’ll know better after their next release.
Metal punk with more originality than your average speedcore act. Lyrics range from abstract to topical subjects. A fairly impressive showing here.
Only three songs which are a blend of early 60s, ska and late 70s punk. I’d liken them to the SHOP ASSISTANTS or a mellower PRIMITIVES. Very nice job.
Atmospheric but driving post-punk with female vocals. Reminds at times of early SIOUXSIE, with the haunting/tortured vocals and the psycho-punk music.
Fairly rockin’ pop-punk with a RAMONES feel to it. Nothing really amazing, but somehow catchy and pretty tight.
Was expecting sloppy thrash, but got powerful mid-tempo punk with driving guitar work. Strong stuff here and lyric topics very good.
Metal tinged thrash in the COC/NEGAZIONE mold. Very political lyrics dealing with power, exploitation, racism, and even the “scene.” Strong beliefs and intense music.
Mostly slow to mid-tempo grinding, crunching power punk with quite a few speed bursts. Best comparison would be a thrashed-out version of the AMEBIX.
OK grungy metal punk with varied lyrics: Most are ok, but there’s “Tim Sucks” (Not about Bobo Yohannan, I hope) and “Anarchy Bitch” which is totally moronic.
Four songs from this now-defunct D.C. outfit are slow-tempo, simplistically melodic and clear of any hard edge this band had in the past. What remains the same are the personal poetic lyrics and raw vocals. Overall, this band seems to be restraining the energy they had on their debut release.
Yahoo! This is great! Very hot, energetic, innovative, multi-influenced punk with intelligent, realistic lyrics. Definitely put this on your Christmas list.
Like the REDSKINS, these are leftwing skins, musically following in the footsteps of early punk a la CHELSEA, ANGELIC UPSTARTS, CLASH, etc. The music is fairly light though, more like current 7 SECONDS than the ’77 crew.
This rockin’ all-female foursome kicks out five songs, nearly all with a chunky guitar sound and plaintive vocals. This band really connects when their humor and personality comes through (as on “What? Scuz Me?”), but this is still an enjoyable slab.
This is a Steve Spinali kinda record, boppin’ pop-punk, back-up choruses, etc. Half the tunes rock, half are a teeny bit too light (especially in the vocal department), but not bad overall.
This band has spent altogether too much time listening to AEROSMITH. RAGING SLAB’s music shows a saturation in that most dreaded of all genres — rock —without the healthy self-parody that made the WILD, and early MENTORS and PLASMATICS so enjoyable. I’m surprised this is on…
Very high-powered thrash, not without a decent dose of BAD BRAINS-like attack. Metal licks kept to a tolerable level, while the overall fury carries the day.
These crazy Nevadans play poor white trashy punk with a grungy guitar sound and garage-y production. Basic but fun.
With music like this, they’ll be back in the pubs: highly produced, including synth and keyboards (usually unobtrusive), slow-paced tunes (only a couple rock much at all). Definitely going for the college radio market.
Aptly named, this is largely lightweight pop punk, a much-cleaner REVILLOS. The beat is there, but the insipid lyrics and too-sterile production keep this from really grabbing me. Main feature: Wolfie of the STUPIDS is the bass player.
For most of this LP, we’re floating along in a very pleasant ’78-79 type of political punk with both male and female vocals. But then, just to show us they’re not completely stuck in the past, they lash out with a terrific thrasher. Very good release, and much more gripping than on their EP. From Ireland.
A reworking of the A-side by this reformed early punk outfit, and it’s got the guts and great bass riffs of the early version. The flip, a cover of the JOHNNY RIVERS classic, is as garage-y and raw as I’d hoped. Basic punk rock.
This great new Philly band kicks out loud, raw, energized HC with noticeable roots in early melodic punk. There are several classics here that you can’t help but have stuck in your head. Hopefully more to come. Good stuff!
Surprisingly rockin’ pop-punk/thrash. Based on their last 7″, I thought the OFFBEATS were wimping out, but on this LP, they deliver a lot of wallop as well as catchy songs. No lyric sheet is always a bad sign: either the band puts little stock in their message, or the label could care less.
Again, cleaned and prettied up. The tunes are still cool, but the bite and raunch just isn’t there, that extra spark of rock’n’roll that heads a band over the line into madness. Too reserved.
Ferocious punk and thrash from this new Canadian outfit. Lyrically, it’s mostly personal, but humor shines through on “Barbadeath” and “Punker Than Thou.” Blazing stuff!
Very well done melodic HC with roots in ’77 punk and the DC sound, and they even do a T. REX cover. Tight, tuneful, and songs that can be remembered.
How can I describe this? How bout manic mind music that pegs the needle on a seismograph. How bout punk rock, metal, thrash, dirge, post-punk, schizophrenia, depression, and happiness twisted into a music shrink’s worst possible nightmare. Excruciating yet so beautiful, this is amazing. P.S. Cute cover, Victor.
Fun, energetic, driving mid-tempo punk with an ultra-raw guitar sound and personal lyrics dealing with love, straight edge, metal, etc. Good shit from MOO.
Much more diverse than earlier efforts, this band’s powerful, driving punk sound still remains, but both melody and metallic influences are apparent, resulting in a catchy sound which is sometimes drawn-out.
Frantic speedcore with the shrieking intensity of Italian HC. Although “Hot Rods To Hell” reveals intelligence, the rest is riddled with HM clichés: 2nd grade horror lyrics, self-indulgent musicianship, etc. Pass…
This double LP chronicles ten years of work by LUNCH through her infamous work with TEENAGE JESUS, BEIRUT SLUMP, and the highly influential EIGHT EYED SPY. Also, a complete side is devoted to a few of her many collaborations, making a good sample of LYDIA LUNCH and the underground No Wave scene.
These guys used to be RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY. At least they figured out how stupid that was. This new one is “late 80s gloom disco” music. You’ll hear it at all the cool clubs. Heavy on the beat, rhythm, and somber BAUHAUS-ian vocals. If you go on for this kind of thing — it’s pretty damn good. Otherwise, beware.
Pretty standard mid-tempo punk with some pretty catchy choruses. Nothing too fancy or excessive, just good ol’ basic punk rock.
